5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Intelligence

1. Minimize Television Watching – This is a hard sell. People love vegetating in front of the television, myself included more often than I’d like. The problem in watching television is it doesn’t use your mental capacity OR allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sapped out of a muscle without the health benefits of exercise.
When you feel like relaxing, try reading a book instead. If you’re too tired, listen to some music. When you’re with your friends or family, leave the tube off and have a conversation. All of these things use your mind more than television and allow you to relax.

2. Exercise – I used to think that I’d learn more by not exercising and using the time to read a book instead. But I realized that time spent exercising always leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and can concentrate more easily.

3. Read Challenging Books – Many people like to read popular suspense fiction, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writing ability you should read books that make you focus. Reading a classic novel can change your view of the world and will make you think in more precise, elegant English. Don’t be afraid to look up a word if you don’t know it, and don’t be afraid of dense passages. Take your time, re-read when necessary, and you’ll soon grow accustomed to the author’s style.

Once you get used to reading challenging books, I think you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas is far more exciting than any tacky suspense-thriller.

4. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most rejuvenated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focusing. In my experience the early morning hours are the most tranquil and productive. Waking up early gives you more productive hours and maximizes your mental acuity all day.

If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness. Anything longer will make you lethargic, but a short nap will refresh you.

5. Take Time to Reflect – Often our lives get so hectic that we become overwhelmed without even realizing it. It becomes difficult to concentrate because nagging thoughts keep interrupting. Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsibilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you anymore and your mind will feel less encumbered.

I’m not saying you need to sit on the floor cross-legged and chant ‘ommm’. Anything that allows a bit of prolonged solitude will do. One of my personal favorites is taking a solitary walk. Someone famous said, “All the best ideas occur while walking.” I think he was on to something. Experiment to find the activity that works best for you.

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Source: Natural Health US
www.gooddeedsmall.com 

HIV Viral Load Testing

The HIV viral load is the number of copies of the human immunodeficiency virus in your blood and other parts of your body. The HIV viral load test involves taking a blood sample from a vein in your arm. The amount of HIV in your blood is then measured. Along with other tests, the HIV viral load test helps monitor your disease, guide HIV therapy, and predict how your disease may progress. Keeping your viral load low can reduce complications of HIV disease and extend your life.

Two common test numbers you will want to know are your viral load and your CD4 count. Because the viral load measures the amount of virus in your body, you want a low viral load number. The CD4 or Tcell number, measures the strength or your immune system, thus you want a high CD4 or Tcell number.

When to Have an HIV Viral Load Test

The different times you need an HIV viral load test include:

Right after diagnosis. This gives what's called a baseline measurement. Future results can be compared to it.
Every two to eight weeks at the start of treatment or with a change in treatment. This helps to evaluate how well medication is working.
Every three to six months or as your doctor directs if treatment is effective


How HIV Viral Load Is Measured

There are several different methods for measuring your HIV viral load. It is best to stay with the same method each time because different tests can produce slightly different results. New, more sensitive methods are constantly being developed. These are the three common tests currently used to detect HIV viral load. All work well.


PCR (polymerase chain reaction) uses an enzyme to multiply the HIV RNA in the blood sample. (RNA is the part of HIV that knows how to make copies of the virus.) This makes it easier to measure the amount of HIV RNA in the blood sample. A new ultrasensitive PCR test can measure down to 20 copies of HIV RNA. This is the most common test used.

bDNA (branched-chain DNA) creates a light signal whose brightness depends on the amount of viral RNA present.

NASBA (nucleic acid sequence based amplification) amplifies the viral proteins, making HIV viral load easier to measure.

What HIV Viral Load Test Results Mean

The HIV viral load test measures the number of HIV copies in a milliliter of blood.

If your HIV viral load is high, HIV is reproducing and the disease may progress more quickly. A high HIV viral load is 50,000 to 100,000 copies. It can be as high as 1 million or more.
If your HIV viral load is low, HIV may not be actively reproducing and the disease may progress more slowly. A low viral load is between 20 and 500 copies. However, what you want is an undetectable  viral load
If your HIV viral load can't be detected, this does not mean you are cured. The level of HIV virus may be so low that the test can't pick it up. A more sensitive test may be able to detect it. It's important to also know that the HIV viral load test does not measure HIV in other parts of the body where HIV may be present. Only about 2% of HIV is in the blood. For most patients, the goal of treatment is to reach an undetectable viral load, which is currently defined as less than 20 copies.
Remember: Even if your HIV viral load is undetectable, you can still infect others.

Source: Web Md
Retreived from
http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/hiv-viral-load-what-you-need-to-know

Even nature has ‘cure’ for HIV!

Nigella sativa, commonly called black seeds or cumin) has been documented to possess many medicinal uses. But the least expected is in the treatment of HIV to ensure a low HIV load in the body which is very rare despite extensive therapy with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART).

In a new study, scientists reported the case of an adult HIV patient that lost his HIV-specific antibodies or ‘seroreversion’ after six months of treatment with Nigella sativa and suggested the possibility that it might effectively control HIV infection
Nigella sativa is a popular herb that has been in use in many forms (root, leaf and seed) for many centuries.

Called Kamansulum in Kanuri or Habbatussauda in Hausa, black seeds have found its usefulness in the treatment of various ailments including infectious to non-infectious diseases, wound healing, as a worm expeller, reducing blood pressure, treatment of arthritis, stroke and asthma.

The 2013 study documented in the latest edition of the African Journal of Traditional Complement Alternate Medicine the complete recovery and sero-reversion of an adult HIV patient after treatment with Nigella sativa concoction for a period of six months.

The study was entitled “Nigella sativa concoction induced sustained seroreversion in HIV patient”. It was carried out by Abdulfatah Adekunle Onifade from the Immunology unit, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Andrew Paul Jewell from St George’s University of London & Kingston University, London, UK in collaboration with Waheed Adeola from the Clinical Pharmacology Department, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

The 46-year-old patient presented to the herbal therapist with history of chronic fever, diarrhoea, weight loss and multiple papular pruritic lesions of three months duration. Examination revealed moderate weight loss, and the laboratory tests of ELISA (Genscreen) and western blot (new blot 1 & 2) confirmed the man had HIV infection. His HIV viral load and CD4 count were 27,000 copies/ml and 250 cells/ mm3 respectively.

The artisan was taking 10mls of Nigella sativa concoction twice daily for six months. He was monitored daily and visited regularly to ascertain the effectiveness of the herbal concoction. But the man was not on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) before, during or after the Nigella sativa concoction therapy.
The researchers documented that fever, diarrhoea and multiple pruritic lesions (Severe itching patches), disappeared on 5th, 7th and 20th day respectively on Nigella sativa therapy. The CD4 count decreased to 160 cells/ mm3 despite significant reduction in viral load (d”1000 copies/ml) on 30th day on N. sativa. Repeated ELISA and Western blot tests on 187th day on Nigella sativa therapy was sero-negative. The post therapy CD4 count was 650cells/ mm3 with undetectable viral (HIV-RNA) load.

They wrote: “Nigella sativa concoction is likely to be virucidal (an agent that deactivates or destroys viruses) because viral load reduced significantly and symptoms and signs associated with HIV infection disappeared despite reduction in CD4 count at early phase of treatment in this patient.”

They declared that the sustained sero-reversion caused by Nigella sativa might be due to complete absence of HIV infected cells from the body, adding that “the sustained sero-reversion induced by Nigella sativa concoction in this HIV patient means that all HIV cells at all stages in infected cells in the body must have been lysed(destroyed).”
But they suggested that there is need to further study more HIV patients on Nigella sativa therapy and its ability to deactivate or destroy viruses such as HIV.

Previously, several herbs have been documented to have ability to deactivate or destroy virus such as HIV. Also, many herbal remedies had played many roles in treatment of HIV/AIDS ranging from opportunistic infections to the prevention of HIV replicating itself in the body. For instance, some Chinese medicines have been reported to cause sero-reversion in HIV patients (Kedi healthcare  A Traditional China Medicine provider  has access to those Traditional Chinese Medicine which can be effective for such cases withing 6 months- contact us for the product).
Aloe Vera, St. Johnswort, echinacea, licorice, and ginseng are just a few of the herbs used to treat HIV/AIDS. Taking immunity-boosting herbs (such as astragalus, echinacea, and ginkgo) may help revive an ailing immune system, and certain herbs (such as garlic) may help battle bacteria and viruses.

In addition, two principal African herbal compounds used for HIV/AIDS treatment in sub-Saharan Africa include Hypoxis hemerocallidea (common name: African potato), and Sutherlandia. These two herbal remedies are currently recommended by the South African Ministry of Health for HIV management.

Increasing more research on alternative medicine is being done but many when used alongside HIV drugs can affect their potency. For example, studies have shown that garlic and St. John’s wort interfere with HIV therapy.

Source: Nigerian Tribune...Retrieved from http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/21900-even-nature-has-%E2%80%98cure%E2%80%99-for-hiv.html

Can oral sex give you cancer?

Some types of oral cancer are linked to human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in the mouth and throat. Find out the possible risks of this infection from oral sex, and how to protect yourself.

Rates of oral (mouth) cancer are rising. In England, 6,056 people were diagnosed with oral cancer in 2010, up from nearly 5,500 in 2008. Oral cancers are sometimes called head and neck cancers, and include cancers of the mouth, lip and tongue, as well as cancers of the tonsils, oesophagus, larynx (voice box), nasopharynx (the area that connects the nose and throat) and the thyroid gland.

What causes oral cancer?

Experts have known for years that the main risk factors for oral cancer are drinking alcohol and smoking or chewing tobacco. But there is growing evidence that infection in the mouth with HPV is a major cause of oral cancer.
Around 25% of mouth and 35% of throat cancers are HPV-related but the exact figures vary between different studies, possibly due to different ways of testing for the virus or varying levels of smoking and other risk factors.
Detecting the HPV virus in a sample of people who have oral cancer does not mean that HPV caused the cancer. The virus becomes part of the genetic material of the cancer cells, triggering them to grow.

How do you get HPV in the mouth?

There are more than 100 types of HPV, and around 15 are associated with cancers. These 15 are known as high-risk HPV types.
The types of HPV found in the mouth are almost entirely sexually transmitted so it's likely that oral sex is the primary route of getting them. The high-risk HPV types are also passed on through vaginal and anal sex, and are linked to:
*cervical cancer
*vulval and vaginal cancer
*anal cancer
*penile cancer
*laryngeal cancer
*tonsil cancer

Some can be passed on through skin-to-skin contact and cause warts, including genital warts. he types of HPV that cause visible warts are low risk and are not the same types that cause cancer.

Most sexually active people (about 90%) will have been exposed to either high or low risk genital HPV types by age 25, but only 2-3% of these people develop visible genital warts. So most of us have been infected, but few are affected.
It's not known how common HPV infection in the mouth is. A study carried out in 2009-10 concluded that the prevalence of oral HPV infection in American men was 10%, and in women 3.6%. Risk factors for oral HPV identified by this study included:
*age: prevalence peaked in the 30-34 and 60-64 age groups
*number of sexual partners: 20% of people with more than 20 partners had oral HPV infection
*current number of cigarettes smoked per day

There is good evidence suggesting that, for some oral cancers, risk factors may be linked to sexual behaviour. These risk factors include:
*ever having oral sex
*having oral sex with four or more people in your lifetime
*and, among men, having first sex at an earlier age (under 18)

At the moment, there is very little research that looks at the possible risks from giving oral sex to a man compared to giving oral sex to a woman. But we do know that HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is twice as common in men than women, and is most common in heterosexual men in their 40s and 50s (as compared to the rates in homosexual men).
This indicates that performing cunnilingus (oral sex on a woman) is more risky than performing fellatio (oral sex on a man). This seems counterintuitive, but the concentration of HPV in the thinner moist skin of the vulva is much higher than the amounts of virus shed from the thicker dry skin of the penis, and this affects how easy it is to pass the virus on.

Other research indicates that HPV can be present in semen and passed on at ejaculation.
What is definitely known is that other infections are spread via oral sex, including herpes, chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhoea, so it makes sense to protect yourself and your sexual partner by practising safer oral sex.

How does HPV cause cancer?

HPV does not directly give you cancer but it causes changes in the cells it has infected (for example, in the throat or cervix), and these cells can then become cancerous.
Very few people infected with HPV will develop cancer. In 90% of cases the infection is cleared naturally by the body within two years.
However, people who smoke are much less likely to clear the virus from their body. This is because smoking damages special protective cells in the skin called immune surveillance cells, allowing the virus to persist. Cervical and vulval cancer is rare in women who don't smoke, unless they have some other cause of immunosuppression (a weakened immune system).
If cell changes do happen, it can take a long time – even decades. HPV-related oral cancers seem to respond better to treatment than non-HPV-related oral cancers.


Could an HPV vaccine help men as well as women?

Yes. In the UK, girls aged 12 and 13 are routinely vaccinated against HPV. This is because it is known that nearly all cervical cancers are HPV-related and that the vaccine offers protection in women. The vaccine also protects women from HPV-related vulval and vaginal cancers.
In addition, it will probably protect them from anal and oral cancer. There is currently no conclusive proof that the vaccine will protect against oral cancer, but it's thought to be likely because HPV works in the same way to cause mouth, throat and anal cancer as it works to cause cervical cancer.
In time, as the HPV vaccine reduces the number of cases of HPV infection in women, HPV will become less common in the general population – therefore it will affect fewer men as well as fewer women. This has already happend in Australia, where cases of genital warts have fallen dramatically in women and heterosexual men under 21 within four years of the start of the vaccination campaign.
However, a vaccination given only to girls and women will not benefit men who have sex with men.
Boys and men are not routinely given the HPV vaccine in the UK. This is because they do not need to be protected against cervical cancer. Emerging evidence on the impact of HPV vaccination on other cancers is being reviewed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Men who have sex with men may have an increased risk of anal cancer, linked to HPV infection, and made worse by co-infection with HIV. There is evidence that the HPV vaccination may protect against HPV-related anal cancer, and recurrence of anal pre-cancer after treatment.

If you are worried

If you're worried about oral cancer, see your GP. When mouth cancer is established, it has fairly clear symptoms, and your GP should be able to see them by looking in your mouth. If oral cancer is diagnosed early, it is easier to treat, but about half of these cancers are diagnosed when the disease has already spread within the neck.

The symptoms of oral cancer include:
*red – or red and white – patches on your tongue or the lining of your mouth
*one or more mouth ulcers that do not heal after three weeks
*a swelling in your mouth that lasts for more than three weeks
*pain when swallowing
*a feeling as though something is stuck in your throat


Safer oral sex

According to the second National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, carried out in 2000, more than 75% of men and women aged 16-44 years had oral sex in the previous year.
You can make oral sex safer by using a condom on a man’s penis, because it acts as a barrier between the mouth and the penis. A dam (a square of very thin soft plastic) across a woman’s genitals can protect against infection.


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Source:NHS
Source link...
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/STIs/Pages/oral-sex-and-cancer.aspx

Ebola Virus Infection

                                                                                                                                                                  Ebola Virus Infection

Ebola is a rare but deadly infection that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. Although popular movies and books describe major outbreaks of ebola-like disease in the U.S., they're just works of fiction. Ebola strikes mainly in remote villages of Central and West Africa, but it has spread to some African cities, too.

The disease, also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola virus disease, kills up to 90% of people who are infected.

Could People in the U.S. Ever Get Ebola?

So far serious Ebola cases have only shown up in Africa.

Ebola can spread from country to country when people travel. So it is possible for Ebola to reach the U.S. if someone who is infected travels here on a plane. But there are safety measures in place to prevent people from coming to U.S. airports with the disease.

Airline crews are trained to spot the symptoms of Ebola in passengers flying from places where the virus is found. Crews are told to quarantine anyone who looks infected.

How Do You Get Ebola?

You can get Ebola by coming into contact with the blood or body fluids of an animal or person who is infected.

People often get sick with Ebola when they care for or bury a person who has the disease. Someone also can catch the virus by touching contaminated needles or surfaces.

What Are the Symptoms of Ebola?

Symptoms of the Ebola virus show up 2 to 21 days after someone is infected. As the virus spreads through the body's cells, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, Ebola causes levels of blood-clotting cells, called platelets, to fall, which can lead to severe bleeding.

Many of the early symptoms of Ebola look like the flu or other mild illnesses. They include:

    Fever
    Headache
    Muscle aches
    Sore throat
    Weakness
    Diarrhea

As the disease gets worse, people who are infected may develop:

    Bleeding inside and outside of the body
    Rash
    Trouble breathing


How Can You Tell if Someone Has Ebola?

Sometimes it's hard to tell if a person has Ebola from the symptoms alone.

Doctors may first test for other diseases that have the same symptoms as Ebola, such as:

    Cholera
    Hepatitis
    Malaria
    Meningitis
    Typhoid fever

Tests of the blood and tissues, such as the ELISA test, also can help diagnose Ebola.

If someone might have Ebola, they should be isolated from the public immediately to help prevent the spread of Ebola.

How Is Ebola Treated?

Right now there is no real treatment or cure for Ebola. Doctors try to manage people's symptoms by giving them:

    Fluids and electrolytes through a vein
    Nutrition
    Oxygen

How Can You Prevent Ebola?

There is no vaccine to prevent Ebola. People can avoid catching the disease by not traveling to areas where the virus is found.

Health care workers can prevent infection by wearing masks, gloves, and goggles whenever they come into contact with people who may have Ebola.

What Causes an Ebola outbreak?

Usually an outbreak starts when someone comes into contact with the body fluids or waste of infected animals, such as monkeys, chimps, or fruit bats. Once a person is infected, he or she can then spread it to others.

There are five different types of Ebola virus that cause the disease. Four of them are known to cause the disease in humans.

The Ebola virus first appeared during two 1976 outbreaks in Africa.

Ebola gets its name from the Ebola River, which is near one of the villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease first appeared.

Source- WebMd

Top 10 brain damaging habits

1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient 
supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating (deadly)
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar Consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may 
interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of 
oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6 . Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head Covered While Sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working Your Brain During Illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well 
as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in Stimulating Thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

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Source: Natural health US

How To Get Rid Of Toothache Without Dentist

How To Get Rid Of Toothache Without Dentist

The teeth are an amazing balance of form and function,aesthetic beauty and engineering.Good teeth are an important part of one,s health and appearance.

The main cause of toothache is tooth decay which results from a faulty diet.Perhaps the greatest 

curse and cause of tooth decay is the consumption of candy,soft drinks,pastries,refined carbohydrates 

and sugar in all forms.

Bacteria in the mouth break sugar down into acids,which combine with the calcium in the enamel to 

cause decay or erosion.


Home remedies to get rid of tooth decay:

Garlic: Garlic is one of the best home remedy for toothaches.A clove of garlic with a little rock salt should 

be placed on the affected tooth.It will relieve the pain.A clove should be chewed in the morning daily.

It will makes the teeth strong and healthy.



Onion:If a person consumes one raw onion everyday,he will be protected from a host of tooth disorders.

Chewing raw onion for 3 minutes is sufficient to kill all germs in the mouth.



Lime: It has a rich source of vitamin C.It will helps to maintain the health of the teeth and other 

bones of the  body in good condition.It prevents decay and  loosening of the teeth.


Clove: It has rich source of antiseptic properties which can helps to reduce the pain and decrease 

the infection.


Pepper: A mixture of a pinch of  pepper  powder and a quarter teaspoon of common salt is an 

excellent remedy for toothaches,foul breath,bleeding from the gums,painful gums.....

Bay Berry: Bayberry paste is very helpful in the treatment of toothaches and also  beneficial on the gums by strengthening them.

Wheat Grass: Wheat grass juice is also beneficial in the treatment of toothaches.It can flush out the 

toxins from the gums.It considered as best mouthwash for tooth decay and toothache.

Source: Green health US

www.gooddeedsmall.com