Overpopulation

 THE EFFECT OF OVERPOPULATION

Human population can be defines as the number of people living in a particular area in this whole world. The world population grows because births rate significantly outpace the death rate on average. Human overpopulation issue is a serious issue, silently causing global warming, environmental pollution, habitat loss and other issues. According Baus (2017), human overpopulation issue does not arisen over the last few decades, but since prehistoric time until now.  Today, there are currently more than 7.7 billion people live in this world. As the clock ticking, people increase but the earth's resources are finite. Thus this affects many people especially people in poor country as they lack of education. Education plays a very important role in educating the parents to have some sort of degree tend to have fewer children, whereas uneducated families tend to be larger. Overpopulation has a lot of negative consequences that impact all people around the globe. Population is growing rapidly, far outpacing the ability of our planet to support it thus overpopulation can has a number of effects such as lack of space,  increase the transmission of diseases, and triggers conflicts and wars.

The first effects of overpopulation are that they can cause lack of space. Humans will run out of actual space to live as overpopulation occurs. According to a BBC article written by Nuwer (2015), about 3% of Earth’s total land supports more than half of humanity. The author also mentioned that with 83 million more people on the planet every year, increased populations will increase pressure on the land. Each person needs a place to live, to work, and grow lands to provide food. Overpopulation depends on the ratio of population to available sustainable resources, not on the size or density of population. It also depends on how resources are managed and distributed throughout the population. According to Garg (2017), it is estimated that growth in human population affects the global land use pattern available for agriculture, forest land cover and nearby areas of different types of water bodies. This rapid increase in human population is putting pressure on natural resources available like land, water and ecosystem services. Since the population is growing a lot, people need space to live. According to Weebly (n.d), one of the ways people get the space is by ravaging the environment. People will destroy the forests, animal habitats and other land to build home and infrastructure development. This activity can be known as deforestation. Deforestation is bad because it affects the biodiversity of flora and fauna species as we take their “home” to get more resources.

Besides, overcrowded countries can lead to the spread of disease. According to World Health Organization (WHO) countries like China, India and Bangladesh have a higher possibility to have diseases that can be transmitted to their citizens as they have a higher population than other countries. Studies have shown that countries with higher populations can be the major factor for diseases such as respiratory disease, cholera and HIV. A country like China which has the highest population number in the world can easily transmit disease especially respiratory disease like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and recently Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). This is because the transmission of disease is easier in this country due to an overcrowded population (Lippi & Henry, 2020). These pathogens can infect humans in public areas like the subway, shopping mall and others when the victims are coughing and sneezing. In India, sexual transmitted disease which is HIV has dangerous statistics as this country also has a higher population. This number 2 ranked country that has high populations can easily transmit the disease by 3 types of transmissions which are by sexual contact, exposure to infected blood and vertical transmission from mother to child (Sinha, 2017). Not only that, Bangladesh which is a poor country with a high population can have higher chances of getting cholera, a gastrointestinal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. The symptoms of this disease are diarrhoea, abdominal cramp, vomiting and even worse, death.  This disease commonly infected people after drinking contaminated water and has low sanitation (Bharati, 2011). Besides, lack of education of the citizens also can be one of the reasons for this life threatening disease. So, countries with overcrowded citizens have higher possibility to spread the diseases like respiratory disease, cholera and HIV no matter their status, poor or stable country.

Next, overpopulation can trigger conflicts and war. As human population increase, resources and basic necessities such as food, water, land, employment and other basic necessities are more limited which increases the competitiveness and demand for these resources. According to Swomley (1998), there were 148 totals of wars happen since World War II which most of them were population wars especially in Sudan, Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Ethiopia. People may be fighting each other for basic needs to defend their necessities thus trigger conflicts and violence. Growing populations will stress the labor force which increases the rate of unemployment and weak the economies. This unemployment in turn could provoke rising crime and social revolt in a country. Moreover, overpopulation wars also related to high poverty and high fertility rates in the country. There are also some emigrants from overpopulated country to the less populated neighbouring states which may be an unwelcome and destabilizing consequence for the host country. Thus this condition leads to quarrels and disagreement between the countries as both countries fight for their own rights. According to World Health Organization (WHO), (n.d) states that it is crucial to have family planning to slow down the population growth as rapid population give negative impacts on economy, environment, national and regional development efforts.

In conclusion, since people are unaware about the overpopulation has a lot of negative consequences that impact all people around the globe , they are going to end up living in circumstances that lacking in term of spacing, increasing the number of diseases and factors that triggering the conflicts and wars. Awareness is the factor that plays the foremost dominant role today that might decide the longer term of the upcoming generations and therefore the way forward for the present people on earth. When people are aware, they are more careful and take smarter decisions. If awareness spreads, and if people become conscious of the results and therefore the causes of overpopulation, they might then unite so as to vary the factors that have caused overpopulation within the past into becoming beneficial and not harmful for his or her societies and cultures, thus obtaining a far better standard of living and a better organized and advanced life. As seen earlier, the consequences of overpopulation will have a drastic effect on people’s lives (Wheeler, No year). To avoid such problems, “countries and individuals must work together to realize zero population growth” (Busam, 1995).

Most Unique Endangered Species

 The types of endangered species in the world

Have you ever thought that in the technological age people have almost forgotten about nature and the importance of protecting the natural environment? Unfortunately, it is a sad reality, but that is the truth we must face. People do not really care that somewhere, far away from their comfortable homes, species of animals and plants are disappearing from our planet forever. There are many endangered animals and plants. They come in all shapes and sizes. Many species vital to ensuring that today’s environment will thrive are becoming extinct. If a species is slowly dwindling, and in imminent danger of becoming nonexistent, this species is considered to be endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, upwards of 16,000 species are threatened with extinction, including both plants and animals (IUCN, 2016). Before becoming endangered, a species will show warning signs, either by starting to lose biological diversity or by losing the habitats for that species to flourish in, or in the worst case, both. The word endangered can sometimes be confused with threatened, extirpated, or extinct. Extirpated refers to the state of a species where its population has died out in a certain area or range, but other populations of said species still exist elsewhere (Olden, Julian D., 2008). When a species is considered threatened, or vulnerable, this refers to the state of the species being susceptible to endangerment and extinction.Ninety-nine percent of the earth’s creatures have become extinct. More than 1,000 species are endangered worldwide, and over 100 of these endangered animals become extinct every day. Scientists estimate that the total number of species lost to extinction each year may climb to 40,000 by the year 2000. It is important for the audience to know the types of endangered species as they can become more aware and take action to prevent them from becoming extinct.There are three types of endangered species that could face extinction which are red panda, axolotl, and corpes flower.

The definition of unique is just one of its kind. That is what red panda or Ailurus fulgens is going through right now. Red panda is one of the most unique endangered species of land animal. The Ailurus fulgens is the only living member left of the Ailuridae family. It had previously been placed within the raccoon and bear families. However, the results of genetic analysis by taxonomists indicate that they are positioned in their own circle of relatives. (Flynn, 2000). Despite its name, it is not closely related to the giant panda. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared that the red panda is classified as EN for endangered, with a continuous decline of current population trend. (Glatston, Wei, Zaw, & Sherpa, 2015). The Ailurus fulgens has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling manner thanks to its shorter front legs. It is roughly the size of a domestic cat, though with a longer body, and is somewhat heavier in weight. Their face is similar to bears but their behaviour is like cats, which is regularly cleaning their fur, licking their front paws, and then rubbing their backs. Another thing red pandas are similar to bears is that they use their forepaws alternately to bring food to their mouths or place food directly into their mouth. (Flynn, 2000). They are nocturnal, also arboreal and their diet is mainly on bamboo, but they also eat eggs, birds, and insects. Then, what about their defensive instinct? If they feel threatened or sense danger, they may try to escape by climbing a rock or tree. (Glatston, et. al, 2015). If they will not flee, they stand on their hind legs to form themselves appear larger and use the sharp claws on their front paws to defend themselves from predators. However, natural predators are not the ones that contribute to their endangerment, but humans are. In the past, red pandas were captured and would be ‘exhibited’ in zoos. In an article appearing in the International Zoo News in 1969, one man claimed that for 17 years he had sold 350 red pandas to the zoos. In south-west China, red pandas are killed for their fur, especially for the highly valued bushy tails, from which hats are produced. In some parts of Nepal and India, red pandas are kept as pets. (Ghose, 2008). Also, their naturally low birth rate adds to the risk of their declining population. Although they look cute, we must respect their natural habitat because we are the ones who will be affected if the ecosystem is damaged.

            Next, Axolotl is one type of salamander which is an endangered species of aquatic animal. The scientific name of Axolotl is Ambystoma mexicanum. It is also the most widely known salamander around the world and in Mexico, Axolotl has emerged as a national icon in the country (Erik,2017). Axolotl is a type of salamander which can be found in a Xochimilco Lake Complex near Mexico City. They permanently live in the water which makes them different from other types of salamanders. That makes Axolotl as the most scientifically studied salamander in the world (National Geographic). Just like other salamanders, Axolotl are also in an amphibian class. Currently, the water source in the Xochimilco Lake Complex has become contaminated due to human activities such as urbanization that persists the use of wetlands coming from nearby Mexico City (Randal, 2015). This sad state of affair has led the Axolotl population to decline. Besides that, grilled Axolotl is a delicacy in Mexico which makes them famous in the aquarium trade. Thus, Axolotl was categorized as a critically endangered species. Hence, the Xochimilco ecosystem has raised awareness about it worsening due to the significant decline of Axolotl. Particularly, Axolotl was identified as a top-line species according to the Darwin Initiative where he put his efforts through the publicity of natural tourism and also conservation education programmes for the purpose of protecting Xochimilco species including Axolotl. Nevertheless, Axolotl still chose to hit its extinction clock (Luis, 2015).

Last but not least, the endangered species of plant  in the world is Titan Arum plant. Titan Arum is also known as "corpse flower" due to the unpleasant smell of the flowers. The scientific name of Titan Arum is Amorphophallus titanum. This species is mostly found in the tropical lowland forest near rivers. There is a decent reason for the plant's strong odor. The smell, color and even temperature of corpse flowers are intended to attract pollinators (Bradford, 2017). The unpleasant smell of corpse flowers also helps to ensure the continuation of the species. The primary pollinators of corpse flowers are dung beetles, flesh flies and other carnivorous insects. The enormous size of this flower attracts an abundance of visitors to botanic gardens as well as it is used for ornamental displays for visitors. The population of Titan Arum is popular in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. This world’s biggest flower rarely blooms in cultivation in which it only produces a flower after 7 to 9 years.  This species is decreasing due to habitat degradation and being targeted by local people (Hadiah, 2018).  Other than that, land clearing destroys its population due to the high demand for timber and palm oil industry which has led to massive deforestation. Hence, legal action should be taken by the government to control this issue by establishing a government procurement policy that favors wood-based products legally and ensuring that all logs transported from the forest management unit are properly identified. Cultivation of corpse flowers in botanical gardens around the world is also crucial to conserve this species continuously. 

In conclusion, humans are the main cause of these animals and plants becoming extinct, but with the help of many parties some of these animals and plants can increase in numbers and not be impossible to be taken off from the endangered list. Conducting a community awareness survey would be a good way to let the community know that there are endangered animals and plants in the area and let them know how they can help with the efforts to save it. To save insects and birds, kids can hold a school Arbor Day and plant trees and flowers for birds and insects that are native to their area that are endangered. Participating in river and beach cleanup is very important, because it can reduce pollution in the water that could not only kill the poor little animals and plants but hurt humans as well. There are many animals and plants out there that are important to us and our environment that need to be helped. There are many people who can do stuff for these animals and plants. Through organization, community awareness surveys, and school program lots are being done to help. One thing we should know that all the animals and plants on this earth have the right to be here as you and me. So please be kindhearted to help save the poor little endangered animals and plants.

SKIN - Our largest organ on human body

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SKIN

Skin is the largest organ on human’s body, made up of several different components, including water, protein, lipids, and different minerals and chemicals. When healthy, its layers work hard to protect us. But when it’s compromised, the skin’s ability to work as an effective barrier is impaired. We have therefore found the best ways to improve skin health to support it in maintaining its protective role. Throughout life, skin will change constantly, for better or worse. In fact, skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days. But what exactly does it mean to have healthy skin? According to Dr. Zein Obagi, he was first introduced the definition of skin health in 1983 and expanded it in 2008. His definition provides specific, easily recognized physiological, histological, and clinical attributes that can be represented by the skin of a baby as a model for healthy skin. Most defining characteristic of healthy skin, is the same defining characteristic of a healthy body which is the ability to fight injury and disease quickly and effectively. Healthy skin can be achieved by practicing skincare routine, having healthy diet and exercise regularly.

Graph 1: Size of the global skincare market from 2012 to 2025

Practicing skincare routine can enhance healthy skin conditions. A graph shows estimated size of the global skincare market from 2012 to 2025. By 2025, the global skin care market is estimated to be 189.3 billion U.S. dollars. The skin care industry has witnessed a movement from demand from older consumers to a growing younger consumer base (Shahbandeh, 2020). This shows that people nowadays more concern about their skin conditions regardless their age. Good skincare can help delay natural aging and prevent various skin problems. The basic steps of a skincare routine are a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen depending on our skin type (Newsom, 2019). How about the others skincare product such as exfoliate, toner, serum, essence, eye cream and mask? Is it important? It is just optional, based on our skin concern. If you have issue, then you have option to add on the others skincare.

Image 1: A 69-year-old man who drove a delivery truck for 28 years shows damaged skin on the left side of his face.

Use cleanser as a step one of an easy skincare routine because cleanser help to wash off the dirt, environmental pollutants, makeup, excess oil, dead skin cells, and environmental impurities that end up on your face naturally throughout the day. Wash twice a day to avoid clogged pores, acne, and dullness (Molvar, 2020).  Next, moisturizer will help keep the skin’s protective barrier hydrated by seal in moisture to hydrate, preventing water loss through the outer layers of skin and our skin feel smooth and soft. Daily and consistent sunscreen use helps to prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, solar acne and cancer skin (Molvar, 2020). Image 1 published by New England Journal of Medicine shows a clear picture of what type of damage the sun can cause a person's skin so do not leaving the house without apply sunscreen every 2 hours. 

Next, a healthy diet also can affect our skin condition. Wonderful skin begins with sustenance from inside. According to the Journal of Clinical Aesthetic Dermatology, a healthy diet has a strong relationship with our skin conditions. Eating fruit and vegetables, and limit intake of sugars can lead to healthier skin. Fruit and vegetables are rich with antioxidants and vitamins that help to protect our skin from sun damage and free radicals (Heller, 2006). Free radicals are formed by sun exposure and it can damage the membrane of skin cells as well as the DNA of our cell. The presence of antioxidant is to prevent our cell from any damage. Other than that, smoke, pollution, and sunlight can cause wrinkles and age spot appearance. It is suggested to eat fruits and vegetables for at least five portions a day. There are many choices of antioxidant foods such as broccoli, carrots, blackberries, and strawberries. Moreover, for a balanced diet, the percentage of sugar should be less than 10% of our total energy intake (World Health Organization, 2020). Sugar consumption can stimulate insulin production which can increase oil and acne production. This occurred because the over-production of insulin also affects sebum oil production. It can cause clogged pores and breakout of acne. The amount of insulin, oil and acne production can be controlled if the sugar is consumed in moderation

Exercise regularly also can improve our skin health as it help to keep our body’s largest organ feeling and looking healthier. According to Dr. Marisa Garshick, a dermatologist in New York, keeping a regular fitness routine can improve overall appearance of our skin (Tschinkel,2019). Exercise help strengthen and tone our muscles beneath skin which provide stronger support and make them look more firmer and elastic. It also help in production of collagen that prevent the form of wrinkles, fine lines and sagging skin. Moreover, exercise can improved the blood circulation to the skin surface. This help to supply oxygen and nutrient to the skin which keeps them look glowing and prevent the aging process. Usually after doing some exercise, our skin will looked glowing that called as ‘post-workout glow’ in which happen because of the increased blood flow. Lastly, our skin pores might build up with dead skin cells, oils and chemicals over time. By practicing exercise in our daily life can promotes the removal of these toxins through perspiration as sweat helps to clean out our skin pores. This healthy activity also can prevent the acne production. One of the caused of acne production is imbalance hormones that make the pores clog. However, exercise can help us in balancing our hormones back as exercise can relieves stress, therefore eliminate the over production of sebum. So, let’s sweat it out.

In conclusion, our skin works 24/7 to take care of us, protect us, and keep us healthy and we have a responsibility to take care of our skin. Practicing skincare routine, having healthy diet and exercise regularly can keep our skin healthy. We don’t have to look young or perfect to have healthy skin. You can have wrinkles, sagging, pimples, shine, dark spots, dark circles, puffy eyes, and still have healthy skin. All of those imperfections are normal outcomes of aging or genetic characteristics. Healthy skin is more about your internal physiology which is how well the invisible machinery inside your skin is running able to respond to infection or wounds quickly and effectively.

Athletics (Hammer Throw)

 WHAT IS HAMMER THROW???

    Today I want to share to all my viewers about one event in athletics which is Hammer Throw. Normally athletics has two categories of event which are Track and Field and hammer throw is in field event because its use field and not involve on track like running event. Why I choose this event? This is because I want to highlight cause I am sure most of people did not watch this event hence there is some people did not know about this event.

    First and foremost, Since 1866 the hammer throw has been a regular part of track-and-field competitions in Ireland, Scotland, and England. The English standardized the event in 1875 by establishing the weight of the hammer at 7.2 kg (16 pounds) and its length at 1,067.5 mm (later changed to a maximum 1,175 mm [46.3 inches]) and by requiring that it be thrown from a circle 2.135 metres (7 feet) in diameter.

Then, The men’s event has been included in the Olympic Games since 1900; the women’s hammer throw made its Olympic debut in 2000. Early hammers had forged-iron heads and wooden handles, but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) now requires use of a wire-handled spherical weight. The ball is of solid iron or other metal not softer than brass or is a shell of such metal filled with lead or other material. The handle is spring steel wire, with one end attached to the ball by a plain or ball-bearing swivel and the other to a rigid two-hand grip by a loop. The throwing circle is protected by a C-shaped cage for the safety of officials and supporter.

Layout of Hammer Throw Event

Women World Record Holder

Men World Record Holder

(Yuriy Sedykh 86.74m in 1986)

Negative Thinker?

 WAYS TO AVOID OURSELVES FROM BEING A NEGATIVE THINKER

Have you ever feel stress and cannot control your emotions during that moment? For sure everyone has gone through this situation. Of course, we feel so bad and difficult to control our emotions. Before that, do you guys know what does it mean by negative thinking? Negative thinking means a thought process where people tend to find the worst in everything that can cause stress, sadness and worry over the time. I believe that everyone will have this kind of thinking due to various factors. But, when you always being a negative thinker it may harmful to yourself because if you cannot control your emotions it maybe lead to depression. Sometimes it will help us to be a positive person in the future where are manage to find the solution to cope with the problems. So, let’s move on to the purpose of this speech. There are three ways to avoid ourselves from being a negative thinker which are try to identify the real problems, know ourselves better and express our feelings through writing. For me, everyone should apply these ways to avoid ourselves from being a negative thinker.

Firstly, try to identify the real problems that we have. In any situations or problems that we have it is a compulsory for us to identify the main factors causing the problems to happen. Talking about a negative thinker, usually the individual is an overthinking person that may lead to stress. Finding the main factors of the problems are important before we manage to find the best solution to handle and deal with it. Then, we can start to fixed up everything. Think wisely and make some reflection about ourselves also help to find on the problems that we have. Maybe it happen because of ourselves or others. When having a problem no matter how big and difficult it is, try to figure out ways or the person that may help us to solve it. But, if you still failed to find out the solutions try to let them out by talking about the problems over the person close to us such as parents and friends. Ask them for some advices then its time to look for that silver lining. Try to see the negative elements in a different way and focus on the positive elements. 

Secondly, we should know ourselves better before we want to handle with the problems. Knowing ourselves here means we have to discover our capability to cope with the problems. Different people have different method to cope and solve their problems. Some people are comfortable to share with others but some of them prefer to keep it by themselves. That’s the reason why we have to know our capability to find the suitable ways to handle the problems and avoid ourselves from being a negative thinker. According to Noam Sphancer (2010), accept and greet bad feelings are important so that we can cope and control our emotions. It is true that we must accept the negative element but do not exceed the limits. On the other hands, do not try to deny the negative feelings because it can be a toxic positivity to us. When we already know our capability there is a chance to get the best solution to overcome the problems. For example, we can do our hobby and spend time with our beloved because it will allow our mind to wander from the problems.

Next, another effective ways can be used  is expressing our feelings through writing or known as journaling method. According to Beth Jacob (2005), journaling method is the best thing to know our feelings. As I mention earlier, certain people prefer to keep their problems by their own so this is the best method for them to write everything about their feelings or problems. This method we can do by writing down everything about our problems in a piece of paper. Right after that we crumple the paper up and throw it away. This way is really effective because when we threw away the paper we will had more positive self image of ourselves after a few minutes. It helps us to become more better. Some people said something quick that you can do physically can improve your mental state and why not we try this method we have any problems later. Besides, we can writing everything in a notebook and make it as a diary. This method is so easy whereas we just need a pen and a piece of paper to help us feel more better. 

As a conclusion, whatever problems or difficulties that we have to facing with, we have to find the solution before it getting worst. Just to highlight all the important points in this speech here are some ways that we can use to avoid ourselves from being a negative thinker which are we should try to identify the real problems that we have. Then, we also should know ourselves better before try to cope and solve the problems also can use the writing method to express our feelings so that we get to know the right way to balance between our positive and negative emotions. 

Herbal Medicine, Good or Not?

 Harmful Effects of Herbal Medicines Towards Human’s Health.

Herbal medicines is a medication prepared from plants, including most of the world's traditional remedies for disease. Herbs have been used as remedies or medicines over many hundreds of years. By their very nature, herbs are complex, each one comprising tens if not hundreds of individual chemical compounds, so identifying the active components is not a simple matter. Herbs have few side effects but this does not mean you can take them freely and without care. Many people mistakenly assume that because they are natural they are harmless. High doses taken for a long time can cause a lot of problems. Some common concerns is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate herbal supplements for dose, content, or pureness. In an article by Melissa Davey said, a research reveal that herbal medicines can have dangerous side effects. There are three harmful effects of herbal medicines towards human’s health such as kidney failure, liver damage and complications during surgeries.

Figure 1 : shows some example of herbal medicines.

The herbal supplement market is a multi-million dollar business. You may hear from a friend or family member about an herbal that they think has improved their health or well-being and they suggest it to you. While this advice may be fine for them, it can be harmful to you with kidney disease. National Kidney Foundation stated that use of herbal medicines or supplements is often unsafe because some of them have aristolochic acid, which is harmful to kidneys. Also, your kidneys cannot clear waste products that can build up in your body. Besides, many herbal medicines can interact with prescription drugs. A few examples are echinacea, ginkgo, ginseng and blue cohosh. If someone have a kidney transplant, they are especially at risk, as any interaction between herbal medicines and supplement could put them at risk for losing their kidney.

Next, the last few decades have seen a rise in the use of herbal medicines, natural products, and traditional medicines. However, there are growing concerns related to the safety and toxicities of these medicines. These herbal medicines are associated with complications such as liver damage with a high incidence of mortalities and morbidities. According to National Centre of Biotechnology Information, U.S. stated that some reports from China have revealed incidences of acute liver failure as a result of herbal medicine use. It also reported that some cases of Australians dying of liver failure following ingestion of herbal products. For instance, arnica is one example of herbal taken by some people to help constipation. But, it can damage our liver, or bring on a coma or death. Moreover, in a medical journal, written by  Tse-Ling Fong, a series of seven patients who are having severe liver injury. They developed the liver damage after taking a health supplement called Lipokinetix to lose weight. This supplement is a mixture of chemicals that includes an extract from a particular tea. It is said to reduce weight by working to mimic exercise and increase metabolism. How and why can this medicines can damage the liver? Within three months of starting Lipokinetix, these seven patients developed symptoms of acute hepatitis, including tiredness, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. One of the patients actually developed acute (rapid) liver failure and almost required a liver transplant to save her life. Indeed, in all seven patients, the symptoms disappeared and the liver tests returned to normal within several months after discontinuing Lipokinetix.

Besides, herbal medicines also can cause complications  during surgeries. Even though they might say "natural" or "herbal" on the bottle, commonly used herbal such as ginkgo biloba, ginseng, or echinacea can be dangerous when used in the days before surgery, said David J Rowe, a plastic surgeon . Yet studies suggest as many as 70% of patients don't tell their doctors they are taking herbal supplements. Moreover, taking herbs in the weeks before surgery could cause a bad reaction with anesthesia medicines, or they may cause too much bleeding during and after surgery. This is dangerous because many people taking herbal supplements don't tell their surgeon or anesthesiologist about them. According to University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, New York ,2020, they said ginkgo is used to improve memory. But it may cause prolonged bleeding during or after surgery. It may also make the sedation effects of anesthesia last longer. Next, ginseng. This is commonly used for an energy boost or to lower blood sugar levels. During surgery, ginseng may cause high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. 

In conclusion, herbal medicines can give negative effects towards human’s health such as kidney failure, liver damage and complications during surgeries. Herbal supplements are not FDA-approved medicines. They may have many benefits. But they aren't as reliable and safe as prescription medicines and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. Be careful about purchasing herbal medicines and always see your regular medical doctor (GP) about any health concerns and tell them about any herbal medicines you are taking or thinking of taking. If you have any surgery planned, have this talk right away. Also, plan to stop these herbs in the weeks before your surgery.

Self Care

 Self Care Our Responsibility

R. Knots, an American award-winning author once said, “taking care of myself does not mean ‘me first’. It means ‘me, too”. Nowadays, self-care becomes more well known to everyone as more people start to learn and practice it, but many people still have no idea what self-care is about. According to Perimeter Health Care, self-care is a general term that describes everything you do deliberately for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It is a simple concept of taking care of ourselves, but we often overlook it. Good self-care is the key to improve our mood, maintain our health and relationship with ourselves so we can radiate and transmit good feelings to other people. As easy as this may sound, many people fail to practice self-care due to busy schedules or are too consumed with technology until the ‘me-time’ become the last thing to do in their daily lives. Starting a self-care routine can be challenging and hard to maintain but knowing what works for you may help practice self-care. There are three main ways to practice self-care in our daily lives which are taking care of our mental health and emotion, do some extreme activities, and practice healthy and nutritious diet.

The first way of practicing self-care is by taking care of mental health and emotions. Mental and emotional health are important parts of overall health. People who are mentally and emotionally healthy can control their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They can cope with life’s challenges and can keep problems in perspective. They feel good about themselves besides having good relationships. Being emotionally healthy does not mean you are happy all the time. It means you are aware of your emotions. You can deal with them, whether they are positive or negative. Emotionally healthy people still feel stress, anger, and sadness but they know how to manage their negative feelings. They can tell when a problem is more than what they can handle. They also know when to seek help from their doctor. Mental and emotional health allow you to realize your full potential. You can work productively and cope with the stresses of everyday life. It helps you work with other people and contribute to society. According to a website called Family Doctor (2017), there are many ways to improve or maintain good mental and emotional health. The first suggested way is to express your feelings in appropriate ways. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you. Keeping your feelings of sadness or anger inside can lead to stress. It can cause problems in your relationships and at work or school. Next, allow yourself to always stay positive. Focus on the good things in your life. Forgive yourself for making mistakes and forgive others as well. Spend time with healthy, positive people. Stress and problems with family, work or school can trigger mental illness or even worse, leading someone to have suicidal thoughts. Thus, counselling, support groups, and medicines can help people who have emotional problems or mental illness. If you have an ongoing emotional problem, do not be afraid or shy to seek for a doctor’s help. He or she can help you find the right type of treatment.

Next, one of the ways to self-care is by doing some extreme activity. What is extreme activity? And how extreme activity can give us the idea for self-care? Extreme activity also known as adventure sport or extreme sport which often involve speed, height, and some high level of physical exertion such as para jumping, rock climbing, water skiing and scuba diving.  If you are a person that always stress, then this extreme activity is the best solution for you to release your tension. This is because, according to Indo Indians (2020), this extreme sport will give a lot of benefits to our body and mind. The example of benefits that it could give such as stress reliever, keep our body shape maintain and give us the healthy muscles. When we are doing the sport, our brain will induce one kind of chemical named as dopamine chemical that will keep us happy when doing the activity. This sport also required the person who join it to work their body out. It will make the body to burn more calories and lead to a healthy body. As we all know, extreme activity involved physical activity. Physical activity can reduce the level of stress hormone in the body and at the same time, it can stimulate the production of endorphin. Endorphin is a chemical in our brain that act as natural painkiller and it can improve the ability to sleep which can reduce stress. Deeply breathing also can cause the body to produce endorphin. This natural stress lifter can keep our stress and depression away. (Anxiety and Depression Association of America,2018)

Lastly, practice a healthy and nutritious diet also one of the tips for self-care. When talking about good nutrition and self-care, it never means dieting. It means properly fueling and feeding your body the basic things it needs to function for example, high-quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. Good nutrition is self-care because your relationship with food can create a better sense of balance in your life. This reflected in how balanced and varied your nutrition is and how well your food is serving as your fuel. Some tips on upping your nourishment are to get colorful and eat regularly. The more color the better when it comes to nutrition. Not only does it lend itself to more diversity of immune-boosting and inflammation-fighting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, but I am also convinced that more color in your day is a mood-booster. This is not off, as a 2013 study found that diets rich in fruits and vegetables were associated with daily feelings of well-being. Then, to eat regularly, if you go hours without eating, you are not properly fuelling your system, your metabolism goes all out of whack, and things like fatigue, low energy, brain fog, and the dreaded “hangry” feeling can start to set in. When you finally do eat, it’s not uncommon to ignore your satiety cues, overeat, and feel guilty or physically uncomfortable afterward. Not to mention, your body isn’t going to get the full benefit from exercise without proper nutrition before and after. Another tangible way to find balance with good nutrition to support self-care is with a mindful eating practice. According to The Centre for Mindful Eating, this practice is intended to bring about an awareness of our actions, thoughts, feelings, motivations, and insight into the roots of health and contentment. It makes you more aware of your internal and external environments surrounding the activity of eating, and it brings about a balance between pleasure associated with food and good nutrition to benefit the body’s overall metabolic processes.

In conclusion, there are three main ways to practice self-care in our daily lives which are taking care of our mental health and emotion, do some extreme activities, and practice healthy and nutritious diet. Other ways can be practiced too but always stick to the basic first to find your rhythm and gradually planning your routine. Reading and watching videos about self-care could help build your routine. Self-care is not a selfish act because other than considering our needs, we also will learn what we can and need to do to take care and reinvigorate ourselves without neglecting our health and safety. The mind, emotions, and body are a gift from God that should not be taken for granted. The future you will be thankful if you start practicing and investing in self-care starting from now. The current break that we have due to the pandemic could be a kick start for self-care as we have more time to figure and arrange things out. So, let us not waste any time and take this opportunity to bring out a better version of ourselves.  

What is MYOPIA???

 MYOPIA (EYE DISEASE)

Have you found it hard to read road signs and scoreboards or problems recognizing people in the distance? That’s are the symptoms where you are having myopia. Many of us think that vision only deteriorates with age, but myopia among Asian school children and young adults is growing at an alarming rate. According to the Ministry of Health In a survey of school children in Malaysia, the prevalence of myopia was 42% Chinese and 15% Malay (Suboh, 2014). But what is myopia? Myopia, commonly called shortsightedness or nearsightedness, is a defect of the eye that causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. Instead of a `normal' shaped eyeball, the myopic eyeball is slightly longer. Shortsighted people can often see reasonably clearly at short distances, but will not be able to see distant objects clearly. While practicing social distancing and staying at home during the movement control order (MCO), make us be tempted to use the phone a lot more. Too much screen time could lead to eyesight problems to all of us, with symptoms like frequent blinking, abnormal visual behavior and consistent rubbing of the eyes. Often a person will not realize that they cannot see clearly but a complete eye test is the only sure way of determining whether your vision is normal. There are three significant factors that can lead to short-sightedness which are spending too much time focusing on nearby objects, lack of natural light while reading and being genetically inherited.

One of the environmental factors on why people usually develop myopia is because they are spending too much time focusing on nearby objects such as computers and smartphones. This is because when people look at close objects, they need to increase the power of the eyes’ focusing system. The eye will go through a process of accommodation where the optical power of the eye increases to bring the near object into focus. Therefore, if they spend too much time looking at a near target, there is a constant demand on the eye to focus that image. The eye will try to adapt to what is now the new normal where it needs to elongate so that the light from close objects is more effectively focused on the back of the eye. However, because the eye has elongated, so when people look at distant objects, they cannot focus well. Basically, people with higher education have a higher tendency to develop myopia because education relates to socioeconomic background and large amounts of near work, such as reading and computer use. According to Professor Ian Morgan, 2018. They point that early intense educational pressures combined with little time for play outdoors has led to almost 50% of children being myopic by the end of primary school, compared with less than 10% in a study of British children. A previous study among a population of highly educated young adults also found a high rate of myopia progression (86%) during law school (Loman et al., 2002). Therefore, this can approve that the frequent use of gadgets such as computers, smartphones and notebooks can increase the risk to be diagnosed with myopia.

Next, myopia or short-sightedness also can occur due to the lack of natural light while reading. When people normally read in the dim light, the eye will tend to grow slightly larger to make the peripheral images on the retina clearer. Therefore, the enlargement of the eyeball may have the effect of making the eye short-sighted. This is because dim light can make our pupils become larger because it needs to maximize the light that enters the eye. When more light rays enter the eye through the edge of the pupil, it will cause the light rays to be refracted differently and create a slightly blurred image at the edges of the retina. This can lead to short-sightedness problems.  A number of recent epidemiological studies have suggested that greater time spent outdoors has a protective effect on the incidence and progression of school myopia (Rose et al., 2008). This is because extra exposure to daylight could encourage the production of dopamine, which could have an effect on eye growth. Therefore, rather than spending time reading books and using the computer, having some outdoor activities also can prevent us from developing myopia.

Lastly, short-sightedness can occur to someone because of genetic inheritance. Basically, genetically inherited means a basic principle of genetics and explains how characteristics are passed from one generation to the next. Most understanding about genetics began from the Gregor Model. When we talk about genetically inherited, usually it tends to run in families. For example, if parents are short-sighted, their children have a tendency to get short-sighted too no matter during what age. Based on studies, if one of the parents is short-sighted, their children have around 40% chance of developing the condition while 60% chance if both parents are short-sighted. But some studies proved that genetics does not account fully the dramatic increases in the prevalence of short-sightedness worldwide. Many more causes can lead to short-sightedness especially based on someone’s lifestyle and habits. From what we can see, there still both parents do not have short-sightedness but their children have. This happened maybe due to long exposure to gadgets or books. According to Dr. Eric Jorgenson, 2016, some genetic disorder affecting pigmentation causes change at the back of the eyes and resulting in short-sightedness. Then, if the parents inherit enough genetic variants underlying these processes, their children will develop short-sightedness.

To avoid the statistics of short-sightedness’ person, the scientist had started to find ways on how to predict and identify children who have high risk to get short-sightedness. According to Prof. Chris Hammond, 2017, they are now heading towards the ability to predict which children will become short-sighted based on their genetic markers. From this method, they manage to identify those who are at high risks and can get treatment immediately. As a conclusion, there are three significant factors that can lead to short-sightedness which are spending too much time focusing on nearby objects, lack of natural light while reading and being genetically inherited. If you already have short-sightedness, here are some suggestions of treatment that you can try. You can use corrective lenses such as glasses or contact lens. But, if you have enough budget, you can get laser eye surgery or make artificial lens implants. From our speech, we hope that it might help you guys to get some information about short-sightedness and get some ideas on how to treat this kind of eye condition. Remember one thing. Wearing spectacles is not easy so please take care of your eyes. If you have the symptoms of short-sightedness, go and meet the eyes specialist immediately and ask for their advice.

SILENT KILLER - COVID 19

How to Prevent the Spreading of Corona Virus

        The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, a pandemic. As of June 18, the global death toll surpassed 454,000 which more than 8.5 million cases. Besides, coronavirus has also changed our life on how we work, play and learn. Schools are closing, sports leagues have been cancelled, and many people have been asked to work from home. So, what is coronavirus? is it true it is a silent killer? According to the WHO the coronavirus family causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). They circulate in animals and some can be transmitted between animals and humans. This virus known to affect humans and has been named as COVID-19. The question is, where did it come from? China alerted the WHO to cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan on December 31. From there, COVID-19 is thought to have originated in a seafood market where wildlife was sold illegally. On February 7, Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal to humans through illegally trafficked pangolins, prized in Asia for food and medicine. Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as possible sources. What are the symptoms? Common signs of infection include fever, coughing and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure and death. The incubation period of COVID-19 is thought to be between one and 14 days. It is contagious before symptoms appear, which is why so many people get infected. So, should we worry? How can we protect yourself? There are three ways to prevent coronavirus from spreading which are by avoiding 3C (crowded place, confined space and close conversation), practice 3W (wash, wear and warn) and abide to S.O.P.

            First and foremost, in order to stop the spreading of coronavirus we are advised to avoid the 3C.  Our health ministry has stated a statement that people should avoid 3C areas namely, crowded place, confined space and close conversation during this pandemic outbreak. The first of the 3C is crowded places which explains that people should avoid the area which crowded with people that can easily contribute to the infection of covid-19. Big event that involved many people in one place are also considered as crowded place. Therefore, we should also stop mass gathering in meantime. Besides, People are being strictly advised to avoid places such as, shopping mall, stadium, parties and many more. Government also has taken initiative in which closing some of these crowded area which has potential in increasing more cases of covid-19. Next, is confined space which explain that people should avoid gathering at closed space areas. The gathering at the confined space such as religious place like mosque and church, lift, pantries and more has been strictly forbid by our ministry until the pandemic is down. The last C is for close conversation or also called as close contact. People should avoid having close contact to other people to stop the spreading of corona virus. Social distancing is one of the best way in avoiding the close conversation between people. Avoid close contact such as shaking hands and hugging to avoid ourselves becoming one of  the victim for  the coronavirus. Matthew Faiman, of Cleveland Clinic said  they are trying to use some common sense, that when people are put together in large groups, in small spaces, that when you have an illness that is borne by droplets, by coughing and sneezing, that there’s more chance to spread it among the community if you’re in close quarters. Therefore, during this pandemic outbreak, people should practicing in avoiding the 3C (Desai et al, 2020).

            Next, practicing 3W can help prevent corona virus from spreading. 3W stands for Wash, Wear and Warn. In order to fulfil the first W which is Wash, we should regularly wash our hands with hand sanitizer or preferably with soap and water.  Washing hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap can kills viruses that may be on our hands. There are 8 simple steps that we can practice while washing hands. Science has shown that washing hands for 20 seconds is effective in killing germs and the experts say that you can sing happy birthday song twice to complete the 20 seconds. Next W is Wear. The mask should be worn when we need to leave our house especially when in public. People with symptom of having fever and flu are advisable to wear a mask to reduce the spread of the viruses. People who have nature of work meeting many people should also wear mask to prevent themselves from infecting people or protect themselves from being infected. The last W told us to practice caution by avoiding handshakes, staying at home and seeking treatment if we are developing symptoms related to Covid-19. Based on the study that had been done on the Effect of Stay-at-home Orders on Covid-19 Cases and Fatalities in the United States, it is stated that the orders shows a significant sign in flattening the curve of the active cases (Fowler et al, 2020). In fact, Malaysia also shows a significant change on flattening the curve after the Movement Control Orders were announced. Now that does explain why we have to experience Online Distance Learning for this semester. It is because we need to minimize the risk of being exposed to Covid-19.

          Last, but not least, all parties should take responsibility by abide to standard operating procedure (SOP) that have been implemented by government. The S.O.P must be followed by all people, premises and companies that were allowing to operate during this pandemic. There are few S.O.P that has been implemented by government to contain the spread of Covid-19. First thing first, if you need to go outside you need to follow the 1-meter social distancing. All premises that are allowing to open during this pandemic need to ensure 1-meter social detention at accommodation by doing lines as to avoid social interaction between people. The goal of social distancing is to slow down the outbreak of the virus. Screening body temperature is another one of the S.O.P that are should be implemented by all premises and company. Before entering any places, people need to line up and getting their body temperature check by the security guard or staff involved. Not everyone infected with Covid-19 may develop fever but it is still one of the most common symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus. The normal body temperature is around 36.5°C to 37°C. If the person has higher temperature than the normal range, the person is likely considered having fever and must be isolated from other people. Premises should not allow people who are risk to enter their place. Babies and older people are the people who at higher risk of developing more serious complications from Covid-19 illness. The S.O.P done by the government is not to allow children who are below 12 years old and older people that are above 60 years old to go outside. All premises should not allow this group from entering their premises as to prevent the risk. Older people face significant risk of developing severe illness if they contract the disease due to physiological changes that come with ageing and potential underlying health conditions. While babies and children are vulnerable to the virus likely due to their immature immune systems and smaller airways, which make them more likely to develop breathing issues with respiratory virus infections. According to health authorities, they reported that there are possibilities of reducing Covid-19 cases to below 10 every day if the public follows standard operating procedures (SOPs). It depends on how well people follow S.O.P as the cases numbers would increase rapidly if SOP was not followed (CodeBlue, 2020). 

            In conclusion in order to fight this silent killer all parties should be responsible and follow all the steps above as to contain the spread of this virus.  We should take care of ourselves and people around us by avoiding the 3C, practising the 3W and follow the SOP. Our battle is not yet to end. So let’s bind our hands and together we fight this covid-19. 

Insomnia

HOW TO CURE INSOMNIA

    What is insomnia? Insomnia is a condition where someone feel trouble to fall asleep even when they have the chance to do so especially during night. The people who suffer insomnia is called insomniac, and these people often having difficulty to sleep during night and also experience daytime drowsiness yet still be unable to nap. Not everyone suffers from insomnia, but still, there is a time when you cannot really close your eyes and you wonder what is stopping you from getting your nice and comfy sleep. Therefore, I dare to say that you are actually experiencing the same problem of those who are suffering from insomnia. The symptom of insomnia may vary among others, but you don’t really have to worry since insomnia can be reduced or eliminated in a number of ways. Three ways to overcome insomnia are to change your daily habit, prepare your brain to sleep and adhere to your regular sleep schedule.

The first step to overcome insomnia is by changing your daily habit.  You need to look back at your daily habit. This is because, some of the things that you always practise as daily habit might interrupt your sleep. Firstly, you need to avoid taking sleeping pill to fall asleep as it will disrupt your sleep even more over the long term. Besides, taking sleeping pills may also harm your health. Next, reducing one’s coffee intakes is also compulsory because coffee contain stimulant that can make you feel harder to sleep. Usually, insomniac is very sensitive to this stimulant and thus may be unable to sleep even after only taking one cup of coffee during daytime. One study also found, that caffeine can delay the timing of your body clock (Thomas,2013).These effects will decline your total sleep time. Therefore, if one has a problem of falling asleep, just try to sleep without caffeine completely or avoid taking caffeinated drink at least 8 hours before going to bed. Furthermore, if you are a smoker, you should limit the intake of it. It is necessary because cigarette smoke contain high amount of drug which is nicotine that can interfere your ability to sleep. Sleep often improve in smoker who quit. When you tried to avoid yourself from doing those habit, you may find sleeping time is the best you ever had. 

Another way to help you sleep is by preparing your brain to sleep. This means that, you should be creative even in your sleep so that you can have a quality sleep. The easiest thing is by keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and cool. This is because noise, light and heat can disrupt your sleeping. So, a sound machine or earplug is recommended for you in order to avoid outside noise. Furthermore, in order to make the room cool,  you may open the window or using the fan or even install the air conditioner inside your room. This will decrease the warmness and make you feel cool so that you can sleep peacefully. Apart from that, in order for you to prevent the out light, you can also blackout the curtains and apply sleep mask to reduce the intensity of light to get through you. In addition, having a short reading before going to sleep is also recommended. Besides increasing your knowledge, reading material including newspaper, magazine, encyclopaedia and so on can guarantee you a nice sleep. Stimulating activities and stressful situations such as aggressive exercise, big discussions or argument need to be avoided before sleep. In order to avoid this, you can also choose to do some light activities such as listen to the slow song or even watch the music videos. Therefore, being creative in sleep are obviously can be helpful for you to have a nice sleep. 

Finally, you should adhere to your regular sleep schedule. Sticking to your regular sleep schedule will help to support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day including weekends. Note that our sleep schedules do vary from person to person, depending in large part on the environmental cues we give to our bodies. So, each and everyone of us should follow our own sleep schedule. Plus, getting up at your usual time in the morning even if you are tired is a must to ensure you to get back in a regular sleep rhythm. Other than that, the main thing to be focused now is to hold yourself from taking nap during the day. Naps can interfere with your sleep cycle and keep you up at night (Amanda,2019). Dr. Ramiz Fargo, medical director for the Loma Linda University Sleep Disorder Center, said that most people can take naps and still enjoy a healthy sleep cycle, but people who struggle with insomnia should avoid napping. Besides, a scientist recommends scheduling exercise when you feel like napping. He said that the exercise will chase away the sleepiness. Then you can save up that drive to sleep for later. So, be strict about sticking to your sleep schedule. Once you have reached a workable bedtime and a consistent wake up time, don’t allow yourself to stray from it. Even one late night can ruin the progress you’ve made. Predictability is key.

In conclusion, there are three things to do to overcome insomnia. You should change your daily habit, prepare your brain to sleep and adhere to your regular sleep schedule. There are actually many other ways to cure insomnia. However, the treatment and ways that I had mention are the simplest way to overcome it. This will prevent you from seeking a treatment from any specialist as you can overcome your insomnia by yourself just by practising the steps that had been informed. If your body started to show any insomnia’s symptom, you better hurry to cure it before it turns into a serious one. Finally,take a proactive steps by yourself as the saying says, ‘God did not change other’s fate if he himself did not try to change it. Due to high determination, you can make the difference for yourself. You must always expect for the best and be prepared for the worst.