Sore Throat & Allergies Common as Sandstorms in Saudi Arabia

Allergic disorders among primary school children in Saudi Arabia are very common in primary school-aged children in Saudi Arabia, with figures comparable to the highest risk regions in the world. These findings were published in a two-stage cross-sectional survey prevalence of allergic disorders among primary school-aged children in Madinah. Saudi Arabia has found that over 40% of children manifest symptoms indicative of allergic disease prevalence within the first eight years of life. The prevalence of sandstorms in the region adds to the health problems and cause a high occurrence of respiratory diseases. 

What Causes Allergies?

Allergies are most likely to impact the respiratory system as it is a prime target for air-borne pollutants such as dust and biological particles such pollen, bacteria, fungi as well as harmful chemicals. Biological particles that are usually found in a sandstorm contain microbes which can survive after being transported over great distances. 

The most common respiratory complaints range from eye irritation, headaches, and sleep disturbance, tightness in the chest, asthma attacks, wheezing, coughing and a running nose. A running nose is the most common of all symptoms (51.06%) and usually the first to develop. Of these symptoms, the last few can be treated in the same manner as a sore throat therefore the treatment is the same as how to treat sore throats.

How are Allergies Treated?

The easiest way to get instant relief from a sore throat is to eat a throat lozenge since allergy-induced soreness is directly manifested in the form of a 'scratch' throat or a 'raw' feeling caused by the running nose and post nasal discharge. If the symptoms persist, you can opt for steam. Steam is a natural way to clear up a blocked nose and congestion. The warm steam provides relief from the dryness of the throat and restores the moisture of the throat lining. Needless to say, during this time it is a good idea to avoid exposure to the allergens themselves but this can be difficult to practically achieve. The presence of cigarette smoke, dust mites, mold and pet dander (hair and skin particles) can escalate your allergy symptoms. In which case, it is probably best to consult your doctor. The doctor might perform a few tests to determine the allergy-causing factors and even prescribe decongestants or nasal sprays to relive the post nasal drip. They might alternatively prescribe over the counter antihistamine medicine as well.

Regardless of the doctor's choice of how to treat sore throat, prevention is still the best form of cure and a little carefulness can go a long way.

Why to Avoid Dark Circles at Your Workplace

There has been an increase in the number of women who are entering the workforce in Saudi Arabia. As of now, the demand for jobs for women is increasing at a higher rate than the availability of jobs for women. Besides traditional job avenues for women such as teaching, women are also entering other fields such as interior design, law and computer engineering according to an article in The Middle East Eye. At the same time, the Ministry of Labour is aiming at increasing the participation of women in the workforce by running several programs with the same objective.  

At the workplace, regardless of your gender, it is important to appear neat, tidy and efficient to your superiors and co-workers. One of the ways you can create the wrong impression is by having dark circles under your eyes at work. Let us look at the kind of associations people usually make when they see a co-worker with dark circles.

What Impressions Others Form About You

Bad personal routine: Yes, everyone knows what typically causes dark circles under eyes is lack of sleep. However, people are not going to stop and make concerned enquiries about why you are not getting enough sleep. They are most likely to form a conclusion about your lack of discipline and decide that you do not follow a healthy daily routine. The idea they form is that someone who cannot take care of their basic health needs such as getting enough sleep, they would not be able to take care of the work that is assigned to them either.

Bad personal health: One of the causes for the formation of circles is a deficiency of iron in your diet. Keep in mind that excessive consumption of coffee or tea at the same time will reduce your body's capacity to absorb iron. In fact, there are a number of health problems that people might assume you are suffering from just by looking at the condition your eyes are in. Puffy eyes can be misunderstood to be a sign of kidney trouble. Yellow eyes can indicate jaundice and even make people think that you are fond of drinking excessive alcohol.  

Too old for the job: When you appear younger, people assume that you are energetic and alert. Dark circles under your eyes will make your face appear ragged and older. We are not suggesting that you use anything more than ordinary make up to make yourself seem more polished and professional. Studies have found that those who look fit for the job are more likely to be given important tasks.

Make up is a very personal thing. While you might wear a little make up to a job interview, you will not wear any for a college examination. The fact is that make up makes you feel confident in the knowledge that you are not just looking your best but also feeling your best.

What is “Bugging” Saudi Arabian Homes the Most?

A pest is defined as a plant or animal that causes harm to humans, agriculture or livestock. In simple words, they are the organisms that cause nuisance and epidemic diseases, specifically plague, leading to death and destruction. In even simpler words, they are the biggest enemies humans have today. Remember Jerry, the mouse from Tom and Jerry? When you were young, he must have made you laugh a lot but what if he enters your own house? Yeah, that's the kind of destruction we are talking about here.

Saudi Arabia, being a Middle-Eastern country with relatively higher temperatures all through the year, is home to many different types of pests. According to a report, the annual loss due to eradication of severely infested palms stands at an estimated value of US$1.74–US$8.69 million.

It is not just the financial loss that these pests lead to but they also cause too many diseases. Pest control is an important step towards a safer home. Here is a list of commonly found pests in Saudi Arabian homes.

Mice

We can only blame movies like 'Stuart Little' and 'Mouse Hunt' for making the mouse look so cute and innocent. In real life, they are a big pain. They spread many diseases while searching for food and shelter. They can also damage your property, furniture and equipment.

Rats

If mice were not enough, they also have a cousin in the rat. Once they are in your house, they are not leaving any time sonn. They cause damage and contaminate food, spread diseases and, the worst part, shed hair all over the place. One pair of rats sheds more than 1 million body hair each year and a single rat leaves up to 25,000 droppings.

Cockroaches

Another insect made to look cute in cartoons is in reality nothing like Oggy’s roaches. They are carriers of diseases such as Salmonella, Dysentery and Gastroenteritis. Their droppings also cause asthma and eczema.

Bed Bugs

Remember the old saying, “Sleep tight, don't like the bed bugs bite”? Growing up you realize that these insects are not limited to public places, such as cinemas and hotels. They can be easily transported to your home and once they are in, say goodbye to your sleep. Your nights will more often than not end in a horrible itch that doesn’t seem to go away.

Flies

There are 120,000 known species of flies in the world and they are present everywhere, except for Antarctica. They need some ingenuity in keeping them at bay.

These bugs are an increasing problem worldwide and it is important to opt for pest control to make your home safe and pest free. 

The Quest for Permanent Hair Removal

For centuries humans have looked for ways to permanently remove hair from their bodies. A thousand years back ancient Arabic, Persian and Egyptian practised hair removal. A hundred years back Gillette created the first safety razor for women under the brand name Milady Decolletée. The first depilatory creams also appeared in markets around the same time. Since then, there has been little change in the methods of hair removal. You can either shave it off with a blade or rub or remove it with a cream or wax. It was in 1963 that the first signs of change appeared in the form of a new technology.

Enter Major Laser

The father of laser medicine, Dr Leon Goldman first used a ruby laser for treating skin problems and published an article on the interaction between skin and laser light. The first lasers used in the procedure were nothing compared to modern-day technology and could only be used on people with fair skin and dark hair colour. Darker skin types had a tendency to burn the hair and surrounding skin.

The next generation of alexander lasers were not capable of the required heat levels and the time they took was too long to be considered effective. Things changed when pulsed diode array lasers that could handle all skin types. Even currently, there are a number of laser hair removal technologies that can be matched to individual requirements. Some rely on a hybrid of laser and radio frequencies. Let us look at the effectiveness of the different lasers used:

·                     Intense pulsed light: 66.96% hair reduction (15.3 % incidence of side effects)

·                     Alexandrite lasers: 68.75% hair reduction (9.5 % incidence of side effects)

·                     Diode lasers: 71.71% hair reduction (28.9 % incidence of side effects)

Since the 1990s laser hair removal has really caught on and is an approved medical (actually cosmetic) procedure. Laser hair removal treatments usually require a minimum of seven sessions. Part of the problem is that laser only works on the actively growing hair follicles and hair in other phases of growth are not impacted. Additionally, you will have to wait for a minimum of three weeks between sessions. Clearly, if you want more immediate results, you will be better off using a good depilatory wax or cream like Veet Spawax or Hair Removal Cream. However, laser hair removal is not the ultimate form of hair removal and definitely not permanent.

Next the Body Electric

When scientists observed that placing an electrode about the same thickness as the human hair in the hair follicle and electrified, it destroys the hair matrix cells and the follicle is rendered incapable of future hair growth and the first truly permanent hair removal method was found. Unfortunately, electology takes forever. For complete removal of facial hair, the treatment takes up to 2 years averaging one session every week. Just eyebrow shaping could take up to 30 sessions.

While these are two best options for long-term or permanent hair removal, we do wish that the waiting for results wasn't equally long-term. 

Various ways to remove grass stains out from the clothing!

How to get grass stains out is the main question that pops up when you come home after playing or doing some activity from the garden. Grass stains are very stubborn and it becomes very difficult to remove these stains from the cloth. Here are some of the most amazing tips that when you follow, will help you in getting rid of the grass stains completely and to great extent.

You need to check with these steps before washing the clothes:

 

·         You need to start by tapping the soaked cloth on the area with water. Once you utilize the water, try rubbing some amount of alcohol dipped cloth on the affected area. Let the solution dry and refrain yourself from rubbing the solution on cloth made from silk or wool as it will have adverse effect on the cloth. For clothes made from acetate, make the solution dilute by adding 3 parts of water and one part of alcohol.

·         You need to sponge the affected area with normal or cold water and cure the stain by using some liquid detergent solution, then rinse it off and let it dry.

·         When the stains are visible, soak your cloth in a blend of 1 tbsp of stain eradicating enzyme products such as Era and lukewarm water for around 40 to 50 minutes. Once the cloth is soaked, then rinse off the cloth entirely and launder in lukewarm water again by using bleach, which is better for the color and fabric both.

·         When your clothes are white and have stain of grass then bleach these stains by mixing hydrogen peroxide on the stain directly and let it dry. In case the stain isn’t gone completely then try using hydrogen peroxide again.

Different ways to remove the stains for those clothes that needs to be dry-cleaned:

·         When your clothes have grass stains then make sure you take the cloth to the dry cleaners and show them the spot on the clothes.

·         In case you wish to remove the stain all by yourself then it is always advisable to dab your cloth in white vinegar solution mixed with water. When this doesn’t eliminate the stain, try using an enzyme product paste on the affected area. Don’t apply vinegar or enzyme items on clothes that are made up of silk or wool. You need to leave this enzyme item on the affected area for around 35 minutes, and then wipe off the enzyme product with damp and warm sponge.

You should avoid using these products on your clothes that are extremely delicate like silk or wool and also don’t use any detergents that are harsh, alkalis, alkaline detergents, degreasers or ammonia on the grass stain. There are some fabrics that are delicate and colored from which it is quite difficult or not possible to remove the stains at all. When you try removing stains from the cloth then it is always advisable to take some professional or elderly help.