vitamins for pregnancy
March 28, 2008
Vitamins for Pregnancy: Supplements that Help When You’re Eating for Two
You can’t drink this. You can’t drink that. Women are being put on trial for engaging in unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy. Of course, things like doing drugs or drinking alcohol are indeed very dangerous to your baby. After all, everything a pregnant woman eats, drinks, and breathes will reach her fetus through the placenta.
Now, the question is: Are vitamins included? What are the vitamins recommended for pregnant women? What will be the effects? Here’s the real truth about the vitamins pregnant women can and can’t get away right now.
Vitamins Essential for Moms-To-Be
1. Vitamin C
This vitamin is important in the manufacturing of your baby’s blood vessels, bones, and the whole skeletal system. Vitamin C helps produce collagen, a protein responsible for producing your baby’s skeletal foundation. Vitamin C is also known as skin food because it feeds your skin as well as your baby’s skin with the right nutrients to help build healthy skin. As an antioxidant, it can also help you and your baby fight free radicals or delay the oxidation process.
Since your body can’t produce vitamin C, unlike most animals, and it can’t store it either, it is important that you get your daily supply of vitamins from supplements and foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus foods, vegetables, and fruits.
2. Foliate
Foliate, a B vitamin, is another nutrient necessary for the production of healthy red blood cells. And not everybody gets enough.
Foliate is found primarily in fresh fruits and vegetables, and people who eat a lot of canned or pre-packaged foods can become deficient. Pregnant women who live alone and don’t want to cook for one are especially at risk for anemia caused by foliate deficiency.
Health experts suggest that a few servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day are the best bet for prevention. If you can’t bear Brussels sprouts, consider taking a daily nutritional supplement with 400 micrograms, the Daily Value of folic acid (the supplemental form of foliate).
3. Vitamin A
A daily intake of vitamin A between 10,000 and 15,000 IU (international units) may also provide healthy bones, skin, and eyes to your baby as well as healthy cells needed to build your baby’s internal organs.
However, pregnant women should speak with their doctors before supplementing their diet with vitamin A. Studies show that excessive intake of vitamin A can bring about birth defects, such as ear and eye abnormalities, microcephaly or small head, cleft lip and palate, hydrocephaly or enlargement of the fluid-filled paces in the brain, mental retardation, or heart defects.
Statistics show that pregnant women who consume more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A can lead to birth defects in 1 of every 57 infants. Also, excessive intake of vitamin A during pregnancy can cause higher risks of miscarriage.
4. Vitamin D
When researchers in a certain study measured levels of vitamin D in pregnant women, they saw that the more vitamin D in the blood, the better the insulin was at delivering glucose to the muscles. So vitamin D is an important nutrient for many other reasons as well, such as helping produce healthy teeth, tissue, and bones for your baby and may help your body derail diabetes. Studies show that diabetes in pregnant women can be very risky and may even cause birth defects or morbidity.
Though vitamin D is produced when your skin is exposed to sunlight, a more reliable year-round source is milk. Four 8-ounce glasses of fat-free milk everyday can get you to the Daily Value of 400 IU. Alternatively, you can supplement your diet with 400 IU of vitamin D.
5. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 facilitates the formation of hemoglobin, the red blood cell component that carries oxygen through the bloodstream. During pregnancy, more hemoglobin is required to supply your baby with oxygen. And the fetus also uses this vitamin to build its own blood supply.
Your body needs vitamin B12 to create red blood cells. This vitamin is found in chicken, red meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish, but not in plant foods. Most people get plenty, but super-strict vegetarians who don’t eat any non-vegetable foods are at risk for a deficiency of vitamin B12 and anemia. The solution is to take a daily nutritional supplement that contains at least double the Daily Value of B12 (six micrograms).
Keep in mind that baby’s health depends on the mothers way of getting the proper amount of vitamins, so pregnant women can’t afford to skimp. Hence, pregnant women should make sure that they get enough of the nutrients every day.
atkins exercising
March 25, 2008
Atkins and Exercise
There is a lot of attention paid in the Atkins diet plan towards food and cooking. It’s true that your food choices on the diet are of utmost importance. But a lot of people make the mistake of ignoring exercise. The newly released Atkins food pyramid shows the importance of exercise. It shows an increase in food options with increased activity. Exercise is important on the Atkins diet, and important for everyone’s overall health.
Exercise is beneficial to body, mind and soul. It has many major benefits, even at limited levels. It not only burns fat but it boosts your metabolism and increases circulation. Daily exercise helps your body eliminate toxins through sweat glands and lymph systems. It is especially important to all low-carb weight loss programs because it regulates blood sugar levels.
Physical exercise is essential for Atkins diet success. Without exercise, your body isn’t configured to process carbohydrates successfully. Research has shown that sedentary individuals have extreme insulin reactions to even moderate amounts of carbohydrates. This means that exercise doesn’t only help you lose weight, it will help you keep it off too. Exercise will teach your body how to process the carbohydrates in your diet. When you exercise regularly, you’ll be able to eat more carbohydrates over time because your body will use them efficiently.
There are two basic types of exercise: aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. The best regimen combines these two forms each week.
Aerobic exercise’s primary goal is to increase your heart rate. This causes your body to consume more oxygen and it gives all of your cells a fresh supply of oxygen. If you’ve been without physical activity for a while, many of those cells have been deprived. Aerobic exercise will regenerate them and help you feel better in times when you aren’t exercising.
If you’ve been inactive for a while, it may take some time to get used to your new aerobic workouts. You may want to get some advice from your primary care doctor or a professional aerobics instructor. Make sure to start slowly to give yourself time to adjust to your new movements. It’s essential that you learn how to stretch and warm up correctly in order to avoid muscle strain. Some good beginning aerobic activities include walking, golf, tennis and dancing. These activities won’t cause a lot of strain on your body, but they will get your heart moving. Start slowly and set small goals for yourself. For example, if you are starting a walking program begin by walking four blocks. Then increase your training to five blocks, then six. Your body will respond well to the exercise…after all your body was meant to move!
Anaerobic exercise includes any activity that isn’t technically aerobic. Most of the exercises in this category build muscle mass. Weightlifting and strength training are examples of anaerobic exercises. Working out with weights is an important part of losing weight. As you lose fat, you’ll need to replace it with muscle in order to stay lean. Don’t be afraid of working out with weights. You won’t need to become a bodybuilder. Weight bearing exercises like isometrics and resistance training will help improve your bone density, your posture and your fat burning potential.
If an exercise program is not part of your weight loss efforts, you are setting yourself up for failure. Make a commitment to incorporating exercise into your weight loss efforts and you’ll see the results immediately.
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vitamins for babies
March 24, 2008
The Importance of Vitamins for Babies
Illness can be a frightening and unpleasant experience, particularly for babies. Concern for the baby’s needs has helped to foster understanding of the impact of vitamins and proper nutrients on the baby’s growth and development.
For this reason, parents must take extra care in giving proper nutrients to babies by providing the required vitamins.
Here are some reasons why it is important to provide vitamins for babies:
1. Vitamin supplements provide the necessary amount of vitamins
A baby’s food intake is seldom constant and varies in quantity and quality. In general, parents can be reassured that a child will take in enough to grow. A special period of apparent, decreased intake seems to occur at 7-9 months along with the desire of babies to feed themselves. Hence, it is at this time that babies need vitamin supplements to replenish any deficiency that may take place.
2. Babies can be very fussy with foods
Babies may tend to refuse new foods initially because of their unfamiliarity. Hence, the required nutrients to facilitate normal body processes are lacking. So to provide the right nutrients for the baby’s proper growth and development, it is important that parents give them the right vitamins in the right amounts.
3. Promote healthy skin
Baby’s skin is subtle and sensitive. That is because their skin hasn’t yet developed the right protection to defend itself against harmful elements in the environment.
With the right vitamins, babies are able to develop healthy skin and help produce collagen that strengthens skins natural condition.
4. Ward of diseases
Vitamin deficiency is one of the greatest factors contributing to diseases in babies. For instance, pernicious anemia is a known Vitamin B12 deficiency. Hence, to ward of diseases, it is important that babies take vitamins everyday.
5. Prevent weakness
Vitamin deficiencies may cause weakness and retarded growth and development for babies. By providing the right amount of recommended vitamins for babies; it will help combat physical weaknesses.
Just keep in mind that nutritional requirements may still vary according to activity rates, general health, presence of metabolic disturbances, and growth rate. Hence, by providing the right amount of vitamins for babies, their futures are assured from the diseases as long as they continue to take vitamins.
So for proper nutrition and growth of your babies, it is time that you give them the right vitamins. As they say, prevention is always better than the cure.
warts in kids
March 22, 2008
Warts in Kids
Nearly fifty percent of children acquire warts at some time or the other. Warts, in the real sense are benign tumors which develop when keratinocytes, a kind of skin cell, is infected by the wart virus. There are many types of warts, the most common being rough bumps which appear on fingers and hands. Others are flat warts, genital warts, plantar warts, and molluscum contagiosum. The difference is based on the types, location, and painfulness of the wart. Common warts appear on fingers and hands and usually are painless. Plantar warts appear on the soles and are sometimes painful. Periungal warts show up around the finger and toe nail. Warts which appear on the face are flat warts.
The symptoms of the common warts are that the skin develops an irregular surface and becomes rough. A dome starts to appear after a day after infection. A popular myth is that warts have roots, but they don’t. They grow on the epidermis, which is the top most layer of the skin. The black portion is because of broken veins and clotted blood.
Warts come and go at various stages of life like childhood and teenage years. They usually go away by themselves. But some can be very painful, can spread quickly and some of them wont go away for many years. Such kind of warts should definitely be treated. The most common treatment among the pediatricians is cryotherapy. They will freeze the warts using liquid nitrogen. Cantharidin can also be applied, which is a painless treatment but can result in painful blisters at the end of the day. The minus point is that these treatments sometimes cause blistering and some warts won’t come off in one sitting. If the warts won’t still budge they are further treated with strong salicylic acid, intralesional immune-therapy, bleomycin, or a pulsed dye laser. Aldara can also be used in worst cases. Because of some treatments the warts grow to the end of the blister, which results in a bigger wart and some might even result in a scar.
Besides other common wart treatments, the most well-known home remedy is duct tape. The affected area is covered with duct tape for about six days. If within that time period, the tape peels off, it should be reapplied. After the sixth day, the duct tape should be removed and the wart should be soaked in water and a pumice stone or emery board should be used to scrap the top skin of the wart. After this, the duct tape should be reapplied again within twenty four hours and the same procedure should be repeated until the whole wart disappears. This procedure takes at least two months to get rid of the wart completely. Some kids hesitate to put duct tape on parts which are visible, like fingers and legs. They can be encouraged by making them wear colored duct tape, other than grey. Many home wart freezing and removal kits are also available in the market whose help can be taken.
Warts spread by direct contact with the wart or any material which the infected person has used like a used towel which has been contaminated. It is contagious and hence it is recommended to stay away from it at the very sight of it. All the cuts, rashes and bites should be cleaned regularly and should be kept covered. Another measure for prevention is wearing closed shoes in public places.
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vitamins for athletes
March 20, 2008
What You Should Know About Vitamins for Athletes
Vitamins execute the same kind of benefits for non-athletes and athletes. Generally, vitamins facilitate normal body processes. However, athletes need more vitamins than usual to help them in their daily activities, especially during training sessions.
So if you are an athlete and you would like to know which vitamins are important for you, read these guides:
1. Take vitamins for supplementation
Even if there are some vitamins specially required for athletes, it does not necessarily mean that these vitamins can significantly improve the athletes performance. Keep in mind that no vitamin can improve performance. They can only help facilitate normal body functions but not necessarily make you a superman.
2. Maintain a good diet
Most athletes think that since there are so many vitamin supplements available on the market today, they can easily resort to these things and use them as substitutes for nutrient-enriched foods.
They fail to keep in mind that vitamins from natural sources are still best. In as much as vitamin supplements for athletes can help develop proper growth, natural vitamins ensure proper nourishment without the cost.
Keep in mind that excessive intake of vitamins can do you more harm than good. This may result to unfavorable body changes such as joint and muscle pains and headaches.
3. Vitamins don’t produce energy
Commonly misunderstood, vitamins don’t produce energy. They just help the body utilize the energy nutrients.
4. Vitamins as antioxidants
As antioxidants, vitamins such as vitamin C and E can eliminate stress in the body. Since most athletes perform strenuous physical exercise, it is important that athletes charge up on vitamins that act as antioxidants compared to non-athletes.
Although this may not necessarily lead to increased or improved athletic performance, it is still important to take vitamins for proper growth and development of the athletes bodies.
5. Vitamins for better blood circulation
Since athletes are huffing and puffing most of the time as they do their usual trainings and exercises, it is important that they have normal blood circulation. This will prevent heart-related problems like stroke.
Also, vitamins can help athletes produce more healthy red blood cells. They need these to endure every activity.
Indeed, vitamins may not demonstrate a big difference in results when observed from both athletes and non-athletes. However, it pays to know that athletes need more vitamins than non-athletes because they are faced with more strenuous activities.
vitamins as weight loss supplement
March 16, 2008
Vitamins as a Weight Loss Supplement: Is it True?
Statistics show that more than 60% of the American population is considered overweight, and that every year almost half of it vows to lose weight. No wonder why fad diets and nearly all available diet programs are popular.
But do you know that dieting can actually reduce the amount of nutrients you receive each day? Most people tend to eat less whenever they want to lose weight, and this means less nutrient intake.
So you need vitamins for a weight loss supplement. Here’s why:
1. Vitamins help boost weight loss
Experts say that obtaining the right amount of vitamin supplements facilitate weight loss. Some diets focus on certain kinds of foods. Hence, you may not be getting the right amount of vitamins in your diet. So it is important that you take vitamin supplements to replenish the lost or lacking nutrients in your body.
Moreover, some vitamins promote weight loss by stimulating the other organs to facilitate the process, usually the thyroid glands. These glands activate the metabolic rate needed by the body to burn fats and calories.
2. Boosts metabolism
Some vitamins act as metabolism boosters. Most dieters starve in order to lose weight. This shouldn’t be the case because when your body is in the starvation stage your metabolism slows down. Hence, no amount of calories or fats is burned. That is why it is harder to lose weight.
Moreover, you become weak and tired, so the tendency is not to exert so much physical effort. In the end, you won’t be burning much calories either because your body isn’t working its way out and burning calories and fats.
With the so-called B-vitamins, you don’t just get the energy that you need; your metabolic rate is also increased.
3. Vitamins increase your energy
B vitamins, such as vitamin B5 can increase your energy. This energy helps you get through the day even if you are on a diet program.
4. Control weight
Vitamins help in regulating insulin levels and blood sugar. This results to decreased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. In this way, you lose harmful fats in the body and develop lean mass.
Vitamins don’t just facilitate normal body processes. They also help you lose weight. So with the right amount of vitamin supplements, you are definitely on your way to success.
urinary track infection in kids
March 16, 2008
Urinary Tract Infection in Children
Urinary tract infection makes urinating painful. The infected children thinks twice before going to the bathroom and they always get a feeling to go to the bathroom. The urine also smells bad because of the infection. Bacteria are responsible for infecting the urinary track.
The urinary track consists of certain parts such as two kidneys, bladder, two ureters and a urethra. The kidney does the major job of cleaning waste from the blood. The waste material is urine which is passed to the bladder through the ureters. The shape of the bladder is very similar to a deflated balloon. When the bladder gets filled two hundred and thirty seven milliliters of urine, the brain sends signals to go to the bathroom. When the person gets ready to pass, the muscles located at the end of the bladder relax which lets the urine rush through the urethra, from the bladder, and out of the body.
When children face any of the symptoms of urinary track information, they should talk about it to their parents as the symptoms are visible to the patient more than to others. Parents can observe the urinating frequency of the children. The child feels terrible pain while peeing. He/she is able to pass only small quantity at a time. He/she also gets up several times during the night to go to the bathroom. There is a strange sensation in the lower part of the belly. Blood can also pass along with the urine. Also the urine isn’t a clear solution and is cloudy. The urine smells badly after passing. These are all the symptoms of bladder infection. The child can also feel feverish along with chills. Pain can be experienced in the back or the belly. When the pain is right below the ribs, it is a clear sign of kidney infection. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the child should be taken to the doctor.
The doctor will take urine sample for testing. The urine is taken in a plastic cup, into which the child pees. Before passing, the child must wipe the area with special wipes, so that the germs from the body do not confuse with the germs in the urine. Germs in the urine are an indication of infection. Although there are million of germs residing on the exterior of the body, they are completely harmless. Only a few of them actually infect the body. A stick is dipped in the urine sample. The stick is special, that is it is a specially treated paper which changes color upon determination of an infection. Otherwise, the urine sample can also be sent to the laboratory. Incase of a bladder infection, the doctor will prescribe medicine that kills the bacteria.
The child will begin to feel good just few days after starting to consume the medicine. But he/she must stay away from food and liquid which has caffeine in it as it can elevate the bladder irritation and the patient will feel very uncomfortable. After the test, if kidney infection is detected, the child will be hospitalized for few days. He/she will be given a germ fighting medicine which will be administered by a small plastic tube which will be introduced in a vein.
After the child recovers from a urinary tract infection, he/she should try best to avoid such incidents in the future. The most important thing is to maintain cleanliness. The private parts should be washed everyday. It is best to take a shower or a bath daily. The child can use wipes to clean every time after passing urine. Children should never hold the urine. When they feel the urge, they should rush to the bathroom immediately. Fluids intake must be increased. Best fluids are water and cranberry juice. Water washes the bacteria out of the body and cranberry juice prevents another bacterial attack. Bubble baths aren’t good as it can irritate the urethra. Cotton underwear will absorb the sweat and body moisture, which will prevent bacterial growth. Underpants must be changed everyday.
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atkins diabetes
March 15, 2008
Atkins and Diabetes
The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the standard American diet. Its emphasis is on using good carbohydrates in balance with adequate protein. This is in stark contrast to what most Americans eat on a daily basis. The average American eats lots of processed foods that have hidden sugars and highly processed carbohydrates. This has put most Americans on the road to diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions. What is sad is that diabetes has a predictable set of stages and that they can be easily recognized.
The road to diabetes has to do with something called the glycemic index. All carbohydrates are rated on this index with regards to the level of insulin reaction they produce. Foods that have a high glycemic index rating will cause your pancreas to release a lot of insulin to break down the amount of sugars and carbohydrates which produce high amounts of glucose. The refined carbohydrates and sugars that make up the vast majority of the American diet rank very high on the glycemic index.
We are able to more readily digest these foods as children, because our bodies function more efficiently in our youth. There may have been side effects, like weight gain and mood swings, but they didn’t stand out. As we age, however, these symptoms begin to grow and become more prevalent. The nation-wide obesity epidemic is a result of high-carbohydrate diets and unstable blood sugar levels.
Many people who are overweight are also insulin resistant. Insulin resistance means that the insulin is not doing its job in removing glucose from the blood stream. The pancreas gets over worked and it releases massive amounts of insulin, sometimes 20 times more than the body actually needs. This results in the blood sugar dropping to extremely low levels. This sets off a chain reaction in the body that leads to a release of adrenaline to correct the blood sugar problem.
With age, blood sugar and insulin difficulties become more aggravated. The condition is called “hyperinsulinism” and is a precursor for type II diabetes. It is normally accompanied by high blood pressure and high triglycerides.
After years of using a high-carbohydrate diet, you will finally become fully diabetic. Insulin is the body’s primary fat creator and extra pounds usually accompany late onset diabetes. Pre-diabetic conditions, if not treated effectively, will lead to diabetes indefinitely.
However, there are easily identifiable warning signs to diabetes that appear early. Your family doctor can perform insulin level tests that will let you know if you are at risk for pre-diabetic conditions, and studies show that low-carb diets like Atkins can help. Controlling your blood sugar is one of the most effective methods to controlling pre-diabetic conditions.
The Atkins diet helps effectively control blood sugar. The combination of proteins, fats and good carbohydrates will keep your body satisfied without the roller coaster effect. Controlling carbohydrates in quantity as well as type will help limit the insulin spikes. This will let your pancreas work in the way that it was meant to be, and it will decrease the likelihood of your developing pre-diabetic conditions. It’s a vicious cycle that, if left unchecked, can lead to diabetes later in life. When the Atkins diet is followed effectively it produces stable blood sugar throughout the day and helps you stay off the road to diabetes.
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vitamins
March 12, 2008
Vitamins: Know What They Are and Why You Need Them
Vitamins are nutrients necessary for the regulation of many different bodily functions in animals and humans. They are important for the formation of tissues, blood cells, genetic material, hormones and chemicals for the nervous system. Vitamins can either be catalysts or coenzymes. As catalysts, vitamins bind with proteins to produce enzymes that will in turn produce essential chemical reactions within the body. As coenzymes, they act as chemical carriers from one body cell to the next.
The history of vitamins
Vitamins as we know them today were largely unknown thousands of years ago and whatever nutrients and benefits vitamins give were only received through the ingestion of food. Some of the ancient civilizations discovered through observation, experimentation or purely by accident that some foods seemed to offer relief or cures for certain illnesses and ailments. Ancient Egyptian doctors, for example, would prescribe liver to patients suffering from night blindness.
Certain vitamin benefits were also discovered long before they were named. The benefits of citrus fruits, for example, a known source of Vitamin C, was first extolled in the mid 1700s long before it was known that vitamins existed. It was first used to prevent and cure scurvy. Although successful, the practice was initially met with skepticism.
Then, in 1897, a Dutch scientist named Christiaan Eijkman discovered that unpolished rice helped prevent beriberi. The next year, another scientist, Frederick Hopkins, coined the term ‘accessory factors’, unknown substances that certain foods contained which contributed to health and well being.
It was only in the early 1900s when a Polish biochemist named Kazimierz Funk was able to isolate and identify a complex group of micronutrients. In 1912, the name ‘vitamine’ was proposed and used, considered to refer to what Hopkins called ‘accessory factors’. The name was later changed to ‘vitamin’ in 1920.
Why we need vitamins
The human body can only produce one type of vitamin naturally and that is Vitamin D. The other vitamins must be taken either through diet or supplements. The benefits of vitamins were discovered by using deprivation studies. Scientists were able to isolate different vitamins and determine that deficiencies led to certain illnesses, health risks and birth defects. As science progressed, vitamins made the jump from their natural sources such as plants and animals and became available in pill form.
Today, there are 13 different vitamins, categorized as fat soluble or water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins include Vitamins A, D, E and K and water soluble vitamins include the Vitamin B group and Vitamin C. Fat soluble vitamins, when they enter the body, are absorbed by the intestinal tract. It then joins the bloodstream. Fat soluble vitamins are more difficult to dissolve and excess amounts are often stored in the liver or in the body’s fat. This means that it’s not necessary to consume fat soluble vitamins everyday.
Water soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are more readily expelled by the body through urine. Because they can’t be stored, it’s often necessary that they are taken more frequently.
Vitamins in food
While vitamin supplements can often help replenish the body’s supply, the best sources of vitamins still come from fruits, vegetables and animal products. Here are excellent sources of different vitamins essential to health:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A can be sourced from dairy products such as milk, cream and cheese. It can also be found in animal liver, kidneys, meat and fish oils from halibut and cod. These foods do contain cholesterol and saturated fat, so if you prefer fruit and vegetable sources, try intensely colorful picks such as carrots, cantaloupes, pumpkins, squashes, sweet potatoes, spinach and broccoli.
Vitamin B group
Vitamin B1 or thiamine can be found in cereals, whole grains, pasta, fish, meats and soybeans. Vitamin B3 or niacin can be found in lean meats, poultry, fish and dairy products. Legumes, nuts, eggs and enriched cereals and breads are also good sources.
Pantothenic acid, biotin and Vitamin B12 can be found in fish, eggs, poultry and dairy products. Vitamin B12 can also be sourced from shellfish and meat.
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid
When looking for Vitamin C, think citrus. Lemons, limes, oranges, cantaloupes, strawberries and grapefruits are rich in Vitamin C. So are turnip greens, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and broccoli.
Vitamin D
Although naturally produced by the body, Vitamin D needs to be replenished. It can be found in butter, margarine, cream, cheese and cereals. It is also found in oysters, fish and fortified foods.
Vitamin E
Also known as an excellent antioxidant, Vitamin E can be found in nuts, olives, wheat germ, spinach, seeds, corn and most green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin K
Bacteria found in the human intestines can produce Vitamin K but to ensure you get the right amount, eat cereals and vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and soybeans.
tonsils tonsillitis in children
March 10, 2008
Tonsils and Tonsillitis in Children
Tonsils are two tissue balls located at the back of the throat. They play a vital role and are an important part of the body’s infection fighting mechanism by helping to fight germs and diseases. Tonsils deal with the germs before they reach mouth, throat, or sinuses. When these infection fighters are infected by viruses or bacteria, the condition is known as tonsillitis.
The symptoms of tonsillitis are: as the time passes, eating, drinking and swallowing things become difficult. The pain can be accompanied with fever, earache and headache. The tonsils can be seen too. Just open the mouth wide open and the two masses of tissues at the either side of the throat are tonsils. They are usually dark pink in color, but when they get infected they turn red. A white or yellow coating can also be formed on the tonsils. There is an obvious change in voice as it becomes hoarser. The infected child can also develop bad breath. The infected kid can also get abdominal pain and can throw up what he eats. Tonsillitis is caused by both bacterial infection and viral infection. Bacterium known as streptococci causes infections which require special treatment.
When the child gets tonsillitis, the parent should give lots of fluids to drink. Smooth food should be consumed to ease the pain caused by swallowing coarse, crunchy, and hard food. Food like soups, ice creams, applesauce, and gelatin are a good option. Spicy food should also be avoided. A humidifier or cool mist vaporizer can be placed in the child’s room as that will make breathing more easily. The kid must be given maximum rest and complete bed rest for at least two days is recommended. The bacteria and viruses cause tonsillitis to spread by sneezing, coughing or touching. The infected child must cover his/her mouth while coughing and sneezing. A disposable tissue can be used instead of a towel or handkerchief. Things such as utensils, towel, clothing, etc. of the sick kid should be separated so that the rest of the family doesn’t get affected.
The doctor inspects the tonsils using a wooden stick known as tongue depressor, which will lower the tongue, so that the doctor can have a good look at the tonsils. After that the doctor checks the ears and nose. Heartbeat will be checked. If the doctor suspects strep, he/she will take a sample of saliva from the back of the throat using a long cotton swab, which can gag up the child a bit. After a day or two the results are received. Some doctors conduct a similar test known as rapid strep test, which give results within few minutes. Antibiotics are given when the test results come positive for strep. The bacteria get killed only when the course is completed and the correct dosage is taken at correct time.
If virus is the cause of infection, there is no medicine for it and instead the body is capable of fighting the virus on its own. When the tonsils infection becomes frequent and the child finds it difficult to breath because of tonsillitis, it is recommended to get the tonsils removed. But it is the last resort after all other treatments do not do the trick, because tonsils are very important to the body’s immune system.
The tonsils are taken out by surgery known as tonsillectomy. After the surgery, the child won’t suffer from sore throat and breathing problems anymore. The surgery won’t even leave any scars. A day before the surgery, the child cannot eat or drink, to keep the child from throwing up during the operation. The operation is very short and last for only twenty minutes. Because of the anesthesia, the child won’t feel a thing during the operation. And during the surgery, the tonsils are removed using an electric cautery, which is a burning tool, or a cutting tool. After the surgery, the child is given lots of fluids and after a day soft foods can also be given. Usually it takes about two weeks to completely recover from the surgery and the child can return back to normal activities.
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