How can OCD be Diagnosed?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a condition of mind. People are usually filled with anxiety. It is prevalent in both men and women. The behavior patterns of these people interfere with the normal life and one has to undergo treatment to get rid of the condition. Usually people feel embarrassed to take help from a professional. OCD is a condition which is curable but one has to be excessively determined towards it, it is all a game of will power.

There is a list of symptoms by which it is easy to recognize if some one is in the need of help. People suffering from OCD keep on repeating their actions; they keep doing the same thing time and again and feel anxious all the time. To find if a person is actually suffering from a disorder one has to meet a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Only a professional can evaluate the situation. Everyone is obsessed with something or the other at some time of their lives. However, it takes the form of neurotic disorder if these kinds of thoughts occur for prolonged periods. It is essential to recognize such thoughts as they cause the anxiety.

Green Tea and Alzheimer's

Intriguing new findings from England suggest that the compounds responsible for the health protective properties of green tea become even more effective against triggers of Alzheimer's disease once the tea is digested. What's more, the same research team found that after these substances are digested they also exhibit anti-cancer properties - they slowed the growth of tumor cells in the laboratory. The investigators noted that polyphenols, compounds present in green tea and black tea, have neuroprotective properties - that is, they can protect brain cells from toxins that can trigger Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. The British team wanted to investigate whether these compounds survive digestion and still provide these benefits. In the study, cells were exposed toxins and then to digested green tea compounds. The results suggest that these polyphenols are possibly even more protective after being digested in the body. The researchers worked with new technology that simulates the human digestive system. Now, they're going to look whether the same beneficial products of digestion are produced in the bodies of healthy human volunteers. The study was published online on Dec. 21, 2010, by the journal Phytomedicine.

A Guide to Scabies Treatment Over The Counter Medications Available

Scabies is a highly-infectious skin disease brought about by the parasite Sarcoptei scabiei. The infection can be spread through direct skin to skin contact or using infected people's bedding or linen. Upon transmission, the nymph would continuously lay eggs on the skin that would become mites after 21 days. As soon as these mites mature, they persistently create burrows under the skin that creates an allergic reaction. Scabies is also regarded as sexually transmitted disease due to the fact that it is common among young people who are sexually active. Scabies as a skin condition is difficult because the allergic reaction to the mites produces persistent itchiness enough to keep you awake at night.

How Do Pheromones Work?

A pheromone is a chemical scent that is released by one human being and designed to have an effect on another. We all produce pheromones and it is these that make us particularly attractive to members of the opposite sex.

All sorts of strange facts have emerged from research into pheromones. It has been shown, for example, that when women work closely together their menstrual periods become synchronized, and it is thought that this is a result of pheromonal activity. It is also known that, when they ovulate, women produce particularly attractive pheromones.

Just how useful pheromones can be is something that the scientists are still working on. Meanwhile, perhaps we should be content to keep ourselves clean and fresh and rely on our natural pheromones to make us attractive instead of spending money on perfumes. The real irony here is that some perfume ingredients are manufactured out of animal pheromones - musk, for example.

Green Tea Benefits

Have you tried one of Dr. Weil’s favorite brews? You should - green tea is available in a range of varieties and has many health benefits. Green tea is:

High in antioxidants, which can promote stronger bones, lower cholesterol levels, and lower rates of heart disease and some types of cancer.

A good source of EGCG, a polyphenol that may help to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, and boost the immune system.

Antibacterial - a 2008 study from Egypt suggests that drinking green tea enhances the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and "superbugs."

Introduce yourself by substituting a cup of green tea for your morning coffee, and you will soon be enjoying the health benefits of this delicious beverage! Try this Japanese-style brew: Matcha.

All You Need to Know About Orthopedic Foot Braces

Orthopedic foot braces, also termed as ankle-foot orthoses or AFOs is a type of brace that is utilized to control and support the position and motion of the ankle, supplement muscle weakness, and correct deformities as well. It is usually made of plastic and is used to treat the effects of medical conditions on the muscle function of the foot area. These common conditions include but are not limited to spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, polio, stroke, muscular dystrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis. Additionally, orthopedic foot braces can also be utilized to restrict foot movement after an injury as well as to correct foot-drop.

Out-Walking Alzheimer's

Taking a regular, daily walk is good for physical health, and now it appears that it may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and ward off mental decline as well. The amount of walking needed to realize these benefits to the brain is more than just a stroll around the block: researchers from the University of Pittsburgh concluded that to guard against cognitive decline you've got to put in an average of at least five miles a week, every week, for about 10 years. The investigators analyzed data from an ongoing 20 year study looking at the weekly walking patterns among 426 seniors. At the start of the study, 44 of the participants already had Alzheimer's and another 83 had mild cognitive impairment (in half of all cases, this disorder eventually progresses to Alzheimer's). All the others were cognitively healthy. Ten years into the study, after accounting for age, gender, body-fat composition, head size and education level, the researchers found that brain volume was largest among participants who exercised the most (greater brain volume is a sign of general brain health and less brain cell death). What's more, walking five miles a week appeared to protect those with some form of cognitive impairment against further cognitive decline. The healthy participants had to walk six miles a week to protect their brain health.

Cause of Eczema

There is not as single certain cause of eczema. However, it is generally considered as allergic disease and it has another popular name Atopic dermatitis. It runs along with asthma and hay fever.

Research shows that following things are the cause of eczema:

* Variation in a regular temperature or humidity.

* Unusual allergies (to mold, dust, animal, etc.)

* Chemical irritants: it includes number of chemicals such as paints, pesticides, alcohol, perfumes, astringents, harsh soaps & detergents along with common household cleaners

* Physical irritants: they are synthetic clothes, clothes made of wool.