If you have wrinkled or sun damaged skin or acne, you may be considering a chemical face peel. There are several different types ranging from the mild AHA peel which is just one step up from many exfoliating skin products, to a deep peel that requires anaesthetic and can take several months to heal.

Whatever type of peel you choose in consultation with your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon, the idea is that the new skin revealed by the peel is less wrinkled or blemished. This can be a great bonus for people wanting to maintain a youthful look, as well as having health benefits for some people.

The AHA or alpha hydroxy acid peel is usually applied by a dermatologist. Beta hydroxy acid is sometimes used as an alternative. These treatments are not painful and do not require an anesthetic, although there will be some discomfort during the process and for a few days after treatment you are likely to have some stinging, redness and mild irritation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: acne, chemical face peel, chemical peels, cosmetic surgeon, croton oil, freckles, gentle cleansing products, irritation, pain, phenol chemical peel, skin products

A sore throat may have many causes and it is important to find the right sore throat remedy for the particular condition that you have.

Common Causes Of A Sore Throat

Laryngitis: inflammation of the larynx. This usually results in losing your voice.

Tonsillitis: inflammation of the tonsils. Common in children.

Mononucleosis or glandular fever: accompanied by swelling of the glands in the throat.

Strep throat: a streptococcal bacterial infection of the throat or tonsils, often accompanied by fever.

Symptom of a viral infection: a sore throat is often the first symptom of a cold or flu.

Candida albicans or oral thrush.

Some of these conditions can become serious if not successfully treated. If your sore throat remedy does not work and the irritation or inflammation persists for more than 24 hours, or if you have swelling or a fever, it is important to see a doctor. You may need antibiotics or other medication. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: anti inflammatory, antibiotics, antiseptic solution, bacterial infection, cancer, chemotherapy, fever, glandular fever, HIV infection, home remedy, ibuprofen, inflammation, irritation, Laryngitis, natural remedies, pain, sore throat, thrush, Tonsillitis, viral infection

There are two types of cough and you will need a different cough remedy for each.

Dry Coughs

A dry cough is when you have a tickle in the back of your throat. When you cough, the throat becomes irritated, making you cough more. In this case you need to stop coughing. Remedies that soothe the throat are required.

Honey can be very soothing to an irritated throat. The traditional honey and lemon drink is great for a dry cough. You can also add ginger to warm the body, turmeric to treat the inflamed throat and – strange as it may seem – pepper, which can be a great cough remedy.

You can also gargle with raw spinach juice to relieve the throat. You will need a juicer that can handle leaves, or use a blender and then strain the resulting liquid. You can add turmeric and/or garlic for added effectiveness if you wish. Warm the juice to body temperature before you use it. Gargle a few times and then swallow some of the juice. If you hate the taste, try mixing equal parts spinach and carrot juice.

Almonds can be a good remedy too. Soak whole raw almonds overnight or for at least 6 hours. Peel off the brown skin. Crush, grind or blend them and mix with a little honey. This will form a paste which can be eaten alone or on bread.

Marjoram tea can be good for a dry cough. Marjoram is a relaxing herb that eases tension and stress. It can also ease the irritation in your throat.

Wet Coughs

A wet cough is when you are coughing up mucus from the chest. In this case you should not suppress the cough. You need remedies that loosen the mucus so it will come up more easily.

A wet cough is often associated with a chest infection, cold or flu. Garlic can help to treat the infection. Use raw garlic if you can take it, or add it at the last minute to soups and other hot dishes.

Onion also has anti bacterial properties. Juice or blend one medium size onion, add the juice of one lemon and a couple of tablespoons of hot (not boiling) water. Sip this warm liquid slowly.

Grapes can be very good for a wet cough. If you have a cold or flu, you might try eating only grapes for a couple of days. This mono diet will be very easy for the body to digest, leaving it free to focus all of its resources on fighting the virus.

Staying warm is important for all types of cough. Being in a warm, moist environment is ideal. You can inhale steam with some essential oils – eucalyptus for loosening mucus or juniper for a dry cough. Some people like to take a sauna.

It is possible to find a natural cough remedy that works but if your cough persists you should see your doctor in case it is a sign of a more serious problem.

Tags: chest infection, cough, irritation

Eczema is much less frequent in adolescence than in the first years of childhood. In teen-agers it usually causes a thickening, dryness, and redness of the skin. Itching, and at times pain, may accompany the rash. At this age, eczema is most frequently found in the folds of the elbows and knees and on the wrists. Another common location is the back of the neck and ears.

Eczema may bring scaling of the skin. At times there is marked splitting of the skin and sometimes blisters appear, filled with clear fluid or pus.The cause of eczema is usually an allergy. Though in infancy, the allergens (allergy causers) are nearly always foods, in later years the eczema is just as likely to be a reaction to wool, nylon, or other materials. Reactions to various plants can also cause the rash. The reactions may be from touching the plants or from inhaling their pollens.

The emotions can play an important role in eczema. If a person is anxious or tense, he is more likely to scratch and pick at the lesions. This can lead to trouble from secondary bacterial infections, or just from the mechanical irritation and injury to the skin. When the eczema has a nervous or emotional root, the medical term for it is neurodermatitis. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: allergens, allergic reaction, allergic reactions, allergy, angioneurotic edema, bacterial infections, blisters, cause of eczema, eczema, Flea, food, frequent food allergens, hives, incision, irritation, itching, joint pain, neurodermatitis, pain, pus, rash, urticaria

The Chinese have used green tea to treat ailments for several centuries. Nowadays, Western culture is beginning to understand the benefits of green tea. Recent research has revealed some of the health benefits of using green tea including the possible prevention of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts and also cancer.

Besides the disease-fighting benefits, Green Tea also aids weight loss programs. Studies have shown that drinking green tea helps you burn more calories. So what makes green tea so beneficial?

Green tea is the most popular types of Chinese tea. Many people, consider it as the best drink for hot summers. The main reason for this claim is the fact that green tea is cool and fights off irritation. Many have even claimed that it relieves fever.

The health benefits of Green Tea have been known throughout the world, and are appreciated a lot more these days. The Chinese have known about these medicinal benefits since ancient times, as they have been using green tea to treat everything from headaches to depression, and a long list of other ailments. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: antioxidant, arthritis, Asia, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, depression, esophageal cancer, fever, green tea, headaches, heart attacks, irritation, National Cancer Institute, prevention of arthritis, stroke, thrombosis, University of Purdue

There is a lot of confusion surrounding menopause. The term “menopause” actually refers to the point in time when a woman hasn’t had a menstrual period in 12 consecutive months. However, many women refer to the process that leads up to their last period as “going through menopause.” Medically, that process is called perimenopause.

During perimenopause, a woman’s ovaries gradually reduce the amount of estrogen they produce, which causes menstrual periods to become irregular and, eventually, to stop. Some women have their ovaries removed surgically, creating a condition known as surgical menopause, which eliminates perimenopause and results in an abrupt stop in menstrual periods.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

A few lucky women (about 15%) have no symptoms other than irregular menstrual periods. Most women, though, have at least some symptoms. Generally, the symptoms fade over time and disappear completely once a woman reaches the point of menopause. The most common symptoms include:

• Hot flashes: These sudden changes in body temperature arrive without warning, are often accompanied by heavy sweating, and generally last a few minutes. When they occur during sleep, they are called night sweats, and they can be severe enough to awaken some women and make it impossible for them to get a good night’s rest.

• Vaginal changes: Dryness, itching, and irritation sometimes occur and may interfere with sexual intercourse. Your pharmacist can help you select products to minimize these symptoms.

• Urinary tract problems: Some women become more likely to develop infections or bladder control problems. There are treatments a doctor can prescribe to treat these conditions.

• Other physical changes: Some women experience palpitations, mild dizziness, tingling sensations, fatigue, restlessness, constipation, or aching bones. Others gain weight or find that their breasts become smaller.

• Emotional changes: Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, memory loss, and other emotional symptoms can result from changing hormone levels, lack of sleep (often the result of night sweats), or a variety of other factors.

Some of the changes that take place during peri menopause have a permanent effect on a woman’s health. For example:

• Heart: The loss of estrogen raises the level of LDL (”bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides in a woman’s blood, increasing her risk of developing heart problems.

• Bones: As the level of estrogen in a woman’s body declines, her bones may become weaker and brittle, increasing her risk of developing osteoporosis.

• Sex organs: The wall of the vagina may become thinner and drier, making intercourse painful and increasing the risk of infection, and her breasts may become smaller and sag.

• Skin: Because the skin is likely to become drier and lose its elasticity, it may lose its youthful appearance

Tags: constipation, dizziness, emotional_changes, fatigue, hot_flashes, irregular_menstrual_periods, irritation, itching, last_period, memory loss, menstrual_period, night_sweats, osteoporosis, perimenopause, pharmacist, restlessness, symptoms_of_menopause

Acne is a disorder that causes outbreaks of skin lesions commonly called pimples. It is caused by the skins oil glands making too much sebum, an oily substance, which leads to plugged pores. It also can be caused by the rapid production of a bacteria P. acnes.

Acne lesions occur mostly on the face, neck, back, chest, and shoulders. It is the most common skin disease. Although acne is not a serious health threat, severe acne can lead to disfiguring and permanent scarring.

How does acne affect women?
Most young women and men will have at least a few pimples over the course of their lives. But acne seems to affect men and women in different ways. Young men are more likely to have a more serious form of acne. Acne in young women tends to be more random and linked to hormone changes, such as the menstrual cycle.

As women get older, acne often gets better. But some women have acne for many years. Some women even get acne for the first time at age 30 or 40.

For many women, acne can be an upsetting illness. Women may have feelings of depression, poor body image, or low self-esteem. But you don’t have to wait to outgrow acne or to let it run its course. Today, almost every case of acne can be resolved. Acne also can, sometimes, be prevented. Talk with your doctor or dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in treating skin problems) about how you can help prevent acne and if treatment would help you.

To find out about the the best acne treatment read my review.
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Tags: accutane, acne, Acne Treatment, acne_cures, acne_no_more, acne_treatments, active disease, antibiotics, best_acne_treatment, birth control, birth defects, cysts, depression, Dermabrasion, email marketing software, epilepsy, excess oil, fatigue, hair care products, headache, irritation, itching, laser, laser surgery, oil, Oral contraceptives, overactive oil glands, Photodynamic therapy, pus, rosacea, scars, skin cancer, skin disease, skins oil glands, spironolactone, sports equipment, sunburn, surgery, upsetting illness, vitamin a

Healthday News had this article on urban exercise based on a report by the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..

Your intentions may be good, but exercising outdoors in a city may be riskier than you think, one expert says.

Outdoor activity can cause serious damage to a person’s health because of elevated air pollution levels. Those especially at risk are those who exercise by running, bicycling or skating.

According to Dr. Joseph T. Cooke, associate professor of clinical medicine and patient safety officer at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the danger lies in the components of air pollution. The three main culprits are fine particulate matter, (the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air), ozone (a gas composed of three oxygen atoms) and carbon monoxide.

These components of air pollution irritate the lungs, making it harder to breathe and worsening problems initially caused by asthma, bronchitis, cardiopulmonary maladies, and emphysema.

“The pollutants affect the lungs by causing inflammation or irritation of the airway lining,” Cooke explained in a prepared statement. “More mucus and phlegm is produced, and small muscles surrounding the airway respond by squeezing down. The work of breathing increases, and it becomes more difficult to get oxygen into the body,” he said.

The three pollutants are located in cities around the world. Fine particulates are emitted from the diesel engines of buses and trucks. Carbon monoxide arises from cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust, and it has the ability to force oxygen out of a person’s circulatory system.

For those exercising, overexposure to carbon monoxide can lead to dizziness, confusion, headaches and dangerously high body temperatures. Ozone, which is the largest component of smog in cities, adversely affects breathing patterns and decreases the size of airways, making the lungs more resistant to oxygen.

For those determined to work out outdoors, Cooke offered the following tips:

Do not run on or near roads where there is heavy truck or bus traffic.
Work out in the early morning or later in the evening.
Exercise indoors if possible.
If you experience any difficulty breathing, stop exercising immediately and see a doctor.

Tags: associate professor, associate professor of clinical medicine and patient safety officer, Asthma, bronchitis, dizziness, headaches, inflammation, irritation, Joseph T. Cooke, medicine and patient safety officer, New York, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, professor of clinical medicine, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Sunburn remedies are something that we always need to look for the day after we treat our skin badly in the sun. I just found a great list of folk remedies for when you actually do accidentally sunburn yourself. I do not know where it comes from but I thought I would pass it on with a few comments. I have tested some of these but not all. Also remember that if you have any kind of a skin rash or irritation many of these will help as well.

Aloe Vera
Take as many leaves as necessary from an aloe plant; refrigerate; peel off top layer of leaves; apply the side of the leaf with flesh exposed directly to the sunburn. Aloe is very effective in relieving pain and inflammation Other remedies use aloe vera juice: for mild to medium sunburn, keep the affected area moist with aloe vera juice. Repeat frequently. This will reduce the pain and the amount of peeling.

Combine aloe juice with the amount of vitamin E. Dab on the sunburn. Vitamin E is a good moisturizer. Aloe vera ointment works well, too, as it contains oil and will not evaporate. For a severe sunburn, keep the area moist at all times with aloe vera juice. Since aloe vera is an astringent, you may want to use aloe vera ointment or some sort of oil, such as olive or baby.
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Tags: bergamot oil, burn to heal the skin, folk remedies, inflammation, irritation, lavender oil, oil, pain, peppermint oil, skin rash, sunburn, Tea Make, Vera Take, Yarrow Native Americans