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What is Acne? People have differing opinions as to what acne really is. So, what exactly is acne? Do a couple of occasional but recurring zits qualify as a case of acne or do you have to have a lot of zits?

Believe it or not, the answer is that occasional pimples or zits do not constitute a true case of acne. Although zits do seem to have the ability to appear almost instantaneously and at the most inopportune times like picture day, prom night, spelling bees, sporting events, dates, and special award ceremonies, they are not a true acne outbreak.

The dictionary defines acne as “an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands, characterized by comedones and pimples, especially on the face, back, chest, and, in severe cases, by cysts and nodules resulting in scarring.”

The anatomical definition of sebaceous glands is: “small subcutaneous glands usually connected with hair follicles. The follicles secrete an oily semi-fluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates the hair and skin.”

Real acne outbreaks are actually a disease of the skin. However, the great news is that acne is treatable. Although it can be very embarrassing, cause great emotional distress, and lower your personal self-esteem for a period of time, acne is not fatal.

There are new and effective treatments being sought by researchers and great advances have been made in the treatment of acne in the last few years. Years ago, when a person had acne, they were pretty much stuck with the problem. There were very few treatments available and the medical profession didn’t even consider acne a disease.

It was long thought that acne was the direct result of a diet that was too high in fat and/or sweets. That is no longer the case. Acne is most often associated with puberty and the onset of pre-teen and teenage years but it can and does develop in adults as well. When acne does finally heal, there can be permanent scars left (from picking and popping) that are unsightly and cause patients to suffer long term emotional distress and low self- esteem.

New and very effective skin resurfacing treatments have been developed over the last several years that have, if not completely removed acne scars, at least diminished their appearance and severity.

Acne Fact or Fiction:

You can hear a lot of tall tales about acne today, so let’s take a look at the fact or fiction of acne. It is always better to be well armed with factual information so that you don’t get fooled by the fictional facts that surround acne.

Fictional Fact #1: Acne is caused by a lack of sexual activity.

Factual Fact: Acne and sexual activity are two entirely separate issues. One has no bearing on the other. Hormones secreted during puberty and young adulthood does have a bearing on acne. They also have a bearing on sexual arousal and activity. However, acne has no bearing on sexual activity nor does sexual activity have any bearing on acne.

Fictional Fact #2: People have acne because they are dirty.

Factual Fact: Dirt has no part in acne. Dirt is dirt. Acne is acne. One has nothing to do with the other. Acne is a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Dirt isn’t involved. Keeping the face clean can and will help to prevent clogged pores but dirt does not cause acne.
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What is Acne Vulgaris? This is a medical term used to describe most cases of acne. It really isn’t as bad as it sounds! Vulgaris doesn’t mean that the acne is vulgar, only that it means that it is common.

Be aware that there are many factors that contribute to acne. First, research indicates a propensity for acne may well be inherited. Parents who had acne in their teenage and young adult years may have children who are likewise prone to having acne in their teen and young adult years.

Next, clogged skin pores are certainly a major contributing factor for acne out-breaks. When pores become clogged with an excess production of sebum and mix with dead skin cells or makeup that isn’t sufficiently cleaned from the skin, problems start to develop. When skin pores are clogged, bacteria are produced and pus starts to form causing a pimple, a white head or a black head.

The most commonly accepted causes for acne are hormonal imbalances. Hormones in boys and girls may become unbalanced during puberty, during menstrual cycles, when starting or stopping birth control pills, during times of extreme stress, and at other times as well.

All of the above situations can cause the body to over produce a male hormone which causes the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. The sebum combines with dead skin cells to block pores and acne develops. So, basically, it still comes back to blocked pores.

Other causes for acne include a lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs to maintain a healthy skin. Vitamins A, E and B6 are especially important in maintaining healthy skin as are zinc, essential fatty acids (EFA), Chromium and Selenium.

Most diets of teenagers and young adults do not contain these vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in sufficient quantity to maintain healthy skin and to help prevent the onset of Acne.

Acne: The 8 Stages:

Full blown, Stage 8 acne doesn’t usually develop overnight. Acne is progressive condition. Acne is one of the diseases that are so common that it is sometimes just disregarded as a serious problem…like the common cold. It has been estimated that 95 of people will have at least a mild case of acne at some point in their lives.

Acne, much like the common cold, is usually treated by the sufferer with over-the-counter medications that alleviate the symptoms of the disease in the belief that it will simply go away all by itself….eventually. And, it usually does but not always.

Most people throughout their life will have the occasional pimple, zit, white head or black head.

Although these pesky little outbreaks do seem to appear at the most inopportune times, they really aren’t a serious problem that requires medical attention. A little over-the-counter acne facial wash to help prevent another outbreak will usually take care of the problem. It isn’t a big deal. This kind of acne is referred to as Stage 0 and really nothing to be concerned about unless the acne progresses to subsequent stages.

Acne stages are graded from 0 through 8. Zero is the least severe and 8 is the most serious of the stages. The stages are as follows:

Stage 1: There will be white heads and black heads with some mild inflammation. The outbreaks will start to occur more frequently. Using products that contain Benzyl Peroxide are in order.

Stage 2: There will be some papules in addition to the white heads and black heads. Papules are skin lesions that are solid and raised but usually small. This is still considered to be a very mild case of acne. Treatment can be continued using over-the-counter products that contain Salicylic Acid.

Stage 3: Stage 3 is the same as stage 2 but with more frequent occurrences.

Stage 4-5: Pustules begin to appear. Now, it’s time to schedule an appointment at a dermatologist.

Stage 6-7: Nodules and cysts are forming. Scarring is going to start happening at this stage. Your dermatologist will begin to take more drastic action.
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Consider this question. Say the mother of a 22-year old student that you have treated requests to see her daughter’s medical records. The Bursar’s office confirms that the student is listed as a dependent for tax purposes. There seems to be no urgent reason for such a release and the student does not wish to give her mother access. How would you protect the privacy of her information?

Situations such as this one that require knowledge of privacy laws to resolve successfully are all too common in the average student health center, yet the acronyms HIPAA and FERPA tend to strike fear into the hearts of the staunchest of college health professionals. So much has been written anecdotally on the subject of how complicated and unspecific these laws are that some may be surprised to find that according to legal professionals, the intersections between the laws are generally clear-cut. This article aims to explain which laws apply to you and what you can do to avoid the headaches that ensue from a conflict between your principles as a care provider and the law.

Six golden rules of privacy law

* FERPA never applies to non-students
* FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released
* HIPAA doesn’t apply to records covered by FERPA or to student “treatment records”
* Even if you treat non-students, you’re not bound by HIPAA unless you perform electronic transactions.
* Student health and counseling centers that do perform electronic transactions for non-students only have to abide by HIPAA for those transactions.
* State laws are applicable whether or not other federal laws apply

This is how these rules break down.

RULE 1: FERPA never applies to non-students

RULE 2: FERPA only applies when the student’s medical records are released

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the older of the two federal privacy laws. Enacted in 1974, one aspect of its governance is the privacy of educational records. There is a popular myth circulating that student medical records fall under the FERPA’s umbrella term “educational records”. In fact, FERPA specifically excludes the treatment records of students in higher education from its definition of educational records (see USC 20, 1232g for a complete definition). It also excludes employees of an educational institution if they are not students. FERPA does come into play, but only if the records are released to someone outside the health center, whether that is the student, their parents, their professors, or another health provider outside the university, at which point they become “educational records” rather than treatment records.

It is important to note that it is not the request for the release that brings FERPA into effect. Many student health professionals believe that if a request to see the records is made that is in accordance with FERPA guidelines, they have to release them or be in violation of FERPA. Not so, says Kristine Dunne, BA, EdM, JD, an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Arent Fox, LLC.

“It’s the release of the records that triggers FERPA,” she explains. “There are no rights extended under FERPA to those medical records until such time as they have been made available to someone other than the treating health professionals, at which point the FERPA protections of student records kick in.”

Applying this to the example at the beginning of the article, if state law doesn’t require you to release the student’s unreleased medical records to her mother, you are under no legal obligation to do so without a court order. Similarly, even if you think a professor may have a “legitimate educational interest” in requesting a student’s unreleased medical records, you still don’t have to release them.

FERPA is just one part of the puzzle, however. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is another relevant law that seeks to be the national privacy standard in health care. It was updated in 2003 to take into account the trend toward automation and electronic record-keeping. These privacy guidelines have been well publicized and generally uphold the kind of patient confidentiality that most health care providers are comfortable with and there has therefore been a widespread trend in health centers to apply these standards to student medical records, even if they are not legally required. It is important to realize, however, that while its principles of privacy and confidentiality are excellent, in most cases, compliance is not required by law.
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This will be the most important piece of information that you will ever read about weight training.

Repetitions… Your entire training career is composed of millions of them. You group them in sets and they are the basis of each workout. Performing them correctly is the difference between success and failure. A perfect repetition, seemingly simple, has many components and is powerfully effective. I am going to explain how to perform the perfect rep and why it is so important.

At the impressionable age of 14 I was lucky enough to be introduced to the world of weight training by a competitive bench presser and ex-Olympic wrestler. He was a cartoonish 5 foot 3, 65 kilo powerhouse with a barrel chest and black pony-tail mullet down to his arse. At his gym in Bellingen he would ensure that I learned and retained precise lifting technique during my first 12 months of training. Thank-you Kevin. Under his supervision I went on to become the Australian School-boys Bench Press Champion at the ripe old of age of 15 with a lift of 87.5 kilograms (192.5 pounds) at a HUGE (laughs) body-weight of 66 kgs (145 lbs). That was after only 6 months of training. Technique and intensity is EVERYTHING!

Kevin sold the gym to a great man called Scott who became a very close friend of mine, a fantastic training partner and the catalyst for my career in Personal Training. He looked somewhat normal in comparison to Kevin sporting a natural, balanced, muscular bodybuilder’s physique. His basic training philosophy was to hit each muscle group from every angle with perfect form designating set and exercise volume in proportion to the size of the muscle group, i.e. back being the most complex and largest received the most exercises while biceps being one of the smallest received the least. I learned a lot from him. Exercise form was always at the fore-front of his teachings.

>From Kevin I discovered that each exercise has an optimum movement path to generate maximum power safely. Scott showed me a broad range of exercises and how to apply good technique to each of them for consistent effectiveness and efficiency. I have taken these lessons with me throughout my career and applied them to my training and the hundreds of exercises that I have created myself.

Anyone who knows me will find that I am extremely particular about good exercise technique. I pay very close attention to the body position and movement pattern adjusting fine components so that the exercise is totally optimised. I must annoy the hell out of my clients sometimes. It works though.

WHY IS PERFECT EXERCISE TECHNIQUE SO IMPORTANT?

Reduced Risk Of Injury…

If you are to remain injury-free throughout your training career you must practise safe, tight, controlled lifting technique for every single repetition. If the movement is as close to biomechanical perfection as possible you will receive maximum stimulation with minimum risk. Injuries will halt your progress every time and can be very serious. Any chance to avoid them should be harnessed, implemented and retained.

Decreased ‘Cheating’ And Involvement Of Unrelated Muscle Groups…
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They call “cancer” the big “C” word. Is it really? I beg to differ as a Christian.

I hope the information in this article will give hope to you who have been given no hope because a doctor has diagnosed you with cancer.

I would hope you would rather focus your attention on “Christ” no matter what stage of cancer has been diagnosed and no matter whether you are a Christian or not. “Christ” should be the big “C” word in your life right now and there is nothing to fear when you use it. What does it mean? It means, “The Anointed One” and refers to His anointing. Jesus is the Christ, “The Anointed One”. And His anointing is burden removing, yoke destroying power. There is no type of cancer that can stand up to the anointing of Christ, the Anointed One. And contrary to some, He is still anointed today to remove all curses, including cancer, from all people and still wants to “heal them all” just like He did in the Bible. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. KJV This revelation of Christ’s anointing should rid us of all fear of cancer. Many just need to be given the revelation of Christ’s anointing and that it is free and available to all just like chemotherapy or radiation is readily available. The chemotherapy and radiation are costly but the anointing is free and available to all.

I know there are many questions that arise when we talk about healing and so I hope my answers from the Word of God will convince you that Christ and His anointing is available to you just as easily as the chemotherapy or radiation.

What is cancer anyway? Cancer is a disease. So according to the Bible since it is a disease then cancer is a curse. If you look at Deuteronomy 28, you will find all the curses that are a result of not keeping the Law of Moses and cancer being a disease is included.

Now since cancer is a curse, you as a Christian have been redeemed from all the curses listed under the Law according to Galatians. How did that happen? Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; KJV You see Christ actually purchased your freedom from cancer or any other curse when He became a curse and hung on His cross. See, His sacrifice was for your total man, spirit, soul and body.

Some believe God gave them cancer. Did God give you cancer? If He did, then Christ Jesus was cursed for no reason for you and you might as well take Galatians 3:13 out of your bible. But I don’t want to take Galatians 3:13 out of my bible because I have received healing by taking that promise as my very own and you can also.

If you believe God gave you cancer, my question to you is; where would God get cancer to give it to you and why would He give it to you? There is no cancer in heaven for God to give it to you and it would be contrary to the bible for God to give you a curse. James 1:17-18 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. 18 In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession. NLT God never changes. His desire to bless you never changes.

If He put cancer on you He would be putting a curse on you and therefore He would be ignoring Galatians 3:13 and Jesus becoming a curse for you so that you could receive the blessing.

Some say cancer and other bad things happen to you because God is punishing you for your sins or is trying to teach you something or make you a better witness. Why would God give you cancer or any other bad thing to punish you for your sins; when as a Christian, God has punished Jesus for all of your present sins, past sins, and even our future sins from the foundation of the earth.

Ephesians 1:2-7 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; KJV

Why would God give you cancer to teach you something? Would you give your children something bad to hurt them or destroy them so they could learn something? Certainly not. Being a good parent you would sit them down and tell them not only not to do some thing again but you would show them why it is wrong and the consequence of it. And anyway, teaching your children by abuse, don’t people get arrested for child abuse in our society? Then how could God not be guilty of abuse if He put cancer on His children to teach them something or for any other reason and how could He not be guilty of not keeping His Word, especially Galatians 3:13.

Here is what the Word of God says about correction from God to His children: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. AMP

So our correction as a child of God comes from the Word of God. The Word of God instructs, reproves, convicts of sin (Does not condemn by the way.), corrects of error, disciplines and trains in holy living and conforming to God’s will. That is why we need to read it and meditate it daily so we aren’t taken advantage of by our ignorance of God and His Word and His love for us as His children.
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Do you suffer from itchy scalp but embarrassed to scratch in public?

Do you have hair loss while you always have white flakes shedding on your clothes?

You are not alone as there are millions like you who suffer from Dandruff. Understanding what this skin disease is and how to combat it effectively is the only solution. Dandruff is the name given to the shedding of skin on the scalp, and appears as white flakes in the hair causing discomfort. Although our skin sheds dead cells and renews itself every fortnight, the word dandruff refers to the unsightly shedding of dead skin which is known to be caused by a fungus. The common symptoms are itchy scalp and white flakes visible in the hair and surface when you scratch.
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Contrary to popular myth that cellulite is irreversible, cellulite can be removed!

However, you need to have an effective treatment as cellulite is a build up of several years and is not an overnight accumulation. It is the improper distribution of fat which is joined to the connective tissues in the body. The connective tissues are those which help n the distribution of fat below the skin surface and sometimes due to accumulation of toxins in the body, uneven distribution takes place leading to cellulite or lumping. You need not be obese to have cellulite, as even models are known to suffer from it!
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The issue of recycling has been an important one for some years, but recently, with councils resorting to fortnightly collections in a bid to encourage recycling, this is an issue that has been receiving increased attention across the country. Councils are doing what they can to encourage recycling by providing recycle bins to households to make this task easier, and the government has pledged to increase the number of recycling bins in public areas to also encourage this activity.

We can all do our bit for the environment, help to reduce landfill site waste, and help others by recycling many of the items in our home – not just rubbish but all sorts of items. And once you get the hang of recycling you will find that it is an easy, effective, and useful way to do your bit for the environment.

1. Learn more about what can be recycled. Many people just think about things like cans or bottles when they think about recycling, but you can actually recycle pretty much anything. This includes textiles, rubber, building, materials, carton and cardboard, and more. Before you automatically throw something into to rubbish for collection think carefully about whether you could actually recycle the item in some way.
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In this current era of ‘functional’ training, core stability and balance-oriented training it’s easy to get carried away with learning what I call the ‘HOW’s’ of exercise.

HOW to balance on a swiss ball, HOW to integrate movement patterns and HOW to devise exercise programmes that have a high transfer into ‘real life’ situations.

After all, these are FUN elements that demonstrate a greater application of knowledge, skills and abilities to our clients. Or do they?

Interestingly, when asked, many of my students (all qualified personal trainers and therapists) had little real foundational knowledge of what makes their exercises ‘functional’ beyond “they have a carryover into real life”.

I call this a ‘lack of WHY?!’

This ‘lack of WHY’ is a ‘disease’ of almost epidemic proportions within our industry and one which, in my opinion, will keep us from ever reaching professional status if left unchecked.

Simply put, too many fitness instructors are prescribing exercise based upon the latest trends, personal preferences and outright exercise mythology.

This is like visiting your doctor and being prescribed medicine based upon ‘it works for me so let’s give it a go’. I’m sure that you wouldn’t be too impressed if this happened to you, but what about your clients? Read the rest of this entry »

There are many different anxiety disorders, but their one common underlying characteristic is the overwhelming and incessant worry and fear experienced. For those who suffer from anxiety disorders, there is a variety of treatments available to help you overcome this illness and live a normal life free from panic attacks. These range from medication to therapy and alternative medicines. Often, the different treatments can be combined together, depending on each individual’s needs as well as the particular anxiety disorder experienced.

Medications is a common treatment of anxiety disorders used to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety disorders and panic attacks, and are consisting of anti-anxiety drugs, beta blockers and antidepressants. Whilst this may seem ideal, it is always better to cure the problem at its roots – identify the cause of your panic attacks and overcoming it through behavioral cognitive therapy. Medication is a quick fix but it does not cure the problem. Also, it may cause a myriad of severe side effects, such as nausea and dizzy spells.

Anti Anxiety Drugs

Benzodiazepines are sedatives used to treat symptoms of panic attacks by slowing down the nervous system. They have few side effects, but the human body adapts to the intake of this drug and with time, higher dosages are necessary to see any effect. Generic brand names often prescribed are Clonazepam, Lorazepam and Alprazolam, anti-anxiety drug used for social anxiety disorders, GAD and panic disorders. There is a high danger of being addicted to these drugs, and it is necessary to slowly wean off it as you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you halt medication consumption.

Azapirones are a newer variety of anti anxiety drugs which take a longer time to take effect, ranging from 2 weeks to a month. They are usually prescribed for GAD and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), and are less addictive with minimal withdrawal symptoms.
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