Q What do you mean by Social Phobia? How it is expressed?

Social phobia is a strong fear of being judged by others, and of being embarrassed. This fear can be so strong that person start worrying about the things he is going to do in front of others weeks before, or it may restrict him from going into public places/school/work etc. Person will have overwhelmed fear that others will judge him wrongly or make fun of him. He might be afraid of eating or drinking in front of others, using public restrooms, going in social functions, performing anything in front of a crowd etc. This may end up with staying away from such situations or completely avoiding them. For some, it is a problem only in few situations, but some may have this fear constantly. This fear can express itself in the form of difficulty in getting acknowledged with others, talking with other people, high level of self-consciousness when in public, worries excessively before weeks or days of any upcoming social function, difficulties in making friends and becoming friendly with others, physical symptoms of fear may appear like sweating, trembling, blushing, palpitations, nausea, etc.

Q Can people get infections from animals?

Yes. Diseases passed from animals to man are called zoonoses or zoonotic illnesses. The animals can pass some bacterial, viral and fungal infection either by direct contact or by the contamination of the food and water. They may also lead to allergic reaction in some cases. Infections from animals can be particularly dangerous to babies and young kids, pregnant women, elderly people, and people whose immune systems have been weakened by illness or disease

Q My baby has a white curd-like coating in the mouth. It bleeds when I try to clean it. What could it be? Is it normal?

Hello. The white coating you have described in your babys mouth could be a fungal infection! It is not normal. It could be acquired from the mothers birth canal at the time of birth and called as thrush in medical terms. It looks like elevated white patches of cheese or curd on tongue or cheeks and leaves behid a red bleeding surface when cleaned. Dont worry! It is not dangerous; but, it is surely painful for your baby and interferes with the feeding. In some babies the condition is self limiting and needs no treatment. In others an antifungal gel or medications might be needed.

Q can sugar causes depression?

Studies suggest diet high in refined sugar can cause depression. Lots of refined sugar is linked with depression because it not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing vitamin B. In fact, a study published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

Q how to do anal sex? does it creat any problem?

Anal sex is practiced by many heterosexuals, as well as homosexual couples. The anal area has many erotic nerve endings in both men and women. Because of this, many couples (heterosexual or homosexual) can derive pleasure from some form of bottom stimulation. Anal sex should be avoided by couples in which one of the partners has been diagnosed with an STI until the treatment has proven to be effective. In order to make anal sex safer, the couple must ensure that the anal area is clean and the bowel empty and the partner on whom anal penetration occurs should be able to relax. Regardless of whether anal penetration occurs by using a finger or the penis, the condom is the best barrier method to prevent transmission of STI. Since the rectum can be easily damaged, the use of lubricants is highly recommended even when penetration occurs by using the finger. Especially for beginners, using a condom on the finger is both a protection measure against STI and a lubricant source. Most condoms are lubricated and they allow less painful and easier penetration. Anal stimulation with a sex toy requires similar safety measures to anal penetration with a penis, in this case using a condom on the sex toy in a similar way. It is important that the man washes and cleans his penis after anal intercourse if he intends to penetrate the vagina. Bacteria from the rectum are easily transferred to the vagina, which may cause vaginal infections. When anal-oral cos ntact occurs, protection is required since this is a risky sexual behavior in which illnesses as Hepatitis A or STIs can be easily transmitted, as well as enteric infections. The dental dam or the plastic wrap[citation needed] are effective protection means whenever anilingus is performed. Anal sex has a number of health risks. Anal intercourse is the riskiest form of sexual activity for several reasons, including the following: The anus lacks the natural lubrication the vagina has. Penetration can tear the tissue inside the anus, allowing bacteria and viruses to enter the bloodstream. This can result in the spread of sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV) may also lead to the development of anal warts and anal cancer. Using lubricants can help some, but doesnt completely prevent tearing. The tissue inside the anus is not as well protected as the skin outside theanus. Our external tissue has layers of dead cells that serve as a protective barrier against infection. The tissue inside the anus does not have this natural protection, which leaves it vulnerable to tearing and the spread of infection. The anus was designed to hold in feces. Repetitive anal sex may lead to weakening of the anal sphincter, making it difficult to hold in feces until you can get to the toilet. The anus is full of bacteria. Even if both partners do not have a sexually-transmitted infection or disease, bacteria normally in the anus can potentially infect the giving partner. Practicing vaginal sex after anal sex can also lead to vaginal and urinary tract infections.

Q I have rashes near my leg fold (Pubic region) it pains a lot. I cant even walk properly

You seems to have a fungal infection. Apply over the counter antifungal powder. Use 100% cotton under garments and keep the area clean and dry. If these measures do not help then visit a physician for exact diagnosis and medication.

Q Is it safe to use sex toys ?

If you are intending to go for sex toys, take the proper precautions not to transmit the STDs or other blood borne diseases like HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B etc. Some tips while using the sex toys - Keep sex toys clean: wash them after each use; cover penetrative sex toys, such as vibrators, with a new condom before handovering it to someone else; do not share sex toys or have a different set of sex toys for each partner. It is important to choose the safe material which will not produce the allergic reaction. Use of lubrication is a way which will enhance the pleasure and safety of sex toys.

Q Will my hernia come back after Ive had an operation to repair it?

It might. All hernias carry a risk of recurrence even after surgical repair. Surgery performed by an experienced surgeon can reduce the risk of recurrence.

Q Is it possible to raise your IQ?

Intelligence is mostly hereditary. Intellectual ability grows until about age 16, and after that changes very little. Practicing various skills which are tested on IQ tests will increase your IQ score some, but it is not likely to increase your intelligence. Intelligence is basically the abilities to learn, to reason, to remember, to think abstractly, to problem-solve, etc. These abilities are very difficult to improve once you are an adult, though you may improve specific skills. E.g. you can improve basic mathematical skills by practicing them often and learning certain mathematical shortcuts, or you can learn to read faster by pushing your reading speed and learning to scan for meaning. Generally, the best way to improve your performance in specific work tasks is to do those tasks a lot. When you do that, you gradually learn the best possible techniques to efficiently and accurately complete that work, in the minimum necessary amount of time.

Q Is it advisable to have sex during a period?

A period offers natural contraception while it lasts. If both partners do not mind the mess caused by blood loss, they can go ahead. However, its best to avoid intercourse for the first 2 days of the period because vaginal opening remains open due to blood discharge hence chances of getting infection increases.