If you intend to get medical attention for your shingles, do it immediately. Antiviral medication is effective only if given early.
For self-care, the first thing to remember is not to scratch the shingles rash. Scratching can increase your risk of bacterial infection and scarring. Second, pain medications can help for the nerve pain especially an anti-inflammatory. Apply cool compresses to weeping blister for 20 minutes several times a day to dry out the blisters. The compresses also decrease the risk of secondary infection. Stop the compresses as soon as the blisters dry. You don’t want to dry out the surrounding skin.
Keep the shingles outbreak area clean with mild soap and water. Avoid skin-to-skin contact with anyone who has not had chicken pox as you may infect them. Also, avoid people who are sick, have a weakened immune system or who are taking immunosuppressants.
Medications typically prescribed for shingles include pain-killers such as acetaminophen ibuprofen. Since shingles is a reactivated virus, anti-virals such as Zovirax, Valtrex and Famvir are often prescribed. Topical corticosteroids can also be prescribed to calm the inflammation of the skin caused by shingles.
Always follow medication directions and consult your doctor if you medications don’t seem to be working.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Eczema and Diet
It has been suggested that certain vitamins and minerals are good for the eczema sufferer. Common vitamins such as vitamin C. vitamin E and the mineral Zinc, are all recommended supplements for patients suffering from eczema. Certain foods have been shown to cause eczema flare-ups but not in all cases. Common foods to avoid during an eczema flare-up include milk, eggs, tomatoes, citrus fruits, wheat and nuts. Also, try to avoid any food items that contain chemical additives or preservatives. Drinking plenty of water helps to flush the body of toxins as well as keeps the skin moist.
Eczema has no known cause but by removing allergens, such as foods, from a patient and flushing the body regularly with water, an eczema sufferer can greatly improve their own quality of life without expensive drugs.
Don’t try to eliminate all the foods on the list from the diet at one time. Food would be pretty bland without variety. Instead, try removing one of the items for a week and see if the eczema clears. Move on to the next one if no improvement happens. Over time, a person can find out which foods to avoid during an eczema flare-up to minimize their own symptoms.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Eczema has no known cause but by removing allergens, such as foods, from a patient and flushing the body regularly with water, an eczema sufferer can greatly improve their own quality of life without expensive drugs.
Don’t try to eliminate all the foods on the list from the diet at one time. Food would be pretty bland without variety. Instead, try removing one of the items for a week and see if the eczema clears. Move on to the next one if no improvement happens. Over time, a person can find out which foods to avoid during an eczema flare-up to minimize their own symptoms.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Shingles Symptoms
Shingles can affect many parts of the body because it migrates along the nerve paths. The first symptoms of shingles are often sensitivity or pain in a band on one side of the body. This band can have itching, tingling, burning, aching or deep shooting pain sensations.
After 1-3 days of this pain, a rash can appear. This shingles rash can have raised, red bumps and blisters in the same band as the pain. They fill with puss and then scab over between 10-24 days after the nerve pain has begun.
The rash does disappear as the scabs fall off although scarring may occur. Scarring is more prevalent in those shingles sufferers who have scratched the itchy rash. The scabs of shingles typically fall off 2-3 weeks after the rash has formed.
All together, shingles can last from under a month to well over a month and a half or more. Shingles can also migrate along several nerve paths and occur in more than one area. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox has the possibility to get shingles and 20% of people who get shingles are likely to develop post herpectic neuralgia or PHN. PHN is long-term nerve pain that can last for several months, even years, after the shingles outbreak.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
After 1-3 days of this pain, a rash can appear. This shingles rash can have raised, red bumps and blisters in the same band as the pain. They fill with puss and then scab over between 10-24 days after the nerve pain has begun.
The rash does disappear as the scabs fall off although scarring may occur. Scarring is more prevalent in those shingles sufferers who have scratched the itchy rash. The scabs of shingles typically fall off 2-3 weeks after the rash has formed.
All together, shingles can last from under a month to well over a month and a half or more. Shingles can also migrate along several nerve paths and occur in more than one area. Anyone who has ever had chickenpox has the possibility to get shingles and 20% of people who get shingles are likely to develop post herpectic neuralgia or PHN. PHN is long-term nerve pain that can last for several months, even years, after the shingles outbreak.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Eczema and Exercise
Eczema outbreak after working out at the gym? You didn’t catch it from the equipment. Eczema is not a communicable disease and is more often caused by heredity than anything else. So why did you get eczema after working out? When you work out, you sweat. At least you do if you are exercising correctly.
Sweat can irritate the skin and cause an eczema flare-up. Tips to avoid the flare-up if you exercise avidly are simple. Drink lots of water before, during and after a workout. This helps to hydrate the skin. Always shower immediately after a work out using a mild soap. Sweat left on the skin can cause an eczema flare-up. The eczema can also be caused by soap irritating your skin so try using a different soap and see if the eczema goes away. A person tends to shower more if they are working out which can also stress the skin by drying it out. Find a good moisturizer and liberally apply.
Don’t stop exercising just because of an eczema outbreak. Try doing another exercise such as yoga or tai chi that keep you fit without as much sweating during flare-ups. Remember, you control your eczema. Don’t let it control you.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Sweat can irritate the skin and cause an eczema flare-up. Tips to avoid the flare-up if you exercise avidly are simple. Drink lots of water before, during and after a workout. This helps to hydrate the skin. Always shower immediately after a work out using a mild soap. Sweat left on the skin can cause an eczema flare-up. The eczema can also be caused by soap irritating your skin so try using a different soap and see if the eczema goes away. A person tends to shower more if they are working out which can also stress the skin by drying it out. Find a good moisturizer and liberally apply.
Don’t stop exercising just because of an eczema outbreak. Try doing another exercise such as yoga or tai chi that keep you fit without as much sweating during flare-ups. Remember, you control your eczema. Don’t let it control you.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Eczema and Stress
Stress can cause many problems in the human body. But it can also cause problems on the human body. A common cause of eczema is elevated stress levels. Stress lowers the body's ability to fight disease, viruses, colds and many other common ailments. Eczema is generally a hereditary condition. Parents who suffer from eczema, asthma or hay fever have an 80% chance of their offspring having eczema.
Common symptoms of eczema include flaky, thickened, dry skin. Other forms of eczema include tiny red bumps that will ooze or appear infected if scratched. Most forms of eczema tend to itch before the rash appears. The itch can be so bad as to cause loss of sleep, fatigue, irritability and stress.
So not only can stress cause eczema, but eczema can cause someone more stress. The cycle can be vicious and an eczema sufferer should combat their eczema as soon as possible whenever a flare-up is identified.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Common symptoms of eczema include flaky, thickened, dry skin. Other forms of eczema include tiny red bumps that will ooze or appear infected if scratched. Most forms of eczema tend to itch before the rash appears. The itch can be so bad as to cause loss of sleep, fatigue, irritability and stress.
So not only can stress cause eczema, but eczema can cause someone more stress. The cycle can be vicious and an eczema sufferer should combat their eczema as soon as possible whenever a flare-up is identified.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Shingles and its Causes
Medical research has not been able to prove what causes shingles and/or the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. Some possible causes of shingles include stress, fatigue, a weakened immune system, cancer, radiation therapy and injury of the skin.
Stress is suspected of causing many problems within the human body. Not only does stress cause an emotional strain, but it leads to lack of sleep causing fatigue, both of which are thought to cause shingles outbreaks. The lack of sleep can also weaken the immune system. Fighting off a cold or infection can also weaken the immune system.
Our immune systems weaken as we age which is why of the 500,000 cases of shingles reported in the U.S. each year, 70% are over the age of 50. Once a person reaches 80 years of age, the risk of shingles is even higher.
The immune system can also be weakened by prescription drugs taken for a completely unrelated disease. Basically, any weakening of the body from disease or treatment can allow for shingles to affect a person.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Stress is suspected of causing many problems within the human body. Not only does stress cause an emotional strain, but it leads to lack of sleep causing fatigue, both of which are thought to cause shingles outbreaks. The lack of sleep can also weaken the immune system. Fighting off a cold or infection can also weaken the immune system.
Our immune systems weaken as we age which is why of the 500,000 cases of shingles reported in the U.S. each year, 70% are over the age of 50. Once a person reaches 80 years of age, the risk of shingles is even higher.
The immune system can also be weakened by prescription drugs taken for a completely unrelated disease. Basically, any weakening of the body from disease or treatment can allow for shingles to affect a person.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Babies and Eczema
Does your baby have scaly red patches? Odds are, your baby could have eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. This condition regularly appears in children from two months old to two years old. Eczema, an itchy skin rash, can appear on their forehead, cheeks and scalp. Eczema can also spread to a babies arms, chest, legs or other body parts. Eczema varies in appearance depending on the type of eczema.
Most common symptoms include dry, scaly skin or it might be tiny red bumps that blister, ooze or appear infected if they are scratched. Babies are prone to scratching due to eczema’s extremely itchy nature so great care must be taken to prevent this. “Cradle cap” is another form of eczema or dermatitis that appears as white flaky skin on the scalp and possibly the ears of a baby.
Eczema is often inherited from parents. Parents who have had eczema, asthma or hay fever should monitor children closely for any signs of an eczema outbreak as there is an 80% chance their offspring will have eczema.
Eczema is not an allergic reaction but allergens can cause a flare-up. If a mother is breastfeeding, she must also monitor her own food consumption so as not to pass on allergens to a child suffering from eczema. Wool, soaps, shampoos, lotions and heat can also cause flare-ups of eczema in children.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
Most common symptoms include dry, scaly skin or it might be tiny red bumps that blister, ooze or appear infected if they are scratched. Babies are prone to scratching due to eczema’s extremely itchy nature so great care must be taken to prevent this. “Cradle cap” is another form of eczema or dermatitis that appears as white flaky skin on the scalp and possibly the ears of a baby.
Eczema is often inherited from parents. Parents who have had eczema, asthma or hay fever should monitor children closely for any signs of an eczema outbreak as there is an 80% chance their offspring will have eczema.
Eczema is not an allergic reaction but allergens can cause a flare-up. If a mother is breastfeeding, she must also monitor her own food consumption so as not to pass on allergens to a child suffering from eczema. Wool, soaps, shampoos, lotions and heat can also cause flare-ups of eczema in children.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For more information or a diagnoses, please contact your health care professional.
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