Women’s health

Skin Cancer. A glowing complexion is always associated with good health. But naturally, beautiful color of the skin received from being in the sun accelerates the aging effects. It also may lead to developing skin cancer.
Anyone can be affected by the skin cancer, but people who have fair or freckled skin that burns easily, light eyes and blond or red hair are in the risk zone for such serious disease. Risk for darker skinned individuals is substantially lower.

What should you know about skin cancer and its symptoms ?

 
Skin cancer can occur in two main types. The most common type of skin cancer is nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma or “malignant melanoma” skin cancer.
Almost 95 percent of all cases of skin cancer, of which there are about 1.3 million cases each year in the U.S. are related to non-melanoma skin cancers. The most common forms of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal and squamous cell carcinoma. The former may appear as a small, smooth, pearly or waxy bump on the face, ears and neck. The latter can appear as a firm, red nodule, or as a rough, scaly flat lesion that may itch, bleed and become crusty.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) women are not so subject to basal and squamous cell carcinoma as men.
Melanoma is on the one hand the most common, but on the other – the most aggressive type of skin cancer. Melanoma originates in the skin’s melanocytes—the cells that produce pigment, or melanin. In most cases melanoma occurs in or around a pre-existing mole, but nevertheless it also appears on clear skin. It may be a flat, brown, black or tan spot or a raised bump. Unlike a noncancerous mole, melanoma often is irregularly shaped.
According to the American Cancer Society, each year more than 95,000 new cases of melanoma are expected, it is about four percent of all diagnosed skin cancers. It accounts for about 77 percent of skin cancer deaths.

What are risk factors for skin cancer?

Anybody can be affected by the skin cancer, although people with fair complexions are subject to precancerous conditions and skin cancer more than people with darker skin tones. Caucasians have a ten-fold increased risk of developing skin cancer than African-Americans. Darker skin has more melanin, which protects against the sun’s damaging rays. That’s why people who have darker skin are not so subject to skin cancer developing.
Besides fair skin, there are other risk factors for skin cancer:
- exposure to toxic materials, such as arsenic
- radiation therapy
- chronic, non-healing or scarred skin such as long-standing ulcers or severe burn scars.
- a family history of melanoma skin cancer or other conditions which may  develop into skin cancer
- a personal history of skin cancer
- a tendency to freckle or burn easily 
- lots of sun exposure 
- many sunburns as a child or adolescent
- burns

Skin cancer treatment

The most effective and safe methods are standard treatments for localized basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Such methods cause only few side effects. Small tumors can be surgically excised, removed with electric current, frozen with liquid nitrogen, or killed with low-dose radiation.
Skin cancer treatment is always individualized. Type of your skin, size and location of skin cancer determines methods of treatment.
How to treat non-melanoma skin cancer:
- For high-risk non-melanoma skin cancers surgery can be applied.
- Cryosurgery, freezing or laser therapy.
- Electrodesiccation and curettage – physically scraping away the skin cancer cells followed by electrosurgery 
- Drugs (chemotherapy, retinoids)
Standard treatments for melanoma skin cancer include:
- Wide surgical excision 
- Sentinel lymph node mapping (for deeper lesions) – to determine if the melanoma has spread to local lymph nodes 
- Drugs (chemotherapy, biological response modifiers) 
- Radiation therapy 
- New methods in clinical trials are sometimes used to treat skin cancer.
Skin cancer is a very serious disorder. That’s why you should have a checkup at least once a year if have ever been treated for skin cancer. People who have had skin cancer once are at risk for getting it again. In fact, within the first two years after diagnosis more than 20% of skin cancer patients experience recurrence.

Psoriasis. About 2.6 percent of people in the U.S (over seven million) are affected by a chronic disease called psoriasis. Such serious disease as psoriasis can cause the skin to become inflamed with red, thickened areas that become covered with flaky, silvery scales. People don’t know the ultimate cause of psoriasis. The condition is not contagious and psoriasis is thought to be an immunologic genetic disorder.
Half of all patients who suffer from psoriasis have fingernail involvement, appearing as nail thickening or subungual hyperkeratosis.

What are the psoriasis symptoms?

Psoriasis symptoms can occur in different ways. Symptoms may go into remission even without treatment, but after some time return again. Psoriasis can be mild, with small areas of rash. During moderate form of psoriasis  the skin gets inflamed with raised red areas topped with loose, silvery, scaling skin. The skin becomes itchy and tender if psoriasis is severe. The latter form is more serious because large skin patches can join together and cover large skin areas, such as the entire back.
Typical areas of psoriasis appearance are elbows, knees and scalp, however it can also occur on your lower back, buttocks, palms, soles and genital region. Psoriasis can arise in trauma areas such as severe sunburns or surgical scars. Psoriasis may be associated with a specific type of arthritis, known as psoriatic arthritis. Lesions can be triggered by stress, infection, climate changes and medications. No cure is known for this condition, however treatments can reduce skin inflammation.
In the experts opinion, when the immune system overreacts, psoriasis occurs causing inflammation and flaking of skin.
In some cases, psoriasis runs in families. Many families, affected by psoriasis, have been studied by the researchers to find out in what way psoriasis is passed from parents to their children and what might trigger the condition.

How psoriasis is treated?

Each person may prevent spreading psoriasis, as most cases are mild, and treatment begins with proper skin care. Always keep your skin moist with creams and lotions. These are often used with other treatments including shampoos, ultraviolet light, and medicines prescribed by your doctor.
But in some cases it is not so easy to treat psoriasis. It may be necessary to try different combinations of treatments to find what is best for you. You must be ready for waiting, because treatment for psoriasis may continue for a lifetime.
Treatment for mild psoriasis, characterized by a few isolated raised patches, begins with skin care, which means keeping your skin moist and lubricated. Simple treatment often includes therapies combinations and products, which you can easily buy anywhere, without a prescription. Such treatment includes:
- creams, ointments, and lotions, to lubricate the skin.
- shampoos, oils, and sprays, to treat psoriasis of the scalp.
- ointments, to treat psoriasis of the nails.
- some exposure to sunlight.
Effective treatment will address the impact the condition has on overall well-being as well as the physical symptoms.
For moderate psoriasis that affects less than 20% of the skin surface, you may combine creams with sunlight or ultraviolet light (phototherapy). However, creams, ointments, lotions, and topical medications turn out to be better for some people than for others. If one topical treatment doesn’t help you, you should visit your doctor for another combination of treatments.
For some people the method of occlusion treatment may be very effective. Occlusion involves first applying skin products, such as moisturizers, medicated creams, or gels, then wrapping the skin with tape, material, or plastic. Such treatment helps the area to remain moist and increases the effectiveness of medicated creams.
Another one effective method of treatment is consumption of vitamin D also known as calcipitriol. The evidence implicating psoriasis as a T cell-mediated disorder has created a new perspective relating to the psoriasis treatment.

How to prevent psoriasis?

Infortunately, there is no way to prevent psoriasis. However, following some tips, you may help to reduce the number of psoriasis flare-ups. Try to avoid cold, dry climates, because cold weather may worsen symptoms, while hot, humid weather and sunlight may improve them.
Try to avoid strep throat infections, which can cause sudden psoriasis appearance, especially in children.
Keep your skin moist and lubricated. Don’t smoke – smoking may make you more likely to get psoriasis and may make it more severe. Smoking may also make your symptoms last longer.
Try to avoid certain medications. Some, including beta-blockers and lithium, have been found to worsen psoriasis symptoms. Tell your doctor you have psoriasis when any medications are prescribed for you.

Eczema. 15 million people in the United States suffer from eczema also known as atopic dermatitis. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the situation becomes worse, the prevalence of atopic eczema is constantly increasing and affects 9 to 30% of the U.S. population. In young children and infants eczema has become particularly common.
Eczema can occur anywhere on the body causing an itchy, cracked, red, scaly rash. Most commonly it occurs around joints as well as on the hands, feet, face and the back of the knees, the neck, elbows and wrists. The reaction of medicines and cosmetics causes infection most often.
The feature of eczema is occurring in those individuals who suffer asthma or hay fever. Weather conditions influence on infection very much. Cold, dry weather may worsen the situation; humid, warm weather may improve it.
Adults less suffer from eczema. They may get only itchy form called nummular eczema, which tends to be scaly, coin-shaped spots on the arms and legs.

What causes eczema?

In fact, the exact cause of eczema is unknown. On different people it influences in different ways. Some may suffer “flare-ups” of the itchy rash in response to certain substances or conditions. For others, weather conditions, feeling too hot or too cold, coming into contact with rough or coarse materials may cause the skin to become itchy. Stress may worse the condition.
Exposure to certain household products like soap or detergent, or coming into contact with animal dander may cause an outbreak. People with a family history of other allergies or asthma also suffers from eczema.
Eczema can’t be spread from person to person, it is not contagious.

Types of eczema and some advice how to treat

Eczema can occur in several forms:
- Scalp eczema. This type of eczema is common in children. To prevent spreading of disease the scales or crusts must be softened with applications of fresh lard or oil. This should be repeated twice a day. Tie a handkerchief on the head for a few hours, than remove the crusts with a coarse comb. After drying the surface, some simple oil or fat may be applied.
? Face eczema is also common among children. It may be necessary to wear a linen or cotton mask when reaction is severe. The mask should cover ears if the ears are too affected and sterilize the surface of the ears with a solution of peroxide of hydrogen. If the eyelids are affected you should consult a doctor. In this case you should take special care in removing and softening the crusts with a bland oil followed by a light application of benzoated lard. When the lips are affected, you can avert it by bland oil frequent application, cold cream or equal parts of benzoin, alcohol and glycerin.
- Eczema of the anus is a very serious disease. Before treatment you should consult a doctor. Anus eczema may be treated with carbolic, calamine or hydrocyanic solution.
- Eczema of the male genitals. It is required consulting a doctor. You should clean carefully, apply the hygroscopic powder and use suspensory bandage. Penis inflammation is usually milder than the scrotum. If you have an acute form, stay resting in bed and use the application of hot boric acid water for 60 to 90 seconds.

How to prevent eczema?

You can avoid eczema outbreaks by following these simple tips:
- moisturize your skin frequently
- if you are subject to influencing weather conditions, avoid sudden changes in temperature or humidity
- try to avoid sweating or overheating
- reduce stress
- don’t use scratchy materials, such as wool
- avoid harsh soaps, detergents and solvents
- you should be aware of any food that may cause an outbreak and exclude it from your ration

Acne is one of the simple inflammatory skin disease, which affects the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). In most cases acne develops in puberty because of the surge of testosterone, the most causative factor in acne. In the United States its comparatively simple disease affects from 5 to 15% of the population.
There are four forms of acne. They are the followings:
- whiteheads
- pimples
- cysts
- blackheads

What causes acne?

The main reasons, which cause acne, are the follows:

- Unhygienic living habits such as excessive consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol or tobacco can easily cause acne
- Acne is caused when sebaceous or oil glands come to life around puberty. When male hormones which are produced in the adrenal glands of both boys and girls stimulate these glands, acne are resulting as a side effect.
- Bacteria which live in everyone’s skin but generally mind their own business, feast on this oil, multiply, and cause the surrounding tissues to become inflamed.
- Chronic constipation and wrong eating habits can cause acne.

Acne treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure which can prevent acne. But there are a wide variety of treatments designed to keep acne under control. Acne is caused by several different factors, therefore you can find many diverse acne treatments. Each acne treatment aims one or several of these factors.
It is not so easy to cure acne. Taking into account the number of ways in which it can be cured, acne treatment can become a big theory in itself. There are a lot of preventing things. Some of them are as follows:
1. Acne treatments using Bacteria killing – it means killing the bacteria that are caused by the blocked follicles, reducing the secretion of oils from the glands, normalizing the follicle cell lifecycle, and exfoliating the skin.
2. Treatment by Zinc – You should take it in therapeutic doses of 55 mg three times a day. Zinc is available in tablet and in capsule form.
3. Home treatment. Cucumber is the best tonic for the skin of the face. Apply over the face, eyes, and neck for fifteen to twenty minutes.
4. Niacin and Vitamin A are successfully used to treat acne. Vitamin therapy should comprise the intake of about 100 mg niacin, three times daily, and 49,500 IU (international units) of vitamin A, three times daily. Vitamin E dose of 400 mg, should be taken once daily. This therapy should be continued for about a month.
5. Another effective home remedy for pimples and blackheads is a teaspoon of coriander juice, mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder.

Prevention tips

The most common things that can aggravate your acne are: cleansing your skin too much, squeezing, picking, or popping zits. Excessive cleansing, particularly with the overzealous use of abrasive facial scrubs can irritate your skin, and worsen inflammation.
Squeezing and picking acne spots may increase inflammation and can cause further disruption of the acne oil sac. This can contribute to leakage of the sac’s contents much deeper into the skin and therefore increase more inflammation.

Tags: Skin+health, Acne, Women’s+health

You can’t exaggerate the importance of keeping your skin healthy. It is the main defense against disease and infection. In fact, skin is the largest organ in the body, which protects your internal organs from injuries. One of the main skin functions is regulating body temperature and preventing excess fluid loss. Another item is helping  your body remove excess water and salt.
Nobody is insured from skin conditions. Young and old, men and women – anyone can be affected. There are plenty of skin disorders. Acne, psoriasis and eczema are just a few common examples.
Nowadays there are a lot of simple methods how to keep your skin healthy. Consequently, you can find many options available to treat skin conditions, if it is necessary.

Tags: Skin+health, Women’s+health