peterhutch asked:


Urticaria also called nettle-rash or hives or wheals in a common language, simply means itching with rash and mainly effects the neck, arms, legs and trunk of the children. Medically, urticaria may be defined as skin eruption , which is allergic in origin and is characterized by profound itching, red circular or irregularly shaped eruptions on any part of the body.

Urticaria also called nettle-rash or hives or wheals in a common language, simply means itching with rash and mainly effects the neck, arms, legs and trunk of the children. Urticaria is an allergic reaction pattern of the skin, characterized by eruption of wheals or hives, which are itchy, transient, reddish and edematous swelling of the skin and mucosal surfaces that spread by peripheral extension and assume bizzare patterns on the skin. Wheals are caused by release of histamine and other chemical mediators which are released by mast cells which accumulate in the dermis of the skin as a response to some immunological or non immunological allergic response in the body.

Symptoms

Raised red and white patches appear on the skin. They are accompanied by burning,intense itching, and stinging. Rubbing and scratching usually aggravate the condition. The outbreak of urticaria is sudden and the disease may affect any part or the entire body. The eruptions may be as small as pin heads or as large as a rupee. The eruption may fade in a few minutes or an hour in one place, but may appear in another.

Causes

Urticaria pigmentosa is one of several forms of mastocytosis, which is caused by excessive numbers of inflammatory cells (mast cells) in the skin. Other forms include solitary mastocytoma (a single lesion) and systemic mastocytosis (involvement in organs other than the skin).

Urticaria pigmentosa is most often seen in children, but it can occur in adults as well.

A viral infection such as a cold or ‘flu can trigger an urticarial rash in some people. (You ‘react’ to the virus.) A mild viral infection which causes few other symptoms is probably a common trigger of an urticarial rash that develops without an apparent cause.

Skin contact with ’sensitizers’ causes a local area of urticaria in some people. For example, chemicals, latex, cosmetics, plants, ointments, nettle stings, etc.

Prevention tips

Try not to overheat.

Cool the affected area with a fan, cold flannel, ice pack or soothing moisturising lotion.

Avoid aspirin and codeine.

Treatment

The main treatment for urticaria is with anti-histamines. These are usually given in oral forms and may need to be given in large or frequent doses to control the symptoms. Short courses of corticosteroids may be needed. If the symptoms are severe, epinephrine shots can be used for immediate, but temporary, relief.

If the cause of the urticaria is known or suspected, such as a food or medication, avoidance of this trigger may resolve the symptoms. In cases of chronic idiopathic urticaria, triggers such as acute infections of any kind (such as the common cold), stress, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin and ibuprofen, for example), may flare the symptoms.

Patricia Hammond asked:


Herbal remedies are useful and effective ways to help people suffering from hair loss. Since herbal remedies are natural, they are generally considered safe and free from side effects, although there may be isolated cases once in a while. Each herbal remedy for hair loss are believed to provide hope for people experiencing hair loss. Below is a list of herbal remedies for hair loss that have been proven to be effective.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba is a potent herbal remedy for hair loss with medicinal properties that showed efficacy in improving blood circulation to the scalp and head and to other parts of the body. It is believed that the increase of blood to the brain and skin provides more nutrients to the hair follicles, causing hair to grow back.

Saw Palmetto (Seranoa Repens)

Saw palmetto is also an herbal remedy for hair loss that is currently the treatment of choice of several men because of its capability to slow down hair loss and stimulate new hair growth. Tinctures and extracts from this herb block the receptors on cell membranes for dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the main cause of hair loss in many patients. Also, this herbal remedy for hair loss prevents the formation of DHT the way that FDA-approved hair loss treatment medication finasteride does. This ability makes saw palmetto an effective treatment for hair loss.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica Diocia)

Stinging nettle is an herbal remedy for hair loss that has long been preferred as a means of curbing balding. This herb slows down loss of hair by preventing testosterone from being converted into DHT, allowing stimulation of hair growth. Stinging nettle is more effective when used together with pygeum and saw palmetto.

Pygeum (Pygeum Africanum)

Pygeum is an herbal remedy for hair loss that has the capability to inhibit the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme that regulates the production of DHT. Pygeum also prevents loss of hair by slowing down the conversion of testosterone to DTH, thereby preventing hair follicles from weakening.

Green Tea (Camellia Sinesis)

Camellia Sinesis is another herbal remedy for hair loss considered an effective cure for male pattern baldness. Green tea contains components called catechins that help in preventing hair loss. These catechins prevent the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase from converting male hormone testosterone to DHT.

He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum)

He Shou Wu is a Chinese herbal remedy for hair loss. It has been traditionally used as a remedy for hair loss. It has also been used in many commercial preparations that reduce loss of hair. In its processed form, He Shou Wu delivers nourishment to the liver. Blood in the liver nourishes the head and the hair, thus, promoting growth of hair and preventing hair from becoming gray.

Gotu kola

Gotu kola is a herbal remedy for hair loss that works by stimulating and increasing blood circulation throughout the brain and the scalp, which then revitalizes the hair follicles. When hair follicles have sufficient blood flow, they are protected from the harmful activity caused by DHT. Gotu kola extract also purifies the blood and improves the growth and the health of hair. Several herbal products that use gotu kola as a base promote hair growth and fortify collagen and the blood vessels.

jeniferhobson asked:


First – Couch grass

Couch grass is a diuretic and the mucilage helps soothe an inflamed and irritated urinary tract. It also helps to make well the urinary tract. Couch grass raises the quantity of urine by the osmotic procedure.

It has a number of active constituents with an antibiotic effect, and can be used in gout and rheumatism. It is also used in cystitis, urethritis, benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostatitis, nephritis and calculus (stones).

Second – Uva Ursi (Bearberry)

The leaves are picked any time during the summer and dried for make use of in infusions, medicinal tea bags, liquid extracts and tablets. The plant has the following claimed properties: anti-lithic, aromatic, astringent, disinfectant, tonic, urinary antiseptic, diuretic, lithontripic, sedative (renal), stimulant (mild).

Third Horsetail

The plant contains an intercalary meristem: that is to say, every segment of the stem grows as the plant gets taller. This contrast with the seed plants, which hold an apical meristem i.e. new development, comes only from growing tips (and widening of stems). Growth was determinate – i.e. the plants phenotype dictated an utmost height, which the plant would develop to then obtain no higher.

Parsley – one more type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable, as with hamburg root parsley. This type of parsley creates much thicker roots than types cultivated for their leaves. Although little known in Britain and the United States, root parsley is very ordinary in Central and Eastern European cuisine, where it is used in most soups or stews.

Fourth Nettle

Nettle is highly nutritious with vitamins and minerals including chlorophyll and beta carotene, vitamins A, B2, C and E, calcium, potassium and iron. Nettle has been proven to raise the elimination of the waste product, uric acid. It is a diuretic, and has been establish successful in managing the symptoms of kind prostatic hypertrophy, mainly in mixture with saw palmetto. Nettle has an antibacterial effect and has been found to be successful against staphylococci and other bacteria. It is helpful in arthritis and rheumatic troubles because it helps get rid of metabolic wastes. It is also used in chronic cystitis.

Fifth – Corn Silk

The silky tassel in the corn husk is not frequently measured a food, but it is extremely valued in herbology as a hold up to the urinary system. Later than the corn plant has shed its pollen, the silk is gathered, dried and powdered for a lot of uses. It contains silicon, B vitamins, PABA and moderate amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Its key constituents are maizenic acid, fixed oil, resin and mucilage.

Smith & Chen asked:


In recent times, hair loss has become a common condition, especially among men although, the exact cause of hair loss is still a mystery. Some research studies have linked hair loss with the lack of iron, the condition of the skin on the scalp, an excess of the hormone DHT and probably an under active thyroid gland.

The hair, although it is thought of as dead, is a good indicator of general health and it is the first indicator that shows signs of ill health or lack of essential vitamins and minerals within the body. Oily hair can be a sign of vitamin B deficiency, brittle or dry hair can be an indicator of essential fats deficiency, dull hair color and poor growth can be signs of zinc deficiency and hair loss can be an indicator of lack of vitamin C, vitamin B1, iron and lysine. Grey hair comes with age and has no link to body health or nutrition and in most cases nutrition cannot be used to reverse it.

Although certain types of medicine are known to slow down the process of hair loss and even help with some form of hair re-growth, experts say that natural hair loss treatment can yield some of the best benefits for anyone concerned about the health of their hair.

Most people choose to treat their hair loss with medications or surgery, such as Minoxidil, Rogaine or a hair transplant. What these people fail to realize is that medication and surgery are costly and may carry some harmful side effects and risks. The safest and most cost effective form of hair loss therapy is natural hair loss treatment, which includes healthy dieting, herbal remedies, exercise and proper hair care techniques.

A fundamental principal in natural hair loss treatment is that the same foods that are good for your health are good for your hair. Hair loss can be caused by several factors, but lack of proper nutrition plays a vital role for most people. Foods that are high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and have reduced fat content can help in maintaining healthier hair and preventing hair loss. For example, essential fatty acids, found in spinach, walnuts, soy, tuna, sardines, sunflower seeds and canola oil, are important dietary essentials useful in keeping hair healthy. The omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids contain anti-inflammatory properties that are useful in maintaining healthy hair. Insufficient levels of these essential fatty acids could lead to quicker hair loss.

To avoid hair loss and have good healthy hair, a good nutritional diet is needed. This diet needs to be rich in organic whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds which are a rich source of vital nutrients needed for healthy hair roots and the protein keratin. Try not to skip meals, reduce salt, sugar, tea, coffee and chocolate intake, avoid stress, comb your hair gently and avoid using strong chemicals on your hair such as perms and color treatments. Vegetarians are prone to hair loss because their diet generally lacks the important nutrients, vitamin B12, iron and lysine. Vegetarians need to be aware of this and supplement their diet.

Besides taking the right diet pattern, several natural herbs are known to be very good in the prevention and treatment of hair loss. These herbs in most cases are safe; without harmful side effects and also cost effective. Among such herbs include nettles, usually taken in the form of Nettle Root Extract, which has been shown to be effective in preventing and treating hair loss. Nettles are rich in vitamins A and C that are beneficial in inhibiting DHT production and promoting hair growth as a natural hair loss treatment. Other traditional herbs that are useful as natural hair loss treatments are green tea, liquorice extract, horsetail, ginger, psoralea seeds, apple cider vinegar, rosemary and sage tea.

One important herb making the rounds in medical cycles is Saw Palmetto. Although most studies of Saw Palmetto have been for the treatment of prostatic disease, more recent studies have been conducted on its effectiveness in treating hair loss. The herb has been found to work in fighting benign prostatic disease by lowering levels of DHT, which is a known cause of androgenic alopecia, the medical term for male or female pattern hair loss. While there are no clinical trials supporting this herb’s usefulness as a natural hair loss treatment, there is some reliable research proving that it can slow down androgen activity within the hair follicle.

The following supplements may help if you are suffering from hair loss.

B complex

Evening primrose oil

Fish oil

Kelp

Lysine

Multivitamins and multiminerals

Vitamin C

Hair loss is a common occurrence in almost everyone, though more pronounced in some people. If you are battling with this condition it would be wise to find treatment in your day to day items instead of spending a fortune on medical remedies that come with tons of side effects. Natural remedies are always safe, reliable and very cost effective, all you need is the right knowledge.