Audrey Lynn asked:


Eczema is a common skin disorder which affects millions of people world wide. One of the most intolerable symptoms is the intense itch eczema sufferers have to endure daily. Any one with eczema can tell you how the itch can really drive you crazy. How many times have you keep awake at night scratching to drive away that itch only have it comes back with a vengeance? How many times have you scratch yourself till bleed and yet you just could not stop? How many times you just wish to scrap off your skin just to stop that crazy itch?

There are many topical ointment for itch relief, but many contains steroids which can lead to long term side effects. We should try to minimize the use of medication by going for a more natural route. Changing to a healthier diet and better daily skin care can help to minimize eczema flareups. Here are some great daily practice to keep the itch away without using medication. Try it, it might work for you.

1.Take your bath. Some doctors used to tell eczema patients not to bathe frequently. Now, many believe that one or two baths or showers a day can be very helpful. However, it is important to make sure your water is chlorine free. Chlorine could be one of the allergens and thus, it is a good idea to invest in an efficient water filtration system for the household.

2.Bathe in lukewarm water. It is less drying than hot water.

3.Stay in the water for at least 10 to 20 minutes, or until your skin start to pucker or crinkle. This gives time to your skin to absord water through their membranes and keep it hydrated.

4.Throw the soap away. Use Bath Oil instead.

5.Seal in water with moisturizer. The best time to apply moisturizer is immediately after you step out of the bath or shower. Just blot off, not wipe, excess water with a towel and liberally apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp. The best form of moisturizer is Shea Butter. There are many types of Shea Butter, but African Shea Butter is one of the best. This after-bath treatment helps trap the moisture that has gotten into your skin while bathing.

6.Keep moisturizers handy. It is good habit to keep a small tube of travel size moisturizer and carry everywhere you go. Every time you wash your hands, apply a coat of moisturizer.

7.Wash that itch right out of your clothes. Use mild laundry detergents and rinse your clothes twice when washing to clear away all traces of detergent. Avoid fabric softeners, because the fragrances in them can make your skin itch.

8.Protect your hands. Wear gloves whenever you do dishes or housework, because soap and water, cleaning products and even dust can irritate your skin. However, rubber gloves tend to get hot and make your hands sweaty, so wear cotton glove liners inside the rubber gloves to absorb perspiration.

9.Make sure your skin is able to release sweat. When we get too warm, a release of sweat, not only gets rid of toxins in the body; but also, cool the body down. When those sweat glands are blocked, the heat that should be released is suppressed underneath the skin and this will promote a burning/itching sensation.

In conclusion, many eczema sufferers depend on medication to cure their conditions without giving much thought to the basics such as diet and skin care. Good daily skin care practices is a great start to minimize itching and promote healing. You should be able to find a way which can effectively relieves your eczema itch and stop your dependency on anti-histamines and steroids. Remember, anti-histamines and steroids are not your long term solution to healing eczema. Can eczema be cured? Yes, definitely!! And don’t let your doctor or others tell you otherwise! Combine with a good diet and skincare, you are on your way to total eczema healing….. naturally. For more information on various natural cure for eczema, please visit Eczema Free Naturally

Dr Savitha Suri asked:


50% of people, who travel, suffer a travel – related illness. All travelers should be well prepared for travel and be prepared to protect themselves from travel related illness. In this issue various aspects of travel related illness have been discussed with related protective measures.

According to ayurveda traveling causes vitiation of vata dosha. Vata dosha regulates all the activities of body like digestion, respiration, excretion, transmission of nerve impulses ,reflexes, body movements etc. When vata gets vitiated due to traveling all these normal functions of body also get imbalanced .The imbalances in body functions project themselves as travel related illness.

Motion sickness: Almost every body are susceptible to motion sickness. Fatigue, giddiness, deprivation of sleep, nausea and vomiting are the main unwelcome symptoms of motion sickness. Avoid consuming alcohol, pain killers, spicy foods, fried foods and junk foods during traveling. Try to relax and chose a window seat. Do not read or talk. Or watch someone who is motion sick.

Eat light food. Include pomegranate, ginger and curds in your diet while traveling. Rinse your mouth and wash your face with cold water as soon as you take your food.

Diarrhea: Though travelers’ diarrhea is mild inconvenience to a traveler, it may at times be life threatening too. Upsets in digestive system frequently occur in travelers due to stress, time zone changes, irregular meal times and new foods. But serious diarrhea during traveling is caused by bacteria, viruses or parasitic infections. The best way out is to take ample precautionary measures.

Wash your hands frequently. Use sanitizing liquids, hand washes or gels which cleanse the hands without water. Always use disposable hygienically packed tissue papers than towels. Avoid street, roadside foods, buffet meals. Select food which is well cooked and served hot. Thick-skinned fruits which you can peel yourself are usually safe. Avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish, uncooked vegetables, salads. Be care full with unpasteurized milk and milk products. Always use sealed mineral water, canned juices and beverages. Never use ice cubes or unsealed bottled beverages. Bottled Beer, wine and hot coffee or tea are safe. Drink from original containers or clean glasses

If you get mild diarrhea eat light ,soft and semi solid foods like idli, soups etc which are easily digestible. Avoid heavy, spicy and non vegetarian foods. Drink plenty of fruit juices.(canned or hygienically packed.). Keep yourself well hydrated. Consult a doctor immediately if diarrhea leads to dehydration.

Constipation: people often become constipated when traveling because their normal diet and daily routines are disrupted. Drink plenty of water and consume food which are rich in fibers to avoid constipation .

Try to adhere to routine food timings .Drink a big glass of water every day morning. Avoid frequent consumption of tea or coffee. Taking two thriphala tablets with warm water before going to bed helps to normalize bowel movements. These tablets should be avoided during pregnancy.

Tired feet Even healthy people can get blood clots in their legs after long hours of traveling. Try to walk every now and then. Drink water, stretch your calf muscles while you’re sitting and wear support stockings.

Foot bath for tired feet: Massage your foot with little coconut oil and soak them in warm water . You can add few drops of lavender oil or peppermint oil or sandal wood oil to warm water. After a foot bath rub your foot. Relax after a foot bath.

Prevention of Malaria: To prevent mosquito bites and malaria wear mosquito repellent .Stay indoors between dusk and dawn. The malaria spreading mosquitoes generally feed at this time. Apply mosquito repellent, to your clothes and bedding. Wear socks, long pants, and long-sleeve shirts when outdoors. Use a mosquito net while sleeping. Stay in air-conditioned, screened accommodation.

Jet lag To avoid jet lag get plenty of sleep before you leave. Don’t drink a lot of alcohol while on flight. Eat well-balanced meals and avoid over eating. Exercise as much as you can on your trip. Get used to a new time zone by going along with the local meal and bedtime schedules.

Accidents: Do not drive in unfamiliar places where you know less about that regional language, road conditions, rules of the road, condition of the vehicles. etc. Choose your transportation carefully. Check the security, life saving facilities provided in the transport. Chose, the cab with seat belts, hotels with fire escape and ferries with life preservers. Never swim in unknown rivers or seas when you are not familiar with sea currents and waves.

Sex: Have a safe sex when you are with unfamiliar new partners. Alcohol, drugs and sex are dangerous combination

Immunization: Get immunized with vaccines before traveling. Avoid animal bites and saliva. If you are bitten by dog wash the wound immediately with soap and water.

Travel during pregnancy: If you chose to travel during pregnancy the second trimester (weeks 14 to 27) is the best time. Before traveling take the opinion of your consulting doctor and provide him the sufficient details about the places you are visiting, mode of transport etc.

Tips for older travelers See your doctor for a checkup and discuss your fitness .See your dentist and ophthalmologist. Keep a spare pair of glasses, any medications you need in a small medical kit. Organize travel health insurance with pre-existing illness cover if needed. Make sure it covers emergency evacuation. Make sure routine immunizations are done before traveling. Consider your back – use luggage with built in wheels. Take clothes and hats to suit the climate.

Other safety precautions: Check with the regional office or through internet the situation of places you are planning to visit. The destination places must be free from riots, terrorism, floods or other calamities.

Mental tensions: Preparations for traveling lead to worry and tensions. Here are few relaxing tips before and during traveling.



Close your eyes , take five deep breaths through your nose and pay attention only to your breathing while doing this.





Taking a hot shower relaxes your muscles, and the break from more stressful activities helps too.





Laugh. Laughing helps to relax. Find people who can make you laugh and make your moments lighter..





Listen to relaxing music.





Take a walk.





Get a hug.





A visit to your family physician and some thought and planning ahead make your trip more successful and memorable. We wish you a rewarding, memorable, safe and healthy trip.

peterhutch asked:


” is a lay term for conjunctitis, which can be viral, bacterial, or allergic in origin. The symptoms are redness of the eye, itching, or the sensation of a foreign body in the eye. Also, a person with pink eye often has a clear discharge from the eye. Pink eye is very contagious, so good hand washing is important after touching the infected eye. If you touch the eye and then touch an object, the virus or bacteria can be transmitted to the object. Eyes are too precious to take chances with!

Pink eye is a bacterial infection. It requires treatment with antibiotic eye drops to git rid of it. It is considered highly contagious. Now to prevent infection or transmission it is important to Wash your hands after using the bathroom before touching your face. It is very common in young children’s day cares as they are not yet able to understand or follow proper hygiene. As they tend to touch there face and eyes without regard and chew on toys it spreads quickly.

Getting rid of pink eye shouldn’t be this difficult, but it is when you consider that there are 5 different forms (technically 6) of conjunctivitis. A lot of people think conjunctivitis is just a viral infection in the eye. This isn’t the case. Chlamydia, staph, strep, and pneumonia bacteria can all cause conjunctivitis, as well as viruses, allergies, and pollution. Three of these cases of conjunctivitis (viral, allergic, and pollution) can’t be cured, but doctor’s do give antibiotics to people with viral conjunctivitis if they want to avoid a secondary infection, and antibiotics are always prescribed to get rid of bacterial pink eye.

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) Treatment Avoidance. Your first line of defense is to avoid the cause of conjunctivitis. Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis spread easily to others. Here are some tips to avoid spreading the conditions or re-infecting yourself: Wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching or rubbing your eyes. Don’t share washcloths, towels or pillowcases with anyone else, and wash these items after each use.

After rubbing/scratching/grinding both eyes, and ensuring neither eye was neglected of the burning, pussing delights of conjunctivitis, this is what I looked like on day two. I attach no picture on step 3 only to prepare you for.

Pink eye is highly contagious and can be very costly and dangerous if you get it. A good friend of mine got the pink along with several others. She thought it would clear up on her own and left it untreated. Her corneas dropped because the case got so out of control and she ended up with some long-term vision problems.

The first thing you should do is identify which allergens are causing the problem, if that’s possible. You can do this by process of elimination: try to remember where you’ve been or what new things you did prior to contracting pink eye. Have you gone to a new place recently? Have you engaged in activities in which you were exposed to new things? These are just some of the questions you can start with in order to identify allergens. Just remember that the allergens have to be small to actually get in your eye, unless you’ve been actively introducing foreign things into them, such as a new brand of contacts or eye drops.

Dr John Anne asked:


General Information on Cold Sores

If you ever have had a cold sore, you know how embarrassing it can be. Most people try to cover it up with cosmetics or hide behind a scarf or coat collar, but you do not have to be embarrassed by a simple little cold sore, because they are so easy to eliminate. Cold sores are small sores that appear on and around the mouth. These sores are caused by a certain type of virus called Herpes Simplex. And because they are caused by this virus, they are highly contagious. It seems like cold sores always appear at the worst possible time, but there are ways to prevent cold sores with little effort on your part, and a natural home remedy for cold sores might be what you need to improve your appearance and keep you both looking and feeling healthy.

Home Remedies and the Facts

Cold sores have been around for generations. No wonder that there are hundreds if not thousands of home remedies for cold sores out there today – some are very unlikely while others have been used for decades. It is all up to you to find out which one you prefer. Everyone is different so a home remedy for cold sores that works for one person may not be as affective on you. However, that is why the possibilities are virtually unlimited. Here are a few popular home remedies for cold sores, remember that you may need to try all or just one of these until you find the one for you. Tea tree oil is high in nutrients and is a natural antiseptic, which can reduce swelling and burning for most people with cold sores. Sometimes all it takes to stop a cold sore dead in its tracks could be in your freezer at this very moment. Ice can be a great way to stop a cold sore from forming. It can reduce redness which in turn reduces the appearance of the cold sore.

Vitamin C is a key ingredient to living a healthy life, in fact vitamin C can help with all sorts of things not just cold sores. Vitamin C can help build your immune system and make you stronger and healthier. Also, vitamin B can help tremendously with cold sores and is often suggested by doctors. Other things such as coconut oil and lemon balm extract can help to heal your cold sore and reduce redness. If you are interested in finding out more about home remedy for cold sores, you can contact your doctor for more information.

Preventing Cold Sores

Cold sores are usually spread by kissing or making direct contact with a person who has a cold sore. In fact, if you have a cold sore you probably got it from someone you know, but preventing cold sores is not that difficult and there are ways you can help to protect others as well as yourself. Start by washing your hands thoroughly, as explained before cold sores are caused by a contagious virus, so washing your hands can help prevent the spread of that virus. Try to avoid kissing anyone with a cold sore. Of course, you cannot always prevent a cold sore, so learning the right home remedies for cold sores can help you eliminate it quickly without the embarrassment.

Of course cold sores are only minor irritations and usually do not require medical attention. But, you should pay close attention to how the home remedies for cold sores affect you. Do you have any allergies? What type of medications are you taking? These are a few of the questions you should ask yourself before trying a home remedy for cold sore. Most scientists will tell you that there is no cure for a cold sore and they tend to reappear over the years. In fact, a cold sore can lay dormant for many years and appear suddenly later on in life. But there are some people who strongly believe that there is a cure for cold sores and that cure lies with a good natural home remedy for cold sores. This is really a choice that should be made by each individual depending on what they are willing to try. When you try a home remedy for cold sore, be sure to try a variety. Do not just stop at the first one if you do not get results. And if you have any doubts, contact your doctor.