SKIN AILMENTS
Skin disorders, ailments or problems as can be understood from the name are some of the conditions associated with the skin. These skin conditions can cause irritation, pain, itching and a number of other problems which usually differ significantly by symptoms as well as causes. These conditions of the skin can either be of temporary nature or might fall into the permanent categories. Among the several skin conditions, some occur due to external causes and there are some which are hereditary in nature. Most of the time skin ailments are minor but some can be chronic as well. Few of the common skin conditions are as enumerated below.
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a skin condition in which white patches or white spots appear on the skin in various parts of the body. This is a condition that occurs when the cells that craft the pigment colour in the skin are damaged. It affects all age groups. It is a genetic and can have presentation in the following areas or whole body:
- The armpits
- Nostrils
- Around the mouth
- Eyes
- Navel
- Rectal areas
- Genitals
Eczema
Eczema is a skin condition where patches and certain areas of the skin become inflamed, red, itchy, cracked, and uneven. The main causes of eczema are as follows.
- Eczema is primarily caused by the genes that are carried in the families. It often happens that a family with a history of eczema has higher chances of passing it to the next generation.
- Eczema can also be caused by the abnormal functioning of the immune system.
- The external environment plays a vital role in developing eczema.
- Eczema can occur as a result of activities which might make the skin more sensitive in nature.
- At times, eczema can also occur due to some defects in the skin barrier which allows moisture to go out and the germs to come in.
Sometimes, a combination of the factor mentioned above can cause eczema.Best Skin Treatment in Tanuku
The main symptoms of Eczema are the appearance of rashes on various parts of the body like:
- Elbows or Knees
- Neck, the face, and most of the area around the eyes.
- Having dry skin due to rashes
- Feeling of itchiness due to rashes.
- Darkening or lightening of skin colour
Dermatitis
This is used a general term for an inflammation of the skin. Dermatitis usually involves red, swollen and itchy rash making it quite irritating as well as uncomfortable. At times dermatitis might ooze, blister, flake off or develop a crust. In general, three common types of dermatitis occur whose causes and symptoms are as enumerated below.
Causes
- Atopic Dermatitis – This type of dermatitis is usually caused by a mix of factors which includes a dry skin variation in the genes, a malfunction of the immune system, bacteria on the skin and the external environmental conditions.
- Contact Dermatitis – As indicated by the name, this occurs as a result of direct contact with the allergens or irritants such as perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery containing nickel, lotions, creams etc.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis – This is caused by a fungus called yeast which is actually in the skin’s oil secretion. This skin condition comes and goes depending on the season.
Symptoms
- Atopic Dermatitis – This usually beings to appear in the infant stage with red rashes and itchy in nature. It usually occurs at the places where the skin flexes like behind the knees, inside the elbows and in front of the neck.
- Contact Dermatitis – The symptoms begin to appear as soon as contact with the allergens or the irritants occur which needs to be carefully observed. Here rashes or blister might develop with stinging, burning and itching sensation.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis – Here the symptoms are scaly patches, very stubborn dandruff and reddening of skin. Usually, the oily areas of the skin are affected like upper chest, face and back.
Molluscum Contagiosm
This is a skin infection caused by the virus known as Molluscum contagiosum. It produces small bumps on the upper layers of the skin which are normally painless. Most of the time they fade away on their own and don’t leave marks even when they are left untreated. The time duration of the virus lasting on one’s skin differs from person and person that range from months to years. The symptoms include bumps on the skin that are:
- Round in shape and fleshy in colour
- Small in size
- Are red and inflamed
- Tend to be itchy
- Removed due to scratching or rubbing which results in spreading the virus to closest skin
- Usually appears on the neck, face, arms and armpits
Acne
Acne is one of the most common problems that comprises of many types of pimples, like whiteheads, blackheads, cysts, pustules, nodules and papules. They appear when hair pores get clogged up with natural oils from the skin along with dead cells.
Age Group Affected
Acne has always remained a curse of the adolescents but about twenty percent of all cases of acnes occur in the adults. Acne very commonly occurs at the start of puberty which is between the ages ten to thirteen years. The situation tends to worsen with individuals with oily skin. The teenage acne generally lasts for about five to ten years of time and goes away during the early twenties Both males are females are affected by acne which hampers the self confidence to a great extent. Some feel quite embarrassed to go to any public places. Generally, the teenage boys are affected the most with acne but on the other hand, women are more likely to develop very mild to moderate acne in their thirties and above.
Affected Areas
The most common areas affected by acne are the face, neck, shoulders, upper arms and chest. There are a number of different types acne which are whiteheads, blackheads, nobules, cysts, pustules and papules. According to the severity of the acne, some unsightly scars may be left which can be quite emotionally distressing for the affected individuals.
Warts
Warts are small sized, round shaped growths that appear to be either in dark or light coloured and normally feel rough and dry although most of the time they are soft. They start to appear tiny and usually take many months before they get noticeable.
Symptoms are:
- Usually appear in the fingers or hands
- Look like small, fleshy, grainy bumps
- Colours vary from white to pink to tan
- Rough and dry in touch
Urticaria
Urticaria or otherwise known as hives are swellings that are confined to one place, pale, pink and itchy that gives you a burning sensation. Symptoms are:
- Bumps that are raised in nature
- Itchy, red and pale in colour
- Turns white when given pressure in the centre
Keloids
A keloid looks like a raised scar. These tend to grow much bigger than the original wounds. Some of the notable symptoms are as follows.
- The raised scars begin to appears gradually.
- The scars usually start off in a pink, red or purple colour which needs to be noticed.
- It needs to be noted if it takes time for growing since Keloids take time to grow.
- It needs to checked whether it feels soft and rubbery
- It might cause pain, itching or tenderness.
- These are generally restricted to one place which needs to checked.
Areas Affected
Keloids usually develop in places where any kinds of skin trauma have occurred. The common places of occurrence of keloids are central chest, the shoulders and at the back. Keloids scars can also develop after surgery and also as a result of the occurrence of acne. It can also occur at the places of body piercings, tattoos etc.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is a very common skin condition that appears as red bumps each consisting of one hair follicle. Sometimes the red bumps would contain a dot of pus situated at the top. This type of skin condition can happen to anyone irrespective of the age. It normally happens on the face, chest, back, and scalp. Folliculitis signs and symptoms are:
- Groups of small red or white coloured bumps pimples that develop near hair follicles
- Pus-filled blisters that break every now and then
- Itchy and burning sensation
- Painful and tender skin
Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a skin condition that is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). It causes herpetic sores, which are nothing but painful fluid-filled blisters that can break open anytime and leak fluid. The symptoms are:
- Blisters appearing on the face, lips and other areas that come in contact with the infected area
- Sever itching and transform into open sores
- Feeling of body aches, fever and headaches
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections are one the most common skin problems that people suffer these days. This happens when the immune system finds it too much to handle any kind of fungus that overtakes or takes control of a part of the human body. The most common areas affected by the fungal infections are the places that are warm and moist like the armpits, inner thighs, buttocks, between the fingers or toes, genitals, groin etc. Though the appearance of the fungal infections is common in these places but can also occur at other places as well. The common symptoms includes the following.
- Appearance of blisters on the affected area
- Feeling of itching or burning sensations in the infected area
- Skin starts to peel, crack and flake
Treatment
Homeopathy believes in treating the problem from the roots. A number of questions are asked to understand the depth of the problem before any treatment is suggested. Homeopathy is one of the safest treatments as the medicines are totally natural. Some of the medicines are:
Acne
Acne is a very common skin condition characterised by comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) and pus-filled spots (pustules). homeo doctors in tanuku health homeopathy clinic tanuku.It usually starts at puberty and varies in severity from a few spots on the face, back and chest, which most adolescents will have at some time, to a more serious problem that may be embarrassing, sap self-confidence and cause scarring. For the majority it tends to resolve by the late teens or early twenties but can persist for longer in some people. Acne can develop for the first time in people in their late twenties or even the thirties. It occasionally occurs in young children.
What causes Acne?
The sebaceous (oil-producing) glands of people who get acne are particularly sensitive to normal blood levels of a hormone called testosterone, which is present in both men and women. This causes the glands to produce an excess of oil. At the same time, the dead skin cells lining the pores are not shed properly and clog up the follicles. These two effects result in a build-up of oil producing blackheads (where a darkened plug of oil is visible) and whiteheads.
The acne bacterium (known as Propionibacterium acnes) lives on everyone’s skin, usually causing no problems, but, in those prone to acne, the build-up of oil creates an ideal environment in which these bacteria can multiply. This triggers inflammation and the formation of red or pus-filled spots.
Is Acne hereditary?
Acne can run in families, but this does not necessarily mean that if your parents had acne you will get it too.
What does Acne look like?
The typical appearance of acne is a mixture of the following: an oily skin, blackheads and whiteheads, red spots and yellow pus-filled pimples, and scars. Occasionally, large, tender spots or cysts may develop which can either eventually burst and discharge their contents or may heal up without bursting.
How is Acne diagnosed?
Acne is easily recognised by the appearance of the spots and by their distribution on the face, neck, chest or back. However there are several varieties of acne and your doctor will be able to tell you which type you have after examining your skin. The most common type is “acne vulgari
Homoeopathic Management
Amrita Homeopathy offers a painless, non-surgical, non-scarring treatment for acne. Emphasis is on the cure of the disease than the suppression of the lesions. Homoeopathy believes that the only way to regain complete health is by removing
all the signs and symptoms present and not just the disease, hence it aims not only to treat the acne but also its underlying cause and individual susceptibility which lead to this infection.
In individuals with underlying immune deficiency homoeopathy proves very effective in building the body’s immunity and stimulating the body’s own healing mechanism to fight the infection.
Therapeutically several remedies are available to treat acne which can be selected on the basis of symptoms like the cause, presentation and modalities. To work upon the susceptibility to the infection, individual constitutional remedy is selected.The commonly used remedies to cure acne are pulsatilla, natrum mur.belladona,berberis auifolium….
Molluscum Contagiosum is a skin infection caused by the Pox virus, which causes small pearly, flesh colored lesions on the skin. In most cases, the lesions are of the diameter 2 millimeters to 5 millimeters. It commonly affects children between the age groups of 1-10, but in rare occasions, is found in adults as well.
Symptoms
- Round, painless bumps with a dimpled center
- Bums appear alone or in groups
- Commonly occur on face, eyelids or genital area
Causes
Molluscum Contagiosum is caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus which is a form of pox virus. The virus is contagious and can be transmitted through tough or sexual encounter. It may spread within the person’s body as well through scratching.
Treatment
Viral lesions are caused due to the low immunity levels of the body. Homeopathy address and works on the natural immune function of the body, boosting it to fight diseases. Homeopathic treatment also ensures that the frequency of occurrence of molluscum reduces.
Warts are raised bumps on your skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts have plagued humans for thousands of years — they have been discovered on 3,000-year-old mummies and were mentioned by Shakespeare. Although warts generally aren’t dangerous, they are ugly, potentially embarrassing, and contagious. They can also be painful.
Genital Warts
There are more than 100 types of HPV, the virus that causes warts. Almost all types of HPV cause relatively harmless warts that appear on your hands or feet. However, there are a few strains of HPV that cause warts on, in, and around your genitals. In women, these warts — called “genital warts” — can eventually lead to cervical cancer, a potentially fatal disease. If you think you have genital warts or think you have been exposed to them, you should see a doctor right away.
What are the types of Warts?
There are five major types of Warts. Each type appears on a different part of the body and has a distinct appearance.
- Common warts: Common warts usually grow on your fingers and toes, but can appear elsewhere. They have a rough, grainy appearance and a rounded top. Common warts are grayer than the surrounding skin.
- Plantar warts: Plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet. Unlike other warts, plantar warts grow into your skin, not out of it. You can tell if you have a plantar wart if you notice what appears to be a small hole in the bottom of your foot that is surrounded by hardened skin. Plantar warts can make walking uncomfortable.
- Flat warts:Flat warts usually grow on the face, thighs, or arms. They are small and not immediately noticeable. Flat warts have a flat top, as if they’ve been scraped. They can be pink, brownish, or slightly yellow.
- Filiform warts:Filiform warts grow around your mouth or nose and sometimes on your neck or under your chin. They are small and shaped like a tiny flap or tag of skin. Filiform warts are the same color as your skin.
- Periungual warts:Periungual warts grow under and around the toenails and fingernails. They can be painful and affect nail growth.
You should see your doctor if:
- you have warts on your face or another sensitive part of your body (e.g., genitals, mouth, nostrils)
- you notice bleeding or signs of infection, such as pus or scabbing, around a wart
- the wart is painful
- the color of the wart changes
- you have warts and diabetes or an immune deficiency, such as HIV/AIDS
Some things to remember:
- You can spread warts to other parts of your body, and they are contagious to others. If a treatment requires that you rub the wart with a fingernail file or a pumice stone, don’t use that utensil on any other part of your body, and don’t allow anyone else to use it.
- Don’t try to treat warts on your feet if you have diabetes. See your doctor. Diabetes can cause loss of sensation in your feet, so you can easily injure yourself without realizing it.
- Don’t try to remove warts on your face or another sensitive part of your body (such as your genitals, mouth)
Can warts be prevented?
There are ways to prevent warts and keep them from spreading to other parts of your body if you already have one. Follow these simple guidelines:
- Wash your hands regularly, especially if you’ve been in contact with someone with warts.
- Don’t pick at your warts.
- Cover warts with a bandage.
- Keep your hands and feet dry.
- Wear shower shoes (flip-flops) when in a locker room or communal bathing facility.
HOMEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT
Homoeopathy offers a painless, non-surgical, non-scarring treatment for warts. Emphasis is on the cure of the disease than the suppression of the lesions. Homoeopathy believes that the only way to regain complete health is by removing
all the signs and symptoms present and not just the disease, hence it aims not only to treat the warts but also its underlying cause and individual susceptibility which lead to this infection.
In individuals with underlying immune deficiency homoeopathy proves very effective in building the body’s immunity and stimulating the body’s own healing mechanism to fight the infection.
Therapeutically several remedies are available to treat warts which can be selected on the basis of symptoms like the cause, presentation and modalities. To work upon the susceptibility to the infection, individual constitutional remedy is selected. The commonly used remedies to cure warts are Thuja, nitric acid, dulcamara,etc..
Vitiligo (also known as leukoderma) is an autoimmune, dermatological condition in which patches of the skin lose color. This can happen in any part of the body, including the scalp and the inside of the mouth.
While Vitiligo is not life-threatening, it can certainly be life-altering. People who develop this condition tend to lose confidence and self-esteem. This could also lead to chronic depression.
Symptoms
The main symptom of vitiligo is the onset of small white patches on the skin, which then expand in size and to other areas of the body.
While vitiligo does not affect the normal senses of the affected parts, they become more sensitive to sunlight.
Some of the common patterns in which vitiligo appears are:
- Focal – The patches occur only on specific areas of the body
- Generalized – The patches occur throughout the body
- Symmetrical – Identical on either halves of the body
- Segmental – There’s no definite symmetry. Patches occur randomly on one side of the body
- Lip-tip – Patches occur on the lips and tips of the fingers and toes
- Genital – Patches occur on the private parts of the body
- Over bony areas – Patches occur on the skin near the joints
Causes
The exact cause of Vitiligo is not known. Since it is an autoimmune disease, it can be safe to assume that the immune system may mistakenly attack or destroy the melanocytes of the skin. Vitiligo may also be caused by genetic triggers.
Treatment
Homeopathic medicines for Vitiligo are selected after thorough examination of the patient’s medical history, physical and mental constitution. Predisposition to the condition is also considered before administering medication.
The homeopathic remedies administered enhance the natural production of pigments. Since Vitiligo is a chronic disorder, the treatment may take a considerable amount of time for it to get cured completely.
Psoriasis is one of the most common skin problems that people suffer This skin problem occurs due to a defective immune system. The skin cells are forced to develop on the surface of the skin forcing them to form scales or red patches which are itchy and painful also.
Causes of Psoriasis
Although the actual cause is unknown, it is often believed that a combination of elements that leads to this health condition. Psoriasis is basically an auto immune disease where excess of skin cells is caused by the inflammatory chemicals which are produced by T-cells that are specialized white blood cells. The T cells in general travel through the body for defending it against foreign substances but due to the defect in the immune system of the body the T cells attack the healthy cells of the skin as if to fight an infection or heal a wound.
These overactive T cells also promotes an increased production of healthy skin cells, T cells and other white blood cells particularly the neutrophils. These cells them travel into the skin causing the skin to redden and at times pus also develops in the pustular lesions. This process of formation of new skin cells continue where the new skin cells very quickly move to the outermost layer of the skin in very quick time which results in skin cells building up thick and in scaly patches on the surface of the skin. This ongoing cycle causes psoriasis until a treatment takes place. Now, the reason for malfunctioning of the T cells is not completely clear. Researches reveal that a combination of genetic as well as environmental factors play a crucial role. Some of the major factors that trigger psoriasis are as follows.
- Infections of the skin like strep throat and others
- Skin injury such as a cut, scrape, bite of a bug or a very severe sunburn
- Excessive smoking
- Too much consumption of alcohol
- Extreme stress
- Deficiency of vitamin D
- Consumption of some medicines for bipolar disorder, antimalarial drugs, blood pressure etc.
Symptoms of Psoriasis
Psoriasis affects almost all parts of the body but It commonly affects the skin around the elbows, scalp and knees. The signs and symptoms of psoriasis differ from person to person. Some of the common symptoms of this skin disease are as follows.
- Thick silvery scales that cover the red patches of skin
- Cracked and dry skin that could bleed
- Small scaling spots particularly seen in the children
- Soreness, Itching and burning
- Ridged, thickened and pitted
- Stiff and Swollen joints
Common Types of Psoriasis
- Plaque psoriasis: Most common and causes dry, raised and red colored skin scratches that is itchy and painful.
- Nail psoriasis: This affects the fingernails and toenails resulting in pitting, abnormal and unusual nail growth and nail discoloration.
- Guttate psoriasis: Mostly seen in children and young adults. It is mainly triggered by infection caused by bacteria and causes small, tear shaped, scaling cuts on the scalp, trunk, arms and legs.
- Inverse psoriasis: Mainly affects the skin under the arms, groin, under the breasts and genitals and results in smooth red patches of swollen skin.
- Psoriatic arthritis: Psoriasis can also affect the joints causing pain apart from the inflammation and scaly skin. It is called Psoriatic Arthritis.
Diagnosis of Psoriasis
In most of the cases of psoriasis, the diagnosis of the condition is quite a straightforward one. The doctors usually begin with a physical examination by checking the skin thoroughly along with the nails and scalp. The doctors also collect information about the medical history of the affected individual along with an enquiry about the family history of psoriasis. In some cases, lab tests are required to be performed in order to know the depth of the condition where a skin biopsy is done. A small sample of skin in taken and examined in order to diagnose the exact type of psoriasis and ruling out the other conditions of the skin.
Homeopathic Treatment of Psoriasis
Psoriasis being an auto immune disease is not completely curable but with effective treatment procedures the skin disease can be kept under control. The homeopathic treatment of psoriasis tries to relieve the affected individuals in easing the symptoms and thus keeping the disease in control. As homeopathic medicines are made from natural ingredients, there is almost no no side-effects yet they are quite effective in treating the same. In the case of Psoriasis, what homeopathy does is it focuses on the cause of a problem and intends to correct the cause that has triggered the cell division and also the skin inflammation. Once this is accomplished, the symptoms begin to vanish and the skin starts to look normal.
Treatments in homeopathy may not show overnight results but in the long run will make you healthier and rejuvenated.
Few effective homeopathic medicines which are quite effective for the condition of Psoriasis are as listed below.
- Arsenic Album: Effective for Psoriasis with Silver Scales
- Graphites Naturalis: Taken for Psoriasis with cracked skin
- Arsenic Iodatum: Advised for Psoriasis with shedding of large scales
- Kali Ars: Administered for Psoriasis that leaves discoloration on the skin