Health News__
Vitamin D Deficiency Common In People With Diabetes

.....Close to three out of every five patients with type 2 diabetes show signs of vitamin D deficiency, reports the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Because a lack of vitamin D can negatively affect bone health and have other adverse effects, screening for vitamin D deficiency or routine vitamin D supplementation should be considered for people with diabetes.
The rate of vitamin D deficiency (61 percent) was significantly higher in people with diabetes than in the controls (43 percent). The study reported that people with diabetes with a vitamin D deficiency were more likely to be women, to have poorly controlled diabetes, and to be taking insulin and cholesterol-lowering drugs

Calcium Pills Helpful, If Women Take Them Daily

.....Older women who took calcium supplements twice a day reduced their risk of breaking a bone, but taking daily calcium proved to be a problem. But taking extra calcium in supplement form did help those women who took them consistently, the report said.
Among the 310 women in the study who took at least 80 percent of their allotted calcium, 10 percent suffered a fracture within one year compared to 15 percent of the 320 women who regularly took a placebo, the study found. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Swimmer’s Itch

..... Swimmer’s itch is really just a fluke! A fluke is a type of parasite. These parasites penetrate the skin of humans and cause an allergic reaction in some people which is characterized by an a patchy red pinpoint skin rash.
..... Humans pick up these parasites from infested freshwater lakes and ponds. When they come into contact with humans, the flukes attach themselves to the skin, but do not penetrate until the water droplet they are in evaporates.
Who gets swimmer’s itch?
..... Approximately one third of people who come into contact with the parasite will develop swimmer’s itch. People who come into contact with swimmer’s itch are those who swim or wade in infested water. This itching rash can affect anyone, regardless of age or sex. Children, however, are more often infected due to their habits of alternately playing in the water and then on the beach until the water evaporates. Swimmer’s itch is only contracted from infested water; it cannot be spread from one person to another.
Is it possible to prevent swimmer’s itch?
..... It is relatively impossible to avoid coming into contact with this parasite if you are swimming in an infested lake. It is, however, possible to prevent them from burrowing into your skin and causing a rash. The best way to prevent a swimmer’s itch infection is to have a shower and then dry off immediately after leaving the water. Showers, unfortunately, often aren’t available at a lake unless you have a summer home there. It is sufficient, however, to simply dry off vigorously with a towel when you get out of the water. Applying suntan oil prior to swimming can also help to prevent the parasites from sticking to your skin and it will also protect you from the sun while swimming.
How is swimmer’s itch treated?
..... Not all cases of swimmer’s itch will require treatment but those that do can be treated externally with calamine lotion and an antihistamine, as well as with an oral antihistamine. Adding baking soda to your bath water can also help to relieve itching. Check with your pharmacist before taking an antihistamine because some can make you drowsy and others can interact with other medications you might be taking.