The state of your skin is never constant. The external conditions like pollutants, dirt, grime and changing weather all play a major role in how your skin feels or behaves. You might be born with a certain type of skin, but over the course of time, weather changes can aggravate a skin condition or change its texture. So, one needs to examine his/her current skincare regimen and adjust it to meet the skin s ever changing needs based on shifts in climate and sun levels.

Once you start recording how your skin reacts to the changing weather, you will naturally be in sync and can treat your skin accordingly. Just some minor changes in your face wash, cleanser, moisturizer and sun protection products will help keep your skin perfect and glowing round the year without any special skin care treatments.

Who doesn t enjoy a cup of hot steaming coffee as the rain lashes around, cooling and cleaning everything! Monsoon brings such a sense of freshness. But we cannot say the same for the skin. Monsoon also brings with it a series of skin woes for many, such as open pores, dull skin and infection along the body folds. A bit of moisture is good, but a lot is not. Your skin might feel hot and humid since the pores remain open from summer months and can get further aggravated. Acne and infection along the body folds can also occur.

Here are few tips that will help you enjoy the rains without worrying about your skin and hair much:

Face wash: Use a face wash that lathers, feels fresh, minty and light. Wash your face three to four times a day with cold water.
Toner is optional
Usingscrub: You may scrub your face once a week. Excessive scrubbing can make the skin more sensitive, red, and vulnerable.
Use of creams: Do not use too many creams on your skin. Just a good broad spectrum sunscreen is sufficient during the day. You may choose a gel based sunscreen that will offer you protection without clogging your skin.
Apply skin actives: Vitamins A, C and E in the form of serums or gels. This is because they have actives in water or silicone base which do not add to the oiliness. You may either apply them in the evening or underneath your sunscreen during the day.
Start a De-tan: As the scorching heat of summer is no more a worry now, so you may start a de-tan regimen now. Use special treatment creams that lighten the skin like glycolic acid, kojic acid, and apply it at night so that the tan slowly comes off.
Powder form cosmetics: For this season you must look for the powder form of most things like a compact, deodorants, etc. There are some collagen boosters too, which I would suggest you pick up for keeping your skin in good shape.
When to wash your face: If you happen to get wet, wash your face and feet as soon as possible and keep it dry.
Hair care: Healthy Hair Hair care should not be ignored during this season. During monsoon, hair swells and so is more vulnerable to damage and breakage, so it is advisable not to go for too many salon treatments. Even a simple blow dry can cause more damage.
A good coconut oil massage will work wonders for your hair.
Always dry wet hair with low heat.
Do not brush wet hair.
Use loose hair accessories.
Take sun protection for your hair. Yes, you read it right! Much is spoken about sunscreen for skin, but you would be surprised how much damage the UV rays can do to your hair. There are specific hair care gels and shampoos available for sun protection. Try to use one of that sunscreen hair sprays post shampoo. The best way to protect your hair is to wear a hat or a scarf.
Avoid salon treatments as any chemical treatment will harm the strands since the cuticles are open.
Shower every day: Lastly for your body, just take a couple of showers during the day using a refreshing body wash. Use the sunscreen on your body, as it can burn and tan too.
Some do's and don'ts you must follow:

Getting wet in the rain is fun but change your clothes ASAP. Damp clothes increase the risk of skin infections, especially in body folds. If you notice any rash or irritation in any of body folds, consult a dermatologist immediately.
Dry your hair to remove as much moisture as possible. Blow dry your hair gently if needed.
Keep wet wipes, moisturizer, face wash, and sunscreen in your purse to keep your skin in great condition.
Take multivitamins to boost your immunity.
Skin treatments that are safe during monsoon

Most treatments are safe during this season. You may concentrate on de-tanning treatments like peels and microdermabrasion. You may also start off laser treatments for skin lightening, tightening, or hair removal.

Happy monsoon!

Skin Care In Monsoon - Things You Must Take Care Of!

Fractures are simply a break in a bone. They can be caused due to injury, (traumatic fractures) or a pre-existing condition like osteoporosis that causes weakening of bones (pathologic fractures). There are many ways to classify fractures. All fractures fall into the major categories of simple and compound fractures. Simple fractures are fractures where bones remain inside the skin and don t jut out. They are also called closed fractures.

Compound fractures, also called open fractures, are broken bones that penetrate through the skin. These types expose the bone and deep tissues to the environment. Compound fractures are more serious of the two. The healing here may be affected due to deep infections for which antibiotics need to be used. There are many different sub types of fractures and we re only going to skim through them here.

Comminuted fractures: Severe fractures in which a bone breaks into several smaller pieces.
Avulsion fractures: A small piece of bone is completely torn off from the main bone due to fierce pulling off a part of the body.
Other types of fractures are characterised by the many different angles the bone breaks into like transverse, oblique and spiral fractures.

Diagnosis
When a bone is broken there are symptoms like swelling that doesn t subside on its own and pain. In such a case it s imperative that one goes to a doctor for a diagnosis. Doctors can usually recognise most fractures by examining the injury and taking an X-ray. The X-ray also provides a clear idea about the type of fracture and the degree of displacement of the bone. And, it s important that the patient doesn t wait too long before approaching a doctor. This is because bones begin to heal very quickly after a fracture and the bone tissue will heal using any tissue available. This can lead to a misalignment of broken pieces of bone and cause disability and loss of function.

There are cases when X-ray may not show a fracture. This is especially common in fractures in the hip and wrist in older people. For diagnosing these, doctors will get some other tests done such as a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or a bone scan.

Treatments
Fractures have to be treated by doctors. The doctors set the fractured bones in their proper place and hold them there so that they can heal. Setting a bone is called "reduction." Reduction without surgery is called "closed reduction." But if the fracture is serious, it s going to require surgery with bone repositioning, called open reduction.

In extreme cases, pins, plates, screws, rods, or glue are used to hold the fractured bones in place, inside the body. Once the bone abutment has been treated, the bone is immobilised to allow the broken pieces to heal. In most cases, the fractured part is set in a rigid cast. The fractured ends of the bone can be fixed into place using metal pins connected to an external frame. This is removed after the bone has healed.

Fractures - How To Diagnose Them?

We have for ages seen our parents and our grandparents reach out for a piece of jaggery at the end of every meal. Jaggery is healthier compared to refined sugar because of its deposition of phytochemicals and other important minerals. While many people do not choose jaggery because of its no-so-good-appearance, it is perhaps more sensible to consume it considering the host of health benefits it offers.

Here is a list of benefits that can be extracted from the consumption of jaggery.

Skin benefits: Jaggery nourishes the skin in the true sense of the word. Owing to the numerous amount of mineral and vitamin, it can eliminate common skin problems such as pimples and acne. It can negate dark spots, wrinkles delay the common signs of aging.
Digestive benefits: Jaggery plays a huge role in ensuring smooth digestion. It stimulates secretion of digestive enzyme. It, therefore, makes it easy for the body to quicken the process of digestion. It can also help to stabilize the bowl movement by keeping common digestion related disorders such as constipation, intestinal worms, indigestion at bay.
Blood: Jaggery does a great job in purifying the blood. It acts as a cleansing agent by filtering the blood from the toxic agents. It also keeps the hemoglobin count normal and help the body refrain from blood-related disorders such as anemia. Since the quantity of iron content in jaggery is plentiful, it successfully helps the body to stay healthy and negate deadly diseases. Furthermore, jaggery can help women to stay away from complicated menstrual related disorders, beat weakness and fatigue.
Weight loss: Jaggery s rich potassium content helps the body balance the electrolyte, build muscles and improve the metabolism of the body. Potassium also helps in managing water retention in the body. Both the factors coupled together helps in weight loss and beat fatigue, obese etc.
Blood pressure: The sodium and potassium content of jaggery helps the body maintain an effective adequate acidic level. This ensures that the blood pressure remains in the balance and the body refrains from undue blood pressure related disorders.
Antioxidants: Jaggery contains selenium, the latter is a rich source of antioxidants which can help the body to fight the free radicals and keep it at bay. The antioxidants also help the body to stay away from other ailments.
Respiratory health: Jaggery is a great source of food that can effectively fight various respiratory problems of the body. It can fight diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.
Body temperature: Jaggery helps to keep a normal body temperature. This is extremely beneficial for patients suffering from asthma since maintaining a steady body temperature is sacrosanct for patients suffering from this disease.

Jaggery (Gur) - 8 Amazing Reasons Why You Must Eat It!

Asthma is a distressing condition during which people find it difficult to breathe as the bronchi or tubes carrying air to lungs swell up. This happens when mucus inside bronchi comes into contact with an allergen like a pollutant or dirt causing symptoms like wheezing, coughing, more mucus production and difficulty breathing. There is no cure for asthma. As of now, it can only be managed. But managing asthma becomes really difficult during low air quality days, especially during winters when it s cold and dry.

The most common air pollutants are gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, vehicle smoke, and suspended particles. Each one of them can trigger an asthma attack by itself because of its deleterious effect on the lungs. The smaller the particulate matter is, the more dangerous it becomes as these particles get lodged in the air sacs inside lungs, causing not just asthma from worsening but also fatal diseases like lung cancer.

So, most asthma patients suffer from frequent attacks due to air pollution. How can these attacks be prevented? Here are some tips:

According to research, asthma can be managed by making modifications in everyday life. On high air pollution days due to ozone, for example, asthmatics tend to experience more lung inflammation. If you are an asthmatic, you should reduce time spent outdoors, especially doing strenuous activity in the mornings and evenings. Keeping medications on hand and using those at the very start of an asthma attack also helps. There should always be a plan in place to lessen the chance of an asthma attack on poor air quality days starting from a rescue inhaler to preventive medication if your doctor feels you need it.
Stay hydrated and breathe through the nose. Dehydration is dangerous for asthmatics especially when air quality is bad. In this case, lungs can become badly affected because they need right temperature and levels of water to work properly. It s crucial to breathe through the nose only and not the mouth as the air breathed in from the mouth can be very cold and dry and can cause even more inflammation of the lungs.
Know your asthma triggers and change lifestyle. Avoiding your triggers is key to managing asthma. If traffic fumes are a trigger, it s best to change the route you take to work to manage your asthma. If you don t know your triggers look back at your last asthma attack and remember what you were doing. Did you pet your dog? Write a diary and discuss with your doctor on how to avoid your triggers. Use a face mask when outdoors to limit exposure to allergens. 
Track your asthma to recognise early signs of asthma. If you know that it s getting worse, you should have a fool-proof plan in place.

Air Pollution - Tips to Prevent Asthma From Worsening!

A surgical procedure that is done to alter a deviated septum is called Septoplasty. When the cartilage in the middle of your nose is deviated and is out of position, it can create problems like pain in the nose, problems in breathing and nosebleeds. Septoplasty aims to correct the alignment of the septum so as to improve the airflow and rectify any breathing problem. This surgery is generally an outpatient procedure and can be done with general or local anaesthesia.

The septum is the cartilage that causes the division between the two nostrils. When the alignment of the septum falters, it is called a deviated septum. If the septum shifts to one side, then the size of one of the nostrils reduces and causes breathing troubles. Some people are born with a deviation in the septum, but often times it can be caused by an injury to the nose as well. Surgery is the only means to correct this deformity.

What are the risks associated with septoplasty?
Septoplasty is a major surgery, and just like any other surgery, it has its risks. The risks may include heavy bleeding, adverse reaction to anaesthetics used or infection of the site of surgery. The other risks that are associated with septoplasty include

Profuse bleeding
Decrease in olfactory senses
Change in the shape of your nose
A perforation in the septum
Temporary sensation of numbness of facial area due to the effects of anaesthetics
Collection of blood in the nasal space, which needs special medical attention to be drained out
Sometimes the symptoms such as blocked nose, bleeding etc. may persist even after undergoing the surgery.
How to recover from the surgery?
After the surgical procedure, your doctor may ask you to take precautions in order to reduce the chances of swelling and bleeding. Depending upon the severity of the surgery, your doctor may advice you to abide by all of the restrictions such as:

Curbing on activities such as aerobics and jogging which can put strain on your body. This precaution is practiced to maintain normal blood pressure in order to avoid nosebleeds
Do not blow your nose
Avoid wearing clothes that you have to take off by pulling over your nose to avoid brushing against it
Put your head on an elevated platform when sleeping

Septoplasty - Procedure and Recovery!

People are well aware of the harmful effects that UV rays have on the skin, but very few know that UV rays can damage their eyes as well. The tissue that human eye is made up of is one of the most sensitive tissues in the body and hence, the most vulnerable. The increasing level of UV radiation reaching the Earth s surface every minute has made it indispensable to take the required precautionary measures to protect the eyes.

What are UV rays?

Sunlight consists of 3 types of radiations - Infrared, Visible light and UltraViolet. Artificial sources like lasers, tanning beds and welding machines also emit UV radiation.

There are three types of UV radiations - UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. 

UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not possess any risk. It is UV-A and UV-B radiations that adversely affect the eyes and vision.

Impact of UV rays on  eyes

Too much exposure to UV rays can affect vision, harm the eyes, and deteriorate overall eye health. There are various eye problems that are aggravated by excessive exposure to UV radiation:

Macular Degeneration: It is caused by damage to the retina over time by UV rays. It leads to age-related blindness. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing macular degeneration.
Cataract: It is the clouding of eye s natural lens - the part of the eye that focuses the light we see. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing cataracts. 
Pterygium: Often known as  surfer s eye , pterygium is a pink, non-cancerous growth that is formed on the conjunctiva. UV rays are believed to be responsible for the development of this growth.
Skin Cancer of the Eyelids: Too much exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer in and around the eyelids.
Photokeratitis: Popularly known as corneal sunburn or  snow blindness , photokeratitis is caused due to excessive short-term exposure to UV-B rays. Photokeratitis occurs when you spend long hours at the beach or skiing. It sometimes leads to temporary vision loss. 
How to protect the eyes from harmful UV rays?

Here are some tips to help ensure that eyes are protected against harmful UV rays:

Always use quality sunglasses that block out 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation when outdoors.
Stay away from tanning beds, and if you use them occasionally, always wear eye protection. 
Wrap around frames should be used if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
Be sure to see your doctor at least every two years.

UV Rays - Are They Damaging Your Eyes?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Homeopathy Doctor online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Homeopathy Doctor - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES