Posts filed under 'Skin Treatment'
Treatment for Shingles
Shingles Treatment
Shingles causes a painful rash on a localised area of the skin. Shingles rash only ever appears on one side of your body - it never crosses the midline. If you have a rash that’s present on both sides of your body then it almost certainly is not due to shingles.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox - and it follows from this that only people who have previously had chickenpox can develop shingles in later life.
Shingles can affect children but it is much more common in adults.
Shingles is more common in the winter and seems more common when there is a lot of childhood chickenpox around in the community.
Shingles is no more than a nuiscance for most people - a blistering rash appears - stays for a week or so, crusts over and then fades. But some people develop ongoing burning nerve pain in the region that was affected by the shingles. This is called post shingles nerve pain - or postherpetic neuralgia to give its full medical name.
Shingles sometimes occurs around the eye. This can be a serious problem. See your doctor immediately if you think this applies to you.
The chickenpox virus can also be dangerous if you catch it when you are pregnant. If you think you have shingles then warn pregnant women to stay away for a few days until the spots crust over.
Shingles can also lead to other complications, including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and other neurological problems. If shingles occurs on your face, it can cause hearing problems and temporary or permanent blindness. Loss of facial movement (paralysis) is possible as well. If blisters aren’t properly treated, bacterial skin infections are another potential problem.
Shingles Signs
An attack of shingles usually starts with a burning pain in an area of skin. The blister spots appear a few days later. The sufferer may feel shivery or unwell for a few days. Once the spots appear the pain often becomes less severe.
You can’t catch shingles from another person - but, since the blisters contain the chickenpox virus, you might catch chickenpox if you haven’t had it before.
Shingles Treatment
Most shingles episodes heal by themselves without treatment.
Doctors often prescribe a course of anti-viral or anti-shingles virus tablets. There are several of these but the commonest is Acyclovir (often called Zovirax), Famicyclovir or Valcyclovir. The earlier shingles treatment is started, the more effective it is. Early shingles treatment can reduce pain severity and lessens the risk of post herpetic pain.
For more shingles treatment information you can follow these links:
Shingles from the CNN health Library
The Mayo Clinic Shingles Treatment page
Understanding Shingles Treatment from WebMD
January 20th, 2006
Skin Care
Skin Care Treatment
The web is awash with skin care and skin care treatment sites. Skin care routines can vary from those that are incredibly simple to some that are amazingly complex. Skin care treatments vary from natural products to high tech genetically engineered extracts.
So how do you choose the skin care routine or skin care treatment that’s best for you?
Visit the sites listed below. For the most part they’re non promotional and designed to give you an overview of the best skin care treatment advice that the web can provide.
iVillage Skin Care - Skin and Body
The iVillage site offers a great range of comprehensive skin care and skin treatment articles. Good interactive site with lots of discussion
Skin Care Physicians
An award winning site with excellent content - written in a style thats easy to understand
Ladies Health Journal Skin Care Treatments
All you ever wanted to know from the staff of the Ladies Health Journal. Good for overview of all the latest skin care treatment topics
Skin Care Campaign
A comprehensive site run by the Eczema Campaign charity in the UK - good for aspects of skin care relating to allergy
If you have any suggestions for good skin care or skin treatment sites then please leave a comment below
January 20th, 2006
Oily Skin
Treatment for Oily Skin
Whether your skin is oily or not is - to some degree - only a matter of opinion. There is no single test that objectively measures how much oil your skin produces. Certainly some people have a more oily skin than others but this is all part of the range of normality that is also seen with a host of other individual or personal factors.
Oily skin at its most severe is produced by an overproduction of sebum - the normal skin secretion fluid.
True oily skin tends to look shiny - or at times can appear thick and dull colored. Some people with very oily skin get coarse pores and pimples or are prone to blackheads.
Generally oily skin arises simply through genetics and many family members share a common skin type.
Other causes of an oily skin are:
- pregnancy
- a diet high in fat or sugar
- high hormone levels (during puberty for example)
- a diet lacking in fluid intake
- cosmetics
- birth control pills
Some people have a mixed skin type - in other words oily skin on one part of their face but normal on other areas.
The good news about oily skin is that it tends to age more slowly than other skin types - but that’s small comfort if you are having problems as you read this.
Treatment for Oily Skin
- Cleanse with simple unperfumed soap and lots of warm or hot water
- To cleanse oily skin, use oil-based products as they dissolve sebum effectively.
- Choose oil-free moisturizers to maintain a shine-free complexion
- Keep your skin clean but don’t wash more than twice a day or you’ll end up stimulating the production of even more oil
- Try using a clay mask or a mud mask occasionally
Read more about oily skin and oily skin treatment
January 20th, 2006
Scabies treatment
Cure scabies
How to treat scabies
Scabies is caused by a small mite that burrows under the skin. The skin burrows often become infected because they are open to the external skin. The end result is that scabies causes intense and often intolerable itching.
Scabies starts when the scabies mite gets under the skin. It is usually passed by close physical contact - most commonly in children at school, and then to their wider family.
A pregnant female scabies mite will dig down into the skin and lay eggs. These eggs hatch between three and ten days later and the scabies larvae move around in the skin - making the scabies itch worse.
The larvae spread around the skin and mature into adult scabies mites. These adult mites live for three or four weeks before they die, but by then the egg laying process has started all over again. It’s this that causes the terrible itch that scabies is well known for.
The scabies mites themselves - and the scratching caused by the scablies itch - often results in the skin becoming infected.
The webs and sides of the fingers, around the wrists and elbows, the armpits, the waist, genitalia, nipples, breasts and lower buttock are the areas of skin most affected by the scabies mite. In children the infestation can involve the skin of the whole body.
Scabies Diagnosis
Your doctor will diagnose scabies by spotting the tell tale marks of the burrows on the skin - or by scraping the skin and looking for the mite under a microscope.
Scabies Treatment
If you think you have scabies then you should see your doctor.
Your doctor will prescribe a skin cream or lotion for you and all your family to use. It’s important to treat everyone you live with at the same time.
You need to apply the cream all over your skin from the neck down to the feet. Don’t miss an inch!
In children you also need to treat the scalp.
Repeat the treatment after seven days. The first treatment kills the live mites. The second treatment kills any scabies mites that have hatched from eggs in the time since the first treatment
Don’t panic if you’re still itchy after the second treatment - this can last for three or four weeks - even if the treatment has been effective.
Clean your clothes and the house after treatment
Changes into clean clothing after applying the treatment.
Wash your old clothes and your bed linen in a normal washing machine on the hot cycle.
Hoover the house. Formal fumigation or disinfection is not required.
Read more about scabies treatment options here
January 13th, 2006
Treatment for Athletes Foot
What is Athletes Foot?
Fungal infection on the foot - most often between the toes is known as athletes foot.
The condition can occur in anyone at any age - it is not restricted to athletes or sportsmen. Other conditions can cause dermatitis on the foot - including allergic reactions to the materials in the socks or shoes. Skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema can also be seen on the foot. If you are in doubt about the diagnosis of your foot rash then please consult your doctor.
Fungal infections thrive in warm and moist areas of the body - sweating, socks and training shoes create this ideal environment for fungal growth - leading to the athletes foot infection that many of us experience from time to time.
Itch is the main symptom of athletes foot. The skin around the athletes foot area often becomes dry, red, cracked or peeling.
Athlete’s foot can spread to the soles of the feet and to the toenails.
Some sufferers also develop fungal rashes in the groins or under the arms.
Prevention of Athletes Foot
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take care in swimming areas and communal dressing rooms
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wear “flip-flops” or sports sandals
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reduce sweat by using talc
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change socks every day and try to leave the feet open to the air for a part of every day
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wash your feet every day and dry well between the toes
Treatment of Athletes Foot
- over the counter powders and creams may help but are often not fully effective
- your doctor may prescribe creams or ointments containing a mixture of an antifungal drug and a mild steroid to lessen the itch and promote skin healing
- sometimes antifungal tablets are needed in severe cases
- sometimes both bacterial and fungal infections can occur at the same time in the feet - you might need a combination of an antibiotic and antifungal treatment to get your athletes foot to clear up
Related Articles
Medline Plus on Athletes Foot
Ringworm Treatment
January 12th, 2006
Ringworm treatment
What is Ringworm?
How to treat Ringworm
Ringworm is caused by fungal infection. The worm part of the name is misleading. There is no worm involved in the infection - the problem is due to a simple (usually harmless) fungal infection under the skin. Fungal infections grow outwards from a central point - producing an active redish edge as they grow. This red edge forms a ring shape and gives the condition its name. The same pattern can be seen in the grass of a lawn when fungal infection develops. When we were children we called these “fairy rings”
Fungal infections are increasingly common and can affect the scalp, the body, the feet or the nails. Feet infection by fungal organisms is usually called athletes foot.
Fungal infections are contracted from direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet or by indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person or pet has touched. Swimming pools and communal shower areas in sports facilities are common sources of the problem
Ringworm is best treated by simple topical anti-fungal creams. Many of these are available over the counter in a pharmacy but some of the more powerful ones may need a prescription from your doctor. Often the cream contains a small amount of mild steroid in addition to the antifungal preparation. Ringworm is often very itch and the steroid in the cream helps make you more comfortable.
Rarely - in more severe cases - tablet treatment with an antifungal medication may be needed. Most ringworm cases don’t need this.
For more information check out these other sites
Ringworm information and advice
Ringworm diagnosis and assessment
What is ringworm and how should it be treated
January 11th, 2006
Treatment for Poison IvyPoison Ivy AllergyPoison Ivy ItchPoison Ivy, Poison Oak and Sumac cause problems every year for many people.
Sufferers experience a very itchy rash - often with blisters forming. This is due to a chemical called urishiol that is found in the sap of the plants. If this sap comes into contact with your skin it triggers an immune reaction - and this means that the next time you touch one of these plants you will experience a skin sensitivity allergic reaction - sometimes very severe.
Usually, people develop a sensitivity to poison ivy, oak or sumac only after several encounters with the plants, sometimes over many years. However, sensitivity may occur after only one exposure.
How to prevent poison ivy reactions
- avoid direct contact with the plants - this should reduce the risk but doesn’t guarantee against a reaction.
the chemical in the sap of the plants can stick to almost anything it comes in contact with.
- If it isn’t washed off then touching the object or animal might trigger an attack
- remember that sap on objects can stay active for years - particularly in a dry environment
The skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet is a bit less sensitive to a poison ivy reaction - the skin is thicker and harder for the urushiol to penetrate. Affected skin produces a rash in a line along the affected area.
Poison Ivy Treatment - Act Quickly
- Clean the skin - with a rubbing alcohol if possible
- then wash the affected area again with water - no soap yet because soap will tend to spread the sap around the body
- now go indoors and shower properly with soap and water
- then wipe all shoes and clothes that were in contact the sap with alcohol wipes and water
Treatment for Poison Ivy Rash
- it takes between 12 and 48 hours for redness and swelling to appear. Blisters and itching will follow.
- try to keep the blisters intact and avoid scratching them - this can cause infection
- the blisters disappear but take up to three weeks to fully go away
Treatment for Poison Ivy Itch
The itch of a poison ivy rash can be almost intolerable. Try the following options
- cold cloth compresses
- antihistamine tablets or syrups
- over the counter corticosteroid creams are safe if used in moderation
- early use of stronger steroid creams can prevent blisters forming if applied soon after the exposure but wont help once the blisters appear. These strong steroid creams are only available with a prescription from your doctor
- severe cases sometimes need steroid tablets to be taken orally - and for a course of at least two weeks. Stopping too early will cause the rash to reappear in a severe form
You can try the following readilly available options to help soothe the blisters:
aluminum acetate (Burrows solution), baking soda, Aveeno (oatmeal bath), aluminum hydroxide gel, calamine or zinc oxide cream
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January 11th, 2006
