DON’T GET ME WRONG! – The Global Gestures Guide

When you’re far from home, even what you’d assume to be the most universal gesture might mean something completely different than you’d expect. It’s a concept explored in the book Don’t Get Me Wrong! – The Global Gestures Guide with helpful pictures by photographer Florian Bong-Kil Grosse. The book is published by Julia Grosse and Judith Reker and Bierke Publishing, and will also be introduced to beleaguered travellers as a handy iPhone app ($1.99). For example, in Turkey this gesture is a positive, upbeat physical expression that means “beautiful” or “good.”

This entertaining publication takes all those by the hand who are curious about the diversity of communication. Two foreign correspondents have gathered everyday hand gestures from around 50 countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe. The results, beautifully captured in nearly 80 colour photographs, are often amusing and always instructive. With its original design, stunning finish and handy format, ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong!’ makes for a cool and compact travel companion. Beautifully designed by a team of award-winning art book designers, the gestures from around 50 countries were researched and collected by two well-travelled journalists.

 

You can order the book at:

Don’t Get Me Wrong: The Global Gestures Guide

 

A Life.com photo gallery from the book is available at:

http://www.life.com/gallery/58041/dont-get-me-wrong-global-gestures#index/0

 

More reports about hand gestures are available at:

http://www.handresearch.com/news/hand-gestures.htm

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An overview of some international ‘angry’ hand gestures:

THE HAND IN PSORIASIS – Characteristics of the nail unit!

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most persons with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. The diseases is seen in about 1% to 3% of the world population.

The hand in psoriasis shows many more stricking features that relate to the disease. Especially the fingernails display often typical characteristics, including e.g. nail pitting, onycholysis, oil drop signs & nail dystrophy – which are all featured in the video above presented by Dr. James L. Campbell Jr., MD.

But there are many other hand & nail characteristics involved in psoriasis. The following article present an overview of 24 hand markers in psoriasis:

• HANDS & PSORIASIS: 24 hand markers


A classic example of the hand in psoriasis vulgaris:

TRIGGER FINGER – A hand marker in Diabetes Mellitus & Rheumatoid Arthritis!

A trigger finger is a common disorder of later adulthood characterized by catching, snapping or locking of the involved finger flexor tendon, associated with dysfunction and pain. In the video above hand surgeon Dr. Neema Amin (John Randolph Medical Center) describes treatment options and when to seek medical attention when the trigger finger gets more frequent or painful.

What causes trigger finger - a.k.a. stenosing tenosynovitis?

Causes for this condition are not always clear. Some trigger fingers are associated with medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and diabetes. Local trauma to the palm/base of the finger may be a factor on occasion, but in most cases there is not a clear cause.

Learn more about the role of a trigger finger in a hand assessment for Diabetes Mellitus or Rheumatoid Arthritis:

• 28 Hand characteristics in Rheumatoid Arthritis
• 33 Hand characteristics in Diabetes Millitus

THE PREACHER SIGN – A hand marker in Diabetes Mellitus!

The “Preacher Sign” involves the inability to flatten the hands against each other – a hand characteristic that is frequently seen in diabetes mellitus patients.

Diabetes mellitus belongs to a category of diseases that is known for having quite a few hand markers that ‘signal’ the development of the disease. Type 1 and type 2 have many common characteristics regarding the hands, but one has to be aware that some of them are limited to only one variant of the disease.

The most revealing dimensions of the hand in diabeter are: the MOTORICS (including the “Preacher Sign”), the FINGERNAILS, the SKIN QUALITY & the DERMATOGLYPHICS. And even the notorious simian crease is about twice to four times more often seen among diabetic patients – compared to the general population.

The following article presents an overview of 33 hand markers for Diabetes Mellitis – type 2 (all reported features have been confirms as ‘signficant’ in various scientific studies:

 

How to make a Palm Reading Assessment for DIABETES MELLITUS – TYPE 2?

 

(A ‘phantom picture’ for the hand in diabetes will become available later)