Skin Allergy caused by own Sweat - Cholinergic Urticaria

Some people develop allergy to their own sweat. It usually occurs in warm weather with too much moisture, where sweat does not evaporate, or if a person exercise too much and remain in sweat for hours. In medical terms it is known as Cholinergic Urticaria (UC). The good thing about this allergy is that it can automatically resolve in few hours, just like it appears, if you cool the affected area with ice or cold water. But the bad news is that it can come back again if too much sweating happens again. Here we will discuss the reasons and treatment of Cholinergic Urticaria.

Cholinergic Urticaria (UC)

Cholinergic Urticaria (UC) is an allergy caused by nerve fibers in your sweat glands. If these nerves experience too much sweat and heat, then itchy red hives may appear on your skin. However some conditions give a good reason for UC to appear. Some of them are:

• Hot Shower
• Warm weather with too much humidity
• Wearing tight and skinny clothes
• Getting nervous and starting to sweat
• Being in sweat for long durations
• Stress

Note: Some people may get Cholinergic Urticaria as their body reacts against antibody in their own sweat called immunoglobulin-G (IgG). It can occur in both men and women.

Symptoms of Cholinergic Urticaria

• Small red bumps with flares or circles
• Itchy, tingly, and warm sensation
• Skin can look swollen and blotchy
• Affect chest, upper back, arms and face
• Such hives usually fade away after few hours as your body cools down.

Diagnosis of Cholinergic Urticaria

A dermatologist or allergist can diagnose this condition. They may ask you about any food allergies or any other skin allergies in past. You may be asked to run a stationary bike to make you sweat and make the red bumps appear.

Treatment of Cholinergic Urticaria

Antihistamines such as Cetirizine, Loratadine, or Diphenhydramine can be used to treat CU. But of it does not work then you doctor may recommend some steroids for short duration.

Prevention from Cholinergic Urticaria

Prevention is the best advise given by any doctor while treating some allergy. Same thing is here.

• Avoid warm or too humid environment
• Wear loose clothes
• If stress is the reason behind your allergy then try to avoid such situation that make you feel stressed.

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Why Health Care is so Expensive in U.S.

U.S. Healthcare sector is worth more than $3 trillion. If we consider it as a country, then it will be fifth largest economy. This amount is more than twice, what is spent in any other developed country. However U.S. is top spender in medical sector, but its healthcare system has never ranked in top 25 countries. Why is it so ? U.S. spends the most on healthcare sector, but its healthcare is not even in top 25. There must be some reason behind that. Here we will try to analyse the reasons behind that. This article might be an eye opener for some of us.

On an average every person in U.S. spends around $8000 every year on healthcare expenses. It includes insurance premiums as well, but still it is a large sum for a family with lesser income resources.

Why Health Care is so expensive in U.S. ?

• Higher Administrative Cost: 25% of total healthcare cost is spent on administrative sector. The count of billing clerks in some hospitals is far more than number of beds in that hospital. No other country employs so much administrative staff.
• Higher Drugs Cost: In U.S. the government have lesser power to control drug prices, while some other developed countries can control the drug prices. If U.S. government make some laws to negotiate drug prices then this factor can be easily handled, but it will negatively influence the earnings of some top drug manufacturers.
• Doctors are afraid: Doctors in U.S. don't directly prescribe the medicines without doing all necessary tests, even when they are sure about disease (due to their experience). They remain fearful to get sued for prescribing medicines which should be given only after positive test results. It cause additional expenses on defensive medicine and higher expenses on medical tests. It also increases the duration of treatment.
• Specialists are preferred: U.S. population prefers to get treated by a specialist instead of a primary-care doctor, even when specialist is not necessary. It increases the treatment cost. In other countries people visit a specialist only when recommended by a  primary-care doctor.
• More usage of technology: People of U.S. believe in technology much more than any other country. Mammograms are used thrice, MRI are used two-and-a-half times, and C-sections are done 31% more than any other country. It increases the equipment cost at every medical facility and ultimately gets paid by end user.
• Branding in Medical Sector: Some top most medical facilities can demand much more for the same treatment which is available at lower cost at a lesser known medical facility. Everyone thinks that more price means better treatment and thus overall income of medical sector increases. Sometimes prices are made depending on who is going to pay it.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped in lowering the medical expenses, but still a lot is necessary to get U.S. a good rank in WHO rankings. The higher medical cost often make some people move towards medical tourism to get treated at lower cost and get a better treatment.

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Quiz to Check if you are Depressed - DIY (Do-It-Yourself)

Every person faces depression more than once in his/her life. Sometimes it is hard to find if you are depressed or not. Visiting a psychiatrist  is the best option if you find some symptoms of depression in your life. Here we have made a simple quiz, which will help you in detecting if you are depressed on not. So before you plan to visit a psychiatrist just perform this simple DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Quiz. It will just take a few minutes to get your depression score.

Depression Test- DIY (Do-it-yourself)

This test will take just 3 minutes of your precious time.

If your score is above 35 then you must visit a psychiatrist and get yourself checked.

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Is Green Tea really better than ordinary Black Tea

Green tea has recently emerged as a healthy alternative of normal tea. Even some doctors have started prescribing green tea. A number of people are already using it for weight loss. Is there are truth in all those beliefs. Some people think that drinking a tea without sugar or milk, reduces the daily intake of excess calories, which results in weight loss. Some believe that it is the placebo effect that improves health and some other activities done along with green tea, which reduces the weight. We will try to find which of the above statements is more valid.

Green Tea vs Black Tea

• Most of the people don't know the fact that both green and black tea are produced from same plant named Camellia sinensis. Their color is different due to the processing difference. In production of Black Tea, the leaves undergo crushing and fermenting process, which causes its different flavor. Green Tea is not fermented.
• Some people think that green tea is caffeine-free, while it is not. 
• Both types of these teas contain antioxidants. Types of antioxidants may differ, but both are beneficial. According to a research both types of tea contain 10 times more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables.
• Some researchers have proved that tea improves metabolism and helps in removal of toxins from body.
• Both Green and black tea blocks the DNA Damage caused due to smoking, which reduces the chances of cancer. Biggest proof of this finding are nations like Japan, which are considered as the biggest tea drinkers. Cases of Heart Diseases and Cancer are comparatively low in these countries. However some people disagree with this fact as less cancer risk is also connected to lesser obesity in Japan, which is a direct factor for heart diseases and cancer.
• Some people believe that lesser obesity in Japan is due to popularity of tea. This fact might be the one which made people think that green tea decreases obesity. Here we should not forget that people of japan are also known for their hard work, which is also a factor behind lesser obesity.

Why Green Tea is considered better than Black Tea ?

• The basic reason is that green tea is less processed. Today people tend to go towards herbal, which means less processed. So green tea is getting more popular as something herbal and more natural.
• Second reason is the preparation method. Preparation of black tea includes other ingredients like sugar and milk, which increases the calorie value. But green tea preparation don't need any other ingredients, which keeps its calorie value low with same amount of antioxidants.
• Third reason is its taste, which is considered better by most of the people even without using sugar. Back tea is slightly hard to drink without sugar.
• Some researches have also shown that usage of green tea reduces weight, protects you from several types of cancer, delays onset of diabetes and many more.
• Last and the best reason is that green tea is recommended by dietitians and medical practitioners. 

Does Green Tea help in Weight Loss ?
Yes it does, but how ?

• The very first thing that green tea do is improving your metabolism, which reduces the chances of fat deposition.
• Second factor is usage of no sugar in preparation of green tea, so no extra calories.
• Third thing is motivation. Usually a person who is using green tea, also implement some other dietary changes to reduce weight or lifestyle changes such as regular workout. These activities also help in weight reduction a lot.

Now you know that both green and black tea are good for health, but green tea have some added benefits. When it comes to weight loss, we would suggest you to balance your diet and improve lifestyle along with green tea to get better results in lesser time.

Reference:
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/antioxidants-in-green-and-black-tea

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Cigarettes are killing our Kids

The title might be suggesting you that here we are going to talk about passive smoking or secondhand smoking, but what we are going to tell here is much more worst than that. Some smokers might save their kids from passive smoking by smoking outdoor, but the can't save their kids from the danger that every kid on this planet is facing due to smoking. Ranging from production of cigarettes to their disposal in a dustbin, everything is harming kids in some way. What we are going to discuss might open eyes of a few people.

Child labor in Tobacco farms

Child labor in tobacco farms is not only stealing their childhood but put also taking more generations into poverty. 1.3 million children, below the age of 14 were working in tobacco fields in 2011 and by now the count must have increased. Most of it is happening in backward countries where no law can be implemented effectively. These kids are basically working for cigarettes of people living in developed and developing countries. They are also putting their health at risk and earning nothing as they are not paid for that, but still work as a helping hand for full day. Bigger Cigarette manufacturers don't take the blame of themselves and provides some misleading facts. According to them they are just purchasing their crops and who is employed in the farms is not their responsibility, and they ask them not to use child labor. But the truth is that these manufacturers are utilizing the poverty of these farmers and absence of laws against child labor in those countries. What shames the humanity is that, when a news reported asked one of those kids that why he is working here then he answered that he is here to help his mother and father who are working so hard.
Some researchers find it as an unnoticed scandal, as the top players are earning millions, which the labor is not even getting enough money to feed himself and their kid (who also works as an unpaid labor). Such task is not just limited to boys, as even girls and their mothers also work there.

Poisoning Ground, Water and Food

I have seen people throwing cigarette butts on ground or drains, thinking that they are biodegradable and will ultimately fertilize the soil. What these people don't know is that they are highly toxic and poisoning both ground and water. This poisoning is also killing millions of birds and fishes every year as they eat it assuming some kind of food. Most of the cigarette butts contain tiny plastic pieces, which takes at least 5 to 10 years to biodegrade. Apart from it the chemicals present in cigarette butts intoxicate soil and water. Even underground water is intoxicated. Greenery on such soil is also intoxicated, which is ultimately eaten humans. Some dairy animals also eat that intoxicated greenery, which also land in our plates as some dairy product. All of this toxin is also landing into the plates of our kids. If you or your family is fond of sea food, then be aware that most of the sea food is also intoxicated due to those cigarette butts and ultimately landing into you and your kid's stomach.

Such pollution of our food might not be harming adults but kids must be getting affected. The affect may be lower immunity or bad digestion. So just saving your kids from passive smoking might not be sufficient for them. Convince people to quit smoking. It will not just help you kid or grand-kids from further intoxication but will also save millions of other kids who are risking their health and childhood in tobacco farms.

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Environment is paying cost for Human Smoking

Environment of our planet Earth is not an asset for only human use. Different species living on land and water are equally affected by the human behavior. Smoking of 6 trillion cigarettes every year not just harm humans but these innocent species as well. You might have considered smoking as a bad habit, but the facts provided here will change your view from "just a bad habit" to "an inhuman act". If you are a smoker then it will motivate you to quit, but if you are not then you will get some good facts to motivate others to not smoke.

How our Environment is paying cost for Human Smoking

• 300,000,000 kilograms of Nicotine waste is produced every year, which is highly toxic for all forms of life. Most of it is dumped in waterways or soil and ultimately it pollutes the underground water then plants, which are consumed by man and dairy animals.
• 1000 deaths and 3000 injuries are caused every year in US due to fires caused by smoking. Most of the affected people are either kids or non-smokers.
• About 17,000 people worldwide die each year because of fires started by cigarette lighters or discarded burning cigarettes.
• 2262 million kilograms of manufacturing waste and 209 million kilograms of chemical waste is created every year while these cigarettes are manufactured.
• More then 5 trillion cigarette butts, which are not properly disposed, land on soil and water ways. A single cigarette butt can easily kill small fish or bird.
• Consumption of cigarettes butts by marine animals and birds results in death of millions of marine animals and birds every year. It includes fishes, seals, tortoise and birds, who eat these butts assuming it as some food. If you are a vegetarian smoker, then you should regret it more.
• 5.3 million hectares of fertile land is used every year to grow tobacco. Once used for this purpose, it no longer supports any other crop due to heavy usage of chemical pesticides. 
• If this land is used to grow other crops then it can feed 20 million people every year.
• 1,800,000 tonnes of packaging waste, composed of paper, ink, cellophane, foil and glue is thrown by smokers every year.
• 64 million metric tons of carbon dioxide is produced every year in manufacturing of cigarettes.
• 2,600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and about 5,200,000 tonnes of methane is produced every year due to smoking.
• One tree is cut for every 300 cigarettes, which is used to make paper for its rolling and packing.
• Thus it accounts for cutting of 20 billion trees every year. 
• 600 million trees are cut and burned annually to dry and cure tobacco leaves. 
• 440 million tonnes of carbon dioxide can be consumed by these trees every year, if they are not cut.

We hope that these facts will inspire some people to quit smoking and don't let the above burden fall on their shoulders. Quitting not just helps you, but helps whole earth in being a better place for all species.

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Calculate the Damage done by your Smoking

Only a smoker who is ready to face the truth will dare to use this calculator. This calculator will find all the stats of damage done by your smoking habit. Usually smokers think that they are damaging only their own body (some don't even think so), but the truth is much more than that. The figures used in this "Smoking Damage Calculator" are collected from some well researched articles published on some other website which are available in the reference section, so can actually believe that the figures presented here are correct.

Calculate the Damage done by your Smoking

Basic Information

Age: Years At what age did you start smoking: Years How many cigarettes do you smoke in a day (approx) :

Before having a puff again, just think once, if your kid needs to pay the price of your smoking in the tobacco fields then would you smoke again. The choice is yours !

Reference:
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/93/12/15-152744/en/
https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/8/1/75
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53014/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/25/revealed-child-labor-rampant-in-tobacco-industry

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Are you a Smoker ? Read it and Answer !

Whenever a non-smoker asks somebody to quit smoking, the very first thought that comes in mind of the smoker is "I am harming myself, not others. I don't want to quit ! Why the hell you want me to". Non-smokers ask somebody to quit either because they care for him/her or they know that ultimately smoking by anybody is harming everybody indirectly. Most of you will think that i am talking about secondhand smoke or passive smoking, but what i am going to describe here is much more than that.

The number of people killed due to Cigarette are more than those killed by guns every year. Guns at least need licence in most countries but cigarettes don't. Those killed by cigarettes are not just smokers, but even non-smoker adults, kids, pets, dairy animals, fishes and other marine life. All of then are not killed by passive smoking but by the litter caused by smokers.

Do you ever wonder where does the cigarette butts and packs end up. Most of the smokers throw them anywhere they want, and most of the cigarette butts end up either in soil or water ways. Most of the smokers think that these cigarette butts are bio-degradable, while they are not, as they contain some amount of plastic. It takes them 5 to 10 years to dispose themselves depending on where the end up.

Some of you might not be aware of the fact that cigarette butts are toxic waste, and thus need to be disposed properly. It is one of the most visible litter in US. You will be surprised to know that 1,362,741 cigarettes/butts, 18,555 cigarette lighters, 74,399 cigar tips, and 36,397 tobacco packages were removed from waterways of United States in 2009.

Chemicals leaching from single cigarette butt can kill a fish in a 1 Liter jar of water.  

One tree is cut to make paper for rolling and packing of every 300 cigarettes. Deforestation is also done to get land to grow tobacco. The land once used for tobacco farming can't be utilized for any other crop, as it become very toxic due to use of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals used in the cultivation of tobacco. Some trees are even cut to burn wood to dry the tobacco leaves. Ultimately it is one of the biggest causes of deforestation.

Deforestation is also done due to the fires caused by discarded burning cigarettes or cigarette butts. 17000 people die every year due to these fires and thousands are left homeless. A large number of these people are non-smokers or kids.

Smoking globally emits nearly 2.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide, 5.2 billion kilograms of methane and 209 kilograms of chemical waste into the atmosphere each year. The air pollution caused by forest fires due to cigarette butts is not included in these figures.

How Cigarettes are killing everything we know ?
Cigarettes are actually killing our ecosystem. Cigarette contains about 600 chemicals, 69 of which have been proven to cause cancer. It can produce over 7,000 chemicals when lit. The worst fact about these chemicals is that they are highly soluble in water.
All of the cigarette litter contaminates soil and water. Birds and pets like cats and dogs ingest cigarette butts and face serious health consequences like tremors, vomiting, respiratory failure, cancer and even death. It kills and disease the marine life as well. Fishes and other marine animals either get get killed by them of face health issues due to contaminated water.
Ultimately the toxins come back to human food. Grass growing in contaminated soil is eaten by cows, their milk and dairy products are used by us. Most of the contaminated marine animals also get served in our plates as most of them are caught from sea shores, which are dumping ground for cigarette litter.

Just one cigarette butt is dangerous if ingested by a human, a whole cigarette may be lethal if ingested.

Proper disposal of cigarette litter is necessary. Chemicals used in cigarettes begin to leach arsenic, acetone, ammonia, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, lead, and toluene when introduced to water.

I hope that after reading this article no smoker will ever say that he/she is only harming himself. He/she is actually killing everything we have seen, even some innocent kids.

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How much does smoking kill you ? Calculate Yourself !

Smoking kills our lungs, kills our arteries, kills our heart and at last it kills the time we have to celebrate life. Even after knowing these simple things, some people don't dare to quit it. They have their own reasons, but here we have got a simple calculator for them. This simple calculator will ask you about your age, smoking habits and simple health. In return it will tell how much time you have got to celebrate life and how much more time you may get by quitting smoking. I hope it will help or inspire some people to quit smoking. Even if it makes a single person to quit smoking, then it is worth making it.

Calculate Lifespan of Smokers

Basic Information

Age: Years Country: Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic DR Congo Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Gender: Male Female Weight: pounds kilograms Height: 1' 2' 3' 4' 5' 6' 7' 0" 1" 2" 3" 4" 5" 6" 7" 8" 9" 10" 11" or cms

Lifestyle Information

Smoking: Smoker Chain Smoker Occasianally Quit Smoking Don't Smoke At what age did you start smoking: Years At what age did you start smoking: Years At what age did you become a chainsmoker: Years At what age did you start smoking: Years How many cigarettes do you smoke in a year: Less than 10 per year Less than 20 per year Less than 50 per year More than 50 per year At what age did you start smoking: Years At what age did you quit smoking: Years Alcohol: Non-Drinker Occasianally Quit Drinking 1-2 Drink daily Addict Workout: Don't Exercise 1-2 time a week 30 minutes 5-6 times/week Heavy Workout 5-6 times/week Diabetic: Non-Diabetic Type 1 Diabetic Type 2 Diabetic Diabetic with controlled Blood Sugar Have diabetic parent/s Diet / Nutrition: Healthy Diet Moderate Nutrition Unhealthy Diet Average Daily Sleep: More than 9 hrs/day 6 - 9 hrs/day Less than 6 hrs/day

Result: Your Estimated Lifespan is : Years.

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Airports Polluting the Air too much

If you are a smoker then you must have visited the smoking zones at airports as airports have got a reputation as no-smoking zones around the world. We usually think that such places have really very low air pollution due to such rules, but the truth is just opposite. The amount of air pollution caused by takeoff and landing of airplanes cause a lot of air pollution. Even if the terminals are kept closed as air purifiers are used there, the people working outside and those living nearby face a lot of air pollution. The amount of air pollution faced near airports is worth giving a look.

According to a 2012 data, 87000 flights occur in a day in US. According to an EPA study, 747 landing and takeoff at an airport emits:

• 31.55 pounds (14,300,000 milligrams) of carbon monoxide
• 115 pounds (52,210,000 milligrams) of nitrogen oxide.

This amount is equivalent to carbon monoxide emitted by 357,000 cigarettes and nitrogen oxide emitted by 17,000,000 cigarettes. All these remain in large amounts near airports and also sucked into the pleasant smoke free airport lounge. The only difference is the nicotine found in cigarettes, so the harmful air don't do the perfect job for smokers, else they don't need to smoke near airports and often build their house near airports.

The harmful gases found near airports in not only sucked by lungs of passengers but also the family and friends who come to drop or receive a passenger.

Some facts about air pollution caused by airports

• Airports are the largest source of air pollution in United States.
• Largest source of Carbon Monoxide in air of California State is Los Angeles International Airport.
• The amount of time spent by an airplane between gate and runway increased by 23% between 1995 and 2007, which means more than one million hours are spent running idle by airplanes. It pollutes the air of nearby areas very much.
• Respiratory and heart related hospital admissions has increased in area adjacent to California airports, especially those who face downwind from airport.
• 6 million people living in 10km radius of California airports are affected due to such air pollution. Most of the affected people are kids or senior citizens.
• According to the study, this pollution costs the people living within 10 km radius of California airports around $1 million per day in hospitalization.

An aircraft jet engines produces following pollutants in various phases of landing and takeoff.

• Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 )
• Nnitrogen Oxides (NO x )
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Oxides of Sulphur (SO x )
• Unburned or partially combusted hydrocarbons
• Particulates (PM10, PM2.5)
• Other trace compounds

We often see pollution regulations of cars running on roads, but never worry about pollution caused by airplanes. Media and governments don't let us see above cars on road, jungle fires and cigarette smoking bans. Our own awareness is necessary for governments to work on this issue.

Reference:
[1] http://www.nber.org/digest/may12/w17684.html

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