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Daily Archives: 23/10/2017
Scientists discover superconductor with bounce
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New Peruvian bird species discovered by its song
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Health24.com | SEE: How this woman’s foot fungus got out of control
Your feet are an important but often neglected part of your anatomy. Consider the seemingly insignificant foot problems people suffer from: ingrown toenails, nail fungus, athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), warts etc.
The danger is, however, that if you leave these conditions untreated, they can end up becoming a serious problem.
When something less serious goes wrong
Next time you see the onset of nail fungus but don’t feel like bothering about it, think twice.
Elizabeth, a 19-year old from England, was so grossed out by her ingrown toenails that she couldn’t even look at them. She even showered with socks on to hide them!
When she finally consulted a doctor, ingrown toenails ended up being the least of her problems – she had developed a severe fungus in both toenails, which resulted in their removal.
The results are nasty – watch the video at your own peril!
What’s the deal with foot fungus?
There are thousands of species of fungi, but only a few can cause disease or uncomfortable symptoms. Early symptoms of nail fungus may involve the nail lifting off the skin, turning white or yellow, and thickening. If a fungus is left untreated, it can get to the point where the nail becomes so thick, it needs to be removed.
It’s not only fungal infections that can take their toll on our feet. Ingrown toenails occur when one or both sides of the toenail grow into the skin. Left untreated, the areas can become badly infected.
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Take care of those feet
While conditions such as toenail fungus, athlete’s foot and ingrown toenails are not uncommon, it’s important to treat the problem before it becomes serious. Here are some tips on how to take better care of your feet and avoid these unfortunate conditions:
- Keep the skin on your feet and between the toes clean and dry, especially after using public showers and swimming pools.
- Put on clean socks every day and give your shoes time to air instead of wearing the same pair day after day.
- If you exercise, get your workout shoes fitted properly to avoid ingrown toenails and bunions.
- Don’t try and lodge out an ingrown toenail by yourself.
- Consult a doctor or pharmacist to treat a case of toenail fungus.
Image credit: iStock
Minimum alcohol price law unveiled in Wales
It is claimed one life a week could be saved in Wales if cheap alcohol sales are banned.
Health24.com | Do we need a break from our smartphones?
It’s no secret that we love our smartphones and other electronic devices for staying connected.
Perhaps we love them too much.
According to one study on cellphone use by a mobile security company, 63% of women and 73% of men between the ages of 18 and 34 can’t go even one hour without checking their phones.
Missing out
And research published in the internet-based journal First Monday found that when college students took a break from social media, some were unable to find substitutes for the place it filled in their lives. Many had the feeling they were missing out on something when they weren’t connected.
A previous Health24 article asked the question if young children should even own cellphones.
But all this connectivity comes at a price. For starters, time spent on our devices may be time taken away from exercise. Like other sedentary behaviours, this can reduce your fitness level.
Research done at Harvard suggests that being available 24/7 for texts and emails may actually make you less productive at work and less satisfied with your personal life. Indeed, results from the latest American Psychological Association “Stress in America” survey found that 44% of people who check email, texts and social media either “often” or “constantly” said they feel disconnected from family, even when they’re together.
The need to unplug
And regularly using electronic devices (think cellphones, tablets, laptops) late at night has been linked to sleep disorders, stress and even depression symptoms. And your risk grows if you’re also a heavy cellphone user.
What’s the answer?
Unplugging – taking regular breaks away from your devices and putting limits on how available you are. The need to unplug is so strong there’s even a National Day of Unplugging, from sundown to sundown starting on the first Friday in March.
But you don’t have to wait until then. Try turning off your electronics an hour earlier at night and designate a few unplugged hours every weekend. It might be hard at first, but like any other habit, you’ll grow into it over time.
According to the American Psychological Association, these nuggets of quiet will help you relax, reflect and even be more creative.
Image credit: iStock
NEXT ON HEALTH24X
Health24.com | Can you cough up a lung?
Have you ever wondered whether it’s possible to cough up a lung? Well, the short answer is no.
The slightly longer, more practical answer is that your lungs are too large to fit through your trachea, so even though it may feel as though you’re coughing up a lung, you won’t.
What is possible, however, is to cough so violently that your lung pops through the spaces between your ribs.
Case study
According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, this happened to a 40-year-old woman suffering from asthma. She coughed so hard her lung popped through her ribs – after coughing for two weeks.
When doctors examined her, they heard some cracking sounds coming from the right side of her body. They sent her for X-rays and discovered that she’d herniated her lung. Her lung tissue had pushed through two of her ribs.
She had surgery to repair the lung and diaphragmatic tear. Fortunately there was no evidence of recurrent hernia at her three-month checkup.
“While she didn’t technically cough up her lung, she coughed out her lung, through her ribs,” Dr Rachel Vreeman told NBC News. “It’s so unusual to have this happen that it would merit this case report – unusual, but possible, apparently.”
Other coughing injuries
In extreme cases, coughing can cause you an injury. Dr Vreeman says there have been other reports of injuries sustained during coughing fits.
“There are reports – it’s incredibly rare – of people who have had their spleens ruptured because of coughing.
“There also are occasional reports of people who – and this is a gross one as well – some people are more prone to having their eyeballs coming out of their sockets [also called intermittent exophthalmos] – there are a few reports of people having problems with that from bad vomiting or coughing.”
Image credit: iStock