What is a heat boil? A heat boil is a skin infection that begins in a hair follicle or oil gland. Usually the area of the infection turns red and a tender lump is formed. Thereafter in four to seven days the lump starts to turn white due to the formation of pus that collects inside it.

Heat boils commonly affect hairy area, the face, neck, armpits, shoulders and buttocks. It can also form on the eyelid when it is called a sty. If it is a single boil it is common but if several boils appear in a group, it is a bit serious and the infection is called a carbuncle. It is usually in diabetic.

What causes boils?

Boils are mostly caused by a bacterium called staphylococcal bacteria. The bacteria enter the body through tiny lesions and cuts on the skin. It then travels down the hair to the follicle on the skin.

Who are at risk to get boils?

Certain health problems make people more susceptible to get boils and skin infection. The diseases are diabetes, problem with immune system, poor nutrition, poor hygiene and exposure to harsh chemicals or irritants that affect the skin.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a heat boil can be varied. First the boil starts as a hard, red, painful lump on the skin. After a few days, the lump becomes softer, larger and more painful. Then pus gets formed on the top area of the boil. The signs of skin infection due to the boils include the boil turning red, painful, warm and swollen. Later more boils may appear around the original one, there may be a fever developing and the lymph nodes get swollen.

What are the treatments?

Home remedies:

Home remedies  does not apply for diabetic patients. First you can try some home remedies to treat the boil and if it is successful soon you may get rid of the infection.

Soak the boil in warm water using a warm compress with a towel. This will reduce the pain considerably and allow the pus to come to the surface. Once the pus reaches the surface of the boil it will get ruptured due to continuous soaking. This can be tried within 10 days of the boil’s appearance.

Once the boil starts draining of the pus, wait for some time and wash it with an anti-bacterial soap until all the pus is gone. Then softly wipe the area with rubbing alcohol.

Apply a medicated ointment mainly a topical antibiotic. Then bandage the area properly. You should continue to wash the area two or three times a day and use warm compress until the would heals.

Medical treatment:

If you feel that the boil is not healing and the infection is serious, then additional tests are required and you should consult your doctor. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics if the infection is severe. The boil is drained properly and culture will be done to determine the type of bacteria causing the infection and then suitable antibiotic is prescribed by the doctor.

How to prevent boils?

There are few steps you should take to avoid getting heat boils.

• Take care of hygiene by washing clothes, bedsheets and towels of a infected person
• Clean and treat minor skin wounds promptly
• Practice good personal hygiene
• Protect your skin and take proper diet
• Try to remain healthy and increase your immunity

The human body, holds up to 60,000 miles of blood vessels, along with the heart and other muscles, the whole set-up makes a circulatory system. These networks of tubules carry blood to every corner of the body.

In a situation like this when the blood circulation is poor, it slows or blocks the blood flow. The result is that the cells of the body do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients they need and hence your body does not function as effectively as it should.

What are the signs of poor circulation?

When the circulation is poor and the limbs don’t get enough blood, then your hands or feet may feel cold or numb. Those with light skin can actually see the legs getting a blue tinge. Poor circulation also dries the skin, turns nails brittle and makes the hair fall out. Men develop sexual dysfunction. If you are diabetic and have poor circulation your scrapes, sores and wounds tend to heal very slowly.

Steps to improve circulation:

Stop smoking

Your cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobaccos are not as harmless as they look they contain nicotine, an active ingredient. Nicotine easily harms the walls of your arteries and thickens your blood. It is always better to quit smoking and let your body get healthier.

Control Blood Pressure

When the blood pressure is out of control or too high than normal then it leads to arteriosclerosis. This is a condition that hardens the arteries and can help choke off blood flow. A blood pressure of 120/80 is ideal but always ask your doctor about factors like age and health affecting the BP result.

Drink plenty of water

Half of our body blood consists of water, so you need to stay hydrated to keep it moving smoothly. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You have to drink more if you do regular exercise or if the temperature is hotter outside.

Avoid sitting for long hours

When you sit for long duration at your workplace or home, then it is not so good for your circulation and your back. Sitting at a stretch every day, weakens the leg muscle and slows the circulation which could cause a clot. You can even prefer a standing desk at your workplace. Standing on your feet works the valves in your leg veins sending blood up to your heart.

Eat more vegetables

A balanced diet is always the winner. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits and stay away from saturated fats found in red meat, chicken, cheese and other animal source. Control that dash of salt in your dish. All these will help keep you weight under control, cholesterol under check and blood pressure in the normal range which means you enjoy a much cleaner arteries.

Brush your body right

You can take a body brush with stiff bristles and stroke the dry skin. Start at the feet and work your way up, using long motions on the legs and arms. Make circles on the belly and lower back. Brushing also improves dry skin. Finally it helps in keeping your circulation in its finest shape.

Soak your body

Get into the shower and take a bath; it surprisingly improves your circulation by a good level. Bathe in warm water since it makes your arteries and veins open a bit wider, letting more blood flow through. Drinking hot water or tea can be temporary trick to improve circulation.

Tongue cancer is today seen an increase in occurrence among people all over the world. This is one of the unique types of oral or mouth cancers. Like any other cancer it is caused due to excessive cell division which is out of control and forming growth or tumour on the tongue.

Type of tongue cancers

There are mainly two types of tongue cancers. One is called the oral tongue cancer since it affects the part of the tongue that you stick out. The other type affects the base of your tongue, where it connects to the throat. This type is often diagnosed only after it spread to the lymph nodes in the neck.

Who is at risk?

In our country the main cause of tongue cancer is tobacco abuse. Tongue cancer can affect any age group.  Rarely tongue cancer affects young children too.

What are the symptoms of tongue cancer?

The first signs of tongue cancer are the appearance of a lump or sore on the side of your tongue that doesn’t cure. The sore may be pinkish-red in colour. The sore can also bleed if pressure is applied on it. There may be pain near the affected tongue area and changes to your voice and trouble swallowing food may be other symptoms.

Whenever you get a sore right on your tongue or inside your mouth and it doesn’t go away in a couple of week’s time then it is advisable to see a doctor immediately. If the problem is at the base of the tongue then the condition may be asymptomatic in the early stages. It is usually detected when you visit your dentist on a regular visit.

What causes tongue cancer?

In our country the main cause of tongue cancer is tobacco usage. It can affect any age group after prolonged tobacco usage. More refined tobacco products can produce cancer tongue even after that period of exposure ( As short as six months). Tongue cancer without exposive  to tobacco can occur in older adults. Rarely tongue cancer can affect young Children .

Tongue caner is also caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The same virus can infect the genital areas and cause cervical cancer, penile cancer and even anal cancer. It is a common sexually transmitted disease.

Other reasons that  causes tongue cancer include alcohol consumption, jagged teeth and not taking proper dental care of gums and teeth.

Instead of the above causes, tongue cancer may also be inherited and the genes play a major role in this.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a preliminary physical examination of your mouth and its parts and ask questions to you about any symptoms. It will be advised to take few X-rays or a CT scan. A sample tissue may be extracted from your mouth and sent for biopsy test to find the presence of any cancer cells and their stage.

What is the treatment?

The treatment depends on the location of the tumour and its size or growth. Surgery is the best way to remove the tumour from any part of the tongue. The surgery will involve taking out the tumour along with some healthy cells around it and some lymph nodes, so that the cancer does not come back.

When the cancer is located at the back of the tongue, usually the doctor will suggest a radiation therapy. Sometimes a combination of chemotherapy, cancer fighting drugs and radiation is applied.

Later the patient is given physical therapy to help them get back the ability to chew, move the tongue, swallow and speak better.

How to prevent tongue cancer?

Avoiding any type of tobacco is the best  way to prevent tongue cancer. Many cases of the base of the tongue cancer are caused by HPV. Some precautions that will help you avoid it include getting vaccinated for HPV, using latex during sexual contact.  Avoiding alcohol and taking good care of teeth and gums also prevent tongue cancer.

Have you ever noticed at sometime a soft, rubbery bulge under your skin in any part of your body? This could be lipoma and they happen when a lump of fat starts growing in the soft tissue of the body.

Lipoma though classified as tumours they are benign ones and harmless. Lipomas are the most common tumours under your skin. They are usually found on the upper body, arms and thighs.

What causes lipoma?

Generally it is not very well know about what causes lipoma. It is observed that middle aged men and women tend to get them and it is mostly a hereditary condition.

Lipomas appear after an injury, the can be inherited, a rare disease called Madelung’s disease can cause them. It is seen that lipoma mostly affects alcoholic men.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom is the appearance of small and soft lumps under the skin. The lumps are usually less than 2 inches wide and sometimes more than one will develop.

When you press on a lump under the skin and it slips easily under skin, it is a lipoma. Normally such lipomas do not cause pain but if they bump against some nerves or have blood vessels running through them.

What are the treatments?

Lipomas are usually harmless and doctors will mostly ask the patient to leave them alone but keep a watch on it between visits. If it hurts or if you don’t like the look of it, you can have it removed.

The doctor will remove it surgically with a small cut. In most cases the person can go back home shortly after the surgery. Other treatments include using steroids to shrink the tumour and liposuction using a needle and syringe to suck out the fatty tissue.

Case of large lipomas

Lipomas if they are larger than 2 inches are called ‘giant lipomas’.  They can cause severe nerve pain or make you self-conscious about your looks. Sometimes lipomas will make it difficult to fit into your favourite dress.

These sort of ‘giant lipomas’ may require surgery under anaesthesia and a little longer stay at the hospital. Lipomas rarely come back and hence they may not cause any other disease in your body. If increase in size, change in colour of skin, painful, have to consult doctor immediately.