Acne
Acid Reflux
Seasonal Allergies
Baldness & Hair Loss
Cold Sores & Canker Sores
Pain
Fighting Acne - What Do I Need To Know First?
Acne (or Acne vulgaris) can occur for various reasons. Wrong eating habits may be the cause: such as eating at irregular hours, or eating too many fried and fatty foods, and so forth. It can also occur as a result of devitalised skin due to overconsumption of caffeine, alcohol or tobacco.
In addition to adapting a healthier lifestyle and eating habits, a person may want to try some home remedies for acne or make a trip to his/her nearest pharmacy to look for an acne treatment that will hopefully clear up the acne.
Looking at the wide selection of acne products, the person may select a name brand that sounds most familiar to him or her. Though some brands may contain the same active ingredients as one another, they differ by the inactive ingredients, and because of these inactive ingredients, people may prefer one brand over another.
The person might be ready to try whatever it takes to rid him or herself of these embarrassing blemishes, but before the person actually applies a product or remedy to his or her acne-affected skin, he or she should first learn a little more about acne and his or her skin type to find the right product for him or her.
Two commonly seen active ingredients are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide is an anti-bacterial and peeling agent, meaning it fights acne by killing the bacteria, P. acnes, that creates and exacerbates the unpleasant symptoms of acne, drying out the pimples while peeling off the outer layer of skin, thereby renewing your skin.
Salicylic acid is a peeling agent. It is a slightly bigger molecule than benzoyl peroxide, allowing it to stay on the skin to exfoliate the clogged up pores and prevent the pores from clogging up again.
When choosing benzoyl peroxide versus salicylic acid products, the person with acne has to first determine his or her skin type. Since benzoyl peroxide has anti-bacterial properties, it works more aggressively than salicylic acid. However, also because of that property, benzoyl peroxide is harsher on the skin and will dry out the skin more, making it good for oily skin types. Salicylic acid is gentler on the skin but will not kill the acne-causing bacteria, making it more suitable for sensitive and dry skin types, as well as those with blackheads.
(Back to Top)
Acid Reflux - How to Reduce Stomach Acid and Prevent Chronic Conditions
Acid reflux is a condition in which stomach acid backflows into the lower esophagus, and creates a burning sensation for the affected person. The burn you may feel in your chest is commonly called a heartburn, despite that your heart is not affected. If this condition occurs more than twice weekly, then you may have a condition called acid reflux disease (also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD).
GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Acid reflux disease is also called GERD because the acid reflux happens at the gastroesophageal junction (the opening that allows passage of food from the esophagus to the stomach). The esophagus is a tube with one end attached to the mouth and the other end attached to the stomach, purpose of which is to allow passage of food. Normally, the gastroesophageal opening is not left wide open for acid to backflow into the lower esophagus, the opening and closing of the junction is usually regulated by the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
The LES is a ring of muscle that opens and closes the gap between the esophagus and stomach. When food passes through the esophagus, the sphincter opens to allow food to pass through and enter into the stomach, then the sphincter would close abruptly after all the food has gone through the opening. If this sphincter, which acts as a "check" valve, malfunctions, i.e. opens too often or doesn't shut tight properly, then acid can reflux back into the lower esophagus.
Although stomach acid can damage the esophagus through reflux, the stomach is protected from the strong acid that it secretes. To read more about stomach acid and the stomach environment, and why acid reflux is harmful, please visit my website link at the bottom of this article.
Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
Common symptoms of acid reflux are heartburn, regurgitation, bloating, bloody/black stools or bloody vomiting, burping, dysphagia, hiccups that don't let up, nausea, weight loss for no known reason, wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat.
Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into your throat.
Signs and Symptoms of Heartburn
- burning pain behind the breastbone area that usually occurs after eating
- pain that is worse when bending over or lying down
- bitter taste in the mouth
- indigestion
- belching
* Regurgitation is the backing up of a sour or bitter-tasting acid into your throat or mouth; this can come as a "wet burp" or even vomit up some of the food contents you ingested earlier.
* Dysphagia -- a narrowing of your esophagus, which creates the sensation of food being stuck in your throat
Causes of Acid Reflux Disease
The cause is quite complicated. Many patients, who have GERD, also have a stomach abnormality called a hiatal hernia. However, patients with hiatal hernias do not always have acid reflux disease.
A muscle wall called the diaphragm separates your abdomen from your chest. This muscle wall has 3 openings in it, one of which is an opening in which the esophagus passes through and connects to the upper part of the stomach. A hiatal hernia is a condition in which the LES and upper part of the stomach is pushed upwards through this esophageal opening into the lower part of the esophagus during swallowing, this specifically is called a sliding hiatal hernia. About 90% of all hiatal hernias are the sliding type.
Over-the-Counter Medications to Reduce Acid Reflux
There are a variety of over-the-counter medication available for reducing acid reflux which are antacids, histamine-2 receptor antagonists, and proton pump inhibitors.
Antacids
Antacid products reduce stomach acid by changing the pH of the stomach environment by increasing the pH and thereby neutralizing the acidity in the stomach. These products can contain aluminum-based antacids, bicarbonate-based antacids,bismuth-based antacids, calcium (carbonate or phosphate), citrate ion as citric acid or salt, glycine, magnesium-based antacids, milk solids dried, phosphate-based antacids, potassium-based antacids, sodium-based antacids, silicates, tartaric acid or its salts. Antacids can reduce stomach gas in itself, but they are sometimes in combination products with anti-gas ingredients. There are also separate products that have only anti-gas ingredients.
You may have heard of some of these commonly known antacid brands, if you look in the active ingredient section on the drug facts label you can see what the active ingredient is and can look for a cheaper generic brand with the same active ingredient.
Products:
- Tums
The active antacid ingredient in Tums is calcium carbonate. The regular strength is 500 mg, and the extra strength is 750 mg. Tums work fast, but its effects also disappears fast, which is why multiple doses may be needed per day. The additional benefit to this product is that it adds calcium to your diet.
- Maalox
Maalox is both an antacid and antigas drug, which lowers the acidity in the stomach, as well as break up gas bubbles. Maalox has both antacid and antigas active ingredients. The antacid components in Maalox are aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, which both comes in 200 mg for the regular strength product, and 400 mg each for the max product. The antigas component is simethicone, which comes in 20 mg for the regular strength product and 40 mg for the max strength.
- Mylanta
Mylanta is also an antacid and antigas combined drug. The active ingredients and strengths are the same as the Maalox products.
- Pepto-Bismol
Pepto-Bismol is a combination product that serves an anti-diarrheal purpose while is also an upset stomach reliever. The active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol is bismuth subsalicylate, the regular strength is 262 mg, and the max strength is 525 mg.
Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists
H-2 receptor antagonists block the action of histamine on the cells of the stomach that produces stomach acid, thereby decreasing stomach acid production from these cells. Acid-reducing drugs with H-2 receptor antagonists lasts up to 12 hours for its acid-reducing purpose.
Products:
- Ranitidine is sold under the trade name Zantac, the OTC regular strength is 75 mg, and the max strength that ranitidine is sold OTC is 150 mg.
- Famotidine (brand name: Pepcid AC) is sold OTC in 10 mg for regular strength and 20 mg for max strength.
- Cimetidine (brand name: Tagamet) is sold over-the-counter in 200 mg. Cimetidine comes with a number of possible side effects, which you may want to avoid, of which include impotency for men.
Generic alternatives are available, just look for any of these active ingredients: ranitidine, famotidine, and cimetidine.
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Drugs with proton pump inhibitors reduce stomach acid secretion by inhibiting the gastric proton pumps, halts the final stage before acid secretion, and makes the inhibition irreversible. Due to these properties, proton pump inhibitors almost completely stops stomach acid production for up to 24 hours, making these drugs more effective and longer lasting than h-2 receptor antagonists.
Products:
- Prilosec OTC contains 20 mg omeprazole.
- Zegerid OTC (omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate): omeprazole, 20 mg; sodium bicarbonate, 1100 mg
- Prevacid OTC 24 HR (lansoprazole): regular strength: 15 mg; max strength: 30 mg
Behavioral/Diet Changes That May Benefit Acid Reflux Sufferers
- Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Eating large meals would expand your stomach, this increases the upward pressure against your lower esophageal sphincter.
- Limit Intake of Acid-Stimulating Foods and Beverages.
Such foods include citrus or acidic fruits and veggies like lemons, oranges, strawberries, pineapples; beverages like coffee and tea.
- Don't Lie Down For About 2 Hours After You Eat. Don't Snack Before Bed.
Keep upright during digestion allows gravity to help keep the stomach acid from backflowing.
- Elevate Your Head a Few Inches While You Sleep.
You can add another pillow in addition to your existing one for extra head elevation during sleeping. This method helps those with night time heartburn by reducing the pressure of having the stomach contents pressed flat against the LES when the head is not elevated.
- Don't Smoke/Quit Smoking.
Nicotine relaxes the LES. The act of smoking also stimulates the production of stomach acid, worsening the existing acid reflux problems you may already have.
- Don't Drink/Quit Drinking Alcohol.
- Relax or Reduce the Stress Factors in Your Environment.
There is insufficient evidence to say that stress is linked to heartburn, but stress is known to lead to behaviors that cause heartburn.
- Don't Wear Belts or Clothes that are Tight Fitting Around the Waist.
As you can probably figure out by now, any upward pressure on the stomach will not be good for those with acid reflux. Having tight clothing squeeze your abdomen leads to an upward reflux of food contents into the lower esophagus through the LES.
(Back to Top)
Relieving Seasonal Allergies - Comparing Common Medications
With the arrival of Spring also comes allergens that cause many allergic people a lot of symptomatic suffering, these allergy symptoms being: stuffy or runny nose, itchy throat, coughing, itching skin, and red & itchy eyes. There are some ways to relieve the symptoms by using over-the-counter products. In this article, I will discuss the common active ingredients in over-the-counter allergy medications and their purposes.
General Oral Medications for All Allergy Symptoms
For all allergy symptoms (red, itchy eyes; itchy skin; nasal congestion; cough), the class of the all-purpose active ingredient in many allergy medications is called antihistamine. This class of drug blocks histamine, which causes the allergy symptoms people experience when they come into contact with the allergen they are allergic to.
Though antihistamines can relieve your allergy symptoms, some may induce drowsiness, which can affect your daily activities after taking the allergy medication, for example, chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine. However, there are currently two antihistamine ingredients available over-the-counter that do not cause drowsiness, and they are loratadine and fexofenadine. An antihistamine that causes mild drowsiness is certirizine. Note that medications with antihistamines that does induce drowsiness work more effectively than medications with antihistamines that does not cause drowsiness.
In conclusion, antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness should be taken during the daytime, and antihistamines that does cause drowsiness should be taken at nighttime or before sleep.
For nasal congestion (more commonly known as stuffy or runny nose), oral medications containing a decongestant will help to clear this stuffy or runny nose. The common decongestant you will see in over-the-counter oral medications is phenylephrine. A pro about this ingredient is that it does not cause drowsiness, making it suitable to use during the daytime.
For Itchy, Red, and/or Dry Eyes
Note: If you have a lot of eye discharge, or the symptoms are not relieved in 2-3 days, you should always consult your doctor before trying anything else.
For itchy, red eyes, the type of ingredient you should look for in the eye drops you buy over-the-counter is an antihistamine. Antihistamines commonly found in eye drops for eye allergies include: pheniramine, antazoline, and ketotifen. For eyes that are red in general, the couple of ingredients you should look for are oxymetazoline and tetrahydrozoline, these are decongestants. For dry eyes, you can try artificial tears eye drops to relieve the dryness.
Nasal solutions
Nasal solutions are good for temporary relief of nasal congestion (stuffy and runny noses) and sinusitis. For stuffy and runny noses, nasal decongestant ingredients like phenylephrine, oxymetazoline, and naphazoline can be found in the nasal solutions you might be looking for. Sodium chloride nasal solutions help to moisturize dry nasal passages.
For All Nasal Symptoms
Nasal irrigation usage, flushing sinuses or nasal passages with saline solution, have been indicated in medical reports to be a great benefit for people with sinus/nasal problems. Nasal irrigators wash away pollutants, toxins, allergens, and dirt. Nasal irrigation helps to relieve symptoms of sinusitis and allergies without the unwanted side effects that might come alongside some medications.
You can also take antihistamines and decongestants simultaneously because the medications can expedite the healing process.
For Rhinitis (or "inflammation of the nasal passages"), irrigation is a really good method to relieve symptoms of an inflamed or blocked nasal passage, i.e. runny or stuffy nose.
For Cough
If you cannot get relief from taking Robitussin DM, you can take it in combination with an antihistamine, oftentimes that combination will resolve the coughing problem. Actually, in many instances, the antihistamine alone can relieve your coughing symptom.
Decongestant Warning for those with Hypertension: Decongestants can cause hypertension, so for people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, they will need to watch out for this side effect. It's better to avoid these products if possible.
(Back to Top)
Baldness and Hair Loss - How Do I Get My Hair Back?
Baldness, or long-term hair loss, can lower one's self-esteem and even prevent one from living life to the fullest. Even if hair loss or balding is hereditary, as long as the person take action early on, there are remedies to slow this process or even completely reverse the hair loss and regrow most or even all of the lost hair.
There are many types of hair loss, also known as alopecia. Hair loss can either be temporary, where all hair can be restored after full recovery from the cause of hair loss, or long-term (due to genetic factors).
Temporary, sudden hair loss in large amounts, or Telogen effluvium, may be due to mental or physical shock due to changes in the normal hair growth cycle. This condition entails a large amount of hair going into the Telogen, or resting, phase of hair growth all at once, and hair shedding occurs. This condition is completely reversible because the hair follicles have not been damaged. Recovery should be spontaneous once the cause of hair loss is removed or taken care of. Some circumstances where Telogen effluvium can occur include: when under a huge amount of stress, poor diet (iron deficiencies for those who intake less red meat or women during menstruation), intake of certain medications, chemotherapy, imbalance of hormones, physical trauma in a car crash, post-surgery, etc.
Androgenic alopecia, which is hereditary and more commonly known as male or female pattern hair loss that occurs over time, is perhaps the most common type of hair loss for men. For women, the cause is usually hormonal: changes in hormone levels (e.g. during menopause, pregnancy, thyroid conditions, or the stopping or starting of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy) can cause temporary hair loss in women.
Finasteride (trade name: Propecia) is the medication approved by FDA for the treatment of male pattern hair loss, which you can only obtain with a prescription from your physician. The medication strength is 1mg, and it is taken daily for affected men, ages 18 to 41. Men noted an increase in hair growth as early as 3 months after starting the finasteride treatment. Clinical investigators observed increased hair growth in 65% of men receiving finasteride and 37% of men receiving placebo. The most common adverse effects have included decreased libido (sexual desire), erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder, and decreased volume of ejaculate. Propecia is expensive because there is no generic alternative available. However, a much cheaper alternative does exist: some doctors would prescribe Finasteride 5 mg (generic of brand name, Proscar), and instruct the patient to cut a tablet into fifths, and tell the patient to take 1/5 tablet each time (equivalent to 1 mg finasteride).
One product on the market, also approved by the FDA, that helps retard hair loss in both men and women is minoxidil, which is sold over-the-counter under the brand name Rogaine. The strength is as 5% for men and 2% for women. Rogaine is most effective for men who has most of their hair loss at the top (or crown) of their scalps, while not being very effective for men who have a receding hair line in the frontal area of their heads. Rogaine is good for women because women tend to have a diffuse thinning of hair on the crown of their scalps.
Another solution is hair transplant surgery. The procedure involves transplanting hair from donor areas of the patients' scalp to bald or thinning areas. The donor area in men is usually the fringe, or the back or sides of the men's scalp, because this area usually have permanent hairs that are still growing. This solution is only plausible if the affected male has enough hairs in the donor region for transplant to needed areas. Very few women are suitable for hair transplant surgery, it would be best to consult a doctor to see if this solution is suitable for her situation. Some surgeons may suggest trying non-surgical procedures to treat hair loss before taking this step, or they may recommend the use of Rogaine before and after the transplant procedure. Be sure to consult a doctor to find the solution most suitable for your condition.
In addition to taking these medications or procedures to restore your hair growth, sustaining a diet that supports healthy hair growth is also very imporant. Omega-3 fatty acids are probably the most important nutrient you need to have healthy and beautiful hair. These fatty acids can be found in fish, flax seeds, etc. Proteins, vitamins, and minerals (such as iron and zinc) are also very important to your diet to having healthy growing hair.
(Back to Top)
Cold/Canker Sores - Two Different Conditions, Two Different Sets of Remedies
Mouth sores can be a pain, especially when it affects your eating and talking. Two common mouth sores we may hear are cold sores and canker sores. These terms may be confused as being the same condition but in two different names, but they are not. In fact, after you know the difference, telling them apart is quite easy.
Cold sores often occur outside of the mouth; they are fluid-filled and caused by a virus. Canker sores occur inside the mouth; they are small, shallow ulcers and not caused by a virus. In fact, the cause of canker sores are unknown. However, we do know that citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables like lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes, and strawberries attribute to the formation of canker sores. Injury to the gum tissues can also trigger a canker sore, i.e. by a sharp tooth or misfitted denture.
Cold Sores
Cold sores, or Herpes simplex labialis (HSL), can be very painful for some people, while some people infected with the virus may not experience any symptoms at all. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus I, actually both herpes simplex I and II can cause cold sores. Once infected with this virus, the virus stays with the affected person for life. To prevent from catching this virus, it is best to avoid contact with fluids of the infected person, for example, kissing, sharing utensils, drinking cups, and anything else the person with a cold sore may have used.
Cold sores usually go away after a few days on their own, but there are remedies over the counter to help relieve the symptoms of cold sores. Abreva is the only FDA-approved over-the-counter treatment of cold sores that can reduce the duration of cold sore symptoms, the number of occurrences of cold sores, as well as relieving the pain. Abreva contains the active ingredient docosanol 10%, that's used to treat cold sores. Other remedies that you may try to relieve the pain from cold sores are topical analgesics, like benzocaine; you can find products containing these ingredients at your local pharmacy over-the-counter. There are also natural lysine-containing products that you can use to prevent the spread of cold sores. You can also look for the common ingredients types: analgesics (menthol, camphor, phenol), and skin protectants with sunscreen (dimethicone allantoin; dimethicone being the sunscreen ingredient)
Canker Sores
There are two types of canker sores, or Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS): simple and complex. Simple canker sores are the most common type of canker sore. Complex canker sores occur more often in people who have had them before, and may be an indication to a bigger underlying problem such an impaired immune system, nutrition deficiency in vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, iron, etc., or gastrointestinal tract disease like Celiac disease and Chrohn's disease.
Canker sores are characterized by one or more painful sores inside the mouth, either on the tongue, soft palate (the posterior region of the roof of the mouth), or inside the cheeks in the mouth. You may experience a tingling or burning sensation before the appearance of a canker sore. These painful sores are round, white, or gray in appearance, and have a red border. In cases of severe canker sores, the person may experience a fever, feel sluggish, and have swollen lymph nodes.
There are over-the-counter remedies to relieve canker sores, including oral debriding (plaque removing), wound cleansing, pain-relieving (topical oral anesthetics) products, as well as topical oral protectants and rinses. Cleansing and debriding agents contain the active ingredients: carbamide peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. Beware that the prolonged use of these agents can lead to tissue irritation and tooth enamel decalcification. You can also look for analgesics (benzocaine), and use that with an antiseptic (benzalkonium chloride).
Your doctor may prescribe Magic mouthwash for your canker sore, but there is no standard formula for this treatment. The most popular formulation includes an anesthetic such as lidocaine, an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine, plus maalox. The person may add antifungals, corticosteroids, and antibiotics for treating infections or inflammations. You can find these ingredients over-the-counter in your local pharmacy and mix your own mouthwash. You will need diphenhydramine, maalox and ibuprofen liquid, and mix together the same amount of each ingredient and make a 1 to 1 to 1 mixture. This formulation should be used 4 times a day, by swishing 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of the mixture in the mouth for 1 to 2 minutes, then spitting out. Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after use.
If these remedies do not relieve your symptoms in a few days, please consult your doctor before taking the next step.
(Back to Top)
Pains and Aches - What Can I Do About It?
Some pain medications are available over-the-counter, while others still require a prescription written by your doctor when the medication comes in higher strengths.
For some acute symptoms of mild pain or strains (e.g. muscle pain, neck strains, arthritis pain, sore throat and back pain), you can try Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) or Naproxen (Aleve), which you can buy at a local or online pharmacy. Ibuprofen and Naproxen both work really well for pain that is caused by inflammation. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is good for relieving pain, fever or headache, but it is not good for reducing inflammation. You have to watch out for side effects that may incur with use of these medications: you may experience an upset stomach or even stomach bleeding from Ibuprofen or Naproxen, and possible liver complications from overdose of Acetaminophen, especially with the co-consumption of alcohol.
Some topical medications (e.g. common ingredients: camphor, menthol, methyl-salicylate and capsaicin; some brand names: Bengay, Icy Hot, and muscle rubs from various brands) are also good for temporarily relieving pain.
For osteoarthritis pain, you can try dietary supplements (e.g. a supplement containing both Glucosamine and Chondroitin).
For relieving lower back pain, you can do a simple exercise: lie down on your back, bring your legs up with knees bent, wrap your arms around your shins and hug your legs to your chest with your back still in full contact with the surface you're lying on (whether it's your bed or the floor), and sustain that position for 5-10 minutes every day.
Also be sure to support your back with a cushion or pillow when driving or sitting. This routine gives great results in only a few weeks and works better than any medicine.
*If you have back pain, you can take Ibuprofen 200mg 2 tablets each time, up to 2-3 times a day after meals, plus Prilosec 20mg (OTC strength) if you experience stomach problems as a side effect resulting from taking Ibuprofen. You can also use back braces and supports, which provide support, leaving your back more at ease.
(Back to Top)