How to reduce risk of high blood pressure

High blood pressure raises your chances of having both heart attack and stroke. It’s important to know your numbers. If you have high blood pressure, there are things you can do to bring it down, including taking medication.

Change food habit to reduce risk of high blood pressure

Skip foods high in total and saturated fat. Load up on fruits and vegetables in as many colors as possible. Go heavy on whole grains, and stay away from processed foods, especially ones high in carbohydrates, sugar, fat, and salt.

Control how much alcohol you drink. While small amounts may lower your blood pressure, large amounts can have the opposite effect. 

Do exercise to reduce risk of high blood pressure

You’re more likely to lose weight if you exercise and follow a healthy diet. Official recommendations call for at least half an hour of exercise most days of the week. The effects can be dramatic: Blood pressure drops of 4 to 9 points. Remember that exercise isn’t just going to the gym. It can be gardening, washing your car, or housework.

Low Salt intake to reduce risk of high blood pressure

It’s a prime factor in raising blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that people with hypertension keep it under 1,500 milligrams a day. Check your food labels to see how much you’re getting. 

Relax and meditation to reduce risk of high blood pressure

Lowering your stress helps keep your blood pressure normal. Try mind-body exercises like yoga and meditation. Listen to calming and sweet music, or make music. One study found that playing music had benefits that were similar to physical activity.

Sitting in the sun can boost feel-good chemicals called endorphins and lower your blood pressure.

Don’t Smoke to reduce risk of high blood pressure

Stop smoking is probably the single best thing you can do for your heart. It’s good for your health in general, too. Not only does smoke hurt you over the long term, but your blood pressure goes up every time you have a cigarette.

Don’t Skip Your Medication to reduce risk of high blood pressure

For some people, lifestyle changes are enough to get and keep blood pressure under control. But many people need medication, too. It’s important to take it exactly as your doctor prescribes.

Lose your weight to reduce risk of high blood pressure

If you are overweight then lose your weight by exercises and may reduce upto 8-10 pounds.

Here are the reasons why prescription drugs are so expensive

Here are the main reasons:

1.   No price controls

The US government doesn't regulate prices, unlike many countries where government agencies negotiate prices for every drug.

In the US, drugmakers set wholesale prices based mostly on what competing brand-name drugs cost and whether their new drug is better.

2.   Lengthy patents

Patents last longer than in other countries, usually giving a drug's maker exclusivity that prevents competition for 20 years from when the patent is issued. Because patents are filed while drugs are still in testing, that clock starts ticking long before the drug goes on sale.

Their makers generally increase their prices every year, by about 5% or more. Those increases add up and become bigger as the expiration of the patent approaches.

3.   Limited competition

For many drugs, there isn't enough competition to hold down prices. Many older generic drugs were priced too low to be profitable, so some drugmakers stopped making them. Once only one company or two companies make a drug, the price usually shoots up.

 4.   Small markets

Many new drugs are for rare conditions or cancer subtypes involving a particular genetic mutation, so they might help just thousands or hundreds of patients. To recoup research and development costs, drugmakers set high prices, though they offer many patients financial assistance.
5.   Development and production costs

Research is becoming increasingly expensive. Industry groups say it can take about a decade and well over $1 billion to get a new drug approved, though that includes development costs for the many drugs that don't work out.
6.   Fewer new generics

After a huge wave of patent expirations from 2011 through 2013 that brought generic versions of drugs taken daily by millions of patients, the number of popular drugs going off patent has declined. That has contributed to total US spending on medicine rising.

Achilles tendon rupture

Achilles tendon rupture is an injury that affects the back of your lower leg. It mainly occurs in people playing recreational sports, but it can happen to anyone.

The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone. If you overstretch your Achilles tendon, it can tear (rupture) completely or just partially.

If your Achilles tendon ruptures, you might hear a pop, followed by an immediate sharp pain in the back of your ankle and lower leg that is likely to affect your ability to walk properly. Surgery is often performed to repair the rupture. For many people, however, nonsurgical treatment works just as well.

Symptoms of Achilles tendon rupture

Although it's possible to have no signs or symptoms with an Achilles tendon rupture, most people have:

1.   The feeling of having been kicked in the calf

2.   Pain, possibly severe, and swelling near the heel

3.   An inability to bend the foot downward or "push off" the injured leg when walking

4.   An inability to stand on the toes on the injured leg

5.   A popping or snapping sound when the injury occurs

Causes of Achilles tendon rupture

Your Achilles tendon helps you point your foot downward, rise on your toes and push off your foot as you walk. You rely on it virtually every time you walk and move your foot.

Rupture usually occurs in the section of the tendon situated within 2 1/2 inches (about 6 centimeters) of the point where it attaches to the heel bone. This section might be prone to rupture because blood flow is poor, which also can impair its ability to heal.

Ruptures often are caused by a sudden increase in the stress on your Achilles tendon. Common examples include:

1.   Increasing the intensity of sports participation, especially in sports that involve jumping

2.   Falling from a height

3.   Stepping into a hole

Risk factors of Achilles tendon rupture

Factors that may increase your risk of Achilles tendon rupture include:

1.   Age-The peak age for Achilles tendon rupture is 30 to 40.

2. Sex-Achilles tendon rupture is up to five times more likely to occur in men than in women.

3. Recreational sports-Achilles tendon injuries occur more often during sports that involve running, jumping, and sudden starts and stops — such as soccer, basketball and tennis.

4. Steroid injections-Doctors sometimes inject steroids into an ankle joint to reduce pain and inflammation. However, this medication can weaken nearby tendons and has been associated with Achilles tendon ruptures.

5.Certain antibiotics-Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) or levofloxacin (Levaquin), increase the risk of Achilles tendon rupture.

6. Obesity-Excess weight puts more strain on the tendon.

Prevention from Achilles tendon ruptures

To reduce your chance of developing Achilles tendon problems, follow these tips:

1.   Stretch and strengthen calf muscles. Calf-strengthening exercises can also help the muscle and tendon absorb more force and prevent injury.

2.   Vary your exercises. Alternate high-impact sports, such as running, with low-impact sports, such as walking, biking or swimming.

3.   Choose running surfaces carefully. Avoid or limit running on hard or slippery surfaces.

4.   Increase training intensity slowly. Achilles tendon injuries commonly occur after an abrupt increase in training intensity.

Head Lice

Head lice are tiny six-legged insects that cling to the scalp and neck and feed on human blood. Each louse is about the size of a sesame seed and can be hard to spot. Lice eggs, called nits, are glued onto hairs near the scalp and can be even harder to see.

Who Gets Head Lice?

Head lice are most common in young children who go to day care, preschool, or elementary school. Children of this age often play together closely and with more hair-to-hair contact, and they may share brushes, hats, hair clips, and the like. Adults who live with children also have a higher risk of getting head lice.

How Head Lice Spread

Lice usually spread through direct head-to-head contact that allows the pests to crawl from one person's hair into another's. Lice can also survive for a short period on clothing or other personal items, so a shared hairbrush can help a louse find a new host. Lice cannot jump or fly from one person to another.

How to Spot Head Lice

Although lice and their nits are small, they are visible to the naked eye. Head lice can be white, brown, or dark gray. They are most often found in the hair at the back of the neck or behind the ears. The nits are round or oval specks that are tightly glued to hairs near the scalp. If you try to slide the nits off, they won't budge. Research suggests combing through wet hair is an ideal way to spot an infestation.

Symptoms of Head Lice

Spotting a live louse or nymph (a young louse) is often the only sign of an infestation. Seeing nits alone doesn't confirm an infestation. In many children, head lice don't cause any discomfort. When symptoms do happen, the most common problem is itching that may start weeks or even months after the lice move in.

Head Lice Allergies

The itching from lice is caused by an allergic reaction to the bug bites. A lot of scratching may lead to sores or raw skin on the scalp. It's not common, but sores from scratching can become infected. Call a doctor quickly if the skin becomes red, swollen, or painful or the lymph nodes in the neck become tender. These may be signs of a skin infection.

Fine-Toothed Combs

Fine-toothed combs are another way to get rid of lice. This comb has teeth fine enough to pull out lice and their nits. It worked for the ancient Egyptians -- nit combs have been found in their tombs. The drawback is that it takes time and patience to comb every last nit out of a child's hair. It is more effective to comb the hair after treating with a medicated shampoo to get rid of any stragglers.

Garlic

The strong fragrance of garlic can suffocate lice, ultimately killing them.

Grind eight to 10 garlic cloves into a paste and mix in two to three teaspoons of lime juice. Apply the mixture thoroughly onto the scalp. Leave it on for a half an hour and then rinse the hair thoroughly with hot water.

Alternatively, you can make a thick paste by combining fresh garlic juice with some cooking oil, lemon extract, green tea and some shampoo and conditioner. Coat the hair thoroughly with the paste and cover your scalp with a towel or shower cap for about a half an hour. Then wash your hair with your regular shampoo. Repeat this remedy on a weekly basis for one to two months.

Baby Oil for Head Lice Treatment

For another easy natural treatment for head lice, you will need baby oil, laundry detergent and some white vinegar. It is believed that baby oil, too, helps suffocate the head lice.

Apply some baby oil on your hair and then comb your hair slowly so that lice start falling from your head. Then wash your hair with laundry detergent and hot water.

Before bed, put some white vinegar on your hair and cover your head with a shower cap or towel. Leave it on overnight. In the morning, wash your hair with regular shampoo and then apply some conditioner. Repeat this process for at least three to four days to get positive results.

Olive Oil for Head Lice Treatment

Olive oil will efficiently smother and kill head lice. Apply olive oil to your hair kindly before going to bed. Put a shower cap or towel on your head to keep the oil on your hair overnight. In the morning, comb out the tiny parasites and then wash your hair with some herbal shampoo contain tea tree oil.

One more option is to blend one-half cup of olive oil with one-half cup of conditioner and add some liquid soap to it. Apply this solution onto your hair and leave it on for an hour. Then, rinse out your hair and apply conditioner. Comb your hair thoroughly to remove the dead lice. Repeat this remedy again after a week to get best results.

Salt for Head Lice Treatment

Salt can also be used to eradicate head lice through desiccation.

 Mix one-quarter cup of salt and one-quarter cup of vinegar thoroughly. smoothly spray the solution onto your hair so that it becomes slightly wet. Put on a shower cap and leave it for about two hours. Then wash and condition your hair. Repeat this every three days to get positive results.

Petroleum Jelly for Head Lice Treatment

Petroleum jelly can have a stifling effect on roaming lice. Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly to the scalp before going to bed. Cover your head tightly with a shower cap or towel. 

Leave it on overnight. In the morning, use baby oil to remove the petroleum jelly. Comb your hair thoroughly to remove the lice. Repeat this several nights in a row.

Tree Tea Oil for Head Lice Treatment

Tea tree essential oil is a natural insecticide, making it an effective treatment for head lice. Mix together one teaspoon of tea tree oil, one ounce of natural shampoo and three tablespoons of coconut or olive oil.

Apply the solution gently throughout your hair and cover your head with a shower cap or towel. Leave your head covered for a half an hour and then rinse thoroughly with hot water. Finally, comb through your hair while it is still wet to remove the dead lice. Note: Do not apply tea tree oil directly to the scalp.

Coconut Oil for Head Lice Treatment

The lubricating nature of coconut oil will stop lice from moving around freely, preventing it from multiplying.

First, rinse your hair thoroughly with apple cider vinegar and allow it to dry. Then completely saturate the hair and scalp with coconut oil. Cover your head with a shower cap or towel and leave it on for six to eight hours or overnight.

White Vinegar for Head Lice Treatment

Another safe and inexpensive method for eliminating head lice is white vinegar. White vinegar possesses acetic acid, which can destroy lice.

Dilute white vinegar with an equal amount of water. Saturate the hair and scalp with the solution and then wrap a towel around the hair for about an hour or two. Next dip a comb in white vinegar and comb your hair, focusing on one small section of hair at a time. You can also rinse your hair with white vinegar before and after shampooing.

Sesame Seed Oil for Head lice Treatment

Sesame Seed Oil is high in antibacterial, antifungal and natural insecticide properties, sesame seed oil can also be used to solve the problem of head lice.

Mix together one-fourth cup of sesame seed oil, one-eighth cup of neem oil, one teaspoon of tea tree oil, one-half teaspoon of eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils, and about 10 drops of lavender essential oil.

Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar and allow it to dry. Apply the oil solution to the hair and scalp, cover with a shower cap or towel and leave it on overnight.

In the morning, comb your hair thoroughly to remove the dead lice. Then shampoo normally. Repeat this treatment daily for one or two weeks.

Mayonnaise for Head Lice Treatment

Mayonnaise contains a lot of oil, which has viscosity properties that will suffocate live head lice.

a)   Apply full-fat mayonnaise liberally over your scalp.

b)  Cover your hair with a shower cap or towel and leave it on for about eight hours or overnight.

c)   Shampoo and then comb any remaining lice out of your hair.

d)  Repeat this daily for one week.