Fingernails — 7 signs of possible health problems

Fingernails and your health
Your fingernails can provide clues to your overall health. But do you know how to read the signs?

Learn about some nail conditions that might require medical attention. If you have a nail problem that doesn't seem to be going away, or is associated with other signs and symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out.

Yellow nail syndrome
Yellow discoloration in your fingernails may result from a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or from swelling of your hands (lymphedema). In yellow nail syndrome, nails thicken and new growth slows, resulting in discoloration. Nails affected with this condition may lack a cuticle and may detach from the nail bed in places.

Although this condition is often a sign of respiratory disease, it's possible to have yellow nails and not have a respiratory condition. Yellow nails may also result from any condition that causes the growth of your nails to slow down.


Nail pitting
Small depressions in the nails are common in people with psoriasis — a skin condition that produces scaly patches. They may also result from nail injuries. Pitting may cause your nails to crumble.

Pitting is also associated with conditions that can damage your nail's cuticle, such as chronic dermatitis of your fingers or alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Nail clubbing
Clubbing occurs when the tips of your fingers enlarge and your nails curve around your fingertips. This condition results from low oxygen levels in your blood and could be a sign of lung disease. Clubbing is also associated with inflammatory bowel disease and liver disease

Spoon nails
Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Spoon nails may be a sign of iron deficiency anemia.

Terry's nails
With the condition known as Terry's nails, your nails look opaque, but the tip has a dark band. Sometimes this can be attributed to aging. In other cases, it can be a sign of serious illness, such as:

Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Liver disease
Malnutrition
Beau's lines
Beau's lines are indentations that run across your nails. They can appear when growth at the area under your cuticle is interrupted by injury or severe illness. Diseases or illnesses associated with Beau's lines include:

Uncontrolled diabetes
Circulatory diseases, such as peripheral artery disease
Illness associated with a high fever, caused by pneumonia, scarlet fever, mumps or measles
Malnutrition

Nail separates from nail bed
With a condition known as onycholysis, your fingernails become loose and can separate from the nail bed. If your nails show signs of detaching, this may be associated with:

Injury or infection
Thyroid disease
Drug reactions
Reactions to nail hardeners or acrylic nails
Psoriasis

What's the difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Skin?

Whether you know it or not, the health of your skin is being judged everyday. You do it yourself when you look in the mirror for blotches and bumps. Other people are also looking at your skin to determine how attractive you are.

Is your skin healthy or unhealthy? How do you know the difference? What are the components of healthy skin? Knowing the answers to these questions is the first step in determining how you should be taking care of your skin. The following are components of healthy skin.

Answer:

Even Color
Consistent color is a sign of youthful, healthy skin. Studies have shown that consistent, even skin tone is a main element of attractiveness. As a matter of fact, the consistency of skin color is considered more attractive than having a certain skin color. Examples of uneven color include:

Blotchiness
Spots that are dark, light or red
Dark circles under eyes
Smooth Texture

Healthy skin looks smooth and feels smooth. If you look at healthy skin close-up, the surface is "regularly irregular." This means that the skin is not smooth like glass but has tiny peaks around hair follicles and pores, and tiny valleys in between the peaks. These peaks and valleys are consistent throughout the skin giving it a uniform appearance. On the other hand, unhealthy skin does not have a uniform texture. Examples of texture skin problems include:

Bumps
Acne
Blackheads, whiteheads
Wrinkles
Scars
Hydration

Healthy skin is well hydrated. The skin cells slough off but this sloughing is not noticeable. If too many skin cells slough at the same time, this creates problems that we blame on dry skin, like:

Flaking skin
Scaly skin
Normal Sensations

If your skin is healthy, you shouldn't notice it or feel it unless you're looking in the mirror. Healthy skin doesn't have any unusual sensations. Signs of unhealthy skin sensations include:

Itching
Burning
Stinging
Pulling

A Bottle of Merlot

A man asked a waiter to take a bottle of Merlot to an
unusually attractive woman sitting alone at a table in a cosy little restaurant.

So the waiter took the Merlot to the woman and said,
'This is from the gentleman who is seated over there.' and
indicated the sender with a nod of his head.

She stared at the wine coolly for a few seconds, not
looking at the man, then decided to send a reply to him by a
note.

The waiter, who was lingering nearby for a response, took
the note from her and conveyed it to the gentleman.

The note read:

'For me to accept this bottle, you need to have a
Mercedes in your garage, a million dollars in the bank and 7
inches in your pants'.

After reading the note, the man decided to compose one of
his own in return. He folded the note, handed it to the
waiter and instructed him to deliver it to the lady.

It read:

'Just to let you know things aren't always what they
appear to be, I have a Ferrari Maranello, BMW Z8, Mercedes
CL600, and a Porsche Turbo in my several garages; I have beautiful homes
in Aspen , Miami, and a 10,000 acre ranch in Louisiana. There is over
twenty million dollars in my bank account and portfolio.

But, not even for a woman as beautiful as you are.........would I cut off
three inches!! Just send the bottle back.'


--
"... i'd rather be hated for what i am,
than be loved for what i am not ... "

Kind hearted Lawyer‏

One afternoon a wealthy lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass.

Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate. He asked one man 'Why are you eating grass?'

'We don't have any money for food,' the poor man replied. 'We have to eat grass.'

'Well, then, you can come with me to my house and I'll feed you', the lawyer said.

'But sir, I have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree'.

'Bring them along,' the lawyer replied. Turning to the other poor man he stated, 'You come with us also.'

The second man, in a pitiful voice then said, 'But sir, I also have a wife and SIX children with me!'

'Bring them all, as well,' the lawyer answered.

They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine was.

Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the lawyer and said, 'Sir, you are too kind. Thank you for taking all of us with you.'

The lawyer replied, 'Glad to do it. You'll really love my place; the grass is almost 1 metre high!'

Can I Borrow $25?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'

DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.

SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.

SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'

DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'

SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down. 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.

'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love..

Have we forgotten what is really important in life? Too caught up in money, personal
ambitions, and forgot how to enjoy and appreciate the sweet simplicities in life?

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

HOW TO LIVE LIFE

Life is short
P lease, while you can,
take time to enjoy all the little pleasures
that God has provided for you.

Then enjoy the comfort of coming home again

Spread your wings and take off on your own.

WATCH THE MOON RISE

Enjoy the relaxing rhythm of waves

Explore the world around you.

Stay close to your Family.

Bloom as often as you can

Be Calm. . . . Quiet. . . . Tranquil. . .

Interesting pictures

Yikes.


What's happening?? Don't we all want to do this some days?


Saskatchewan Home Security!



Thirsty!
PICTURES THAT MAKE YOU SAY, 'Huh?'
Hey, everybody..watch out!!

Interesting to know..

The bridge (or should it be called tunnel) goes under water to allow movement of ships . In order for ships to pass, this bridge is half under the water. You drive down in the water and then come out on the other side. Truly a marvelous piece of engineering! This bridge is between Sweden and Denmark . The picture was taken from the Sweden side.

Fantastic police motorbike formation

DO YOU KNOW??....

This guy is really skillful...

The story of Breakfast at McDonald’s ..

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

The story goes...

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.
The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So I thought this would be a piece of cake.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'.

His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.'

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

There is an Angel sent to watch over you.

An Angel wrote:

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.


To handle yourself, use your head.

To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

A Box of gold With a secret inside that has never been told

This box is priceless but as I see The treasure inside is
precious to me

Cat city - Cultural village..

This is another pleasant and unforgettable experience place of interest while visiting the cat city in Sarawak East Malaysia.This place is practically a "living Museum" because it has 7 authentic ethnic houses built around a nice looking lake. Lush of green everywhere giving a feeling of back to nature..seeing monkeys too on trees!!




Lovely and calm surroundings with traditional games, household chores, rituals and ceremonies performed within and outside the ethnic houses. There are also handicraft-making demonstrations by these skilled groups of people. Beautiful artwork, and knit knacks. The prices of these are not expensive...I couldn't resist buying a few pieces to bring home as souvenirs.
There are magnificent multi-cultural dance performances in their comfortable theater where I enjoyed throughout the shows. One of the fascinating dance I would like to share here is the dance portraying the warrior as he goes about on a hunting trip in the jungle. This guy is very good with his blow pipe made of bamboo, blows out deadly darts which hits right at the targets. Very skillful and handsome too!! Simply fascinating.. Love it.

The cat city vacation

Origin of name

Latest holiday destination we visited is the cat city..The cat in Malay Language is KUCHING. Kuching is the State capital of Sarawak in East Malaysia.This is a place described as one of the most attractive cities in Southeast Asia. It is always interesting to find out how such name is acquired. Nevertheless, there are a number stories or sayings as to how this beautiful place got its name.

There is a local legend that James Brooke(the first White Rajah of Sarawak) was pointing towards the settlement across the river,and asking what place it was called. However, he was mistakenly thought he was pointing to a passing cat.

There is a separate theory whereby it may actually be a variation of the Indian name for "port" - "Cochin". Kuching was first settled by Indian traders who set up base at Santubong. Some museum pieces/Artifacts of Hindu origin can still be be seen at the State Museum today.

Another theory is that the city was named after the "mata kucing" or "cat's eye" fruit. Trees bearing this fruit used to grow in abundance by the river banks - where the city's commercial heart, is located. There is a hill in the heart of the modern city called Bukit Mata Kuching, and was named after the fruit. Also, at the foot of the hill, there was once a stream called the Kuching River.

There is another more credible theory and that Kuching actually means "Ku" - Old and "Ching" - Well or "old well" in Chinese. During the Brooke's rule, there was no proper water supply and water-borne diseases were common. Evidence of the well is still found at China Street.

The city has never been noted for having a significantly large population of cats. Although we do sometimes see a couple of cats roaming around here and there..In fact, the many cat statues, the Kuching Cat Museum and other association with cats have been largely a recent phenomenon, part of a modern effort of tourism. Many travel brochures refer to Kuching as "Cat City" or the "City of Cats".
Nice place to visit and love the slow moving pattern of life style compared to over here in Kuala Lumpur (West Malaysia).