Head Lice (Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment)

HEAD LICE

* Head lice are tiny, flat, wingless insects which often find their way
   into the scalp as parasites.
* They suck the blood by biting the skin, this results in an irritation.
   It causes thickening and pigmentation of the skin.
* Head lice occur more frequently in children than in adults.

SYMPTOMS

* Itching is the main symptom of head louse infection
* The adult female louse lays eggs, known as nits, close to the
   surface of the scalp.
* They hatch eggs before the hair has grown more than few
   millimeters (they are difficult to see).
* Their favorite haunts are on the scalp, around the ears
   or underneath hair grown at the back of the head.

CAUSES

* Head lice are very infectious and can be easily acquired by
   head-to-head contact with a person harboring the parasite.
* They are common in person who are crowded together and live
   in poor sanitary condition.
* They spread rapidly during disasters.

TREATMENT

* The first step towards treatment of head is thorough cleanliness.
* You should not share towels, pillows, combs, and hair-brushes.
* A special comb with close-knit, teeth, which is easily available
   should be used. This will help remove the lice from the hair.

EFFECTIVE METHOD TO DESTROY LICE

 Thoroughly cleanse the whole body from the scalp to the toes,
using pleanty of soap and water.  Next, five percent
benzyl benzoate emulsion should be applied to all the itching
areas.  This should be rubbed well into the scalp at night,
especially if the hair has been invaded by the parasites. 

PREVENTION

The condition can be prevented by the maintenance of personal cleanliness. The clothing of individuals suffering from pediculosis should be soaked in boiling water and washed. As children are more likely to suffer from this problem, it would be advisable to keep their hair short.

Good Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

VITAMIN A

Strengthens your cells and skin, protecting against cancer and premature aging.

Carrots, Apricots, Spinach, Eggs, Milk, Liver, Nectarines, Canteloupe melon.

VITAMIN B6

Aids the body in metabolizing amino acids and proteins.  It alleviates menstrual problems – women are often deficient in this Vitamin.

Wheatgerm, Bananas, Tuna, Wholegrain cereal, Brown rice.

VITAMIN B12

Needed for healthy nerve function and production of red blood cells.

Meat, Eggs, Milk, Vegetarians are advised to take supplements.

VITAMIN C

Used in the formation of collagen, vitamin C also has an important part to play as an antioxidant. Used for the absorption of iron and formation of antibodies.

Blackcurrants, Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit), Brussel sprouts, Green peppers.

VITAMIN D

Regulates the growth and repair of bones by controlling absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus.

Cod live oil, Herring, Mackerel, Sardines, Salmon, Milk fortified with vitamin D.

VITAMIN E

A vital antioxidant, it protects against free radicals, which promote aging.  It is also responsible for normal growth and development.

Sunflower seeds, Nuts, Milk, Wheatgerm, Vegetable oils. 

Boils - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Boils

The boils, known as furuncle in medical parlance, are tender
swelling in the skin surrounded by large red areas. They are
infections of the sweat glands or hair follicles of the skin.
They commonly occur during summer. 

Symptoms

* Boils can occur anywhere on the body, but they appear most
   often on the face, eyelids, back of the neck, upper back, and
   buttocks.

* Boils occurring round the eyes and nose are especially serious
   because their poisons can spread to the brain.

Causes

* Boils are mainly caused by stapphylococcus germs which enter
   the sweat glands or hair follicles.

* They can be transmitted from one person to another .

* The essential cause of this disorder is thus bacterial.

Treatment

* A thorough cleansing of the system is essential to the treatment
   of boils.

* Take exclusive diet of fresh juicy fruits for two or three days.

* A warm-water enema should be administered daily, if possible,
   during this period to cleanse the bowels.

* Avoid tea, coffee, starchy, and sugary foods especially, cakes,
   pastries, sweets, chocolates, white sugar, and white bread.

Home Remedies For Boils

* The use of garlic and onion has proved most effective among
   the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of
   boils.

* The juice of garlic or onion may be applied externally on the boils
   to help ripen them and also to break them and evacuate the pus.

* Bitter Gourd is an efficient home remedy for boils.  A cupful of fresh
   juice of this vegetable, mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice,
   should be taken, sip by sip, on an empty stomach daily for
   few days in treating this condition.

* Cumin seeds (jeera) are beneficial in the treatment of boils. The seeds
   of black cumin should be ground in water and made into a paste.
   This paste can be applied to boils with beneficial results.

Falling of Hair - Causes and Treatment

Falling of Hair

* Loss of hair at a very tender age has become a common

   disorder these days. It causes a great deal of concern to
   persons affected by loss of hair.

* The average growth rate is about 1.2 cm per month, growing
   fastest on women between the ages of 15 and 30.

Causes

* The most important cause of loss of hair is inadequate nutrition.

* Persons lacking vitamin B6 lose their hair and those deficient in
   folic acid often become completely bald.

* Another important cause of falling of hair is stress such as worry,
   anxiety, and sudden shock.

* General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like
   typhoid, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anemia, also gives
   rise to hair fall because it weakens the hair roots.

*  Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair.

* Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause
   hair to fall.

Treatment

* Intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet.

* Protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60 grams,
   men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein.

* Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with
   his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver,
   and molasses.

* Seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits provide adequate
   amounts of all the essential nutrients.  

Home Remedies For Hair

* Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil,
   is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth.
   A mixture of equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice
   used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents
   hair loss.

* Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater
  and lime juice on the hair prevents loss of hair and
  lengthens them.

* Application of green coriander (leaves) juice is beneficial
  on the hair.

* Mustard oil boiled with henna leaves is useful in healthy
   growth of hair.

* Another effective home remedy is application of coconut milk
   all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair roots nourishes
   the hair and promotes hair growth.

* A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram can also be
  applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patches.

* The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a
   fine paste, is one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied
   on the patches has mildly irritant action. This increases
   blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth.
   The paste should be applied twice a day for few weeks.

Dandruff Causes and Treatment

Dandruff Symptoms

* Scaliness increases whenever the hair is brushed or rubbed.
   It may also appear as lumps or crusts on the scalp.

* There will be itching and the scalp may become red from
   scratching.

Causes

* The main causes of dandruff are wrong feeding, constipation,
  emotional  tension, harsh shampoos, and exposure to cold
  and general exhaustion.

Treatment

* Keep the hair and scalp clean so as to minimize the accumulation
   of dead cells.

* The hair should be brushed daily to improve the circulation and
   remove any flakiness.

* In the case of long hair, two strokes would be best to avoid
   stretching the hair.

* The scalp should also be thoroughly massaged every day
   using one’s finger tips and working systematically over the head.

 * Diet plays an important role in the treatment of dandruff.

* A warm water enema should be taken daily to cleanse the bowels
   and all other measures adopted to eradicate constipation.

HOMEMADE REMEDIES FOR DANDRUFF

* The use of fenugreek seeds is one such remedy. Two tablespoons
  of fenugreek seeds should be soaked overnight in water. The
  softened seeds should be ground into a fine paste in the morning.
  This paste should be applied all over the scalp and left for half-an-hour.
  The hair should then be washed thoroughly with soapnut solution or
  shikakai.

* The use of a teaspoon of fresh line juice for the last rinse,
   while washing hair, is equally beneficial.

* Dilute cider vinegar with an equal quantity of water and dab
  this on to the hair with cotton wool in between shampooing.
  Cider vinegar added to the final rinsing water after shampooing
  also helps to disperse dandruff.