Everyone wants to have a bright and radiating skin. But blemishes and skin abnormalities are common and can occur due to lifestyle, diet or hormonal imbalances. Moles and warts are typical skin issues. But how do you tell them apart?

Moles   What are they?

Hardly ever causing pain, they appear in many different colours and can be bumpy or flat. Most often of red, brown or black colour, they occur as a result of skin pigmentation called melanocytes. They can be caused due to direct exposure to sunlight or due to genetic factors as well. They can appear in any part of the body and form slowly, taking a long time to grow.

Warts   What are they?

Small bumps or rough growth on the skin that appear in hands, legs, fingers, soles of the feet, face or in the genital area manifest as warts. They are white or pale. They occur as a result of harmful virus infection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and hence, can be contagious. As opposed to moles, warts need to be removed quickly since a virus causes them.

How do you differentiate a mole from a wart?
Below are some common characteristics of each that can help you identify the skin problem:

Moles

Either flat or elevated from the skin, they are commonly referred to as beauty marks or birth marks.
At times, they have hair growing from them.
Usually, they have one colour   mostly on the darker side.
It cannot be transmitted between people.
They are generated by a collection of pigment cells in the body and darken during hormonal changes.
They tend to become cancerous and lead to melanoma.
Warts

They are harmless, yet contagious.
They have small black or dark dots in the centre that are tiny blood vessels, which provide them with nutrients.
They grow outwards on the skin with a scaly or bumpy deposit.
They can grow anywhere on the body, but are commonly found in feet, hands or fingers.
How to treat warts and moles?

The good news is that both warts and moles do not pose a grave risk to your health, but they are annoying and can turn dangerous in the long run. Especially with warts, you can give it to someone or acquire from someone, since it is a type of virus infection. So, seek medical assistance if you want them to be removed from your skin.

Be aware of the difference between warts and moles to know what you are dealing with. Consult a dermatologist to decide the right steps to remove it or not.

Warts vs. Moles - All You Need To Know!

Have you been noticing bumps on your skin surface? Does the top of this growth resemble a cauliflower and feel bumpy or smooth when you touch it? These are the symptoms of a disease known as warts, which is caused by HPV or human papillomavirus. Generally, warts are not very dangerous, but they are ugly, contagious and may cause pain as well. Warts may be caused by more than 100 types of HPV viruses. A certain type of HPV causes warts around the genitals. In women, these are called genital warts and it is a severe disease.

Treatment
All warts do not require treatment and disappear on their own. This is because over time, the body s immune system can destroy the HPV virus which causes warts. A wart needs to be treated when it is painful, embarrassing, gets irritating easily, spreads to other parts of the body or spreads to other people. The goal of the treatment is to eliminate or remove the wart, avoiding a scar tissue. Creating a scar tissue would cause more pain than the wart. The treatment of warts depends upon the type, location and specific symptoms of the disease.

Self-treatment
Warts can be treated at home using salicylic acid and duct tape. Most warts do not require treatment, but in case the symptoms worsen and do not go away on their own, you require proper care.
Medical treatment

The medical treatment for warts prescribed by a doctor includes the following:

Cryotherapy
Certain medicated creams and ointments
Surgical methods such as electrosurgery or laser surgery
Chemical peels with certain acids
Excision or cutting of the warts
Before going for a treatment, it is important to detect the exact type of wart. Treatment for some types of warts may be quite painful with the chances of a scar tissue. Warts which lie beneath the skin are difficult to treat and the doctor might need to make an incision on the skin over the wart to let the medicine penetrate through it.

An HPV vaccine can be taken to protect men and women from the common warts caused by HPV viruses. This vaccine can be taken up to the age of 26. The vaccine should be taken before getting sexually active and is more effective when taken before being exposed to the HPV virus. In order to prevent transmission of the HPV virus, having protected sex is recommended. In case of any severe symptoms of warts, you must consult a doctor immediately.

Warts - Dermatological Treatments For It!

4 effective tips for improving your eyesight

You'd be shocked to know that 1/3rd of the blind people of the world are Indians, which amounts to about 15 million people in India alone. Moreover, the risk of cataract is also high in India, with about 3 million people developing this condition, annually. Even the number of people with power in their eyes in India has gone up considerably. Thus, proper eye care is the need of the hour.

Here are some useful tips to maintain your eyesight, while improving your overall eye health.

1. Ensure that your eyes remain hydrated
You can do so by drinking the standard 8-10 glasses of water a day. Moreover, opting for a pair of sunglasses having a UV filter also proves to be useful in this regard. The reason behind is that sunglasses prevent the wind from robbing the moisture away from your eyes. Alternatively, you can ask an optometrist to prescribe a simple saline solution to hydrate your eyes and give them a soothing feel.

2. Don't keep looking at the computer screen continuously
Staring at the computer screen for a long time at a stretch can affect your eyes negatively. So, implement the 20/20/20 rule into your daily routine. According to this rule, you should remove your gaze from the computer screen every 20 minutes and then direct your vision towards an object kept at a distance of 20 feet for 20 seconds. This break helps your eyes to relax and refocus, consequently avoiding the occurrence of blurry vision.

3. Give your body a balanced diet and correct amount of sleep
Ensure that your daily diet contains green, leafy vegetables and fruits and food rich in antioxidants. These food products help in improving your vision to a large extent. Moreover, sleep for around eight hours every night to prevent eyestrain.

4. Make it a daily habit to perform eye exercises
The most effective technique to naturally improve your eyesight is performing eye exercises. Regular eye exercises not only enhance your vision but also give strength to your eyes.

Here's a simple exercise you can try. This works by applying heat to your eyes in order to relax them. For this, you can rub your palms together till they become warm and then place them on your eyes. Let your palms remain there for 10 seconds and then open your eyes.

It is also very important that you take care of your existing health problems like diabetes, hypertension, neurological problems or allergies and be regular with exercising such that it keeps your body fit and does not bear any impact on other organs like eyes.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 7 Easy Ways to Get Relief from EveryDay Computer Eye Strain

Why India Has POOREST Eyesight? + 4 Tips for Improving Your Eyesight

What causes warts? Can we prevent it?

Warts are small formations that occur on the skin. They appear in the form of dark protruding bumps or brown flat lesion on the skin surface. Sometimes they might also have tiny black specks on them. Warts usually form on the hands, feet, face and genitals, although they may appear on other parts of the body in some cases.

What causes the formation of warts?

Common warts are caused due to infection of the outermost layer of skin that occurs as a result of viral contamination. The virus that is responsible for this condition belongs to the human papillomavirus (HPV) family.

This infection is highly contagious and easily spreads from one person to the next. It is most likely to occur on skin that is cut or damaged as that allows easy access for the virus to enter the skin system.

How to prevent the formation of warts?

Common warts are contagious and spread very easily. Preventing the spread of the HPV virus can be done through simple steps that will help you avoid getting affected by this condition.

Some of the preventive measures that can be adopted are as follows:

- picking and scratching on warts should be avoided

- avoid biting fingernails as gnawing on the skin around the nails makes it more prone to infection

- grooming, brushing and shaving around infected areas should be done with care

- moisture and dampness should be avoided as the virus thrives on it

Do not self-medicate with lime (chuna), garlic, onion or Dettol.

Treatment

Wart removal should be done by a qualified dermatologist. It is simple, safe opd procedure which takes few minutes only and does not leave any scars.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Warts - Cauliflower-like Skin Inflammation

What Causes WARTs? Can We Prevent it?

Tip for eye care

This is the worst time of the year, for your eyes. Pollution from firecrackers, smog due to weather change and generally ever increasing vehicular pollution adds up to be the worst for your eye health. 

Protect your eyesight and take care of your eyes by following these simple daily eye care tips.

1. Eat Well: Protect your eyes from within. Eat for good vision. Eat foods that have various nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and lutein, vitamins A, C and E to keep eye problems at bay. Green leafy vegetables, salmon and other oily fishes, eggs and nuts, orange and citrus fruits are great for eyesight.

2. Quit Smoking: For better eye-care leave smoking. This simple activity can make you likelier to get optic nerve damage, macular degeneration and cataracts.

3. Have eye-care routine: Most of us don’t have an eye care routine, which is essential for keeping them fit. So, develop a good eye-care routine. In this routine, practice eye exercises, focusing eyes on a point far away to promote muscle development. Clean eyes everyday with fresh, clean water to reduce eye mites and other problems.

4. Wear Sunglasses: Wearing sunglasses on a regular basis will protect eyes from UV rays and ensure protection. This will help in reducing the chances of getting cataracts and developing macular degeneration.

5. Use Safety Wear: It is important that you regularly wear safety wear problems. For instance, for sports, wear eye protection products, sports goggles or protective face masks.

6. Look away from computer: A lot of us use computers too much for work and recreation. Now is the time to look away from it. Staring at the computer for long can cause eyestrain and blurry vision, trouble focusing at a distance and result in dry eyes as well as neck and shoulder pain with headaches. So, take regular breaks from that computer.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Doctor's Advice On How To Keep Your Eyes Safe This Diwali

A wart (also known as verruca) is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a solid blister.

Warts are a type of infection caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses. Warts can grow on all parts of body. They can grow on skin, on the inside of mouth, on genitals and on rectal area. Common types of HPV tend to cause warts on the skin (such as the hands and fingers), while other HPV types tend to cause warts on the genitals and rectal area. Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses and don t seem to get warts as easily as other people.

Warts come in all shapes and sizes. They are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can happen to any individual, irrespective of age or sex. They can grow on external skin, genitalia and even on the rectal area. Viral warts are contagious when one comes into contact with the skin of infected person. Sometimes they disappear on their own in a few months and at other times, they can last for years. Usually harmless in nature, warts become a cause of concern due to their unsightly appearance. 

Common Homeopathic Remedies: 

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. The homeopathic remedies for warts given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the treatment of this condition.

Homeopathy is a medicinal repository when we talk about treating viral warts. Medication is selected after a careful examination of the patient and considering his/her medical history. Here are some of the most advisable homeopathic medicines that are usually prescribed for viral warts. 

Thuja Occidentalis: Thuja is one of the most commonly prescribed homeopathic medicines for various kinds of warts. Especially if no other remedy is clearly prescribed, Thuja can be considered. 
Antimonium Crudum (Ant-c): This remedy works best for hard and smooth warts which appear in groups. These kinds of warts are often found on soles and hands. 
Calcarea Carbonica (Cal C.): Useful for treating warts that appear on the neck, this homeopathic remedy treats warts that are round, hard and appear solitarily. 
Causticum (Caust.): This remedy treats old, large warts that usually appear on the face (nose), under the fingernails or even on the fingertips. Such warts are hard, painful and bleed easily. 
Dulcamara (Dulc.): Flat looking warts appearing on the face and hands call for this remedy. These warts are brown to blackish in colour and get worse in cold or damp weather. 
Graphites (Graph.): This remedy works for warts that are periungual or corn-like in appearance. They appear on palms or soles of the feet and have a yellowish tinge. This medicine also works for patients of eczema. 
Different individuals respond differently to homeopathic treatments. It is important to take a holistic approach to the case in point and start treatment accordingly. We have treated more than 1200 such cases with Homeopathic treatment, so that dermatologists refers patients to us.

Viral Warts and Its Solution With Homeopathy

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