Tag: Skin Disease

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Antihistamines are used to suppress the bodys natural production of histamines. When one is exposed to certain allergens substances that cause allergic reactions the body produces histamines as part of its defense systems. This is why an eczema treatment may sometimes include antihistamines to lessen the symptoms of the skin disease, such as inflammation, reddening and itching of the affected areas.

However, antihistamines interfere with the role of histamines in suppressing allergic reactions. So if you are suffering from eczema, you might as well give scrambling to your doctors clinic right away to get a prescription a second thought. Antihistamines may give you side effects even worse than the eczema symptoms you are trying to do away with. This is why many doctors recommend other forms of topical treatments for flare ups, such as ointments, foams, lotions and gels.

How do antihistamines work?

Certain organs in the body the skin, lungs and the length of the digestive system naturally contain high amounts of histamines. In fact, almost any of your bodily organs have them for defense. Aside from immune regulation, histamines also play other roles in the body such as:

* Secretion of digestive acids in the stomach
* Regulation of sexual response
* Regulation of sleep
* Relay and modulation of signals from one neuron cell to the other

As part of the bodys immune system, histamines trigger the pooling of blood supply in areas where foreign or invading organisms are present, such as in injured body parts like wounds. This is to supply larger concentrations of everything needed for the bodys efficient healing. However, large concentrations of histamines in a given area also results to inflammation, reddening and itching yes, just like the symptoms present during eczema flare ups. That is why certain treatments for eczema make use of antihistamines to get rid of such symptoms.

Can I use eczema medications with antihistamines?

Not just about everybody can take antihistamines. Many doctors advise people to steer clear of antihistamines if they have:

* Asthma
* Chronic bronchitis
* Hypertension
* Glaucoma
* Problems with the liver or kidney and other organs
* Any chronic illness

Histamines are also contraindicated for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, or if one is currently taking medications, be it conventional or all-natural. If you suffer from eczema and have one of the things mentioned earlier, then you should consider resorting to other modes of treatment for eczema, the ones that do not contain antihistamines.

Taking antihistamines for a long period of time can actually do more harm than good. It can cause histamine deficiency, which contributes to:

* Mouth ulcers
* Headaches
* Excessive hair growth
* Ringing in the ears
* Eye and ear problems
* Mental and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia

Half of the people classified as having schizophrenia, according to studies conducted, have low levels of histamines circulating in their blood stream. The depletion of histamines may be due to certain antipsychotic drugs prescribed for them. However, increasing the levels of histamines in their blood stream significantly improved their condition. Also, it is said that people with low levels of histamines usually experience anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

If you suffer from eczema at the same time with other conditions such as difficulty in breathing, you should consult your doctor for an eczema treatment other than that with antihistamines.

Eczema Treatment The Use of UV Light

There is a form of eczema treatment which does not require the patient suffering from the skin disease to take medications. Its called phototherapy or light therapy a treatment for certain skin conditions using artificial light wavelengths from the suns ultraviolet spectrum.

Phototherapy involves the use of two kinds of UV light: UVA and UVB. Sometimes only one kind of UV light is used; other times, a combination of both is employed, of course depending on the recommendation of a specialist. It is prescribed by some doctors for patients with eczema, particularly those with atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. So when does a doctor advise a patient to undergo phototherapy? When the eczema is widespread and does not respond to any medications applied onto the affected areas.

How long does the treatment last before significant results are evident?

Treatment by exposure to UVB light is considered to be the safer form of phototherapy. It is recommended for a person afflicted with eczema to undergo 3-5 treatments per week. The amount of UVB light used is gradually increased depending on the diseases response and the type of skin of the patient. Usually, a noticeable improvement on the affected skin is observed within 1-3 months of therapy.

Are there any side effects when I undergo this treatment?

The UV light used in phototherapy, although artificial, is still much like the one emitted by the sun. That is why exposure to this kind of light must be carefully done under the supervision of a specialist in order to prevent sunburn and other potential effects on the body. What are these potential side effects? One is the possible development of cataracts a condition which involves the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eyes. During a phototherapy session, the patients eyes are protected by special goggles to prevent the UV light from harming the eyes and vision.

Premature skin aging may also be another potential side effect of phototherapy, although limited to prolonged treatments only. However, the patients exposure to UV light is administered in controlled doses by a specialist, so any skin damage that may arise is significantly kept at minimum.

Isnt it that exposure to UV light causes skin cancer?

We all know that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause skin cancer. Sunlight has UV light; phototherapy uses the same kind of light as that emitted by the sun. Yes, this is very much true. But then again, phototherapy is controlled and administered by a specialist, and each phototherapy session does not take long hours of exposure to UV light. Usually, the first treatment only takes a few seconds, working up to a few minutes each side of the body as the treatment course progresses. Of course, much of it still depends on what the specialist deems appropriate.

How does UV light help relieve eczema symptoms?

You might have heard before that some dermatologists actually recommend their patients suffering from skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis to have their skin exposed to sunlight at times. So whats in sunlight that makes it beneficial to such skin conditions? Yes, its UV light.

UV light kills the T cells in the affected skin, resulting to reduction of redness and slowing down of the production of skin cells that cause scaling. Because of the same effects, phototherapy is considered as an effective eczema treatment, when other treatment methods fail to yield positive results.

MASSAGE THERAPY AS COMPLIMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Massage therapy is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of procedures and methods of pressing, rubbing and manipulating muscles and other soft body tissues such as tendons, ligaments, skin and connective tissues. The main objective of massage therapy is to relax the soft tissues while promoting an increased delivery of blood and oxygen to the areas being massages and, therefore, to decrease tightness and pain. Massage therapy is most often accomplished by utilizing the massage therapists fingers, hands, arms, elbows and/or feet. Occasionally, however, mechanical and electronic devices may be also used.

As a matter of fact, there are more than eighty official types of massage therapy treatments but some of the most widely known are the following:

* The Deep Tissue Massage. This technique uses a combination of strokes and deep finger pressure applied way down under the skin and into the muscles at the painful sites in order to breakup knots and loosen tightness.

* The Trigger Point Massage. This procedure is also known as the Pressure Point Massage and it is more focused on specific myofascial trigger points with a stronger force than the Deep Tissue Massage. The goal here is to dissolve the painful knots that were formed in the muscles as well as to relieve additional symptoms in more remote areas of the body.

* The Swedish Massage. This system utilizes oblong smooth strokes, kneading and friction of the muscles as well as movement of the joints to increase their range of motion and flexibility.

* The Shiatsu Massage. Using altering rhythmic pressure, tapping, squeezing and rubbing along the meridian and on various other parts of the body, the main objective of this Eastern massage therapy is to enhance the flow of a fundamentally important energy called gi. And this energy, in the ancient Chinese medicine is believed to be the life force that regulates a persons spiritual, emotional, mental and physical wellness that is easily affected when subjected to the rival forces of yin and yang.

Whether the four most often practiced massage therapies I mentioned above are used as complimentary alternative medicine (also known as CAM) or any one of the other recognized eighty which are available to a lesser or greater extent, there are important points to be considered:

* No massage therapy should ever be used in place of regular or ongoing medical care.

* Massage therapy should not be the cause or the excuse to postpone visiting a medical professional for existing medical issues.

* The massage therapists schooling and credentials must be verified as well as his or her experience with specific health and medical conditions.
* Any additional complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) such as herbs, supplements, special diets or other treatments which are suggested by the massage therapist must first be reviewed with a medical professional.

* Although the subject of massage therapy (how it works and why) has been studied for many years and continues to be studies, much of it still remains within the realm of a mystery.

* If and when massage therapy is performed by a well training and experienced professional, few risks are involved and the worst of them may be temporary pain or discomfort, bruising, swelling or an allergic reaction to the massage oils. The small number of serious injuries which have been reported were triggered by untrained hands that were not aware that certain medical conditions should not be massaged. It is, therefore, essential to consult a medical professional before undergoing massage therapy, particularly under the following circumstances:

* Deep vein thrombosis
* A bleeding disorder or when taking blood thinners
* Damaged blood vessels
* Weakened bones from osteoporosis, a recent fracture or cancer
* The presence of high body temperature
* Open or healing wounds, tumors, damaged nerves, an infection, a severe inflammation or fragile skin
* Pregnancy
* Heart problems
* Dermatomyositis or any other skin disease
* History of physical abuse

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THE HAND AND ARM MASSAGE

From the moment we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, we all work with our hands, as they are our anatomical tools with which we perform the day-to-day tasks of living; the simple as well as the complex. Some of us use our hands to a greater extent than others in which case they may become painful, tense and stiff. And since the hands are connected to the arms, chances are that the same hard work which applies to the hands also applies to the arms. As a consequence, the arms may suffer similar pains, tenseness and stiffness. A mere five to ten minute Hand and Arm massage can literally work miracles in relieving all these unpleasant indications. However, a good Hand and Arm massage also brings with it a whole battery of other health benefits.

As a matter of fact, our hands and arms have scores of acupressure and reflexology points which are correlated and linked to a number of vital internal organs (appendix, pancreas, gall bladder, kidneys, stomach, brain, spleen, heart, bladder, colon, intestines, lungs) and to other remote parts of the body (sinuses, thyroid and parathyroid, hips, ovaries, testes, uterus, penis, prostate, spine, solar plexus, thymus, shoulders, knees, neck). A Hand and Arm massage, therefore, does not only result in healing the hands and arms but it also provides curative effects for such cases as poor blood circulation, arthritis, headaches, neck and shoulder pains, backache, digestive and reproductive problems, and so on and on.

Hand and Arm massages are one of the easiest massages to perform on oneself and on others, and they can be safely applied anywhere and to persons of all ages and genders; infants, young children, teens, adults and senior citizens. Furthermore, Hand and Arm massages are harmless to people who are dealing with most health issues, whether they are slight, moderate or severe. Hand and Arm massages provide instant relief from stress, anxiety and nervousness as it relaxes the entire body. However, Hand and Arm massages should never be performed on hands or arms that are affected by any kind of skin disease, infection, inflammation, swelling, bruises, cuts or recently broken bones, torn ligaments, ripped tendons or surgeries. If and when oils or lotions are to be used during the Hand and Arm massage therapy, an earnest verification regarding allergies should be made and any pressure applied must be tailored to the clients tolerance level to pain or discomfort.

A full Hand and Arm massage should ideally begin with the biceps, the muscles in front of the upper arms and those should be pressed and stroked upwards along the biceps from the elbows toward the shoulders and then back and forth across the tendons. When the biceps have had their thorough workout the triceps, the muscles in the back of the upper arms, should be approached with similarly gentle pressing and stroking movement but this time moving downwards from the armpits down to the elbows. Moving on down the arms by kneading the flesh, pressing the muscles and stroke the tendons; the massage therapist should slowly make his or her way toward the hand that is awaiting its turn for a therapeutic workout. The hand portion of the Hand and Arm massage treatment should begin by gently pulling each finger and thumb away from the palm it attach to, while applying firm pressure to any painful or aching areas and then soothing them with moderate rubbing and rolling. The four fingers and the thumb should then be pushed upwards as far as they will go without causing undue discomfort. The thumbs should be used to massage the palms of the hands by applying firm circular motions through the entire palm while intermittently stopping in various areas, particularly those which are sore, to apply steady and direct pressure for a number of seconds. For a soothing effect on the palms and in closing of the Hand and Arm massage therapy session, the thumbs should stroke the surface of the palms in an up and down movements.

A therapeutic Hand and Arm massage can display love, appreciation and devotion more explicitly than any other free gift that anyone can think of. Just ask anyone who has ever been on the receiving or giving end of one.

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