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Depression is a form of mental disorder characterized by periods of prolonged sadness, gloom and negative feelings. The patient feels insecure, helpless, uncertain, lonely and discouraged. We all feel depressed to varied degrees from time to time. That is natural enough. However, when it occurs regularly and frequently and lasts for prolonged periods, it becomes a disorder. The patient finds it difficult to sleep and experiences loss of appetite. Hobbies like reading, writing or exercising become uninteresting. The person feels intensely lonely, yet does not wish to be with others. Thoughts of illness, suicide and death preoccupy the mind. Causes of Depression: 1. Heredity - Some people are genetically prone to depression. 2. Emotional stress - Factors like financial difficulties, insecurity and violence can lead to emotional       stress.3. Drug abuse - Persistent use of certain drugs like fertility drugs, sedatives and slimming drugs can        ...

Water is a life giver. Apart from air, there is nothing as essential for life as water. Water is the oldest and commonest substance on earth. Water is the strongest natural force in the world, far more powerful than fire or wind. Everything on earth contains water. The human body is 70% water. 70% of the earth is water. Water is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. Of all natural substances on earth, only water exists in three forms: solid (ice); liquid (water); gas (vapour). To stay healthy, an individual needs to drink at least 2 and 1/2 litres of water daily. A normal adult drinks between 60,000 and 70,000 litres of water in his/her lifetime. Water is, therefore, said to be medicinal. Functions of water: 1. Water quenches thirst - Processed liquid, such as, soft drinks or beer only serve to suppress thirst          for some minutes. They can never give the same satisfaction which water gives. 2. Water aids the metabolism of food and cleanses the digestive...

Blood pressure measures the force exerted by blood , pushing outwards on your arterial walls. Damage occurs when the force of the blood flow is high over time. This stretches the tissue that make up the walls of arteries beyond a healthy limit. Globally, more than 1 billion people struggle with high blood pressure (hypertension), and prevalence has nearly doubled in the past four decades. Overall, men tend to have higher blood pressure than women, and while high-income nations have seen a significant decline in hypertension, prevalence in low and middle-income countries, such as those in  South Asia and Africa, is spiking. According to researchers, prevalence is "completely inverse" to national income. Worldwide, high blood pressure is thought to cause about 7.5 million deaths annually (American Heart Association). Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers and written as a ratio. The top number (systolic) measures the pressure in the arteries when the ventricle...

If you are a woman, your chance of getting a urinary tract infection, or UTI, is high; some experts rank your lifetime risk of getting one as high as 1 in 2 ...with many women having repeat infections, sometimes for years on end.  Causes of UTIs in Women UTIs are a key reason women are often told to wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. This is because the urethra - the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body - is located close to the anus. Bacteria from the large intestine, such as E. coli, are in perfect position to escape the anus and invade the urethra. From there, they can travel up to the bladder, and if the infection isn't treated, continue on to infect the kidneys. Women may be especially prone to UTIs because they have shorter urethra, which allows bacteria quick access to the bladder. Also having sex can introduce bacteria into the urinary tract. Symptoms of UTIs 1. A burning sensation when you urinate. 2. Frequent or int...