Pubic lice (crabs)

Pubic lice (Crabs)

Image Source: By Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig, CSc. - Author's archive, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31557499

1. Pubic lice are tiny parasitic insects that live in coarse body hair, such as pubic hair. They are yellow-grey and about 2mm long. They have a crab-like appearance so they are often known as crabs. The eggs appear as brownish dots fixed to coarse body hair. Pubic lice are different from the head lice which some people get on their scalp.

2. Parasitic lice belong to the insect order Phthiraptera and include two main groups. The group that includes the human lice is known collectively as "Anoplura", or the sucking lice. There are over 550 species in the world, all of which are blood-sucking parasites of mammals, including wildlife, livestock, and pets.

3. The second group contains the chewing lice, known collectively as "Mallophaga". This is a large and diverse assemblage of over 2,650 species in the world, none of which suck blood. Instead, they possess weak chewing mouth parts and feed on feathers, fur, and skin debris on their host.

4. Crab lice are very small (1.5-2 mm; 0.06-0.08 inch),wingless, flattened insects with mouth parts for sucking blood. Crab lice have a large claw at the end of the last two pairs of legs that fits snugly around a hair shaft, allowing them to cling securely to coarse hair on their host. The claws resemble those of an aquatic crab, hence the common name of 'crab lice'.

5. In all stages of their life cycle, crab lice feed frequently on human blood. The adult female lays about four eggs (nits) per day. These are glued to hairs. The young emerge 7-10 days later, after being incubated by body heat, and must feed on blood within about 24 hours in order to survive.

6. You can get pubic lice by having close body contact-such as sex with someone who already has them. It is also possible to get them by sharing towels, clothes or someone's bed. Condoms do not prevent the transmission of pubic lice.

7. Symptoms include itching in the genital area and visible nits (lice eggs) or crawling lice.

8. Tiny, brick-red specks (faeces) usually on underwear or sheets, but sometimes on skin as well. 

9. Tiny white, oval, shiny attachments stuck near the base of pubic hairs; these are the eggs, and are not to be confused with hair follicles.

10. A pubic lice infestation is diagnosed by finding a "crab" louse or egg (nit) on the hair in the pubic region or, less commonly, elsewhere on the body (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, moustache, armpit, perianal area, groin, trunk or scalp).

Egg

Image Source: By KostaMumcuoglu at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16506825

11. Pubic lice may be difficult to find because there may only be a few. Pubic lice often attach themselves to more than one hair and generally do not crawl as quickly as head or body lice. If crawling lice are not seen, finding nits in the pubic area strongly suggests that a person is infested and should be treated.

12. Without treatment, public lice can remain present as long as there are adult female lice that can feed on blood and lay nits which will develop into adult lice.

13. Pubic lice will not go away without treatment. Treatments for pubic lice include using a special lotion or shampoo to kill the eggs and lice. These can be purchased without a prescription. Follow the directions carefully.

14. Machine wash all linens, stuffed animals, or any other items with which the lice may have come in contact. Wash in hot, soapy water. D ry all linens in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes.

15. Items that can not be washed must be taken to the dry cleaner or wrapped and sealed in a plastic bag for 14 days.

16. Clean all hair accessories well.

17. Vacuum all furniture.

18. After shampooing as directed, make sure to remove each single nit from each shaft of hair. Any nits left in the hair will hatch and start the cycle over again.

19. If eyelashes are infested, use petrolatum ointment, applied twice daily for up to 8-10 days; nits should be removed mechanically from the eyelashes with a nit comb. 

Head Lice - A Lousy Problem

Head Lice - A Lousy Problem

Image source:   By Gilles San Martin - originally posted to Flickr as Male human head louse, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11208622

1. Three types of sucking lice infest humans: the body louse, the head louse and the crab louse or pubic louse.

2. The head louse and the body louse are physically indistinguishable, but are easily distinguished from the crab louse. Head lice (also known as "head louse") are small insects that live in people's hair and feed on their blood. 

3. Lice glue their eggs (also known as "nits") to hair so they cannot be brushed or shaken off easily. Lice eggs take about six to nine days to hatch. After they have hatched they take about seven or more days to become egg-laying adults. 

4. Lice die very quickly (usually about two days) without feeding and cannot live for very long away from a person's head.

5. They need blood to survive and can live up to 30 days on the head but will die within 1-2 days if they fall off the head.

6. Head lice is also called pediculosis.

Life cycle

Image Source: By CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/home.asp ID# 6816, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3997380

7. Head lice are not a major public health concern because they do not spread illness or disease.

8. Head lice can be a bother because of the discomfort they can cause and how easily they are spread from person to person.

99. Head lice are not caused by being dirty. Anyone who has hair can get head lice. 

10. Head lice can move quickly on dry hair making them hard to see. 

11. Head lice do not jump or fly or swim. 

12. Head lice bites can make the scalp itchy but they do not cause disease. 

13. Adult head lice lay about 10 eggs (called nits) every day. These nits are stuck to the hair near the scalp. After the head lice hatch, the empty shell of the nit stays stuck to the hair.

Nit

Image Source: By English wikipedia, Fig.3.Louse_egg.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3945597

14. Head lice eggs hatch in seven to nine days into the first nymph stage, which looks like a miniature adult. The nymph takes a blood meal by biting the scalp soon after hatching and will feed every three to six hours. In about nine days, the louse will have passed through two more nymphal stages and reach the adult stage. The adult will stay on the head for its entire life.

15. You can find lice anywhere on the head. Look behind the ears and the back of the neck. 

16. Lice can vary in colour from tan, brown or gray. 

17. You cannot get rid of lice with a hair brush or with a hair dryer. 

18. You can get head lice by touching heads with someone who has head lice, or by sharing combs, brushes, hats, headsets or helmets. 

19. Head lice are common where children play or work closely together. 

20. The best way to find head lice is by using a fine toothed lice comb on hair that is dry, wet or wet with conditioner. 

21. Only treat when you find a live louse on the head.

22. Pets cannot get head lice and people cannot get head lice from pets.

23. Head to head contact with someone who has head lice.

24. Sharing things that are in direct contact with a person’s hair such as combs, brushes, barrettes, ribbons, caps, hats, scarves, helmets, towels, pillows and coats.

25. Children age 5 to 12 get lice more easily because their heads often touch when they play together.

26. Combing with a nit comb-A nit comb can sometimes be effective in removing viable nits and lice. Nits that are more than ¼ inch from the scalp are not likely to be viable and need not be removed. Comb daily until no live lice are discovered for 2 weeks. Recheck in 2-3 weeks after you think all lice are gone. 

27. Over-the-counter lice shampoo-As with all drugs, directions must be followed exactly. These products should be rinsed from the hair over a sink rather than shower or bath to limit exposure to the body. A second treatment may be required in about 10 days. 

288. Prescription lice shampoo medications-These products contain other insecticides that require greater care for treatments and should be used only under a physician’s care and only if live lice persist following treatment with the over-the-counter products. Parents should be advised to discuss with their health care provider specific instructions for use of these products, potential risks and benefits, and other possible treatment recommendations. 

29. A number of household products such as mayonnaise, petroleum jelly, olive oil, tea tree oil, hair gel and vinegar or wet combing have been suggested as a treatment. These products show little proof of killing head lice and are not as effective as head lice shampoo.

30.Wash clothing and bedding used in the last 3 days by the affected person in hot water and dry in a hot dryer. 

31. Place items that cannot be washed in a sealed bag for two weeks.

32. Put all combs, brushes and hair accessories in hot, soapy water.

Banana Facts

Banana Facts

Image source: By Augustus Binu, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41291734

1. Bananas derive from the family Musaceae in the genus Musa. It is believed that there are over different varieties of banana, but the vast majority of Banana’s cultivated for export to Western markets is the Cavendish variety.

2. Bananas are believed by some to be the world’s oldest fruit. Certainly they are mentioned in Ancient Chinese, Hindu, Greek and Roman texts, and the earliest record in Sanskrit dates back to 5000 B.C.

3. There are more than 500 varieties of banana in the world. Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. India is by far the largest world producer of bananas.

4. Banana is derived from the Arab word "banan," which means finger.

5. A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers. 

6. Banana plants are the largest plants on earth without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms. The banana tree grows from a bulb (or rhizome) not a seed. 

7. Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. Bananas are America's #1 fruit. 

8. Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise. 

9. Bananas are not grown commercially in the continental United States. They are grown in Latin and South America from countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala. 

10. Bananas are perennial crops that are grown and harvested year-round. 

11. In 2001, there were more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins. 

12. There are more than 500 varieties of banana in the world. 

13. There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants. 

14. The banana plant reaches its full height of 15 to 30 feet in about one year. 

15. Despite being usually being grown in a tropical climate, Iceland has begun to successfully produce bananas with the help of geysers providing energy to create a tropical environment.

16. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!

17. Banana leaves, pseudostems, fruit stalks and peels can all be used for various culinary purposes. Bananas are primarily eaten as a fruit, either on its own or as a part of a salad. All parts of the banana have medicinal applications as well. 

18. The banana trade is big business. It comes fifth in terms of world trade in agricultural produce-after cereals, sugar, coffee and cocoa.

19. Bananas contain tryptophan and vitamin B6, known to help make you feel happy. 

20. Wild bananas originated in Asia, and have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. 

21. Bananas are available all year around. They are harvested every day of the year.

22. All eight essential amino acids that the body does not produce are contained within a single banana.

23. Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, iron and fiber. Bananas are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free.

24. Red bananas contain more nutrients then their yellow cousins.

25. Bananas, however, can be cooked and are frequently found in Spring Rolls and deep 

fried in Asian cultures.

Late eating is not detrimental for our figure

Getting food at night is the enemy № 1 of weakening. Stress leads to weight gain. Pungent harmful. Surely these claims are familiar to you. But are they true?! And really these habits are so bad!? Some recent studies refute that have become axioms posts.

Misconception 1: Eating at night leads to weight gain.
In practice, there are prerequisites for claims that eating at night leads to weight gain. According to German experts, quoted by Reuters, however, claims that the late evening is the enemy number one slender figure are exaggerated. More than 10 years they have watched over 7000 people and their eating habits and come to conclusions that are not time consuming food and its calorific value is of utmost importance. Therefore, if indeed in the late hours of eating high calorie food to gain weight, but not if you dine with a light meal.

Misconception 2: The negative emotions should be avoided completely.

In fact, negative emotions are just as needed by the body as positive. Of course, it is good they are in limited quantities, but to have them. Most gracious are those negative conditions that are caused by the fact that the work we have done, has not brought the expected results. In moments such negative attitudes can act as an incentive for more targeted and effective action.

Misconception 3: Another popular, but the misconception is that the hot and spicy food harmful to the stomach.
A group of U.S. scientists, however, refute this claim after a series of experiments. During one part of them volunteers consumed sore spicy and the other part – a certain stage of trying drank aspirin tablets. The results showed that people taking aspirin, there was partial damage to the gastric mucous. For others who gambled on a spicy, lesions were found.

11 Motivational Weight Loss Tips For Women

Getting motivated to lose weight is not all that difficult to do. Millions of women start diets and exercise routines every single day.

However, not many are able to maintain that initial burst of motivation. That is the reason why so many weight loss programs fail.

In this article, you´re going to find some great tips to stay motivated to do what you have to do until you reach your weight loss goals. Just one or two of these powerful tips may be exactly what you need to get and, most importantly, stay motivated.

#1 Get Inspired

Whenever you hear a story about a woman that has successfully lost weight, know that they have no more ability than you do! If other women have done it, you can too.

Joining a supportive community (such as sparkpeople.com) is one of the best things women can do to get inspired and motivated.

Also, occasionally spend time searching for and reading weight loss success stories.

#2 Start Your Own Support Group

Collaborate with friends, family and co-workers that also want to lose weight. Plan fun social gatherings and share ideas about what it’s going to take to lose weight. Make a promise to check up on each other regularly.

#3 Start a Weight Loss Journal

Studies show that women who take a few minutes to journal their meals and workouts are more successful at losing weight.

#4 Hire a Personal Trainer

If you can afford it, this is one of the very best things you can do. Just make sure you ask him or her for credentials and referrals.

#5 Start a New Hobby That Requires You To Be Physical

There are all sorts of ways for you to take the boredom out of exercise. You can try rock climbing or swimming. Go dancing, bowling, or skating once a week.

#6 Increase Your Overall Activity

You can do a lot in addition to exercise to burn up some extra calories.

Take a walk at lunch. Whenever possible, use the stairs instead of an elevator. Park your car far away from the entrance at the mall or grocery store and walk.

Being active is motivational because you know that every bit of activity is leading you closer to your goal.

#7 Use Exercise Videos

Exercise to high energy, fun DVDs such as the Zumba Workout. The more fun you can have while exercising, the more likely it is that you will maintain a routine.

#8 Listen To Music

Load up some of your favorite music on your iPod. Music is a great motivator for exercise. It will take the boredom out of otherwise boring activities like walking or lifting weights.

#9 Know The Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise

Wanting to look good is not enough for most women. It’s too superficial.

Knowing what health conditions can be avoided with exercise and good nutrition can boost your motivation to consistently practice healthy habits.

#10 Make a List Of Reasons To Lose The Weight

Are you trying to avoid the family curse of high blood pressure or diabetes? Do you want to fit into your favorite pair of jeans again? Or do you want increase your energy level?

#11 Think Small

You may want to lose 20 or 30 pounds, but don’t think about losing that much. Think more about losing two or three pounds each week, or losing eight to ten pounds each month.

Having shorter term goals gives you something that’s realistic and attainable in the near future. This is motivating all by itself.

Now, start putting these 11 tips for motivation to use today!

5 Tips for Rapid Weight Loss

5 Tips for Rapid Weight Loss

Many people are now realizing that they are overweight. They are discovering this as they run for their train to work or attempt exercise. One of the problems with being overweight is that your appearance becomes distorted and your ability to walk normally is hindered. This article discusses five tips to help you lose weight.

1. Go on a Diet
The first step to losing weight is going on a diet. Your diet should be designed specifically for you so as not to cause any health problems. One way to diet is to consume lower carbonates and less fat. Do this with care though because quickly reducing your carbonate and fat intake can lead to health problems. Choose to drink black coffee instead of adding sugar or cream. Eliminate salad dressings, butter, candy, and soda. You should focus on reducing your fat intake while maintaining the food’s nutritional value. Choose lean meats such as chicken and fish. Snack on low fat foods that are high in fiber such as fruits, carrots and nuts.

2. Start Exercising
Keeping up with exercise on a regular basis is not only good for your body but it also benefits your mind. Exercising uses your body’s fat and any stored carbohydrates for energy. Some popular forms of exercise are aerobics, jogging and yoga. Yoga is a good form of exercise if you have not exercised in a while. There are a few different types of yoga. One type is called Vajrasana.

3. Pick Up a Sport
Soccer is a great way to lose weight. Research performed at the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen University Hospital and Bispebjerb Hospital shows that those who play soccer get better results that those that run. The research project studied fourteen men ages twenty to forty. Over a period of three months the men played soccer for about two hours a day. During the study the subjects had their fitness levels, blood pressure and muscle mass tested. The results showed that fat and blood pressure decreased while muscle mass increased. By the end of the test period, the soccer players lost over seven pounds of fat and increase their muscle mass whereas those that just ran did not gain any muscle mass and only lost about four pounds of fat.

4. Try Fasting
Fasting works to lose weight and control your mind. By consuming just water during the days that you fast you will remove toxins and waste product from your body. Fasting is a tradition in India. While you are fasting take some honey. Honey will help to lower body weight.

5. Try Slimming Pills
There are many types of weight loss program on the market today. Select the kind you take with care. One of the best that can be recommended is  The Beta Switch.

Get Rid Of Belly Fat For Women

How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat For Women

Not every woman wants to go to the gym and pump iron and do crunches while hanging upside down. In fact unless it’s an all-female gym it’s sometimes a little creepy working out in the gym. Now, if that is your cup of tea I’m not knocking it. However, this article is about how to get rid of belly fat for women, not looking to sweat it out in the gym, with ogling men.

For many reasons as time goes by the fat seems to slightly begin to navigate to the belly for both men and women. For many men it’s accepted as cute or sexy, i.e., love handles. For women, accumulated belly fat is viewed as them, letting themselves go. I can’t explain the double standard but if you want to figure out how to get rid of belly fat women, it’s probably easier than you have been making it out to be.

Where’s the belly fat coming from?

It’s the million dollar question and one that has a “well it depends answer”.

I know that’s not a popular answer but its true. The simple answer is that you basically begin to accumulate belly fat as you take in more calories than you need or burn each day. The fats is stored throughout the body and over a period of time, especially as you begin to age, and exercise less, it settles in the mid-section area.

Another culprit that women have to deal with is a decreasing amount of estrogen produced as they age. Estrogen has been associated with regulating where fat is stored and many experts have linked estrogen changes to increased belly fat in woman.

What is the big deal about belly fat in women?

Well, besides the fact that many women feel unattractive carrying belly fat, it has been associated with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer. With the excess belly fat accumulating you also have visceral fat which raises your blood pressure and negatively affects your good and bad cholesterol levels.

Help For Women Getting Rid Of Belly Fat

The natural tendency for women seeking to get rid of belly fat is doing those ab targeting exercises that is helpful for losing weight but not necessarily belly fat. This is confusing for many women looking to trim the belly fat. The best way to get rid of belly fat women is to put together a plan that includes both dieting and exercise.

I know what you are thinking “I have been there and done that”. Well I’m not suggesting that you try to do the same things that you have always done to lose belly fat. That would be insane and I’d like to believe that I’m not crazy.

To get started losing belly fat, I would suggest the following;

Make smarter food choices which means eating more fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Also, make sure that you cut back on your meal portions. If you are preparing the food at home, make sure you don’t overload your plate. Just because you are healthier foods, you can’t subconsciously consume larger portions. It defeats the purpose of eating healthy if you consume just as many calories because you eat more. Also, you need to include a little regular exercise to get the process of getting rid of belly fat off to a good start.

The good news is women that getting rid of belly fat for you doesn’t have to be a life altering event. You can make subtle changes that can have a significant positive affect of getting rid of your belly fat.