Role Of Ayurveda In The Management Of Genital Herpes & Sarpa Suttu!

This contagious and highly itchy skin condition comes with symptoms like thin and irregular burrow like tracks containing blisters. These may be found on the affected areas of the skin. Mostly, these growths are found in the folds of one's skin and can occur for children and adults alike. The most common areas where these blisters, sores and bumps may be found include the genital areas, buttocks, the inner side of the elbows, soles of the feet, around the breasts, the waistline, the insides of the wrists and other areas. Let us have a look at the various causes of this condition.

1. Mite: an eight legged mite is the most common cause of this skin disease. The female mites are known to burrow deep in the folds of the skin, where they leave their eggs to hatch and spread. These mites usually make a tunnel like burrow in which the eggs get deposited. The mite larvae then reach the surface the skin and cause a lot of itching once they begin to mature. This itching is mainly an allergic reaction to the larvae as well as the eggs and waste.

2. Physical contact with infected parties: this condition is mostly caused when there is contact with an infected person or animal. This happens due to the fact that contact with an infected party can lead to a deposit of the mites on to the skin, leading to the process of burrowing, egg laying and maturing of the larvae. There has to be close and prolonged contact with an infected person or animal for this to happen. Yet, it has been observed that the mites prefer to live on the host. They do not live for too long on someone inherits the disease with contact.

3. Scratching: there are lots of complications that can lead to the breakout or worsening of the situation. Scratching the skin can often break the same which can lead to secondary bacterial skin infections. Superficial infections like impetigo can also lead to an accumulation of these mites, which can further spread the condition.

4. High risk groups: there are many people who are more at risk of contracting this skin disease. Patients with chronic health conditions like hiv and leukaemia can contract a severe form of scabies known as crusted scabies or norwegian scabies. Also, people who have spent long periods in hospitals and nursing facilities due to prolonged illness and treatment can contract this contagious ailment. Further, it has been found that older people living in nursing homes also often come down with this condition. The crusty and scaly patches caused by this disease can cover the entire body and may be very difficult to treat.

Different Causes of Scabies

Vitiligo is a disease which results in the loss of skin colouring pigment and ultimately the person loose his or her skin colour in blotches. The rate and to what extent the colour loss will happen is always unpredictable. When the Melanocytes cells lose their ability or get destroyed completely, the human skin starts losing it's skin colour produced by these Melanocyte cells. Vitiligo can generally affect skin present of any body part. Vitiligo is a common disease and it affects almost one million people every year all over the world. The disease can affect a person of any age.

Causes of Vitiligo

There are different causes due to which Vitiligo is caused. Let us have a look :

Vitiligo can happen due to an autoimmune disorder, when the immune system becomes overactive and results in the destruction of the colour pigment-producing cells i.e. the Melanocytes.
Vitiligo is also believed to affect people because of genetic factors. The immune system can get affected by the genes and results in a loss of skin colouring melanocytes. It can be hereditary and gets passed on. However, it is not at all contagious and cannot be passed on to someone else.
Harmful exposure to UV rays can cause the body to loose melanocyte cells. Heavy sunburn is also a common cause of the disease.
A stressful life schedule or oxidative stress imbalance can easily make the melanocyte cells to go weak and eventually wither away.
A foreign virus or bacteria which may enter into the immune system and if not destroyed affects the melanocytes in different parts of the body.
Treatment for Vitiligo-

Vitiligo Treatment or White Patches Treatment is based on improving your skin s appearance by restoring its colour. Re-pigmentation treatment is most successful on face and trunk; hands, feet and areas with white hair respond poorly. Compared to long-standing patches, new ones are more likely to respond to medical therapy.

The treatment can be classified into

Medical

Medicines applied to the skin, such as:
Corticosteroid creams or ointments
Immunomodulator creams or ointments, such as Elidel & Protopic
Topical drugs such as methoxsalen (Oxsoralen)
Oral Medical treatment includes the use of immune-modulating drugs such as systemic corticosteroids, levamisole, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, vitamin supplements (especially vitamin B12 and folic acid).
Phototherapy NBUVB full body   A medical procedure in which your skin is exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) light from a special lamp in full body chambers.
Excimer (Targeted Phototherapy)   Targeted phototherapy, also called concentrated phototherapy, focused phototherapy and microphototherapy, involves delivery of ultraviolet radiation directly focused on, or targeted at, the skin lesion through special delivery mechanisms.
Surgical Procedures

Surgical treatment   Normal skin is used as donor tissue and then grafts are surgically transplanted on areas of Vitiligo treatment. The new skin grafts start producing pigment. Patients who are candidates for this procedure must have stable Vitiligo, or Vitiligo that has not changed for at least one year. The criteria of stability is taken as (a) no new White patches, (b) no extension of existing White patches and (c) no loss of pigmentation of previously repigmened patches for at least 1 year. This procedure can be used for patients with limited areas of Vitiligo and also in those with more extensive disease.
Melanocyte cell transplantation   In this procedure, a skin graft is taken from the patients own thigh, this skin is then treated with an enzyme known as trypsin which separates all the layers of the skin and thus Melanocytes and Keratinocytes are concentrated. The Vitiligo (Skin White Spot) skin is then removed with the use of diamond burs or Lasers and the cells are transplanted. The advantage of this procedure is that cell culture is not needed and that skin harvesting from the donor area, preparation of cell separation and application of Melanocytes can all be undertaken in a single 3-h procedure.
Blister Grafting   In this procedure, blisters are created on your pigmented skin primarily by using suction. The tops of the blisters are then cut out and transplanted to a depigmented skin area where a blister of equal size has been created and removed.
Punch grafting  Punch grafting is the simplest and the least expensive of all the grafting procedures in Vitiligo. The procedure involves the transfer of circular pieces or punches of skin tissue from the donor area into similar shaped pits that are made on the recipient skin. The size of these punches can range from 1 mm to 2 mm and they are spaced 5-10 mm apart on the recipient skin.
De-pigmentation  Depigmentation involves fading the rest of the skin on your body to match the already-white areas. If you have vitiligo on more than 50 percent of your body, depigmentation may be the best treatment option. In this procedure, the drug monobenzone (Benoquin) is applied twice a day to the pigmented areas of your skin until they match the already-depigmented areas. Some patients who are resistant to depigmentation with drug monobenzone (Benoquin) will need Q Switch NDYAG Laser to destroy the pigment cells. Depigmentation in most patients is a permanent technique in which the whole body is gradually turned white.
Color (Camouflage)   Camouflage used to treat vitiligo can be classified into two- temporary and permanent. 
Temporary colouring is the method which intends to blend the white patches with the rest of the body s colour. The method is done using coloured creams to the affected skin. Those creams will have the same shade as that of the natural skin. Applying the creams make the patches less noticeable.
Tattooing (permanent coloring)   Tattooing is injecting artificial pigment into the depigmented area. After selecting the pigment shade which matches the surrounding skin color, the pigment granules are implanted into the depigmented patch either with a manual or electrically driven needles. Though the patch resembles the surrounding normal skin, it may permanently fade or acquire a bluish hue after 1   2 years which is distinctly noticeable and may become unacceptable. Hence, tattooing is usually not advised unless the patch is in an inoperable site.

Best Vitiligo Treatment  - Medical & Surgical Methods

Ringworm is a type of fungal infection occurring on the skin of a person. Ringworm does not involve the presence of any kind of actual worms whatsoever. It is so named because of the circular scaly infection on the skin, which almost appears as if a worm is present beneath the skin. 

Why the fungi arise on the skin is unclear. However, these skin infections are highly contagious, so people coming in contact with those already having the disease could naturally develop the ringworm lesions. The fungi also require warm and moist conditions to thrive in. People working in waterlogged conditions or those walking barefoot on wet floors near swimming pools; public washrooms etc could all develop ringworm based on their immunity levels.

Symptoms of Ringworm:

Reddish, scaly or white patches on the skin.

The lesions may appear raised and blistered.

The circular lesion might have a clearing in the center.

Hair loss is a common side effect of this disease. Ringworm of scalp especially is characterized by patchy hair loss where the hair might be bent and broken at an odd angle. Dandruff might also be present. Thankfully, there are many effective homeopathic remedies for ringworm on scalp.

Though mostly ringworm is treated with conventional medicines and allopathic treatment, there are certain recurring ringworms on which traditional medicines slowly lose effect. Such infections can be controlled and cured with the help of homeopathic medicines.

Homeopathy is based on the principle of  like curing like . This means, the homeopath takes a bit of the plant material, deactivates it and just like a vaccine, infuses the patient s body with small quantities of it. Popular homeopathic remedies for treating ringworm are:

Sepia: It is obtained from the ink of a squid. It has been found that contact with the squid causes symptoms similar to the ones caused by ringworms. Thus, it is a remarkable cure for this disease. However, before actually administering this medicine, the homeopath doctor would ask several questions to understand the nature of the disease occurring to you. Such questions would include your sensitivity to heat and cold or how many times in the past has ringworm infected you. Only when the practitioner is sure of the fact that sepia is the correct treatment, would he prescribe it to you. This is a great cure for ringworms occurring in children as well.

Sulphur: Ringworms not only affect a person on the skin of his/her body, it might also occur on the scalp. These ringworms can cause a lot of itching, irritation, hair loss, pus in the scalp etc. For treating such types of ringworm, one can apply sulphur-based creams or ointments on the affected area on the scalp. Sulphur is seen to help in fighting the ringworms and thus providing relief from all the itching and irritation on the scalp.

Rhus Toxicodendron: This medicine is obtained when leaves of the poison ivy plants are distilled overnight. Contact with poison ivy leaves also causes similar symptoms as ringworms and thus, it is known to be a good cure for the disease.

Ringworms on Animals-

At times, even animals like cats and dogs can be affected by ringworms. Symptoms would include loss of hair in patches, itchy hair, white or blackish patches on the body and others. A specialised vet should be referred to for a medicated shampoo besides a homeopath. Medicines like Sepia or Chrysarobinum are administered to treat ringworms in animals.

Thus, ringworm is a very common form of a disease and is easily treatable whether in humans or animals. One would need to follow the course of their medicine and take to patience for getting it cured as soon as possible.  

Homeopathic Treatment For Ringworm Fungal Infection

Intercourse is meant to be a pleasurable and intimate experience. But it might become an unpleasant act if you are suffering from performance anxiety. When you are mentally occupied by questions such as "Do I look too fat?" or "Did I do that right?", sex stops being a gratifying experience.

Incessant anxiety over your ability or appearance can result in sex becoming nerve-wracking and stressful for you. It might even have you avoiding sex altogether. This psychological condition is termed as sexual performance anxiety.

Sex isn't only a physical reaction, there are emotions tied to it as well. If you are too stressed out and your mind is preoccupied, your body reflects your inner turmoil and you cannot get aroused.

Causes
The causes of sexual performance anxiety include:
1. Fear that you wouldn't be able to satisfy your partner and perform well sexually
2. Body image issues (Such as stressing about your weight)
3. Problems in your relationship
4. Men worry that their penis don't 'measure' up
5. Men might be concerned about taking too much time to orgasm, or about premature ejaculation
6. Women worry about not enjoying the experience or being unable to have an orgasm

Symptoms
Your mental state has a deep impact on your physical state. The effect of stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine can hinder your sexual performance. Symptoms of sexual performance anxiety include:

1. In men, blood vessels constrict due to the effect of stress hormones. This leads to reduced blood flow to the penis, thus making it difficult for the man to get an erection.

2. Often though it is less diagnosed in women, sexual performance anxiety leads to trouble in lubrication during sex. Lack of lubrication dims the desire to have sex.

Sexual performance anxiety is a vicious, inescapable cycle. Increased anxiety hampers you from having sex, making you think you won't be able to perform well, which causes even more anxiety.

Treatment
Consult a doctor you will be comfortable with discussing your problems. Sexual performance can be either treated by medication (if you have an underlying medical condition such as erectile dysfunction) or through therapy.

Talking to a therapist or counsellor about your problems can help you in several ways. You can learn to become more comfortable with yourself and your body. You can also understand your problems better, which can eliminate your anxiety.

All About Sexual Performance Anxiety

5 hidden causes of acne, revealed!

Acne is a skin condition that occurs when the openings of oil glands become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Acne usually appears on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to disappear, others seem to crop up. Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and can also scar the skin. But what causes the recurrence of breakouts?

These are attributed to certain hidden causes, which are:

1. Your drug prescriptions

Steroids found in prescription drugs are a key offender, whether taken internally or topically. If taken internally, the offending ingredient will be listed as prednisone, which is the tablet form of steroid. Prednisone is used to treat inflammatory diseases like poison ivy, allergies and arthritis. If medications are taken topically, it could aggravate acne or cause steroid acne. Oral contraceptives are also a common cause of acne.

2. Your beauty routine

Acne caused by topical lotions, creams and makeup are known as acne cosmetica, commonly appearing on face, neck, hairline and scalp. Applying a product regularly to an acne-prone area can do more harm than good. Some people go to bed with ointments or oils in their hair that can get on the pillowcase and then rub on your face. It's best to put a clean towel over your pillowcase every night to prevent buildup.

3. Your cell phone

Cell phones gather all kinds of dirt and bacteria and are a big cause of acne on the chin and around the mouth. Wiping down the screen of your smartphones every day with alcohol or cleaning wipes will keep your phone and your face clean.

4. Using toothpaste to treat a zit

Certain toothpaste can actually cause you to develop acne or an acne-like eruption on the lower parts of your face, including your chin. Fluoride and other whitening and anti-cavity ingredients are quite abrasive and could potentially burn your skin, cause irritation and initiate breakouts.

5. Your workout gear

It's not the act of exercising that is causing breakouts but other issues. If you are using a communal yoga mat, you may be on the side that someone else's feet or perspiration had touched before, with the physical contact causing breakouts. It's best to put a clean towel over it before working out, even if it is your personal mat.

Also, workout gear that constantly rubs in a certain area can cause frictional acne. Constant rubbing ends up making you sweat, causing skin irritation and eventually developing into tiny red bumps. Though it looks like a heat rash, it is actually acne.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Do You Know that Dandruff Causes ACNE?

5 Hidden Causes of Acne, Revealed!

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