Dandruff in Children: How to Prevent It?

August 11, 2011

Dandruff is the normal shedding of top skin layer in the scalp area, which is quite common in all parts of the body. While it goes unnoticed in other areas, it is more prominent in the scalp, as hair strands hold the dead skin. Similar to teenagers and adults, children can still face the problem of dandruff. However, cases of dandruff in children are usually mild, except a few instances, wherein kids develop stubborn plaques on the scalp. Parents need to understand the possible causes of dandruff in children, so that they can be treated promptly.

Children who are reaching their puberty age often get dandruff, which is basically due to hormonal changes taking place in the body. The most probable cause of dandruff in children is improper rinsing of the scalp area while shampooing. As the dead skin cells are not removed, they will accumulate overtime, causing dandruff in children. Other dandruff causes are oily scalp, dry weather, unhealthy diet, less sleep and stress. Since dandruff is hereditary, it is quite likely that kids born to parents having dandruff get this scalp condition.

It is observed that the scalp of a child having dandruff is prone to excess and rapid shedding. If not addressed in the early stages, a mild condition may exacerbate to severe dandruff in children, which is sometimes referred to as cradle cap. Accompanied with mild to severe itching, this thick chunky dandruff usually measures about one or two centimeters. To add, a worrying concern is loss of hair, resulted due to tough dandruff and constant scratching. Whatever is the severity of dandruff in children, it is best to treat in the early stages.

In most cases, dandruff in children resolves successfully with home treatment alternatives. You can try effective hair care methods for curing dandruff in your child’s scalp. Actually, treating dandruff in children by a physician is imperative, only if home remedies fail to show improved results within two weeks.

As mentioned already, lack of personal hygiene is the main reason for developing dandruff in children. Simple instructions on washing hair and shampooing frequency will help clear the condition within a few weeks time. Shampooing at least thrice a week with regular shampoo is prescribed to remove dry skin flakes from the scalp.

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Hemophilia: Disease that Cannot Be Foreseen or Prevented

July 28, 2011

Hemophilia is a condition wherein the body’s clotting or coagulation mechanism is impaired as a result of which bleeding does not stop after the stipulated period when there is an injury and a blood vessel is broken.

There exist three different types of hemophilia, classified on the basis of the kind of clotting factor that is missing. Hemophilia A or classic hemophilia: At 80 percent, this is the most common hemophilia type which is caused as a result of clotting factor VIII deficiency.

Hemophilia B: If Hemophilia A constitutes 80 percent of the cases, Hemophilia B - caused by factor IX deficiency, constitutes nearly 20 percent of the cases. Hemophilia C: This is the rarest of all three and is caused due to deficiency of clotting factor XI. This is usually the mildest of all three.

In short, hemophilia is caused due to a missing clotting factor which is required for the normal coagulation process to be completed. When a blood vessel is broken, in case of a hemophilic, a small scab does form but the fibrin formation - which leads to the hardening and closure of the wound, does not form. Due to this lack of formation of a basic blood clot, the bleeding will not be more intense - but instead may last much longer with blood occasionally oozing out for days or even weeks at times. That being said, such an injury could be fatal if it takes place inside the body - like in the brain or in the internal organs.

Since hemophilia is not caused due to any external microorganism, we should try and understand how this condition then manages to affect an individual. As mentioned earlier, hemophilia is a sex linked recessive disorder. We know that every human being has two chromosomes - XX chromosome pattern in females whereas XY pattern in males. The defective gene for hemophilia is present only on the X chromosome. Thus, if males manage to get that X chromosome which contains the defective gene, they will suffer from hemophilia.

This scenario is however different for females. When it comes to females, if a woman has one X chromosome which has the defective gene, then the healthy X chromosome will camouflage this gene, that is, the female with just one affected X chromosome will not show symptoms of hemophilia despite having one chromosome for it. Thus, she will be what is known as a carrier of the hemophilic gene. In some very rare cases though, if both the X chromosomes of a female have the affected gene, then she will suffer from hemophilia.

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Three Types of Spasms You Should Differentiate

July 22, 2011

There must have been many instances when a sudden muscle pull or cramp made you freeze in pain for a few moments or even more. When we talk about cramps, we know that these discomforts are not major, and that they fade away in a few seconds. Interestingly, there is a lot more on these fluctuations in the muscles in our body.

The three types of spasms are - cramps, tics and convulsions. Each has a somewhat typical region of muscle pain and contraction. Most of the times, spasms are frequent in people with multiple sclerosis. Spasms are also symptoms for other complications.

Cramps are among the painful and longer lasting sensations caused due to the contraction or over shortening of the muscles. A cramp is a type of muscle spasm. The reason for cramps in the muscles is related to poor blood circulation in that particular area. Some of the dietary deficiencies of minerals like sodium and potassium are also the causes of cramps. A quick massage to the affected area can relieve the spasms.

Tics are the most basic and least risk posing types of spasms. This can be described as an uncontrolled, rapid, compulsive and repeated movement that involves a certain group of muscles. It is a generalization that tics are typically eye spasms. Most of the times, tics will not last longer than a second. These can occur in the facial tissues and muscles as well as in the shoulder and the legs. Stress and trauma to the CNS (central nervous system) triggers these spasms. Tics will not be painful, but they can be annoying, with repetitions. Adequate rest and remaining stress free will help in dealing with these types of spasms.

Convulsions are often confused with seizures. In this condition, there is extreme contraction and relaxation of the muscles, repeatedly. This causes intense pain as compared to all the spasm types. It is also a symptom of an epileptic seizure. Not all cases of epileptic seizures are convulsions. Also, it is not in every case that convulsions happen as a part of an epileptic seizure. Convulsions will last for few seconds to a minute. In case of repeated convulsions, epilepsy can be the underlying issue. Only after diagnosis is made, a treatment can be prescribed for the convulsions and seizures.

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Essential Symptoms of Internal Shingles

July 12, 2011

Shingles is an infection that occurs after reactivation of the virus lying dormant at the nerve ends. When the virus is activated, it travels down the nerve causing a rash on the affected part. Sometimes, shingles strikes internal organs as the nerve affected is connected to these regions. This condition is far more serious than external shingles and can lead to serious complications.

It is important to know a bit about the internal shingles symptoms as it will help you get medical help soon. The first give away of internal shingles is swelling of the lymph nodes. One observes this swelling under the arms or in the groin area. This happens due to the activation of the immune system against the virus. The next symptom includes an unexplained abdominal pain. The stomach becomes tender to touch and one suffers from gastrointestinal upsets. This happens if the gastrointestinal tract is affected by the virus. One may even develop blisters in the mouth and throat. These lesions are very painful and irritating. It becomes very difficult for the patient to eat or drink. Apart from these mild signs, one may develop some serious internal shingles symptoms.

One of the serious symptoms is Hutchinson’s sign. Here, the nerve of the eye is affected and the rash appears on the end of the nose. Shingles in the eye leads to swelling, vision problems and even temporary blindness. If one observes the rash on their nose, they should immediately seek medical attention. Another serious symptom is the rash appearing on the face, neck, ear and mouth. This occurs after the facial nerve is affected. The patient suffers from severe ear pain, hearing loss, dizziness, and even facial paralysis. The condition is luckily temporary, but requires medical attention.

Sometimes, the virus can invade internal body tissues and organs like lungs, central nervous system as well as the brain. If it affects the lungs, it could lead to breathing problems as well as pneumonia. When it affects the brain, serious complications such as confusion, headaches, dizziness, unconsciousness, etc. occur. The viral infection of the brain leads to encephalitis. This complication causes inflammation of the brain meninges and may damage the nerves around the brain. These serious symptoms may lead to life threatening complications in the patient.

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Most Wide-Spread Causes for Vaginal Yeast Infection

July 8, 2011

Yeast is a naturally-occurring single-celled fungus that can be found in various parts of the human body. Though it’s normal to have a small number of yeast cells in the mucus membranes of the body, the problem arises when these yeast cells start multiplying. A vaginal yeast infection certainly gives rise to a great deal of discomfort. If you have a basic idea about the causal factors, you can certainly avoid these infections. Given below are the common causes of yeast infections in women.

Antibiotics are widely used for the treatment of bacterial infections. Though such drugs can kill the harmful bacteria and stop them from proliferating, the beneficial bacteria are also killed in the process. When the number of friendly bacteria decreases considerably, the balance is disrupted and the yeast cells start growing rapidly. The disruption of this balance between the bacteria and yeast cells makes one vulnerable to oral thrush or vaginal candidiasis, which are yeast infections of the oral cavity and vagina respectively.

A hormonal imbalance is also believed to be one of the most common causes of yeast infections in women. There could be a wide range of reasons that could cause hormonal changes in women. It is believed that high levels of estrogen can give rise to yeast infections. Such interplay of hormones is common when a woman is ovulating. Use of birth control pills or hormone therapy could also give rise to estrogen predominance and therefore, make one more susceptible to candidiasis. High estrogen levels are believed to be one of the most prominent causes of yeast infection in pregnant women.

Many women suffer from vaginal yeast infections if they wear tight clothing. Wearing clothes that are too tight can irritate the vagina. Excessive sweating can dampen the area and this makes one more susceptible to infections. Yeast cells can also multiply if you wear damp underclothing. Precautions should be taken to keep the genital region clean and dry. One must refrain from the use of perfumed feminine sprays as these can irritate the area. Cleaning the region with water will suffice.

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