What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

A skin inflammation, eczema, also known as atopic eczema, refers to the changes that occur in the upper skin layer. These skin changes can be thickened and cracked skin, skin redness, crusting of the affected area and swollen raw skin, among others. The exact cause of this skin condition is not yet known but a mix of factors have been found to be behind this health problem.

CAUSES :

The factors that play a role in causing eczema are:

- Dry skin brings down your skin's ability to fend off irritants as well as allergy causing substances from entering your skin, resulting in an inflammatory condition.

- Genetics is also one of the factors that may affect the proper functioning of your skin as a barrier against harmful substances. Therefore, if either one of the parent or both suffers from the condition, it is very likely that their children too will suffer from it.

- Abnormal functioning of your body's immune system can also lead to this skin condition. This is because it's your body's immune system that fights off infections as well as harmful intruders.

- The presence of the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which brings about sweat buildup, inflames the skin considerably, leading to this condition.

- Even environmental factors like pollen, cigarette smoke lead to the flaring of eczema.

How can you prevent an eczema outbreak?

It is very common for this skin condition to flare-up from time to time. But you can avoid such outbreaks or reduce their severity by following these very simple ways:

- Keep your skin well-moisturized so that it doesn't dry out causing further irritation.

- Sudden changes in temperature can cause the skin condition to break out. So, when the weather is hot, keep yourself cool but during cold weather, use a humidifier to prevent the skin from drying out.

- Keep sweating in check as it can cause an outbreak very easily

- Avoid the use of harsh detergents and soaps, woolen materials as well as the consumption of foods that may lead to flare-ups



What Causes Eczema? Ways to Prevent Eczema Outbreaks

If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism, you must be feeling baffled and disheartened. It is surely upsetting to learn that your beloved child has a serious developmental disorder. Learning about the disorder, and where to seek help may ease your confusion. Autism is a major developmental disorder, which develops in early childhood. Autism primarily impairs a child s ability to interact and communicate.
Struggles of an autistic child-

Social withdrawal
Repetitive, rigid behavior
Difficulty communicating verbally/non-verbally
Learning disability
Being autistic or artistic-
Despite such problems, most parents of autistic children hold high hopes of wanting to unleash the one talent their child must be gifted with. Most often, the gifted talent is  art . Studies show that in about 90% cases, autistic children possess artistic, creative skills. The finding may be surprising to others, as they can barely imagine how a child with the above traits could possibly be creative.

To quote a parent whose child suffers from autism since age 5-  My son Sam, who is now 15 years old, forced me into rethinking creativity years ago. He was hardly six years old, when I realized he could envision things that I would never imagine. During playtime, I once drew one or two curves on a paper and handed it back to him. I had really expected Sam to scribble a few lines or maybe a disoriented picture. But what my son came up with left me spellbound. Sam had drawn a picture of a bowlful of cereal with a spoon, and a hand pouring milk from a carton. For most people this would probably not mean anything. But being a mother to an autistic child, I was completely in awe of my son s artistic skills. 

How to nurture your child s  hidden talent ?
The question remains - Can such creative skills be discovered in your child too? The answer to the question is  Yes!  Here is how you too can help your child cope with autism-

Don t limit your child: Allow your child to express his thoughts through creativity, art, music. His/her imagination should know no bounds. Sit by their side and watch them learn using different colors, shapes, and forms.
Let your child thrive: Holding back your child will not help him/her come out of their shell. Your child may have difficulty learning things in school, or going through books. But he/she may have a knack for paintings, or solving puzzles. Encourage their artistic skills, and watch them grow.
Intent healing for your child: A couple of sessions of Intent Healing for both the parent and the child can help manage autism. Ideally, 6 sessions of this therapy for the child and 2 sessions for the mother is recommended.
More than conventional treatment, autistic children need the support and affection of their parents. By adopting the above measures, you can assure your child s speedy recovery.

How To Nurture Passion In Autistic Child?

Behavior of a child should always be closely monitored during his/her early development. Sometimes signs of several personality disorders tend to show up early in life. Proper monitoring of the child's behavior helps to identify the signs and properly diagnose the condition if the child is suffering from any potential personality disorder. 

Here are a few facts you should keep in mind:

1. You might often find it difficult to differentiate between the normal and abnormal behavior of your child. You might consult the pediatrician in this case to compare the child's general behavioral patterns with that of other children in the same age group.

2. It is very important to understand your child's development process. It helps you to interpret his/her behavior and to identify signs of personality disorder.

3. There are a few common behavior patterns, which tend to act as a guide to understanding the behavior of your child. Some of these patterns should be encouraged as they lead to proper behavioral development of your child while patterns of negative behavior should be discouraged. 

4.  You should also consult a doctor if your child shows negative behavior persistently even after disciplining measures.

5. Being polite, doing chores on a regular basis, following instructions should be encouraged and rewarded as it helps in the proper personality development of your child.

6. Behavioral patterns like an inclination towards defensive, regressive and aggressive behavior should not be encouraged but can be tolerated in certain situations like illness or in times of stress.

7.  Behavioral patterns like an increased inclination to violence or an excessive competitive attitude towards their siblings should never be allowed. 

8.  Prejudice or racism, stealing or inclination towards substance abuse, angry outbursts point towards problems in the child's mental, physical or social well-being. You are also advised to take your child to a psychological expert to find out whether he/she is suffering from any sort of behavioral disorder. 

9.  Your behavior also plays a major role in development of your child and his/her behavioral patterns. It is often seen that if a child is subjected to excessive physical, mental or emotional abuse or is engaged in too many curricular and extracurricular activities, he/she is likely to develop several behavioral disorders over time.

Child Development and Behavior

It is no longer so surprising to read about alarming air pollution levels in our cities. On more than one occasion, these levels have risen above the danger levels. For some people, this may simply create an annoying fog that makes it difficult to see. For others, it can cause serious health issues. Air pollution is one of the most common reasons for the growing instances of asthma and allergies. Children are most susceptible to such diseases caused by air pollution.

Asthma and Allergies
Asthma can affect children even before their fifth birthday and the condition is characterized by breathlessness caused by a constriction of the airways. While the root cause of asthma is unknown, it is usually seen that asthmatic patients are more sensitive to others to particles in the air such as pollutants, dander, dust, smoke etc. Thus, the airways construct as a reaction to these allergens. Changes in the weather, a sudden cold draft or the flu can also aggravate asthma.

Can you Protect Your Children from Asthma?
Wheezing, panting, finding it difficult to breathe and a persistent cough are some of the signs of asthma. If you notice these symptoms, you must consult a doctor immediately. At home, here are a few things you could do.

Avoid exposing your children to smoke: Do not smoke around your children or allow others to smoke around them. If you cannot give up the habit, wear a smoking jacket when you smoke and take this off before you play with your children. When you ll go out, drive with the windows up so that your child does not inhale exhaust smoke. Set your air conditioner to circulate air within the car itself.
Dust often: Try and keep your home as dust free as possible. Use a wet cloth to clean so that the dust does not fly in the air. Wash all your bed linen once a week. Carpets and rugs should be vacuumed regularly or dusted outside. It may also be a good idea to invest in dust mite impermeable covers for your child s mattress and pillows.
Keep your Pets clean: If you share your home with pets, bathe them once a week and brush them daily. Do not let them climb on to the furniture or your beds. Also, avoid having their toys lie on your beds.
Wear a face mask: Try and time your child s outdoor activities when the pollution levels are low. Buy yourself and your child a face mask that will filter the air they breathe in. These should be worn whenever they play outdoors.
These simple steps could help your child be healthier and can prevent asthma and other such allergic reactions.

Increasing Asthma & Allergy In Children - What Should You Do?

The sense of hearing is a complex one. The ears are divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. While the outer ear sends the sound to the middle of the ear, the middle ear sends the same to the inner ear through the conductor. The inner ear in turn sends the auditory signal to the brain where the signal is processed and gives rise to a sense of hearing. 

Problems in hearings can arise if there is a problem in any of these parts. However, more often than not it is the middle or inner ear that is affected. However, there may also be situations when there are problems in both the middle and the inner ear. In that case, it is known as a mixed hearing loss. 

What is Mixed Hearing? 

Loss If there is damage to the middle ear, it may precipitate a conductive hearing loss. Now, in addition to that, if there is a sensorineural problem, then it gives rise to mixed hearing. So, in the case of a mixed hearing loss, all the parts of the ear and even the brain may be involved. There may be damage to the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, as well as the auditory nerve. 

Causes of Hearing Loss 

Since mixed hearing loss may result from damage to any part of the ear, it is necessary that the causes be grouped into different categories. 

  Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

Sensorineural loss may result from drugs, different illnesses, head trauma, malformation of the inner ear etc. Genetic predisposition may also precipitate such problems. 

  Conductive Hearing Loss 

Such type of hearing loss may result from excessive deposition of earwax, ear infections, perforation in eardrums, malformation of the middle or outer ear, as well as problems with the fluid in the middle ear. 

Symptoms of Hearing Loss 

Reduced hearing in either or both ears is considered to be delineating symptoms of mixed hearing loss. 

Treatment 

Since mixed hearing loss can result from sensorineural failure as well as damage to outer or middle ear, treatment needs to be divided into different groups too.   To treat Conductive Hearing Loss, doctors can use surgical or medical options. 

  For sensorineural hearing loss, doctors usually prescribe hearing aids. This indicates that treatment for mixed hearing loss may include treatment for conductive hearing loss as well as that for sensorineural hearing loss. So, it is usually a combination of both medical and surgical options. Physicians may prescribe both medicines and hearing aids or resort to surgical interventions and also prescribe hearing aids. Sometimes, physicians use special hearing aids or implants to treat mixed hearing loss. 

Conclusion 

In case a person is sensing reduced hearing in one or both ears, he/she needs to seek medical advice. It may be a symptom of mixed hearing loss. Getting in touch with an experienced physician is the first step towards that.

Mixed Hearing Loss - How To Treat It?

Insulin is the most common treatment prescribed for people affected with diabetes. Diabetes is condition where high amounts of glucose prevail in the blood for an extended period of time. However, there are some drugs that offer an alternative to insulin in treating diabetes, which are:

1. Liraglutide: Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug that causes the body to release greater amounts of insulin so as to facilitate the movement of glucose from the blood to the cells. People with type 2 diabetes generally use this treatment. It slows the digestion process and can cause symptoms of headache and nausea. 

2. Pramlintide: It's an artificially produced version of amylin. It is taken by both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients, facilitates slower digestion of food and therefore, controls release of sugar in the blood. It can cause tiredness and nausea.

3. Dulaglutide:This treatment is for people affected with type 2 diabetes and it is administered once a week. It causes more insulin to be released and pass the glucose to the cells. It can cause loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal cramps as side effects.

4. Albiglutide: This treatment facilitates pancreas to release insulin and limits the glucagon hormone production. It is used by type 2 diabetes patients who have not taken well to other treatments. The side effects are skin reaction, respiratory tract infection and nausea.

5. Exenatide: It is a drug that causes pancreas to release insulin that facilitates movement of glucose to cells. It is a treatment for type 2 diabetes and it restricts release of glucagon in the body. The possible side effects are acidity, constipation and vomiting.

Common Insulin Alternatives

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