General Health Articles

Treating Sunburns Gently and Naturally

It's that time of the year again when the days are longer and the sun seems to shine a little bit brighter. But along with these hot and sunny days comes a common problem, sunburn. We always say that too much of a good thing is bad and when it comes to sun exposure, exposing ourselves for long periods under the sun could certainly do more harm than good.

We often make the mistake of only wearing sunscreen during our forays to the beach or strolls in the park. But the truth is that even when we are driving or just walking a few blocks to the office also leaves us susceptible to sunburns. It all starts with a noticeable darkening of the skin and before you know it skin areas have reddened or painful to the slightest of touches.

Sunburns are the result of overexposure to the sun's radiation or UV rays. But this does not only cause sunburns, it can also cause skin cancer. UV rays do not only damage the skin but could also damage our DNA.  The result is the production of abnormal skin cells that can lead to skin cancer.

Simple ways of treating sunburns includes applying anything wet or cool to soothe the skin. Cells might have lost their fluid content leaving them dry and damaged. Taking in anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen is also recommended.

Foods rich with anti-oxidants helps fight free radicals and prevent skin cancer. Soaking towels with water is an easy way of treating sunburns. It immediately relieves pain by soothing and cooling damaged skin areas. Drinking water also helps restore lost fluids and skin moisture.

Aloe vera has long been used as a treatment for sunburn. This could be used in the form of creams and gels or by using the plant's extract directly.  Aloe vera is not only an excellent first aid treatment it also helps in the healing process. It promotes natural healing and speeds up healing time. This has been proved by medical studies and is highly recommended by medical professionals.

Sun block is not only perfect for preventing sunburns. It could also be used as treatment. Sun blocks contain moisturizers that could help cool and restore lost fluid in the skin. Just be sure to use sun blocks that are fragrance- free or do not contain chemicals. The skin's naturally protection has been compromised leaving it sensitive to chemicals.

Another natural way of treating sunburns is by applying oatmeal to the skin. Oatmeal has long been used as a natural treatment for many skin diseases including chicken pox. It soothes the skin, reduces pain and itchiness. Oatmeal is also a great antioxidant, natural anti-inflammatory agent and is safe to use during bathing.

One interesting way of naturally treating sun burns is by using black tea. Yes, you could simply reach out for your tea bag to instantly heal your burned skin and reduce redness. To make this more effective, chill the bag before using it on your skin. The anti-oxidants are also great for helping restore your skin's health.

Many of the natural skin beauty treatments could also be used for sun burns. Because these are natural, they don't contain any chemicals that could harm your skin. Cucumbers for example are not only great for treating tired eyes but could also be used as a first aid treatment for sun burns. It is even more effective if chilled. Slices could be applied directly over the skin to immediately soothe and reduce pain.

Potatoes could be also be used for sun burns. Cold potatoes can reduce skin heat and its covering is said to prevent infection.

If you don't have any of these readily available, you just might have a carton of milk stored conveniently in your ref. You could use this in lieu of water for your cold compress. It's a natural way of relieving pain and itchiness. Simply soak cloth in a bowl of milk with ice cubes. You could also use yogurt as a substitute for milk.

Why go the trouble of treating sun burns when the best treatment is prevention. But just in case you find yourself with a nasty sun burn, these natural treatments could go a long way in alleviating the pain and itchiness without further damaging your skin.

Image credit: Freedigititalphotos.net/photostock

Keeping our Joints Healthy

Having osteoarthritis is a long-term proposition. Staying active and keeping your joints healthy so that you can do the things you want and need to do is your job, as independently as you can, for as long as you can.

Physicians say that there is nothing that they can do to slow the progression of osteoarthritis. And in the majority of cases, there's nothing the patient can do that would make the disease get worse faster.

You can manage your osteoarthritis on your own, with so much of the time. You'll need the guidance of a doctor or physical therapist to cope with pain, handle obstacles, and make sure you're steering in the right direction sometimes. When will you seek help?

When you're beginning an exercise program

When you have osteoarthritis, the worst thing someone can do is nothing. For those people with osteoarthritis, exercise is particularly important. Muscle strengthening takes strain off the joints while core strengthening has been shown to be very important in taking strain off the knee to prevent injury.

Of course you know how to walk, and your gym trainer can show you how to use weight machines. When you have arthritis, it is a bit more complicated to exercise than it is for a healthy 25 years old. To prevent injury and make the most of your exercise program, you should consult a doctor or physical therapist when you start so that you can get a customized program that's designed for your own individual needs and limitations.

When the pain gets in the way

When you're hurt when you walk or bend, you are avoiding your weekly golf game or working in your bellowed garden.

It's time to intervene when you're having enough pain that prevents you from doing what you need or want to do. You can relieve the pain sometimes with cortisone or other medications like drugs that mimic the effect of chondroitin on cartilage.

There are other ways to ease pain that include:

- Using of orthotics. These are custom-made shoes inserts that help protect knees and hips by acting as shock absorbers when walking.

- Use of knee brace to help stabilize the knee joint.

- Ice therapy. Putting ice to the affected joint may help improve swelling, pain and range of motion.

- To relieve painful joints, you can use topical analgesics.

- You can also use over-the-counter or prescription medications to help relief pain and stiffness.

When you have arthritis, it may seem like your home is filled with obstacles, such as doors that are hard to open, lamps that are difficult to turn on. Your home should be a place where you feel safe and comfortable. To make these everyday tasks easier, assistive devices for arthritis can help. There are tools that are available to ease the strain on your joints from opening small jars and bottles to getting out of the tub.

Don't let arthritis pain get in your way. There's no reason to ache when you can act.

Treating Skin Redness, Rosacea Naturally

Rosacea is a chronic and potentially life-disruptive disorder primarily affecting facial skin and is often characterized by flare-ups and remissions. A lot have checked that it typically begins any time after age 30 as a redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that may come and go. It may also occur on the neck, chest, scalp or ears.

The redness tends to become ruddier and more persistent over time, and visible blood vessels may appear. Bumps and pimples often develop, and in severe cases the nose may grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue when left untreated. In some patients, the eyes are also affected, feeling irritated and appearing watery or bloodshot.

Individuals with fair skin who tend to flush or blush easily are believed to be at greater risk. Women are most frequently diagnosed with this disease, but more severe symptoms tend to be seen in men.

There are primary signs of rosacea:

Flushing

A lot of people with rosacea have a history of frequent blushing or flushing. The facial redness may come and go and this is the earliest sign of the disorder.

Persistent Redness

It is the most common individual sign of rosacea, and may resemble a blush or sunburn that does not go away.

Bumps and Pimples

You may have small red solid bumps or pus-filled pimples. Blackheads are absent and burning or stinging may occur while these may resemble acne.

Visible Blood Vessels

Small blood vessels become visible on the skin in many people with rosacea.

Help for Rosacea

Though rosacea cannot be cured, with the proper treatment and elimination of certain triggers from your lifestyle, this condition can be controlled.

Natural Remedies

There are a number of natural remedies and alternative techniques used to reduce rosacea symptoms. Here are some of the most frequently used alternative treatments for rosacea:

Chrysanthellum Indicum Cream

This a cream that contains an extract of the herb Chrysanthellum indicum that may help treat rosacea, according to a Study published in Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in 2005.

A study on 246 people with rosacea used either a cream containing one percent Chrysanthellum indicum extract or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. The results have shown that the Chrysanthellum indicum cream was significantly more effective than the placebo in reducing rosacea symptoms. Mild adverse reactions were felt and did not differ from those experienced by members of the placebo group.

Niacinamide Cream

Niacinamide may aid in the treatment of rosacea when applied directly to the skin, it is a form of vitamin B3. In a 2005 study, researchers found that a niacinamide-containing facial moisturizer was more effective than a placebo moisturizer in improving the skin barrier among people with rosacea.

Azelaic Acid Cream

This is a substance copied from wheat, rye, and barley. Azelaic acid is thought to alleviate skin redness and reduce rosacea-related papules and pustules when applied to the skin.

Azelaic acid cream has several side effects like stinging on application and lightening of darkened areas of skin.

Bouncing Back after a Hectic Day

It's necessary to collect some moments out of the turbulent working hours to revitalize yourselves. Being a busy office worker or a businessman, your life would never have been offering an extra hour to sit back in a chair and do nothing for a while. You won't stop working like a laborer all day long. You have to give some rest to keep it in a good working condition because the human body works like a machine which gets stuck when it bears over loading.

Life is so fast paced and stressful nowadays that a lot of us are multitasking to the extreme. It's a fact of life that many of us are experiencing exhaustion, fatigue and stress due to the modern pressures of everyday life. It causes us to sleep less soundly than we should, eat the foods we shouldn't and not look after ourselves properly. A huge strain on our health and in particular is what stress puts.

Our adrenal glands and immune system, which means we catch colds more often, pick up bugs and feel run down, worn-out and exhausted. But the great news is that there are really simple ways we can ease that stress and boost our immune systems naturally. It will give our body a chance to recover and find some balance. Just by changing your thought and behavior patterns, you can re-energize your mind and body very easily.

Exercise

A lot of us don't get enough of it, but we need at least 30 minutes exercise every day. You don't need to spend vast amounts of money on gym fees or classes and you don't have to join expensive club. You have to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, that's the easiest way to get it. You can set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual and go for a brisk walk before breakfast.

The benefits are enormous. It doesn't mean that you need to go to bed 30 minutes earlier at night. A walk before breakfast energizes your mind and body, getting the blood flowing and your heart is pumping. The best of all, it's free! Try to incorporate a walk into your daily routine in another way if you can't go in the mornings.

If you take public transport to work, then hop off a few stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. Take 30 minutes at some stage during the day to go for a walk if you drive. Your body will not only benefit but when you get back to work, your brain will receive a fresh supply of oxygen and you'll be more focused and more energized in the afternoon.

Juicing

Juicing is a simple way to get the essential vitamins and minerals your body is missing. Your skin, health, mood and general well-being will improve. You get 100% natural juices when you make your own vegetable juices and fruit smoothies. Once you tried juicing, you will never want to buy another smoothie from a shop.

Sleep

It's a no-brainer getting a good night's sleep. It is not always easy but it is possible to improve the quality of our sleep and the vital thing is to find ways to relax our body and mind before we go to sleep. If you want to get a good night sleep, it is important to literally “switch off” from technology at least 30 minutes and preferably one hour before getting into bed. It will allow our brain to slow down and helps our blood pressure to return to normal levels before we lie down.

Don't Let Spider and Varicose Veins Ruin those Legs

Wearing skirts and shorts is a wonderful way of showcasing those long sexy legs you've been working on at the gym. But varicose veins, those unsightly lines that seem to crawl out under your skin could dampen even the most stunning legs.

Spider and Varicose Veins

Spider veins appear because of poor blood circulation. This accumulates in the blood vessels and appears as bulges. Varicose veins usually appear on the thighs and legs but it is not limited to these areas. This condition can be seen in any area where blood accumulates and is near the skin. Although varicose and spider veins are results of blood accumulation, varicose are large while spider veins are smaller.

Common Causes

Spider and varicose veins can be seen in both men and women. However, women are highly at risk for this condition especially during pregnancy. The additional weight of a growing baby could place huge stress on the lower body. It is also commonly seen in older people. Genetics or a family of varicose and spider veins could also increase you risk for developing this condition.

• Weight gain
• Prolonged periods of standing
• Pregnancy
• Health conditions which lead to blood clotting
• Vein disorders
• Inflammation of the veins 

Spider and varicose veins are highly visible. This could be unsightly and could affect how you carry or choose your clothes. It can be depressing and could affect a woman's confidence. Women may be forced to wear pants or thick stockings to hide these.

Some of the symptoms associated with spider and varicose veins include cramping, aches and swelling in the affected parts of the body. But the effects of unsightly veins go beyond its physical symptoms. People with spider veins also experience mental and emotional disorders as a result. It can lower your self-esteem and affect your personal relationships.

But varicose and spider veins are not inevitable. These could easily be avoided with a few tips. Below are simple ways to prevent varicose and spider veins from appearing.

• Avoid standing for long periods. Take a break and rest those legs from time to time. Even a few minutes sitting down could go a long way in resting your veins and legs.
• Wear high and low heels alternately. If your working attire requires high heels, make sure that you have low heels stored in your office.
•  Ensure proper blood flow by not wearing tight stockings or pants for long periods. Wearing these could constrict the flow of blood and disrupt normal circulation.
• Give your veins and legs a break by elevating them at night. If your job requires you to sit for long periods, crossing, standing or walking for a few minutes can help.
• Wear compression hose to prevent varicose and spider veins from appearing.

But if you find yourself with these unsightly lines, help is available. Leg vein treatments may just be what your doctor or fashion consultant ordered.

Wearing compression stockings do not only prevent spider veins but are also effective in treating it. Medical interventions for varicose treatment are laser and endovenous treatments, sclerotherapy and surgery.

Sclerotherapy is a type of treatment that uses chemicals or medications. These are then injected to the area to lighten dark colored veins. However, multiple treatments are required. The procedure is done over a period of one to one and a half months. Some people may not respond similarly to treatment because it is limited to skin color. Surgical intervention for varicose and spider veins are used to cut the supply the flow of blood to these veins or improve blood flow in these areas.

So if you ever find yourself suffering from these conditions, remember that treatments are available. However, these are also preventable. And keeping in mind simple tips on how to avoid varicose veins could keep your legs looking young and healthy.