5 Facts About Ringworm

Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin. The name “ringworm” is a misnomer, since the infection is caused by a fungus, not a worm. Ringworm infection can affect both humans and animals. The infection initially presents with red patches on affected areas of the skin and later spreads to other parts of the body. The infection may affect the skin of the scalp, feet, groin, beard, or other areas.


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Symptoms

Different types of ringworm affect different parts of the body.

• Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis): This is most common in younger children, and occasionally it affects adults. It is more common in urban environments where people live closer together, giving the fungus more opportunities to spread.
• Body (skin) ringworm (tinea corporis): This can affect infants, children, and adults.
• Groin infections (tinea cruris): Also known as jock itch, this is more common among young men.

Causes

Although the world is full of yeasts, molds, and fungi, only a few cause skin disease. These agents are called the dermatophytes. An infection with these fungi is medically known as dermatophytosis. Skin fungi can only live on the dead layer of keratin protein on top of the skin.

Diagnosis

A doctor can normally diagnose ringworm or a groin infection after examining the affected area and asking the patient about their medical history and symptoms. They may take a small scraping of the skin, which will not hurt, and examine it under a microscope to look for characteristics of fungi. The doctor will assess whether the skin problem is being caused by some other disorder, such as psoriasis.

Treatment

Your doctor may recommend both medications and lifestyle adjustments to treat ringworm. Your doctor may prescribe various medications depending on the severity of your ringworm infection. Jock itch, athlete’s foot, and ringworm of the body can all be treated with medications, such as antifungal creams, gels, or sprays. Over-the-counter medications and antifungal skin creams may be recommended for use as well. Over-the-counter products may contain clotrimazole, miconazole, terbinafine, or other related ingredients.

7 Facts About Extroverts

Extroverts make up about three-quarters of the American population, and as such come in all stripes. They zip through the world in search of new experiences, social connections, and exciting opportunities. Extroversion is a core factor of personality and is difficult to modify. But generally speaking, the only people bothered by extroverts' volubility and drive are the introverted members of their circle!


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What Exactly Is an Extrovert?

Extroverts are often described as talkative, sociable, action-oriented, enthusiastic, friendly, and out-going. On the negative side, they are sometimes described as attention-seeking, easily distracted, and unable to spend time alone. Some of the general characteristics associated with extroversion include:

• Numerous, broad interests
• Like to communicate by talking
• Enjoy being at the center of attention
• Tend to act first before thinking
• Enjoy group work
• Feel isolated by too much time spent alone
• Look to others and outside sources for ideas and inspiration
• Like to talk about thoughts and feelings

Qualities of an Extrovert

Extroverts enjoy social situations and even seek them out since they enjoy being around people. In school, you can expect an extroverted child to enjoy working on a team project or in a study group rather than alone.

Extroverts tend to "fade" when alone and can easily become bored without other people around. When they must work on a task alone, it can be helpful for somebody to be nearby to encourage them and to let them speak about what they are doing.

When given a chance, an extrovert will talk with someone else rather than sit alone. In fact, extroverts tend to think as they speak, unlike introverts who are far more likely to think before they speak. Extroverts often think well when they are talking. Concepts just don't seem real to them unless they can talk about them. You may discover that your child will talk to anybody and everybody when you are out in public.

Causes of a Dry Cough

Dry cough that continues after other cold symptoms or that occurs without other symptoms may be caused by a number of health problems. Some people start coughing when they breathe very dry air. This can be caused by environmental irritation or allergies in most cases. This type of cough may be more noticeable when you first turn on your furnace in the fall, because dust and other irritants that have collected over the summer are constantly blown into the air. Chronic dry coughs are usually caused by irritation from cigarette smoke, environmental irritants, allergies, or asthma.


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Causes

The common causes of dry coughs are as follows:

• Viral infections known as the common cold and flu. These coughs may occur at the start of the illness or more likely, appear towards the middle or the end of the infection, and may linger after other symptoms have disappeared
• Allergies can also lead to a dry cough. Hay fever, an allergy to grass and tree pollen, causes irritation to the eyes and nose and when the throat is affected which results with a cough. If you are unsure about whether or not your dry cough is hay fever-related, you could try taking a quick test to find out. Sensitivity to other particles such as animal fur, known as allergic rhinitis, can also lead to the same symptoms

Symptoms

What differentiates the cause of a cough are the associated signs and symptoms. Another important factor in determining the cause of the cough is whether it is acute or chronic. Acute coughs have been divided into infectious and noninfectious causes.
Signs and symptoms that point to an infection include fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, vomiting, headache, runny nose, night sweats, and postnasal drip. Sputum, or phlegm, sometimes indicates an infection is present, but it is also seen in noninfectious causes.

How long does a cough normally last?

Coughs tend to last a week or 2, most clearing up within about 3 weeks. A post-viral cough may persist for several (up to about 8) weeks after a viral illness, while some coughs persist for longer and are usually a sign of an underlying problem.
In adults and children, a cough is described as acute if you have been coughing for up to 2 weeks. In adults, a cough that lasts for more than 8 weeks is described as a chronic persistent cough. In children, a cough that lasts 2 to 4 weeks is called a prolonged acute cough. A cough that lasts more than 4 weeks is considered to be a chronic cough.

7 Home Remedies for Stomach Ulcers

Stomach ulcers, also known as gastric ulcers, are open sores within the lining of the stomach. They are a type of peptic ulcer, meaning having to do with acid. Because of the amount of acid present in the stomach and the damage that can occur, they are often extremely painful. The most common cause of stomach ulcers is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Ulcers may also be caused by overuse of painkillers. Stomach ulcers are treated with antibiotics and medications to reduce and block stomach acid.

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1. Cabbage Juice
Cabbage is a popular natural ulcer remedy. Doctors reportedly used it decades before antibiotics were available to help heal stomach ulcers. It’s rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant shown to help prevent and treat H. pylori infections.

2. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice
Don’t let that long first word give you a stomach ache. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is just plain old licorice with the sweet flavor extracted. According to researchers, deglycyrrhizinated licorice might help ulcers heal by inhibiting the growth of H. pylori. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is available as a supplement.

3. Honey
Honey is an antioxidant-rich food linked to a variety of health benefits. These include improved eye health and a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and even certain types of cancer. Honey also appears to prevent the formation and promote the healing of many wounds, including ulcers.

4. Garlic
Garlic extract has been shown to inhibit H. pylori growth in lab, animal, and human trials. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can take garlic extract in supplemental form. Garlic acts as a blood thinner, so ask your doctor before taking it if you use warfarin (Coumadin), other prescription blood thinners, or aspirin.

5. Turmeric
Turmeric is a South Asian spice used in many Indian dishes. It’s easily recognizable by its rich yellow color. Curcumin, turmeric’s active ingredient, has been attributed to medicinal properties. These range from improved blood vessel function to reduced inflammation and heart disease risk.

Causes of Mucus in Stool

A small amount of mucus in stool is most of the time nothing to worry about. Stool normally contains a small amount of mucus, a jelly-like substance that your intestines make to keep the lining of your colon moist and lubricated. But you should definitely talk to your doctor if you notice an increased amount of mucus in stool, especially if it begins happening regularly or if it's accompanied by bleeding or a change in bowel habits. Larger amounts of mucus in stool, associated with diarrhea, may be caused by certain intestinal infections.


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Causes
The mucous membrane of the large intestine helps stool to pass. A "normal" bowel movement will not produce much mucus. Yellow or clear mucus is present in such little amounts that the naked eye would not notice it. When stool has visible mucus, it can be a sign of bacterial infections, anal fissures, a bowel obstruction, or Crohn's disease. This type of warning sign is the body's way of saying stop, look, and listen.
Other signs to look for:

• Increased amounts of mucus
• Blood or pus in the stool
• Stomach pain, cramping, or bloating
• Sudden changes in stool frequency, consistency, or color

Diagnosis
There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for abnormal mucus in the stool. To treat the excess mucus, your doctor will need to diagnose and treat any underlying problems, which may be related to inflammation in your colon. If additional information is needed, your doctor may request more tests. These may include:

• blood test
• stool culture
• urinalysis
• colonoscopy
• endoscopy

Micropenis Causes and Treatment

Many men worry about the size of their penis. However, not many realize that there is an actual medical condition where the size of the penis is referred to as a “Micropenis”. But how small actually is a Micropenis? What causes the condition? And how is it treated? As the prefix ‘micro’ suggests, people with a Micropenis have a small penis. But how small exactly is a Micropenis? The condition refers to any penis which, when stretched, is 2.5 standard deviations below the mean size for the age of the patient. What does 2.5 standard deviations below the mean work out as? In adults, the condition refers to any penis smaller than 2.8 inches in length. In infants, a Micropenis is classed as any penis that is less than 0.75 inches in length.


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Causes
Many things can cause a micropenis, but testosterone can play a big factor. Growth of the penis both before birth and during childhood and puberty is strongly influenced by testosterone. To a lesser degree, the growth hormone can also affect whether a guy gets a tiny penis.

What is the treatment for micropenis?
Specific treatment for micropenis will be determined by your child's doctor based on:

• Your child's age, overall health, and medical history
• The extent of the condition
• Your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• Your opinion or preference 

There is no real cure for micropenis. Hormone therapy may be indicated for some children to stimulate penile growth. Other treatment options will be discussed with you.

Symptoms of Pupps Rash

Also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP), PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy) can be extremely uncommon and only affects around 1% pregnancies. It doesn’t hurt the mother of the baby. However, it can cause quite a bit of discomfort for women. The rash is small bumps that erupt near the stretch marks, sometime in the third trimester. Some cases may appear earlier and cover more than just the abdomen.



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Symptoms
Typically, the PUPPP rash will appear during the third trimester of pregnancy. Your baby’s growth rate is very rapid during this time, especially during the last five weeks of pregnancy. It’s most likely to occur during a first pregnancy and during a multiples pregnancy, where the skin stretches even more. During your pregnancy, sometimes your skin stretches faster than your skin cells can keep up with. This can cause stretch marks to appear.

PUPPP usually begins on the abdomen and spreads to other extremities within a few days. The rash appears as small, pink spots that appear in the stretch marks. Eventually, the rash may start to come together and form large, red, plaque-like areas. Blisters can sometimes form around the rash. These plaques can then spread from the stomach to the:

• buttocks
• thighs
• arms
• legs

Causes
No one’s really sure what the causes are. Unlike most other symptoms of pregnancy, PUPPP doesn't appear to be the result of increased hormone levels. One theory suggests that fetal cells invade the mother's skin during pregnancy, causing an itchy belly to develop. Another theory says that it is genetic and can be traced through the father's side. In any case, PUPPP usually appears in the third trimester and disappears after childbirth.

Symptoms of Mono

Infectious mononucleosis is a common infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
It is also known as glandular fever, the kissing disease, and mono. Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis include fatigue, sore throat, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. There is no treatment for mono, but the care involves resting and drinking plenty of fluids.


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Symptoms
The most common symptoms of mononucleosis are fever, sore throat, swollen glands and fatigue. Symptoms usually develop between four to six weeks after exposure to the EBV. Other signs and symptoms of mononucleosis may include the following:

• headache,
• rash,
• malaise,
• tonsillitis,
• body aches,
• enlarged spleen and/or liver,
• difficulty breathing.

Treatment
The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms. Steroid medicine may be given if your symptoms are severe. Antiviral drugs, such as acyclovir, have little or no benefit.
To relieve typical symptoms:

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Gargle with warm salt water to ease a sore throat.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and fever.

Make sure to call a health-care provider for an appointment if any of the signs or symptoms of mononucleosis appear. Diagnosis of the illness by a health-care provider is important to make sure that it is not another medical condition that may require more extensive medical evaluation and treatment.

7 Health Benefits of L-Arginine

L-arginine is a chemical building block called "an amino acid." It is obtained from the diet and is necessary for the body to make proteins. L-arginine is found in red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. It can also be made in a laboratory and used as medicine. L-arginine is used for heart and blood vessel conditions including congestive heart failure (CHF), chest pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart surgery, recovery after heart transplant, heart attack, and coronary artery disease.


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Side Effects
L-arginine has few reported reactions. Nausea and diarrhea have been reported infrequently. Bitter taste may occur with higher doses. Due to its ability to dilate blood vessels, low blood pressure may also occur. Intravenous preparations containing L-arginine hydrochloride have a high chloride content that may increase the risk for metabolic acidosis in patients with electrolyte imbalances. Low potassium and high serum urea nitrogen levels may occur in patients with kidney and/or liver impairment.

Benefits

• Chest pain. Taking L-arginine seems to decrease symptoms and improve exercise tolerance and quality of life in people with angina. However, L-arginine does not seem to help widen the blood vessels that are narrowed in angina.
• Erectile dysfunction. Taking 5 grams of L-arginine by mouth daily seems to improve sexual function in men with ED. However, there is some early evidence that taking L-arginine with maritime pine bark extract and other ingredients, might improve the effectiveness of low-dose L-arginine for ED.
• High blood pressure. There is early evidence that taking L-arginine by mouth can reduce blood pressure in healthy people, people with high blood pressure, and people with slightly high blood pressure with or without diabetes.

You should talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of ED. In many cases, ED has an underlying medical cause. And for many men, stress and relationship troubles are also factors. Before taking medications or supplements, consider trying home remedies to improve erectile function. Losing weight through regular exercise and a healthy diet may help if you’re overweight or obese. Get a better idea of how your diet can improve your life with this powerful supplement that will generally make you feel better.

Tick Bite Home Remedies

Ticks bites are usually a common nightmare of summer, but they don't have to be. There are many ways to avoid these small insects, as well as safe ways to remove one that does embed itself in your skin. Ticks can transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so it’s worth steering clear of bites, if possible. There are about 850 species of ticks worldwide. These critters range in size from nearly invisible to the size of a pencil eraser. Most ticks go through four life stages, growing larger as they age.


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Where do ticks bite people?
Ticks prefer warm and moist areas of the body. Once a tick gets on your body, they’re likely to migrate to your armpits, groin, or hair. When they’re in a desirable spot, they bite into your skin and begin drawing blood. Unlike most other bugs that bite, ticks typically remain attached to your body even after biting you. If one bites you, you’ll likely know because you’ll have found a tick on your skin. After a period of 10 days of drawing blood from your body, an engorged tick can detach itself and simply fall off.

Symptoms
Unfortunately, the tick bite is usually painless and remains that way even after the tick stops the blood meal and falls off of the skin. Later, the bite site may develop

• itching,
• burning,
• redness or red spot, and
• rarely, localized intense pain like in the joints in some individuals.

Tick prevention
Long sleeves and long pants are good protection against ticks. The insecticide permethrin can be sprayed on clothing or gear and kills ticks on contact. Deet is also an effective repellant. As a bonus, both of these chemicals keep mosquitoes away, too.
Check yourself and any pets for ticks after coming in from outdoors, especially if you've been in woody or grassy areas. If you do find a tick attached to your skin, use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the arachnid as close to the skin as possible. Pull upward evenly and steadily. The goal is to remove the tick whole, without breaking its mouthparts off in your skin.

Diaper Rash Home Remedies

Diaper rash is a generalized term indicating any skin irritation that develops in the diaper-covered region. Synonyms include diaper dermatitis, napkin dermatitis, and ammonia dermatitis. While there are several broad categories of causes of diaper rash, contact irritation is the most common culprit. While diaper rash is generally thought to affect infants and toddlers, any individual wearing a diaper is a candidate to develop this dermatitis.



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Causes of Diaper Rash

• Leaving a wet or dirty diaper on too long
• Rubbing or chafing against the diaper itself
• Yeast infection
• Bacterial infection
• Allergic reaction to diaper

A harmless rash that's often seen on a baby's scalp, called cradle cap, can also show up on his bottom. Doctors call it seborrheic dermatitis. It causes red and waxy patches that eventually go away without treatment. You might notice it on other parts of your baby's body, too.\

What does diaper rash look like?
If your child's diaper area looks irritated and red, chances are it's a diaper rash. The skin may also be a little puffy and feel warm. Diaper rash can be mild, with just a few red spots in a small area, or extensive, with tender red bumps that spread to your child's tummy and thighs. Most parents have to deal with diaper rash at some point, especially in the first year or so of their child's life.

What Is Amoxil (Amoxicillin)?

Amoxicillin is used to treat a great deal of bacterial infections. This medication is a penicillin-type antibiotic. This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (like cold, flu). Unnecessary use or misuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness. Amoxicillin is also used with other medications to treat stomach/intestinal ulcers caused by the bacteria H. pylori and to prevent the ulcers from returning.


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Before taking this medicine
You should not use amoxicillin if you are allergic to any penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin, dicloxacillin, oxacillin, penicillin, or ticarcillin. To make sure amoxicillin is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• asthma;
• liver or kidney disease;
• mononucleosis;
• a history of diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics; or
• food or drug allergies

Amoxicillin and Pregnancy
If you're a woman, let your doctor know if you are or may be pregnant, are breastfeeding, or using birth control pills. Though amoxicillin is widely believed to be safe, ask your doctor if the risks of taking antibiotics while pregnant outweigh the benefits. Also, let your doctor know if you are breastfeeding because amoxicillin can pass through breast milk and increase the risk for a later allergic reaction in babies.

Uses
As an antibiotic, amoxicillin is used to treat infections caused by bacteria.
Conditions that amoxicillin can treat include:

• bronchitis
• ear infection
• gonorrhea
• pneumonia
• skin infections
• typhoid