ATHLETE's FOOT

ATHLETE's FOOT

Athlete's foot is a very common skin condition that affects the sole of the foot and the skin between the toes. It is usually a scaly, red, itchy eruption and occasionally may be weepy and oozing. It affects the feet of athletes and nonathletes alike. Although it is frequently caused by a fungal infection, other causes may be indistinguishable without proper testing.

The medical name for athlete's foot caused by a fungus is tinea pedis. There are a variety of fungi that cause athlete's foot, and these can be contracted in many locations, including gyms, locker rooms, swimming pools, nail salons, and from contaminated socks and clothing. The fungi can also be spread directly from person to person by contact. Most people acquire fungus on the feet from walking barefoot in areas where someone else with athlete's foot has walked. Some people are simply more prone to this condition while others seem relatively resistant to it. Another colorful name for this condition is "jungle rot," often used by members of the armed services serving in tropical climates.

Without the proper environment (warmth and moisture), the fungus may not easily infect the skin. Up to 70% of the population may develop athlete's foot at some time. An infection by athlete's foot fungi does not confer any resistance to subsequent infections.

CAUSE:-Athlete's foot is most commonly caused by the fungi Trichophyton rubrum or T. mentagrophytes,but may also be caused by Epidermophyton floccosum. Most cases of athlete's foot in the general population are caused by T. rubrum; however, the majority of athlete's foot cases in athletes are caused by T. mentagrophytes.

What does athlete's foot look like?

Most cases of athlete's foot are barely noticeable with just slightly dry, flaky skin. More extensive athlete's foot may look like red, peeling, dry skin areas on one or both soles of the feet. Sometimes the dry flakes may spread onto the sides and tops of the feet. Most commonly, the rash is localized to just the bottoms of the feet. The space between the fourth and fifth toes also may have some moisture, peeling, and dry flakes.

There are three common types of fungal athlete's foot: 

(1) soles of the feet, also called "moccasin" type;

 (2) between the toes, also called "interdigital" type; and

 (3) inflammatory type or blistering.

Occasionally, it may appear as small or large blisters of the feet (called bullous tinea pedis), thick patches of dry, red skin, or calluses with redness. Sometimes, it may look like just mild dry skin without any redness or inflammation.

Fungal athlete's foot may present as a rash on one or both feet and even involve the hand. A "two feet and one hand" presentation is a very common presentation of athlete's foot, especially in men. Hand fungal infections are called tinea manuum. Fungal athlete's foot may also be seen along with ringworm of the groin (especially in men) or hand(s). It is helpful to examine the feet whenever there is a fungal groin rash called tinea cruris. It is important to treat all areas of fungal infection at one time to avoid reinfection. Simply treating the soles and ignoring the concurrent fungal infection of toenails may result in recurrences of athlete's foot.

Treatments

Without medication, athlete's foot resolves in 30–40% of cases and topical antifungal medication consistently produce much higher percentages of cure. Allylamines such as terbinafine are considered more efficacious than azoles for the treatment of athlete's foot.

Medication

Conventional treatment typically involves daily or twice daily application of a topical medication in conjunction with hygiene measures outlined in the above section on prevention. Keeping feet dry and practicing good hygiene is crucial to preventing reinfection. Severe or prolonged fungal skin infections may require treatment with oral antifungal medication.Zinc oxide-based diaper rash ointment may be used.For temporary/emergency relief from symptoms in the field, after clearing dead skin and thoroughly drying the affected area skin moisturiser should then be applied until thoroughly absorbed to prevent affected skin from drying out and cracking or rubbing and subsequent infection.Excess moisturiser should be wiped off dry and periodically reapplied. Talcum powder can be used to absorb excess environmental moisture to inhibit the infection.

Topical

There are many topical antifungal drugs useful in the treatment of athlete's foot including: miconazole nitrate, clotrimazole, tolnaftate (a synthetic thiocarbamate), terbinafine hydrochloride, butenafine hydrochloride and undecylenic acid. The fungal infection may be treated with topical antifungal agents, which can take the form of a spray, powder, cream, or gel. Topical application of an antifungal cream such as terbinafine once daily for one week or butenafine once daily for two weeks is effective in most cases of athlete's foot and is more effective than application of miconazole or clotrimazole. Plantar-type athlete's foot is more resistant to topical treatments due to the presence of thickened hyperkeratotic skin on the sole of the foot. Keratolytic and humectant medications such as urea, salicyclic acid, and lactic acid are useful adjunct medications and improve penetration of antifungal agents into the thickened skin. Topical glucocorticoids are sometimes prescribed to alleviate inflammation and pruritus associated with the infection.

A solution of 1% potassium permanganate dissolved in hot water is an alternative to antifungal drugs.

Oral

For severe or refractory cases of athlete's foot oral terbinafine is more effective than griseofulvin. Fluconazole or itraconazole may also be taken orally for severe athlete's foot infections. The most commonly reported adverse effect from these medications is gastrointestinal upsetness.

Identifying Headaches

 Many of us fail to give much importance to our daily headaches. It is most likely to be considered as a minor disturbance, which can be healed with a dose of aspirin and some rest. However, this is not a long term solution for your headaches because when this worrying pain in your temple gets worse and becomes a documented routine pattern, it takes a lot more than popping fills to find some relief. One must understand that all headaches are unique and thus, each kind requires a unique treatment. If your headache is making you miss your school or office, then you must surely term it into an unbearable thing. But it just doesn't end there as the common symptoms accompanied with headaches are nausea, vomiting, dizziness and visual disturbance. But what’s the reason? There can be numerous causes for your throbbing headache.

#1: Tension Headaches

The most common there is. Caused due to stress, or some muscles in the neck or face, though irregular, they have become much frequent due to the increasing stressful lives. 

Symptoms: Feeling pressure or constriction around the head

Cure: Can be cured with a good sleep, or some exercise. But at worse, we recommend you seek experts

#2 Migraines: Another popular, and usually severe than the previous one. Caused by abnormal brain activities, which can be triggered by genes or sound, which further affects the blood vessels in the brain.

Symptoms: Moderate to severe pains, usually 1-4 times a month. The other symptoms which are associated with migraines are sensitivity to light and noise, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness and blurred vision.

Cure: A person with throbbing headache should meet a doctor at its earliest to avoid later problems.

#3 Cluster headaches:  the pain can go so grave that a person can actually try killing themselves. It usually occurs in clusters, which occurs at the same time every day.

Symptoms:  Bad throbbing pain on one side of the face, accompanied by red eye and running nose.

Cure: A person with throbbing headache should meet a doctor at its earliest to avoid later problems.

# 4: Mixed headache syndrome:  This type of headaches is a combination of migraine as well as tension headache. The pain can be too intense and excruciating.

 Cure: A good sleep in a dark room and a cup of green tea can give great benefits to the sufferer. 

# 5: Hangover headaches: Too much alcohol consumption can widen the blood vessels in the brain which can alter the serotonin on nerve endings which can further cause very bad headache.

Cure: The pain can go after some good sleep.

 # 6: Sinus headaches: The headache usually starts when; the sufferer gets a sinus attack. The headache can be caused due to running nose, which abrupt the blood flow to the brain vessels.

Symptoms: The symptoms of sinus headaches are intense pain in the cheekbones, throbbing headache and pain at the bridge of the nose. The headache is accompanied with other symptoms like nasal discharge, buzzing of the ears and red eyes.

# 7: Medication overdose headache this type of a headache is very difficult to diagnose. The main cause of the headache is using a particular medicine over a long period of time.

 Symptoms The symptoms of this headache are similar to tension headaches and occur when a person uses a certain painkiller for more than 15 days a month

 Cure: The best way to get rid of this type of headache is by stop depending on painkillers for quick relief. 

# 8: Hormone headaches: This type of headaches can be seen in both males as well as females. It usually occurs more in females due to constant hormonal changes in the body. The changes in the hormone levels which trigger headaches can be caused due to natural reasons like menstruation, pregnancy and menopause or by popping birth control pills regularly. 

 # 9: Brain tumour: At times brain tumour can also cause headaches. The headaches can be caused due to the pressure exhibited by the tumour within the skull which can affect the brain blood vessels. The headaches can also be accompanied with vomiting and dizziness.

 Symptoms: Weight loss

Cure: Seek medical help immediately

# 10: Chronic progressive headaches: It is a very uncommon headache and affects very few people. The real cause of this type of a headache can be some illness or disorder of the brain or skull. 

 Symptoms: The symptoms of this type of a headache are pain in the forehead and red eyes. It is also known as inflammatory headache.

# 11: Ice cream headaches: Does your brain freeze after taking a bite of ice cream or gulping cold water? Then probably you are a victim of ice cream headache. The headache occurs due to the cold sensation being felt in the mouth which increases the blood flow to the brain blood vessel. 

 Symptoms: The symptoms are shooting pain in the head and face after eating something cold.

# 12: Acute headaches: These types of headaches occur suddenly and subsidises after some times. If the symptoms are severe, then the possible cause of this type of headaches can be respiratory or sinus infection. 

# 13: Temporal arthritis: People who cross the age of 50 usually are a victim of this type of headache. This headache occurs due to inflammation in the temple arteries.

Symptoms: The symptoms of this headache are tender pain in the temple while chewing food.

 Cure: It is important to receive timely treatment to avoid vision problems.

# 14: Meningitis: The common symptoms of meningitis headaches are high fever, stiffness of the muscles around neck and face and skin rashes. 

# 15: Eyestrain headaches: If your eyes are strained due to certain activities like too much monitor time or reading a book in a dark, it can make your head hurt badly. The reason for this is straining our eyes for a long time.

Cure: The best treatment for this type of headache is taking frequent breaks while you use your monitor. Lastly, if your strained eyes cause headaches then it is best to meet an eye specialist immediately to know the hidden cause of the problem. 

 # 16: Caffeine-withdrawal headaches: People, who are habituated to a cup of coffee every day and suddenly miss it, may end up holding their head in their hands in pain. The reason for your severe headache is when you miss your cup of coffee, the blood flow to the brain increases due to caffeine withdrawal, which causes the swelling of the blood vessels. 

Symptoms: fatigue and dizziness

 # 17: Dental headaches: Certain dental problems like bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) can cause serious headaches or face pain. Headaches can also be caused due to intense pain in the muscles of teeth, as muscles are connected to the brain as well. 

 # 18: Orgasm headaches: These types of headaches are usually caused after having an orgasm. This usually occurs in men. It usually starts after intercourse and though it is rare, but it is important to see a doctor to avoid disturbance in your sex life. 

# 19: Early morning headaches: If you get up with an intense headache, then there is possibility of a fading effect of medicines in your body as you sleep. People with sleep apnea are at a great risk to this type of headaches. Hence, make sure that you get a sound sleep at night. 

CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS-cause & symptoms

Cause

Disk Degeneration and Bone Spurs

In the spine, arthritis can result as the disk degenerates and loses water content. In children and young adults, disks have high water content. As we get older, our disks begin to dry out and weaken. This problem causes settling, or collapse, of the disk spaces and loss of disk space height.

As the facet joints experience increased pressure, they also begin to degenerate and develop arthritis, similar to the hip or knee joint. The cartilage that covers and protects the joints wears away.
If the cartilage wears away completely, it can result in bone rubbing on bone. To make up for the lost cartilage, your body may respond by growing new bone in your facet joints to help support the vertebrae. Over time, this bone overgrowth — called spurs — may narrow the space for the nerves to pass through (stenosis).

(Left) Side view of a healthy cervical vertebra and disk. (Right) A disk that has degenerated and collapsed.

Risk Factors

There are several factors that increase your risk for cervical spondylosis. The following have all been linked to higher risks of neck pain and spondylosis:

• Genetics - if your family has a history of neck pain
• Smoking - clearly linked to increased neck pain
• Occupation - jobs with lots of neck motion and overhead work
• Mental health issues - depression/anxiety
• Injuries/trauma - car wreck or on-the-job injury

Symptoms

Pain from cervical spondylosis can be mild to severe. It is sometimes worsened by looking up or down for a long time, or with activities such as driving or reading a book. It also feels better with rest or lying down.

Additional symptoms include:

• Neck pain and stiffness (may be worse with activity)
• Numbness and weakness in arms, hands, and fingers
• Trouble walking, loss of balance, or weakness in hands or legs
• Muscle spasms in neck and shoulders
• Headaches
• Grinding and popping sound/feeling in neck with movement

Symptoms

Passive anger

Passive anger can be expressed in the following ways:

• Dispassion, such as giving someone the cold shoulder or a fake smile, looking unconcerned or "sitting on the fence" while others sort things out, dampening feelings with substance abuse, overreacting, oversleeping, not responding to another's anger, frigidity, indulging in sexual practices that depress spontaneity and make objects of participants, giving inordinate amounts of time to machines, objects or intellectual pursuits, talking of frustrations but showing no feeling.
• Evasiveness, such as turning one's back in a crisis, avoiding conflict, not arguing back, becoming phobic.
• Defeatism, such as setting yourself and others up for failure, choosing unreliable people to depend on, being accident prone, underachieving, sexual impotence, expressing frustration at insignificant things but ignoring serious ones.
• Obsessive behavior, such as needing to be inordinately clean and tidy, making a habit of constantly checking things, over-dieting or overeating, demanding that all jobs be done perfectly.
• Psychological manipulation, such as provoking people to aggression and then patronizing them, provoking aggression but staying on the sidelines, emotional blackmail,false tearfulness, feigning illness, sabotaging relationships, using sexual provocation, using a third party to convey negative feelings, withholding money or resources.
• Secretive behavior, such as stockpiling resentments that are expressed behind people's backs, giving the silent treatment or under the breath mutterings, avoiding eye contact, putting people down, gossiping, anonymous complaints, poison pen letters, stealing, and conning.
• Self-blame, such as apologizing too often, being overly critical, inviting criticism.

• Aggressive anger

  The symptoms of aggressive anger are:
  • Bullying, such as threatening people directly, persecuting, pushing or shoving, using power to oppress, shouting, driving someone off the road, playing on people'sweaknesses.
  • Destructiveness, such as destroying objects as in vandalism, harming animals, destroying a relationship, reckless driving, substance abuse.
  • Grandiosity, such as showing off, expressing mistrust, not delegating, being a sore loser, wanting center stage all the time, not listening, talking over people's heads, expecting kiss and make-up sessions to solve problems.
  • Hurtfulness, such as physical violence, including sexual abuse and rape, verbal abuse, biased or vulgar jokes, breaking confidence, using foul language, ignoring people's feelings, willfully discriminating, blaming, punishing people for unwarranted deeds, labeling others.
  • Manic behavior, such as speaking too fast, walking too fast, working too much and expecting others to fit in, driving too fast, reckless spending.