How to handle snake bites

Though not all snakes are venomous, there are certainly not welcome in homes and gardens, or in your condominium playground.
Of the 3,000 snake species in the world, only 600 are venomous. Still, it is safer to be cautious around snakes, for a snake bite can cause serious complications if it is not treated promptly.
"A venomous snake bite can lead to serious tissue damage or necrosis and paralysis of the respiratory and skeletal muscles. Always treat a snake bite as a medical emergency," says Dr R Ponampalam, Senior Consultant, Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Tips on how to handle snake bites

Do's

• Stay calm and call emergency number

Let the victim of a snake bite lie in a semi-reclined position with the bite wound below the level of the heart. This prevents the venom from spreading to other parts of the body until medical help arrives.

• Immobilise the bitten limb

Tie a bandage 2 to 4 inches above the bite wound to slow the spread of venom in the body. If the bite area turns cold or numb, the bandage is too tight. Loosen it. Use a splint to immobilise the wounded limb.

• Clean the wound

If there is bleeding, stop it first by applying pressure on the bite wound.
When the bleeding stops, clean the wound with soap and water to prevent infection. Dress up the wound. Do not wash the wound under running water.

• Get medical help early

The snake bite is usually not venomous if there is no swelling or discolouration within five minutes of being bitten. However, for some snake bites, these signs may only appear after several hours.

As snake bites can potentially be fatal, always treat a snake bite as a medical emergency. Call for help early and bring the victim to the nearest Emergency Department for further evaluation.
Don'ts

• Don't apply ice on the snake bite as the ice may block blood circulation.

• Don't suck the blood out with your mouth (germs in the mouth may cause infection in the bite wound) and you may be also exposing yourself to the venom.

• Don't attempt to cut the wound.

• Don't attempt to guess whether the snake was venomous or not, based on its physical characteristics. "Even emergency physicians are not always able to definitely identify a venomous snake," says Dr Ponampalam.

Some signs of venomous snake bites include:

• Swelling
• Skin discolouration
• Rapid heartbeat, breathing difficulty
• Vomiting
• Sweating
• Shivering
• Intense pain

However, it is important that you do not wait for these signs to appear before seeking treatment.
Treatment of snake bites
Snake bites with significant envenomation (injection of venom) are treated with an anti-venom, usually made from equine antibodies (i.e. from horses). The doctor will first do a skin test before administering the anti-venom to make sure the patient is not allergic to it.
Even if an anti-venom is not indicated, the doctor needs to assess the patient for complications such as retained snake tooth fragments in the wound. The doctor will also suture lacerations as needed and make sure that any required tetanus booster is given.


Prevention is the best cure for snake bites

Make sure you wear covered shoes when outdoors. When walking in forested areas avoid going off the beaten track and areas with dense undergrowth.
Snakes love to hide in dark, damp places so dispose of any big piles of rubbish around your home.
The final word of advice: If confronted with a snake, stay very calm and do not move. Let the snake slither away. Do not attempt to handle a snake even if it appears dead as it can reflexly bite up to several hours after death.

This article was written by Teresa Cheong for Health Xchange, with expert input from the Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/handle-snake-bites-053738906.html

Don't waste that LEMON peel

Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted.

How can you use the whole lemon without waste?

Simple..place the lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator.

Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it)

and sprinkle it on top of your foods.

Sprinkle it to your whisky, wine, vegetable salad, ice cream, soup, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes.

All of the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before.

Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C.  Not anymore.

Now that you've learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in a cup of instant noodles.

What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?

Lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself.

And yes, that's what you've been wasting. But from now on, by following this simple procedure of freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes, you can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.

It's also good that lemon peels are health rejuvenators in eradicating toxic elements in the body.

So place your lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meal every day.

It is a key to make your foods tastier and you get to live healthier and longer! That's the lemon secret!

Better late than NEVER!

The surprising benefits of lemon!

1.    anti-microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi,

2.    effective against internal parasites and worms,

3.    regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant,

4.    combats stress and nervous disorders.

Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells.

It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.

Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial multimillionaires large corporations?

As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes.

You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc...

It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas ...The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells. 

Hidden Powers of Your Mouse

 By Becky Worley | Upgrade Your Life – 

You use your mouse for just about everything: you drag, you drop, you highlight, you scroll. But even if you click your mouse a thousand times a day, I bet I've got a few secret mouse tricks you've never heard of.

Click Tricks
You surely know that double clicking highlights a word, and you might even know that triple clicking highlights a paragraph. But have you ever wanted to select a column of text in a Word document, without getting all the text to the left and right of it? Here's how you can: Hold down the alt and left mouse button (on a Mac, option-left mouse), and drag the cursor over the section you want to select. The coolest thing about this trick is that the text you are selecting does not even need to be formatted as a column for this to work.

Scroll Tricks
Most mice have a scroll wheel. Sure, it takes you up and down on a page, but in combination with other keys, it can do much more:

• Scroll sideways: In many versions of Excel, holding down the shift key while scrolling will take you sideways. That's super helpful in a big spreadsheet.
• Scroll wheel as back button: In most web browsers, if you hold the shift key while using the scroll wheel, it works like the back button: You can fly through all the sites you've recently visited. (Some mice have side buttons that work like back and forward buttons in your browser, too.)
• Scroll to zoom: Holding ctrl and scrolling lets you zoom in or out of the page you're viewing. Ctrl-scroll up zooms you in; ctrl-scroll down zooms you back out. On a Mac, this trick will zoom in and out your whole screen, not just the document you're in.

Windows-Specific Tricks
While most of the tricks I've listed so far work in either Windows or Mac OS, here are a few that are specific to Windows machines:

• To maximize a window: drag the title bar to the top.
• To minimize all windows except the active window: "Shake" the title bar. Then if you want to restore all the windows you just minimized with this shortcut, just click again on the title bar of the window in view.
• To view two windows in a 50-50 split: Drag the title bar of one document to the left edge of your screen, then drag a second document to the right edge; they will snap into position in a nifty side-by-side view.

Bonus Sneaky Trick
Suppose you want to walk away from your hyper-secure work computer for a few minutes and not have to re-log in when you get back. Sure, you could change the sleep settings, but this idea is much more clever: Set your mouse on top of your analog watch or a clock. The mouse tracks the second hand's movement and it tricks your computer into thinking you're still busy working. Of course, there are valid security reasons for NOT using this trick, but I still think it's cool that it works.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/hidden-powers-mouse-164928637.html

10 Most Risky Foods to Eat

Eating some foods may cause imminent death. Some of these foods are quite well known, while most people may have no knowledge about other dangerous foods. The list of 10 most risky foods to eat may not be far reaching, but it does detail some foods that could prove to be quite dangerous for anyone that eats them.

Mushrooms 

Mushrooms can be lethal. The most deadly types of mushrooms are the Death Cap, Destroying Angels and Deadly Webcap. These mushrooms contain several different kinds of poison, and even a single bite will kill a person in a horrible manner. The Gyomitra which is lethal is often mistaken for Morrel which is not deadly.

Blowfish 

The poison in this fish is 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide. Japanese prize this fish as a delicacy. To acquire a license as a Fugu chef is a lengthy and exhaustive process. Passing the ultimate test includes the chef preparing Fugu and eating it himself. This is the one of the riskiest of foods. The parts that contain the most poison are the liver, muscles, ovaries and the skin.

Shellfish 

Shellfish poisoning is mostly caused by eating mussels, clams, oyster and scallops. Most shellfish are filter feeders and usually have high levels of poisonous substances; the most dangerous of them is domoic acid which is produced microscopic algae. Sometimes even cooking does not neutralize these poisonous substances.

Rhubarb 

The reason that Rhubarb recipes usually contain the stem and not the leaves is because the leaves contain a lot more oxalate, which in large doses causes poisoning. The leaves are among the most risky of foods and should be avoided.

Potatoes 

Potatoes are the most consumed vegetables in the world, but they too contain poisonous substances that can cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps and sometime even death. Potatoes exposed to light develop traces of solanine and turn green. Avoid eating potatoes that have turned green.

Apricot Seeds 

Most seed bearing fruits contain cyanogenetic glycosides which when eaten, discharge hydrogen cyanide gas. Seeds from apricots, cherries, apples, plums and peaches are included in this category. Although it would take a substantial amount of apricot seeds to kill person, keep this in mind when you decide to eat all the seeds of the apricots that you have just eaten. Many deaths have been reported of people who ate too many apricot seeds.

Tomatoes 

This fruit is basically a berry, and although it is safe, it does contain glycoalkolids which are poisonous and can be harmful.

Chocolate 

Chocolate has the alkaloid therbromine which can poison humans. However, it would take a massive quantity of chocolate to kill a person. But dogs, parrots, horses and cats can die just by swallowing even a small quantity.

Tapioca 

Tapioca contains cyanide whose originator linamarin does no harm when it is properly dried, soaked and baked.

Peanuts 

This can be very deadly for humans that are allergic to it. The thing is to be careful of artificially flavored nuts because they might contain some other kind of nut that you might be allergic to.

 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/10-most-risky-foods-eat-slideshow/-photo-2514330-151600417.html#

7 Migraine Causes You Might Not Know About

There is a need to know the reasons that lead to a migraine, but the causes vary among people. 

Here are the seven migraine causes that most people are unaware of: 

 

Weather

Changes in Weather in the form of high temperature, humidity or barometric pressure can cause a migraine. For this reason, patients need to pay some extra attention because they have no control over the atmosphere. 

Days off work

Working people go through some serious stress over the week days so when they get a day off, they suffer from headaches. This could also be due to their different sleeping patterns or diet controls during their days off work. 

Sleep too long:

If you do not stick to a particular sleeping schedule, you will have to deal with a migraine. Therefore, do not change your sleeping patterns - not even on the weekends. 

Caffeine Intake

Having coffee can worsen headaches, especially if it is consumed at odd or irregular hours. Caffeine withdrawal also leads to severe headaches, which generally occur some hours after the consumption of caffeine. 

Lack of Magnesium in the body:

Increased stress levels lead to the decrease of magnesium content in the body, which can eventually cause headaches. Magnesium supplements are available in injectable and oral forms. Consult your doctor and get your magnesium level tested to find out whether you need magnesium supplementation. 

Gluten intolerance in the body

People can either be gluten sensitive or not. But if they are, they can suffer from headaches. To check whether you are gluten sensitive or not, quit consuming gluten for two weeks and go through a gluten free test with absolutely no amount of gluten intake, otherwise it will lead to headaches. If you feel fine after the two weeks testing period, it means you are not sensitive to gluten. 

Carbohydrates Consumption

Migraines can be caused due to the excessive intake of carbohydrates, because they increase blood sugar levels. Consuming simple carbs increases blood sugar. If this happens, your body will produce extra amounts of insulin to break down the sugar. This drastic rise and fall in blood sugar levels causes headaches. 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/7-migraine-causes-might-not-slideshow/-photo-2479570-171800807.html

7 Easy to Digest Foods

Erratic lifestyles that each one of us live today result in excessive consumption of junk food.

After a point, our system stops accepting such food and demands simply cooked and easy to digest food. Let us look at some such food we can include in our diet.

Fruits

One of the most basic, and something that each one of us enjoy eating are different types of fruits available in the market. Being low in fiber, fruits are considered to be light for the system as they digest easily. Apples, melons, papaya, mangoes, strawberries are not only low in fat but also give us the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Rice

Another food that is absolutely easy to digest is rice, which contains a simple form of carbohydrates. Hence you must consume a plain, liquid rice preparation when the stomach feels upset or uneasy.

Chicken

For all you non-vegetarians, chicken can be your choice when you need to eat food that can be digested simply. It is known to relieve the stomach when consumed in its boiled form.

Soup

Any form of vegetable soup is considered to be an easy to digest food. They provide essential nutrients that your body requires and hence it is highly recommended to consume the soup of your choice especially when you have an irritated stomach.

Yogurt

The bacterium present in yogurt is what makes it an easy to digest food. It is known to be healthy for the overall digestive system as well as improves the immunity levels of the body.

Leafy Vegetables

Cabbage, spinach and other green leafy vegetables facilitate the flushing out of foodstuffs that do not digest properly in the system. The rich nutrients present in these vegetables are essential for the body and also aid the weight loss process.

Oats

Another savior that can be consumed during an upset stomach is oats, which are an excellent source of fiber that are known to relax an upset stomach. Also, its low cholesterol level makes it a perfect choice as a health food.

Making the right choice of food while suffering from any sort of stomach or digestive problem is an absolutely necessity. Your digestive systems needs a desperate break from the over dose of junk food and hence, consumption of healthy and easy to digest food is crucial.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/7-easy-digest-foods-092000083.html

MensXP.com – Wed, Jul 18, 2012

Top 7 ways to improve your fertility

Trying to have a baby but having little luck? Sit back, relax, and try these simple steps.

Fertility enhancing trick 1: Quit alcohol

When it comes to trying for a baby, alcohol is one of the biggest hindrances for both men and women. For men, boozy nights often lead to a rise in oestrogen levels which decreases sperm count and increases the amount of abnormal sperm. Alcohol also affects men’s ability to get an erection. For women, alcohol can cause all sorts of hormonal imbalances and problems with the ovaries that make it difficult – sometimes impossible – to conceive. What might seem like an innocent taste of your favourite tipple can decrease your body’s ability to absorb nutrients such as zinc, which is important for conception. So, when it comes to baby making, swap the cocktails for ‘mocktails’ and the beer for barley water.

Fertility enhancing trick 2: Men, keep your testicles cool

Men, stay cool. We don’t mean it in a hippy way, but in the temperature sense. Your testes are designed to hang outside of your body because sperm needs to be below a certain temperature for it to function properly. Sperm that is too hot gets lazy and can become completely ineffective – this is no good for anyone trying to conceive. To keep your fertile friends in tip-top condition, you must make sure your dangly bits stay at a comfortable temperature. Avoid long hot baths, tight clothing around your crotch, and – we know it defeats the object – but don’t balance your laptop on your lap because it will warm up your genital area and could damage your sperm.

Fertility enhancing trick 3: Avoid lubricants

Researchers have found that vaginal lubricants can be toxic to sperm and often interfere with the role of natural vaginal mucus. Some experts have suggested that, bizarrely, using egg whites is an all-natural way to lube up your love-making parts without harming the sperm. Others suggest that even egg whites can render the sperm ineffective. Luckily, we didn’t fancy spreading raw egg over that region anyway. Instead, we recommend spending more time building up to intercourse to increase your body’s natural lubricants; spend longer kissing, touching, and having oral sex. If you still experience difficulty getting naturally ‘wet’, try warm water. This is a completely natural form of lube that won’t decrease the effectiveness of sperm.

Fertility enhancing trick 4: Relax, de-stress, and be happy

If you’re struggling to conceive and you’re also super stressed-out, there’s a good chance that some simple relaxation techniques will solve infertility issues. It doesn’t sound like an effective resolution, but a report by the University of California has noticed that stress hinders fertility in those trying to conceive naturally, and even those who are trying to conceive through artificial insemination. Relaxing, de-stressing and being happy is often the key to successfully becoming pregnant. Take this as your perfect opportunity to put your feet up and have some rest.

Fertility enhancing trick 5: Boost your zinc intake

When trying for a baby, it is important that sperm is in top condition. It is common for harmful environmental chemicals to be absorbed into our bodies and impede the effects of sperm. Zinc plays an important role in ‘activating’ semen and repairing environmental damage so it’s a good idea to up your intake whilst trying to make babies. Nutritionists recommend taking 15mg of zinc a day to help repair any damaged semen. Foods that are packed with zinc include oysters, red meat, wholegrain, and pulses. Make sure you consult your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet.

Fertility enhancing trick 6: Women, plan your sex

Some lucky ladies become pregnant without having to look into the scientific implications of their menstrual cycle, but for those of us who struggle, it’s an excellent way to boost your baby-making potential. The average menstrual cycle is twenty eight to thirty two days and, whilst it can vary for individuals, ovulation happens on average between day eleven and day twenty one of your cycle. At this point, you may produce discharge that is a slippery egg-white consistency and this helps the semen to make its way to the egg easier – having sex during this time in your cycle is great for boosting your chances of pregnancy. The egg only lives around twelve to twenty four hours – sperm lives for around three to five days – and if it is not fertilised by then, it usually dissolves. By knowing when you’re due to ovulate you and your partner can plan the most effective time to ‘get busy’. There are all sorts of weird and wonderful inventions nowadays that can help to predict when you’re ovulating, from phone apps to ovulation predictor kits (OPK).

Fertility enhancing trick 7: Stop smoking

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but many feel that just a ciggie a day won’t affect their chances of having a baby. The truth is, smoking seriously hampers our chances of a successful pregnancy as it is known to decrease fertility in women and bring on early menopause, making cigarettes a particularly bad idea for older women trying to conceive. Male smokers are proven to have a lower sperm count than non-smokers as cigarettes cause the blood vessels to narrow, making it difficult for blood to be carried to the genitals and therefore impacting upon sperm. Having a crafty cigarette whilst you’re trying to conceive is really not a good idea.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/top-7-ways-to-improve-your-fertility-slideshow/fertility-photo-1345523610.html#

Simple Secret

http://thechive.com/2012/08/17/a-few-simple-secrets-to-living-a-super-swell-life-22-photos/