There won`t be a single person unaware of the term `swine flu` by now. With the way it is spreading across the world, everyone is wary of catching the disease and falling prey to its ill-effects. Although there is hardly anything that we can do to keep the disease at bay, it is pertinent to learn a few important things about it. Swine flu is caused by pigs. But no, keeping pigs in the backyard will not give rise to the dreaded disease and neither if you fondle it or kiss it. There is a chance of you getting infected if the pig has the virus, but generally it takes much more than that to get the dreaded disease.

Our fascinating immune system:

There must have plenty of times that we have been infected with the normal human flu. It is not very dangerous except for very young infants and old people, already leading a debilitating life. Thankfully enough, nature has entrusted us with such an immune system which immediately recognizes an alien in the body and rises to the occasion to incapacitate it. But this leads to a mutation of the virus which returns to try its luck again. This time, our immune system faces a little more difficulty in driving it away. This is the reason why better vaccines must be developed each time to fight the enhanced form of the virus.

How does swine flu affect us?

When there is a mutation in the external proteins of the normal human flu virus, our immune system puts forth its defense mechanism to fight the virus. During this time, we suffer from the effects of the virus, like having fever and running nose and perhaps some respiratory problems. If it so happens that the body is unable to meet the challenge thrown by the virus, we succumb to the virus and have to breathe our last. In case of swine flu, our body is not able to recognize the symptoms of the virus which makes it increasingly difficult to fight against it. The virus has now crossed the bridge and attacked the human race from the pigs.

Are you susceptible to the virus?

It has been found that people who have had no interaction with pigs are most susceptible to swine flu. Their immune system has no record of such a virus and is least equipped to fight it. When the virus affects a significant part of the population of a place, it will surely turn out to be pandemic. It is difficult to pronounce the exact effects of the swine flu virus in the global perspective. How virulent the virus is will determine the degree to which it will affect the humans. Several other factors are also responsible for the outbreak of swine flu as a pandemic.

The spread of the disease:

In the past, swine flu would not have spread and become pandemic throughout the world. It would have affected an entire locality or city. But with people traveling great distances across the seas and oceans, the flu is not one to stay behind. By the time a person learns that he is infected, he may be thousands of miles away from his city.

Necessary precautions:

So what should be done to avoid this dreaded disease? Firstly, now that we know that there is a particular season when the pigs are affected by this flu, we should put the pigs in quarantine and prepare specially designed suits for people who handle them. Basic hygiene is a must with clean hands and clean environment. And further, traveling to places where swine flu is rampant should be avoided for some time until the particular period of getting the virus is gone. You can also take the help of different agencies who will help you to guard against swine flu. So educate yourself and help design a better life for yourself.

Women aren’t the only ones who get stretch marks. Yes, men have stretch marks as well! Skin doesn’t distinguish between the sexes; when it gets stretched, stretch marks appear. Quality stretch marks creams can help make the skin more pliable and allow it to stretch more, but the skin also has its limits. Some triggers of stretch marks include quick weight gain, growth spurts and puberty.

What Causes Men To Have Stretch Marks?

Among men, stretch marks are normally caused by bodybuilding or lifting weights. When muscles are quickly building up, the skin becomes stretched over the tendons. This is how stretch marks develop. Stretch marks can be observed on the arms and legs of teenage boys due to the fast growth spurts their bodies are experiencing.

Men don’t have any control over how fast they grow during puberty so they can’t actually prevent stretchmarks entirely. But then, they can watch the rate of muscle growth, as well as their weight, ensuring that they don’t experience weight variations as these can result to stretch marks. So, preventing stretch marks is really a matter of common sense and awareness.

There are men who get stretch marks because of genetics. Men need to find out if stretch marks is something that runs in the family. If a man’s father and grandfather had stretch marks, it is likely that he will experience stretch marks also.

Are Men’s And Women’s Stretch Marks Different?

The stretch marks that men get are normally less evident or not as apparent as the stretch marks women get. This can be ascribed to corticosteroid, a hormone that men’s bodies produce in abundance. Corticosteroid reduces collagen production of the body. Collagen is a protein present in skin fibers and helps keep the skin pliant.

Men, like women, are concerned about their appearance; so if men get stretch marks, they may become self-conscious. It’s a good idea for men to find information on treatment options for stretch marks that are available right now. Using treatments like Revitol stretch mark removal cream can help fade stretch marks so they are barely visible.

How Do Men Eliminate Stretch Marks?

It’s nearly impossible to eliminate stretch marks once they appear. However, there are a few things that men can do to forestall the appearance of stretch marks. For instance, men can drink a great deal of water everyday to keep their skin well-hydrated. It’s also important that they make veggies, fruits, dairy products, seeds and nuts a normal part of their diet.

There are men who get stretch marks because of genetics. Men need to find out if stretch marks is something that runs in the family. If a man’s father and grandfather had stretch marks, it is likely that he will experience stretch marks also.

Generally, men are disinclined to seek medical assistance, but they must be encouraged to see a skin doctor when stretch marks appear and are causing self-esteem issues.

Well-qualified cosmetic surgeons can perform procedures such as dermabrasion and laser treatment for stretch marks. These stretch mark treatments assist in improving skin color and texture in order for the stretch marks to be less noticeable, but these same treatments can be quite costly. However, a quality stretch mark cream offers the most affordable option for anyone who wishes to eliminate their stretch marks without “busting” their budget.

Driven by the compulsive need to avoid weight gain, many eating disorder sufferers consume large quantities of laxatives in order to rid the body of the food they eat.

Laxatives are a readily available form of medication normally taken to treat constipation. Indeed, sufferers of bulimia and anorexia often complain about constipation and feeling bloated.

Such symptoms occur because the food and fluid their diet supplies are not of the right quality or constitution to enable the bowel to function properly. As a result, their digestive system is slow and inefficient.

While the eating disorder sufferer’s perception of their physical condition might suggest a health benefit in taking laxatives, it fails to address the real cause of their constipation - their psychological compulsion to avoid weight gain.

A loss of weight may occur as a result of inducing diarrhoea directly after taking laxatives and this prompts an individual with bulimia or anorexia to persist, convincing themselves they have found a ‘healthy’ weight loss regime.

However, such short term effects would be misleading because they do not indicate any loss of body mass tissue, fat or calories but, rather, a sudden loss of body fluid leading to dehydration.

Such a sharp loss of body fluid can result in a range of serious problems. Sufferers of dehydration may feel faint, tired and develop painful headaches. A further side effect is bloating, particularly around the stomach and ankles.

Further complications that are quite unrelated to the digestive system can develop as a consequence of dehydration. The fluid normally present in a healthy, properly functioning bowel contains essential minerals. Most important among these is potassium, which plays a vital role in the function of the nervous system. So, a drop in potassium levels can affect the nerves of the heart, causing an irregular heartbeat.

A blood test and electrocardiograph heart rhythm check can offer an accurate indication if a person’s potassium levels are low, in which case potassium tablets may be prescribed. In more serious cases, a patient may be admitted to hospital for a short period so that potassium can be administered through an intravenous drip.

In time, the functioning of the bowel can be further impaired due to weakening of the surrounding wall of muscle, leaving it flaccid and with an impaired ability to contract and push its contents out. This damage to the bowel can be permanent, leading to long-term constipation that will not respond to further treatment with laxatives.

The safest and most effective way to give up misusing laxatives, particularly for people who have been consuming them regularly over a prolonged period, is to reduce intake gradually. Additionally, a carefully controlled return to a healthy diet will help restore proper digestive function. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and high fibre, wholemeal food and drinking plenty of water will help restore a good nutritional balance.

It is important for the recovering eating disorder sufferer to remember that the rehydration that will come with their restored health may cause a small weight gain. They should be reassured this is healthy and normal and does not mean their weight will continue to increase in the medium to long-term.