Sinus and Sinus Attack in Children

Sinus might seem like common cold at first. The child coughs, sneezes and gets a red nose, like in cold. But the difference is that sinus attack last longer than common cold. Sinuses are spaces in the bones of the face and the head which are filled with air. They are exactly located on both sides of the nose, behind the nasal cavity, within the forehead, and at the back & in between the eyes. Sinuses grow in pairs and there are four pairs of them. Sinuses begin to develop in the mother womb and grow till twenty years of age. As children have an incompletely developed immune system, they catch cold infection more frequently.

The actual purposes of the sinuses are not known, but scientists say that they make the head lightweight as these air pockets are filled with light air. If these air pockets were to be replaced with something solid, the head will become heavier. The sinuses also provide tone and depth to the voice. That is the reason why the voice sounds funny when a person catches a cold or gets a sinus attack. The sinuses are covered with a thin and moist tissue layer known as a mucous membrane. These membranes are responsible for adding moisture to the air breathed in. They also produce mucus, a sticky liquid filled in the nose, also called snot. This sticky liquid catches germs and dust, which are carried by the air, before they enter the body. The mucus membranes are covered with cilia or microscopic hair. These cilia move to and fro to encourage the flow of the mucus out of the nose and back inside. When the sinuses are infected, the membranes produce more mucus and become swollen and irritated.

When a person catches cold, the virus harms the cilia and the mucus doesnt get swept back in. This is how a runny nose is developed. The mucus lining swells within the nose. This narrows or completely blocks the minute opening of the sinus into nose. Because of this, the stickier and thicker mucus produced get trapped in the sinuses. This stagnant mucus becomes the breeding ground for virus, bacteria and fungi. If the common cold stretches for over two weeks, the sinusitis condition develops. This condition is sinus infection. Acute sinusitis is sinusitis stretching over two weeks or so. But when it crosses three months, it is called chronic sinusitis. The child can get mild fever along with acute sinusitis. There is no fever associated with chronic sinusitis and the symptoms are less intense. The symptoms of sinusitis or sinus attacks are mild fever, bad breath, continuous nasal discharge, puffy eyes, and daytime cough. Some children also experience low energy, crankiness, headache and pain behind the forehead, cheeks and eyes.

When the doctor is approached for help, he/she will check throat, nose and ears for infection. The sinuses are also checked. The doctor will press or tap on the cheeks and forehead. If bacteria are responsible for causing the infection, the child will be given antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The antibiotics will show their effect within few days itself. A nasal spray or decongestant can also be used to treat blocked and runny nose. If it is chronic sinusitis, the antibiotics need to be taken for a longer time period, like for about a few weeks, in order to kill the bacteria completely. The child shouldnt stop the course of medicine if he/she isnt seeing any improvement in the condition. The doctor should be contacted for further instructions. In this case, a surgery is an alternative. The doctor will ask the child to get a CT scan of the sinuses.

The best thing about sinusitis is that it isnt contagious. So if a kid is infected with it, he/she can still go to school and have fun with the rest of the kids. But kids who have sinus problem should stay away from environmental pollutants and allergies, which can trigger the condition again in them.

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What Baby Acne is All About

Although teenagers are often the ones attacked by a bad case of acne, adults can have it too and surprisingly so do babies.

More common than you think

Baby acne is actually a common condition in newborns and it is a really normal occurrence. The condition is characterized by red bumps on the skin that may initially appear as rashes. Often, baby acne starts off about three to four weeks after birth and may last until he or she reaches about four to six months old. Still, there are some babies that develop baby acne at birth.

There is no clear cause of baby acne but some experts suggests the role of the hormones that mothers pass on to their child during the last stages of pregnancy. These hormones babies get from the womb and sometimes from the breastmilk play a role in the development of the acne condition. As your baby grows, these hormones slowly disappear from the system. When this happens, the problem acne also disappears.

And because baby acne is basically caused by the chemical make up of the body, there is really nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. The only thing perhaps that parents have a power on is to make sure that your baby will remain comfortable despite the problem and that it will not become worse because of irritation.

Although baby acne is actually not a cause for alarm as it is quite normal for some babies to develop them, it is still important that parents become aware of the condition so as not to exacerbate the case and increase the irritation. Symptoms of baby acne include red bumps that are commonly found on the cheeks. The bumps may also appear on the chin and on the forehead.

Aggravating matters

Baby acne frequently gets irritated when the baby becomes hit or fussy. The stress brought about by these conditions will often irritate the case. Saliva, spits and even milk may also exacerbate the problem, making it appear worse than before.

There is really no treatment available for baby acne. As mentioned before, the condition will disappear on its own once the hormones disappear from the system. Most doctors would recommend gentle washing of the face with a really mild cleanser to remove the oils. Vigorous washing is a no no as this can irritate the skin all the more. Remember that baby acne is not caused by germs or dirt but rather hormones so no amount of washing can make the condition go away. In addition, too much washing may also remove the natural oils of the skin, resulting in the increased activity of the oil glands. Like all other things, too much is also not good.

Another reminder for parents is to lessen or avoid altogether the use of oils and lotions on the skin as this can add up to the grease that are already acting up on the acne. Never ever put any skin ointments and other facial products as this can aggravate the matter. Using topical medicines on the problem areas may only make it worse especially if your babys skin is ultra sensitive. Before you do anything about it or apply anything, make sure that you have consulted your pediatrician or a dermatologist about it.

Acne the What, Why and How

Did you just wake up and go to the bathroom to freshen up and got the shock of your life? You see something odd on your forehead, that wasn’t there the previous night when you went to bed. It looks ugly and you wish it would go away.

The What:

That ugly thing that pops up on our face when we least expect turning our world upside down is what an acne is. Also known as pimples, these are outburst through our skin pores thanks to all the grime and dirt that has accumulated there. It typically occurs during the adolescent phase in a person, say, during their teenage years. And some are lucky, they don’t get acnes at all, while others see clusters of them on their face. It is not something that only girls get, there are boys who suffer from this as well. If you are lucky, it will last couple of days, and then disappear never to reappear again, but the unfortunate ones see signs of acne through their life, some of which leave behind scars.

The Why:

The most common kind of acne is the acne vulgaris which translates to common acne. The face is the region of the face that is affected in almost 90% of the cases, at times, people get it on their forearms or chest region. But those are called Keratosis, and not acne, since they are bigger in size and last longer than a common acne. It is basically eruptions in our skin due to dirt and other particles settling in. if the acne is very severe, and looks like a big boil, it could be a cyst, in which case one needs to be careful and not touch it too much. If they do, it might erupt, ooze with puss and not be a pretty sight.

The How:

For some, acne is such a big problem, that they think of skipping school or college. They don’t want to face their friends for fear of being ridiculed. For some girls, hormonal changes in their body leads to acne, and for this there is no cure but to let nature takes it course. There is no need to panic or worry about these little boils,.as they are our body reacting to changes happening inside. If it is due to bad eating habits, or intake of oily foods on a regular basis, acne or pimples occur when the follicles are blocked and does not get enough oxygen. If you were to touch an acne and then use those fingers on other parts of your face, you might spread the infection and see more tiny pimples occurring over the next few days.

So, it is better to control yourself and keep your hands away from your face and wash your face multiple times during the day. In the market, there are various products that claim to make the acne go away in a day or two, but be warned that they are miracles and not likely to disappear.

Pressure Points To Relieve Headaches-Temples Most Obvious

Having headaches isn’t any fun. When you have one the only thing you can think about is getting rid of it. Most people will either ride it out and hope the pain passes, or they will pop a few pills that promise to relieve the pain. However, a few people find that using pressure points to relieve headaches is a much better option for easing the pain.

There are pressure points located all over the body, and each one can help ease different ailments. Luckily, some of these pressure points will be able to treat your headaches. Some of the pressure points are quite obvious, while a few of them may end up surprising you. But where they are located is less important than the fact that they work. To be fair, not every single headache will go away instantly using these points, but they will almost always bring a noticeable level of relief.

Chances are you are already familiar with one of the pressure points, but didn’t even know it. We are talking about the temples. Now, you have to be careful to not apply too much pressure here, so just use your fingers to make a gentle circular massage motion. Keep doing this for a minute or so and you should find that your head is feeling better.

Another set of pressure points on the head can be found on the inside of your eyebrows right next to your nose. You should be able to apply more firm pressure here (though you always need to be careful to not overdo it on any pressure point). Use your thumbs to make smaller, then larger circles until you start to notice the pain lessening.

You can find another series of pressure points on the head along the front of your hairline, near the top of your forehead. Start at level that is even with the horizontal plane of your eyes (but close to the ears) then gently massage along the hairline until your fingers meet at the middle of your head (a few inches above your nose). However, the head is not the only place where there are pressure points to relieve headaches.

More points can be found at the midpoint between your head and the outside of your shoulders. These muscles typically store up a lot of tension, and releasing that tension with a massage can help bring headache relief.

Moving down to your forearms, you can find more pressure points on the inside of your arm just above the elbow joint. You can locate more points by moving diagonally toward your bicep. Alternating between both spots should make an improvement in your level of pain.

These are a few of the pressure points to relieve headaches, but there are several more. Sure, you can always take an aspirin or medication if you must, but trying natural remedies first may bring just as much relief without having to add chemicals to your body.