CHAPPED SKIN

CHAPPED SKIN

The Best of the Balms
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.
''Kevin, stop that!'' Kevin looks up at you with a frown. Telling him to stop scratching his dry, chapped little arms isn't much help. What do you expect him to do? his frown seems to ask.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to soothe Kevin's chapped skin--and a dozen more things you can do to keep it from recurring.

First, it helps to understand that water is what keeps the outer skin layer soft. Chapped skin is a result of dehydration. It frequently runs in families and is most common during the late fall and winter months in northern states, although any child can get it anytime, no matter where he happens to be.

MEDICAL ALERT

When to See the Doctor
If your child is itchy over a wide area of his body, or if his skin is cracking, seek professional help, says Rodney S. W. Basler, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Bacteria can invade the skin through such cracks and cause infections.

Fortunately, there are a number of things a parent can do. When some part of your child's skin is rough, red, itchy and scaly, try these expert remedies.

Treatment

Apply bath oil directly to the skin. ''Skin hydrates from the inside out, so apply a good bath oil directly onto your child's skin after bathing,'' says Rodney S. W. Basler, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The oil puts a barrier on the skin to keep moisture from evaporating into the ozone.

''Use a good bath oil like Alpha-Keri,' ' says Dr. Basler. ''Apply it to your child's skin while he's still damp, to lock in moisture.'' But he advises against baby oil, because that just sits on the skin rather than being dispersed into the skin. ( Bath oils have ingredients that act as dispersants to make sure oil gets into the top skin layer.)

Smear it. ''If your child drools in his sleep, the skin around his mouth may get chapped,'' says Dr. Basler. Use petroleum jelly or zinc oxide (which comes in an ointment) just in the mouth area to protect the skin from chapping. Apply it right after his bath and before bed.

Start the moisturizer habit. ''Teach your child to use a light, unscented moisturizing lotion whenever she washes her hands,'' says Dr. Basler. ''She can apply the moisturizer anywhere her skin tends to get dry,'' Keep a squirt bottle handy on the sink--right beside the soap.

Leave the desert. A room humidifier is a must, says Dr. Basler. Ask your pharmacist for advice on models, then buy the best you can afford and place it in the room where your child spends most of his home time. It will not only help relieve his dry, chapped skin, but will help prevent any recurrence as well.

Preventive Care

Play dirty. ''Teach your child to take a five-minute shower or a short bath,'' suggests Jane S. Wada, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in Montrose, California. ''Twice a week or every other night is enough for young kids. Older children who are more active can supplement their baths and showers with sponge baths to clean the essential areas.''

Soft-soap it. ''Don't let your child wash her face with a harsh soap that strips oil from her skin,'' says Dr. Basler. ''Cleansing bars like Dove are the best. Deodorant soaps are the worst.''

Spot clean the pertinent parts. ''If your tiny baby's skin is dry, don't use soap when bathing her,'' says Dr. Wada. With a newborn's skin, all you really need to do is spot-clean the folds--particularly around the knees, neck and diaper area.

Skip the powder. Avoid following a bath with either talc or powder, says Dr. Basler. Both can dry the skin.

Rinse well. ''Be sure your kids rinse their mouths well if they're using a fluoride toothpaste,' ' says Dr. Basler. Fluoride toothpaste is a known irritant to skin. If a smear of toothpaste dries on your child's chin, or he drools during sleep, the toothpaste residue may irritate the chin and cause chapping.

Banish bubbles. Avoid bubble baths if your child tends to chap easily, says Dr. Wada. ''Bubbles irritate the skin.''

Pat-a-cake. Always pat your child dry, and teach her to do the same, suggests Dr. Wada. Rubbing with a towel can chafe the skin and set the stage for chapping.

Dress your child in soft clothes. ''Irritating clothing contributes to chapping, especially when it's made of coarse fibers like wool,'' says Dr. Basler. Be especially aware that denim has a tendency to chafe the skin, particularly when it gets wet.

Choose mild detergent. Some very strong detergent soaps--particularly those with additives--cause chapping, says Dr. Basler. After all, the word ''detergent' ' means ''to take out oil.'' Avoid using strong detergents on your child's clothing until the chapped areas have cleared up. Try Dreft or Ivory Snow instead. The detergent residues on your child's freshly laundered clothes are just as likely to take out oil as the detergent in your washer.

Toss out dryer sheets. The residue from dryer sheets impregnated with fabric softener can also cause chapped skin, says Dr. Basler. It stays on the clothes and may leach moisture out of your child's skin. Instead of using sheets, switch to a liquid softener, he suggests. Or try one that's combined with your detergent.

Go from pool to shower. Children can get chapped skin just from getting out of a swimming pool and toweling down, says Paul Rehder, M.D., a pediatric dermatologist in private practice in Oxnard, California. The towel roughs up the top layer of skin and dries it out.

Instead of toweling down when the swim session is over, either have your child take a cool shower or sprinkle cool water on his skin for two or three minutes, suggests the dermatologist. ''Then apply a moisturizer like Vaseline to trap water in the skin.''

LIVER CARE

LIVER CARE

The liver is the largest single gland in the body. It is located on the right side of the abdomen under the lower ribs and just under the diaphragm which divides the chest from the abdomen. Liver performs a number of important functions in the body. When the liver is healthy it works very smoothly. But the liver can be affected by a number of serious disorders, such as virus infections, parasites, and disturbances of the circulation, stone formation in the bile ducts, injuries due to poisonous substances, and various kinds of tumors.

Most of the foods we eat are stored in the liver, after having been digested and absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The liver has another very important function, that of detoxifying or destroying many harmful poisons and even certain medicines that are taken into the body for other purposes. When the liver is sick these functions are impaired and soon the whole body suffers. Not only does the liver store food materials, it also produces bile, a golden-yellowish liquid that is needed for the absorption of fat from the intestine. Another important substance produced in the liver is cholesterol, part of which passes into the bile. It may even form stones in the bile ducts and gall bladder under certain conditions.

Another important component is prothrombin, which is needed for the clotting of the blood. Urea, an important component of the urine, is also produced in the liver. The production of all these substances may be changed under certain disease conditions.

Jaundice is a disease marked by a yellow discoloration in the skin or in the whites of the eye. This is due to excessive amount of bile in the blood stream. Hepatitis is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by some infectious or toxic agent. The skin may be discolored and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. Various substances and organisms may be responsible for hepatitis, including germs, viruses, and toxic agents.

Another important disease of the liver is the cirrhosis of the liver. It is mostly associated with alcoholism. Poor nutrition may be responsible for this condition also.. In some cases chronic poisoning with industrial fluids, such as carbon tetrachloride, may also play a part. In the early stages of the disease there may be frequent attacks of gas and indigestion, with occassional nausea and vomiting and with abdominal pain and weight loss.

Cancer may occur in almost any organ of the body. When it begins in the stomach or large bowel, the liver may soon be involved mainly because the blood flows toward the liver from all the digestive organs including the pancreas and gall bladder. This is known as metastatic carcinoma.

HOME REMEDIES FOR LIVER CARE

Papaya has been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver, caused by alcoholism and malnutrition. Take a tablespoon of juice by grinding the seeds, mix with ten drops of fresh limejuice, and take it once or twice daily for about a month as a medicine for this disease. This is one of the important home remedies for liver care.

The herb trailing eclipta, botanically known as eclipta Alba (Bhringaraj ), has proved invaluable in cirrhosis of the liver. Take the juice of all parts of this plant in doses of one teaspoon, mixed with one teaspoon of honey, three times daily.

Picrorhiza known as picrorhiza kurroa (Katuki) is a drug of choice in ayurveda for cirrhosis of the liver among adults. Mix a tablespoon of the powder with an equal quantity of honey, take this thrice daily.

The juice of carrots, in combination with spinach juice, has been found beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver. Mix -200 ml of Spinach juice with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a liter of combined juices. Similarly, 300 ml of carrot juice, combined with 100 ml each of cucumber and beet juices can be used effectively. The patient must stop taking alcohol in any form. One of the best home remedies for liver care.

Vegetables such as beets, squashes, bitter gourd, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, and papaya are especially useful in this condition.

The patient should avoid all refined, processed, and canned foods; spices and condiments; strong tea and coffee; fried foods; all preparations cooked in ghee, oil, or butter; all meats; and all chemical additives in food. The use of salt should be limited.

Application of hot and cold compresses, for two to three minutes each, on the liver area are beneficial.

Daily morning exercises, which involve stretching and deep breathing, are also effective in preventing the liver. Stretching and deep breathing kind of exercises early in the morning provide the most benefit for anyone with sluggish liver.

Soak 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Bentonite clay in 1 cup of filtered water for 12 hours. Then add ½ to 1 tablespoon of psyllium husks or plantago seeds to the clay mixture and mix well. Drink and eat the whole cup of mixture immediately and then followed by 1 cup of warm water before bedtime. This is an effective home remedy for liver.

Drink at least 8 cups of warm water a day including 2 cups first thing in the morning. Epsom salt may help in flushing out the stones from the gall bladder. Epsom salt dilates the bile duct.

Take 2 tablespoons of GCG to crush the stone and wait for 1½ to 2 hours before taking 1 tablespoon each of Coptis and Curcuma again. The crushed stones appear to move easier and the pain is relieved. This is one of the best home remedies for liver care..

Milk thistle is found useful in patients who have developed acute liver disease from drugs, environmental toxins or ethanol or mushroom poisoning.

Another good home remedy for liver care is to take one tablespoon each of Coptis and Curcuma can usually help to push out the stones or other blockages.

A licorice root extract called glycyrrhizin has also shown good result as a possible remedy for chronic hepatitis C and liver cancer.

Home Remedy For Premature Graying Of Hair

Home Remedy For Premature Graying Of Hair

• One of the best home remedies for premature graying of hair comprises of curry leaves. Include them in your daily diet. Alternatively, you can put some curry leaves in coconut oil and boil it. Strain the oil and let it cool down. Apply it over the scalp.

• Dry a few pieces of ribbed gourd in the sun. Soak them in coconut oil for about 3 to 4 hours. After this, boil it until the residue becomes black and cool it down a bit. Massage the scalp with the residue.

• Extract juice from fresh leaves of amaranth vegetable. Apply this juice on the hair. It will prove helpful in retaining the black color of hair and also aid the growth of new hair.

• Massage the scalp with butter made out of cow's milk. This should be applied at least two times in a week.

• Indian gooseberry is beneficial in treating premature graying of hair. Cut the fruit into pieces and dry them. Once dried, put them in coconut oil, until the solid matter becomes dusty or powdered. Apply on the hair.

• Mix a tsp of Indian gooseberry juice with a tsp of almond oil and few drops of lime juice. Apply this mixture on your hair and keep it overnight. In the morning, wash the hair. This is an effective home remedy for treating premature graying of hair.

• Avoid having refined flour and sugar, soft drinks, pastries, jam, too spicy food, hot food, chilies and oily food.

• Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. They are effective in treating premature graying of hair.

• Mix a liter of yoghurt with a tablespoon of yeast. Have a bowl of this mixture before every meal, as it is effective in treating premature graying.

Swine Flu

Home Remedies to Avoid

Swine Flu / Swine flu Virus

Swine Flu:

Swine influenza is common in pigs in the mid western United States (and occasionally in other states),Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom,Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.

MEXICO CITY — The swine flu virus is not as lethal as authorities originally thought, Mexico's health secretary said, though the disease continued to spread quickly and kill on Friday.Tests had confirmed 397 cases of Influenza

A H1N1, or swine flu, in Mexico as of Friday night, up from 312 on Thursday night, Health Secretary José Córdova said. The number of deaths rose from 12 to16.In all, authorities had tested 908 people for the virus, he said.

"The attack rate is not as broad as was thought,"Córdova told reporters, though he said it too early to say if Mexicow as bringing the disease under control.He noted that China's 2002-2003outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, lasted three months.

Symptoms of Swine Flu:

Just like the regular flu, the symptoms of swine flu are similar. Some of the common indications of swine flu are cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, body aches and tiredness. Some people affected with the disease also report vomiting and diarrhea. Lack of any unique symptom makes it very difficult to detect the presence of the virus in the body. Thus, it is always useful to

conduct proper testing if any of the said symptoms are occurring.

Home Remedies to Avoid Swine Flu:

* Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; ideally use something disposable like a tissue. Avoid touching your face, nose or mouth too frequently with your hands since swine flu appears to be transmitted through respiratory droplets in the same fashion as the common cold.


* Wash your hands frequently with soap and water since swine flu like other viruses can be contracted by touching objects contaminated by the virus. It's unsure how long the swine flu virus can survive on surrounding surfaces.


* Though alcohol based hand sanitizers don't routinely kill viruses they probably do offer some limited protection in preventing swine flu infections.


* If swine flu infections have been medically confirmed in your area consider avoiding large public gatherings. Individuals can be contagious with the swine flu virus for several day before demonstrating any signs or symptoms of infection. Be particularly careful about indoor gatherings where air circulates poorly.


* If you're really paranoid and don't mind looking odd then consider wearing a respiratory mask.. This barrier method does offer some basic protection against infection though not all masks are created equally. Higher quality masks capable of filtering out some respiratory infections are more expensive.


* If you start feeling ill with cold or flu-like symptoms do not go to work. Stay home and begin the usual home remedies for colds and flu. Contact your health care provider, local health department or hospital emergency room if your symptoms worsen or fail to improve for information about where to go to be screened for possible swine flu infection.

Orbital Cellulitis

ORBITAL CELLULITIS

Orbital Cellulitis most often presents with symptoms similar to preseptal cellulits such as red and swollen eyelids, but also includes pain, blurred or double vision, fever, headache, and a red eye. These conditions refer to an inflammation and infection of the tissue and skin that surround the eye. Your baby won't be able to tell you if his eye hurts, but if his eyelid is swollen and red, call his doctor right away. Both of these conditions are serious and require immediate medical attention by your child's physician. This infection usually results from the spread of another nearby infection such as conjunctivitis or sinusitis. Treatment is with antibiotics and sometimes surgical drainage. The most common location of a subperiorbital abscess is along the medial orbital wall. Orbital cellulitis is an inflammation of the soft tissues in the orbit of the eye posterior to the orbital septum.

Orbital cellulitis affects the eye socket (orbit) as well as the skin closest to it. A CT scan confirms the diagnosis and may further be necessary to rule-out a foreign body in the orbit (eye socket). Periorbital cellulitis is a serious but treatable infection of the tissues around the eye. Preseptal and orbital cellulitis are 2 distinct diseases that share a few clinical symptoms and signs. Periorbital cellulitis is more common in younger children than adults. Pre-septal cellulitis involves the area from the skin of the eyelid to the bony area that encloses the eye. Orbital cellulitis is an acute infection of the tissues immediately surrounding the eye, including the eyelids, eyebrow, and cheek. The medial orbital wall is thin and perforated not only by numerous blood valveless vessels and nerves but also by numerous other defects (Zuckerkandl dehiscences) .

Causes of Orbital Cellulitis

The common Causes of Orbital Cellulitis:

• Stye on the eyelid.
  
• Injury to the area.
  
• Infections that spread from the bloodstream.
  
• Bug bite or sting to the eyelid.

Symptoms of Orbital Cellulitis

Some common Symptoms of Orbital Cellulitis:

• Bulging eyes
  
• General malaise
  
• Eye may appear red.
  
• Decrease in vision.
  
• Fever.
  
• General discomfort .
  
• Shiny, red or purple eyelid
  
• Painful swelling of upper and lower eyelids

Treatment of Orbital Cellulitis

• Your child may be admitted to the hospital for antibiotics through an intravenous (IV) catheter. Hospitalization also allows for close evaluation of your child and the condition.
  
• Antibiotics are given to treat the infection. They will be started immediately, even before results from the laboratory have come back. Antibiotics are generally given by mouth for three weeks. If the infection is serious, the first week of antibiotics will be given through an intravenous drip.
  
• Consultation with an ophthalmologist (eye care specialist).
  
• Surgery may be performed to drain a collection of pus or an infected sinus cavity.
  
• Surgical drainage of the sinuses or any abscesses of the eye is sometimes needed.

DENGUE FEVER

Symptoms,Causes, Risk factors, Tests & Diagnosis, Complications, Treatment and Prevention

Definition

Dengue fever is a disease — ranging from a mild to severe — caused by four related viruses spread by a particular species of mosquito. Mild dengue fever causes high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain. More severe forms of the disease — dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome — can additionally cause severe bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death.

No specific treatment for dengue fever exists, and most people recover. But if you have a severe form of the disease, you need hospital care.

Fifty million to 100 million cases of dengue infection occur worldwide each year. Most cases of dengue fever occur in urban areas of tropical and subtropical regions. A few cases have been reported in the United States — particularly in Texas, along the border with Mexico, and in Hawaii.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of dengue fever usually begin four to seven days after you've been bitten by a mosquito carrying a dengue virus. These signs and symptoms can vary, depending on the form of the disease. More severe forms of the disease usually begin the same way as the mild form (dengue fever), then become worse after several days.

Dengue fever signs and symptoms typically include:

• High fever, up to 105 F
  
• A rash over most of your body, which may subside after a couple of days and then reappear
  
• Severe headache, backache or both
  
• Pain behind your eyes
  
• Severe joint and muscle pain
  
• Nausea and vomiting

Dengue fever rarely causes death, and symptoms usually get better after five to seven days.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever — a more severe form of the disease — can also cause:

• Significant damage to your blood and lymph vessels
  
• A decrease in the number blood cells that help your blood clot (platelets)
  
• Bleeding from the nose, mouth and under the skin, creating the appearance of bruising
  
• Death

Dengue shock syndrome — the most severe form of the disease — may also cause:

• Blood vessel fluid (plasma) leakage
  
• Heavy bleeding
  
• A sudden drop in blood pressure (shock)
  
• Death

These signs and symptoms usually appear between the third and seventh day of illness, after fever has improved. They may be preceded by severe abdominal pain, frequent vomiting and disorientation. Two percent to 5 percent of those with a severe form of the disease die. Modern supportive hospital care decreases this risk.

Recovery from dengue fever may include a long period of listlessness, fatigue and even depression.

Causes

Dengue fever is caused by any one of four dengue viruses spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes thrive in and near human habitations where they breed in even the cleanest water.

Mosquitoes transmit the virus back and forth between humans. When a mosquito bites a person infected with a dengue virus, the virus enters the mosquito's bloodstream. It then circulates before settling in the salivary glands. When the infected mosquito then bites another person, the virus enters that person's bloodstream, where it may cause the serious illness.

You can become infected with dengue fever more than once. This happens when you're exposed to a different one of the four dengue viruses than one to which you were previously exposed. Infection a second time is typically what causes the more severe form of the disease — dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Risk factors

If you live or travel in tropical areas

Living in or traveling to an area where dengue fever viruses are present puts you at risk of the disease. These areas include many tropical and subtropical areas around the world, for example:

• Central and South America
  
• Southeast Asia
  
• The Caribbean
  
• Africa
  
• India
  
• The Middle East
  
• The South and Central Pacific

Particularly high-risk areas include tropical Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Dengue virus transmission may occur year-round, although the risk is highest during a recognized dengue fever outbreak.

If you've had dengue fever before

If you've had dengue fever before, you can get it again if you become infected with another one of the four dengue viruses. Having antibodies to a virus in your blood from a previous infection usually helps protect you. But in the case of dengue fever, it actually increases your risk of severe disease — dengue hemorrhagic fever — if you're infected again. So previous infection with a dengue fever virus increases your risk of a more severe form of the disease. This most often occurs in children.

If you're young, white or female

If you are younger than age 12, female or white, you are also at greater risk of the severe form of the disease — dengue hemorrhagic fever.

When to seek medical advice

If you have any signs or symptoms of dengue fever, see your doctor, and explain that you've recently traveled to a region in which the disease is known to occur.

Tests and diagnosis

Diagnosing dengue fever can be difficult. That's because its signs and symptoms can be easily confused with those of other diseases, such as malaria, leptospirosis and typhoid fever. Still, diagnosis of dengue fever is typically done by evaluating your signs and symptoms along with your medical and travel history. To diagnose your condition, your doctor will likely ask about these. In addition, your blood may be tested for evidence of a dengue virus.

Medical history

Your doctor will likely ask about your medical and travel history and any exposure to mosquitoes. Be sure to describe international trips in detail, including the countries you visited and the dates, as well as any contact you may have had with mosquitoes.

Blood tests

Laboratory tests, usually using a sample of your blood, are needed to confirm a diagnosis of dengue fever. If you have dengue fever, your blood may reveal the virus itself. If not, blood tests known as hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) also can detect antigens, antibodies or nucleic acids specific to the viruses. These tests may take several days.

Complications

Most people with dengue fever recover within five to 14 days. Some, particularly adults, may feel listless, tired and even depressed for several weeks to months after being infected.

If severe, dengue fever can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, which can cause heavy bleeding, shock and — in about 2 percent to 5 percent of those with these conditions — death. Those who survive may experience liver, blood vessel and brain damage, as well as seizures.

Treatments and drugs

No specific treatment for dengue fever exists.

If you have a mild form of the disease, your doctor will recommend making sure to drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration from vomiting and high fever. You can also take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) for pain and fever. Avoid aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). These can increase the risk of bleeding complications.

If you have a more severe form of the disease, treatment consists of supportive care in a hospital. Such care includes intravenous fluids and electrolyte replacement, maintaining adequate blood pressure and replacing blood loss.

If you have any form of dengue fever, you may also be kept away from mosquitoes, to avoid transmitting the disease to others.

Prevention

No dengue fever vaccine exists. If you are living or traveling in an area where dengue fever is known to be, the best way to avoid dengue fever is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that carry the disease.

To reduce your exposure to mosquitoes:

• Avoid unnecessary outdoor activity when mosquitoes are most prevalent, such as at dawn, dusk and early evening.
  
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes when you go into mosquito-infested areas.
  
• Stay in air-conditioned or well-screened housing. Patch screens if necessary, especially where there will be night-time exposure.
  
• Use bed netting if available.
  
• Apply permethrin-containi ng mosquito repellent to your clothing, shoes, and camping gear and bed netting. You can also buy clothing made with permethrin already in it. Use repellent with a 10 percent to 30 percent concentration of DEET to your skin. Choose the concentration based on the hours of protection you need — a 10 percent concentration of DEET is effective for about two hours, whereas higher concentrations last longer. Keep in mind that chemical repellants can be toxic, and use only the amount needed for the time you'll be outdoors. Don't use DEET on the hands of young children or on infants under 2 months of age. Instead, cover your infant's stroller or playpen with mosquito netting when outside. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, oil of lemon eucalyptus, a more natural product, offers the same protection as DEET when used in similar concentrations.