Every year there are several cases of eye-injury owing to uncontrolled Holi celebrations. Consultant Eye Surgeon Dr Anand Shroff provides some tips on how to protect your eyes and the measures to take should an injury occur
From time immemorial, man has been attracted to colours. Dry Holi colours known as ‘gulal’ and wet colours [...]
One of the first large quality-of- life studies on today’s prostate cancer treatments suggests that for some men, it is a matter of picking your poison and facing potential sexual, urinary or other problems.
Of the choices studied - surgery, standard radiation, hormone therapy or radioactive seeds - the seeds seemed to carry a lower [...]
Taking the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba may delay the onset of cognitive impairment in elderly adults. However, the study also showed a higher incidence of strokes and “mini-strokes” in ginkgo users.
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In a three-year study of more than 100 people age 85 and older with no memory problems, half took ginkgo biloba extract three times a [...]
Tick-borne diseases are diseases or illnesses transmitted by ticks. As the incidence of tick-borne illnesses increases and the geographic areas in which they are found expand, it becomes increasingly important that health professionals be able to distinguish the diverse, and often overlapping, clinical presentations of these diseases.
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…………Adult Female Deer Tick
Deer ticks are responsible for [...]
The Gnaphaliums are a group of plants, individual species of which are known as Life Everlasting, Eternal Flowers, etc. They are used by the aborigines of America, who taught the white settlers their medical properties.
The Antennaria dioica, known under the name of Life Everlasting or Catsfoot, is the only British species and must not be [...]
Many of the chemotherapies used to fight cancer in modern medicine were developed from natural substances.
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For instance:
Taxanes used to treat prostate and breast cancer came from yew trees.
Vinca alkaloids, which are used to treat malignant lymphomas, are made from periwinkle plants.
The anti-cancer drugs topotecan and irinotecan come from a component of the [...]
Botanical Name: Andira araroba (AGUIAR.)
Family: N.O. Leguminosae
Synonyms: Goa Powder. Crude Chrysarobin. Bahia Powder. Brazil Powder. Ringworm Powder. Chrysatobine. Goa. Araroba Powder. Voucapoua Araroba.
Parts Used: The medullary matter of the stem and branches, dried and powdered.
Habitat: Brazil.
Description:The tree which yields it is the Andira Araroba of the natural order Leguminosae. It is [...]
A fascinating study in Britain has suggested that those inclined towards religion tend to be happier than atheists or agnostics.
Happy regious person>…Unhappy Aeithest>
A study presented at the Royal Economic Society’s annual conference in Coventry, Britain, suggested that religion can act as an “insurance policy” against distress.
Although the idea of religious belief as a “fortress” [...]
Definition:
Scleroderma (sklere-o-DER-muh) is a rare, progressive disease that leads to hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues — the fibers that provide the framework and support for your body. Scleroderma usually starts with a few dry patches of skin on the hands or face that begin getting thicker and harder. These patches then [...]
Definition: It is also called: Causalgia, CRPS, Reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is an uncommon nerve disorder. It causes intense pain, usually in the arms, hands, legs or feet. It happens after an injury, either to a nerve or to tissue in the affected area. Rest and time may only make it worse. [...]
Botanical Name: Salicornia herbacea (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Chenopodiaceae
Common Name:Glasswort
Synonym:Marsh Samphire.
Habitat:Many species of the genera Salsola, Suaeda and Salicornia belonging to Chenopodiaceae are rich in soda and were formerly much employed in making both soap and glass, hence the name Glasswort. Large quantities of the ashes of these plants were formerly imported from southern Europe and northern [...]
A compound found in soyabeans seems to prevent spread of human prostate cancer, according to the latest research.
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Researchers say that the quantity of the chemical, an antioxidant known as genistein, used in the experiments was what a human would normally eat in a soyabean-rich diet.
Investigators from Northwestern University found that Genistein was found to [...]
Binge drinkers, beware! Guzzling beer is better for brain while quaffing wine is a worry, a new study has claimed.
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Researchers at the University of Gottingen in Germany have found that drinking wine damages the brain more than beer or spirits — wine actually shrinks the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.
According [...]
Definition:
Dyshidrosis, also termed Dyshidrotic Eczema, Pompholyx and Dyshidrotic Dermatitis, is a skin condition that is characterized by small blisters on the hands or feet. It is an acute, chronic, or recurrent dermatosis of the fingers, palms, and soles, characterized by a sudden onset of many deep-seated pruritic, clear vesicles; later, scaling, fissures and lichenification occur. [...]
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Glycine
Habitat:
Soybeans are native to east Asia, but 45 percent of the world’s soybean area, and 55 percent of production, is in the United States. The U.S. produced 75 million metric tons of soybeans in 2000, of which more than one-third was exported. Other leading producers are Brazil, Australia, [...]
Scientists now have a better understanding of how hair grows, making treatment of baldness a possibility.
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It’s yet to become a hit in online chatrooms or a hot topic on medical blogs. But when it will, researchers like George Cotsarelis and Elaine Fuchs will surely attain cult status. After all, they are working on a vexatious [...]
Zinc supplements reduce both the severity and duration of acute or persistent diarrhea in children, according to researchers from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
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The study included data from 22 studies, including 16 that focused on children with acute diarrhea, and six that focused on children with persistent diarrhea.
Compared to placebo, the zinc supplements [...]
Definition:
Diaper rash (U.S.) or nappy rash (UK), is a generic term applied to skin rashes in the diaper area that are caused by a various skin disorders and/or irritants.
Generic rash or irritant diaper dermatitis (IDD) is characterized by joined patches of erythema and scaling mainly seen on the convex surfaces, with the skin folds spared.
Diaper [...]
Hospitals offer them for varying rates, advertising them as “comprehensive†or “partialâ€. Health, however, is relative, an ever changing equation influenced by several factors. A catastrophe or downhill slide can occur rapidly; a few weeks or even days after a “normal†report is handed over.
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Self medication can be harmful, consult a doctor when [...]
Botanical Name: Gleditschia triacanthos (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Leguminosae
Synonyms: Gleditschine. Honey Locust. Gleditschia Ferox. Three-(t)horned Acacia. Gleditschine. Gleditschia triacanthos, Gleditschia macracantha.
Parts Used: The twigs and leaves.
Habitat: Eastern and Central United States.
Description: A small, thorny tree, with pinnated leaves and greenish flowers growing in dense spikes. The younger and smaller branches have strong, [...]
