Search
Related Links

 

 

Informative Articles

Abs: How to Get a Sexy Six Pack?
There are many factors responsible for abdominal fat like processed food, refined sugar, lack of exercise etc. But the following two invisible factors are mainly responsible for abdominal fat deposits. 1)STRESS 2)ALCOHOL 1)STRESS: Stress...

Dating: The Bitter Truth
I don’t know about you, but when someone says to me, “I’m going to be brutally frank with you,” I usually say, “No, you’re not,” and walk away. It’s a common misconception that telling someone your version of “the truth” is helpful to them, and...

FORTY FOUR FATAL YEARS... OVER FIVE MILLION DEAD
Forty four years ago on 7th March 1962 the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) warned the government of the day about the dangers of tobacco-related death and disease by publishing its ground breaking report 'Smoking and Health'. Since that...

Make Fear a Nine Day Wonder - Motivate Yourself with Fun!
Have you heard something referred to as a "nine day wonder"? The phrase refers to something that causes a sensation for a brief period of time and then fades into obscurity. The origin of this phrase is usually tied to the nine-day reign of Lady...

Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Gland by Djehuty Ma'at-Ra The thyroid gland is a member of the glandular or endocrine system. The English medical term derives from the Greek words: thyreos meaning "shield", and eidos meaning "form." The thyroid gland is...

 
Free yourself from Acne: The Facts

What is acne?

Acne is a chronic and inflammatory disease that involves the skin sites where the hair originates; hair follicles, and the sebaceous glands. Acne may be a life-long process, and usually starts before puberty, or at the onset of puberty. However, it can begin in adulthood or even in elderly people. The areas that are typically affected are the face, neck, upper chest, back and the shoulders.

Acne affects both males and females. At the age of 18, acne is more frequent in men than women. Beyond the age of 23 it is more common in women. The severe inflammatory form of acne is more often in men at any age. Scars rarely occur in females, except when the lesions are manipulated by the patient.

What causes acne? The increased production of the hormone androgen in puberty triggers a higher production of sebum by the sebaceous glands in the skin. The sebum is a natural subtract for bacterial growth, and allows the bacteria to increase dramatically in numbers, especially Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes). The sebum is transformed by P. acnes in both free fatty acids, and other chemicals that produce the inflammation process.

The combination of increased androgen and pro-inflammatory chemicals causes a higher cohesion of the epidermal cells in the pore areas. This action forms what are commonly known as pimples - the characteristic lesions of acne.

There are closed and open pimples: a closed pimple is a closed pore with a tiny plug. An open pimple, also known as a blackhead, is also a closed pore with a larger follicular plug. Blackheads are not dirty. The dark colour is due to increased skin pigment and the sebum contacting the oxygen present in the air.

The plugged pore can become swollen and inflamed, resulting in a pimple of minor or major proportions. The leakage of the follicles, in the surrounding skin, produces more inflammation, and creates other lesions of acne, such as cysts, pustules, and abscesses.

The hypersensitivity to the inflammatory process caused by P. acnes, is greatest in individuals with genetic predisposition. In other words, the problem is very much one of genetic heritage. The same combination of genes that made you the person that you are: height, hair colour, etc., also made your skin the type that it is.

In early adulthood the androgen levels decline slowly. This fact may contribute to the resolution of acne in the adulthood period. Some updated studies show a deficiency in the vitamin Pantothenic Acid as the basic cause of acne.

Symptoms? There may be minor pain, itching, or mild soreness, and very rarely, fever with inflammation and pain in the joints.

Diagnostic tests

Hormone tests can be carried out, and also a skin biopsy which is used to differentiate acne from other possible diseases.

Does acne have complications? It can have if it goes untreated. The most important complications are Cyst formation: a big, hard and deep closed pimple which can lead to scarring, and the effect it can have on Psycho-social development.

What about acne treatment ?

- Early treatment can prevent complications. The acne treatment depends on the type of lesions and the severity of the acne. No two patients have identical acne. - The correct treatment can prevent permanent scars.

- Most acne treatments takes 6 to 8 weeks to show significant benefits.

- Diet: acne does not occur as a result of food. However, if there is a particular


food that seems to aggravate your acne, it makes sense to avoid it.

- In most of the females affected, acne tends to be worse during the pre-menstrual cycle.

- Long periods of exposure to the sun can aggravate acne.

- Do not abandon the treatment before the doctor indicates it is safe to do so.

- Acne is not related to hygiene. Wash gently twice a day with mild soap and water. Do not rub, scrub, or wash more often than necessary.

- It is recommended to avoid exposure to oils and greases.



Topical treatment:

In both sexes, acne in the adults respond very well to treatment. Topical treatment can include topical antibiotics, topical retinoids such as tretinoin and iso-tretinoin; benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid, sulphur, and salicylic acid.

Systemic treatment: Most of the time the systemic treatment, or oral therapy, is reserved for cases of moderate to severe inflammatory acne. In these cases, a combination of topical and oral treatments are indicated. Oral treatment may include isotretinoin and/or antibiotics such as tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, sulphas, etc. Hormonal therapy, such as oral contraceptives, corticoids etc. may also be useful in adult females with hormonal abnormalities, or acne that does not respond well to conventional treatment.

What about over-the-counter acne treatments? These type of treatments are for topical use. Most of them contain a low-concentration of benzoyl peroxide. Other such treatments often contain mild drying or keratolytic agents to remove the deposit of dead cells on the skin. These agents can be helpful for mild acne. They are both inexpensive and easily accessible, and they come in creams, gels, lotions or soaps. All of them may cause some skin irritation during the treatment phase.

Can acne scars be treated? Yes. However, it requires hands-on clinical training. Most people do not develop scars from their acne. Discoloration almost always disappears with time and avoiding sun exposure. Your dermatologist will select the best treatment for your acne scarring.

What about Psycho-social impacts? People with psycho-social problems due to acne may need to be treated by a psychologist or, in some cases, by a psychiatrist. Some of the psycho-social impacts are:

. Decreased self-esteem/self-confidence

. Problems with body image

. Embarrassment leading to social withdrawal

. Depression and anxiety

. Anger

. Preoccupation with the acne

. Confusion/frustration with treatment

. Limitations in lifestyle

. Difficulties with family members

Conclusion

Acne is an important disorder to treat, and it should not be dismissed as something trivial or purely cosmetic. There are medical steps that can be taken to alleviate symptoms.

--------

NOTE:This document may be freely redistributed as is - no edits, on the strict condition that the author and author information be printed with the article with active links intact.

About the author:

--------

The Author 'Acumedic' has over 30 years of experience developing and enhancing all aspects of Chinese medicine, Acupuncture and traditional herbal treatments. With an extensive range of Products and Services Acumedic is one of the most comprehensive suppliers in Europe. Visit www.acumedic.com for more information.

 

National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Library of Medicine offers access to health information for consumer, patient, and physicians ...
www.nlm.nih.gov
 
Health and Medical Information produced by doctors - MedicineNet.com
Doctor-produced health and medical information written for you to make informed decisions about your health concerns.
www.medicinenet.com
 
Medicine in the Yahoo! Directory
Collection of sites for health professionals, with sections on specific disciplines, organizations, continuing education, conferences, publications, ...
dir.yahoo.com
 
MedlinePlus Health Information from the National Library of Medicine
Health information from the National Library of Medicine. Easy access to Medline and Health topics, medical dictionaries, directories and publications.
medlineplus.gov
 
Medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Medicine is a branch of health science and the sector of public life ... The practice of medicine combines both science as the evidence base and art in the ...
en.wikipedia.org
 
Journal Home - Nature Medicine
Nature Medicine has a vacancy for a Locum Assistant Editor for six months. The position involves working in all aspects of the editorial process, ...
www.nature.com
 
The New England Journal of Medicine: Research & Review Articles on ...
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is a weekly general medical journal that publishes new medical research findings, review articles, and editorial ...
content.nejm.org
 
eMedicine Clinical Knowledge Base
eMedicine features up-to-date, searchable, peer-reviewed medical journals, online physician reference textbooks, and a full-text article database in 62 ...
www.emedicine.com
 
Open Directory - Health: Medicine
the entire directory, only in Health/Medicine. Top: Health: Medicine (11429). Description · Medical Specialties (4888); Surgery (2265) ...
dmoz.org
 
the www virtual library biosciences medicine
www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/wwwvl/ - Similar pages
 
Medicine - home
Bimonthly journal covering the latest results in clinical investigation relevant to hospital and office practice.
www.md-journal.com
 
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.
www.iom.edu
 
ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News
Medical Research News. Health news on everything from cancer to nutrition. Full-text, images, updated daily.
www.sciencedaily.com
 
Google Directory - Health > Medicine
Search only in Medicine Search the Web. Medicine. Health > Medicine, Go to Directory Home. Categories. Alternative Medicine (6308) Basic Sciences (66) ...
www.google.com
 
the world wide web virtual library biosciences medicine
www.mcb.harvard.edu/biopages/medicine.html - Similar pages
 
PLoS Medicine - A Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal
PLoS Medicine is a peer-reviewed, international, open-access journal published ... Every issue of PLoS Medicine contains a selection of readers' responses. ...
medicine.plosjournals.org
 
Medicine On-Line - Medicine Online -The International Medical Journal
Medicine Online - independent and peer reviewed journal published by Priory Medical Journals - priory.com.
www.priory.com
 
Entrez PubMed
PubMed is a service of the US National Library of Medicine that includes over 16 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Stanford University School of Medicine
Home Page of the Stanford University School of Medicine.
med.stanford.edu
 
Medicine OnLine
Meds.com offers medical information and education on cancer (lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, leukemia) and HIV / AIDS for patients, ...
www.meds.com