summer skin lesions

wo baths a day keep bacteria at bay

Your Health DR GITA MATHAI

Come summer and people start suffering from pimples, prickly heat, carbuncles and heat boils. No matter what the advertisements say, no cream, talc or lotion can keep you “cool” and prevent heat-induced skin infections. For that, you need to maintain basic hygiene. Bathe twice a day, preferably with medicated soap. Add 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to each bucket of water. It is best to shave off facial hair and the armpit area, which can easily develop an infection because of the sweat build up there. It will not clear until all the hair has been removed. Any medication applied will otherwise stick to the hair and not permeate to the pores. The area should also be washed with soap three times a day. Do not apply any powder. Contrary to what the advertisements say, prickly heat powder or talc actually encourages skin infections. Powder combines with sweat to block the pores of the skin. The sebum and sweat builds up behind the blocked pore, providing a nutritious medium for bacteria to grow. If a pimple or furuncle appears, do not pick or press it. Clean the area with medicated soap and apply antibacterial ointment (such as Neosporin or bacitracin) with a cotton bud. Unfortunately, most people are unable to keep their hands off these lesions. They pick and press to remove them or even try to shave the rash off. Medical personnel and beauty parlours also offer cosmetic and “safe” removal of facial blemishes, pimples and acne. There is no such thing. Bacteria belonging to the Staphylococcus family live on the surface of the skin. Usually, they do not cause any harm. However, if a person’s immunity decreases because of debilitating illness or there is an injury, these bacteria can enter the deeper layers of the skin. The bacteria that do this are not necessarily more virulent mutants of theStaphylococcus family. They are opportunistic, taking advantage of the temporary weakness and breach in the body’s defences. Medicated soaps such as Neko damage the outer cell wall of the Staphylococcusbacteria, killing them. So it is a good idea to use such a soap regularly. Apply it on the body with a loofah or towel. The skin of the face is abundantly supplied with blood vessels. These pass through connective tissue and then directly join the veins in the brain. So any time there is a cut on the face, it is relatively easy for bacteria to enter the brain and cause dangerous infections. This is particularly true of a triangular area of the face, which can be demarcated by drawing an imaginary line between the tip of the nose and the angles of the mouth. Even trivial infections in this area can be fatal, earning it the name “dangerous” area. Unfortunately this area is also very injury prone. It can be easily nicked while shaving. The upper lip is hairy (in both sexes) and so retains sweat and dirt. The pores become easily blocked. Young people are often in the habit of actively picking at facial lesions. Even in the absence of active physical interference, infection can set in. Initially there may be just a cold feeling. This will soon be followed by high fever. The area may become red, swollen, hard and painful to touch. The eye on the affected side can become puffed up and half shut. These are dangerous signs and a physician needs to be contacted immediately. Pus accumulating in other parts of the body needs to be drained. In this dangerous area, it needs to be left alone. This is because any interference with the lesion causes the pus to enter the deeper tissues and spread rapidly because of the abundant blood supply. The high content of connective tissue in that area facilitates this spread by holding the veins open. Instead of surgical interference, high doses of antibiotics should be given. Clean the area gently, without pressing down on it. Self-medication with one or two doses of antibiotics for insignificant skin infections makes the friendly skin bacteria resistant and virulent. Infections will recur frequently, spread to other areas of the body and become non-responsive to treatment. So only take antibiotics under medical supervision and always complete the dose the doctor has prescribed. Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in

humble tomato

Red blobs of goodness Your Health DR GITA MATHAI “Can you prescribe a good vitamin tonic or tablet?” This is an oft-repeated request from patients. Vitamins are perceived to be a panacea for most illnesses, including listlessness, tiredness, failure to thrive as well as aches and pains. There may be some truth to this as vitamins and trace minerals are needed in small quantities (not mega doses) for survival. They maintain the integrity of the various cells and systems in the body. They are ingredients of enzyme systems that keep the body functioning efficiently. Vitamin supplements, however, are a far cry from the natural product. Some tablets or tonics pack mega doses, most lack one or the other vital ingredient. Some combinations may actually be harmful. There really is no need to go for artificial substitutes when we have the real thing — tomatoes. A single helping (150gm or one cup) of tomatoes is just 20 calories, with seven per cent fibre. It fills you up but does not contribute to weight gain. The fibre prevents constipation. More important, tomatoes contain all the essential vitamin groups — both fat soluble (A, D, E and K) and water soluble (C and B) — in an easy to digest form. It is also contains folate, a vitamin essential for pregnant mothers to prevent abnormalities in the brain and spine of the foetus. Folate also prevents anaemia and damage to the nerves. Tomatoes contain the trace minerals magnesium, phosphorus, chromium and copper, which are necessary to keep the body enzymes functioning efficiently. Chromium, for example, helps keep diabetes under control. In addition, tomatoes contain lycophene — a carotenoid that is a powerful natural antioxidant, which is not destroyed by cooking. This means it is present in tomato sauces, soups and purees as well. It prevents damage to the heart muscle from naturally produced toxic free radicals. These free radicals are responsible for much of the damage to blood vessels. They also have a role in the development of cancer. By binding free radicals, lycophene has a protective, anti-cancer effect, particularly against cancer of prostate, breast and skin. The brain and nervous system degenerate with age. There is forgetfulness, clumsiness, loss of balance and decline in reason and cognitive skills. A daily helping of tomatoes will retard this process and may produce improvement in memory. If you want to improve your child’s memory, instead of “memory capsules”, feed them a helping of tomato salad, homemade tomato soup, sauce or juice daily. An unexpected bonus will be that the damage caused to your child’s skin by the sun will also be repaired. Not only are tomatoes good for skin but also hair — it improves texture and prevents hair loss. The high vitamin A content of tomatoes protects against night blindness and helps prevent macular degeneration, a cause of blindness in older people. Tomatoes also have high concentrations of natural anti-inflammatory agents that help fight pain, especially chronic pain like in arthritis. A few studies have shown that tomato seeds contain a chemical called oxalate, which can combine with calcium (diet or supplements) and precipitate in the urine as kidney stones in susceptible people. If you have a family history of stones, it is better to remove the seeds. Or, drink lemon juice. The citric acid in the lime prevents the oxalate from precipitating. Tomato farmers often use chemical fertilisers. These chemicals and other pollutants from the soil can leach into tomatoes. An allergic reaction with itching, rashes, abdominal pain or bloating may occur in susceptible individuals. To prevent this, grow your own tomatoes in crates or pots. Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in Share on emailShare on printShare on facebookShare on twitterMore Sharing Services

palpitations

Front Page > KnowHOW > Story

Share on emailShare on printShare on facebookShare on twitterMore Sharing Services

Straight from the heart Your Health DR GITA MATHAI Palpitations need to be taken seriously and evaluated if: More than six abnormal beats occur in a minute or if they are perceived to be clustered in groups of three There is underlying diabetes or hypertension There is a concomitant loss of consciousness There is chest pain radiating to the arm and neck or unusual sweating Even if they are not that frequent, if the palpitations affect your lifestyle, they need to be tackled Our heart functions just like a fan, telephone, refrigerator or the other numerous silently efficient machines around us. It is only when such machines make a noise or stop altogether that they impinge on our consciousness. Similarly, as long as our heart — which is responsible for maintaining all the vital organs essential for life — keeps beating efficiently at a rate of 60-100 beats a minute (in adults), we are not aware of its silent, steady and rhythmic function. Sometimes, it misses a beat, races ahead or produces uncomfortable, unexpected, thumps in our chest. This is when it encroaches on our consciousness. If you lie on your left side and concentrate, you can feel the heart beat. This is normal. The unexpected thumps or palpitations may be accompanied by chest pain, giddiness, sweating or fainting. These symptoms may be a one time occurrence or they may recur with frightening regularity. Although heartbeat irregularities occur to everyone at some point, if it becomes a recurring phenomenon it is a cause for concern. Women, particularly between the ages of 18-65, tend to experience such symptoms more frequently than men. A perceptible increased thumping of the heart can also be normal. About 10-15 per cent cases of palpitations fall into this category. Such palpitations can occur during or soon after vigorous exercise. The heart’s response may also produce a choking feeling, particularly if the person is not used to exercise. With fever, the racing pulse may produce uncomfortable feelings in the chest. In pregnant women, blood volume increases and there is a similar response. Caffeine in coffee and tea increases the heart rate and can produce irregularities. Tolerance to caffeine varies, is idiosyncratic and not necessarily dose dependent. Some people become jittery, and develop an increased heart rate with a single cup. (This is particularly true of children). Others may consume 6-8 cups of coffee or tea without a problem. Many aerated beverages and cola drinks contain caffeine in varying concentrations. Some “sports” drinks have caffeine. “Energy” beverages may contain other chemicals in addition, which in synergy can cause dangerous increases in the heart rate. Nicotine (cigarettes, beedis, chewing tobacco and snuff) can cause irregularities, missed beats and even heart attacks. Certain medications such as diet pills, thyroid replacement therapy (particularly an overdose), salbutamol (to treat bronchial asthma) or pseudoephedrine (allergy medication) can have a similar effect. Heart palpitations may not be a symptom of underlying disease. In 30 per cent cases the cause may be psychosomatic — a physical manifestation of psychological stress. The palpitations may have been precipitated by anxiety, anger, a frightening episode on television or a near-death experience. In 45 per cent of cases, the palpitations have a proven cause. They may be due to anaemia, high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal heart valves, heart disease, thyroid malfunction or electrolyte imbalance. To evaluate palpitations a complete physical examination is done to rule out anaemia, thyroid disease, electrolyte imbalance, fever and other causes not related to the heart. Then a 12 lead ECG (electrocardiogram) is done. This may be completely normal, particularly if the palpitations occur suddenly and unexpectedly. They cannot be produced on demand for the ECG. To overcome this problem, the behaviour of the heart can be recorded for 24 hours by wearing a portable Holter monitor. A diary can also be kept to physically record times and dates. The heart structure and size can be evaluated with a chest X-ray and an echocardiogram. Any underlying undesirable habit (smoking or drinking) or any disease precipitating the palpitation needs to be tackled first for any medication or intervention to succeed. Simultaneously, drugs may be administered to keep the heart rate within the normal range. In 15 per cent of people, no diagnosis is reached for the palpitations. All blood tests and other parameters are found to be normal. The rapid abnormal beats may have been caused by anger, tension and anxiety. Walking an hour a day, meditation, yoga, music and Tai chi can help you to cope with life without palpitations or dependence on “calming medications” or “sleeping pills.” Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in

Share on emailShare on printShare on facebookShare on twitterMore Sharing Services