Thứ Ba, 31 tháng 3, 2015

The Biggest Obesity Risk Factors

By Kristen Stewart | Medically reviewed by Niya Jones MD, MPH

We all know that eating too much junk food and not exercising enough can lead to putting on excess pounds. However, some other surprising everyday habits may also be to blame.

It’s no secret we’re experiencing an obesity epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one-third of U.S. adults are overweight and another one-third are obese. That leaves only about one in three Americans in the normal healthy-weight range.

Many of us are fighting the battle of the bulge. We try to avoid foods high in fat and sugar and exercise more to lose or maintain weight. But researchers are discovering that there’s more to the story.

While what we eat and how active we are certainly affect our size, a recent study found that there are other factors at work as well, including how much we sleep, how much vitamin D we get, and how much we engage in mindless eating.

Obesity Risk: Not Enough Sleep

Whether work and family commitments are keeping us up at night, or we’re plugged into entertainment like TV, video games, and surfing the Internet, we can come up with a hundred things to do besides sleep. By doing so, however, we may be increasing our obesity risk.

Even though sleep is the most sedentary activity of all and burns the least amount of calories - one minute of sleep burns just one calorie on average - yet researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Canada recently found that not getting enough sleep can play a big role in weight gain.

“For some people, lack of sleep can be the main problem, and a narrow focus on diet and exercise will not be enough to solve it,” says Jean-Philippe Chaput, PhD, junior research scientist in the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Ottawa, Ont., Canada and an author of the study.

Related: The Link Between Sleep and Weight

Several factors may explain this finding. For one, the less a person sleeps, the more time one has for doing other things like eating. Also, feeling tired and fatigued can discourage us from wanting to hit the gym. There also seems to be a physiological component : Less sleep wreaks havoc on hormones involved in appetite control. Restricting sleep causes a decrease in the hormone leptin, which helps the brain recognize that the stomach is full. Additionally, lack of sleep increases the release of the hormone ghrelin, an appetite stimulant that makes us want to eat more.

To reduce the risk of weight gain brought on by lack of sleep, Chaput recommends adults get seven to eight hours of sleep a day, while school-aged children should get 10 to 11 hours.

Obesity Risk: Lack of Calcium

Dairy products may be good for more than our teeth and bones — they may just help keep our obesity risk in check.

“Dietary calcium has the capacity to bind with fat in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in an increased fecal fat excretion,” Chaput explains. “Futhermore, high intake of dairy and calcium are good for appetite control.”

Most adults should aim for 1,000 mg of calcium per day - ideally through diet, rather than supplements - to get the extra benefits of protein and other bioactive ingredients found in foods.

Keep in mind that the body can't reap the benefits of calcium without enoughvitamin D. Fortified dairy products, egg yolks, and fish such as salmon and tuna are excellent sources of vitamin D.

Related: Are You an Emotional Eater?

Obesity Risk: Mindless Eating

It’s not only important to be conscious of what we eat – such as cutting out junk food to help keep the number on the scale from creeping up - but also what we’re doing when we’re eating. “Modern sedentary activities like watching TV and playing video games not only burn few calories, they also increase food intake in the absence of hunger,” says Chaput.

Try to identify situations when unnecessary eating can occur. Do you eat too much while watching sports on TV with friends? Or at parties and other social events? Or while surfing the Internet? Once you figure out your biggest problem situations, try to make a conscious effort to limit your intake or avoid food altogether during these times.

Excess pounds and obesity can be caused by a combination of numerous factors. The best defense against a high obesity risk is a healthy lifestyle in general — namely, eating the right foods in the right quantities, staying active, getting a good night’s sleep, and having the proper amount of vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin D.

6 Diabetes Food Swaps That Can Help Lower Your Blood Sugar

By Athena Philis-Tsimikas, M.D.

Published Dec 30, 2014

If you have diabetes then you know how important a healthy lifestyle is. However, a diabetes diagnosis doesn’t mean you can’t eat the foods you love. Instead of completely ditching your old diet, resolve to make a few small substitutions. By replacing a low-fiber food with a high-fiber version, for example, you can help keep glucose levels under control and feel full sooner so you eat less. Other little changes can help with portion control and weight loss.

Try making a few of these easy changes and see how small swaps can make a big difference in managing your diabetes and your overall health:

1. Eat Whole Grains Instead of Refined

White rice and white flour get their pasty color as a result of being refined, or having their fiber-rich husk, bran, and germ stripped away. Fiber helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Research has shown that eating whole grains can lower your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Replace white rice with whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa, and choose bread with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient.

2. Eat Dark Leafy Greens Instead of Light Ones

Unlike nutrient-poor iceberg lettuce, dark leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, kale and Swiss chard are packed with vitamins and nutrients such as vitamins A and C, as well as magnesium and potassium. Darker greens also have more fiber. Toss a couple of handfuls of dark greens into your next salad, or add them to a smoothie — you won’t even taste them.

3. Eat Baked Chips Instead of Fried

Cut some fat out of your diet without giving up that satisfying crunch. Potato, tortilla, and pita chips come in baked versions that are lower in fat. Some are also higher in whole grains than others. Keep in mind, though, that these snacks are not the most nutritious food choices, andportion control is especially important. Instead of eating straight out of the bag, place a serving in a bowl or buy single-serving packs.

4. Eat Whole Fruit Instead of Fruit Juice

Apples, oranges, and grapes are good sources of fiber, but you need to eat the whole fruit to get the benefits. Juices have all of the sugar of the fruit, but not the skins and pulp — so they lack the fiber that slows down sugar absorption and controls insulin levels. Go for the whole fruit, and include antioxidant-rich dark berries as well. If you need something to drink with meals, try water with lemon.

5. Eat Steel-Cut Oats Instead of Boxed Cereal

If you start your day with a bowl of cereal, try a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal instead. Boxed breakfast cereals, many of which are made with refined grains, are often low in fiber and high in sugar. Steel-cut oats are higher in fiber (even higher than instant oatmeal) and will slow down the rise in insulin. Newer varieties of steel-cut oats take just a few minutes to cook, or you can prepare them ahead of time and reheat in the morning if you’re short on time.

6. Eat From a Small Plate Instead of a Large One

Controlling portions is just as important for people with diabetes as choosing healthy options. So much of eating is visual, and a few small changes can help you feel satisfied with less food. Tryusing a smaller plate for meals, which will give the illusion of more food even though the portions may be smaller. Instead of watching television, working on the computer or doing something else distracting while you eat, focus on your food and how every bite smells and tastes. Slow down and enjoy it, and you will likely eat less.

Athena Philis-Tsimikas, MD, is an endocrinologist and the Corporate Vice President for theScripps Whittier Diabetes Institute.

Posted in: Diabetes

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Sugar Substitutes: What's Their Real Value?

Sugar By Madeline Vann, MPH | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

About 15 percent of Americans use sugar substitutes to cut calories, control diabetes, or prevent cavities. Yet just how much is safe to consume?

Sugar-free foods and drinks are lower in calories than their full sugar alternatives, but are they good options for weight loss? While sugar substitutes are generally safe, the debate about how they should be used continues.

Sugar Substitutes: A Short and Sweet History

The first sugar substitute, saccharin, was discovered in the late 1800s and gained prominence in manufacturing during the World Wars, when sugar was rationed. The business of sugar-free foods and drinks began to boom in the 1960s when clinicians realized the importance of controlling weight gain in the management of diabetes.

Find Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

Since then, as people became more health-conscious and wanted to shun sugar, manufacturers responded with a host of sugar substitutes. They are:

Aspartame, approved in 1981 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and now in more than 6,000 foods and drinks
Acesulfame-K, FDA-approved in 1988
Sucralose (Splenda, SucraPlus), approved in 1998 for limited use and in 1999 for general use
Neotame, approved in 2002

Other sugar substitutes are being developed, and many products contain a mix of sugar substitutes to enhance flavor. Each sugar substitute is several thousand times sweeter than sugar, but has a slightly different flavor. Whether you reach for the pink, blue, or yellow packet to sweeten your coffee is a matter of personal taste. Sugar substitutes are now so common that many people use them without consciously considering their use as a weight-loss strategy.

Sugar Substitutes: Their Role in Your Diet

As part of an overall healthy diet, sugar substitutes are believed to reduce calories and the risk of cavities. Interestingly, controlled studies that compare weight loss between people who use sugar substitutes and those who consume sugar show very little difference in weight loss between the two groups, although over the long term, sugar substitutes can help maintain weight loss.

Conscious calorie-cutting strategies can include sugar-free products. Replacing a sugary drink with a sugar-free drink will reduce your calorie intake, and cutting back by just one full sugar soda a day could result in losing over 1.4 pounds in 18 months. The key to losing weight using sugar-free products is to use them strategically.

Sugar Substitutes: How Much Can You Have?

A big question surrounding sugar substitutes is how much diet soda is safe to drink. Though you might never consider consuming this much in a day, the FDA says these are the maximum amounts allowable for daily consumption, listed by type of sugar substitute:

Aspartame: 18 to 19 cans of diet soda
Saccharin: 9 to 12 packets
Acesulfame-K: 30 to 32 cans of diet soda
Sucralose: 6 cans of diet soda

Sugar Substitutes: Reality Check

Learn the 13 Most Powerful Superfoods

A realistic use of sugar-free products looks quite different.

A regular amount for a sugar substitute is two servings a day, says dietitian Liz Weinandy, RD, MPH, a dietitian in the non-surgical weight-loss program at Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. “My concern comes when people do multiple servings, like a six-pack of diet pop a day. Many times they are trying to use a sugar substitute in place of food. Some are very nutritious, like light yogurt, but while sugar-free soda doesn’t have calories, it also doesn’t have stuff in it that’s good for you.”

Further, consuming a lot of sugar-free drinks could hurt your weight-loss strategy. Studies show that when a sugar substitute is added to a product that has no other nutritional content (such as water), it increases hunger. This is true regardless of the type of sugar substitute used. Sugar substitutes in foods do not have this effect.

Sugar Substitutes: Who Should Avoid Them

While sugar substitutes are generally considered safe, Weinandy advises against giving children sugar-free foods and drinks — unless a doctor has said otherwise — and says pregnant women also should be cautious. “Drink water or fruit juice during pregnancy,” Weinandy suggests. “Limit diet pop to one per day at most.”

Additionally, people who have the disease phenylketonuria need to avoid aspartame, which contains phenylalanine, one of the amino acids in protein. Phenylketonuria is a genetic disorder in which the body cannot fully break down phenylalanine. If levels of it get too high in the blood, mental retardation could result.

For most people, sugar substitutes are a safe alternative to sugar. They may be helpful, in reasonable amounts, with weight loss and weight managementwhen they are part of a balanced, healthy diet.

Last Updated: 11/30/2009

Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 3, 2015

Will Diet Supplements Work for You?

By Annie Hauser, Senior Editor

New research reveals that common diet supplements such as stimulants and appetite suppressants are not effective for weight loss.

WEDNESDAY, March 7, 2012 — If you think adding a few steaming mugs of green tea to your daily diet will help you lose weight, we have bad news. The same goes for those high-fiber crackers, appetite suppressants, and over-the-counter pills that claim to block your body’s absorption of fat. In fact, new research published online in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found, across the board, that diet supplements don’t deliver on their promises — particularly if supplements are not paired with a dose of good ole diet and exercise.

In the study, Melinda Manore, PhD, a professor of nutrition and exercise sciences at Oregon State University, reviewed the evidence surrounding hundreds of weight-loss supplements. She then divided supplements into four categories: products that block the absorption of fat or carbohydrates, metabolism-boosting stimulants, such as caffeine or ephedra, products that claim to decrease fat, and appetite suppressants, such as soluble fibers.

Manore found that many products lacked randomized clinical trials that proved their effectiveness. For the supplements that had clinical trial data, most of the products showed less than a two-pound weight loss benefit when compared to the placebo groups. Most of the studies did not include exercise as a factor for weight loss.

“What people want is to lose weight and maintain or increase lean tissue mass,” Manore said in a release. “There is no evidence that any one supplement does this. And some have side effects, ranging from the unpleasant, such as bloating and gas, to very serious issues, such as strokes and heart problems.”

When Manore analyzed the effects of a healthy diet that included green tea, fiber, and low-fat dairy, she found that, on average, participants dropped three to four pounds — when these healthy foods were paired with a restricted-calorie eating plan.

Contrary to popular belief, simply drinking green tea cannot boost weight loss. Instead, green tea can increase your body’s energy expenditure and fat oxidation, which studies have not shown produces measurable weight loss alone. Similarly, fiber can contribute to weight loss because it increases satiety. But if a high-fiber diet is not paired with plenty of leafy greens, lean protein, and exercise, weight loss is not likely to occur.

Instead of turning to supplements for a quick fix, Manore offered these guidelines for a healthy weight loss lifestyle in a release:.

Make a plan — and stick to it. “Spontaneous eating often results in poorer food choices,” she cautions.
Start your meal with salad or a broth-based soup. You will feel fuller and be less likely to overeat a calorie-dense entrée.
Keep moving, especially if you have a desk job. Manore says she tries to put calls on speaker phone so she can walk around while talking. During long meetings, ask if you can stand.
Eat vegetables at every meal possible.
Increase your fiber intake. When possible, eat “wet” sources of fiber rather than dry, Manore advises. For example, cooked oatmeal will make you feel fuller than a fiber cracker.
Eliminate processed foods. Manore says foods that are harder to digest, such as whole fruits and vegetables and high-fiber grains, can help boost your metabolism. Processed foods do not have the same effect.

4 Ways to Start a Diabetes Exercise Plan

By Everyday

If you feel hesitant or discouraged about the idea of regular exercise, these simple tricks can help you get started.

Ruth Jenkinson/Getty Images

You may be thinking, “You’re telling me that not only do I have to completely overhaul the way I eat, but now I have to get regular exercise too? Come on…”

Yes, that’s what we’re telling you. And it’s not uncommon to feel resistant to starting an exercise program — especially if you are significantly overweight. You may feel afraid or that you don’t have the energy to be physically active. And many people say they don’t have the time.

Here are some ideas for getting you off the couch and into your sneakers:

Pencil it in. Get out your calendar to identify available time slots each week and create a schedule for walking, biking, or taking a class. Try creating this plan at the same time you chart out your meals for the week ahead.
Call in reinforcements. Invite members of your family, friends, or coworkers to exercise with you. Cultivate friendships with active people, join an exercise class, or join a group that’s training for a walk for a good cause.
Use a pedometer. Walking can have a significant impact on your fitness level and your diabetes control. It can be motivating to use a pedometer to keep track of your activity. Research at the Stanford University School of Medicine reports that walking with a pedometer helps people stay active — study participants who wore pedometers increased their overall physical activity by 27 percent!
Make it affordable. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to join a gym or buy a treadmill. Try activities such as mall walking, taking the stairs, or borrowing an exercise video from the public library to follow at home. Many community centers have inexpensive or free exercise programs as well.

Learn more healthy habits in Step 5.

Last Updated: 10/15/2014

Thứ Bảy, 28 tháng 3, 2015

Ouch! What Bug Bit Me?

By Andrea Bledsoe, PhD
Reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

There are many different types of insects that bite or sting. Some bites and stings, like those from fire ants, wasps, hornets, and bees, are painful. Some can also spread illnesses, such as Lyme disease (black-legged tick), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (dog or wood tick), and West Nile virus (mosquito). The bites of other bugs, such as mosquitoes, mites, and fleas, are itchy and uncomfortable, but usually harmless. Learning to identify a bug bite by how it looks and feels will help you know whether to seek medical attention immediately or treat the skin bump at home.
- Mosquito Bites
  
  A mosquito bite is a very itchy round, red, or pink skin bump. Mosquito bites can spread the West Nile virus, though this is rare: Only 1 percent of mosquitoes in areas where infected mosquitoes have been found actually have been shown to have the virus. Still, it's important to recognize the symptoms, which commonly appear 5 to 15 days after the bite: headaches and body aches, fever, and possibly swollen glands and a skin rash. People with a more severe infection may develop encephalitis, with symptoms such as stiffness in the neck, a severe headache, disorientation, high fever, and convulsions.
  - Bed Bug Bites
    
    It does not hurt when the bed bug bites, but many people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva of the bug usually between 24 hours and three days later, resulting in a raised, red skin bump or welt that is intensely itchy and inflamed. Both the welt and the itchiness may last for several days. Bed bug bites can occur anywhere on the body, but are typically on uncovered areas, such as the neck, face, arms, and hands — and are often found in a row of two or more.
    - Spider Bites
      
      Most spider bites are not poisonous; symptoms are much like those for a bee sting, including red skin, swelling, and pain at the bug bite site. Some people may develop an allergic reaction, with symptoms such as tightness in the chest, breathing problems, swallowing difficulties, or swelling of the face. A poisonous black widow spider bite can cause a much more severe reaction. The bug bite itself may or may not be painful, but 30 to 40 minutes later pain and swelling may begin in the area and within eight hours you may experience muscle pain and rigidity, stomach and back pain, nausea and vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Always seek medical attention immediately if you could have been bitten by a poisonous spider.
      Brown Recluse Bites
      
      The brown recluse spider is another poisonous spider found in the United States. Some people feel a small sting followed immediately by a sharp pain, while others don't realize they've gotten a bug bite until hours later — in four to eight hours, the bite may become more painful and look like a bruise or blister with a blue-purple area around it. It may become crusty and turn dark a few days later. Be sure to seek medical attention immediately if you could have been bitten by a poisonous spider.
      Tick Bites
      
      Some tick bites can be dangerous. Black-legged ticks, formerly known as deer ticks, may carry Lyme disease, and dog ticks may spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Symptoms of Lyme disease include a skin rash in the pattern of rings, much like a bull’s-eye on a target, that can appear up to a month after the bug bite, fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint aches, and irregular heart rhythms. Symptoms of RMSF include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a skin rash that begins on the ankles and wrists after a few days of fever and later spreads to the rest of the body.
      Flea Bites
      
      Symptoms of flea bites — which may begin within hours of the bug bite — include a small, red skin rash that may or may not bleed, itching (possibly severe), hives, and swelling around an injury or sore. Flea bites — which tend to be in groups of three or four — are more common on the ankles, armpits, around your waist, and in the bends of your knees and elbows. The rash turns white when you press on it and tends to get larger or spread over time.
      Bee Stings
      
      Bee stings cause a sharp pain — much like a shot from your doctor — that may continue for a few minutes, then fade to a dull, aching feeling. The area may still feel sore to the touch a few days later. A red skin bump with white around it may appear around the site of the sting. The area may also itch and feel hot to the touch. If you have been stung before, your body may also have an immune response to the venom in the sting, resulting in swelling where the sting occurred or in an entire area of the body.
      Lice Bites
      
      Lice bites are tiny red skin spots on the shoulders, neck, and scalp. Because these bug bites are so small, they don’t hurt, but they do itch a lot. Some people may develop a larger, uncomfortable skin rash. Continual scratching of the itchy spots could lead to an infection with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes and tender, red skin. An infected bug bite may also ooze and crust over, and will need to be treated by a doctor.
      - There are many different types of insects that bite or sting. Some bites and stings, like those from fire ants, wasps, hornets, and bees, are painful. Some can also spread illnesses, such as Lyme disease (black-legged tick), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (dog or wood tick), and West Nile virus (mosquito). The bites of other bugs, such as mosquitoes, mites, and fleas, are itchy and uncomfortable, but usually harmless. Learning to identify a bug bite by how it looks and feels will help you know whether to seek medical attention immediately or treat the skin bump at home.
      - Mosquito Bites
        
        A mosquito bite is a very itchy round, red, or pink skin bump. Mosquito bites can spread the West Nile virus, though this is rare: Only 1 percent of mosquitoes in areas where infected mosquitoes have been found actually have been shown to have the virus. Still, it's important to recognize the symptoms, which commonly appear 5 to 15 days after the bite: headaches and body aches, fever, and possibly swollen glands and a skin rash. People with a more severe infection may develop encephalitis, with symptoms such as stiffness in the neck, a severe headache, disorientation, high fever, and convulsions.
      - Bed Bug Bites
        
        It does not hurt when the bed bug bites, but many people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva of the bug usually between 24 hours and three days later, resulting in a raised, red skin bump or welt that is intensely itchy and inflamed. Both the welt and the itchiness may last for several days. Bed bug bites can occur anywhere on the body, but are typically on uncovered areas, such as the neck, face, arms, and hands — and are often found in a row of two or more.
      - Spider Bites
        
        Most spider bites are not poisonous; symptoms are much like those for a bee sting, including red skin, swelling, and pain at the bug bite site. Some people may develop an allergic reaction, with symptoms such as tightness in the chest, breathing problems, swallowing difficulties, or swelling of the face. A poisonous black widow spider bite can cause a much more severe reaction. The bug bite itself may or may not be painful, but 30 to 40 minutes later pain and swelling may begin in the area and within eight hours you may experience muscle pain and rigidity, stomach and back pain, nausea and vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Always seek medical attention immediately if you could have been bitten by a poisonous spider.
      - Brown Recluse Bites
        
        The brown recluse spider is another poisonous spider found in the United States. Some people feel a small sting followed immediately by a sharp pain, while others don't realize they've gotten a bug bite until hours later — in four to eight hours, the bite may become more painful and look like a bruise or blister with a blue-purple area around it. It may become crusty and turn dark a few days later. Be sure to seek medical attention immediately if you could have been bitten by a poisonous spider.
      - Tick Bites
        
        Some tick bites can be dangerous. Black-legged ticks, formerly known as deer ticks, may carry Lyme disease, and dog ticks may spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Symptoms of Lyme disease include a skin rash in the pattern of rings, much like a bull’s-eye on a target, that can appear up to a month after the bug bite, fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint aches, and irregular heart rhythms. Symptoms of RMSF include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a skin rash that begins on the ankles and wrists after a few days of fever and later spreads to the rest of the body.
      - Flea Bites
        
        Symptoms of flea bites — which may begin within hours of the bug bite — include a small, red skin rash that may or may not bleed, itching (possibly severe), hives, and swelling around an injury or sore. Flea bites — which tend to be in groups of three or four — are more common on the ankles, armpits, around your waist, and in the bends of your knees and elbows. The rash turns white when you press on it and tends to get larger or spread over time.
      - Bee Stings
        
        Bee stings cause a sharp pain — much like a shot from your doctor — that may continue for a few minutes, then fade to a dull, aching feeling. The area may still feel sore to the touch a few days later. A red skin bump with white around it may appear around the site of the sting. The area may also itch and feel hot to the touch. If you have been stung before, your body may also have an immune response to the venom in the sting, resulting in swelling where the sting occurred or in an entire area of the body.
      - Lice Bites
        
        Lice bites are tiny red skin spots on the shoulders, neck, and scalp. Because these bug bites are so small, they don’t hurt, but they do itch a lot. Some people may develop a larger, uncomfortable skin rash. Continual scratching of the itchy spots could lead to an infection with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes and tender, red skin. An infected bug bite may also ooze and crust over, and will need to be treated by a doctor.
      - Ant Bites and Stings
        
        Some types of ants, like fire ants, are venomous. Ant bites and stings are typically painful and result in a red skin bump. Fire ants bite first to hold on and then sting. Fire ant stings produce a sharp pain and a burning sensation and result in a white, fluid-filled pustule or blister a day or two after the sting, lasting from three to eight days. There may also be itchiness, redness, and swelling at the site. Carpenter ants bite and, although they are not venomous, they spray formic acid into the bite, which causes a burning feeling.
        
        Mite Bites
        
        Mite bites do not usually spread disease, but they often irritate the skin and cause intense itching. Itch mites usually feed on insects, but will bite other animals, including people. Their bites usually go unnoticed until itchy, red marks develop, which may look like a skin rash. Chiggers are a form of mite. They bite to inject their saliva so that they can liquefy and eat skin. In response to the chigger bite, the skin around the bite hardens. The surrounding skin becomes irritated and inflamed, and an itchy red welt develops.
        
        Scabies Mite Bites
        
        Female scabies mites burrow into the skin to lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae come to the skin surface, begin to molt, and burrow back into the skin to feed. This results in a skin rash that may look like acne pimples and create intense itching. The itching tends to be worse at night. You may also notice light, thin lines on the skin where the mites have burrowed. Scabies mite bites and burrow lines are commonly found in the folds of the skin, including between the fingers, in the bends at the wrists and knees, and under jewelry on the wrists and fingers.
        
        Scabies Mite Bites
        
        Female scabies mites burrow into the skin to lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae come to the skin surface, begin to molt, and burrow back into the skin to feed. This results in a skin rash that may look like acne pimples and create intense itching. The itching tends to be worse at night. You may also notice light, thin lines on the skin where the mites have burrowed. Scabies mite bites and burrow lines are commonly found in the folds of the skin, including between the fingers, in the bends at the wrists and knees, and under jewelry on the wrists and fingers.
      - Mite Bites
        
        Mite bites do not usually spread disease, but they often irritate the skin and cause intense itching. Itch mites usually feed on insects, but will bite other animals,
- Bed Bug Bites
  
  It does not hurt when the bed bug bites, but many people develop an allergic rea
Mosquito Bites

A mosquito bite is a very itchy round, red, or pink skin bump. Mosquito bites can spread the West Nile virus, though this is rare: Only 1 percent of mosquitoes in areas where infected mosquitoes have been found actually have been shown to have the virus. Still, it's important to recognize the symptoms, which commonly appear 5 to 15 days after the bite: headaches and body aches, fever, and possibly swollen glands and a skin rash. People with a more severe infection may develop encephalitis, with symptoms such as stiffness in the neck, a severe headache, disorientation, high fever, and convulsions.
Bed Bug Bites

It does not hurt when the bed bug bites, but many people develop an allergic reaction to the saliva of the bug usually between 24 hours and three days later, resulting in a raised, red skin bump or welt that is intensely itchy and inflamed. Both the welt and the itchiness may last for several days. Bed bug bites can occur anywhere on the body, but are typically on uncove