Category: Health

{{Here are 7 things you do that affect your health negatively.{}}}

{{1. You don’t go for regular checkups }}

Skipping checkups is bad for your health. When you go for checkups regularly, it becomes easy to catch problems early when they are much more treatable.

{{2. You don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables }}

If you love your health, you should ensure you eat fruits everyday. It’s recommended you eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Doing this helps reduce your risk of heart disease and several types of cancer.

{{3. You don’t exercise }}

Exercising is important for your health and also helps you maintain a healthy weight.

{{4. You exercise too much }}

Too much of everything is bad and that includes exercise too. Exercising too much can cause decreased immunity, fatigue, muscle soreness and difficultly in sleeping.

{{5. You don’t get enough sleep }}

The recommended amount of sleep you should have daily is at least seven hours. Inadequate sleep can cause depression, diabetes and high blood pressure.

{{6. You don’t have friends }}

While it’s good to go solo sometimes, having friends is good for your health and helps you live longer.

{{7. You take antibiotics without the doctor’s permission }}

It’s wrong to take antibiotics without the doctor’s permission as it could make your body drug resistant and also kill good bacteria in your body.

{Garlic is a herb used by many as a flavouring in cooking but what many don’t know is that garlic has so many health benefits.}

{{Below are 10 health benefits of garlic}}

1. According to a study carried out by Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in China, people who eat raw garlic at least twice a week have a 44% lower risk of developing lung cancer.

2. Consuming garlic regularly will help increase your s*x drive because it helps promote blood circulation.

3. A study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy found that garlic is a powerful antibiotic which has the potential to reduce disease-causing bacteria.

4. People who are diabetic will find garlic very useful because garlic regulates blood sugar level.

5. A study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention found that men who ate garlic have a lower risk of prostrate cancer.

6. Garlic is good for the heart. A study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine found that garlic protects the heart.

7. Garlic helps keep the blood pressure normal by causing the walls of the blood vessels to relax.

8. Regular consumption of garlic thins the blood and help reduce the risk of blood clot formation and stroke.

9. Consuming garlic helps lower bad cholesterol.

10. Garlic help prevent brain tumour due to organo-sulphur compounds found in garlic that destroys brain tumour cells.

{Diabetes is a long-term condition that causes high blood sugar levels.}

There are two main types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterised by a lack of insulin. While type 2 diabetes is characterised by ineffective use of insulin in the body. Insulin is a substance the body makes to convert sugar into energy.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90% of diabetes in the world, and about one-third of people with diabetes do not know they have diabetes.

Diabetes is a very tough illness, and we’ve brought you some warning signs of diabetes. But how can we fight diabetes?

{{1. Lose weight }}

Shedding even 15 kg can significantly reduce your risk. According to a particular study, even extremely overweight people were 70% less likely to develop diabetes when they lost just 5% of their weight—even if they didn’t exercise.

{{2. Walk more }}

Walking is a good form of exercising. Exercise helps your body utilise the hormone insulin more efficiently by increasing the number of insulin receptors on your cells.

According to a Finnish study, people who exercised the most—up to 4 hours a week, or about 35 minutes a day—dropped their risk of diabetes by 80%, even if they didn’t lose any weight.

{{3. Minimise red meat }}

According to a 37,000-woman study at a Brigham Women’s Hospital, women who ate red meat at least 5 times a week had a 29% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate it less than once a week.

Eating processed meats such as bacon and hot dogs at least 5 times a week raised type 2 diabetes risk by 43%, compared with eating them less than once a week.

{{4. Try onions }}

German researchers studied 65 adults with type 2 diabetes who then took a capsule containing the equivalent of 1g of chromium powder or a placebo 3 times a day for 4 months.

Chromium available in large quantity in onions helps in high blood sugar reduction, and by the end of the study chromium reduced blood sugar by about 10%.

{{5. Spice your health with garlic }}

Garlic also has concentrated amount of Zinc. Laboratory studies have shown that zinc acts like insulin when administered to insulin-sensitive tissue and that it seems to stimulate insulin action. Zinc is also necessary for the correct processing, storage, and secretion of insulin.

{{6. Eat cereals }}

Eating cereals can help you slim down and steady blood sugar. A higher whole grain intake is also linked to lower rates of breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.

{{7. Go easy on sugar }}

Watch your sugar intake and use sugar-free substitutes. Watch out for added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, sugar, and sucrose.

Diabetes is a killer, take your health seriously and fight diabetes today.

{The privates are a very delicate part of the body. Some people usually (out of ignorance or plain stupidity) engage in activities or subject their privates to things that expose them to danger. This is not acceptable. There are things that you cannot do to your genitals, and I have a number of them lined up in this post.}

{{1. Piercings }}

As ‘cool’ and trendy as they may seem, piercings are not really healthy for your privates, both as a man and as a woman. The skin around the privates are very sensitive, so exposing it to harsh objects can lead to bleeding or an infection if the object used isn’t sterilized. This also applies to tattooing down there.

{{2. Avoid tight underwear }}

If you must use underwear, it must not be one of those tight, body hugging types, as those have the ability to restrict blood flow to the genitals (for men) and reduce sperm production, which can lead to infertility. It can also cause infection due to too much sweating.

{{3. Don’t leave unclean }}

It’s important to make sure you wash your genitals often, during baths, or after sex, as leaving it unwashed can lead to an infection, due to a build up of bacteria.

{{4. Don’t overwash }}

I mentioned that it’s important to wash up and keep it clean down there, but you want to wash with caution, so you do not overdo it. The skin around the genitals is very delicate; kind of like the one on your face, so you have to be careful to avoid bruising, as that can give room for an infection too.

{{5. Do not pull it!}}

There’s a craze for big manhood these days, which is really absurd because it’s not about the size, but usage. You can have the biggest too, and still suffer if you can’t use it well. So don’t let that talk of a big, giant manhood being all women need, because it’s not. I’ve heard about people going to all sorts of lengths to achieve giant manhood, including pulling or stretching their genital to make it longer. This doesn’t work, and is bad for your health. In doing so, you can damage the muscles and tissues down there.

{{6. Avoid enlargement products }}

Like I revealed earlier, it’s never been about the size, so avoid using enlargement products, as many of them have hormones and components whose functionality may be unhealthy for your body.

{{7. Don’t use artificial scents }}

The genitals have a natural smell, which isn’t bad, as long as it’s clean. Most artificial scents and perfumes have chemicals that can be bad for your genitals when they come in contact, due to their sensitivity.

{{8. Don’t use hair removal creams down there
}}

This is obviously because of the content of most of them. They are made of ingredients that are not so healthy for your genital area.
{{
9. Don’t leave it wet after a bath }}

Bacteria thrive in wet, moist areas. After having your bath, please clean up your genitals properly, along with your body, to avoid giving bacteria a breeding ground.

{{10. Don’t self-medicate }}

If you notice any abnormalities or pain down there, simply reach out to a doctor or expert for help. Do not prescribed drugs for yourself, please.

{How often do you wash your bedspreads? Many people use dirty bedding and don’t see anything wrong; they pay little attention to their bedding, without knowing that they are causing themselves harm.}

Laundry expert Mary Marlowe Leverette told ATTN that when you don’t wash your sheets, masses of grim substances start to build up in our beds.

Sweat, body oils, dirt, saliva, urine, sexual fluids, and faecal matter all make a home in your bed, if you don’t keep it clean.

According to Mary Marlowe, if bed sheets are not washed regularly, and the sleeper has a scratch or wound, all those gross substances can end up giving them an infection.

She revealed: “Athlete’s foot and other fungi can be transferred from fabrics,

“Infrequent cleaning of sheets and pillowcases allows the fluids to seep into the pillows and mattresses, and those are MUCH more difficult to clean than tossing sheets in the washer.”

She also revealed that dead skin cells you shed and that get left in your bed can also attract dust mites – which can cause breathing problems (particularly for those with asthma).

Worst still, the longer you go between washes, the more difficult it becomes to remove all the old skin cells, mites, and various other germs, as they become more deeply embedded into your bed.

The best bet for you is to wash your bedspread regularly if you want to maintain a proper hygiene.

{An implanted nerve stimulator significantly improves symptoms in those with central sleep apnea, without causing serious side effects, results from an international, randomized study show.}

Results from an international, randomized study show that an implanted nerve stimulator significantly improves symptoms in those with central sleep apnea, without causing serious side effects.

Dr. William Abraham, co-lead author and director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, presented findings from the study at the recent European Society of Cardiology Congress in Rome. The study is published by The Lancet.

Unlike the more common obstructive sleep apnea, in which the airway partially collapses and causes pauses in breathing, central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs when the brain fails to control breathing during sleep.

“CSA is a serious concern because it affects about a third of people with heart failure and it’s known to make the condition worse,” Abraham said. “Currently, we don’t have good treatments available. Positive airway pressure devices have been used, but many patients don’t tolerate them well and a recent study showed them to be harmful.”

Abraham, along with lead author Dr. Maria Rosa Costanzo at Advocate Heart Institute in Naperville, IL, led the study at 31 hospitals in the United States, Germany and Poland. The research team tested the safety and effectiveness of a transvenous phrenic nerve stimulator made by Respicardia Inc. Much like a pacemaker, it sends a regular signal telling the diaphragm to breathe during sleep.

In the randomized study, 151 patients were implanted with the device. Ten were excluded due to non-study related medical issues or deaths, exiting the study or missing visits. During the first six months of evaluation, 68 devices were activated for treatment, while 73 were left inactive as the control group. Between six and 12 months of follow-up, all patients received the neurostimulation treatment.

At the six month evaluation, the device reduced CSA events per hour by half or more for 35 of the 68 members (51 percent) of the treatment group. Only eight (11 percent) of those in the control group achieved the same reduction. Other important sleep measures, such as the amount of time spent with a low blood oxygen level, were also significantly improved. About a third of patients in the treatment group reported therapy-related discomfort that was resolved with some reprogramming of the device.

“Not only did we see this reduction in events per hour, the patients also rated themselves better on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (meaning they were less sleepy during the day) and on a global assessment of their overall quality of life,” Abraham said. “This tells us the effects of neurostimulation are clinically relevant and this could be a promising therapy for those with central sleep apnea.”

{The thyroid gland is an important gland which influences almost all of the metabolic processes in your body through the hormones it produces. This is why a problem with your thyroid gland can alter your life in many ways.}

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones while hyperthyroidism is the condition in which there is an overproduction of thyroid hormones.

Below are 10 symptoms of thyroid disease you shouldn’t ignore

1. Unexplained weight loss despite an increase in appetite may signal problems with your thyroid.

2. A problem with your thyroid can affect your heart too. An increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, nervousness and excessive perspiration can signal you have problems with your thyroid.

3. A problem with your thyroid can make you have more frequent bowel movements, sometimes with diarrhoea.

4. A problem with your thyroid can affect your energy levels. Problems with your thyroid can make you feel more tired.

5. Lighter or shorter menstrual periods can also signal you have a problem with your thyroid.

6. An enlargement in your neck can signal a problem with your thyroid.

7. Hair loss can also signal you have a problem with your thyroid.

8. A reduced heart rate may signal your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones.

9. Increased sensitivity to cold can also signal your body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones.

10. Muscle weakness and trembling hands signal a problem with your thyroid gland.

{Researchers have found that eating late in the night almost triples the risk of developing a deadly form of high blood pressure.}

Researchers claim late night food binges trigger the release of hormones that raise blood pressure, and affect our internal body clock, and could lead to heart attack, and even stroke.

A study of 721 people found that late night eaters were 2.8 times more likely to be “non-dippers” whose blood pressure doesn’t fall.

Lead researcher Dr Ebru Özpelit, from Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey, said: “If blood pressure doesn’t drop by more than ten percent, this increases cardiovascular risk.”

Ideally adults should avoid scoffing two hours before bedtime – and ideally eat nothing after 7pm, she told the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Rome.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research suggests that eating a meal late at night may contribute to the failure of their blood pressure to reduce.

“It is normal for blood pressure to reduce overnight, even in people with high blood pressure.

“However, in some their blood pressure remains elevated throughout the night putting them at potentially higher risk of future complications.”