Vishwabharathi Hospital

Reasons for dry skin
 

Unhealthy lifestyles, exposures to extreme wealth conditions, bathing for long time in hot water, using harsh soaps, harsh cosmetics, can cause drying of skin. 

Ayurveda's point of view about dry skin

According to texts of ayurveda, dry skin is caused by increased vat dosh in the body. When vaat dosha increases in the body, it reduces kaha dosha and makes skin dry and wrinkled. 

The causes which increases vaat dosha in the body

1) exposure to cold and dry climate
2) controlling natural urges like urination, defecation, hunger, thirst etc
3) keeping awake till night 
4) irregular food habits
5) consumption of spicy, dry and bitter food
 

This discomforting skin condition can affect, both children and adults. It is often noticed in infants as well. Atopic dermatitis is even referred to as atopic eczema. It is characterized by skin inflammations. Under the effect of this condition, human skin tends to become itchy and irritable. This skin disease can be treated through medical assistance, but treatment is often followed by relapses. Homeopathy can effectively deal with the condition by reducing chances of a relapse. Homeopathy aims to look for underlying problems and treats your case without making you deal with side effects:

1. Rhus Tox can prove to be effective: Many people suffering from atopic dermatitis might also suffer from asthma and are hence advised to take this homeopathic medication. A homeopathic practitioner will look for symptoms like reddened skin, persistent itching and vesicular eruptions. Eruptions on the skin can even be filled with fluids. Atopic dermatitis worsens during monsoons.
2. Mezereum is known to treat atopic dermatitis: Mezereum is usually prescribed for infants who face the discomfort of atopic dermatitis. In infants, the skin condition is marked by eruptions on the scalp; mezereum treats these eruptions successfully. Ulcers with pus like oozing are also found on the scalp of a baby. This medicine will deal with all such symptoms.
3. Try out the effects of Natrum Mur if you are suffering from certain skin condition: Patients who like consuming salty food or salt in general are prescribed with this medicine. Natrum Mur can cure crusting all along a person's hairline. Crusting results from dry hardened skin eruptions along the outline of a person's scalp. These eruptions are extremely itchy and have a bright red surface.
4. Graphites can come to your aid: If a patient of atopic dermatitis is subject to sticky, fluid discharges from his or her skin eruptions, Graphites can be of immense help. Eruptions that occur in the folds of your body should be treated with Graphites. The back of your knees, the bend of your elbows and even itchy skin in the groins can be treated by taking this medication.
5. Sulphur is also prescribed to help such a case: Patients who are susceptible to excessive itching when warm in bed or at night are asked to take Sulphur. Sulphur helps to cure cases where the person concerned has an extremely dry skin. This is a sought after homeopathic medicine known for its efficacy and should be a person's first choice in dire times.

Feeling acidic after eating a heavy meal can often make you regret those last few morsels. This acidic sensation is known as acid reflux or Gastroesophageal reflux disease, better known as GERD. GERD occurs when the functioning of the lower oesophagus muscles is restricted. This makes the undigested food in the stomach and stomach acids leak back into the oesophagus.

Thankfully, this is not something you have to live with and a few simple lifestyle changes can help resolve the situation.

1. Do not lie down after eating: When your body is in a horizontal position, there are higher chances of food being regurgitated into the oesophagus. To avoid this, finish your meals at least 3 hours before going to bed. Sit upright while eating and do not lie down or slouch immediately after eating. This gives the food time to be digested and move out of the stomach.
2. Limit your food intake: Overeating is one of the most common triggers of GERD. Cutting down your portion sizes can instantly reduce the number of GERD occurrences. Instead of eating large, heavy meals, shorten the duration between meals and have more frequent small meals.
3. Avoid foods that trigger acidity: With time, you will soon realise which types of foods trigger an acidic reaction. Some common triggers are onions, peppermint, caffeine, citrus fruits etc. Keeping a diary can help identify such foods and ease your problem.
4. Quit Smoking: Nicotine not only harms your lungs, but can affect your digestive system as well. It is responsible for weakening the muscles that control the opening between the stomach and oesophagus. This allows stomach acids and food from the stomach to re-enter the oesophagus. Alcohol can also worsen GERD symptoms and hence it is better to avoid alcohol is you suffer from frequent bouts of acid reflux.
5. Lose weight: Overeating, obesity and acid reflux go hand in hand. Being overweight can put extra pressure on your stomach and abdomen, thus pushing food and gastric juices into the oesophagus. Losing this extra weight should effectively resolve your acid reflux problem if you are overweight.
6. Look at your medications: Some types of medication too can cause acid reflux by interfering with the digestive system and irritating the oesophagus. These types of medication include blood pressure medication, asthma medication, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bisphosphonates, sedatives and painkillers. Do not simply stop taking these medications, but talk to your doctor about replacing them with something else.

Bariatric surgery is performed on an individual who is morbidly obese and needs to lose weight immediately. It does not remove the fat from the body, but reduces the individual’s urge to consume food. Since food plays a very important role in the entire procedure, patients looking to undergo bariatric surgery need to follow specific diets before and after the surgery.

A good diet is very important after you have had obesity surgery. The amounts and types of foods that you are able to eat will change, and you need to make sure that your new diet contains enough protein, vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy. Having a poor diet after obesity surgery can have serious consequences. Short term effects may include dehydration, nausea and vomiting, or dumping syndrome. 

Diet Before Bariatric Surgery
Even though the exact diet may differ from one person to the next, the general factors of the diet at this stage include-

1. Protein rich and low carbohydrate foods are recommended. This reduces fat in the body and promotes the regenerative power of the cells.
2. Diet aimed at losing weight. This reduces the fat surrounding the liver, making the surgery easier. Furthermore, patients become acclimatized to the new way of eating that they would have to follow post the surgery.
3. As the date of the surgery approaches, patients may need to be on a liquid only diet, as it is easier to digest. Your diet may be supplemented with vitamins, proteins, so that your body receives the necessary nutrients even when on a liquid only diet.

Diet following the surgery
After the bariatric surgery has been performed, your diet will be divided into four stages. The stages include-

• Stage 1- Liquid diet
For a few days after the surgery, you will not be given any solid food. Additionally, you will only drink clear liquids during this time, so that your stomach starts to recover from the procedure. As time passes, liquid diet is graduated; clear liquid diet for 2 days, then full liquid from day 3 and then 5th day onwards protein supplements are also included. This diet continues for 10-15 days depending on the type of surgery and individual. 

• Stage 2- Pureed diet
After a few days, you will graduate to consuming pureed foods. These foods are liquid, but may have a thicker consistency than the items consumed during stage 1. Many foods, such as vegetables and fruits can be pureed and consumed during this stage. Pureed diet also includes pulses without husk and cerals like dalia/ oats/ khichdi in pureed form, for 15 days.

• Stage 3- Soft foods
Around 2 months after the surgery, you will move on to the next stage, where you are allowed to eat most soft food items, such as soft-boiled eggs, minced or ground meat, white fish and fruits like apple, papaya.

• Stage 4- Normal diet
After around 2 and half months, solid food will be re-introduced in your diet. Food will need to be consumed in smaller portions, so that your stomach can easily digest it. However, certain items, such as breads and all fried foods must still be avoided.

Around 4 months after the surgery, patients can start eating normally, but the portion sizes must be controlled.

If your diet lacks nutrients or is poorly balanced in the long term, you may risk the following health conditions: 

1. Anaemia caused by iron, folate or vitamin B12 deficiency 
2. Osteoporosis and osteomalacia caused by calcium and/or vitamin D deficiencies 
3. Wernicke encephalopathy a rare but serious neurological condition resulting from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency 
4. Certain cancers become more likely with some deficiencies 
5. Deterioration of vision caused by vitamin A deficiency 
6. Poor immune function caused by various deficiencies 
7. Protein deficiency symptoms include fatigue, muscle wastage, and alopecia (short term, transient hair loss is normal) 6 

3 General guidance for eating and drinking post-op 

1. Take time to eat your meals (this means 20 – 30 minutes). 
2. Rushing your meals may cause food to stick in your ‘chest’ and may cause you to vomit. 
3. You may also need to avoid foods that commonly cause blockages leading to pain and possibly vomiting. These include dry chewy meats, soft white bread, stringy or very fibrous vegetables, sweetcorn, nuts, dried fruit, pips and seeds. 

Why do people vomit after eating? 
The main reasons why people vomit are: 

1. Eating too quickly 
2. Not chewing food well enough 
3. Eating too much 
4. Drinking with, or too close to meals 
5. Eating foods that are difficult to digest You should not need to vomit. 

If you find this is happening often, first try changing your eating behaviour and food choices. Frequent, long term vomiting can mean you are getting insufficient nutrients and cause damage to your oesophagus (food pipe) and teeth.

Rhinoplasty, more commonly known as nose surgery, is a cosmetic form of operation designed to change the shape and size of the nose. 

A rhinoplasty can effectively change the size and width of the nose to complement the facial balance. It also helps improve nasal symmetry efficiently enhancing your facial features.

How is the surgery performed?
You can opt for either general anesthesia or local anesthesia for the surgery. The surgery is generally an outpatient procedure, but occasionally patients are asked to stay in the hospital overnight post the surgery.

The operation involves an incision which is made for easy access to the cartilage and bones of the nose. These incisions are generally placed inside the nose, so that they do not appear as scar marks after the surgery is done. Removal or replacement of the bone or cartilage depends on the demands of the restructuring of the nose. Once the reshaping of the nose is done, the nose tissue is put back into place and a splint is temporarily placed to support the new structure of the nose. The splint is removed once the nose heals. 

Precautions to take after a nose surgery

After a nose surgery, the area around your nose will stay swollen and bruised for a considerable period of time. Thus you have to ensure that-

1.  You get ample amount of rest 
2.  Use cold compresses over the swollen nose area, this will reduce the swelling and ease the pain
3.  Do not indulge in relatively vigorous physical activity for sometime 
4.  Take you medicines regularly

Risks of nose surgery

Every surgery or medical procedure involves certain risks, and so does rhinoplasty. Along with some puffiness and bruising around the eye and nose region, you may also experience-

1.  Some amount of bleeding 
2.  Injury to the septum area
3.  Irritation of the skin and skin problems 
4.  Infections 
5.  Nasal blockage due to swelling in the inner nasal area 
6.  Complications resulting from anesthesia 
Although there are certain risks to rhinoplasty, the surgery is considerably safe and the results are quite permanent.
 

Any surgery that requires an incision will involve sutures or staples as the last step of the procedure. This helps close the incision and keep out infections. Taking care of your stitches can help limit scarring and discomfort and speed up the healing process. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Keep it clean and dry: For the first few days, use a washed wet cloth to clean the incision site. After a few days, you may start washing the area with soap and water unless advised else wise by your doctor. Ensure that you dry the skin thoroughly after washing it. Avoid baths that involve soaking the area in water. Also, avoid swimming. Do not use any powders, lotions, creams, deodorants etc on the wound site.
2. Look out for signs of infections: Avoid activities that may involve exposing your wound to dirty water, chemicals, dust etc. This increases your risk of infections. Also look out for signs f infections such as redness, swelling, pus or bleeding, fever or increased pain from the wound. In case you notice such signs, consult your doctor at the earliest.
3. Do not scratch: As it heals, your skin is likely to turn itchy. However, refrain from scratching so as to reduce chances of infections. Do not try and pull away from the scab but let it fall off on its own. This will also help limit scarring.
4. Limit contact: Avoid wearing tight clothes or anything that sticks to the skin while your wound is healing. Instead have plenty of loose, comfortable clothes easily accessible. Also, do not take part in close contact sports such as football etc until the stitches have healed completely.
5. Change your dressing regularly: A dressing should be changed as soon as it gets wet or soaked with blood or other body fluids. Wear clean medical gloves while changing a dressing. When putting on a new dressing do not touch the inside of the dressing or apply any creams on the stitches unless advised so by your doctor. In the case of removable stitches, the doctor will usually remove the stitches after a few days. DO not attempt to pull the stitches out on your own.
6. Avoid exposing the wound to sunlight: New skin that forms as the incision heals is very sensitive to sunlight and gets sunburnt very easily. Limiting your exposure to sunlight can help reduce the effects of scarring.

Melasma, commonly known as skin pigmentation, is a skin disorder, which causes brown and blotchy spots on your face. Everybody craves to have spotless and flawless skin. But usually no one does anything about it. Contrary to popular belief, having perfect skin is not really difficult. You need to religiously follow your skincare regime to keep it healthy and flawless. In case you are suffering from melasma or have skin pigmentation,

Here are a few tips which you can follow:

1. Apply raw potato on your face: Take a clean and fresh potato. Cut it into two halves and wet the exposed surface with a little water. Rub this on all the affected regions on the face and wash your face after 10 to 15 minutes with lukewarm water. Potatoes are extremely effective in removing pigmentation as they have an enzyme called catecholase, which can help to lighten darkened areas on the skin.

2. Use apple cider vinegar on your skin: Apple cider vinegar helps to restore the natural color of the skin. It also contains beta-carotene, which helps to treat the damage done to the skin by the atmosphere's free radicals. In fact, one of the famous qualities of apple cider vinegar is to make the skin supple and bright.

3. Apply aloe vera on your skin: Regular usage of aloe vera on the skin is one of the best and most effective remedies for skin pigmentation. Aloe vera can help clean the skin without harming the natural balance of the skin, as it has marvelous cleansing properties. It helps to reduce spots on your face, and also provides protection against the harmful UV rays of the sun.

4. A sandalwood pack can also work wonders: Sandalwood acts, both as a stimulant as well as a blood purifier. These two properties of sandalwood help it to treat skin pigmentation. Make a pack using sandalwood and rosewater and apply it to your face at least twice a day to get rid of the pigmentation. Sandalwood is also one of the major ingredients for a sunscreen as it can protect the skin from the harmful UV rays.

5. Keep an eye on what you eat: Your diet plays a very crucial part when it comes to the wellbeing of your skin. Make sure that you add a lot of green leafy vegetables and foods rich in Vitamin A and C to maintain your healthy skin. Drink lots of water and eat a lot of fruits in order to keep your skin hydrated. This will also detoxify your body.

Follow the above tips and ensure yourself a spotlessly beautiful skin.

Jock itch can be defined as a fungal infection affecting the skin, especially around the inner thighs, genitals, buttocks or the groin region. Also called ‘tinea cruris’, this condition triggers irritation that results from the ring-shaped red rashes that primarily affect the warm and moist regions of one’s body. This condition majorly affects people who sweat excessively, such as athletes or even people who are over-weight. Although it is often bothersome and uncomfortable, jock itch doesn’t bring about severe complications for the affected individual. Jock itch can easily be cured by keeping the groin region dry and applying topical anti-fungal medications.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of Jym itch include itchy and painful rashes in the buttock, inner thigh or the groin region. The rash is usually tan, red or brown in color, slightly scaly and often formed at the edges.

Causes:

1. Putting on damp, wet or unlaundered clothing, such as athletic supporter and very tight underwear or wearing them frequently.

2. Sharing towels that were used by a person suffering from the same condition.

3. Taking showers irregularly, especially after excessive sweating or exercising.

4. Living in hot and humid conditions.

5. Obesity.

6. Wearing tight clothing.

7. Immune system disorders.

Treatment:

1. Anti-fungal creams or lotions can help treat ringworm of the groin. Few examples are Miconazole, Econazole, Clotrimazole and Ketoconazole. These medications should be applied twice a day for about two to four weeks.

2. In case the eruptions start to ooze fluids or pus, antibiotics may be administered by the doctor.

General Measures:

Measures to prevent recurrence of tinea cruris include weight reduction (if obese), wearing less occlusive clothing, drying thoroughly after bathing, using topical antifungal powders, laundering contaminated clothing, and treating concomitant fungal infection of nail of feet, if present.