Checklist For Diagnosing Atopic Eczema
Typically, to be diagnosed with atopic eczema you should have had an itchy skin condition in the last 12 months and 3 or more of the following:
- visibly irritated red skin in the creases of your skin, such as the insides of your elbows or behind your knees at the time of examination by a health professional
- a history of skin irritation occurring in the same areas mentioned above
- generally dry skin in the last 12 months
- a history of asthma or hay fever children under 4 must have an immediate relative, such as a parent, brother or sister, who has one of these conditions
- the condition started before the age of 2
Wait: What Is A Cpap System And Why Is One Needed
A CPAP machine is one of the best treatments for people with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes you to stop breathing periodically during sleep. The pauses in sleep occur when muscles in the throat relax so much that they block the airway.
CPAP keeps your airway open. The CPAP system consists of a small bedside pump that pushes a forceful stream of air through a tube and into a mask you wear while you sleep.
People who use it feel much more alert, awake, and productive because they no longer have their sleep disrupted 30 to 100 times per hour, says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, a sleep expert at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital.
CPAP is linked to many other benefits. It helps reverse the risks of sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure, an increased risk for heart disease and strokes, and weight gain.
And a study published online June 13, 2019, by The Lancet suggested that using CPAP reduces depression symptoms in patients who have sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. Anything that can improve sleep can improve mood, and if you treat sleep apnea, it improves mood as well. This is not the first study to demonstrate it, Dr. Epstein says. But this study shows that CPAP improves mood even in people with another serious health complication.
What Foods Should I Eat Or Avoid To Reduce My Risk Of Eczema
The connection between eczema and food allergies is unclear. If you have food allergies, then one of the reasons why you must avoid that food is that it may cause or worsen dermatitis. Examples of common allergies include peanuts, dairy, eggs, sugar, alcohol and gluten. Pay attention to what you eat. If your eczema flares up after you eat a certain food, then you might have an allergy to it.
If you dont have a food allergy then there are no foods, including chicken, that will cause or worsen your eczema.
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What Causes Lymphatic Blockages And How Can You Fix It
Causes of lymphatic blockages include:
Poor lifestyle choices such as inactivity and improper diet Infections Surgery Emotional stress states The normal aging processes
There are a few ways that you can restore the function of your lymphatic system1) Use of a Rebounder . One way to a healthier lymphatic system is to buy a rebounder. Jumping for a few minutes a day will expel poisons by jostling the lymph nodes and squeezing the toxins out.2) Not keen on using a rebounder? Homeopathic drops like this one cleanse your lymph nodes helping to remove toxic build up.3) Regular use of an infrared sauna has also been noted to help with restoring lymph function. Infrared saunas detoxify your body through the sweat glands, cleaning and draining your system.
Interested in finding out if your lymphatic system is functioning optimally? Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre offers the Es-Teck Full Body Analysis. The ES- Teck System is advanced technology and is a Health Canada registered Class III Medical Device. Using a finger Oximeter it allows for observation of heart rate, tissue oxygen uptake, arterial stiffness, hemodynamic indicators and autonomic nervous system levels of activity. It is able to detect whether your lymphatic system is functioning optimally, and allows us to provide you with personalized recommendations to get your lymphatic system back on track!
Does Your Child Need To See A Doctor About Eczema
Yes. Take your child to see your GP if your child:
- might have eczema for the first time
- is very itchy and uncomfortable
- has eczema thats weeping or bleeding
- has eczema that hasnt improved much after a few days, even though youve been treating it as usual
- is having trouble sleeping because the rash is so itchy
- has painful or eczema that has developed pus
- has eczema and is generally unwell for example, has a fever and/or is sweating, feeding poorly or tired.
You should also take your child to the GP if youre not sure whether the rash is eczema.
If your childs eczema doesnt improve with a combination of medical treatment and management at home, your GP might refer your child to a dermatologist. If the GP thinks your childs eczema might be from allergies, they might also refer you to an allergy and immunology specialist.
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Who Gets Eczema Herpeticum
Eczema herpeticum can happen at any age. However, it is most common in young children who already have eczema. See the separate leaflet called Atopic Eczema. The eczema causes breaks in the skin which allows the virus in. So it can also happen to people who have other causes of skin breaks – for example, burns or other types of skin conditions.
What Is The Cause Of Eczema Herpeticum
Most cases of eczema herpeticum are due to Herpes simplextype 1 or 2.
Eczema herpeticum usually arises during a first episode of infection with Herpes simplex . Signs appear 512 days after contact with an infected individual, who may or may not have visible cold sores.
Eczema herpeticum may also complicate recurrent herpes. However, repeated episodes of eczema herpeticum are unusual.
Eczema herpeticum can affect males and females of all ages but is more commonly seen in infants and children with atopic dermatitis. Patients with atopic dermatitis appear to have reduced immunity to herpes infection. Their underlying dermatitis can be mild to severe, active or inactive.
Eczema herpeticum is better called Kaposi varicelliform eruption when a breakdown of the skin barrier is not due to eczema. Examples of non-eczematous conditions prone to severe localised herpes infections are:
Other viruses may occasionally be responsible for a similar eruption, such as eczema coxsackium due to coxsackievirus A16 .
As smallpox has been eliminated, disseminated vaccinia as a consequence of smallpox vaccination is now very rare. It was reported to be very severe, with mortality of up to 50%.
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Whats Hiding In Your Pillow
At face value, your pillow seems pretty innocuous. Its just a wad of stuffing that supports your neck, right?
Wrong.
During their lifetime of service to your sleep, pillows become a fertile breeding ground for all kinds of bugs, fungi and mold.
In fact, one study found that the average pillow actually contains over one million fungal spores!
Microorganisms In The Large Bowel
There are a large number of microorganisms that are capable of producing histamine. Many of the bacteria that live in the human large bowel produce histidine decarboxylase and are capable of converting the histidine in any protein that enters the bowel into histamine. Therefore, the more microorganisms that produce histidine decarboxylase that are present in the colon, and the greater the amount of protein material that enters the bowel, the higher the level of histamine in the digestive tract. From here, histamine can be conveyed through the bowel wall to various sites in the body- where they then cause a variety of symptoms.
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Health Considerations To Be Aware Of
Probiotics are a great way to improve your gut health, but they dont always live up to the hype. Heres what you need to know before giving them a try.
- First of all, if you have an autoimmune condition like Crohns disease or celiac disease, talk with your doctor about how probiotics could affect those conditions.
- Second of all, some probiotic supplements may contain sugars that might cause digestive problems for people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome .
- Thirdly- and this is important- not every type of bacteria in these types of products is helpful for everyone. Youll want to make sure you get one that contains Lactobacillus Acidophilus which studies have shown helps reduce
Misconceptions About Stomach Flu
Is the stomach flu really flu?
No. Many people use the term stomach flu to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria or even parasites. While vomiting, diarrhea, and being nauseous or sick to your stomach can sometimes be related to flu more commonly in children than adults these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. Flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.
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Eliminating Triggers And Irritants
In my 30s, after 20 years of topical steroids and an occasional injection, I realized my eczema was more than an inconvenient headache. I decided instead that it was an inconvenient allergy. I noticed that I would get red itchy bumps on my hands whenever I peeled shrimp or petted or washed the dog. So I decided I should try to eliminate possible irritants or triggers for my eczema.
First I got rid of all the scented creams and soaps. Anything that had a smell to it had to go, including dryer sheets, nail polish, and some cleaning products. I thought that if I could smell a product, it had to be bad for me.
The Bottom Line On Flu Shots And Side Effects
Its normal to feel soreness, redness, tenderness, or even develop a mild fever or body aches during the two days after you get vaccinatedthats just your immune response, not the flu illness itself.
So theres no reason to avoid getting the flu shot because you think itll make you sick. Unless you have severe or life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredients in it, you should roll up your sleeves for one each year, the CDC says .
Getting sick with the flu is more dangerous than many people think. While most people will recover, some people can develop complications from the influenza virus, which can include sinus and ear infections, pneumonia, and inflammation of the heart , brain , or muscle . It can even be deadly.
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Can Probiotics Make You Sick
Probiotics are living microorganisms that can have a positive effect on your health.
However, they can also give you diarrhea and make you sick in some cases.
Probiotics are used to help treat digestive problems such as IBS, but other people use them for weight loss or skincare. So, whilst they are taken for improving your gut health and related conditions, they can have adverse effects too.
Can probiotics make you sick or provide the benefits they are intended to give we will discuss this in this post.
What Is Eczema What Does It Look And Feel Like
Eczema is a condition that causes your skin to become dry, red, itchy and bumpy. Its one of many types of dermatitis. Eczema damages the skin barrier function . This loss of barrier function makes your skin more sensitive and more prone to infection and dryness.
Eczema doesnt harm your body. It doesnt mean that your skin is dirty or infected, and its not contagious. There are treatments that can help manage your symptoms.
In the word dermatitis, derm means skin and itis means inflammation. The word as a whole means inflammation of the skin. Eczema originates from the Greek word ekzein which means to boil over or break out.
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Theyre Not Recommended For Everyone
Most adultsand children ages 5 and upcan get allergy shots. But if you or your child has severe, uncontrolled asthma, your doctor may recommend against them. In our practice, if a patients asthma is flaring or even if theyre sick, we generally wait to give the shot until theyre feeling better, says Dr. Dziadzio.
Women who become pregnant while in the maintenance phase of allergy shots can continue their treatment. But women shouldnt start allergy shots for the first time, or increase their dosage, while pregnant.
Certain medicines, like beta blockers, can reduce the effectiveness of epinephrinethe lifesaving drug used to treat anaphylactic shock. Because anaphylaxis is a rare but serious risk for people getting allergy shots, they may not be recommended for people who take these drugs.
Tip #1 Dry Your Hair Before Bed
As mentioned earlier, bacteria, fungi, mold and mites require moisture to survive and thrive. Going to bed with a head of wet hair allows moisture to seep directly into your pillow, creating the perfect environment for unwanted nightly visitors to multiply. Dry your hair well before bed or shower with ample time for your hair to dry naturally.
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Can Allergy Shots Make You Sick
Everyone tolerates allergy shots differently. In fact, some people might not tolerate them at all.
Ive never been sick from allergy shots, but I have noticed that if I have a cold or the flu and I get an allergy shot my cold or flu will worsen significantly.
Im not a doctor so I would never answer this question definitively but think about the situation. With allergy shots youre being injected with things your body regards as harmful.
Frequent shots eventually teach your immune system to settle down and stop reacting so strongly.
The tips that Ive used with my allergist:
- Reschedule if youre under stress at work
- Reschedule if youre ill from a cold or flu
- Understand that the shots will exhaust your immune system for a day or two after the shot
- Communicate to your allergist if you feel the shots are too strong
- Communicate to your allergist your reactions
- Keep a journal its useful to look back on and understand if a reaction is normal or out of the ordinary.
Youre Having Trouble Thinking Clearly
If youve been having a tough time concentrating on one task at a time, remembering things accurately, or just generally operating on a higher level, stress could be to blame.
This mental fatigue sometimes happens when small stressors pile in at a volume we cant keep up with. Things like making multiple tough decisions at work, handling ongoing interruptions, and juggling social commitments all these can accumulate and start to weigh on you. If you don’t have a chance to hit the pause button and reset, brain fog could set in.
The unfortunate reality of this mental fatigue is that it can affect your physical energy levels, too. If youve spent the whole day feeling exhausted just doing the tasks you normally knock out in one afternoon, your body will feel tuckered out as well. For some, this perpetuates the stress cycle no energy for stress-busting outlets like meditation, creative endeavors, or exercise means nowhere to release that stress, and it remains a looming burden.
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You Have Dark Patches Of Skin
An eczema outbreak doesnt always arrive in red and pink, especially if you have dark skin, on which redness isnt so apparent. Instead, you may see reddish-brown, purple, gray, or deep brown patches, according to the National Eczema Association. Also, African Americans are more likely to develop papular eczema, which presents with small bumps on the torso, arms, and legs, and also around the hair follicles, known as follicular accentuation. If youre not aware of these signs, you may not realize youre experiencing eczema.
Did You Know That Poor Lymphatic Drainage Can Contribute To A Wide Range Of Dysfunction In The Body
Visible signs of poor lymphatic drainage include weight gain, skin problems and premature aging. Breakouts, facial edema, dark circles at/around the eyes, dry, wrinkled or sallow looking skin, spider veins, and cellulite could all be the cause of a poorly functioning lymphatic system.
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms? Perhaps your lymphatic system needs a tune up!
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Itching At The Injection Site Or A Full
This would signal an allergic reaction, but its very rare to have an allergic reaction to the flu shot, Dr. Adalja notes. There are lots of myths about egg allergies and the vaccine, he explainsbecause most flu shots and nasal sprays are manufactured using technology that involves small amounts of egg proteins, per the CDC.
If you can eat scrambled eggs, youre not going to have a problem with the flu shot, Dr. Adalja says. If you have a confirmed egg allergy, you can likely still get the shot, the CDC says.
The caveat: If you experience severe itching at injection site, a rash all over your body, or signs of anaphylactic shock, seek immediate medical attention. And if youve had an allergic reaction to the flu shot in the past, you are among those few groups of people who the CDC recommends skip the flu shot.
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How Is Eczema Herpeticum Treated
Eczema herpeticum is considered an emergency. This is because it can spread quickly. So it must be treated correctly and quickly. If you or your child are diagnosed with eczema herpeticum you will normally be sent to hospital that day for advice from a specialist. In children it is quite common to be admitted to hospital while having the first few days of treatment. In adults, particularly if the infection is mild, it may be sufficient to take tablets and be reviewed by your doctor.
It is important not to be tempted to put a steroid cream on the eczema herpeticum. This will probably make it a lot worse. Many people have steroid creams at home, or have used them for their eczema in the past: you shouldn’t use them for a painful skin condition unless advised by your doctor.
Antiviral medicine such as aciclovir is usually very successful for treating eczema herpeticum. It may be given as a liquid or a tablet. For people who are too unwell to take it as a liquid or a tablet, it can be given by a drip .
Sometimes an antibiotic may be needed as well. This is because the damage to the skin makes you more likely to become infected by the bacteria normally harmlessly present on the skin as well. This is called a secondary bacterial infection.
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