Archive for February, 2010

Adult Acne- Causes Of Adult Acne

Disease Prevention | Posted by admin
Feb 22 2010

Acne and adolescence

Most of us believe that acne is for is for teenagers. That is true to a large extent, because the hormonal changes during teenage causes acne. But acne does occur in adults and sometimes it is severe. Find out more about it so that you can prevent it.

Acne in adults- causes

Sometimes many adults who have no acne in their earlier years get acne. It is as if since acne had spared them during adolescence, it comes during the adult years. Hormonal changes during adulthood may cause more sebum production and resultant acne. The hormonal changes may be due to pregnancy in women, birth control pills etc. Some athletes and others take anabolic steroids to build their body. That can cause adult acne. Medicines such as lithium, medications for tuberculosis etc. can also cause adult acne. You will need to talk to your doctor and find out if any medicine is the cause.

Acne Mechanica

If you carry some object, or wear very tight clothing of synthetic material in such a way that causes pressure and friction on the same place for long, you may get acne during adult years.

Chloracne

Working with chlorinated solvents can cause acne. It is called chloraacne.

Acne in adults- treatment

Adult acne is more difficult to treat than the acne that occurs during adolescent years. Please follow your doctors prescription regularly and get rid of adult acne, otherwise it will not only affect you psychologically but also cause life long scars.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.

Acne Prevention How To Fight Acne Before It Happens!

Disease Prevention | Posted by admin
Feb 16 2010

Acne Prevention How To Fight Acne Before It Happens!

Acne is not the same as having a few zits, or a few pimples appearing on your face. Acne can even spread to different parts of the body, including your neck, your back, and your chest, and can be a very embarrassing skin condition. Those who have severe acne should most certainly seek the advice of a dermatologist for possible treatment options. For those who do not have acne, most of the time, you can prevent it from ever occurring. The following paragraphs will take a look at a few ways to prevent this skin condition.

Diet

Most people do not realize it, but our skin is the largest organ that expels waste from our bodies, in conjunction with our intestines, bladders, and colons. Because of this, how we eat will be reflected in by the condition of our skin. By eliminating unhealthy foods from our diets, we are decreasing the amount of toxin being expelled from our pores. Thus, we can help prevent an acne outbreak from development by eating a healthier diet. Nutrients recommended to add to your diet to help with acne prevention include:

zinc
vitamin A
vitamin E
vitamin B6

Each of these vitamins and minerals can aid in the prevention of acne in their own way. While zinc, especially in the form of zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate, can reduce the androgenic hormonal effects on our skin. Vitamin A can help reduce sebum production. Vitamin E helps protect skin cell membrane from damage, as well as helps maintain healthy skin my eliminating harmful free radicals from our bodies, that can often be generated during physical activities. Vitamin B6 helps prevent premenstrual acne, and reduce the sensitivity to the effects of testosterone. By adding foods rich in these vitamins and nutrients to your diet, you can reduce your chances of getting acne.

Exercise

Getting regular exercise can also help prevent acne. When we exercise, we are increasing the blood flow to our skin, and providing more oxygen to our skin cells. Sweating moderately also cleans our skin pores from the inside out, also aiding in the prevention of acne. Regular exercise and moderate sweating are excellent ways of helping to prevent acne, but taking a shower immediately afterwards is very important.

Detoxification

Detoxification is the process of removing harmful toxins from our bodies. Many different types of cleansers are available to help prevent acne, including:

colon cleanses
liver flushes
enemas

When there is a toxin build up in vital parts of our digestive system, the toxins begin to excrete themselves from our skin pores, increasing the chances of an acne outbreak. By eliminating the build up of toxins, we are helping to prevent acne.

Acne Types, Causes And Treatments

Disease Prevention | Posted by admin
Feb 08 2010

Acne Vulgaris, commonly referred to as pimples, is an inflammatory disease of the skin. This condition is very common in puberty. As one reaches their early twenties, it either disappears or decreases. Acne begins because of the comedo, an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria. The comedo is invisible to the naked eye and is present beneath the surface of the skin. When it gets the right condition, it grows into an inflamed lesion. The oil produced from the skin helps bacteria to flourish within the swollen follicle.

Non-inflammatory acre are of two types Closed comedo or white head, and Open comedo or black head. There are 4 types of inflammatory acne

Papule It is the mildest form that appears on the skin as a small, firm pink bump.

Pustule They are small round lesions containing visible pus. They may appear red at the base and yellowish or whitish at the center.

Nodule or Cyst Large and painful, they are pus-filled lesions lodged deep within the skin. The nodules may persist for weeks or months with the contents hardening into a deep cyst. Both nodules and cysts often leave deep scars.

Acne Conglobata This severe bacterial infection develops mostly on the back, buttocks and chest.

The chief causes of acne are hormones like androgen, production of extra sebum, follicle fallout, bacteria and inflammation. For controlling acne, you can carry out the following steps

Avoid excessive washing of your skin. It can leave the healthy skin dry, thus irritating the acne prone areas. Over-washing may also stimulate extra oil production.

Avoid alcohol products to tone your skin. Alcohol is a strong astringent that strips the top layer of the skin causing sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Do not squeeze or pick the acne with fingernails, pins or any other thing. It forces the bacteria deeper into the skin and often leaves a permanent acne scar.

A wash is required after exercise. The heat and moisture trapped against the skin creates an ideal breeding ground for the spread of bacteria.

Consume food rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B-2, Vitamin B-3, Vitamin E and Zinc like eggs, nuts, liver, milk, fish and leafy green vegetables.

Proper sleep and a life without stress and emotional anxiety can reduce acne.

Wear little make-up while exercising. Avoid garments that are made exclusively with nylon.

Laser surgery is often used to reduce the scars left behind by acne. Treating acne with azelaic acid, salicylic acid, tropical retinoids and benzoyl peroxide is also common. A large number of people started trying herbal acne treatments over the traditional medications by using teas, oils and herbal creams.

Acid Reflux – Causes

Disease Prevention | Posted by admin
Feb 03 2010

Acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) occurs when the liquid that is in the stomach backs up into the esophagus. This is usually a condition which persists throughout the life of the individual. Because the acid backs up into the esophagus, the esophagus may be damaged.

Acid reflux (GERD) can have many causes. The action of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) may be one cause. The esophagus connects to the stomach. There is a muscle ring that goes around the end of the esophagus at the point where it meets the stomach. This is the LES. When we eat or drink the LES allows the food to pass into the stomach and then the muscle ring closes so the food does not reflux. People with acid reflux (GERD) may have abnormalities with their LES. The LES may have a weak contraction so there is a very good chance of reflux. Or, the LES may be too relaxed. The longer the LES is open (relaxed) reflux can easily occur.

Another cause of acid reflux (GERD) is a hiatal hernia. Some people with acid reflux have hiatal hernias and some do not. Hiatal hernias are not a pre-requisite for acid reflux, but a large amount of people with acid reflux DO have hiatal hernias. A hiatal hernia disrupts the location of the LES. The LES should be on a level with the diaphragm but due to the hiatal hernia the LES is pushed up and lies in the chest. This is a problem because the diaphragm is a large part of helping the LES to prevent reflux. Now the pressure of both the LES and diaphragm are not working as a strong unit. The hiatal hernia contributes to the reflux because of the decreased pressure.

Acid reflux can also be caused by a hiatal hernia due to the hernial sac. The location of the sac is near the esophagus. Acid gets trapped in the sac. Because the sac is so close to the esophagus, when the LES relaxes, it is easy to reflux.

The hiatal hernia can lead to acid reflux in a third way. Normally the esophagus connects to the stomach at an angle creating a flap of tissue. The hiatal hernia leads to the flap becoming warped and therefore it is useless to stop reflux.

People with acid reflux have a problem with the contraction of the esophageal muscles when they swallow. This is an issue because the contraction pushes all of the items in the esophagus into the stomach. If there is not a good contraction then the acid does not get pushed back and remains in the esophagus. Smoking disturbs the clearing of the esophagus too. It takes about six hours from the last cigarette you smoke for the effect on the esophagus to wear off.

Acid reflux is most common after meals. It is always better to be vertical so gravity can help the acid move down into the stomach. Large meals are not recommended for people with acid reflux.

There are many different reasons people may have acid reflux. Learning the cause may help in your quest to relieve some of the discomfort of acid reflux.