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Alok's Questions & Answers

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Questions Asked: 215

Best Answers: 12

What are Some Treatments for Eczema?

Asked by anup shrma in Personal Health at 10:59 AM on February 16, 2009

Alok's Answer

Although there is no cure for eczema there are many good treatments that can help relieve the symptoms. There are also a number of things you can do at home to help keep your eczema under control.

Medical Treatments for eczema

Good, sensible skin care is an important part of managing eczema. In many instances this can be enough to manage milder cases.

* First line eczema treatments: Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms. Doctors will usually start patients on the most simple treatments. For example; a room-temperature bath which will help remove crusted skin, then apply a good moisturizer immediately afterwards, this will help to retain the skins natural moisture. More on moisturisers.
* Corticosteroid creams: Corticosteroid creams and ointments have been the mainstay of eczema treatment for many years. There are OTC creams available for milder cases. If your eczema is more severe your doctor may suggest a prescription only cream. In the most severe cases and usually only when other treatments have failed your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids.
* Immunomodulators: Newer drugs called topical immunomodulators are available to help treat eczema. These medicines help control inflammation and reduce immune system reactions when applied to the skin. Talk to your doctor about whether these may be right for you.
* Oral antihistamines: Oral antihistamines will sometimes help to relieve eczema symtpoms and can be usefull at nightime. They can cause drowsiness and may help you to sleep despite the eczema itching
* Other Treatments: In the most extreme instances of eczema, your doctor or dermatolgist may suggest ultraviolet light therapy. There are also drugs that supress the immune system and may be tried for adults. Your doctor would be the best person to talk to if other more traditional forms of treatment have not helped.

Answered at 4:48 PM on February 16, 2009

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Can you tell me What is Polio?

Asked by anup shrma in Personal Health at 10:53 AM on February 16, 2009

Alok's Answer

Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is a disease that can damage the nervous system and cause paralysis. Since polio immunization has become widespread in the United States, cases of polio are rare. However, polio remains a problem in many parts of the world.

Answered at 12:30 PM on February 16, 2009

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What are Some Natural Remedies for Dandruff?

Asked by anup shrma in Personal Health at 11:09 AM on February 16, 2009

Alok's Answer

Following are some of the effective home remedies for dandruff:

1. Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water for night and prepare a fine paste of it in the morning and apply it on the scalp properly. Wash the hair thoroughly with soap-nut (ritha) solution or shikakai. It is effective home remedy for dandruff.
2. Massage your scalp properly with neem oil. It gives the best scalp treatment and is very beneficial for dry itchy scalp.
3. Apply a paste of two egg whites mixed with fresh juice of one lime and leave for half an hour. Then wash the hair with neem soap. It control dandruff and give relief to itchy scalp.
4. Mix olive oil with the almond oil and apply it on the scalp. Leave it for 5 minutes after it starts to burn. Wash well to get rid of dandruff within a few weeks.
5. Boil both the top and root of beet (preferably white beet) and massage properly on the scalp with fingertips every night. It is also an effective dandruff home remedy.

Answered at 12:23 PM on February 16, 2009

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What are Some Health Benefits of Probiotics?

Asked by arif beg in Personal Health at 10:02 AM on February 12, 2009

Alok's Answer

There are several reasons that people are interested in probiotics for health purposes.

First, the world is full of microorganisms (including bacteria), and so are people's bodies—in and on the skin, in the gut, and in other orifices. Friendly bacteria are vital to proper development of the immune system, to protection against microorganisms that could cause disease, and to the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. Each person's mix of bacteria varies. Interactions between a person and the microorganisms in his body, and among the microorganisms themselves, can be crucial to the person's health and well-being.

This bacterial "balancing act" can be thrown off in two major ways:

1. By antibiotics, when they kill friendly bacteria in the gut along with unfriendly bacteria. Some people use probiotics to try to offset side effects from antibiotics like gas, cramping, or diarrhea. Similarly, some use them to ease symptoms of lactose intolerance—a condition in which the gut lacks the enzyme needed to digest significant amounts of the major sugar in milk, and which also causes gastrointestinal symptoms.

2. "Unfriendly" microorganisms such as disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and parasites can also upset the balance. Researchers are exploring whether probiotics could halt these unfriendly agents in the first place and/or suppress their growth and activity in conditions like:

o Infectious diarrhea

o Irritable bowel syndrome

o Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease)

o Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that causes most ulcers and many types of chronic stomach inflammation

o Tooth decay and periodontal disease

o Vaginal infections

o Stomach and respiratory infections that children acquire in daycare

o Skin infections

Another part of the interest in probiotics stems from the fact there are cells in the digestive tract connected with the immune system. One theory is that if you alter the microorganisms in a person's intestinal tract (as by introducing probiotic bacteria), you can affect the immune system's defenses.

Answered at 2:41 PM on February 14, 2009

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What are Home Remedies for Diarrhea?

Asked by anup shrma in Personal Health at 11:22 AM on February 16, 2009

Alok's Answer

Simple home remedy for diarrhea : Boil the smallest roots of the blackberry bush in a quart of water until it boils down to 1 pint. Cool and strain, take 1-2 tbls 3 times daily. (Note, I know those who will just chew on the roots of the blackberry bush). This is beneficial for the treatment diarrhea.

Effective herbal remedy for diarrhea using Oats : Make a thin ,gruel with oatmeal or a handful of raw oats. This will give relief from diarrhea.

Natural home remedy for diarrhea using Plain live yoghurt : This will kill off unwanted bacteria. This will prevent diarrhea.

Traditional remedy for diarrhea using Potato juice : The juice of fresh potatoes mixed with carrot juice and honey clears the bowels of infection. However 'green' potatoes, which are those which have been exposed to light, are very dangerous when eaten raw. Potatoes which have been cooked and left for over 24 hours before eating are also a prime cause of illness, so do not keep them for bubble and squeak but throw them away. This will completely remove diarrhea.

Answered at 12:28 PM on February 16, 2009

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What are Some Causes of Green Stool?

Asked by anup shrma in Personal Health at 11:21 AM on February 16, 2009

Alok's Answer

One of the main causes of green stool is diarrhea. Diarrhea decreases bowel transit time.

Other causes of green stool include:

* Laxative use
* Antibiotic use
* Medication side effects
* Food poisoning
* Celiac disease
* Ulcerative colitis
* Crohn's disease
* Malabsorption
* Irritable bowel syndrome
* Bacterial overgrowth
* Infectious diarrhea - especially salmonella and giardia
* Traveler's diarrhea
* Cancer

Foods and supplements that can cause green stool include:

* Chlorophyll
* Iron supplements
* Algae

Answered at 12:26 PM on February 16, 2009

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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF THE DISEASE Ascariasis?

Asked Anonymously in Personal Health at 1:46 PM on February 03, 2009

Alok's Answer

Lung signs and symptoms
Mild ascariasis — with only a few parasites in your body — may cause no symptoms. Symptoms occur with moderate or heavy infestations, sometimes progressing as the parasite migrates through your body. After you ingest ascaris eggs, they hatch in your intestine and the larvae migrate into your lungs. At this stage, you may experience symptoms similar to asthma or pneumonia, including:

* Persistent cough
* Shortness of breath
* Wheezing

Intestinal signs and symptoms
The ascaris larvae eventually reach your throat, where you cough them up and then swallow them. They then enter the intestine, where they mature and mate. In mild or moderate ascariasis, the intestinal infestation can cause:

* Vague abdominal pain
* Nausea and vomiting
* Diarrhea or bloody stools

Heavy infestation signs and symptoms
If you have a heavy intestinal infestation — a large number of worms — you may experience:

* Severe abdominal pain
* Fatigue
* Vomiting
* Weight loss
* A worm in vomit or stool
* A worm emerging from nose or mouth

Answered at 2:27 PM on February 04, 2009

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How to reduce cholestrol.?

Asked by Sardar Singh in Personal Health at 10:52 AM on February 05, 2009

Alok's Answer

The best way to lower your cholestrol level is to make simple changes to your daily lifestyle:-

- Change your diet. Eat healthier food which is low in saturated fats and higher in fibre.

- Start exercising – cardiovascular or aerobic exercise can be effective in lowering your cholestrol level. Aerobic exercise is exercise which exercises the large muscle groups and really gets the heart and lungs working.

- Stop smoking – smoking causes many health problems and can cause cholestrol to deposit in the arteries leading to heart disease. Visit your doctor who can advise you on the best ways of stopping smoking.

- Lose weight – Weight loss reduces your risk to many health problems including high cholestrol and heart disease.

- Start taking supplements – Take anti-oxidant supplements (Vitamins A, C and E) to combat the damage caused to our bodies by pollution and other free radicals. Take Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements to reduce your cholestrol and to increase good cholestrol (HDL cholestrol) levels in the blood.

Making these lifestyle changes can significantly reduce your cholestrol and avoid the need for further treatment or medication which can have side effects.

Answered at 5:51 PM on February 09, 2009

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What is laser hair removal all about?

Asked by nishi TTK in Beauty & Fashion at 12:58 AM on February 09, 2009

Alok's Answer

Laser Hair Removal is the process of transferring laser energy source to the hair follicle.

The area under treatment is exposed to laser bursts in short intervals or chromophere, which absorbs the laser energy. The intended target is the melanin pigment in the hair, which is the primary responsible for the turnout of hair color.

Melanin since has a greater power of absorption, it gets treated by the laser energy which in turn is converted in heat energy inside the structural composition of melanin. Because of the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed.

With regards to the process of Laser Hair Removal: Beta Carotene is specifically kept apart from the diet. This is found in carrots, vitamin A supplements, squash, and other vegetables- which get deposited in the skin, producing a subtle orange or yellow color in the skin.

This pigment absorbs laser energy, preventing it from reaching the hair follicle, and increasing the absorption of laser energy in the skin. Beta carotene persists for months after ingestion. Patients looking for some better results from laser hair removal generally do benefit from discontinuation of the use of all forms of beta carotene.

Side effects of Laser Hair Treatment might be pigmentary change of the skin treated, including either dark or light areas. Pigmentary changes may persist for sometime that is over some months, but are surely always temporary.

Answered at 5:59 PM on February 09, 2009

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Home remedies for psorsis?

Asked by jasjit parma in Personal Health at 10:32 AM on February 08, 2009

Alok's Answer

Following are some of the effective home remedies for psoriasis:

- Take small amount of almond powder and boil it thoroughly in water. This is used for external application on the affected part. Keep it overnight and wash it next day with water.

- Add one teaspoonful of sandalwood powder in three cups of water. Boil it till it is reduced to one-third the quantity. Add some rose water and sugar to it. Take this thrice a day. It is very effective home remedy for psoriasis.

- Cabbage is very common home remedy for the treatment of psoriasis. Take the outermost layer of a cabbage, clean it using warm water. Rinse all the extra water by pressing between a towel. Once the leaf is dried, spread it on the slab, and flatten it by pressing with hand. Warm the leaf and gently cover it over the infected area. Cover it with a clean cloth. This process should be repeated for 3-4 times a day for the period when the infected area is not fully recovered.

- Boil some soap nut (shikakai) in water and apply on the affected parts. This will also gives relief from psoriasis.

- Cover a fresh thin banana leaf on the affected part. This is very effective in curing psoriasis.

- Make a dilute solution of lime juice with water. Apply this externally on the psoriatic patches.

- Cabbage soup is also an effective home remedy for psoriasis. Drink one bowl of it everyday.

Answered at 5:46 PM on February 09, 2009

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