Like other Chinese words, chi is seen spelled in English in various ways including qi and xi. The pronunciation of the word is difficult to render in the Roman alphabet, but the word sounds like “chee” when spoken. The meaning of the word is linked to “air” and “breath,” which are believed to vital parts of life. Like air, chi is a form of energy which waxes and wanes in the body depending on health, and in a space depending on arrangement.

Many cultures have a concept of some sort of vital energy which runs through all things, such as prana in the yogic tradition. When it is in a proper state of balance, the energy moves smoothly through the space which it inhabits, and supports rather than fights against the space. Balancing this energy is a crucial part of living a healthy and calm life for many people in Asian countries, and the concept of energetic balance has been adopted by some Western nations as well.

An imbalance of chi can lead to ill health or discomfort in an environment. In the case of living beings, practices like acupuncture, acupressure, and other types of TCM are used to right the imbalance, by unblocking the flow of chi through the meridians of the body. A practitioner of TCM checks in with the patient’s whole body in order to assess overall health, and takes corrective measures as necessary.

In the case of spaces, many Asian traditions surround organizing objects within an environment to make the space harmonious. An imbalance of chi in a space is believed to lead to bad luck and ill health, and many rules surround how things should be arranged from bedrooms to graveyards. As the rules which govern arrangements can be quite complex, some wealthy households hire professionals to arrange their spaces, who are analogous to interior designers in the West, although their function goes beyond pure aesthetic consultation.

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In general, when one hears the term cholesterol, it refers to low-density lipoproteins. This is because LDL provides a steady stream of cholesterol to the arteries. When advertisements claim a product can reduce your cholesterol, they are referring to the risks of high LDL levels.

Those with high levels of LDL are at great risk for hardening of the arteries or artery blockage, which can enlarge the heart or completely cut off blood supply to the heart. This, in turn, can lead to heart attacks, or necessitate surgery to remove blockages. Other main arteries in the body can also become blocked, a condition known as peripheral artery disease, and require clearing via catheterization to restore normal blood flow to and from the heart.

High cholesterol also increases the risk of sudden stroke. Clogged arteries can lead to excess clotting of the blood. These clots can then pass to the brain or lungs, causing thrombosis. The presence of low-density lipoproteins can also decrease the level of high-density lipoproteins, known as the “good” cholesterol.

Given the very dangerous medical conditions associated with high levels of LDL, it makes sense to keep one’s levels of this protein at a very low rate. Testing for LDL is quite simple, usually requiring a simple blood test to measure all cholesterol levels in the body. A physician may require that you fast for 12 hours prior to testing, but usually the test itself only takes a few minutes.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has adopted the following standards for evaluating safe and unsafe levels of LDL. Less than 100 milligrams per deciliter is considered optimal. 100-129 is considered near optimal, while 130-159 is borderline high. 160-189 is high, and anything over 190 is very high. Further AHA guidelines suggest anyone with heart disease should try to maintain an LDL of no more than 70.

Reducing LDL levels can be simple for some. Following a diet with lower saturated fat and higher fiber, plus exercising, can sometimes be enough to lower cholesterol to accepted levels. Others, however, may need to combine diet and exercise with cholesterol-reducing drugs. A common mistake is the belief that cholesterol can be lowered by medication alone. In general, this is not true, and in any case, those with high cholesterol are at greater risk for heart disease, so adhering to a sensible diet and exercise regimen make sense in any case.

Another common mistake people make is assuming that body size indicates cholesterol level. While it is true that overweight people tend to have higher levels of LDL, it does not follow that thin people cannot have high levels. In some cases, high levels of bad cholesterol are genetically predetermined. Family history of high cholesterol is reason for greater vigilance in anyone.

Though high cholesterol levels occur more frequently in men, women still need to have their levels checked. While pre-menopausal women tend to have lower levels because estrogen blocks some cholesterol production, post-menopausal women do not have this safeguard. As a woman approaches menopause, the AHA recommends checking cholesterol levels. The AHA does not advocate using hormone replacement therapy for lowering cholesterol, as use of estrogen has recently been shown to increase the risk of stroke and certain cancers.

A high LDL level is a matter of concern, but fortunately it can often be medically addressed. Working closely with a physician to create a better diet and a good exercise program, and to determine whether cholesterol-reducing drugs should be applied, is an excellent way to prevent the health conditions associated with bad cholesterol.

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Pus can be white, slightly yellow or green, and is relatively thick, approximately the same as Elmer’s Glue. It’s actually a collection of dead skin cells, white blood cells called neutrophils, and some bacteria that is still putting up a fight. It is a visible sign that you have an infection. A minor source of tiny amounts of pus, as in a pimple, merely needs to be washed and cleaned with an antiseptic. Many infections that show pus are derived from staph bacteria, which we all have in some amount on our skin.

With small pimples, it is sufficient to use hot compresses, so that the pus drains. After a daily compress treatment, you should always be sure to use an antiseptic on the pimple. Further, wash your hands after dealing with pus in pimples, because it can still contain live bacteria which can be spread to those around you, or infect other areas of your skin. It’s usually fine to ignore small pimples until they go away. Your body is battling to fight off this small infection, and often wins this battle.

Pus coming from a wound, or a pimple that gets larger and larger, especially if it is above the cheekbone and below the forehead, suggests the body may need a little extra help fighting the infection. In these cases, a wait and see approach to pus is definitely not recommended. Untreated infections that the body can’t fight can lead to staph infections in the blood, which can be extremely serious.

If you have a great deal of pus coming from a wound, and the wound feels hard, hot, or has red streaks, these are the early signs of an infection called cellulitis, and you should see a doctor right away. Normally, a simple course of antibiotics will clear up the pus and the infection and will promote wound healing. Waiting can mean delaying healing and risking your overall health.

Pus can also be a source of infection to others, especially when there is a lot of it. If you are helping others treat an infected wound, or treating your own, you definitely want to observe excellent handwashing techniques each time you touch the wound. If you’re caring for someone else and have an infected wound, you want to keep this completely covered with bandages so as not to infect others. Young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to staph infections.

Often, our body makes pus that we never see. For example, doctors often diagnose ear infections by noting pus in the ear canal. Organs can also be filled with pus, signalling serious infections. Sometimes a person might notice a thick yellowish or whitish fluid while urinating, suggesting a bladder infection which should be checked out by a doctor.

As ironic as it may seem, however, a small amount of pus, particularly in a pimple, is a sign of good health. People who don’t produce enough neutrophils also don’t produce enough pus, and can have a terrible time fighting off infections. In people with healthy immune systems, a simple pus filled pimple suggests your body is working as it should.

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LSD is not an addictive drug, but use does lead to tolerance, so repeat users are led to increase their dosage in order to achieve previous effects. This is a highly dangerous practice because increased dosage is linked to increased likeliness of bad effects.

In addition, flashback episodes, in which people who are no longer using have repeated experience of a bad trip have been known to happen. LSD is a Schedule I drug — so classified because there is no current acceptable medical usage for it in the United States.

The discovery of LSD by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann was a dead end on the way to somewhere else. Hofmann was researching the fungus ergot for a pharmaceutical company, and this work necessitated synthesizing lysergic acid. Since lysergic acid is unstable, Hofmann worked to create a number of different compounds in order to address this issue. LSD-25—the 25th compound in his research toward a more stable form of lysergic acid—was lysergic acid diethylamide, produced in 1938.

LSD-25 did not address the issue with ergot, and further testing was not conducted. It was only in 1943, upon considering that it might have some further use, that Hofmann produced another sample. Having accidentally and unknowingly gotten some LSD on his skin, Hofmann had a pleasant hallucination that day. Determined to clearly identify the source of the hallucination, he purposefully ingested some LSD three days later, the first planned LSD trip, but a very bad trip.

LSD first became available in the United States in 1949, and was initially considered valuable in the treatment of alcoholism in the 1950s and 1960s. It was in 1963 that LSD was first sold on the street, according to reports, and only a few years later, in 1966, that its use was first restricted, initially by the state of California, and by the Federal government in the following year.

In the early twenty-first century, LSD is sold as capsules, gelatin shapes, liquid, on sugar cubes, and in tablets. Like ecstasy, concerts, nightclubs, and raves are often occasions of abuse.

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Lab-produced forms of THC are often preferable in countries where the use of cannabis is illegal. The prescription drug Marinol, containing lab created THC is used to treat eating disorders, to help relieve the side effects of chemotherapy, and the devastating effects of full-blown AIDs. THC has also been researched for its possible benefits in reducing the tics caused by people with Tourette Syndrome, and early research in this area suggests THC or Marinol may be beneficial in this regard.

It should be noted that many people who take Marinol and who have also used THC in more natural forms, feel that THC derived from cannabis is significantly more effective than Marinol. This has been a growing problem as the uses of THC have now been proven to have specific benefit to people with a variety of conditions. The war on drugs in the US makes it very difficult to obtain cannabis legally, though there are a few states or cities that provide limited access for people with certain illnesses. Yet many willfully break the law because they feel that THC provides better relief from their symptoms than Marinol.

The negative associations with drug use have, according to many patients physicians, led to prejudice against THC. Physicians note that we use and legally prescribe medications that could have far more devastating effects than marijuana. Further, medical researchers are now also finding that THC may provide relief for other extremely serious conditions. In several studies on mice, THC has been found to reduce tumor growth. A 2006 study also suggests that THC might reduce plaque formation in the brain and either delay the onset or reduce the severity of Alzheimer’s disease. Additional studies indicate THC could reduce painful spasms in people with Multiple Sclerosis, and may help control the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Although it is addictive, marijuana is also not considered a highly addictive drug, and studies that suggest extended use of marijuana disrupts brain function have recently been called into question. Control group studies on habitual marijuana users show very little difference in MRI scans than in those who do not use marijuana. Many cannabis advocacy groups, and many medical researchers continue to advocate for people to have, at the very least, prescription access to THC derived from cannabis. It remains to be seen whether these groups will ever be able to successfully legalize cannabis as medication, given the public opinion that exists against it.

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Pica most commonly affects children and pregnant women. The condition seems to be most prevalent in children who are developmentally disabled. In addition, pica occurs much more frequently in developing countries and rural areas.

While very little research has been conducted on the causes of pica, some studies suggest that the cravings for non-food items may stem from malnutrition. This is most probable in areas where food is scarce. Most pregnant women with pica develop cravings for gritty substances such as soil, suggesting that they may be suffering from mineral deficiencies.

While some instances of pica may develop due to nutritional problems, others seem to stem from pathological factors. For example, pica may develop as a response to environmental stress, such as child abuse. Some researchers have suggested that pica in patients with mental retardation is caused by an inability to distinguish between food and non-food items. However, this hypothesis is refuted by evidence that mentally disabled individuals with pica seem to show a strong preference for non-food substances.

People suffering from pica most commonly crave earthy, gritty substances, such as soil, chalk, paper or earthenware. In some instances, patients may ingest items that are considered food ingredients, such as flour, baking soda or coffee grounds. In rarer cases, individuals have been known to crave human substances, such as blood, hair, urine or their own body parts.

Untreated, pica can cause a large number of health problems. Most notably, patients are at a high risk for ingesting poisonous substances. For example, it is not uncommon for people with pica to experience lead poisoning. In addition, patients may develop mild to severe disruption of the gastro-intestinal tract, ranging from constipation to life-threatening intestinal blockage.

Treatment for pica varies depending on the individual case and the doctor who is treating it. In many cases, treatment is predominantly psychological. Aversion therapy has been very effective in re-training patients with pica to overcome their cravings. Pica that is a result of mineral deficiencies can be counteracted by improving the diet of the patient. In cases in which pica is caused by developmental or psychological problems, medication may also prove effective in reducing cravings for non-food items.

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HPV has recently received a great deal of attention because it is now known that some forms of HPV cause all forms of cervical cancer. HPV is often not noted by those infected. In some instances forms of HPV will result in genital warts that may be present on the genitals or around the anus, but frequently HPV presents no symptoms, or such insignificant symptoms that they are ignored by those infected.

HPV has no current cure. Oral medications may temporarily cause the warts to resolve. Yet like Herpes, the warts may also recur and need to be retreated at a later date. The real goal in treatment is to make the patient aware of the potential risks associated with HPV, since most diagnoses occur in the presence of an abnormal PAP smear test.

The PAP is part of what should be a yearly gynecological exam for women. It takes a tiny amount of tissue from the cervix, which is then examined by a lab to determine if any abnormal cells exist. Sometimes abnormal cells occur once only and never recur. In other cases, future pap smears will show continuing spread of abnormal cells indicating cervical cancer.

When genital warts are not present, the PAP is the only way to test for HPV. No test exists for men, which is unfortunate, since HPV may also cause penile cancer. In the absence of available testing, caution with sexual partners is urged by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of the US. They suggest that if one chooses to be sexually active, they should do so with a long-term monogamous partner.

If one has multiple partners, one increases risk of contracting HPV. If a partner is aware that in the past, he or she has had genital warts, or an abnormal pap smear, it is only fair to communicate this to any potential partners to reduce risk to them. Unfortunately, one cannot be assured that a potential partner does not have HPV since testing methods are limited.

The risk of sexually transmitted HPV is further spread by ignorance. Sexually active teens tend not to realize that any type of contact with another person’s genitals can transmit HPV, and that most STDs can be spread without sexual intercourse. Lack of access to appropriate care and counseling should a teen become sexually active usually leads to teens being misinformed about the risk of sexual contact of any kind.

Since HPV is now indicated in a serious type of cancer, scientists are actively working to better methods for HPV diagnosis. There is also research into a possible vaccine at a future date. For now, the medical community is exerting its efforts toward education of the public about HPV, so that women will be certain not to skip their recommended yearly gynecological exams. The CDC also recommends that all who have genital warts or who have had contact with someone with HPV should discuss this with their physicians.

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Newborns are routinely checked for PKU, because if they have the condition, which is inherited recessively, they must be on a special diet which is very low in phenylalanine. Phenylalanine unfortunately occurs in most proteins, like eggs, nuts, meat, and breast or dairy milk. Phenylalanine is also present in most infant formulas. If the child with PKU eats these foods, he or she will develop irreversible mental retardation, hence the mandatory testing.

The testing for PKU is fairly simple, though a bit hard to watch for new moms. The newborn’s heel is pricked, then a small amount of blood is squeezed out and sent to a lab for analysis. The lab results usually come back within a few days, since following dietary restrictions are vital for the newborn, and the child or adult with PKU.

One will notice that many products clearly state whether or not they contain phenylalanines. You can see such labels on sodas, as well as on packaged nuts and cheese in most cases. As well as avoiding protein rich foods, most starch-laden foods like potatoes and pasta have to be avoided as well, so the diet is limited. To give the body the necessary protein it needs, protein formulas have been specifically developed for those with PKU so they can grow and develop normally.

When women with PKU become pregnant, the presence of PKU in the fetal environment is linked to birth defects of varied types. It is particularly important that pregnant women with PKU seek the advice of a high-risk obstetrician. Most important is a strict adherence to a PKU diet during the pregnancy to prevent birth defects in the fetus.

Since the diet of the person affected by PKU is restrictive, there are many companies that now manufacture PKU foods that are very low in or completely absent of phenylalanines. These products, like egg substitutes, ice cream substitutes, and various soups or spaghetti sauces, as well as low protein breads and pastas, can help the person with PKU have a relatively normal diet. However, the cost of such food can be expensive, particularly for the more fancy substitutions.

With the proper diet, the person with PKU can expect to live a long and healthy life. His or her food choices may be limited, but generally PKU will cause no other symptoms or result in complications as the person ages.

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Guilt is derived from the Old English gylt, which means “crime.” This origin explains the first sense of the word, that of responsibility for a crime or action. In the legal world, guilt is determined by trials which weigh available evidence to decide whether or not someone committed a crime. People may also confess to being guilty of something like taking the last cookie from the jar or leaving the water running in the bathroom. While these acts are not necessarily crimes, they are socially unacceptable in many cultures.

It is important to distinguish guilt from remorse. In the legal sense, someone can be guilty without feeling remorse, a genuine sense of sorrow for the commitment of an act. In psychology, however, many people feel both guilt and remorse. The absence of remorse for heinous crimes like serial killing is considered by psychologists to be suggestive of a psychopathic personality, making the distinction between these two concepts very important.

In the psychological sense, guilt is a very difficult and complicated emotion to pin down. In addition to feeling guilty for legitimately wrongful acts, people may also be conditioned to feel guilt for more ambiguous deeds. For example, feeling guilty over not paying the electric bill is a fairly straightforward emotion, but feeling guilty for eating a muffin is a bit more nuanced. Some people with psychological conditions struggle with guilt as part of their overall condition.

Feelings of guilt are common among perfectionists, people who push themselves to be perfect. While most people want to succeed in life, perfectionism can push this common desire to a dangerous level. Some individuals with eating disorders, for example, are also perfectionists, and this trait leads them to lose weight dangerously, to push themselves to lose more, and to have feelings of guilt for actions which other people don’t even think about, let along view negatively. Guilt also arises in trauma survivors, victims of abuse, and people who have had difficult childhoods. Resolving feelings of guilt and remorse is an important part of the healing process.

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In order to understand OCD, it may help to examine each aspect of the disorder separately. The O represents an obsessive thought process, characterized by recurring and often distressing mental images or ideas. Obsession is the mental component of OCD, and the least visible sign to outsiders. These disturbing images continue to play out in a loop until the sufferer feels an overwhelming need to take action. In one form of OCD, called Pure O OCD, the sufferer understands that acting on the obsessive thought would be wrong, and the condition remains in the O stage indefinitely.

Once the stress of the obsessive thought becomes too great, an OCD sufferer feels compelled to take action to relieve the pain. This is the C, or compulsive, element of OCD. The compulsion often manifests itself in a ritualistic or repetitive act. If an OCD patient forms obsessive thoughts about blood on their hands, for example, the associated compulsive act may be repetitive hand-washing. Others might obsess over an unlocked car door, leading them to check their vehicles at regular intervals.

A compulsive act cannot readily be controlled by a true OCD sufferer. The imagined blood must be washed off their hands before their life can return to normal. This can lead to hours and hours of irrational behavior.

The D in OCD represents a known psychological disorder. In the case of obsessive compulsive disorder, the cause remains elusive. Some believe that the obsessive thought loop is caused by a disconnect between thought and action nerve centers. A normal person may think, I must lock my car, and proceed to perform the complex locking procedure. A person with OCD might think, I must lock my car, and promptly forget whether or not the action has actually taken place. Only when the locking action has been performed enough times will the OCD sufferer make the connection and not experience anxiety.

Treatment for OCD may include both behavioral and cognitive therapies. OCD treatments may also include anti-anxiety medications such as Paxil, but many clinical psychologists prefer to use behavioral modification alone whenever possible. Therapists may start by creating a safe environment in which the patient can experience the mildest form of ‘reality shock’ possible.

If the OCD sufferer obsesses over sanitation, for example, the therapist may introduce an object with a small speck of dirt visible. This may trigger an obsessive-compulsive reaction at first, but eventually the patient should learn to control his or her irrational thoughts. The dirty object does not match the level of anxiety first created in the OCD sufferer’s mind.

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