Skin & Hair Care

Urticaria is a common vascular reaction pattern characterized by dermal swelling due to vasodilatation and increased vascular permeability. Clinically, it is manifested as intensely itchy, erythematous or pale, oedematous swelling.MechanismIt is mainly due to local increase of permeability of the capillaries and the small venules. Histamine, which is derived from mast cell, is an important […]

A fungus is a saprophytic or parasitic plant and is incapable of photosynthesizing its own organic food requirements due to lack of chlorophyll.Despite the large number of fungi in the world, relatively few species of fungi are human pathogens. The fungi responsible for human disease may be either multicellular forming filaments known as hyphae or

Scabies is a contagious disease caused by Sarcoptes scabei hominis, a tiny mite—male being 0.2-0.15 mm and female 0.4-0.3 mm in measurement. They are whitish hemispherical mites having 4 pairs of very short legs.Clinical FeaturesThe main complaint is itching which is worse at night. Incubation period is usually 2-3 weeks.Skin lesions of scabies can be

Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by erythematous papules and plaques surmounted by silvery white scale.AetiopathogenesisThe disease can involve any group but peak incidence is seen in between 15-40 years. Both sexes are equally affected. Exact aetiology is unknown, probably it is multifactorial. The genetic basis of psoriasis is based

The word ‘atopic’ describes a group of allergic or associated diseases that often affect several members of a family. These families may not only have allergies such as hay fever and asthma but also show skin eruptions called atopic dermatitis. The word eczema is used to describe all kinds of red, blistering, oozing, scaly, brownish,

One of the most painful injuries that one can ever experience is a burn injury. When a burn occurs to the skin, nerve endings are damaged causing the intense feelings of pain.The infusion of large quantities of fluid, mainly a salt solution, as many as 3-4 liters daily, has proved satisfactory. Sometimes a life is

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are preventable heat related illness. They are serious conditions and can lead to death if left untreated. When the heat stroke takes place due to too much exposure to the sun it is sun stroke. As victims body temperature increases first heat exhaustion takes place and this can rapidly progress

Rising pollution levels in the environment has resulted in a drastic change of climatic conditions around the world. The summers have become more harsher, thereby causing conditions which were not frequently experienced before. Heat stroke is one such condition, which has proved to be fatal to many unwary victims. It is not the condition, which

Vascular system is made up of a network of blood vessels, which includes veins, arteries and capillaries. The inflammation of blood vessels which may occur in any part of the body is called Vasculitis. Vasculitis causes changes in the walls of blood vessels, such as thickening, weakening, narrowing and scarring. In the vessel wall, white

Gonorrhoea, also called as ‘Clap’ is a sexually transmitted, very common infectious disease. The infection is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhea. Gonorrhoea is spread during sexual intercourse—vaginal, oral, and anal. Most often, gonorrhoea is found in younger people (ages 15-30) who have multiple sex partners. Gonorrhoea can also be spread from mother to

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease capable of affecting any organ of the body.What are the causes of Syphilis?Close sexual contact with an infected person.An infected mother can pass on the infection to the child during birth.Blood transfusions from infected person.What are the symptoms of Syphilis?Primary stage : Painless ulcer develops at the sites of

Shingles or herpes zoster is a localized, painful, blistering rash caused by the varicella virus, which is the same virus that causes chicken pox. It occurs only in people who have had chickenpox in the past and represents a reactivation of the dormant varicella virus. Shingles is not a new infection, it is rather a

Chicken Pox, also known as Varicella, is an acute and highly contagious disease. The viral infection is transferred from one person to another through direct contact with the broken chickenpox blisters and through airborne droplets. People who have never had chickenpox can get infected just by being in a room with someone who has the

It is an infectious and potentially fatal disease of warm-blooded animals, especially of cattle and sheep, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can also occasionally effect human population.What is Bacillus Anthracis?The bacteria of Anthrax is a gram-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped (bacillus) bacterium. It needs oxygen to thrive and has a capsule around it and hence

A boil, or skin abscess, is a localized infection deep in the skin. A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area. Over time, the area becomes firm and hard. Eventually, the centre of the abscess softens and becomes filled with white cells that the body sends to fight the infection. This collection of white