Everyone wants to have a bright and radiating skin. But blemishes and skin abnormalities are common and can occur due to lifestyle, diet or hormonal imbalances. Moles and warts are typical skin issues. But how do you tell them apart?

Moles   What are they?

Hardly ever causing pain, they appear in many different colours and can be bumpy or flat. Most often of red, brown or black colour, they occur as a result of skin pigmentation called melanocytes. They can be caused due to direct exposure to sunlight or due to genetic factors as well. They can appear in any part of the body and form slowly, taking a long time to grow.

Warts   What are they?

Small bumps or rough growth on the skin that appear in hands, legs, fingers, soles of the feet, face or in the genital area manifest as warts. They are white or pale. They occur as a result of harmful virus infection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and hence, can be contagious. As opposed to moles, warts need to be removed quickly since a virus causes them.

How do you differentiate a mole from a wart?
Below are some common characteristics of each that can help you identify the skin problem:

Moles

Either flat or elevated from the skin, they are commonly referred to as beauty marks or birth marks.
At times, they have hair growing from them.
Usually, they have one colour   mostly on the darker side.
It cannot be transmitted between people.
They are generated by a collection of pigment cells in the body and darken during hormonal changes.
They tend to become cancerous and lead to melanoma.
Warts

They are harmless, yet contagious.
They have small black or dark dots in the centre that are tiny blood vessels, which provide them with nutrients.
They grow outwards on the skin with a scaly or bumpy deposit.
They can grow anywhere on the body, but are commonly found in feet, hands or fingers.
How to treat warts and moles?

The good news is that both warts and moles do not pose a grave risk to your health, but they are annoying and can turn dangerous in the long run. Especially with warts, you can give it to someone or acquire from someone, since it is a type of virus infection. So, seek medical assistance if you want them to be removed from your skin.

Be aware of the difference between warts and moles to know what you are dealing with. Consult a dermatologist to decide the right steps to remove it or not.

Warts vs. Moles - All You Need To Know!

10 surprising facts about your eyes

You never tend to pay a lot of attention to your eyes unless they are affected by some serious disorder or unless your vision is disrupted. But did you know that your eyes are capable of doing much more than you can imagine? here are 10 surprising facts about your eyes you didn't know about.

1. How intricate!

Your eyes take more than 2 million working parts to function. No wonder your eyes are the second most complex organ of your body after your brain.

2. A lot depends on them

As much as 80% of your memories are determined by what you see. Also, 80% of what you learn is because of your eyes.

3. Retina and security

The iris of your eyes has approximately 256 unique characteristics, which is more than even your fingerprints. This is the reason why retina scans are used so widely today for security purposes.

4. It's a colourful world

Your eyes can distinguish between approximately 10 million different colours. And women with a particular kind of genetic mutation can see millions of more colours.

5. Upside-down

The retina of your eyes receives the vision of the outside world as upside down. It is your brain, which flips the image for you so that you can see the world as it is.

6. Sunscreen for the eyes?

It is possible for your eyes to get sunburnt. Therefore, it is advisable for you to wear sunglasses in order to protect your eyes from the ultraviolet radiations.

7. Godspeed!

The eye muscle is the muscle that reacts at the fastest rate out of all the other muscles in your body. It can contract in less than even 1/100th of a second.

8. Paint it red?

The retina of your eyes cannot detect the red colour. The retinas do have green, red and blue receptors, but the red receptor can detect only the colour yellow-green and the green one can recognise blue-green. It is your brain that combines these signals to give you the impression of the colour red.

9. Dreams and sight

Even if you become blind later in life, you can see images in your dreams if you were born with sight.

10. We are blink-eyed peas

You blink approximately 17 times every minute. That makes it 5.2 million times in a year.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Sitting Too Close To TV Will Weaken Your Eyes? FALSE.

Surprise Yourself with these 10 Facts about Your EYES!

Did you know that your vision is responsible for around 80% of you sensory input? your eyes are among the most delicate organs in your body. Long work hours in front of the computer and long study hours results in tired and sometimes irritating eye conditions. But help isn't too far. Before you head to the doctor, you can head to your kitchen to look for solutions. There are several home remedies that you can try to not only improve your eyesight but also get rid of glasses and rebuild your vision! here's how you can do it:

1. Exercise: Just like any other body part, your eyes need exercise too. Blinking your eyes rapidly for 5 seconds helps moisturize it. Similarly, cupping your eyes with you palms for 4-5 minutes triggers acupuncture points that helps the eye to relax. There are specific exercises to reduce eye strain, improve blurred vision and enhance reading. Do these as per the specific problem you are facing.

2. Take a break: Follow the 10-10-10 rule when you are on the computer for extended hours. For every half hour of work, take a 10 min break to look at something n a distance at least 10 feet away for 10 seconds. These becomes tricky if you are studying or working in a fast paced environment and easily forget to take breaks. Set alarms that help you know the time so that you can actively plan your breaks. To enhance break time, try to look at greenery during your 10 sec break which helps the eyes relax better. Splash your eyes with cold water to give them a fresh feel.

3. Yoga: Yoga and meditation relaxes your body and mind. It is also a great way to relax your eyes as you get to close them and give them rest. When you close your eyes, you shut out a big chunk of sensory inputs helping your body go from an active reaction mode to a passive action mode.

4. Eat for your eyes: Make sure you add your weekly quota of vision enhancing food in you diet. Carrots which are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin a are great for the eyes. Similarly grapes and blueberries work great to improve your night vision. Green leafy veggies, garlic, shallots, eggs and onion all contribute in keeping your eyes healthy and strong. Cold water fish rich in DHA is an another great food that helps reduce dry eyes and muscular degeneration.

5. Change your lifestyle: Other than exercise and proper nutrients, you need to ensure you get a shut eye for six to eight hours every day to let your eyes fully rest and rejuvenate. As always drink 6 - 8 glasses of water. And don't forget to get regular eye check ups especially if you are a diabetic or have other health conditions that adversely affect your eyes.

Natural Remedies For Better Eyesight

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?

6 effective ways to get rid of warts

Warts are small, rough patches on the skin (resembling cauliflowers) that are caused due to the human papillomavirus (hpv- a dna virus that can infect humans). In this condition, only the topmost layer of your skin gets infected and acquires a rough texture. Warts are not fatal (they do not cause cancer), but they are contagious in nature and do not vanish easily. 

Read on to find the most effective ways to get rid of warts. 

1. Over-the-counter wart removers
Over-the-counter wart treatments containing salicylic acid (a type of fungicide) as an active ingredient are commonly used for effective removal of warts. These medications generally eliminate warts by removing the topmost layer of the skin, following the peel-off process.

2. Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, also known as freezing therapy, is generally performed by a dermatologist and consists of the use of liquid nitrogen for freezing the warts. The application of the chemical results in the formation of a blister around the warts, which shed off after about a week. It takes almost 3 to 4 weeks to have completely wart-free skin. This method proves to be more effective when used with salicylic acid-based wart removers.

3. Laser treatment
Another form of wart removal is pulsed-dye laser treatment. An ablative co2 laser acts by cutting and burning the wart. In this type of treatment the affected blood vessels are burnt, leading to the death of the infected tissue, following which the wart too disappears. However, this method is not commonly used if other treatment methods tend to work as it is painful and may leave behind scars.

4. Vaccine
Sometimes your dermatologist may recommend the use of human papillomavirus (hpv) vaccine to successfully eliminate warts.

5. Bleomycin
In this type of treatment each wart is injected with a shot of bleomycin, a medicine that fights cancer. However, this treatment is not preferred generally as it may be painful and comes with side effects like nail loss if the wart is present on the finger.

6. Immune therapy
When warts refuse to vanish after the use of all common treatments, this method is put into use. This type of treatment involves the use of medications or solutions, which strengthens your immune system so that it can repel warts. In this case your warts may be injected with an antigen or a solution or cream may be applied on them. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on'consult.

6 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Warts - Cauliflower-like Skin Inflammation

Sunglasses are an important part of the accessories you use in summer or any time of the year. They help you to look fashionable and stylish and also make a pretty good style statement. But is that the only job of sunglasses? Or do they have something more to them? Here are a few reasons why sunglasses are more than just a style statement:


1. Decrease in eye problems: Generally, you use sunscreen to protect your skin from the Sun s glare. Similarly, sunglasses protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. It is extremely important for you to protect the eyes so that the harmful UV rays cannot enter the sensitive eye tissue and harm them. If you do not use sunglasses, then you have a higher chance of damaging your eye tissue than a person who uses them regularly. Bear in mind that the strong UV rays can cause serious permanent damage to your eyes.


2. Protection from other environmental components: Not only is the sun harmful to your eyes, but also the wind can be extremely dangerous for them. Dirt, sand, dust particles can fly into your eyes even when just a breeze is blowing. On a windy day, damage can be much more. If you are wearing sunglasses when out on a windy day, they act like a shield to your eyes against the wind and the particles,which might enter your eye.


3.  Helps clear vision: It s often difficult to have a clear vision when out in the Sun. The bright sunlight doesn t give you the clarity in vision. Without protection, you will have reduced vision as the bright glare of the Sun might cause you discomfort in your eyes and limit your vision as you will have to squint in the bright light.


4. Helps prevent aging: Although it might sound a bit surprising, but wearing sunglasses actually helps in prevent aging. The bright glare of the sun causes you to squint and this causes the age lines to appear. So, if you wear sunglasses and your eyes are protected from the bright sunlight, then you will not be squinting anymore, and hence it will not cause the age lines to appear before time.


So now, before you think that sunglasses only make you look good, think again about how they actually do much more than that.

4 Reasons Why Sunglasses are More than Just a Style Statement

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