Dandruff: What does an itchy scalp tell you?

Dandruff usually declares itself with the appearance of flakes. At the same time, itching will be present. So, does a scratchy scalp try to tell you something more? Let us see what does it indicate and how to treat it.

Symptoms of dandruff

Dandruff symptoms include flakes and   an itchy scaly scalp. The flakes are white and oily which accumulate in the hair and fall on to the shoulders when you comb your hair or move the hair. The symptoms get worse in winter months, especially when the air is dry.

The symptoms may occur due to various reasons including irritated and oily skin, not shampooing the hair for long causing the skin cells to accumulate and create flakes, due to the presence of yeast called malassezia that causes excess skin cell growth or due to the use of unsuitable personal care products which may cause dermatitis that make the scalp red and itchy.

Surprisingly, men are more prone to dandruff than women. People who more oil in the hair or those suffering from certain diseases are at higher risk. Symptoms also occur more frequently during puberty, but dandruff can develop at any age.

Steps to prevent scaly and itchy scalp

Check on your shampoo

Itchy scalp may be able to get some relief by using an OTC shampoo that are advertised as formulated to help control dandruff. But getting the right one may take some trial and error. If you are not sure, ask your doctor for a suggestion. You may need to use a special shampoo or medicated shampoo to match your hair and get your dandruff under control.

Moisturize

You know that a dry scalp always has a tendency to flake and itch, but usually, the flakes with dry skin are smaller and less oily. Once you restore moisture to the scalp, it can decrease the itchiness. For moisturizing, you may use coconut oil which also has antibacterial properties, making it the right natural choice for fighting dryness.

Maintain good hygiene

Regular shampooing can keep oils at bay, helping treat dandruff symptoms. You can also resist the urge to scratch your scalp. The itchiness is mainly caused due to the irritation from dandruff, but scratching will only lead to an increase in irritation.

Tackle your stress and relax

Stress is seen to scale up the dandruff attack in some individuals. Malassezia may not occur due to scalp, but it can thrive when your immune system is weak due to stress.  You can relax, take a restorative walk or practice yoga and find an escape from stressful events to prevent dandruff.

Consult your doctor

The best thing is that dandruff is one condition which can be effectively treated with OTC shampoos and certain lifestyle measures. When in doubt or when you are not able to control the flakes and itichiness, go ahead and meet your doctor. Your doctor will examine thoroughly and prescribe the right shampoo and medications.

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Hair is one distinguishing feature that adds value to the face of any woman. It is a part of her beauty and personality. The hair on her head is something that she can customize and experiment in endless ways.

This is not the same for hair at other places, which may not be very welcome. The hair on our body is something that nature has bestowed and at best we can do is remove it if not required. Above all, if this hair appears in unwanted places, it becomes a challenge.

Of all the places, if hair appears on the chin, then it causes considerable embarrassment. The chin is really a tricky place because, more often, you won’t notice it unless you strain your neck and push your head back. The chin hair is nothing abnormal because most of us get it at least once in our life.

What is Hirsutism?

Some stray chin hair may occasionally appear, which may be normal, but if the frequency and number of hair are more then, it is called Hirsutism. This is not a severe condition in any way, but it may be an indication of an underlying health condition. So, it is required to check it out.

There are many reasons for the appearance of chin hair and some of them are listed below.

The Gene

Chin hair may grow due to the influence of your genetic makeup. So the Hirsutism is mostly hereditary. If your grandmother, mother, or aunts had chin hair, likely, you will also get it. Surprisingly this is seen mainly in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Hormonal Imbalances

Another reason for Hirsutism is associated with unusually higher levels of androgen or male hormones in some females.  Female bodies do produce some amount of male hormones, but the levels are low and so no male charesteristics surface. But sometimes higher amounts are produced, resulting in conditions like chin hair, deeper voice and smaller breasts in women.

Aging Process

After the stages of puberty and pregnancy, it is the menopause stage that affects women the most. Causing rare ups and down in the hormonal levels. Normally the amount of estrogen in the body decreases. It is during this period that more changes like chin hair appears.

PCOS Problems

PCO or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which again occurs due to hormonal imbalance is another crucial reason for male characteristics to appear. The condition causes irregular periods, weight gain, fertility issues etc. due to cyst formation in the ovaries, which can lead to Hirsutism.

Cushing Syndrome

Excess amount of stress hormone cortisol causes considerable changes. The changes manifest through different organs and tissues and together it is called as Cushing syndrome. Chin hair growth is one such effect.

CAH

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia is a birth-related deficiency of vital enzymes. These enzymes are needed for sex steroid secretion from the adrenal glands. The lack of these enzymes results in male hormone secretion, which causes the development of primary and secondary sexual charecteristics like chin hair.

HOW TO TACKLE CHIN HAIR

Removing chin hair is the best option. It is done using a plucker, through waxing or by bleaching etc. Epilators and laser treatment are an advanced option. Hormonal imbalance can be tackled with lifestyle changes or in advanced cases through medical remedies.

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Many of us like to have cold things to eat and drink, especially during hot summer days. Yet very often after consuming these cold things, you get a toothache, cold or sometimes a sharp headache. The brief, stabbing headaches that happen when you eat, drink or inhale something cold is called Ice-cream headache.

Ice-cream headache is also known as cold stimulus headaches. These headaches also occur when you expose your head to cold temperatures, such as diving into a pool of ice-cold water.

The most heartening part is that most of these ice-cream headaches last only for a short period of time.

Symptoms of an ice-cream headache

It is easy to know when you get an attack of an ice-cream headache. The symptoms include sharp, stabbing pain in the forehead. The pain peaks in about 20 to 60 seconds after it begins and then slowly goes away within the same time. Overall the pain does not last more than five minutes.

What causes Ice-cream headache?

When a person Exposes to extreme cold or has something cold to eat or drink suddenly, the person may get a headache. When the cold air or cold substances moves across the roof of the mouth and the back of the throat, it triggers the headache. Though the exact mechanism that causes the pain is not known.

There is a theory regarding ice-cream headache going around, which terms that the sudden cold sensation alters the blood flow in the nervous system, which causes a brief headache. This may be due to the body’s mechanism to prevent loss of heat from the body by constriction of the blood vessels and then relaxing again to let Blood flow again. That is why the pain goes away once the body adapts to the temperature change.

Blood vessels constrict to prevent the loss of body heat and then relax again to let blood flow rise, resulting in a burst of pain that goes away once the body adapts to the temperature change.

What are the risk factors?

Ice-cream headaches can affect anybody, regardless of age or gender. It affects those who are prone to consume colder things and those who live or travel in colder climates.

How to prevent ice-cream headache?

We all know that extreme cold triggers the condition, so if you avoid having cold food and drinks as well as cold weather or keep away cold by wearing necessary warm clothing, you can prevent ice-cream headaches.

Many people have problems with their voice due to many reasons. Usually, ENT doctors and speech-language pathologists are specialists who handle various voice disorders.

The voice disorders depending on the causes are treated effectively with medications, voice therapy and finally surgery if needed.

What is a voice box?

Voicebox (larynx) in humans consit of cartilage, muscle and mucous membranes. It is located at the top of the windpipe (trachea) and at the base of the tongue.

Sound is generated when the vocal cords vibrate. The vibration is produced when air moves through the larynx, bringing the vocal cords closer together. The vocal cords also close the voice box when you swallow, preventing food or liquid entering the windpipe.

What causes voice disorder?

Due to infection or various other reasons, sometimes the vocal cords get inflamed, develop some growths or become paralyzed and don’t work properly. This is known as a voice disorder.

What are the common voice disorders?

There are many types of voice disorders based on the location and the cause of the disorder.

Laryngitis or inflammation of the vocal cords due to overuse, irritation or infection, neurological voice disorders, polyps, nodules or cysts in the vocal cords, precancerous and cancerous lesions and vocal cord paralysis are the different kinds of voice disorders.

What are the risk factors for voice disorders?

Voice disorder may be caused due to physical condition, one’s habits and environmental conditions. The risk factors thus include age, alcohol use, allergies, gastrointestinal reflux, upper respiratory infection, neurological disorders, stress, trauma of the front of the neck, continuous screaming, smoking, throat cancer, dehydration, throid problems and voice misuse of any other kind.

How is voice disorder diagnosed?

Once you consult your doctor with your voice problem, you will be first subjected to a detailed examination, including questions about your condition. The doctor will either use a mirror inserted in the mouth or a flexible laryngoscope, which is inserted through your nose to examine the condition of your throat. The latest equipment is a video stroboscope with a camera and light attached to it to study your throat.

Additionally the doctor may further subject you to a sound (acoustic) analysis using a computer to measure the irregularities of sound. An advanced method like laryngeal elllectromyography will be taken if available to study the electric currents in your voice box muscles.

After obtaining the resulttts of your tests, your doctor will finally conclude whether you have a voice disorder and what is the next step in treatment.

What are the treatments for voice disorders?

Depending on the diagnosis of your voice disorder, the doctor my advise various treatments, including rest for your vocal cords, intake of fluids and a speech therapist training you to use your voice effectively. If an allergy is a cause for your voice problem, then appropriate allergy treatment will be recommended.

If you smoke, your doctor will ask you to stop the habit. The doctor will also prescribe medicines to treat causes like inflammation, gastroesophageal reflux and to halt any growth in the voice box.

VITAL BREATHING TIPS FOR COPD PATIENTS

Difficulty in breathing is the first sign of COPD. This can be mainly tackled with some essential lifestyle changes, which will also make the patient feel better.

STOP SMOKING
Immediately give up smoking. It is an important decision to make and will help prevent further damage to your lungs. At the same time, a person should take care to avoid second-hand smoke. Any kind of smoke can irritate the lungs and make breathing difficult.

GET FRESH AIR

It is always better to avoid any irritants that can affect the lungs and breathing. Try to find out the environmental conditions and stay home when the pollution or pollen concentration is beyond healthy limits. Stay off fumes and dust particles.

EXERCISE

Endurance is one aspect that helps to breathe. Regular exercise can improve one’s endurance and strengthen the muscles that help you breathe. Consult your doctor before starting any sort of exercise.

EAT HEALTHY

In conditions like COPD you will expend more energy to help you breathe better. A well-rounded diet will give you extra energy and help you stay active and healthy.

MANAGE BODY WEIGHT

Since it takes more effort and burning of calories to breathe, you will tend to be underweight. Your doctor can suggest supplements and help you get good weight.

AVOID IRRITANTS

You must avoid certain products like soaps and perfumes that may contain substances that can irritate your lungs and air passage. Use natural products without scents and chemicals to have good breathing.

TAKE MEDICINES

Follow your doctor’s treatment plan stringently. Take all the medicines in the right quantity and on time as per the physician’s advice.

CONSULT DOCTOR REGULARLY

Submit to checkups even when you feel fine. Only your doctor will be able to gauge how well your lungs are working. Get your medicines updated and do call your doctor when you feel your symptoms are getting worse.

GET SUFFICIENT SLEEP

COPD can cause very serious sleep problems.  It can be partly due to COPD and partly due to tot the medicines you take. The normal sleeeep can help you stay safe. Consult your doctor and take advice or sleep medicines for having a good sleep.

GET A FLU INJECTION

Remember to get a flu injection every year. Diseases like the flu and other respiratory issues can cause severe problems for people with COPD. Consult your doctor and find the right vaccine. Keep social distancing to prevent flu.

OXYGEN THERAPY

Many breathing problems are caused due to the lack of oxygen. In COPD condition, your lungs don’t absorb oxygen the way it should, so they can’t supply oxygen-rich fluids in your body. The condition makes it difficult for your body and organs to function normally. You can always use the modern-day oxygen therapy, to enables you to breathe properly.