A Simple Guide to Acne

A Simple Guide to Acne
----------------------------

What is Acne?
-----------------

Acne is a skin condition which is characterised by papules, pustules and inflamed sebaceous oil glands.
It typically occurs on the face, neck, upper back, chest, or shoulders where the concentration of these glands are normally located.

What is the cause of Acne?
--------------------------------

It is a disease caused by the overactivity of the skin's sebaceous glands which are located at the base of the hair follicles.
Sebaceous glands produce an oily moisturising secretion (sebum)which helps to wax the hair growing from the hair follicle.

The sebum then empties into the skin's hair follicles which cover most of the body. Normally tiny skin cells shed so that new skin can replace the ones on the surfaces. When the shedding of such cells is abnormal, the opening of the hair follicle can be blocked. The result is a accumulation of sebum in the follicle which can easily become infected.

Bacteria Infection of the accumulated sebum produce pus and toxins which then resulted in a infected swollen gland or infected pimple.
The infected pimples if severe may result in scars.

What are the Symptoms of Acne?
---------------------------------------

The severity of symptoms depends on the individual.
Acne usually occurs during puberty when the production of male hormone in teenagers both male & female are higher.

1.Small bumps which appear under the skin and have no opening are known as whiteheads.

2.Dark spots with plugged pores in the centre are blackheads.

3.Persistent, recurrent red spots or swellings on the skin, filled with pus, are pustules.

4.Lumps under the skin which are inflamed and solid are nodules, or if fluid filled are cysts.

Often the acne become worse during stress or using oily cosmetics or hair creams.
In girls the acne may be aggravated during menses or during pregnancy

What is the Treatment of Acne?
-------------------------------------

Reassurance of worries about their looks in teenagers is very important because it reduces stress and the production of more male hormones.

Fresh air, enough rest and a healthy lifestyle will help physically and psychologically.

A small amount of sun exposure may also help acne problems because of drying effect on the oily skin.

Avoid touching the acne spots with dirty hands because of increased risk to infections.

Do not try to squeeze the pimples.

Patients with minimal symptoms:
1. simple healthy skin care can resolve the problem.
Oily skin can washed with simple soap and water.
Topical medications that help to dry up the oil and promote skin peeling can be applied on the skin. Such products may contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, salicylic acid or tretinoin, or retinoic acid (Retin-A).

2.antibiotics (such as tetracycline or erythromycin) is prescribed if the skin lesions appear infected.
Topical antibiotics (applied to a localized area of the skin) such as clindamycin or erythromycin are also used to control infection.

3.New treatment with synthetic vitamin A analogues (isotretinoin, Accutane) have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of severe acne.
This medication is not to be taken by pregnant women and sexually active adolescent females because of the danger of deformity to the foetus.

4. Sometime oestrogen therapy (Diane 35) on a short term may benefit girls with very severe acne and whose menses are not regular.

It is important to remember that every person who has gone through puberty has some form of acne and usually do not have any complications or bad scarring with the condition.

Prognosis is very good for 99% of cases.

A Simple Guide to Stye & Chalazion

A Simple Guide to Stye & Chalazion
------------------------------------

What is a Stye?
----------------
A Stye is an infected gland at the edge of the eyelid.

How does a Stye develop?
-----------------------------

A stye develops when a gland supplying wax to eyelash at the edge of the eyelid becomes blocked and infected.
A stye can grow on the inside or outside of the eyelid.
Styes are not harmful to vision.
They can occur at any age.

What are the Symptoms and Signs of Stye?
--------------------------------------------------

A stye starts with pain, redness, tenderness and swelling in the area of the oil gland of the eyelid. Then a small pimple appears. Sometimes just the immediate area is swollen.
At other times the entire eyelid swells.
There may be frequent tearing in the affected eye, a feeling like something is in the eye or increased light sensitivity.

What Causes Styes?
-----------------------

Most Styes are caused by staphylococcal bacteria.
This bacterium is often found in the nose, and it's easily transferred to the eye by rubbing first your nose, then your eye.
Styes are not normally harmful to vision
They generally heal within a few days.

What is the Treatment for Stye?
--------------------------------------

Most styes heal within a few days on their own.
You can apply hot compresses for 10 to 15 minutes, three or four times a day over the course of several days. This will relieve the pain and bring the stye to a head, much like a pimple. The stye ruptures and drains, then heals.

If you have frequent styes, your eye doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotic and ask you to apply an antibiotic eye ointment to kill the bacteria causing the stye.

In most cases, the Styes formed inside the eyelid either disappear completely or rupture on their own. In some cases, the styes become bigger and can be more serious.
These styes may need to be surgically incised and drained by your eye care practitioner.

What is a Chalazion?
-------------------------

Chalazion is an another type of Eyelid swelling usually inner to the edge of the eyelid.
Often mistaken for a stye, a chalazion is an enlarged, blocked oil gland (tarsal gland)in the inner lining of the eyelid and not at the edge of the eyelid as in the case of a stye.

A chalazion may look like a stye for the first few days, then turns into a hard painless lump in the inner eyelid later on.
Most chalazion develops further from the eyelid edge than stye.

The same treatment is used for the healing of a chalazion.
However in this case, the swelling may linger for one to several months.
If the chalazion remains after several months, your eye doctor may surgically incise and drain it to facilitate healing.