Natural Remedies for Allergies

If you are plagued with allergies, you should be aware that there are no natural remedies or medicines that can cure this problem completely. For most part, only the symptoms can be brought under control. For this too, you would require strong medicines, mostly anti histamines, to bring the worst of the symptoms under control. If possible, you should try to get away from where you are in order to bring your allergies under control. Since allergies are mostly triggered by changes in natural surroundings, you would do well to move to where the season is different from where you are. Simple avoidance is a better bet than trying to take care of allergies by yourself, and without the help of medicines. If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, this is all the more imperative. You should know what the trigger for your allergies is in order to get rid of it. In any case, the only thing you can do for your allergies is to try and strengthen your immune system as much as you possibly can. The stronger your immune system is the better chance you will have fighting against any kind of allergies.

The best way to make your body stronger from inside as well as outside is to make it more tough and able to fight against attacks from external surroundings. One of the best ways to improve upon your immunity is to take a daily dosage of Echinacea. This is a natural herb, the extract of the flower, and is also known as the immunity herb in some streams of local medicines. You should try and take this for about a year or so. Please bear in mind that you will not be able to see the results of this medicine instantly, so you may have to work on this for a while. After taking it for about two seasons, you will notice a difference. Another excellent way to improve your immunity is to take Indian gooseberry. This is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C, the vitamin that is totally responsible for boosting your immunity. In any case, you should increase your intake of natural sources of vitamin C. This will always make your immune system stronger and will help you to fight a variety of other problems much better. And this does not apply only to your problem with allergies, but extends to your general health as well.

How to Treat Peeling Skin?

Peeling skin on the hands can be a traumatic and frustrating problem. This kind of problem is often chronic, and is usually the symptom of a skin condition such as eczema. However, it can also be a symptom of a number of other disorders or problems, including fungal infections, excessive moisture, excessive dryness, reactions to various substances (including certain medications), and even sunburn. It is always important to understand the cause of the peeling skin before attempting to treat it. As a simple example – in a large number of cases, peeling skin is due to dryness, which may or may not be associated with eczema. The simplest solution here is to regularly use a moisturizing cream, so that the skin retains moisture, stays soft and healthy, and does not peel. For this to be most effective, the moisturizer should be applied soon after bathing, when the skin is already damp and has absorbed a good amount of moisture. However, if the peeling is being caused by a fungal infection or by excessive moisture (which happens to people who wear synthetic gloves for long hours, or whose hands are immersed in water for long hours), applying a moisturizing cream is not only unnecessary, it could actually be counterproductive.

For a fungal infection, the first and primary approach should be to keep the affected skin dry and clean at all times. Fungi thrive on moisture, and maintaining dryness is therefore extremely important. However, this does not mean that you need to strip the skin of its natural oils – therefore, avoid using soap more than once or twice a day, even though you may need to wash your hands several times. Dry your hands thoroughly after washing, and wipe them as soon as they get sweaty. In addition, you can rinse your hands with a solution of vinegar and water, as vinegar is an excellent anti fungal agent.

For skin that is peeling due to constant, excessive dampness, the only solution is to avoid or at least minimize contact with water. If your hands need to constantly be in water, then you should first coat them with a waterproof substance such as petroleum jelly, or else wear gloves. If you are wearing gloves made of any synthetic material, you should remove them frequently, turn them inside out and wipe them dry, dry your hands too, and then put on the gloves after a few minutes. If the cause of the peeling seems to be something other than these factors, then you need to visit a doctor.

Migraine Symptoms and Causes

Migraines can occur due to a huge range of reasons. You should be aware that symptoms of migraines will usually differ from person to person. Basically, the symptoms can also depend upon the reason you are suffering from migraines in the first place. So it is better you isolate the reason for your migraines – if you are certain that it is migraines you are suffering from to begin with. People suffer from migraines due to things such as high stress or mental disturbances. They could also suffer from migraines due to liver problems or severe indigestion. In women, migraines could also be a part of the pre menstrual stress syndrome patters. Sometimes, migraines are simply an unpleasant inheritance. If this is the case with you, you can do very little about it except to take medicines and control the worst of the symptoms. You would usually have to wait for it to pass. Migraines can also be caused to due emotional repression, or extreme emotional upheaval or disturbances. In such cases, it is labeled as a psycho somatic disease. This could require medication as well as counseling to get rid of the problem.

The most typical symptom of migraines is severe and pounding headaches on one side of the head. The pain can be relentless and all consuming. It can sometimes also last for more than a day or two. If left untreated, it can last for more time. However, in some cases, migraines may also be typified by a headache that encompasses the entire skull and feels like a crushingly painful vise. In a large number of cases, sensitivity to light can make a migraine worse. In very rare cases, sudden or extreme exposure to light can also be the trigger for a migraine. One of the best remedies to take care of a migraine without the assistance of medicines can be to try and sleep the head ache off. This usually works out with a minimum of side effects. You can also try to use aroma therapy oils in order to take care of your migraine. Lavender and sandalwood are known to have calming and soothing effects on the mind as well as the body. Having these fragrances around you can help to ease the worst of the symptoms. Besides, these will also help you to sleep. You may also discover that you are unable to sleep, which is also sometimes a side effect of migraines.

How to Get Rid of Head Lice?

Head lice are parasites that commonly reside on the human scalp, where they feed on blood. Lice are wingless insects, and they are also unable to jump or walk very long distances. However, in spite of this, they are transmitted from one person to another very easily, especially among children. Head lice are not often transmitted through shared objects such as combs and towels. They usually spread through direct physical contact – children are a lot more physical than grown ups, and head lice find it very easy to move from one host to the next, especially in the case of children from a single household.

Getting rid of head lice is extremely difficult, and it can sometimes take months before all lice are gotten rid of. As mentioned earlier, the lice often spread across an entire household, and there is often a risk of the treated person getting reinfected, unless the entire household has been successfully treated at the same time. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. In addition, the eggs to must be destroyed or removed, or else they will hatch, and again lead to a reinfection.

There are a number of medical treatments available for head lice today, including shampoos and oils, but these are only marginally more effective than home remedies. It often takes a combination of several different treatments to completely get rid of the lice. It is therefore advisable to first try a few home remedies.

One of the most popular home remedies for lice is mayonnaise. This is of course quite messy, but it works by suffocating the lice. The mayonnaise should be applied generously on the hair and scalp, and should be left on for at least a couple of hours. If you can keep it on for a few hours more, so much the better. After this, you can wash and shampoo your hair normally, followed by a vinegar rinse (you can use a solution of vinegar and water in a proportion of 1:4). The vinegar makes it easier to get the lice and their eggs out of your hair. This is important because once your hair is completely dry, you need to use a lice comb on it. Having dead lice in your hair will merely be unpleasant, but as mentioned earlier, the eggs cannot be allowed to remain on the scalp. This entire treatment needs to be repeated after a few days, and the lice comb must be use daily for at least ten days.

Home Remedies for Itching

An itch can be among the most irritating and frustrating things ever. Many people would rather have a serious illness without itching than a minor one that involves itching. And if you have ever had a serious case of itching, you will at least sympathize, if not agree. The natural reaction to an itch is of course to scratch the area that is itching. Normally, this is fine, if it is only the occasional, normal itch due to sweat, dirt, or some temporary source of irritation. For a chronic itch however, scratching is probably the worst thing you can do. For one thing, no matter how much you scratch, the itch refuses to go away, and sometimes it even gets worse. More importantly, constant scratching is bound to eventually break the skin, leading to more problems. Once you have broken skin, you have to deal with the pain in addition to the itching, and there is also the added danger of a secondary infection taking hold.

Itching however can often be managed by using some simple home remedies. The absolute best home remedy for any itch is probably cold water or ice. This is completely safe for almost any itch, on any part of the body, no matter what the cause. Allergic itches are often difficult to treat, especially when the allergen has not yet been detected. There is always the danger that a home remedy may itself contain some allergen, and you will thus end up making the situation worse. With cold water and ice, this risk is rarely present. There are rare cases in which a person may be allergic to cold temperatures, and for such people, this remedy should of course be avoided. In all other cases, you can quite safely use either cold water or ice. Depending upon what is convenient, you can put a few cubes of ice in a plastic bag, wrap them in a clean towel, dip a clean towel in cold water, or simply splash cold water on the affected area.

Other home remedies that fight itching include lemon juice and oat meal. Plain lemon juice can be squeezed directly on itchy skin, and is usually completely safe. Oatmeal can be added to the bathwater, as can baking soda, and these two are safe in most cases. It is however always advisable to try such a remedy on a small area of skin, such as the back of your hand, before using it on your entire body or on a sensitive area such as your face.

Body Rash Causes and Treatment

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and probably the most abused! Our skin is subjected to exposure to sunlight, pollution, dust particles and abrasive damage by chaffing or scratching. A body rash is the skin’s reaction to an internal or external stimulus. On occasion, a skin rash may be a symptom of a serious underlying medical condition or disease. Various home remedies and natural treatments can be used to soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. However, if the rash does not subside within a week, a consultation with a dermatologist is necessary.

Some of the main causes of a skin rash are external factors that can easily be eliminated. An allergy or an allergic reaction to a certain substance is one of the commonest causes for skin rash. This rash is not always localized to just the area of skin in contact with the offensive object, but it can spread to other parts of the body especially areas that have sensitive skin like the wrists, thighs and neck. It is important in such cases, to remove all new clothing or accessories. Allergies to dyes and chemicals too can cause a skin rash. All clothing must be rinsed well to ensure the complete removal of surfactant residue. Chemicals in a new perfume or soap too can cause a skin reaction. Other common causes for skin rash are Dermatitis, heat rash and even dry skin. Dry skin is especially vulnerable to dry skin diseases, so if you have dry skin, you can use a broad spectrum anti-microbial medicated moisturizing cream.

You can make your own soothing balm to reduce irritation and soreness.

• Wash a carrot and a cucumber and grate them along with their peels. Mix a spoon of olive oil to this and apply it to the affected areas. The carrot and cucumber help to reduce the swelling while the olive oil helps to combat the body rash.
• Crush about one cup of oatmeal and add it to your bathwater. Oatmeal relieves irritation and inflammation so soak in it for at least 30 minutes. Do this at least twice a day and make sure that you do not use a harsh soap or any abrasive cleaning device like a pumice stone.
• Mint leaf juice is very effective in treating skin rashes. Crush a few fresh mint leaves or use a spoon of mint leaf powder to treat the rash. You can also add it to your bathwater for a cool and relaxing soak.

A persistent rash requires medical attention and treatment. Skin rashes that discolor the skin should be treated as very serious unless a certified medical authority says otherwise.

Ear Infection Symptoms

Even though kids up to 8 years of age are more prone to getting ear infections, adults are just as much at risk too. One gets an ear infection when a virus or bacteria enter through the Eustachian tube, swelling up the lining of the middle ear. This swelling blocks the Eustachian tube and results in fluid building up. The fluid build up causes temporary hearing loss and pain. The problem can reach such a grave stage that it can pressure the ear drum and damage it. An ear infection is caused by several factors like common cold or if water enters ears and is left to stay there. When blowing one’s nose, if mucous gets deposited in the Eustachian tube, it can cause an infection. If your ear itches a lot and there is a dull and continuous pain or even a sudden shooting pain in the ear, you have an ear infection. You will also experience pain when you tug at or pull your ear. An ear infection also causes temporary hearing loss. So if the sounds are less pronounced or muffled than usual, it could be because of an infection. If one or both the ears feel congested or blocked, it is because of the bacterial infection. Your infected ear will also discharge fluid, especially when you have a cold. The inner ear is responsible for balance and co-ordination, so an infection can also cause dizziness because the fluid and crystals on the lining cannot transmit the information to the cerebellum. In many cases, the patient also runs a temperature. Both these cases – dizziness and fever – mean the infection has reached a serious level and should be sorted out immediately.

Before you see your doctor, there are ways to deal with the problem yourself. After swimming or bath, always drain the liquid in the ear with a clean towel. To bring comfort to the ear, a warm compress or heating pad can be used. Placing your head on a raised pillow helps drain the fluid. Lukewarm baby oil when poured into the infected ear also brings relief. Instill about 2-3 drops of garlic juice or olive oil poured on a warm spoon in the infected ear. Another remedy is pouring one teaspoon of lukewarm mango leaf juice and into the infected ear. If all these don’t get rid of the problem, seek medical help pronto.