Dermatological (Skin) and Opthalmology (Eyes) conditions

Is stress causing your eczema flare-up? Dr Gita Mathai suggests remedies for different triggers What is eczema? The name ‘eczema’ covers a broad spectrum of skin diseases all of which are characterised by itchy, red, crusting and scaling. The skin eventually becomes thickened and hyper pigmented.  What are the types of eczema? Atopic dermatitis is the commonest type of eczema. It is caused by various allergies. It affects 20% of children worldwide. Children can ‘outgrow’ eczema, it can…

Skin allergies affect a large percentage of people and can be difficult to deal with. Learn about Skin allergies, types of skin allergies and how to test for it. An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances. The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances, which are harmless to non-allergic people. Normally, the body's defence system fights against foreign bodies. In most allergic reactions, it is a false alarm which induces the…

Alok Kaushik, now 40, talks about his transition from the life of a sighted person to a blind person. “Start living in the solution domain rather than the problem domain,” he says, sharing the solutions that help him maintain his independence. Please tell us a bit about your condition. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which is a disease of the retina that causes the photo-receptor cells in the retina, i.e. rods and cones, to degenerate in a progressive manner, leading…

Maintaining good oral health is more than just about keeping cavities at bay. Your dental health has far-reaching consequences on your body, with oral bacteria being linked to many life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, renal health and even brain abcess. Oral hygience and overall good health  Like many areas of the body, your mouth is teeming with bacteria, most of them harmless. Normally the body's natural defences and good oral health can keep these…

Alka Dhupkar, 32, has been living with Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition for 20 years. She says, “We should accept our skin disease and then, as a normal person, we can think and plan our life.” She shares her story and learnings. Please tell us a bit about your condition: I have had psoriasis since I was 13. Currently I have developed psoriatic arthritis on my left leg and patches around bones mainly. On the scalp also I have psoriasis patches. The psoriasis I had 20 years…

"Patients with psoriatic arthritis who smoke have worse patient-reported disease features at baseline and don't respond as well as nonsmokers to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment, a Danish study found." Patients who had stopped smoking more than 4 years before beginning treatment showed very similar rates of adherence to treatment as did those who had never smoked. So its never too late to quit smoking. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Dermatology/Psoriasis/46969

Abnormally dry skin? Change in hair colour or shape of your nails? Even simple changes in the body may signify an underlying problem that you need to get checked out. By Dr Gita Mathai, paediatrician and family practitioner, shares tips to help you stay vigilant. The Skin should be a healthy colour.  • If it turns yellow, you may have jaundice.  • If it looks pale, get checked for anaemia. Here's how to manage iron-deficient anaemia. • Excessively cracked and…

- With inputs from Dr. Anju Virmani, Endocrinologist, New Delhi What is it People with diabetes, due to high blood glucose, often have a loss of fluid in the body. This can cause dry skin on the legs, elbows, feet and other areas of the body. Dry skin is more likely to crack, allowing germs to get into these areas, causing infections that can have severe consequences. Diabetics are more prone to getting bacterial and fungal infections. Diabetics may also suffer from itchy skin…