What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a common condition where cells of the lining of the womb (the endometrium) are found elsewhere, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It mainly affects women during their reproductive years. Endometriosis is not an infection and it is not contagious.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain, pain during or after sex and painful, sometimes heavy periods. It may cause problems with getting pregnant. It can affect many areas of a woman s life including her general physical health, emotional wellbeing and daily routine. Many women may have no symptoms. It is a long-term condition. Some women with endometriosis become pregnant easily while others have difficulty getting pregnant.

What causes endometriosis?

Endometriosis occurs when the cells of the lining of the womb are found in other parts of the body, usually the pelvis. Each month this tissue outside the womb thickens and breaks down and bleeds in the same way as the lining of the womb. This internal bleeding into the pelvis, unlike a period, has no way of leaving the body. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to the reproductive organs. Less commonly, endometriosis may occur on the bowel and bladder, or deep within the muscle wall of the uterus (adenomyosis). It can also rarely be found in other parts of the body.

The symptoms of endometriosis are common and could be caused by a number of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

There is no simple test for endometriosis.
Your gynaecologist may examine your pelvic area, this will include an internal examination.
You may be offered a scan. This can identify whether there is an endometriosis cyst in the ovaries. A normal scan does not rule out endometriosis.
For most women, having a laparoscopy is the only way to confirm endometriosis; because of this, it is often referred to as the  gold standard  test. This allows the gynaecologist to see the pelvic organs clearly and look for any endometriosis.
Several factors may influence your decision about treatment. These include:

How you feel about your situation
Your age
Whether your main symptom is pain or problems getting pregnant
What treatment can I get?

The options for treatment may be:

Pain relief

Hormone treatments: There is a range of hormone treatments to stop or reduce ovulation (the release of an egg) to allow the endometriosis to shrink or disappear. The hormonal methods below are contraceptives and will prevent you from becoming pregnant:

The combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill or patch. These contain the hormones estrogen and progestogen and work by preventing ovulation and can make your periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
The intrauterine system (IUS): this is a small T-shaped device which releases the hormone progestogen. This helps to reduce the pain and makes periods lighter. Some women get no periods at all.
The hormonal methods below are non-contraceptive, so contraception will be needed if you do not want to become pregnant:
Use of hormonal progestogens or testosterone derivatives
GnRH agonists are drugs that prevent estrogen being produced by the ovaries and cause a temporary and reversible menopause.
Some women find that recreational exercise improves their wellbeing, which may help to improve some symptoms of endometriosis.

Surgery: Surgery can be used to remove areas of endometriosis. There are different types of surgery, depending on where the endometriosis is and how extensive it is. How successful the surgery is can vary and you may need further surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery: The gynaecologist removes patches of endometriosis by destroying them or cutting them out.
Laparotomy: If the endometriosis is severe and extensive, you may be offered a laparotomy. This is major surgery which involves a cut in the abdomen, usually in the bikini line.
Hysterectomy: Some women have surgery to remove their womb (a hysterectomy) with or without the ovaries. Depending upon your own situation, your doctor should discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with you if you have your ovaries removed.
What if I am having difficulty getting pregnant?

Getting pregnant can be a problem for some women with endometriosis. Your doctor should provide you with full information about your options such as assisted conception. If you become pregnant, endometriosis is unlikely to put your pregnancy at risk.

Endometriosis - Signs & Symptoms That Indicate It!

Lice are miniscule insects which generally germinate within the head of the infected person by laying eggs and sucking blood from the scalp of the head. Lice infection is generally viral and is heavily contagious in nature. It is generally advisable to treat lice infection properly due to its contagious nature. The causes behind lice infection are skin-to-skin contact with the infected person or sharing bedding or combs with the infected person and living in unhygienic places.

The symptoms of lice infections are extreme scratching at the scalp region due to the presence of the lice. Ayurveda can work as a useful remedy for lice infections. The most common ayurvedic remedies for lice infection are as follows:

You can apply onion juice on the scalp region and rinse it after 1 hour.
A juice of Indian hemp might be applied to the scalp region.
An application of a crushed paste of seetaphal before going to sleep.
A mixture of phitkari and water can be applied regularly to the scalp region of the head.
Though a preliminary application of the Ayurvedic mixtures tends to remove a layer of the lice, all the eggs are nearly impossible to destroy in the first dosage, if the infection has been there for a long period. For the complete extermination of lice, the prescribed mixture should be applied again. In order to prevent lice infection, you can wash the clothes, stuffed toys, combs etc. with warm water.

4 Ayurvedic Remedies To Treat Lice on Hair

Corns and calluses refer to the hardening of the skin to form a layer over an area where constant pressure and abrasion is experienced. This thickening of the skin is known as a corn or callus. One will usually experience pain and tenderness in the area where this thickening happens. While corns are thick and tender coatings, a callus is usually the flattened thick area on the skin. As far as shape goes, corns are conical and sharpened while calluses are flat. They are most typically found on the hands and feet. There are various ways of treating this condition. Let us find out more.

What causes corns and calluses?
To understand how to treat these corns and calluses, it is important to first of all understand what causes the same. These corns and calluses are usually formed as a natural defence as the body tries to strengthen the skin when it meets too much friction or pressure. This condition may occur when the toes are pressed together constantly with an abnormal elevation. This can also happen when there is prolonged use of high heels as well as sports training footwear. Bone deformities in the toes and fingers can also be one of the causes of this condition. In many cases, the gait and movement of the patient can cause corns and calluses. Also, when a person plays musical instruments that require constant strumming like a guitar or other instruments, it may result in formation of corns and calluses in the fingers.

1. Medical intervention for complications: if a patient is suffering from conditions like diabetes or peripheral arterial disease, it may lead to poor circulation and delicate skin. This can cause the development and growth of corns and calluses. It is important to see your doctor in such cases so that such symptoms may be treated at the onset before they become too painful and end up spreading.

2. Medication: a patient will have to ingest salicylic acid based medicines and even resort to the use of sulphur in order to cure these corns and calluses. One must ensure that a skin specialist or dermatologist prescribes the medicines so that one can apply and administer as per the correct dosage.

3. Home remedies: personal hygiene is one of the primary factors that can help in treating and curing this condition. Keeping the affected area clean can increase the chances of the growth to clear up soon. Also, one may have to avoid wearing high heels and constricting footwear for a while until the corns and calluses clear up or fall off. This will also ensure that there is less friction between the feet and the footwear for better recovery chances.

How to Treat Corns and Calluses?

Eczema is not a disease per se, but is a name given collectively to a group of medical conditions, which can cause the skin to become inflamed and irritated. Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common types of eczema.

Causes

While the exact cause of eczema is not known, the most commonly attributed reason is an increasingly sensitive immune system. The overactive immune system produces antibodies, which cause these skin reactions. It is also noted that people with allergies including hay fever and asthma are more likely to develop eczema.

Other conditions which can lead to eczema include allergic dermatitis, irritant dermatitis, stasis dermatitis, scabies, fungal infections, xerotic dermatitis, lichen planus and scalp infections.

There is also a genetic predisposition, and children whose parents have had eczema are likely to develop eczema.

Symptoms

In most people, eczema is present in the form of small blisters, which are filled with fluid and can ooze. Gradually, there could be dryness, crusting, scaling and thickening of the skin with plaque formation. The most common symptom would be itching. The different types of eczema as noted above would have diagnostic features. For instance, when testing for irritant or contact dermatitis, there would be an irritant that is causing this. Stasis dermatitis would have circulatory issues and often affects the lower legs.

In fair-skinned people, these lesions begin as red and then turn brown. There also could be lightening of the affected skin area in people with slightly darker skin.

Diagnosis

For a trained medical eye, diagnosis of eczema is not a tough task. A complete physical examination may be done to assess the extent of eczema spread. Blood tests may be done to test for allergies. In very rare cases, a biopsy may also be required.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to reduce itching and improve moisturization. Eczema, unless associated with an infection, is not contagious.

Using copious amounts of creams and lotions help in improving hydration and moisturization, as they are allowed to soak into the skin.

Topical steroids may be required if allergy is suspected. In most cases, hydrocortisone and corticosteroid creams are very effective.

Associated infections like scalp infections and fungal infections should also be treated with suitable products.

Immunomodulator creams like Elidel are useful by suppressing the immune system and preventing flare up of the allergic reactions.

Cold compresses may be used to relieve itching.

Prevention

Since there is a strong genetic component related to eczema, prevention is helpful.

Constantly keep the skin moist and hydrated by using moisturizers, especially during winters.

Avoid clothes and metals which can cause allergy- like wool, nickel, harsh soaps, detergents, etc.

Avoid or be careful about food items which are known to cause allergies.

Eczema - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments 

Vitiligo is a condition in which white patches appear on the skin. It can affect any part of the body. It can affect the inside of the mouth and the hair as well. It happens when the skin cells (melanocytes) that make or produce pigment (colour) of the skin die or stop functioning. This disease is not contagious or life-threatening, it cannot be caught from another person having vitiligo. All types of skin can be affected by vitiligo but it may be more evident in people with darker skin. It develops between the ages 10 to 30 and it often appears before the age of 40.

Causes

The main cause of this disorder is still not clear, why the cells die or fail. For some reason, the colour or pigment-forming cells called melanocytes dies. However, these are the following reasons that can cause this problem:

An autoimmune disorder, where the defences of the body turn on their own cells instead of attacking the germs that destroyed the melanocytes

A trigger or stressful events such as exposure to industrial chemicals, stress, or sunburn

Family history (heredity)

A neural cause

A virus

A genetic oxidative stress imbalance

Symptoms

The one and only symptom of this condition is the appearance of white patches or flat white spots on the skin. Those white patches are irregular in shape. They may stay the same for a while but may get bigger with time on different parts of the body. It generally affects body folds such as armpits, around body openings, or around moles. It can also affect hair and eyelids. It does not cause any irritation, dryness, discomfort, or soreness in the skin.

Treatment

There is no known way to cure or prevent the condition but the appearance of the affected skin can be improved with corticosteroid creams and cosmetics. The doctor can recommend melanocyte transplant surgery which includes a new needling micro-grafting technique. The surgery includes a split-thickness skin graft that is taken from the normal area. Later, it is cut into very small pieces in diameter ranging from 0.1 mm-0.3 mm. The local anesthesia is given to the recipient area to implant the micro-grafts into the dermis by using the needling technique. This new method of treating this condition delivers satisfactory and rapid pigmentation.

Takeaway

Vitiligo is a disorder in which flat white spots or patches appear and can affect any area of the body. It happens when the melanocytes die or stop functioning. The condition can be managed by cosmetics, corticosteroid creams, therapies, and surgeries. Out of all these methods, melanocyte transplant surgery is a new and effective technique to manage this disease. However, it is always advisable to consult a doctor before opting for any of these methods. 

Vitiligo - Its Causes, Symptoms And Treatments!

We all think of sunscreen as something that goes into our vacation kit when heading out on a hike in the hills or to the beach. What we fear is being out in the sun can reduce fairness, can cause a tan, and a sunscreen will help maintain complexion.

Well, these are completely wrong notions. What we need to be aware of is that even the regular, daily sun exposure during driving or going to the office can do as much damage, if not more. The sunscreen, therefore, assumes a very important role in your daily personal care. Read on and find out more.

Relationship with skin cancer: Studies in the US have shown that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and sun exposure is the leading cause of this. It is the regular exposure on a daily basis that cumulatively leads to this, rather than a one day exposure minus the sunscreen. Using sunscreen on a daily basis provides a good shield against skin cancer.

Slows down aging: Dry skin, wrinkles, sun spots, and dark circles on the skin are more related to unprotected exposure to the sun rather than just aging. The sun is the most powerful agent that can lead to these effects and it is very essential to guard yourself against it.

While a general belief is that the sun is less harmful during cloudy days, it is not so the case. The ultraviolet rays of the sun filter through clouds and can cause equal damage as they would during sunny summer days. Studies have shown that the rays, which filter through the clouds are capable of accelerated aging effects and continue to do so, even after you have reached home.

It is not just the amount of time, you are actually out in the sun that counts. The collagen in the skin that gives it the firmness, if is damaged, leads to sagging and bagging of skin. Using a sunscreen provides a shield against these harmful ultraviolet rays.

Research has shown a 73% reduction in the invasive forms of skin cancer by using sunscreen on a regular basis. It is a popular belief that fair complexion is more affected by exposure to the sun. It is true that darker complexion has more melanocytes that increase the natural protection, but this does not ensure complete protection against the harmful ultraviolet rays.

After reading this, a sunscreen lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more should surely find its way into your grooming kit.

Why Do You Need To Use Sunscreen Daily?

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