Burning your skin is a very traumatic experience and can leave behind scars that remind one of the traumatic incident. Scarring caused by burns may fade a little with time but are usually permanent. Apart from affecting your appearance severe burns can also affect the functioning of the body. Burns can make a person withdraw socially by making him or her afraid of how people will accept them with their scars as well as make them depressed about their appearance.

Burn repair surgery can be categorised under two headings: Acute and Reconstructive

Acute repair surgery happens immediately after the burn and deals with large burns and burns that affect critical areas. The focus here is to close the skin in case of open burns and help the skin heal.
Reconstructive burn surgery addresses the skin after the initial burn wounds have healed. The goal here is to improve the appearance of the scars and ensure no lasting loss of functioning. Reconstructive burn surgery has a high success rate.
There are many types of reconstructive surgeries for burns and the type of surgery best suited to a patient is based on the location of the scar, the extent of scarring and the patient s personal goals.

Skin grafts: This involves the removal of healthy skin tissues from one part of the body and transplanting it to the burn site. This skin graft may include only a few outer layers of skin or may involve the entire dermis. This is used in cases of severe burns where a large section of the dermis is affected.
Microsurgery: This is a procedure where the surgeon reattaches or reconstructs severed fingers, toes, ears etc by sewing together blood vessels and nerves. This is often used alongside other surgical procedures.
Free flap procedure: In this procedure, muscle, bone or skin is transferred from one part of the body to another to reconstruct the area. This type of surgery is often accompanied by microsurgery.
Tissue expansion: This involves the insertion of a balloon expander under the skin near the burn site. As the balloon is filled with saline, the skin stretches and grows. Once the skin has stretched enough, the expander is removed and the skin can then be used to repair burn scars.
This procedure has many advantages as the skin colour and texture are a near perfect match thus reducing scarring to a large extent. However, it is a very slow procedure and can take a few months.

Burn Repair Surgery - How Effective It Is?

Indigestion spares nobody. No matter how healthy you are, at some point or the other, everyone suffers from acidity, bloating and gas. On its own these problems are rarely serious but they can leave you feeling quite uncomfortable and can be embarrassing as well.

Homeopathy can be very effective when fighting against indigestion of any kind. This form of treatment has negligible side effects and hence can be given to both children and adults. Homeopathy does not address only the symptoms but goes to the root of the problem. Thus it also stops the problem from recurring. Here are few common homeopathic medicines that can help ease indigestion.

1. Nux vomica
Nux vomica is known as the remedy for overindulgence. This homeopathic medicine can be used to treat stomach problems of all kinds. It is very effective against bloating and gas and is also often used to treat constipation. Nux vomica is also known as the best homeopathic remedy for heartburn associated with excessive alcohol or caffeine.

2. Pulsatilla
This is often used to treat gastric problems that follow eating heavy food like pastries, ice cream and food fried in ghee or butter. It can also be used to treat loose motions.

3. China
China is an effective form of treatment against bloating and build up of gas. Abdominal pain caused by gas can also be treated with china. This homeopathic remedy can also be used to treat diarrhea that is accompanied by extreme weakness.

4. Arsenic album
Gastric troubles that are triggered by food poisoning can be effectively treated with arsenic album. Some of the symptoms it treats are nausea, loose motions, abdominal pain and vomiting. Acidity and a burning sensation in the stomach can also be eased with this medicine. Arsenic album is also used in cases of chronic vomiting where the stomach does not retain any food.

5. Lycopodium
Sometimes even eating a light meal can leave you feeling bloated and with a heavy feeling in your abdomen. This bloating and excessive gaseousness accompanied by burning burps can be treated with lycopodium. It also treats acidity triggered by starchy and flatulent food.
Along with taking homeopathic medicine, making a few changes to your eating habits can also help treat chronic gastric problems. Chew your food and eat slowly. Avoid eating anything that is too hot or too cold and drink plenty of water. Ideally you should hydrate your stomach half n hour before eating a meal.

Remedies for Stomach Acid, Bloating and Gas

Abdomen pain or abdominal pain is usually experienced in the area between the chest and the stomach. This kind of pain usually comes as a dull cramp that also produces shooting stabs of pains intermittently, or it may be a localised pain in one side of the stomach. This may also be accompanied by inflammation, and other diseases related to organs like intestines, kidneys, pancreas, liver, spleen and stomach.

So what are the causes of stomach or abdomen pain? read on to find out:

1. Food poisoning: food poisoning can be caused due to dirty water or contaminated food. This can give rise to various infections as well as conditions like traveller's diarrhoea or loose motions.

2. Gastro intestinal conditions: gerd or gastroesophaegal reflux disease and gastroenteritis, among various others can also lead to abdomen pain as a symptom along with severe acidity and nausea. Irritable bowel syndrome is another major ailment which can leave you with persistent abdominal pain. 

3. Generalised pain: this kind of pain occurs in the overall area all around the stomach and may point at the presence of conditions like crohn's disease, a traumatic injury, appendicitis, flu, or even a urinary tract infection. Further, when the gas settles and tightens the stomach due to the inability to pass a motion on a normal, regular basis, this may be termed as constipation. This also leads to abdomen pain. 

4. Localised lower abdomen pain: pain that is found specifically in the lower area of the abdomen can be caused due to appendicitis, obstruction or blockage in the intestine or colon, and other ailments. This pain can also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. 

5. Localised upper abdomen pain: this kind of pain may emanate due to the presence of gallstones, liver inflammation or hepatitis, pneumonia, or even in the middle of a heart attack.

6. Localised centre abdomen pain: pain in the centre part of the stomach or abdomen may be caused due to gastroenteritis, an injury or even the accumulation of waste products in the body, otherwise known as uraemia.

7. Abdomen pain and women: for women, such localised pain may be caused due to pelvic inflammatory disease, urinary tract infection, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, menstrual cramps which are also called dysmenorrhoea, and fibroids. Miscarriages can also cause pain in this part of the abdomen, for women.

8. Renal stones: renal stones or stone in kidney is one of the most common cause of abdomen pain. The pain caused by kidney stone is such that it can make a patient roll in bed and this pain may radiate to toward the groin as well.

Persistent pain and nausea that come with vomiting and finally give rise to blood in the vomit or stool should be checked by the doctor immediately, so as to rule out any serious ailment. Imaging tests, ultrasound and an x-ray can help in diagnosis.



Abdomen Pain: Common Causes

Abdominal pain also referred to as stomach ache mainly appears in the pelvic and chest regions. The pain can be dull, crampy, sharp or recurrent. It occurs mainly due to a disease or inflammation that affects the abdominal organs. It is very important to seek the assistance of a doctor, especially if the pain is severe and is associated with pain in the chest and trauma or injury. It is not necessary that the pain in the lower abdomen be a cause of alarm, but it is essential to know the cause of the pain.

Symptoms of Abdominal Pain

Belly ache is not something one should get worried about, but if the pain radiates downwards from the chest it could be a sign of heart attack. If chest pain radiate to left arm or back then think of cardiac and rarely pancreatitis ( especially for radiation to back).
In case the symptom is accompanied by lightheadness or shortness of breath, it is very important that the doctor is contacted immediately.
To avoid serious medical conditions, it is best to avoid pain killers as the symptoms would get hidden and the cause of pain would be difficult to identify.
What are the Main Causes of Abdominal Pain?

The major organs of the abdomen include the stomach, gall bladder, small and large intestines, kidneys, liver, pancreas, appendix and spleen.
Significant abdominal pain is caused mainly due to bacterial, parasitic and viral infections that affect the abdomen.
The abdominal pain could be caused due to inflammation, intestinal disorders and blockages.
The other common reasons that can produce pain in the lower right abdomen include diarrhea, constipation, stress, vomiting, stomach flu, and acid reflux.
In the case of acid reflux the contents of the stomach go back into the esophagus and cause symptoms such as heartburn.
Common Causes of Pain in the Abdominal Region
The most common cause of abdominal pain is constipation, which is caused by difficulty in the digestive tract to push the waste out of the body. Severe pain in the lower abdominal area can rupture the organs and result in appendix. Infection in the kidney or occurrence of stones in the gallbladder can also cause pain in the abdominal region. Pain in the abdomen can also be caused by different types of cancer.

Some of the causes of abdominal pain are life threatening and therefore it is important to consult a doctor if the pain persists or lasts for a few days. It has been observed that even a heart attack can cause pain in the upper abdominal region or even cause back pain. Immediate medical attention should be sought in cases where the patient has fever, severe pain, weight loss, persistent vomiting and nausea, swelling of the abdomen and severe tenderness on touching the abdomen..

Abdominal Pain - When Should You Not Ignore It & Visit A Doctor?

Everyone can suffer from pain in the stomach, at one time or the other and we usually ignore it. But when the pain is sudden and severe abdominal pain then it is termed as acute pain and this should not be ignored.

Often the following can be expected with acute pain:

Acute abdomen pain is usually synonymous with rapid onset of the symptoms which might indicate life threatening intra-abdominal pathology.
Pain is just a feature and not necessary that it is present at all times. An acute abdomen which is pain free usually occurs in children and women who are in their third trimester of pregnancy.
The differential diagnosis is difficult and wide especially in primary care. This is because the different organs within their peritoneal cavity might have different areas of referred pains.
Abdominal pain usually happens to be in the top three symptoms when patients present their state in the emergency and accident departments. But only few of these have acute abdominal pain.
Management of the abdominal pain should be the primary focus and an assessment should be done to reach the differential diagnosis so that care can be given accordingly.
The clinical evaluation regarding abdomen pain can change quickly. Any diagnosis which had been made can change and both doctor and patient should not be hesitant and seek other treatment.
Conditions which might cause acute abdomen pain are:

Meckel's diverticulitis or Acute appendicitis
Acute cholecystitis
Ectopic pregnancy
Acute pancreatitis.
Peptic ulcer disease
Diverticulitis.
Intestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus (adynamic obstruction)
Pelvic inflammatory disease.
Gastrointestinal (GI) haemorrhage
Gastroenteritis.
Acute intestinal ischaemia/infarction or vasculitis.
Acute urinary retention
Renal colic or renal tract pain
Testicular torsion
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Non surgical diseases like pericarditis, sickle cell crisis, acute intermittent porphyria, HIV-associated lymphadenopathy, bowel disease, typhoid, opiate withdrawal, enteritis, pneumonia, myocardial infarction and hepatitis.
Rare causes might include thromboemboli, phytobezoar, and phytobezoar
Diagnosis of abdominal pains:

Patients can be ordered to get their blood tests done. Also if need be then imaging can also be referred to them.
Following tests can be done to rule out the condition causing the abdominal pain:
Blood Tests: these include FBC, LFTs, glucose, amylase, clotting, calcium and arterial blood gas for pancreatitis
Crossmatch or group and save
Pregnancy test in women of childbearing age
Blood cultures
Peritoneal lavage in case of an abdominal trauma
Urine analysis
X ray of the abdomen, ultrasound, CT scan
ECG and cardiac enzymes
Laparoscopy should be a routine procedure

Don't Ignore the Acute Abdominal Pain

While injuries of any form can be painful, burn injuries are one of the worst to suffer from. While cuts and bruises can be temporarily assuaged with a proper dressing, burns are quite different in this regard. With burns, the damaged tissues will stay on the body and may cause continuous pain. Thus, burn injuries are difficult to treat and they require different strategies for pain management as well.

Treatment methods available for treating pain arising due to burn injuries

Apply an anesthetic cream or aloevera gel to soothe the burnt skin. Avoid exposing the skin to air as that will cause painful sensations.
Loose gauze or antibiotic ointment must be used to protect the influenced area.
Soak the burnt area wound in cold water for about five minutes or more.
If the burn escalates or affects a widespread area, seek medical attention immediately.
Pain management factors for burn injuries:

Relaxation: During the phase of recovery, burn injuries put immense stress on your body and continue for a long period. Muscle tension is caused by stress that increases pain. Some relaxation techniques are proven to be beneficial to reduce the stress on body.
Coping with your pain: Different people have different ways to cope with physical discomfort. Look out for situational aspects which are currently under your control and take it positively. The  what ifs  or wishing that the burn didn t occur in the first place will not help with your current situation. You should focus on things what you can control like self-rehabilitation, doing your daily exercises, physical therapy treatment or following a doctor s suggestion of pain management strategies. This will help you cope with your pain to a greater extent.
Sleep medications: If your normal sleep routine is hampered, consult your physician for safe sleep medications. Proper sleep is very important for the healing process and even more so in the case of burn related injuries.
Antidepressants: Some people may not be suffering from depression, but they might still need antidepressants for relief and sound sleep. A health care provider might prescribe antidepressants as a way to deal with acute pain from burn injuries.
Increase the pace of your activities: If you want to rebuild your health and stamina and get back in form soon, focus on the regular physical and mental activities. Exercise regularly, but don t push yourself too much. Increase your physical activities gradually over time. Unless and until you are fully comfortable, don t strain yourself too much. Occupational and physical therapists can help you with an appropriate activity program.

Burn Injuries - 5 Ways to Manage Its Pain

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