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?

Sitting or standing slouched does not only look bad but also has a bad effect on your spine. If not addressed in time, bad posture can become a person s second nature. Over time bad posture can change the natural curvature of your spine and lead to a number of health issues. Here are a few tips that could help:

1. Follow the structure of the chair
We spend a lot of time on office chairs. A well-designed chair will follow ergonomic guidelines to support your body. However, this can help only if you sit on the chair properly. Distribute your weight evenly on the chair. Try to align your body to the center of the chair. To do this try keeping your ears, shoulder, and hips in a straight line. Alternate between sitting at the edge of your seat and against the backrest to relieve your back muscles.

2. Change Positions
Though you can t change your desk every few hours, you can change how you sit. Tiredness is one of the leading causes for slumping and bad posture. Thus, to maintain a good posture try changing positions frequently. Stretch every half hour or so. Getting up from your table and walking over to a colleague to tell them something instead of calling them can give your muscles a break.

3. Use posture-friendly props
Along with ergonomic chairs, there are a number of other ergonomic props that could help maintain good posture. This includes footrests, pillows to support the lower back and lumbar back supports. These props can help ease the strain on the back muscles. Using a chair with an adjustable back is also a good idea. While walking, invest in bags and backpacks that are ergonomically designed to distribute their weight evenly over the entire back.

4. Exercise right
Improved posture is one of the many benefits of regular exercise. Cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running, and swimming help condition the body and maintain a good balance. Exercises that strengthen the back muscles are also great for posture. These exercises support the muscles of the upper body and relieve stress on the back muscles.

5. Wear the right footwear
Wear shoes that fit right and support the arches of your foot. This can help you maintain your balance and improve posture. Avoid wearing high heels for extended periods of time as they could have a negative effect on your center of gravity. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Tips For Improving Posture And Ergonomics!

Urticaria, also known as Hives and Nettle Rash. It is an allergic disorder. It is similar to the rashes that are caused due to touching a nettle plant. This allergic reaction can be caused due to a variety of reasons, thus increasing the difficulty in identifying the exact cause of the allergy. Homeopathic medication has proved to be very efficient in treating urticaria. Some of the best homeopathic remedies include:

1. Apis Mellifica: Described as one of the best solutions to urticaria, this medication is commonly prescribed with regard to treatment. The characterising symptoms of this medication is eruptions accompanied by inflammation and sting. It is similar to the sting of a bee where there is redness and swelling. Exposure to heat in any form is intolerable as the eruption are aggravated. The slightest of touch can cause burning or itching and the patient usually remains thirsty.

2. Dulcamara: This is a medication that is usually prescribed for Urticaria, caused due to cold air or wet weather or dampness. Consumption of sour food or indefinite diet can cause the eruptions. Even though the skin is often dry, there is redness and itching.

3. Natrum Mur: One of the frequently used medicines for urticaria, this medicine is prepared from common salt. It is used in cases where the eruptions are triggered by exposure to the sun, thereby resulting in intense itching. The skin has an oily or greasy feel. Most likely locations of occurrence include margins of hair or bends of joints.

4. Ledum Pal: This medication focuses on the eruptions that occur on the legs and feet. There is a possibility of the infection spreading from the lower to the upper regions at a later stage. Increase in itching can result from the warmth of bed or on scratching. Colder conditions provide a soothing sensation

5. Astacus Fluviatilis: This is an effective medication that be used to treat, both acute and chronic urticarial forms. Rashes are visible on the entire body and are at an increased sensitiveness to air. It is recommended for liver diseases and liver-related symptoms that are accompanied by urticaria.

Best Homeopathic Remedies for Urticaria

Acne could be a real headache for normal skin. It not only ruins your face, but is also tough to get rid of. The condition is characterized usually by red pimples or blackheads and occurs due to infected or inflamed sebaceous glands. If you are skeptical about using chemical products, here is list of acne related treatments with alternative medicines:

1. Apple cider vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar has multiple qualities. It can dry up the excess oil present in the face thereby ensuring that the bacteria cannot feed upon it. Its alkaline property helps the skin's pH to come down to an accepted level. Last, but not the least, apple cider vinegar directly attacks the acne causing bacteria and eradicates them from within. This pack is easy to prepare and can be applied multiple times a day.

2. Honey and cinnamon combo: Cinnamon possesses antimicrobial properties and attacks acne right from the word go. Honey, on the other hand, is a natural cleanser which helps to drive out the acne from your face. The pack is prepared by mixing 2 spoons of honey and 1 spoon of cinnamon. Before applying it on the face, it has to be ensured that the face is rinsed well with water. Owing to the pack's sticky nature, it should not be left on the face for more than 15 minutes.

3. Milk and honey paste: There is a wide misconception about milk causing acne. Unless injected inside the skin, milk actually improves the skin tone and limits acne outbreak. It also helps in reducing skin irritation and redness. Honey has antibacterial properties and fights acne. The pack is prepared by adding 1 spoon of honey and 1 spoon of milk and applied on the face for no more than 10 - 15 minutes. The mask can be washed off with warm water and by lightly rubbing the skin in circular motion.

4. White portion of the egg: The white portion of the egg has unaccountable benefits. Being rich in protein, it helps to fight acne and reduces blemishes of the skin. The vitamin present in the white portion combat acne and soak up excess oil present in the skin. This pack should be applied for 15 minutes followed by a thorough face wash with lukewarm water.

5. Mashed papaya: Papaya ingredients are found in almost all beauty products these days. Raw papaya is a great remedy for acne problems though. Papaya also helps to remove excess fat from the skin and eradicates dead skin. It contains an enzyme called Papain, which is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. It also restricts pus formation in the skin. Papaya can be mashed evenly and applied on the face for 15-20 minutes before washing it off with plain water. This pack can be tried three or four times a week to see visible changes in the face.

Acne Treatment With Alternative Medicine

Psoriasis is a disorder which is characterized by rapid multiplication of skin cells on the skin s surface. These extra skin cells develop into silvery scales, which are often dry and itchy. It may also lead to formation of painful red patches on the skin. This disorder might produce symptoms, which flare up and reduce periodically. There is no cure for psoriasis; treatments however can make the symptoms manageable. 


Symptoms
The symptoms of psoriasis include red patches on the skin and scaly and dry skin. The red patches might be itchy and one might often experience a burning sensation around the area. The joints in your body may also become stiff and swollen. 


Causes
The exact cause of psoriasis has not been ascertained. The accepted theory is that psoriasis occurs when the immune system attacks the healthy skin cells. There is a type of white blood cell called the  T cell , whose function is to combat harmful virus or bacteria in the body. With Psoriasis or any other autoimmune disorder, these T cells start attacking the healthy (skin) cells. 


Overactive  T Cells  may trigger other responses in the body, thus, leading to excess production of skin cells and white blood cells. The excess cells move to the skin surface and end up causing the red painful patches.


Treatment options to manage psoriasis
Although there s no cure for psoriasis as such, the symptoms can be controlled. The treatment options for psoriasis are:
1. Topical treatments: Topical treatments involve application of creams and lotions. They have been mentioned below:
I. Corticosteroids: Corticosteroid creams or lotions reduce the excess skin cell production, thus, reducing inflammation. They are generally not used as a long term treatment as they cause skin thinning.
II. Vitamin D analogues: A synthetic form of Vitamin D, it helps in slowing down skin cell growth. 
III. Salicylic acid: This treatment is used to reduce scaling on the skin, caused due to psoriasis. It is usually administered along with other medications.


2. Light therapy: Light therapy involves using sunlight or artificial light to reduce inflammation and scaling. It helps in reducing the activity of T cells in the body. 


3. Oral medications
In case of severe symptoms, oral medications are prescribed. Medications such methotrexate helps in reducing the excess production of skin cells. Cyclosporine is a drug that is used to suppress the erroneous immune system response. 

Psoriasis - 3 Easy Ways You Can Get them Treated

Psoriasis is a durable autoimmune disease defined by patches of irregular skin. These patches of skin are usually scaly, red and itchy. Its symptoms vary greatly in severity, the coverage might be small and focused or it could spread all over the body.

Types
There are mainly five types of psoriasis:
1. Plaque- also called psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common kind of psoriasis (90% of cases). It affects the skin behind the forearms, over the navel, shins and scalp, usually presenting itself in red patches with white- colored scales over it.
2. Guttate- has lesions that are drop-shaped.
3. Inverse- red patches show up in the folds of your skin.
4. Pustular- pus-filled blisters form. They are non-infectious.
5. Erythrodermic- the rash spreads wider. In some people, even fingernails and toenails get affected as pits may form on them or their colour may change.

Causes
Anything from emotional trauma and stress to streptococcal infection can cause psoriasis. Sometimes you might carry predisposition for psoriasis in your genes and stress may aggravate it. Environmental factors may also lead to psoriasis. And then again defects in the immune system may also be the underlying cause. Even after thirty years of research, the exact cause for psoriasis remains a mystery. There is no age limit to psoriasis. It can show up from anywhere between infancy to old age.

Symptoms
Common symptoms include
1. Pink or red scaly bumps that are smaller in size, but become plaques later, show up on the skin. Although these scales can show up anywhere, they are mostly common on sites where there is much friction, abrasion or scratching.
2. Small pinpoint depressions or pits might show up on toenails and fingernails. Distal onycholysis, which refers to large brown/yellow divisions on the nails, shows up as well.
3. Sore throat may follow if it is guttate psoriasis.

Treatment
Psoriasis is not curable. But its symptoms can be managed with steroid creams, ultraviolet creams, vitamin d3 creams and with medicines that act as immunosuppressants. Creams alone can help control symptoms in 75% of patients with psoriasis.

All About Psoriasis

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