Everything To Know About Puberty.What Happens To Girls And Boys In This Period?

Everything To Know About Puberty
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Puberty e period of time during which your body begins to change and you turn yourself from child to man / woman – i.e maturation. During puberty, your body develops much more rapidly, than in other periods of your life.

 Puberty in boys begins between 9 and 15 years of age, in girls it happens a little earlier, between 8 and 13 years of age. This wide range shows, why some of your friends look like children, unlike others. When your body is ready for puberty, the pituitary gland begins to secrete specific hormones. Depending on your gender, these hormones affect different parts of the body.

What changes occur in boys and girls?

Boys' hormones move through the bloodstream. Testicles, then produce testosterone and sperm. Testosterone is the hormone, responsible for most changes, that occur in  boy's body, during puberty.

In girls, hormones move to both ovaries. They force the ovaries to secrete a hormone, called estrogen. All these hormones prepare girl’s body to start menstruation.

Both in boys and girls, this is a period, when hair start growing around the genitals and under the arms. These are  thin and light hairs, that over puberty becoming more dense and dark. Boys start noticing hair on their face.

Growth spurts

During maturation of the body, which lasts approximately 2-3 years, some children may grow up to 10 cm and more, about one year. During this period, one can see fast  feet growth, which can cause teenagers to feel a little bit awkward and clumsy.

Body Contouring

Shoulders of the boys become more broad, and body more muscular. Boys’ voices begin to mutate - become deeper and masculine.  Both, their penises and testicles become larger.

The bodies of the girls are also changing. Their hips widen and breasts begin to swell. Sometimes the one breast grows faster, than the other, but  do not worry. Some girls start wearing bras at that time. Others, due to rapid weight gain, began dieting, which is not recommended during this period of maturation.

The most common question that torments girls is, when they will see the first menstrual period. This usually occurs about two years after their breasts started to develop.

Another major problem that they may encounter during puberty is acne . During this period skin faster become oily, caused by growth and the increased work of hormones.

Acne can occur even with the start of puberty, or later. Pimples can be seen on the face, upper back, or upper chest.

More details on how to treat acne with natural remedies - here.

Excessive body odor during puberty

You've probably heard that during puberty in some children, armpits, or other body parts stink. This is because during puberty hormones stimulate glands, located in the skin.

What happens to girls and boys in this period?

Girls can feel white fluid coming from the vagina, called vaginal discharge and that is  a signal that their body is changing.

Boys begin to get an erection, which can sometimes happen without reason. The boys can also experience so-called wet dreams, or pollution.

During these changes they may seem a little strange.  Strong emotions appearing, or  you may feel strongly upset or confused. Some children get angry  fast or make friends hard. They can also have problems with how their body looks.

May  appear and sexual feelings, that they have never experienced. Talk about this to your parents, do not let the problems within ourselves. People are different, so maybe some of your friends already have the first periods, or have more developed breasts than you. Do not worry, you should not despair……

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When We Have Poor Quality Of Hemoglobin? How To Improve Hemoglobin Levels During Pregnancy?

When We Have Poor Quality Of Hemoglobin?
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What is hemoglobin?

Hemoglobin is a protein located in red blood cells. It carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and returns carbon dioxide from there to the lungs.

Hemoglobin consists of four protein molecules, which are interconnected. An interesting fact is, that the iron contained in hemoglobin is the cause of its red color.

Hemoglobin plays a very important role in maintaining the shape of red blood cells. In its natural form, red blood cells resemble a donut, without a hole in the middle.

How to measure hemoglobin in blood?

There are several methods for measuring hemoglobin -more here.

What is normal hemoglobin level?

Hemoglobin level is expressed as the amount of hemoglobin in grams (gm) to deciliter (dl) of whole blood. (1 deciliter = 0.1 liters)

Normal hemoglobin depend on the age and sex:

newborn children 17-22 gr / dL

babies one week of age - 15 to 20 gr / dL

babies one month of age- 11 -15 gr / dl

children -11-13 gr / dL

older men -14-18 gr / dL

older women - 12-16 gr / dL

men over middle age - from 12.4 to 14.9 gr / dL

women over middle age -from 11.7 to 13.8 gr / dL

In different blood laboratories these values ​​may vary slightly. Some of them do not make difference between the values ​​for adults (men / women) and (men / women) middle age.

What does a low level of hemoglobin mean?

The low level of hemoglobin is usually associated with anemia, or low red blood cells count.

Some of the main causes of anemia are:

• blood loss (traumatic injury, surgery, bleeding, colon cancer, or gastric ulcer)
• nutritional deficiency (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid)
• bone marrow problems
• suppression of drugs (chemotherapy, renal failure)
• disorders of hemoglobin structure (sickle cell anemia or thalassemia).

What does high hemoglobin mean?

Higher hemoglobin levels usually occur in people, living at high altitude, and in smokers. Dehydration can produce false levels of hemoglobin, but when fluid balance is restored properly, it returns to normal levels.

Reasons for the high levels could be:

• advanced disease of the lung (emphysema)
• tumors
• disease of the bone marrow
• drug abuse

When we have poor quality of hemoglobin?

This happens when we have sickle cell anemia. This is a genetic condition, which  may lead to unusual form of (sickled) red blood cells. These cells are difficult to pass through narrow blood vessels, which can deprive organs of oxygen. Sickled cells themselves, have a little life (10 to 20 days), and this can lead to premature replacement of red blood cells, causing anemia.

The symptoms of this form of anemia can vary depending on its severity. These may include:

• aches and pains
• pain in the chest and bones
• breathlessness
• skin ulcers
• fatigue, stroke, blindness
• slowdown in growth during puberty

How to improve hemoglobin levels during pregnancy?

Question: I am pregnant since twelve weeks and my hemoglobin was 8, how to increase it? What kind of food to include in my diet ?

The most common cause of anemia in pregnancy is the lack of iron and folic acid. Even if the woman is not anemic during pregnancy, she can develop it with the approaching birth. There are certain risk factors for mothers who are anemic:

• poor nutrition
• lifting
• vomiting in early pregnancy

Naturally the concentration of iron in the body, is regulated by the cells  in the small intestine, which changes the absorption of iron, in order to compensate losses from the body. Iron deficiency is due to the reduced iron intake (from food), and the excessive loss of iron from the body.

Blood loss (hemorrhage) is the most common cause of excessive loss of iron from the body. Menstrual blood losses may vary considerably (10-250 ml), as the loss of iron with any normal menstruation is about 12-15 mg.

In some women it can reach up to 100 mg. Just these factors double iron. The quantity "absorbed" iron from body is only 10% of the total amount consumed. For example, only 1 mg of iron is absorbed, by every 10 to 20mg absorbed iron.

Normal diet should include 1.5 - 2 mg of iron per day, to compensate for the loss in menstruation period. During pregnancy, the mother needs extra amount of 500mg, baby and placenta also have a "need" from another 500 mg. In this situation, an additional 3 mg of iron per day must be obtained from diet.

The absorption of iron from the diet may be influenced by many factors.

For example, the iron coming from animal sources, is much more suitable for the absorption of the iron, coming from non-animal sources (e.g., vegetables).

Vegetarians need more iron, because when it is provided from plant products, its assimilation is more difficult, unlike animal products. Vegetarians have to obtain the necessary iron from plants, which contain it in larger doses:

• corn
• beans, lentils
• green leafy vegetables
• tomatoes, potatoes
• green and red peppers (chili)
• fruits and nuts

The absorption of iron from animal sources (meat, fish) can be improved by consumption of fruits and vegetables at the same time.

Treatment

The most inexpensive and effective therapy consists in the adoption of iron tablets. Treatment should lasts about three months to return to normal levels of hemoglobin.


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10 Home Remedies For Anemia. Recipes. Treatment With Herbs.

10 Home Remedies For Anemia. 

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10 Home remedies for anemia

Recipes:

1.Drinking mead

 Preparation:

In 5 liters of water put one 1 kg. honey and boil it for 1-2 hours over low heat, constantly removing the foam. To the boiling liquid add some cinnamon, vanilla, pepper. Keep it in a dark and cool place, after 40 days the mead is ready for drinking.

2.Yarrow

Pour a cup of boiling water over a heaped teaspoon of yarrow. After 30 seconds drink on a small sips of the tea. Drink it 4 times daily. 

3. Nettle

Prepare infusion of 12 tbsp dried nettle leaves. Pour 600 ml boiling water. Drink three times a day, by 200 ml.

4. Garlic

Pour with spiritis 300 gr. peeled garlic and put in jar (cover it) in the fridge.  Three weeks after, the infusion is ready for drinking. Drink 20 drops  with milk or water, three times a day. 

5. A mixture of carrots, beetroot and radish

Eat a mixture of 2 tablespoons of carrot, beetroot and turnip, every day for 2-3 months.

6. Red wine, honey and aloe

Take 700 ml. of red wine, 300 gr. honey and 250 gr. of aloe ( it should be strained through cheesecloth). In a jar, mix honey, wine and aloes and put it in a fridge. Shake it every day for 7 days.

How to take it?

Monday - take 1 tbsp only in the morning;

Tuesday -take 1 tbsp only in the morning;

Wednesday – take 1 tbsp. only at lunch time;

Thursday- take 1 tbsp. only in the evening;

Friday – take 1 tbsp in the morning, 1 tbsp  at lunch, and 1 tbsp in the evening;

Saturday – take 1 tbsp in the morning, 1 tbsp  at lunch, and 1 tbsp in the evening;

Sunday - take 1 tbsp in the morning, 1 tbsp  at lunch, and 1 tbsp in the evening;

7. Centaurium erythraea

Place in 1 liter of red wine, 60 stalks, for eight days (in the fridge). Drink  3 times a day, by glass of wine, before eating. 

8. Yellow butterwort

Put 1 tsp of (finely chopped yellow butterwort roots) in 500 ml of water. Boil for five minutes. Drink 3 times by a cup of coffee, before eating.

9. Pine needles

Fifty grams of pine needles are boiled in 250 ml of water for 20 minutes. Drink it, seasoned with lemon juice and sugar. 

10. Dandelion salad

Every day, eat a plate of salad of dandelion leaves.

Foods rich in iron

Celery

Celery is high in iron and magnesium. Iron is a component of heme, which is needed for production of hemoglobin in the blood. Thus, a diet rich in celery, helps to increase the amount of blood in the body.

 Chicory

Chicory is an effective tonic for blood. If taken with celery and parsley, it shows excellent results. These three herbs can be taken as a salad, by people suffering from anemia.  

Fenugreek

The bitter taste of fenugreek is an important component of the aromatic Indian cuisine. Its leaves are useful in building of  blood amount in our body. It is especially effective in females, who suffer from anemic conditions, due to the onset of puberty.

Onion

Onions is rich in iron. The advantage is that, it can be easily absorbed by blood. Therefore, onion is the most effective medicine for anemia. Recommended consumption - an average head of onion every day.

Wormwood

Wormwood is another herb that is rich in iron. Hence, it is regularly used in the treatment of anemia.  Recommended consumption of wormwood, at least three times daily.

What You Need To Know About Anemia - Four Curious Facts. 14 Less Common Causes.

What You Need To Know About Anemia - Four Curious Facts
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What is anemia?

When the number of red blood cells in blood is low, it is all about anemia.

Blood is divided into two components: a liquid part – plasma, and cellular-containing several different cell types. The most important and the most numerous cells in human blood are red blood cells. 

The rest are platelets and white blood cells. The main task of the red blood cells is to carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. The red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow after a series of complex operations. Unlike most cells in the body, they do not have a core.

4 curious facts about anemia……

1. To not suffer from anemia, red blood cells should be in adequate number, and nutrients, bone marrow and kidneys, should work in full harmony. If your kidneys, or bone marrow are not functioning, or the body has a shortage of nutrients, the red blood cells will not be in the right number and their function will be extremely difficult to be maintained.

2. Anemia acts like a safety valve (signal) for starting morbid process in the body. It is divided into two types of acute and chronic.

Chronic continues for a longer period.  Its symptoms occur more slowly and evolve gradually, until the acute starts abruptly and it is exhausting.

3. Red blood cells live about 100 days, and the body repeatedly trying to replace them. In elderly people, the production of red blood cells occurs in the bone marrow.  Doctors should determine, whether the low number of red blood cells is caused by loss of red blood cells, or their production in the bone marrow is reduced. Knowing, whether the number of white blood cells (or thrombocytes) have changed, helps to determine the cause of anemia.

4. Young women are in danger twice, because of menstrual bleeding.

Types of anemia

According to the size of red blood cells, there are three basic types:

1.Macrocytic anemia

It occurs when red blood cells are less, than normal. Among the main reasons are lack of iron (or low iron) and thalassemia (hereditary diseases associated with hemoglobin). How to lower hemoglobin – here.

2.Normocytic anemia

It occurs when red blood cells are normal in size, but they are few in number. This type of anemia is associated with kidney disease.

3.Makrocytic anemia

It occurs when red blood cells are larger than normal. The main reason for this type of anemia is pernicious anemia and anemia associated with alcoholism.

14 Causes of anemia

Among the common causes of anemia are:

1.active bleeding (anemia caused by it), usually in heavy menstrual bleeding, gastrointestinal ulcers or cancer (colon cancer).

2.iron deficiency - the bone marrow needs iron to produce red blood cells.

Iron plays a very large role in the proper structuring of the hemoglobin molecule. If there is a deficiency of iron, you are affected by microcytic anemia (see above). This kind of anemia can occur if you have chronic bleeding, colon cancer, uterine cancer, intestinal polyps, hemorrhoids etc.

3.chronic illness - any long-term chronic disease (such as chronic infection or cancer) can provoke anemia.

4.kidney disease - the kidneys secrete a hormone (erythropoietin) that helps the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. In people with long renal disease, the production of this hormone is reducing. This in turn, leads to reduced production of red blood cells and thus begins anemia.

5.pregnancy - the presence of water and more fluid during pregnancy, dilutes blood, and it leads to a reduced concentration of red blood cells.

6.poor diet - to produce red blood cells, the body needs vitamins and minerals, and for the proper production of hemoglobin are required iron, vitamin B 12 and folic acid. 

Deficiency of any of these components can result in anemia. Attention! Strict observance of a vegetarian diet can cause low levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid, which in turn leads to anemia.

7.problems in the stomach or intestine (pernicious anemia), which in turn leads to poor absorption of vitamin B 12

8.abnormal hemoglobin molecules (sickle cell anemia). This affects the overall structure of red blood cells and they may take the form of a semicircle. People, suffering from this type of anemia can be diagnosed in childhood, depending on the severity and symptoms of the disease.

9.talasemiya- it can be different, starting from mild to severe.  The reasons are hereditary, associated with abnormalities in hemoglobin (the correct amount of hemoglobin molecules is insufficient).

10.alcoholism - poor nutrition and lack of vitamins and minerals, are associated with alcoholism. Alcohol can be toxic to the bone marrow and  to slow the production of red blood cells.

 11.diseases associated with bone marrow - certain cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma may change the production of red blood cells and to provoke anemia.

12.aplastic anemia - many viral infections can seriously affect the bone marrow and to limit the production of all blood cells. Chemotherapy and some cancer drugs can do the same.

13.hemolytic anemia - red blood cells become dysfunctional for various reasons. Some of its forms can be inherited, as they constantly destroy themselves and quickly reproduce new red blood cells.

14.anemia associated with drugs - they may cause it as a side effect (hemolysis, bone marrow toxicity). Such drugs might be HIV AIDS medicines for malaria, antifungals, antihistamines, certain antibiotics (see also why antibiotics can increase Candida albicans).

Less common causes of anemia:

• thyroid problems
• liver disease
• lead poisoning
• malaria
• viral hepatitis
• mononucleosis
• bleeding disorders
• autoimmune diseases