Kebaikan Ulam Raja.

          Sebut sahaja Ulam Raja, ramai orang kenal. Ulam ini sangat digemari oleh kebanyakan rakyat  Malaysia kerana keistimewaanya yang tersendiri.  Berbeza dengan ulam lain, ulam raja seakan meninggalkan rasa yang tersendiri. Seiring dengan nama saintifiknya cosmos caudatus, ulam raja sebenarnya tergolong dalam jenis kosmos yang biasa ditanam sebagai pokok hiasan kerana bunganya yang cantik dan berwarna-warni. Namun jenis ulam raja yang selalu dijadikan ulam mempunyai bunga yang kecil dan berwarna pucat ala merah jambu ataupun putih. Ulam ini mengandungi nilai khasiat yang tinggi kepada tubuh. Ianya mengandungi 0.3 peratus protein, 0.4 peratus lemak dan karbohidrat. Malah ia juga kaya dengan laksium dan vitamin .

          Ulam raja digunakan dalam perubatan tradisional kerana khasiatnya yang dikatakan dapat mengeluarkan toksik dalam darah dan juga menguatkan tulang. Klorofil yang diekstrak dari daun ulam raja mengandungi pelbagai jenis bahan kimia semulajadi yang dikatakan dapat merencatkan aktiviti sesetengah bakteria dan fungus seperti Candida albicans dan Bacillus subtilis serta E.Coli.
   
         

Eczema

Eczema is term for a group of medical conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated.


The most common type of eczema is known as atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema. Atopic refers to a group of diseases with an often inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever.

What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?

No matter which part of the skin is affected, eczema is almost always itchy. Sometimes the itching will start before the rash appears, but when it does the rash most commonly occurs on the face, knees, hands, or feet. It may also affect other areas as well.

Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened, or scaly. In fair-skinned people, these areas may initially appear reddish and then turn brown. Among darker-skinned people, eczema can affect pigmentation, making the affected area lighter or darker.
In infants, the itchy rash can produce an oozing, crusting condition that occurs mainly on the face and scalp, but patches may appear anywhere.

What Causes Eczema?

The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but it's thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body's immune system to unknown triggers.
In addition, eczema is commonly found in families with a history of other allergies or asthma.

Some people may suffer "flare-ups" of the itchy rash in response to certain substances or conditions. For some, coming into contact with rough or coarse materials may cause the skin to become itchy. For others, feeling too hot or too cold, exposure to certain household products like soap or detergent, or coming into contact with animal dander may cause an outbreak. Upper respiratory infections or colds may also be triggers. Stress may cause the condition to worsen.

Although there is no cure, most people can effectively manage their disease with medical treatment and by avoiding irritants. The condition is not contagious and can't be spread from person to person.

How Is Eczema Diagnosed?

Eczema can be diagnosed by a pediatrician, allergist, immunologist, dermatologist or your primary care provider. Since many people with eczema also suffer from allergies, your doctor may perform allergy tests to determine possible irritants or triggers. Children with eczema are especially likely to be tested for allergies.

What Is the Treatment for Eczema?

The goal of treatment for eczema is to relieve and prevent itching, which can lead to infection. Since the disease makes skin dry and itchy, lotions and creams are recommended to keep the skin moist. These solutions are usually applied when the skin is damp, such as after bathing, to help the skin retain moisture. Cold compresses may also be used to relieve itching.

Over-the-counter products -- such as hydrocortisone -- or prescription creams and ointments containing stronger corticosteroids are often prescribed to reduce inflammation. For severe cases, your doctor may prescribe short courses of oral corticosteroids. In addition, if the affected area becomes infected, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to kill the infection-causing bacteria.

Other eczema treatments include antihistamines to reduce severe itching, tar treatments (chemicals designed to reduce itching), phototherapy (therapy using ultraviolet light applied to the skin), and the drug cyclosporine for people whose condition doesn't respond to other treatments.

How Can Eczema Flare-ups Be Prevented?

Eczema outbreaks can usually be avoided or the severity lessened by following these simple tips.

• Moisturize frequently
• Avoid sudden changes in temperature or humidity
• Avoid sweating or overheating
• Reduce stress
• Avoid scratchy materials, such as wool
• Avoid harsh soaps, detergents, and solvents
• Avoid environmental factors that trigger allergies (for example, pollen, mold, dust mites, and animal dander)

Sex Problem in Man

By: Robert W. Griffith, MD


Introduction

Sex Problems: Once it was "inability to perform". Then came "impotence", and now it's called "erectile dysfunction" (ED). Since effective medicines have become available, the numbers of men complaining of difficulty in getting and maintaining an erection have skyrocketed; 30 million men in the USA alone, according to recent estimates. Sexual problems in men are fairly common and in most cases these can be treated.
Along with many things, sex changes as we age. In healthy men the time it takes to get an erection and the time needed before the next erection get longer with the passing years. More direct stimulation of the penis is needed than in youth. By the time they are 40, as many as half all US men have difficulty getting an erection from time to time. While men have the advantage over women of being able to father children at any age, they may have difficulties with the sex act that become more frequent with age.What are the main causes of men's sex problems?

Causes of sex problems in men

What are the causes of ED? Too often, increasing age is automatically - and incorrectly - blamed. Aging is accompanied by a gradual fall in testosterone (the male hormone) levels, but they remain in the normal range in 70% of older men. On the other hand, aging is associated with a number of conditions that impact significantly on sex - heart disease (heart attack, angina), stroke, diabetes, enlarged prostate, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are examples. A future article on this site will discuss the sexual problems related to chronic diseases in both men and women.
Medications are quite a common cause of ED. For instance, at one time almost any blood pressure-lowering drug was likely to cause it. However, newer drugs don't have this distressing side effect - your physician can easily find one that doesn't cause this problem. Surgery (e.g. prostatectomy, rectal cancer surgery) is another reason for lessened sex in age, but it is a more common problem for women than for men.

About 90% of cases of ED that aren't caused by medications or surgery are due to medical conditions, such as blood vessel disorders (atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries) involving the pelvis and penis, a complication of diabetes that affects the pelvic nerves, and hormone disturbances (thyroid disorders, diabetes, and low testosterone levels). Unfortunately, medical disorders can themselves produce mental "inhibition" that affects sexual ability. In this way, men with heart disease may worry that sex will cause a heart attack, and they become impotent.

A psychological or emotional cause is directly responsible for about 10% of cases of ED. This is diagnosed largely by making sure that there aren't any other causes. If someone has occasional erections at night, or on waking in the morning, the chances are fairly good that he doesn't have ED due to a medical condition. There are ways to test for erections during sleep, if necessary.
If a man has ED, it's important for him to visit his physician, not only to get appropriate treatment, but also because ED may itself be a symptom of a serious underlying disorder - e.g. advanced atherosclerosis, or diabetes.