Daily Archives: March 9, 2020

Heart attacks happen when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked, a mechanism commonly triggered by a build-up of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart. This process does not happen overnight, rather it is the accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle decisions taken over a period of time. As a result, there is ample opportunity to avert the risk of having a heart attack.

It is vital to heed the warning signs that foreshadow a heart attack so you can take steps to prevent it.

While most people would associate heart attack signs with chest pain, there are a surprising number of symptoms that show up in different places in the body.

For example, people who suffer from severe eczema may be at a greater risk of having a heart attack, according to a study published in the BMJ.

Eczema is a common skin condition that is characterised by itchy and inflamed patches of skin.

READ MORE:Best supplements for the heart: The supplement proven to reduce your risk of heart disease

Each was matched with up to five people of similar age and sex who didn't have eczema.

After a five-year follow-up, the researchers found that people with severe eczema had a 40 percent to 50 percent increased risk of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, and death from heart disease, as well as a 20 percent higher risk of stroke.

The risks remained even after the researchers accounted for confounding factors such as weight, smoking, and alcohol use.

In light of the findings, the study authors suggested that people with severe eczema should be screened for risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.

Read more from the original source:
Heart attack symptoms: The painful skin condition that could increase risk by 50 percent - Express

The current situation

In 2018, the NHS Clinical Commissioners, an independent collective voice of CCGs, published their recommendations for conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care.1 This included advice that treatment should not normally be offered for the mild irritant dermatitis or mild dry skin.

Then, in June 2019, the NHS Clinical Commissioners published further guidance to CCGs.2 This included a short section on the use of bath additives and shower preparations for dry and pruritic conditions.

Around the country, many CCGs took these two directives as a green light to discourage the prescription of emollients generally and subsequently many patients with significant and serious skin conditions have complained that they are being denied effective treatment for their skin conditions. That surely was never the intention of this advice?

In my experience, most eczema will not settle unless emollients are used in place of soaps and other harsh detergents, and leave-on emollients are used regularly. Poorly managed eczema is not only distressing and disabling, but also results in a greater use of topical steroids and greater use of antibiotics both topically and systemically. That can be improved by using quality emollients.3

There are several issues that should be considered when choosing an emollient. Cost is one of them but, unlike the advice I see from several CCGs around the country, should not be the overriding factor.

First and foremost is patient preference - there is no point recommending an emollient that wont be used! Greasier emollients will have greater barrier protecting effects but are unacceptable for many people while they are up and about, however they are often tolerated as a leave-on at bedtime. Most ointments are markedly water-repellent, but Hydromol and Epaderm ointments are water-miscible and can be used as soap substitutes. Emollient creams can also be used as soap substitutes, however that would be extravagant with the more expensive, sophisticated emollients.

The constituents of an emollient are clearly critical. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) should never be put on the skin as it will aggravate eczema4,5 and damages normal skin.6 Emulsifying ointment contains 3% SLS so shouldnt go anywhere near the skin and Aqueous cream (which is a dilution of emulsifying ointment in water) is also dangerous.

All emollients are combustible, but those containing paraffin are highly flammable.7 Those with high concentrations are especially dangerous and include all the ointments. It is essential that patients are warned about this risk. For example, even pyjamas, that have been washed after being worn by someone using a paraffin-based emollient, are highly combustible.8 The only emollient that I know of that doesnt have any paraffin is Aproderm colloidal oat cream.

Some emollients prevent water loss from the skin for prolonged periods of time (this can be measured as trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL). Emollients with a long TEWL protection are not only convenient, but also more cost-effective as they do not need to applied throughout the day. Balneum and CeraVe for example have a TEWL of 24hrs and emollients containing Povidone (such as Doublebase Dayleve or Oilatum) have a TEWL of at least 12 hours.

Most quality emollients contain humectants, which are hygroscopic molecules that hold water in the stratum corneum. They complement the bodys natural moisturising factors, enhancing hydration of dry skin conditions, supporting the skin barrier and extending the TEWL. Typical humectants include: urea, glycerol, lactic acid or even sodium pyrollidine carboxylate.

There are several emollients on the market now with colloidal oatmeal. This has been shown to have soothing, anti-inflammatory effects, which are particularly useful in inflammatory skin conditions such as atopic eczema.

Adex gel is a relatively new emollient. It is essentially Doublebase gel with the addition of nicotinamide and is indicated for dry or inflamed skin. Nicotinamide has direct anti-itch and anti-inflammatory properties and I have found it particularly useful in patients with active inflammatory skin diseases including eczema, psoriasis and even rosacea. Lipikar AP+ Baume contains niacinamide, also has a humectant (7% glycerine) and is licensed from birth. Uniquely, it contains the prebiotic aqua posae filiformis, which I really like as it supports the normal healthy microbiome.

CeraVe is a new emollient, extremely popular in the USA, and contains three essential ceramides - oily molecules that fill the intercellular space between epidermocytes, sealing the skin barrier. It also has two powerful humectants (7.5% glycerine and hyaluronic acid), so it is powerfully hydrating. It is an interesting emollient with a very long TEWL, complimented also by its unique Multivesicular Emulsion Technology, resulting in the slow release of its ingredients over 24 hours.

As well as being an excellent humectant, 5% urea has mild anti-pruritic effects. At higher concentrations, urea can help thin the skin. Most high urea emollients are very expensive, but I think Flexitol is a reasonably priced and a useful option for hyperkeratotic skin conditions. CeraVe SA Soothing Cream is a new emollient that contains 10% urea, as well as a gentle concentration of salicylic acid (0.5%). This combination makes it an ideal choice for dry scaly conditions such as keratosis pilaris. The CeraVe range dont have an NHS tariff yet but they are superb emollients for patients who are prepared to buy a quality emollient themselves.

Some pump dispensers are wasteful (for example Aveeno). Others are weak and the delay in refilling can be frustrating (for example Imuderm, but also all the Exma range). Most pump dispensers cost around 2.50, which is a huge element of the total cost of a 500gm bottle of emollient! However, a quality pump dispenser, such as the Rieke pump used in the Aproderm range, allows 98% efficiency with minimal wastage, as well as delivering a consistent 4g per actuation. It also does not allow air back into the pump. which means fewer preservatives are necessary. Similarly the Doublebase and Adex pumps and bottle design are lovely, with 98% efficiency.

There is no excuse for dispensing a cream in a tub and so I cannot endorse those (e.g. Aquamax).

Epimax comes in a mayonnaise style tube, which makes it cheap and ideal as a soap substitute. However, it does draw air back into the tube risking contamination. Because of this, Epimax colloidal needs a strong preservative and some patients complain this stings their inflamed skin. Furthermore, some patients tell me they have problems squeezing the tube, which can also become slippery.

Ointments are so thick that they are always dispensed in a pot. However, patients must be instructed to take some out with a spatula or spoon, as otherwise the ointment could become contaminated within a week.9

Once a patient has confirmed they like an emollient, it should be prescribed in adequate quantities. NICE recommended 250gm/week for children with atopic eczema10and I would suggest adults need double that 2kg a month!

Patients should be instructed on how to apply their emollient, dabbing it onto the skin and stroking it down the body and limbs in the same direction as the hairs. The whole skin in eczema is abnormal and so the whole body needs to treated with a leave-on emollient. The best time to apply an emollient is straight after washing, when the skin is fully accessible and moist. That way, the emollient will help to trap some moisture in the skin. It is important for patients to understand that dry skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, need long-term treatment and that emollients should not be stopped once a flare has settled.

Finally, dont forget to warn your patients not only about the risk of flammability, but also that the shower tray or bath could be rendered dangerously slippery and the drains may clog up unless they are regularly cleared.

More:
'The best emollient is one the patient uses' - prescribing emollients in primary care - Pulse

A woman has told of how a 17 beauty product massively improved her eczema.

Lydia Finnegan has suffered from the crippling skin condition for years, but thanks to trial and error with various beauty products, she has been able to manage her eczema and now has smooth and clear skin thanks to using a coffee-based scrub.

Writing in a blog post on her site Itchie Scratchie, Lydia explained that just over four years ago she was on the verge of giving up on controlling her eczema.

She said: I scratched and scratched and bled and scratched more. I wasn't sleeping. Every part of my body was covered in red raw, itchy, flaky, bleeding, blistered hell, and I mean EVERY part.

Eczema hit me like a ton of bricks, I had never suffered like this before, but it spiralled to the point where I had no control. I was blaming everyone for everything.

But blogger Lydia found that the coffee scrub which she saw on TV show Dragons Den completely transformed her skin.

She said on her blog post that Grounded Coffee Body scrub worked absolute miracles on her skin and cleared it up completely.

The product costs 17 and you can pick it up online here.

I've been using the scrub for a few years now. This scrub was on Dragon's Den - a guy made this to treat his girlfriend's eczema and it worked, she wrote.

I use the grapefruit one - it is the softest texture and smells amazing. It is full of vitamins and moisturising ingredients. The coffee/salt exfoliates any dry skin if I leave it on for more than minutes, I notice instantly smoother skin.

Be super gentle when you put it on though. It feels GREAT to itch with, so you can irritate your skin by over-doing it.

Lydia also credits Aveeno Dermexa Emollient Cream as a winning product, as when used with the body scrub she noticed a huge difference in how soft her skin felt.

So, not only did the condition of her skin improve, Lydia noticed that her mental health did too thanks to her clearer skin.

She said: I used them together, the Aveeno strengthened my skin barrier and again and the scrub helped with exfoliation and hydration plus my general mental health and state of mind improved.

Visit link:
Woman tells of how 17 beauty product massively improved her eczema - RSVP Live

With news of more and more possible cases of the new coronavirus in the U.S., now is the time to get your handwashing game on point. But all that washing might also have you worrying aboutor dealing withan incredibly common skin issue: dry, itchy, red, painful skin on your hands.

So we spoke to experts about how to manage and heal those dry, cracked hands in the safest way possible.

Dry skin happens on your hands for basically the same reasons it happens elsewhere on your body, Shari Marchbein, M.D., dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine, tells SELF.

The outer protective layer of your skin, the stratum corneum, helps seal hydration into the skin. Its made up of skin cells, which act like bricks, and lipids (fats), which act like mortar. So, if theres something wrong with the skin barrieryoure losing lipids, for instancethen moisture will be more likely to escape from the skin.

When you wash your hands, youre literally drawing moisture out of the skin and stripping it of the natural healthy fats that are supposed to be there, Dr. Marchbein says. And things like using hot water, using harsh antibacterial soaps, and not moisturizing afterward can make all of that worse.

On the milder end, you might feel like the skin on your hands is red, dry, tight, or a little itchy. But on the more severe end, you can experience a lot of irritation, intense itchiness, and even cracks in the skin, which can actually increase your risk for infection. People who are prone to eczema may even need prescription topical treatments to manage symptoms like these.

So, yes, its great that youre being diligent about washing your hands. But if you dont also take some precautions, your hands will not be happy with you.

Here are some easy, expert-approved ways to keep your hands clean and moisturized.

1. Use gentle hand soaps.

Hand washes with antibacterial ingredients as well as alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be especially harsh and drying on your skin, Dr. Marchbein says.

Plus, you dont really need to use those types of soaps to get rid of germsthe friction created by the mechanical act of washing of your hands as well as the surfactant cleaning ingredients in the soaps is what actually removes the microbes from your hands. Although our understanding of how the new coronavirus spreads and how to protect ourselves from it is still developing, regularly washing your hands with soap and water (especially before touching your face and before/after eating) is one of a few tried-and-true public health strategies the CDC is recommending right now to prevent the spread of this particular virus.

So, yes, that does mean that actually washing your hands correctlyand for at least 20 secondsis absolutely necessary.

2. Wash with lukewarm water.

Washing your hands with water thats excessively hot or cold is, simply, uncomfortable. Plus, using hot water is an easy way to dry out your skin even more, Dr. Marchbein says. Thats why she recommends using a comfortable lukewarm water temperature.

3. Put hand cream on slightly damp hands.

After washing, dry your hands, but not fully. When theyre still a little bit damp, thats the perfect time to use your hand cream, Dr. Marchbein says, because youll be helping to seal that water into the skin.

However, try not to use communal hand creams if you can help it, James D. Cherry, M.D., M.Sc., distinguished research professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and attending physician for pediatric infectious diseases at Mattel Childrens Hospital UCLA, tells SELF, because these can easily become contaminated. Instead, its worth buying and keeping your own personal hand cream with you or at your desk, he says. (Personally, this writer prefers these K-beauty hand creams for their portability, absorption, and lovely scents.)

Read more:
How to Heal Dry, Cracked Hands From Washing Your Hands So Damn Much - Self

Lydia Finnegan has suffered from eczema for years, but now she has revealed that a product that she saw on Dragon's Den has played a massive part in improving her skin.

Introducing herItchie Scratchie blog, Lydia wrote: "I have tried and tested many skin products and I will post numerous blogs on what caused my eczema, how I initially tried to deal with it (and failed), how I finally managed to get rid of it and how I manage it now."

In her blog, she explains how just over 4 years ago, she had almost given up hope of finding a way to bring her eczema under control. "I scratched and scratched and bled and scratched more. I wasn't sleeping.Every part of my body was covered in red raw, itchy, flaky, bleeding, blistered hell, and I mean EVERY part." she said.

She continued: "Eczema hit me like a ton of bricks, I had never suffered like this before, but it spiralled to the point where I had no control. I was blaming everyone for everything."

However, the 27 year old blogger now claims that a coffee scrub which she saw on Dragon's Den has played a role in the dramatic improvements of her skin.

She revealedthat Grounded's Coffee Body Scrub has made her skinnoticeably better and that it works as a great exfoliator.

"I've been using the scrub for a few years now. This scrub was on Dragon's Den - a guy made this to treat his girlfriend's eczema and it worked!"

She continued: "I use the grapefruit one - it is the softest texture and smells amazing. It is full of vitamins and moisturising ingredients. The coffee/salt exfoliates any dry skin if I leave it on for more than minutes, I notice instantly smoother skin."

Grounded's Coffee Body Scrub in Grapefruit17

"Be super gentle when you put it on though" she explained.It feels GREAT to itch with, so you can irritate your skin by over-doing it (which I have done MANY times because my self-control is ZERO when it comes to itching."

Lydia then spoke to Tyla and told them:"It made my skin feel so soft - like noticeably better and a great exfoliator. Full of good ingredients that I know moisturise my skin.

"It can sometimes tingle when putting on sore skin - and I wouldn't put on oozy or cracked skin - because it'd be too harsh/painful and could irritate skin more. Just once a week, gently, works wonders."

She also revealed that she swears by the Aveeno moisturiser to compliment her use of the body scrub.

"The difference in terms of how soft your skin is is genuinely instant - but over a number of months of weekly scrubs and daily use of Aveeno emollient cream I saw a difference," she told Tyla.

"I used them together, the Aveeno strengthened my skin barrier again and the scrub helped with exfoliation and hydration plus my general mental health and state of mind improved."

You can check out the collection of Grounded's CoffeeBody Scrubs from their website and the range is between 11 and 17.

Read the original here:
Eczema sufferer reveals that Dragon's Den product dramatically improved her skin - FM104

Daily stressors can manifest in your skin, triggering or worsening a wide range of conditions. TNS

Emotional tension is quite unavoidable nowadays. Whether it is everyday life, family issues, financial problems or work troubles, we all experience stress in one form or another.

Anxiety may originally occur in the brain, the consequences can be manifested physically. Dermatologists have gathered that daily stressors can affect your skin negatively, triggering or worsening a wide range of conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and even hair thinning.

Dermatologist Dr Anil Budh-Raja describes this process as the brain-skin connection. She says that stress causes a change in the brain and body chemistry, which in turn has a significant impact on the skin. To understand how stress and anxiety can affect the skin, it is important to know a little about the endocrine system.

The endocrine system is comprised of a number of glands that produce hormones and, when everything is in place, it allows the human body to work like a well-oiled machine. However, when outside factors such as stress intervene, this intricate system can slip out of sync.

During moments of tension the body produces excess cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone, which wreaks havoc on everything from your immune system to blood pressure. Stress increases cortisol production from the adrenal glands, which in turn increases sebaceous gland activity, to produce more oil and sebum, Dr Budh-Raja explains.

The result can be acne and increased sensitivity of our skin. Cortisol also weakens the skins immune system, leading to oxidative stress which manifests itself as wrinkles, lines and lacklustre skin. It also increases inflammation on the body and conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis can flare up.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is one of the ways to look after your skin during periods of extreme stress. TNS

Dr Sarah Coles, a chartered clinical psychologist, agrees, adding that the onset and consequences of stress can often form a vicious cycle.

Anxiety and/or stress, which can be caused by skin conditions such as eczema, in fact can exacerbate the condition due to the bodys inflammatory responses such as producing cortisol or interrupting sleep, Coles says.

Stress can also make us less likely to engage in healthy habits, for example, we might work longer hours, eat less well, or drink more caffeine.

When troubles are piling up, it can often feel like the worst time for pimples to populate your face, but they often do. While it can be frustrating, science says it makes perfect sense for stress to exhibit itself physically.

A 2015 study into the effects of stress as a causative or maintaining factor in psoriasis showed that about half of participants said their first experience with the disease came during a particularly difficult time in their lives, while 63 per cent said their symptoms worsened when they felt anxious or under pressure.

Similarly, a separate 2017 study of female medical students found that for 74 per cent of participants, anxiety and stress were exacerbating factors of their acne.

Thankfully, experts suggest that much of the skin damage caused by stress can be mitigated by focusing on daily moments of self-care.

When it comes to looking after your skin during periods of extreme stress, Dr Adam Friedmann, a consultant dermatologist, recommends eating a healthy balanced diet, protecting the skin from UV rays using a high factor SPF and incorporating a moisturiser that contains anti-inflammatory ingredients into your skincare routine to help improve any redness, flaking or itching.

You can try alleviating your stress with calming activities like yoga and meditation. TNS

Dr Budh-Raja agrees, advising that anyone with stressed out skin invests in products that contain soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile, oatmeal, rosemary extract and niacinamide, which restores the surface of skin against moisture loss and dehydration.

While it is good to know that we can find remedies to help counteract the effects of anxiety on the beauty counter, Dr Coles says it is also important to address the root of the problem and to try to manage stress levels using alleviation techniques such as yoga and meditation.

There are lots of ways to manage stress in daily life, for example having a good sleep routine consisting of settling in a dark room with no bright screens an hour before bed and waking up at the same time each day, Coles says.

It is also important to have a good repertoire of coping strategies for managing stress that work for you. I like to think of this as having a menu to choose from as different strategies often help in different situations.

She continues: For some people this might be going for a long walk, spending some time outside, reading, talking with a friend, mediation, yoga, or some other form of exercise.

Originally posted here:
Dealing with stress: How it affects your skin and what to do about it - Gulf Today

Average temperatures in the Tampa Bay area can range anywhere from highs in the 70s to mid-90s most days during the months of March through November. The sunny and favorable year-round conditions experienced in our area can create quite a recipe for too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, thus causing a lot of people to have significant sun damage. Unfortunately, sun damage can lead to skin cancer and a whole host of other issues.

Skin cancer, such as melanoma, can appear at any time in a persons life, and the risk increases as you age. The good news, though, is that if its detected early, its almost always treatable.

With more than 9,500 people in the U.S. given a new skin cancer diagnosis every day, Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers (FLDSCC) makes an impact with its new office in Apollo Beach, offering a full spectrum of dermatology and skin care services.

With an expert team of physicians, APRNs and PAs, FLDSCC diagnoses and treats skin cancers as well as skin conditions, such as eczema, rosacea, dry skin, rashes, warts and more, with the latest technological options.

Medical Director Dr. K. Wade Foster is also fellowship-trained in Mohs surgery, the most effective technique for most types of skin cancers with minimal scarring or risk.

FLDSCC Apollo Beach is currently offering free skin cancer screenings to new patients. An annual skin exam can help identify suspicious growths, moles and other dermatologic changes.

Areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun are more prone to develop moles or certain growths, and because of this, its very important to have an experienced dermatologist or licensed medical professional conduct a yearly body analysis to check all areas of your body, including your scalp, neck and back.

Contact FLDSCC today for your next free skin cancer screening. FLDSCC Apollo Beach is located at 13145 Kings Lake Dr., #104 in Gibsonton. You can also reach the new office by calling 741-3376.

Link:
Love Being Outdoors? Protect Your Skin All Year - Osprey Observer

Due to coronavirus, Britain has become a nation of hand-washers. Many of us will be experiencing cracked hands from repeated washing in hot soapy water and regular use of drying alcohol-based hand sanitisers. But is it OK to use hand cream after washing your hands, or does it recontaminate your hands with pathogens?

Theres no problem with using hand cream, says Dr Lindsay Broadbent of the Centre for Infection and Immunity at Queens University Belfast. As long as you have dried your hands thoroughly before applying the hand cream, its fine. She advises people to carry their own tubes around with them, to be extra safe. Its generally best not to share, because you dont know if someone else has washed their hands properly before touching the bottle. When applying the cream, squirt it on to the back of your hand, without touching the nozzle. The coronavirus wouldnt survive for long in the hand cream, but its good hygiene not to touch the nozzle, as bacteria and fungus could technically survive in there, Broadbent says.

If your hands are painfully chapped and you dont have hand cream on you, it is OK to use a communal hand lotion, provided you dont touch the applicator. Wash your hands, then take a paper towel and use that to push the dispenser, so you dont touch it with your bare hands, says Dr Stephen Griffin of the antivirals and viral oncology research group at the University of Leeds.

Griffin also explains that hand cream is a good idea, because you may be more vulnerable to infections if your skin is cracked or bleeding. Your first barrier to any germ is your skin, he says. (That said, he points out that the risk of picking up an infection through your hands is still very low, even if they are bleeding.)

Griffin and Broadbent wash their hands regularly for work, and use hand cream often. I get dishpan hands in the lab, Griffin jokes. Both favour one hand cream in particular: Norwegian Formula concentrated hand cream although Griffin says that the Aldi version is just as good. Broadbent has particularly dry skin, as she has eczema. When it flares up, she turns to Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. Its my favourite, she says. I put it on when I go to sleep.

Continued here:
How to keep your hands clean without getting dry skin - The Guardian