 Head lice  are insects that feed on the blood of your scalp. This condition usually affects children and is moderately contagious. Contrary to popular belief, head lice does not occur due to poor personal hygiene. 


The symptoms of head lice are:
1. Presence of lice on scalp: Lice are small insects that are usually hard to spot. But their infestation can be felt because you experience intense itching on the scalp. 


2. Itching: There will be intense itching on the scalp and the neck. This itching occurs due to the saliva secretion by the lice that the skin is allergic to. Usually, the itching starts after 3 to 6 weeks of infestation. 


3. Lice eggs: The lice eggs stick to the shafts of the hair. They are very hard to spot as they are small and well camouflaged. 


What can be the reasons behind their infestation
This condition is contagious; apart from direct contact with the scalp of an infected person, this condition can also spread if you happen to share the below mentioned items with an infected person:
1. Brushes 
2. Hats
3. Headphones
4. Towels
5. Pillows
6. Accessories for the hair


The treatments for hair lice are:
1. Over- the counter (OTC) products: OTC products are made from  pyrethrin , a compound extracted from the  chrysanthemum  flower.  Pyrethrin  works as an insecticidal compound and it is advised to use these medications only after washing your hair with a shampoo. Vinegar may also be used to loosen the nits from the hair shafts. 


2. Prescription medications: Certain medications can also be prescribed by the doctor, such as benzyl alcohol and lindane.


Certain home remedies for head lice include:
1. Essential oils: Apply oils such as Anise oil or tea tree on the scalp; these oils act as toxins for the lice.
2. Wet combing: This is a method wherein the wet hair is combed using a fine toothed comb to remove the nits and the lice. Repeat the procedure for 3-4 days every week.

Head Lice - How You can Treat Them?

It is common for skin to get dry and the condition is marked by less than the required water in the epidermis (the topmost skin layer). Males and females are equally affected by it. With age, the incidences for having dry skin increases. Elderly people tend to have less amount of natural lubricants and oil in the skin. Areas like the hands, lower legs and arms are more prone to have dry skin. Atmospheric humidity also affects the dryness of skin. It is called xerosic dermatitis or xeroderma.

It might be temporary and mild and may last for some days. In some cases, it can become a severe long-term problem. Dry skin symptoms encompass itching, discomfort and skin tightness. Winters and dry, cold air also affects your skin and the result is dry skin.

Why it normally occurs?
Individuals who wash or sanitize their hands more often can experience a greater degree of dry skin.

Medications may also induce this condition.
The epidermis layer of the skin normally has protein and fat, which prevents dehydration in the skin. When the fatty oils in the skin are removed, the moisture and protection of the skin is lost. The skin becomes more sensitive and breakdowns easily when it gets dried. It might cause the skin to become powdered or may be invisible.
Red rash may appear if dry skin is left untreated. Simple treatment and prevention measures have been effective in dry skin treatment.
Avoid chemical cleansers and harsh soaps is an effective way to prevent dry skin. Moisturisers and bland emollient application on a regular basis have shown effectiveness for treating the condition.
Cellulitis, bacterial infections and eczema might be complications arising from dry skin. Thankfully, dry skin generally is mild and the remedies are easy.
Generalised winter itching is also called winter itch and can be seen commonly amongst older people. It is mainly caused due to dry skin.
People suffering from eczema may also experience winter itch.
Cold temperature and low humidity can make the dry skin worse in winters.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Dry Skin - Why It Normally Happens?

Dandruff is a typical scalp condition, which happens when the bacteria on your skin congest because of stress, hormonal imbalance or changes in your eating routine. As they shed off, they leave small white chips or flakes in your hair and on your shoulders, which in turn causes more anxiety and irritation.

Dandruff can decrease in winter since the flakes or pieces are not really brought on by frosty, dry air. The main cause is an excess of malassezia bacteria. Dandruff is not a serious health condition, but sufferers make a special effort to keep the flakes from falling. Managing dandruff in winters can be tough. However, here are a few methods to cure dandruff.

Tips to help you manage it

Get into a warm shower. Apply a quarter of the special dandruff cleanser or shampoo to your palm. Smudge the cleanser through your hair, concentrating on the scalp region. Give the cleanser a chance to sit for five minutes so that it works properly and after that, flush it out. Wash your hair once every day with the dandruff cleanser.
Wet your hair once you are in the shower and pour three tablespoons of heated baking soda onto your hand. Rub the heated baking soda on your scalp using delicate and gentle movements to get rid of the dead skin and sleek flakes. Wash your hair with warm water.
Pour two tablespoons of lemon juice onto your scalp and rub it using your fingers. Rinse your hair with warm water. Mix one teaspoon of lemon juice with some water and pour it over your head. Try not to wash out the last lemon-juice application.
Pour one to two tablespoons of table salt in your hand and back the salt delicately into your scalp to remove up the dead skin. Rinse your hair with water to expel the salt, and then wash your hair well with warm water, using a quarter of the cleanser. Apply conditioner if needed.
Walk or sit outside in the sun for 20 to 30 minutes every day. A few people find that the ultra-violet beams from the sun lessen dandruff in the winter months. Keep in mind to wear sunscreen.
Exfoliate your scalp. You swamp off dead skin cells with body scours. A similar idea can be used on your scalp. Once every week, apply a special exfoliating scalp cover on your head before applying the cleanser. It targets the bacteria and tenderly lifts away the dead cells, while calming your scalp in the meantime.
Switch up your shower schedule. Consistency is key when you are attempting to battle dandruff. Do not hope to get rid of your dandruff by using the cleanser once. In spite of the fact that you will see a prompt change after using it once, you need to utilize it twice every week to see longlasting results.

Dandruff In Winters - 7 Quick Ways You Can Manage It!

Lupus is an inflammatory disease that is chronic in nature. It occurs when your tissues and organs are attacked by your body's own immunity system. The inflammation that this disease causes can affect the other parts of your body as well, like the joints, kidneys, skin, brain etc. It is often difficult to diagnose because it lacks distinct symptoms. However, one of the most identifiable symptoms of lupus is a ring-shaped rash on the face.

Lupus can be caused by a number of factors like:

Excessive exposure to sunlight
Susceptibility towards infections
Certain anti-seizure, blood pressure and antibiotic medicines
Symptoms
The symptoms are neither distinct nor regular. However, some common symptoms could be-

Fatigue and fever
Pain in the joints, stiffness and swelling
Ring-shaped facial rash
Skin lesions on exposure to the sun
Chest pain and shortness of breath
What else can lupus lead to?

Several complications may arise if lupus is left untreated. Some of them are-

Kidney damage and failure
Hallucination, seizures, strokes and several other problems associated with the brain and the central nervous system
Anemia, blood clotting, vasculitis etc.
Increased susceptibility to pneumonia
Increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases
Treatment
Lupus is a significantly dangerous disease and medical help should be immediately sought if you think that you have symptoms associated with it. Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms of individual patients.

Lupus (Skin Rash) - How It Can Be Treated?

Urticaria, commonly known as hives, usually occurs due to an allergic reaction. Sheetapitta is a similar condition in Ayurveda, as the symptoms are similar. Sheetapitta is comprised of two words-  sheeta  (cold) and  pitta  (warm). The condition occurs due to dominance of cold (existing in kapha and vata dosha) over pitta dosha.

Causes of Sheetapitta/urticaria-
Ayurveda believes, sheetapitta is caused due to the following reasons-

Excess intake of pungent (katu) and salty (lavana) food, mustard
Over consumption of sour gruels
Sleeping during the day
Contact with cold substances
Exposure to cold wind
Improper emesis (vomiting)
Insect bite (keeta damsha)
Coming in contact with poisonous bugs and insects (krimi samsarga)
Effect of seasonal changes on the body
Due to the factors mentioned above, especially because of exposure to cold wind, kapha and vata doshas become aggravated, and inevitably combine with pitta dosha. These spread all over the body and produce rashes on the surface of your skin.

Symptoms-
A person having sheetapitta/urticaria will encounter these symptoms-

Itching/pricking sensation
Nausea/vomiting
Fatigue
Tastelessness (aruchi)
Thirst (pipasa)
Lethargy
Reddish discoloration of the eyes (rakta lochanata)
Fever
Ayurvedic approach to cure Sheetapitta-

Ayurveda focuses on eradicating the doshas and purifying of the body toxins with Ayurvedic medicines & Panchkarma procedures. This is the essential part of Ayurvedic approach to cure urticaria. Abhyanga (massage), svedana (fomentation), vaman (induced vomiting) and virechen (induced lose motion) are very effective in treating Urticaria.

Ayurvedic treatment for Urticaria (Sheetapitta)-
Ayurvedic treatment for urticaria involves body purification therapy like Samshodhana, and oral medications. Some popular, effective techniques used in the treatment are-

Applying mustard oil all over the body
Applying mustard oil mixed with Saindhava lavana and Yavakshara
Use of a herbal powder named Eladi choornam that contains natural ingredients like elaichi
Applying medicated paste prepared from Haridra and Doorva, Kushta and Ghee over the rashes
Apart from these, herbs such as Guduchi, Yashtimadhu, Amalaki are recommended in the treatment of sheetapitta
Although urticaria is not a fatal condition, it can seriously affect one s quality of life. Many people suffer from urticaria for several months or years. Continual intake of conventional medicines reduces body s immunity. Moreover, the incidence of recurrence of this condition is often found. Thus, Ayurveda has an upper hand in treating hives, as it offers a comprehensive and permanent solution for this problem.

Sheetapitta - Causes, Symptoms & Ayurvedic View On It!

When tissues that usually grow inside the uterus, start growing outside the organ, it is called endometriosis. Painful periods, pain during sex, pain while urinating or bowel movements, extreme bleeding, fatigue, infertility, diarrhea, bloating and nausea are some of the symptoms of endometriosis.

Treating endometriosis usually depends on the following factors

Age
Severity of symptoms
Severity of the disease
Future plans for children
Depending on these the doctor might opt for any of the following treatments

Medication for Pain: If the symptoms are mild, then the doctor will prescribe some pain killers like Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 
Hormone Therapy: Hormone therapy is effective, but once you stop them, your symptoms may come back. Some of the hormone therapies include: 
Hormonal Contraceptives: Birth control pills, vaginal rings and patches are useful in controlling the hormones that are responsible for tissue build-up outside the uterine cavity. 
Medroxyprogesterone: This drug stops menstruation, which in turn stops the tissue build-up and put an end to all the symptoms. But on the other hand, gaining weight, low bone production and depression are some of the common effects of this drug. 
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) antagonists and agonists: Hormones that stimulate ovaries are blocked by these. They bring down oestrogen levels and hence prevent menstruation. 
Danazol: This drug prevents menstruation and symptoms of endometriosis by blocking the hormones that stimulate the ovaries. However, Danazol may not be a favourable option because of its side effects. The drug should be avoided during pregnancy.
Conservative Surgery: If you are trying to get pregnant, but you already suffer from endometriosis, then removing endometriosis surgically is a viable solution. Your uterus and ovaries will be preserved, which might increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Even suffering from severe pain might find relief from conservative surgery. 
Hysterectomy: In extreme cases, the only way to deal with the symptoms is to completely remove the uterus, ovaries and cervix. Since a hysterectomy means you cannot have children, it is kept as the last option for women in their reproductive age.

Management of Endometriosis

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