Stretch marks, as the name suggest; appears when the skin is over stretched. These marks can also appear when the body loses its ability to stretch (use of certain steroids). Both the conditions affect the skin elasticity. As a result, white, red (turn pale over a period of time) or purple streaks appear on the buttocks, armpits, stomach, thighs and chest.

Many factors influence the appearance of stretch marks, also known as striae distensae
1. Elevated levels of cortisone hormone (produced by the adrenal gland) play a pivotal role in the appearance of stretch marks.

2. Stretch marks are common during pregnancy. As the foetus grows in size, the skin tends to stretch more and more. This stretching provides sufficient space to the developing foetus. A hormonal imbalance can also mark the appearance of stretch marks during this period. In some, the stretch marks appear after pregnancy.

3. Stretch marks are sure to appear when a person experiences a sudden change in the body weight (weight gain or loss). These marks can also be seen in children who are in their growing phase (teenagers).

4. Use of corticosteroids (steroid hormones produced by the adrenal cortex) can leave your body with the unwanted stretch marks. It is advisable to use corticosteroids (pills or cream) under medical supervision.

5. Stretch marks may be an outcome of some genetic disorders such as ehlers-danlos syndrome and marfan's syndrome. Striae distensae can appear in people with cushing's syndrome (the adrenal gland produces the hormone, glucocorticoids in excess)

Stretch marks often affect person's confidence. Most people find stretch marks extremely annoying and embarrassing. They try every possible trick under the sun to camouflage and get rid of the unwanted marks. The stretch marks are generally harmless and can be treated.

1. Drink plenty of water. It is important to keep the skin hydrated. Bio oils, vitamin e enriched oils, certain creams, can effectively fades the appearance of stretch marks. Use of moisturisers containing cocoa butter and shea butter will speed up the fading process.

2. Loss or breakdown of collagen protein (fibrous protein) can result in stretch marks. For stretch marks that are not very old, tretinoin cream comes across as a huge relief. Application of tretinoin cream helps in the restoration of collagen protein. For pregnant women, it is best to avoid this cream.

3. In case the stretch marks are a little older, a person can go for microdermabrasion.

4. Another great technique is the pulsed dye laser therapy. This therapy works by enhancing the growth of elastin and collagen protein.

All the preventive measures and treatments can help to fade the stretch marks. However, none can guarantee complete disappearance of the marks.

Stretch Marks - Causes and Prevention Tips

Sleep is the normal physiological process of our body which is as important as respiration and digestion. Sleep is vital for maintaining our physical and mental health. Normal adults require 8 hours of sleep every day, whereas it 14 to 15 hours of sleep is recommended for for infants and toddlers.

What are the different stages of Sleep

Every human has a natural circadian clock in their body, which is responsible for maintaining our sleep - wake homeostasis. The different stages of sleep include REM and NREM that is rapid eye movement sleep and non rapid eye movement sleep respectively. REM is the deep sleep stage in which it is very difficult to wake up the person as this stage includes the sensory inhibition and all voluntary muscles along with almost all interactions with the surroundings are inhibited. Therefore, a person s physical stress and tiredness also gets relieved during this stage of sleep. NREM sleep is the stage between REM and awakening and here the person may have sensory connection with his or her surroundings, but may not respond.

Sleep and its benefits
Sleep and stress have a very strong connection with each other. The best way to relieve stress and any other mental disturbance is sleep. It is essential to have knowledge about sleep psychiatry for almost all physicians as they face many sleep deprived patients in their day to day practice.

    Sleep is not only responsible for relieving mental stress and depression, but has other benefits as well
    Sleep is also essential for the normal physiological growth in early infancy and it is vital for development of normal alertness, attention and knowledge
    It also relaxes our voluntary muscles and thereby, relieves us from physical stress
    Sleep disturbance may also aggravate diseases in our body. Sleep is also the state of recovery and healing.

Sleep psychiatry also insist on meditation and ensures that people have normal pattern of sleep, in order to maintain the mental health of the person in a normal state.

Sleep Pyschiatry: Its Stages and Benefits

OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental condition, which traps people in a cycle of repetitive thoughts that push them to do repetitive behaviors. As the name states, the obsession over certain things compels them to do it over and over again. These actions will only help you feel relieved for a short time and soon the cycle starts back again.

Symptoms of OCD
The symptoms of OCD are classified into two groups, one for the obsessive behavior and the other for compulsive behavior. Some of the common symptoms for these are mentioned below:

Obsessive behaviors
As the name states this means obsessing over certain things, which varies from person to person. Some of the things could be:
1. Being scared about making mistakes
2. The fear of being embarrassed in public situations
3. Constantly being scared about contamination by germs, microbes or dirt
4. Doubts about sure and simple situations and the need to be constantly reassured about them

Compulsive behaviors
The obsessions usually results in compulsive behaviors, which you may need to perform to reassure and relieve yourself of the anxiety temporarily. Some of these may include:
1. Trying to constantly arrange things in a certain way and still not being satisfied
2. Thoughts, words and images being stuck in your head throughout the day that may keep you disturbed and cause to lose sleep
3. You may even repeat specific words or actions multiple times as a measure of self reassurance.
4. Hoarding of items, which have no value

Causes of OCD
Biological factors: Certain chemical imbalances in the brain may lead to OCD, which may happen due to hormonal or biological changes. In fact certain infections are also known to trigger OCD in people.
Environmental factors: Certain types of mental trauma have been known to trigger OCD as well, such as
1. Office, school, college or other work related stresses over a long period of time
2. The passing away of a near and dear one
3. Relationship problems
4. Repressed abuses from earlier in life

Treatments
Most treatments of OCD are categorized into two types: 
Cognitive behavioral therapy: This is a counseling based therapy where you may be slowly asked to face your fears and overcome them over a period of time.
Medications: Antidepressants, inhibitors, or antipsychotic drugs or relaxants in various combinations may be used to treat OCD.
Electroconvulsive therapy: Only in the rarest of cases would doctors consider electroconvulsive therapy, if the patient is a danger to themselves or others around them.


Causes, Symptoms and Treatments of OCD

Vitiligo is a skin disorder that is characterized by the development of white patches on the skin. The disorder is chronic in nature; it occurs when the melanocytes (melanin production and distribution agent) which are present in the skin, die.

The area of the skin affected by this condition tends to vary from person to person. It may affect the insides of your mouth, hair, eyes and cause permanent discoloration.

Vitiligo can be classified into two types

1. Segmented Vitiligo: This type of vitiligo tends to spread fast but is stable than the other type. It is asymmetrical and affects such portions of the skin which are linked to nerves that originate in the dorsal roots along the spinal cord.

2. Non- Segmental Vitiligo: This type of vitiligo occurs in equal proportions on both sides of the body. This disorder affects the areas of the skin that are exposed to sun frequently, such as the arms, neck and the face.

Causes

There is no known cause of vitiligo; however, the likely causes are found to be trauma from a stressful event, chemical exposure and genetics. It may also result from complications in the immune system.

Symptoms:

1. The primary symptom of vitiligo is the appearance of white patches on the skin.

2. The initial patches which occur on the skin are slightly pale in color; which becomes even paler in due course of time and eventually turn white, thus making them look distinct and prominent on the skin.

3. The edge of the patches may become inflamed and cause itching.

4. Direct exposure to the skin may cause the symptoms to aggravate.

Ayurvedic View
According to Ayurveda, Leucoderma is caused due to the aggravation of Pitta Dosha. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humor which symbolizes heat or fire, and is manifested in the skin. Aggravated Pitta leads to accumulation of ama (toxins) in deep layers of the skin, leading to the condition of Leucoderma.

Pitta is of five types; one of them is Bhrajak Pitta that gives coloration to skin. In the case of Leucoderma, Bhrajak Pitta is in an imbalanced state, and therefore, the skin starts losing its color and white patches appear. Along with Pitta Dosha, deeper body tissues like Rasa Dhatu (nutrient plasma), Rakta (blood), Mansa (muscles), Lasika (lymph) are also involved in the disease.

Treatment consists of pacifying imbalanced body energies, cleansing the blood and administrating herbs that restore skin color. Poor digestion is the root cause of this disease, as it causes the build-up of toxins in the tissues. An essential part of treatment, therefore, is restoring digestion. The patient will also be advised on the correct diet and lifestyle adjustments to prevent recurrence of the disorder.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

Increase consumption of vegetables that are bitter in taste, like drumsticks and bitter gourd.
Stay away from difficult to digest foods, sour taste, excessive salt, curd, fish, jaggery and sesame seeds.
Avoid consumption of opposite foods, such as fish and milk together.
Have sound and adequate sleep daily.
Do not over-expose yourself to excessive cold or heat conditions.

Ayurvedic Treatments For Vitiligo 

The production of gas in the body is a natural process as long as it is within normal limits. Whether it makes you burp or causes flatulence, excessive gas can be embarrassing. Gas can also make you uncomfortable and cause bloating. This is simply the buildup of excessive gas in the stomach before it is ready to be released. Here are a few simple tips that can help you prevent the buildup of excessive gas.

Avoid eating gaseous foods: Beans, broccoli, milk, cheese and fruits like pears and apples; these are some of the foods to avoid if you suffer from frequent bouts of gaseousness. This is because they contain fiber and sugar that is difficult to digest and creates gas. If you cannot avoid them completely, try steaming them instead of frying or baking them. Some people may also react to certain food combinations such as fruits and proteins by producing gas. Keeping a food diary may help identify such combinations.
Drink a glass of water before meals: Drinking water while you are eating can hinder digestion. When water mixes with solid food, it interferes with the way stomach acid breaks down food. Instead, drink a glass of water half an hour before your meals. In this way, the water flushes your system and prepares it for the digestion process.
Eat slowly: Grabbing a bite on the go is one of the leading causes of indigestion. When you eat anything, ensure that you chew it properly and do not swallow large bites of food. This prevents air from collecting in your stomach and thus prevents gaseousness.
Probiotics: Probiotics boost the production of  good gut bacteria  that is essential for digestion. Probiotics can also help ease bloating. If you suffer from gas, try including probiotics like yogurt, pickles, kimchi and buttermilk in your diet or get yourself a probiotic supplement.
A cup of chamomile tea: Chamomile not only calms the body but can also fight indigestion and gas. A cup of chamomile tea after a heavy meal helps speed up the digestion process. This helps relieve bloating, as the faster the stomach is emptied, the faster gas can move out of the stomach and into the intestines. Fennel, dill, peppermint and ginger can also be used as alternatives to chamomile.
Digestive aids: Gas is a fairly common problem faced by a number of people and hence digestive aids are easily available over the counter. Look for medication that contains activated charcoal or digestive enzymes.
If gaseousness persists over a long period of time and is not eased by any of these remedies, consult a doctor at once.


Intestinal Gas - How It Can Be Treated?

Bone cancer is a rare form of cancer in the cancer family. It affects one of the bones of your body and spreads to other bones. But, more often, it has the tendency to affect the long bone in the legs and the arms. There are many types of bone cancers. While some of them can affect children, the others typically affect the adults. This type of cancer is different than those cancers which get initiated from other parts of the body and spread to the bones.

What are the symptoms of bone cancer?
The typical signs and symptoms of bone cancer include acute pain in the bone, tenderness in the affected area, swelling of certain bones, a tendency of bone breakage, fatigue with little or no effort, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath etc.

What are the causes of bone cancer?
There is no particular reason for bone cancer. Studies have shown that an error in the structure of the DNA leads to bone cancer. This error leads the bone to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner leading to non-extinction of cells. These cells keep growing and form a mass invade to other parts of the body, leading to cancer.

What are the different types of bone cancer?
The type of the bone cancer can be distinguished from where cancer originates from. Some of the common bone cancer type includes the following:

Osteosarcoma: This is the form of cancer that originates from the bone cells and is often witnessed in young adults and children. They often attack the arm and the leg.
Chondrosarcoma: This form of cancer begins from the cartilage cells. The exact place of damage appearance includes legs, arm, and pelvis. This is typically observed in middle-aged persons in older adults.
Ewing's sarcoma: Though researchers are yet to find out the location this form of bone cancer originates from, it is mostly considered to affect the legs, arms, and legs of young children.
What are the risk factors?
While doctors are yet to researching for the exact reason of bone cancer, there are certain risk factors which have been associated with the bone cancers.

Inherited genetic syndromes: Certain genetic condition such as the hereditary retinoblastoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome which are passed on from generations are a prime culprit of bone cancer.
Paget's disease: This is a bone-related disorder that affects the bone and increases the chance of bone cancer.
Radiation: Exposure to a huge amount of radiation increases the chances of bone cancer and other associated cancers.
How is bone cancer detected?
Imaging tests such as the bone scan, x-ray, MRI, PET scan and the CT scan can diagnose bone cancer. Apart from these, oncologists might order a biopsy that includes removing a part of the tissue and test the same in a laboratory can also help to detect bone cancer.

Bone Cancer - Risk Factors Associated With It!

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