What causes acne?

A large number of oil producing glands called “sebaceous glands” are present under the skin – skin cross section) on face, back, chest and shoulders. During puberty or menopause due to the influence of the sex hormones, which are produced in male and female, these glands become more active and produce an oily secretion called “sebum”. The sebum makes the skin more oily .The excessive sebum clogs the skin pore or the pit of the hair follicle forming acne.

The blocked pore or acne acts as an excellent habitat for bacteria. The bacterial infection causes inflammation (red, painful swelling of the infected area) of the clogged pore or hair follicle leading to eruption of pimples.

Vata and Kapha are two main doshas, which are involved in eruption of acne and pimples. Rakta dhatu or blood also plays an important role in formation of acne.

Vata when gets vitiated due to unhealthy diet and lifestyles affects other two doshas (kapha and pitta) to aggravate them. Aggravated pitta affects rakta dhatu or blood. The vitiated blood affects the skin and causes excess secretion of oil from sebaceous glands. Kapha has sticky property. The aggravated kapha imparts the stickiness to the oil produced by sebaceous glands of skin. Thus the thick sebaceous plugs are formed in skin pores and hair follicles leading to eruption of acne.

Acne worsens when

1.grease, dirt or other harsh chemicals accumulate on skin.

2.you have Increased stress levels.

3.you indulge in Squeezing or pinching of acne.

4.when there are hormonal imbalances during menstrual cycle, menopause and puberty.

5.you are under medications like steroids or hormonal therapy.

Precautions to be taken to avoid exaggeration of acne eruptions:

•Avoid foods which are spicy, dry and oily. These may cause indigestion and lead to vitiation of vata.

•Keep a habit of emptying bowels regularly this always normalizes vata.

•Avoid fast foods and soft drinks.

•Wash your face twice daily with mild cleanser.

•Put a hair band to avoid falling of hair on face. The sweat and dirt accumulated on hair may fall on facial skin through hair strands

•Avoid application of scrubs.

•Wash your hair regularly with mild shampoo to keep it clean and avoid dandruff.

•Squeezing and pricking of pimples cause scaring. Hence avoid this

•Avoid exposure of skin to severe climatic conditions.

•Avoid oil based moisturizers. Water based moisturizers are always beneficial.

•Drink plenty of water.

•Practice a regular exercise regimen

Natural Herbal acne Home remedies :

•Wash your face with lukewarm water and mild soap twice a day.

•Wash fresh methi leaves (fenu greek leaves) and grind it to make a paste. Apply it on face and wash it off with lukewarm water after 10 minutes.

•Grind juicy tender neem leaves with turmeric to a consistency of paste. Apply this paste on acne and pimples. Wash this off after it dries.

•Apply a face pack of ripe tomato pulp and wash it off as soon as it dries naturally (preferably after 45 minutes) .

•Do not keep the make up while sleeping. Cleanse it with a mild herbal cleanser.

•Mix besan flour (gram flour) with rose water and apply a face pack.

•Consuming fresh vegetable salads and fresh fruits keeps the skin healthy and resistant to blemishes.

•Drink plenty of water (15 glasses a day)

We humans are blessed with a highly developed brain which decodes the stimuli from five sense organs and draws an inference about the object beheld. God has blessed us with eyes to enjoy the beauty and variety offered by the world he has created around us. Hence our eyes deserve some amount of special care .

According to the ayurveda many factors affect the function of eyes, reducing their efficiency and causing discomfort. According to ayurveda the diseases of eyes are caused by the vitiation of tridoshas . Tridoshas ( vatha, pitta and kapha) function normally in their respective channels and places, when they are in balanced condition. The main factors, which vitiate these doshas in eyes, are-

•Taking cold bath after a brisk exercise or after roaming in hot climate.

•Straining the eyes for very long hours.

•Keeping awake for very long time, sleeping in afternoon.

•Moving in dust, polluted environment and in smoke.

•Controlling natural urges,

•Head injuries,

•Using the microscope continuously,

•Alcoholism.

All these factors vitiate the doshas of eyes and cause numerous diseases of eye.

Tired eyes

Tired eyes are mostly caused by allergies, fatigue, over strain of eyes, infection and inadequate supply of oxygen to tissues of eyes. The main symptoms of tired eyes are dryness and irritation

Self care for tired eyes:

•Give rest to your eyes by closing them for a minutes interval in between work hours.

•Have a good nights sleep for 6- 7 hrs.

•Place fresh slice of cucumber on eyes for few minutes. This revitalizes eyes.

•Wash your eyes with cold water several times in a day.

•Mix few drops of rose water in a cup of water. Dip two cotton gauzes in it and place them on your eyes for few minutes.

Consult an ophthalmologist if itching, redness or discomfort persists.

Dry eyes

Tears flow down our eyes when we are sad or too happy. But our eyes are always protected by a thin film of tear. This film represents aap dhatu or jaladhatu (water element) according to ayurveda.or jala .The tear film keeps our vision clear and protects our eyes from irritations. Reduction in production of tears causes variation in tear film and dries it. This condition is called as dry eyes.

The causes For Dry eyes

1.Age:- As we get old the tear production reduces causing dry eyes. This is more prevalent in women than men.

2.Systemic diseases: Medical Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma etc.

3.Few medications: Few medications like diuretics , antihistamines, decongestants, sleeping pills, few antidepressants, acne medications and opiate preparations, allergic reaction to eye ointments and eye drops

4.Diseases of eyes: Blepheritis (inflammation of edges of eyelids), Entropion (inward bending of eyelid), Ectropion (outward bending of eyelid).

5.Irritants present in environment: smoke, dust, wind, sun, dry climate.

6.Life styles: Working in front of computer for longer hours, reading for long hours, driving.

7.Varied Composition of tears: Tears are a mixture of water, fatty oils, proteins, electrolytes, etc.

8.According to ayurveda principles the vitiated vayu causes this condition

Signs and symptoms of dry eyes:

Usually both eyes get affected in this condition. Itching, burning or stinging sensation in eyes as if a foreign substance is inside. You feel it very difficult to wear contact lenses. Eyes get tired easily. Secretion of mucus in the form of threads, around eyes. Eyes get very quickly irritated when exposed to smoke or wind.

If the above mentioned symptoms persist for a prolonged period please consult an ophthalmologist..

Prevention of dry eyes:

•Avoid direct blowing of air through hair driers, fans or air conditioners.

•Wear cooling glasses when it is too sunny or windy.

•Wear swimming glasses to prevent excess irritation.

•Avoid dry climate.

•Dont forget to blink when you work in front of computer or while reading or while watching TV

•Avoid rubbing your eyes.

Home remedies of dry eyes

•Boil castor leaves in water and allow it to cool down, when this decoction is lukewarm dip cotton gauze it and place it both eyes. When gauze becomes cold it can be dipped once again in the decoction and placef on the eyes.

•Boil two spoons of triphala powder in a glass of water until it reduces to quarter of a glass, when it is lukewarm filter it and add a spoon of honey. Drinking this decoction every day strengthens the eyes.

Dark Circles

Dark Circles are a common beauty complaint. Nine out of 10 people have dark circles under their eyes at one time or another, the skin beneath our eyes is very thin. As we get exposed to sun rays, the skin under the eyes gets damaged and becomes more thin and wrinkled. The veins below this thin skin start looking prominent. Thus the wrinkles and prominent veins form dark circles. Some times pigmentation also causes dark circles.

Causes of dark circles:

1.Age.

2.Over exposure to sun.

3.Lack of sleep.

4.Lack of nutrients.

5.Allergies.

6.Eczema.

7.Asthma.

8.Hereditary.

9.Fatigue.

10.Chronic diseases.

11.Pregnancy.

12.Menstruation

Remedy for dark circles:

1.Conceal the dark circles through make up techniques.

2.Do not use bleach or peels to make the dark circles light.

3.Apply mild moisturizer under eyes take care not to apply it too much. Lightly tap the under eye skin with one or two fingers to increase the blood circulation.

4.Treat the cause of illness mentioned above.

5.Sleep for sufficiently long hours.

6.Do not scratch the under eye skin.

7.Take good diet, which is rich in nutrients.

Conjunctivitis: (Pink Eye)

Causes: Conjunctivitis may be caused by viruses, bacteria or allergic substances like pollen or dust. Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria or virus may affect one or both eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis affects both eyes.

Symptoms:

The most common symptoms are- Redness, itching, grittily feeling, tearing and discharge from one or both eyes. Blurred vision and sensitivity to light also accompany the above symptoms.

Prevention:

1.Avoid Using others eye cosmetics and sharing your cosmetics with others.

2.Do not touch your eyes repeatedly with your hands.

3.Wash your hands repeatedly and thoroughly.

4.change pillow covers frequently.

5.Do not share your napkins, towels, hand kerchiefs with others and dont use others.

6.Wash the above mentioned items daily in warm water and press them using hot iron.

7.Take proper care of your contact lenses according to doctors instructions.

8.Avoid rubbing of eyes.

The term “erectile dysfunction” can mean the inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or the ability to achieve only brief erections.

Men with diabetes usually face erectile dysfunction. About 75% of diabetic men suffer from erectile dysfunction or impotence. The erectile dysfunction develops earlier in diabetic men than non diabetic men.

Erection requires a sequence of events. Erectile dysfunction can occur when any of the events is disturbed. Nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, around the penis and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins and arteries in and around the corpora cavernosa constitute this sequence of events. Injury to any of these parts which are part of this sequence (nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, fibrous tissue) can cause ED.

In ayurveda physiology of erection and ejaculation is described as follows

Vrishunow basthimedram cha naabhyuuru vankshnow gudam|

Apaanasthaanamantrasthaha shukra mootra shakrunti cha||

The “apaanavayu” one of the five types of vayu is located in the testicles, urinary bladder, phallus, umbilicus, thighs, groin, anus and colon. Its functions are ejaculation of semen, voiding of urine and stools”.

Shushruta explains the process of erection and ejaculation as “ When a man has desire (iccha) to have sex, his response to touch increases ( Vayu located in skin causes flow of signals from skin to brain, thus causing sensation of touch. Generally Vata controls the flow of signals in nervous system.). This causes arousal or “harsha” . Arousal or Harsha intensifies actions of vayu and at this moment highly active vayu liberates the “ teja “or heat of pitta. Thus tejas and vayu increase body temperature , heart beat and blood flow causing erection. “

Diabetes damages blood vessels and nerves (neuropathy) throughout body. When blood vessels and nerves which control erection, are damaged, they do not communicate properly and the blood flow to penis tissue is impaired. This causes erectile dysfunction.

According to ayurvedic text “ashtanga sangraha”, diabetes is caused due to vitiation of vata. pitta, kapha and rakta (blood). Vitiated doshas affect almost all tissues of body in diabetes. According to ayurveda the process of erection occurs due to involvement of vata, pitta and rakta . The process of erection will be normal when vata, pitta and rakta are in normal and balanced condition.Vitiated vata fails to cause normal flow of signals and arousal does not occur. Vitiated pitta and rakta fail to complete the process of blood flow to penis.

Simple remedies to avoid erectile dysfunction in diabetes:

Mix a pinch of turmeric with juice of embelica officinalis (Amla) and consume this in early morning.

Drink triphala concoction daily in early morning.

Juices of neem, guduchi (giloya) and Embelica officinalis prove beneficial if consumed in early morning.

Obese patients have to exercise regularly and aim at reducing weight.

Practice yoga and meditation regularly to keep stress level low.