SELF
HELP APPROACH
- Apply an ice cube (wrapped in a soft
piece of cloth) wherever your spot become
redness. It not only reduces the redness;
it lessens the inflammation and helps
the skin heal.
- Acne is aggravated due to the food that
you eat. Some people, who have kapha constitution,
react to milk products, nuts, fats, fried
and oily foods, chocolate, hydrogenated
oils and sugar. Iodine rich foods such
as liver, cheese, iodized salt, and crabs
have been associated with acne and should
be avoided.
- Expose your body to sun and air, bit
do not sunburn. Fresh air and daily exercise
are very important. Get sufficient sleep.
Keep your bowels regular.
- Keep your bed sheets clean, as dead
skin, oil, cosmetics, hair and dirt on
the sheets will clog your pores further.
- Do not pinch the pimple, as it can lead
to inflammation. Worse still, squeezing
can leave scars on your face. However,
if you are desperate, then use a hot,
clean cloth or tissue to soften the pimple.
This will allow you to break the pimple
open with gentle pressure.
- Wash your face twice or thrice a day.
However, avoid using soaps that dry your
skin. Avoid oil-based cosmetics, as they
tend to clog the pores on your skin. Use
organic vegetarian soaps that contain
no fat.
- Wash your hair every third or fourth
day.
- Several prescription drugs, including
many types of contraceptives pills and
corticosteroids, can cause or aggravate
acne.
- Emotional disorder can disturb digestive
and endocrinal functions, leading to inefficient
digestion of oils and potential increase
in skin oil, which in turn cause acne.
AYURVEDIC
REMEDIES
- Clean your skin thoroughly and apply
egg white with a cotton swab. Let it stay
for several hours or overnight. Egg white
acts as an astringent.
- Make a poultice of sugar with a small
amount of water; wash your face and apply
on the affected area. Sugar has an anti-bacterial
effect.
- To treat affected area, make an infusion
of tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaves. Put
two to four teaspoonful of dried leaves
in a cup of boiling water, steep for 10
minutes, cool and apply.
- Place turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder
or tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaves in a
bowl of water, which has just been boiled.
Cover your hair with a towel. Create a
mini-steam bath for your face. Make sure
to wash your face immediately afterwards,
as dirt and oil can be removed more easily
from open pores.
- Kumkumadi lepam applied on the face
after washing can give good results.
- Saaribaadyaasav taken 15-30 ml with
equal quantity of water twice daily acts
as a blood purifier and controls acne.
- A regular use of Organic green tea protects
from pimples.
PSORIASIS:
It is a patch of thick, red skin covered
with silvery scale, which usually itch
and burn. Affected persons suffer from
restricted movement in their joints, emotional
distress and cracked skin. The disease
may also affect the fingernails, the toenails
and the soft tissues inside the mouth
and genitalia. Scaling occurs when cells
in the outer layer of the skin reproduce
faster than normal and pile up on the
skin's surface. In many ways, psoriatic
skin is similar to skin which is healing
from a wound or reaching to a stimulus
such as infection.
Psoriasis display different characteristics
such as pus like blister, severe sloughing
of the skin, drop like dots, and smooth
inflamed lesions. In Ayurveda, these may
be correlated with Eka-kustha, KItibha-kustha
and Sidma- kustha. Psoiasis is aggravated
by injury or irritation (cuts, burns,
rash, insect bites). Medications (beta-blockers,
used to treat high blood pressure, and
lithium or other drugs used to treat depression),
viral or bacterial infections, excessive
alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of
sunlight, overexposure to sunlight (sunburn),
stress, cold climate and frequent friction
on the skin are also associated with flare-ups
of psoriasis.
SELF
HELP APPROACH
- Cutting down of fats, animal protein,
sugars and the quantity of food consumed
is recommended.
- Avoid alcoholic intake. Ingestion of
alcohol appears to be a risk factor for
psoriasis.
- Daily regular short doses of sunlight
that do not produce sunburn clear psoriasis.
Vitamin D is convertd in the body into
a powerful hormone by sunlight.
- Bathing in water added with oil and
applying moisturizer can soothe the skin.
Scales can be removed effectively and
itching reduced with salt-water bath.
- A proper exercise programme can improve
flexibility and mobility of the joints.
For psoriasis arthritis, therapeutic exercise
is often targeted at the soft tissues
around the joints. Moderate bicycling
is good for knees and ankle. Jogging or
running can be counter productive because
it puts stress on the knees and hips.
One can get the same benefits with a fast
walk. In inflamed and immobile joints,
the regimen includes simple stretching
exercise.
AYURVEDIC
REMEDIES
- Apply diluted limejuice externally.
- Eat thin slices of onions fried in ghee.
- Tie a fresh thin banana leaf on the
affected area.
- Powder few almonds and boil thoroughly
in water. Apply this paste on affected
areas and let it remain overnight. Next
morning, wash it off with water.
- Boil one teaspoonful sandalwood (chandan,
Santalum album) powder in three cups of
water until it is reduced to one cup.
Add a little rose water and sugar and
take thrice a day.
- Grind cleaned doob grass (Cynodon dactylon)
without the roots and turmeric in 4:1
ratio into a fine paste and apply on the
affected areas.
- Grind a handful of fresh jasmine flowers
and apply the paste on the affected areas.
- Boil one teaspoonful of powdered soap
pod (shikakai) in one-cup water. Cool
and apply on the affected parts.
- Drink fresh cabbage juice (½
cup) everyday to ensure faster recovery.
- Capsaicin derived from hot peppers (Capsicum
annum) works on redness, scaling and itching.
Mahaamarichyadi taila, ayurvedic oil,
contains pepper as one of the ingredients.
- Kushtaraakhasa taila, kitibhaari malahara
etc. are specific applictions for psoriasis.
They remove the scaling of the skin and
provide soothing effect.
- Pancha tikta ghrita guggulu about 5-10
gm with mahaa manjisstaadi kwaatha are
to be used every morning and evening for
6 weeks. Maha tikta ghritam can also be
used in similar lines.
DANDRUFF:
Itching and flaking of the scalp arises
as a result of dandruff. Occasionally,
it can also affect the ears, eyebrows
and forehead. Though the extract reason
is unknown, the primary cause of dandruff
is thought to be a yeast called Pityrosporum
ovale. Over activity of oil glands is
another possible cause.
SELF
HELP APPROACH
- Identify and avoid potential allergic
foods. Limit intake of milk and other
dairy products, seafood and fatty foods.
Reduce or eliminate animal proteins and
eat whole grains, fresh vegetables, beans
and fruits. Avoid excess salt. Reduce
tomatoes, citrus fruits and such acidic
foods and certain spices.
- Reduce your sugar intake. Diabetes can
also cause dandruff. If you have diabetes,
high sugar levels result in the dehydration
of tissues as the body flushes out fluids
in an attempt to rid itself of the sugar.
- Reduce or, if possible eliminate all
foods containing yeast, such as bread
and baked foods, cheese, fermented foods,
wine and alcoholic beverages.
- Personal hygiene and cleanliness is
important. Shampoo the hair once or twice
a week.
- Avoid alcohol based styling products,
as they tend to dry out the scalp. In
addition, avoid dyeing your hair.
- Brush your daily to improper blood circulation
and remove dead cells and flakes. To avoid
any further spread, bend forward from
the waist with the head down towards the
ground, and brush from the nape of the
neck towards the top of the head. If you
have long hair, two strokes would be best
to avoid stretching of the hair. After
brushing, massage your scalp to stimulate
the circulation, remove dirt and dandruff,
as this will encourage hair growth. For
a proper massage, spread your fingers
fan like and slip them through the hair.
With your thumbs pressed behind ears,
press down on scalp with fingertips. Now
rotate your finger so that they move the
scalp over the bony structure of the head.
- Medication or yoga will help relieve
stress that exacerbates dandruff.
AYURVEDIC
REMEDIES
- Wash your hair with green gram powder
of amla (Emblica officinalis) powder in
curd.
- Prepare an emulsion by mixing one part
of sandalwood oil (chandan, Santalum album)
with three parts of fresh lemon juice
in a glass bottle and apply on the scalp.
- Soak two tablespoonfuls of fenugreek
seeds (methi, Foeniculum vulgare) overnight
in water. Grind the softened seeds into
a fine paste and apply on the scalp. Then
wash the hair with soap-nut solution or
shikakai.
- Thoroughly rub a thick gel of aloe-vera
leaves on the scalp; leave overnight,
shampoo in the morning.
- Combine olive oil and ginger root and
apply on your scalp before shampooing.
- Durdurpatraadi tailam as external medicament
and Gandhaka rasaayan as internal medicine
are usually prescribed to treat this condition.
- Brihat haridra kanda in the dose of
one teaspoonful mixed in a glass of milk
twice daily, controls dandruff and improves
colour and complexion.
- Blood purifying liquids khadiraaista
and saaribaadyaasavam taken twice daily
(20 ml in same quantity of water) are
also useful medicines.
- If the problem is not improved, it is
better to consult with an Ayurvedic physician
as it might be due to some problem such
as psoriasis or ringworm.
CONJUNCTIVITIS:
The inflammation of the conjunctiva, the
underside of both the upper and lower
eyelids and covering of the white portion
of the eye is known as conjunctivitis.
In Ayurveda, it is called as a condition
of netraabhishyandam.
CAUSES
AND SYMPTOMS
In conjunctivitis, inflammation causes
small blood vessels in the conjunctiva
to become more prominent, resulting in
a pinkish or reddish cast to your eyes.
A virus, similar to the one that causes
the common cold, usually causes it. Due
to this reason, it is usual to have the
symptoms of cold before, during and after
a bout of conjunctivitis. However, there
are instances of conjunctivitis that are
bacterial and allergic in origin. A similar
condition can result from an injury or
if you rub your eyes too vigorously or
it may also result form a foreign body
in your eye.
Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by an
allergy to pollen, cosmetics, animal skin
and hair, skin medicines, air pollution,
smoke or other substances. In all cases
of conjunctivitis, the white part of the
eye turns red and feels gritty. There
may be a mild sensitivity to light and
excessive tearing.
There is often a yellowish discharge,
which forms a crust overnight. Bacterial
infection produces a marked pus-like discharge
and crusting, whereas viral infection
may cause only a slight discharge. Viral
conjunctivitis, in contrast to bacterial,
may have as associated swelling and tenderness
of the lymph node in front of the ear
on the affected side. In allergic conjunctivitis,
there is usually a long standing redness
and itching of the white of the eye without
any discharge all year round, but more
severely in the pollen season. Your eyes
may water, or make tears. You may have
a running nose and sneeze a lot. Less
commonly, there is a sudden white puffiness
of the conjunctivitis, usually during
the pollen season that disappears after
a few hours.
SELF
HELP APPROACH
- Avoid rubbing your eyes.
- Do not touch the eye area with your
fingers. If you wish to wipe eyes, use
tissues or clean and fresh handkerchief.
- With your eyes closed, apply a washcloth
soaked in warm (not hot) water to the
affected eye three to four times a day
for at least five minutes at a time.
- Alternatively, you can also put a cold
compress over your eyes for relief. Use
a wash-cloth or small towel soaked in
cold water or wrapped around ice-cubes.
- Avoid wearing eye make-up until the
infection has completely cleared up.
- Do not cover or patch the eye. This
can make the infection grow.
- Do not wear contract lenses while your
eyes are infected.
- Wash your hands often and use your own
towels. Pink eye is very contagious and
can spread from one person to another
by contaminated fingers, washcloths, or
towels. Clean all personal items daily
with soap and water.
- Do not touch the infected eye because
the infection will spread to the good
eye.
- If you can identify the cause of allergic
conjunctivitis, it may be possible to
prevent its occurrence. Anyhow, avoid
airborne pollens, dust, mould spore and
animal dander, or direct contact with
chlorinated water or cosmetics.
AYURVEDIC
REMEDIES
- The decoction of turmeric (Curcuma longa)
is a very cooling application in conjunctivitis;
you can either wash your eyes with this
decoction or apply the compress made with
decoction over the eyes.
- The root of daaru haldi (Berberis aristica)
is very efficacious in conjunctivitis.
Make decoction by boiling two parts by
weight of the root in 26 parts of water
until the quantity is reduced to about
three parts. Use it as an eye-ointment
(collyrium) by mixing with honey.
- Triphala (harro+barro+aamala) is made
by soaking 15 gm of triphala choorna in
200 ml of water for half an hour, boiling
and filtering it. This is used for washing
the affected eyes 3-4 times a day.
- Triphala choorna taken orally about
5 gm with water is useful for viral infections.
- Freshly extracted juice of aamla in
the dose of 2 teaspoonfuls thrice a day
is rewarding.
- Chandrodaya vati can be applied externally
in chronic condition.
ORAL HYGIENE:
Description:
Keeping mouth clean is essential for health.
The habit of cleansing teeth and tongue
daily after food should be taught to children.
If it is not done disease of teeth, gums,
tongue and digestive disorders any occur.
Association:
If appropriate measures are not taken
for the maintenance of oral health, it
may gives rise to foul smell, dirty deposits
at the root of teeth, dental caries, loose
teeth, toothache, blood and pus coming
out of the gums, swelling of gums and
indigestion.
Manegement:
The following should be followed for the
management of oral hygiene:
1. Brush teeth twice daily once early
in the morning and once at bedtime.
2. Use tender twigs of neem (Azadirachta
indica), banyan (Ficus bengalensis (root
coming out of branches), Mimusops elengi
or Terminalia arjuna for brushing of teeth.
Before brushing, chew these twigs sufficiently
to have a soft brush.
3. Brush teeth with the powder of the
bark of neem, banyan, Mimusops elengii
or Terminalia arjuna.
4. Teeth may be brushed with the powder
of Terminalia chebula and Emblica officinalis.
After brushing teeth, sesame oil or mustard
oil may be rubbed over the gums.
Diet and
Regimens:
Chewing betel leaf with tobacco or chewing
tobacco alone is harmful for the teeth,
cleaning the mouth after food is necessary.
This habit should be developed from childhood.
Taking sour things and Terminalia chebula
are chewed frequently to prevent oral
diseases.
