Osteoporosis can be described as a condition where the bones of an individual become thin and weak, leading to easy breaks of the bones. As there are no warning signs, it usually goes undiagnosed until a fracture eventually occurs, with the hip, wrist and spine especially vulnerable.

Some individuals are at a higher risk than others for getting osteoporosis. A good rule of thumb to know if a person is at risk is when an individual is able to answer yes to two or more of these questions: if a woman, have you had the menopause and if so, was it before the age of forty-five; if the person has had an eating disorder that has been sever enough to disrupt periods; any spontaneous fractures in the past; x-rays suggesting thinning of the bones; lost height in the last decade; on steroids for a longer period than six months; family history of the condition; any chronic illnesses; been immobile for any reason; and smoking or drinking a lot.

Once diagnosed with osteoporosis, a number of treatments are available. These include vitamin D and calcium supplements; hormone treatments including HRT and bisphosphonates (drugs that prevent bone breakdown).

Osteoporosis

Once a person nears or reaches middle age, preventative action is often very helpful for staving off the condition. This includes increasing calcium in the diet, increasing weight-bearing exercise, quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol intake.

Scabies is an infection caused by a tiny mite that burrows under the skin usually on the hands, ankles, wrists or male genitalia.  They then live there and lay eggs.  Having these mites under the skin induces an allergic reaction which in turn causes a rash with extreme itching.  Scabies is more common in children but can occur at any age.  It is highly contagious and is spread through direct person to person contact.  The scabies mite cannot live long outside the body but sometimes it can be spread from contact with clothes, linen, etc if the infected person has just touched them.

Scabies

The rash usually develops between two to six weeks after the person has become infected.  The itching usually worsens at night or after a bath or shower when skin is hot. Sometimes burrow marks can be seen on the skin but most often they are hidden by marks caused by scratching or the rash itself.  These burrow marks are thin zigzag lines and are easier to see on hands or feet.

Scabies is treated with a scabicide which is a lotion or cream but it needs to be applied correctly or it may not work.  It needs to be applied twice with a week between each application and should be applied to cool dry skin.  The cream then should be washed off between eight and twenty four hours later.

Everyone in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with scabies needs to be treated at the same time to make sure the infection has been completely erased.  All bed linen should be washed at a high temperature to make sure that all mites are killed.

A condom is classed as a barrier contraceptive and its job is to block any sperm from fertilizing a female egg. Condoms can be made from latex, lambskin or polyurethane and are known to be approximately 98% effective at preventing pregnancy if used in the correct manner. It has to be pointed out that lambskin condoms have been around for a very, very long time but are still available; they are more expensive than conventionally made condoms and are not as good at preventing STD’s.

For efficient use of condoms, the penis must not touch the vagina before the condom has been applied. The reason for this is because a man does not necessarily need to ejaculate for any sperm to come from his penis; it can happen before as well. The best way to use a condom is to hold the bulb part between the figure and the thumb, ensuring it is the right way round. Make sure there isn’t any air trapped inside and then, while still holding the bulb, place the condom over the erect penis. Then it should be gently rolled down the shaft of the penis (if it doesn’t roll then it has been placed upside down). The condom should be disposed off immediately after ejaculation but before the penis becomes flaccid.

How to Use a Condom

The benefits of condom use include the fact that they are a reliable method to prevent pregnancy, there are very rarely any side effects from wearing one, a lowered chance of an STD transmission, they are easily available and they come in all shapes and sizes (and flavors nowadays).

Disadvantages of condom use include the fact that it can break during sex, they can tear while being taken out of the package and are not compatible with some lubricants.