What Causes Cardiovascular Diseases?

One of the major causes of cardiovascular disease in most cases is the
formation of plaque in the blood vessels. The plaque can lead to the
clogging of the blood vessels causing death, disability, or strokes. Strokes
are caused by ruptured blood vessels leaking blood into the brain.

Here are some symptoms of stroke:

1: Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, particularly if it is
on one side of the body
2: Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden difficulty
with walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
3: Sudden trouble seeing from one or both eyes
4: Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Dimming the Shine of Oily Skin

If you have oily skin — you’re lucky! Oily skin has great advantages.
Your skin will probably be less likely to wrinkle, age, and sag. On
the other hand, it may feel greasy and develop shiny patches even a
short time after you wash it. The highest concentration of sebaceous
glands is in the T-zone, and the excess sebum from this area
plus the sweat glands on the skin can make your skin look even
greasier and shinier. (Take a look at Chapter 4 to see the T-zone.)

But you can temporarily squelch the shine with many products now
available such as blotting papers, oil-absorbing powders, and foundations.
Even the application of medicated prescription products
such as retinoids and benzoyl peroxide are temporary cosmetic
maneuvers that remove the surface oil. The deeper oils (sebum) are
bound to keep flowing despite what you do to the surface.

You can try tackling T-zone oiliness with Clinac O.C. (Oil Control)
Gel, which can be purchased without a prescription. It mops up
excess sebum without drying the skin. In addition, if you’re looking
for a matte finish, you can try a “mattifier,” a shine-stopping product
that helps absorb oil on your face and, ideally, prevents oil
from breaking through. The following are a few suggestions:

** Neutrogena Pore Refining Mattifier Shine Control Gel

** Lancome Pure Focus T-Zone Mattifier

** Loreal Hydra Mattify

Prevent skin damage

The best way to prevent skin damage from the sun besides moving
to the Antarctic — oops, never mind, I forgot about the hole in the
ozone layer there — is to avoid excessive exposure to UV and the
sun. You can accomplish this by following these tips:

1: Shun the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m, especially during late spring and summer when the
sun is most intense.

2: Wear protective headgear such as a hat with a wide brim to protect your face, head, and
the back of your neck. You can also wear a baseball cap, long-sleeved shirts, and long
pants.

3: Be aware of reflected light from sand, water, or snow.

4: Avoid tanning parlors.

5: Slather on the sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater — at least 30 minutes before sun
exposure, even on cloudy, hazy days.

6: Reapply sunscreens liberally and frequently at least every two to three hours, and after
swimming or sweating.

7: Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVB (the burning rays) and UVA
(the more penetrating rays that promote wrinkling and aging).

If you’re a person of color and have the dark spots of PIP, they’re
often further darkened by sun exposure. A broad-spectrum sunscreen
will offer you the best protection.

Exploring Your Largest Organ

You may not really think of the skin as an organ, like the heart and
lungs. To many people, skin seems more like a simple cover to prevent
their insides from falling out. An organ is a somewhat independent
part of the human body that performs a specific function.
Once you know that, you can see that the skin is an organ, because
it performs the following specific functions (in addition to others):

1: Protects your body from infection

2: Serves as a waterproof barrier between you and the outside
world

3: Shields you from the sun’s harmful rays

4: Provides cushioning like a shock absorber that defends you from injury

5: Insulates your body and keeps your temperature right around a cozy 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit
(37 degrees Celsius)

6: Acts as an energy reserve

7: Alerts you to potential harm through your sensations of touch and pain

8: Repairs itself (that’s why cuts heal)

9: Produces vitamin D