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Skin picking has been recognized for many years in the dermatology literature, with labels such as “neurotic excoriation”. This behavior has been reported in a high percentage of patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a distressing or impairing preoccupation with a minimal or nonexistent defect in one’s appearance. BDD patients who pick their skin are more likely than BDD patients who do not pick to consult a dermatologist.

Skin picking also occurs in other psychiatric disorders, including trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as various medical and developmental conditions. Morbidity may be considerable; including psychological distress, skin infections, scarring, and surgical intervention. Many of these patients first present for treatment to a primary care physician, dermatologist, or surgeon, rather than a psychiatrist.

Patients typically describe skin picking as compulsive - something they feel driven to do and are unable to resist. This behavior can consume many hours a day and picking can so deep as to threaten or expose underlying vessels, which occasionally requires emergency surgical intervention.

Ironically, the picking can be time consuming and extensive enough to result in considerable disfigurement, even to the extent that dermatological or surgical intervention is required. In such cases, although the skin lesions may be obvious, the patient still qualifies for the BDD diagnosis because the lesions are self-inflicted and the person’s appearance was within normal limits prior to initiation of picking. It should be emphasized that although this behavior is self-injurious, these patients do not intend to harm themselves; they do so only as an unfortunate byproduct of attempts to improve the appearance of their skin.

Although skin picking commonly occurs as a symptom of BDD (in one third of skin pickers) this behavior is heterogeneous and can occur as a symptom of a variety of underlying disorders. In one series (n = 31) during a study, skin picking was considered the result of obsessive - compulsive disorder in 52% of cases.

In other cases, picking appeared to be a habit that is not triggered by an obsessional thought.

The diagnosis of BDD can easily be missed and emphasizes the need for careful differential diagnosis of skin picking. The term “neurotic excoriation” is excessively broad and lacks treatment implications.

This differential should instead include several conditions whose behavioral expression involves recurrent picking at skin, including delusional parasitosis, self-mutilatory conditions, tic disorders, and habit disorders. The mentioned conditions can overlap in their presentation and phenomenology, and clearly differentiating among them is sometimes difficult.

While it is sometimes difficult to determine the cause of the picking, if the patient indicates that it is driven by appearance concerns and is intended to make the skin look better, it is likely the result of BDD. For example, patients who pick in order to remove blemishes for the purpose of “smoothing out” or clearing their skin are candidates for a diagnosis of BDD, whereas those who pick to “cleanse” their skin may have obsessive - compulsive disorder.

These people constitute a challenging group of patients who are probably best treated with a combination of dermatologic treatment (to heal and minimize skin damage due to picking) and psychiatric treatment (to decrease the severe preoccupation and picking behavior).

Resources: Curing dermatillomania isn’t as difficult as you may think, too many people rely on lengthy and expensive therapy sessions or medications; Compulsive skin picking can be cured without leaving the house. If you’d like to know how to cure this disorder please keep readingDermatillomania Cure

A recent drug treatment study released by Chang-Guo Zhan of the University of Kentucky suggests that natural enzymes may be a successful treatment for an overdose of cocaine. The few treatment methods currently available for overdoses do very little and may even result in death. If this enzyme treatment works as Zhan believes, it could save thousands of lives every year.

How The Body Naturally Treats Cocaine Overdose

This drug poses a significant threat to the user because even the smallest amounts can cause severe damage and even death. When someone takes a hit, it raises his or her blood pressure, restricts the amount of oxygen to the heart, and possibly complicate breathing. If your body is sensitive to these reactions or take too much, you overdose leading to seizures, breathing problems, and heart failure. This can occur regardless of how much or how often you take the drug.

Under normal conditions, these substances add water to the drug causing a series of chemical reactions. When the process is complete, only two completely innocent ingredients are left behind. The biggest downside is that it takes a minimum of 90 minutes for trace amount of the drug to be broke down.

With an overdose, the required time for the process can increase to 12 hours or more leading to a high rate of death and permanent injury. The enzyme method that Zahn is introducing into society merely speeds up a natural process.

New Cocaine Treatment Research

To determine how to modify the natural substance, the cocaine treatment experts identified the precise reaction that required the most energy and gave the cells a boost. In the end, they only modified 5 of the 574 amino acids found in the enzyme to create a new molecule. The new drug treatment works quickly enough to prevent any permanent damage to the body or its nervous system. In fact, they react and break down the drug 2000 times faster than normal.

To test this, researchers gave 18 mice a lethal dose of the drug and injected 12 of them with the new cocaine treatment. They found that all six of the subjects who did not receive the new drug treatment and two of those who did all died. The other 10 mice survived. If this treatment does become available to emergency rooms across the country, it will become the world’s first overdose preventative.

Possible Risks Of This New Drug Treatment

The experts believe that because the modified version is so close to the original, there is a very low risk of severe side effect. However, this cocaine treatment does present a few concerns. It is believed this drug treatment would have to be administered within a short time of the overdose in order to be effective. Some experts also worry that these new super enzymes may breakdown other substances in the body that are needed for normal life processes.

What Does This Mean?

This new concept is only in the testing phase, but should things go well, this could offer a significant amount of help for addicts. The modified enzymes could play an important role in the rehabilitation of cocaine users. While it won’t stop them from using, it is possible that it could help to speed up and lessen the effects of the dry-out phase. Researchers are hopeful that it will help save the lives of those who overdose.

Until this new cocaine treatment has been thoroughly tested and approved, there isn’t much available in terms of help. It doesn’t guarantee that the patient will survive either. When an overdose occurs today, lowering the victim’s body temperature and heart rate is the only real drug treatment medical staff have forcing them to wait it out and hope. In the end, something will certainly be better than nothing.

Resources: Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Cocaine Treatment, visit http://www.alcohol-drug-treatment.com/.

Talk to anyone who has come out of residential drug rehabs, stopped smoking, or has gone through AA, and they will tell you that getting through the initial program is only half the battle. Once addicts have overcome their initial addiction and they return to their normal lifestyle many find themselves tempted back to their old ways. This common problem is not easy to overcome and it may likely never go away. Drug rehab experts say the five following tips can greatly reduce your risk of relapsing regardless of your addiction.

1. Learn A New Way To Battle Stress

Most addicts turn to their vice when they are faced with a stressful situation or difficult choice. After leaving residential drug rehabs or other method to overcome addiction, reducing stress is still important, but you need a different way of doing that. Some people go for a walk, some listen to music, and others knit. Whatever it is, make sure it is something that you enjoy doing so that you don’t have to make yourself do it and add to an already stressful day. Some drug rehab experts say that carrying a rock or small item in your pocket is enough — simply rub it or move it around with your fingers so that you are forced to think about something else.

2. Avoid Temptation

Most people use their drug at a certain time or in a certain place say drug rehab experts. For smokers, this is often with their first cup of coffee in the morning. For shopping addicts, this could be lunch hours spent at the mall. Identify when these danger times are for your and eliminate it from your life. Smokers can have juice in the morning after having a shower while the shopaholic can avoid malls completely.

3. Choose A Healthier Lifestyle

Residential drug rehabs say addicts often choose friends and lifestyles that surround their addictions. Their friends often share the same addiction making it difficult to resist the urges to relapse. It also helps if you make your addiction difficult to come back. Remove the substance or problem from the home and try not to carry cash. If you are a former smoker, toss the ashtrays and give away your lighters.

4. Remind Yourself Why You Quit

As time goes by, it can be difficult for the addict to remember why they sought help to begin with. Experts from many of the leading residential drug rehabs recommend that you do what you need to so that you don’t forget. Put signs up in your bathroom with bullet points stating the benefits of overcoming your addiction. Most experts agree that having friends and loved ones help by taking time to remind you why you quit can have remarkable effects on the after-care of an addict.

5. Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

Take time out on a regular basis to congratulate yourself on a job well done. Rejoicing in even the smallest steps is often all most former addicts need. This added boost to your motivation is enough to remind yourself why you started in the first place and gives you the encouragement to start new goals.

While nothing will guarantee that a relapse will not occur, drug rehab experts say these five methods can make a significant impact on the addict’s chance of success. As a last little piece of advice, residential drug rehabs recommend that all former addicts should seek help immediately if they find their life starting back in the opposite direction.

Resources: Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on Residential Drug Rehabs, visit http://www.alcohol-drug-treatment.com/.

Individuals who suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) or Crohn’s Disease benefit from eating certain foods and watching out for others. IBD and Crohn’s disease involves inflammation of the intestines. Ulcers form and become inflamed which can cause scarring and bleeding.

The symptoms of these diseases include diarrhea, acute abdominal pain, cramping, fever and fatigue. It’s very important to receive good nutrition in order to manage the symptoms of IBD and Crohn’s Disease. It is also important to receive proper nutrition in order to avoid extreme weight loss.

If you have IBD or Crohn’s Disease you ought to stay well-hydrated by drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Staying hydrated helps prevent constipation. You may also have been advised to take a daily multivitamin by your doctor or dietitian. A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement helps replace lost nutrients which can be lost due to your condition.

It’s also very important that your diet be one that’s high in fiber during times you are not experiencing a flare-up of IBD or Chron’s Disease.

High fiber foods include whole grain breads, bagels, buns, and muffins. There are also whole grain cereals such as Bran Flakes, All Bran, bran buds, corn bran and Shredded Wheat, as well as 100% Bran and fiber 1. You can eat cooked cereal such as Oat Bran and whole-wheat pastas, and whole grains including popcorn, barley, corn and brown rice.

Fruits can also be high in fiber such as dried fruits, oranges, berries, apples with the skin, avocado, mango, kiwi, and also pear.

Vegetables which contain high amounts of fiber include spinach, dried peas, broccoli, Swiss chard, green peas and other leafy, green vegetables, and beans (such as kidney beans and lima beans, black-eyed beans, chickpeas and lentils).

Seeds and nuts such as almonds, whole flaxseed and soy nuts are also very good for you to eat .

When you’re experiencing an IBD flare-up it’s crucial to limit the amount of fiber in your diet and to adopt a low-fiber diet or even switch to a low residue diet in order to rest your intestinal tract and reduce symptoms you experience. Your doctor or dietitian can give you more information about these types of diets.

You’ll also need to avoid lactose-containing foods such as dairy products if you are lactose intolerant.

Even with following a low-fiber diet, it is important to continue to receive adequate nutrients during flare-ups. Eat smaller meals and eat foods high in protein such as lean meats, fish and eggs. You may also be told to drink some recommended nutritional drinks such as Ensure in order to rest your bowel. Always follow your doctor or nutritionist’s instructions.

To help minimize and control IBD flare-ups, limit the caffeine in beverages or foods, the alcohol that you consume and any sorbitol (sweetener) as these can make your symptoms worse.

Try also to limit or avoid gas-producing foods because these can intensify your symptoms. The major gas-producing foods include broccoli, dried peas, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and lentils as well as onions, chives, and peppers. Limit your ingestion of carbonated drinks as these can also make your symptoms worse.

Reducing your fat intake will also help due to the fact that foods with fat can cause diarrhea and gas. There has been some research which shows that taking fish oil and flax seed oil may be beneficial for treating IBD or Chron’s Disease.

Resources: Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Cert. Aromatherapist and natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Health or High Water at http://www.healthorhighwater.com/ where you’ll find info to improve your health using nutritional supplements to battle the ravages of time, poor nutrition, & toxins.

Heart diseases are also called cardiac diseases. Individuals of all ages can develop heart diseases. The most common form of heart disease in adults is coronary artery disease, which is the major cause of heart attacks and the most common form of heart disease in children, is congenital heart disease.

Heart disease can affect the heart muscle, the heart vessels, heart tissue or the heart valves. Heart disease can be caused by smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, infection, and toxins or from a birth defect. Some people are born with heart disease and most develop heart disease over time.

There are certain factors that put certain people at risk for heart disease such as individuals who have a family history of heart disease, those who smoke, and those who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol. Individual who are obese or lead inactive lives are also at an increased risk for heart disease. Age increases your risk for heart disease. Some of the risk factors such as family history and age cannot be controlled.

Heart disease present at birth can usually not be controlled if it is heredity in nature. Factors such as smoking, blood pressure and blood cholesterol and controlling diseases such as diabetes that when uncontrolled can lead to heart disease. You can reduce your risk for heart disease by controlling your blood pressure and blood cholesterol, by not smoking, and by getting enough exercise and eating healthy foods.

If an individual suspects heart disease due to having symptoms such as chest pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness or a feeling that something bad is going to happen they should contact their doctor for an exam and diagnosis. Doctors are trained and have the skills to make the diagnosis of heart disease. You will first be asked to fill out a medical history form that will list your general health, and your symptoms as well as any family history. During the examination your vital signs will be taken including your blood pressure, weight, height, pulse, respiratory rate and temperature.

The doctor will give you a complete examination to rule out any other diseases. You may be sent to a laboratory for blood tests and to the x-ray department for a chest x-ray. Your doctor will be evaluating your risk for heart disease and any sign of present heart disease. You may also be sent for an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which will reveal any arrhythmias or irregular heart rhythms.

You may then be sent for special tests such as an exercise electrocardiogram, a fluoroscopy, phonocardiography, echocardiography, or an angiocardiography (cardiac catheterization). Your doctor will then put all the test results together and determine if you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.

Risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, the presence of diabetes, and smoking. These are the highest risk factors. Other factors are age, family history, and being obese and having an inactive lifestyle as well as stress. These last factors are considered minor risk factors.

After your doctor review your test results and determines your heart health and your risk factors for heart disease the doctor will give you a diagnosis or tell you what you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease.

Resources: Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Cert. Aromatherapist and natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Health or High Water at http://www.healthorhighwater.com/ where you’ll find info to improve your health using nutritional supplements to battle the ravages of time, poor nutrition, & toxins.

Wrinkles. The scurge of the aged who care about their looks. Wrinkles are a part of getting older, and today I’d like to look at what causes wrinkles, and whether wrinkle creams, or what is better known as anti wrinkle creams, do anything at all.

Wrinkling of our skin is a factor of aging. We all form wrinkles on our face and fine lines on certain areas such as around our mouth and eyes as we age. This is regardless of our skin care routine or the skin care products we use. If we age sufficiently wrinkles and fine lines will develop, we cannot prevent that. However they form at different ages and to different degrees for each person.

Lets first look at the factors that cause wrinkles. Then lets have a look at whether anti-wrinkle creams and skin care products and anti aging products in general do anything to prevent our aging skin from wrinkling.

Firstly there are causes that are a direct result of the deterioration of our skin condition.

Our skin is comprised of 3 layers. The epidermis, or the outer layer, the dermis, or next layer in, and the subcutaneous tissue, below the dermis.

As we age our skin ages it loses various substances that all contribute to skin condition. Collagen in the dermis, for example, an important component of skin health including suppleness and elasticity in our skin. As we lose collagen the dermis thins, and loses elasticity.

Elastin is a substance that is found in the dermis. It has strong fibers and these provide skin strength and elasticity too, and as we age we also lose elastin, and the elastin fibers weaken.

Our epidermis loses some of it’s thickness. The epidermis helps keep us from losing skin moisture, and as it thins it is less able to do this, so our skin can dehydrate.

And there are fat cells in the subcutaneous layer which decrease in volume, and as the fat cells make our skin look plumper and fuller this also contributes to the break down of our skin health.

All these factors combines will cause wrinkling of the skin and lines around the eyes and mouth.

Secondly there are lifestyle factors which help contribute to unhealthy skin. Unhealthy skin is more likely to form wrinkles than healthy skin, and so if we have unhealthy skin we will be more prone to wrinkles. Both more wrinkles and getting them at an earlier age.

Unhealthy skin is like everything else in our body. It’s directly attributable to factors which make us unhealthy generally. They include poor diet, and lack of exercise. If you want to be healthy in general, as well as have healthy skin, you need to pay attention from as early an age as you can to good diet and lots of exercise. Good diet includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

And there’s 2 other lifestyle factors that contribute hugely to poor skin health and early onset wrinkles. Sunburn and smoking. Whatever you do don’t get sunburned regularly or at all, and don’t smoke.

So, the big question, can wrinkle creams or skin care product prevent wrinkles.

There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that you can’t totally prevent wrinkles as you age, unless perhaps you try botox or cosmetic surgery and that’s risky and unlikely to work long term.

The good news is that there are excellent skincare products and anti wrinkle creams available that really do work. Modern science is finding answers to all sorts of health and cosmetic problems, and skin health as we age is no exception.

For example 2 recent breakthroughs in skin care science have discovered the importance of a Japanese seaweed in maintaining skin health. That’s a major reason why Japanese women seem to have much better looking skin in old age.

And it’s even possible now to produce skin care products using active ingredients from such exotic sources as the wool of sheep, and these have been shown to work extremely well for optimum skin care.

Unfortunately though you won’t find these types of active ingredients in the anti wrinkle creams or skin care products that you see advertised on TV or on the shelves of your local store. The big brand name companies aren’t those making the discoveries and adding the ingredients to their products that they should. They probably don’t need to, they sell so much anyway.

No the best anti wrinkle creams in the world are actually made by a small niche company that produces exceptional quality products that work extremely well to limit the formation of wrinkles, and for optimum skin health in general.

But chances are you’ve never heard of them, because they don’t advertise on TV.

So that’s how wrinkles form. Everyone gets wrinkles if they live long enough, but if you use the very best wrinkle creams and skin care products, and stay healthy generally, you’re way ahead of those that don’t.

Resources: Want to know more about the Best Anti Wrinkle Cream? Visit Peter’s Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about Natural Skin Care Products at http://naturalskinhealth.com/