How to deal with Acne

Acne normally starts in teenage but it affects adults too.  Most of the teenagers get Acne in some form.  There are many myths about what causes Acne.  here are some of the facts and how to deal with acne.  Please do not try to pick or squeeze which may cause inflammation. 


Acne consists of spots or painful bumps on the skin.  Normally acne is noticeable on the face but it can also appear on the back, shoulders too.  

Acne is due to the way the skin reacts to hormonal changes.  There are sebaceous glands on the skin which naturally release sebum, an oily substance which helps to protect it.  During the teenage, raised levels of the hormones can cause too much sebum to be produced which can happens in both boys and girls.  The sebum can block hair follicles.  When dead skin cells mix with the blockage, this can lead to formation of spots or acne.  The bacteria in the skin gets multiplied which causes pain and swelling beneath the blockage.

You can see different kinds of acne or spots.  There is no evidence of acne is caused by what you eat.  

• The black heads are small, blocked pores
• White heads are small, hard bumps with a white center
• Pustules are spots with lot of pus visible
• Nodules are hard, painful bumps under the skin

 The inflammatory acne is when the skin is also red and swollen.  This needs to be treated early.  The spots normally will go away on their own, do not try to pick or squeeze them. But they may leave redness to the skin for some weeks or months.  If you have acne, wash your skin gently with a mild cleanser and use an oil-free moisturiser. Scrubbing or exfoliating can irritate the skin, making it look and feel sore.

Treatments for acne

Acne will usually go away on its own, but it can take many years. There are treatments that can help clear acne more quickly. Over-the-counter treatments can help with mild acne. Ask a pharmacist for advice on which treatment could help and how long you will have to use it. You may not see results for several weeks.

If over-the-counter treatments don't help, treatments are available on prescription. Your doctor can assess how bad your acne is and discuss the options with you. Don't be afraid to tell your doctor how your acne affects your life and how it makes you feel.

Mild, non-inflammatory acne consists of whiteheads and blackheads. Treatments include gels or lotions that can contain retinoids (vitamin A), topical (applied to the skin) antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide (which is antibacterial) or azelaic acid, which has antibacterial, antinflammatory and exfoliating properties.

These medications, or a combination of them, can also be used to treat mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne, which has some pustules and nodules. It can take up to eight weeks before you see a difference in your skin, and treatment may need to be continued for six months.
In women, contraceptive pills that contain oestrogen can help clear acne.
If acne is severe, your doctor can refer you to a dermatologist who may prescribe a stronger medication called 'isotretinoin' (Roaccutane).Some light and laser therapies also claim to help get rid of acne.

Do you know that frequent shopping is linked to longer life span

I was just browsing through some of the websites related to health care.  I found one interesting article which says frequent shopping is related to longer life span.  I would like to share that information here.

A study has  indicated that people who do frequent shopping are likely to live longer than people who do shopping only once in a week.  One research conducted by the University of Auckland has linked frequent shopping with longer life span.  Stuff.co.nz reported.  The Researcher Janine Wiles, who has studied 2000 elderly Taiwanese people, said that people who are on frequent shopping are likely to have lot of social contacts which is strongly associated with well-being.   Meanwhile, Massey University lecturer Juliana Mansvelt said another benefit may come from the physical activity of walking from store to store.  The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

3 simple exercises for a flat tummy

Belly fat is a problem that affects most of the people.  But there are a number of exercises which you can practice to burn this fat and get yourself with a flat tummy.  This article explains about 3 simple exercises you can practice to reduce belly fat and get a flat tummy.   You can see the results within few weeks.


1. Abdominal Crunches
People normally think abdominal crunches are difficult to practice.  But it is not so.  When done properly, this is one of the most effective exercise to reduce belly fat.  Crunches are a great exercise to practice because they target the fat around your waist.  Follow the instructions given below.

• Lie down on your back on a hard surface such as floor.  Bend your knees and place your feet against the floor
• Put your hands behind your head at ear level
• Slowly arch your back up so that your shoulders are away from the floor
• Hold this position for as long as you can comfortably, preferably for 5 seconds
• Repeat this exercise several times

The abdominal crunches are very easy to practice as you do not need any special equipment. You can do these exercises any where as long as there is floor space.  If you practice these exercises every day, then you can burn the fat in no time and tone up your stomach muscles.

2. Torso Twist
This is also a simple exercise.  Here is the procedure.

• Stand on a floor with your feet separated.
• Place your hands on your waist and start twisting your torso from left to right without moving your legs or knees
• Repeat this for few times
• Once you have done a few repetitions like this, you should try to twist and stretch your arms to reach the opposite foot at the same time
• When you have done all this perfectly, you can then raise your arms above your head and do the twists.  

 The torso twist will help to remove any fat around your torso.
 3. Cardio exercises
In order to tone up your stomach, you need to burn all the fat around your belly. You can practice cardio exercises like jogging, swimming, walking to achieve this goal.  While these exercises are not specially targeting belly fat, they are very easy to do and will burn fat in your whole body.  So you should be very active to start burning belly fat.

By combining all of the above exercises, you can get a faster results to achieve a flat tummy.

Diabetes diet for Indians

It is very important to know what to eat and what not to eat for controlling diabetes.  It is very important to follow a diabetic diet in order to prevent or control diabetes.  So it is very much essential to have a healthy diabetes diet along with exercise to have a healthy living.  Do you know what makes up a good diabetes diet for Indians?  You can see a lot of diabetes diets published online but let us what are the foods locally available in India for a good diabetic diet.   I have gone through various websites and checked the diabetes diets for Indians.  Here is a summary of diabetes diet for Indians.

Diabetes diet for Indians

A duabetes diet should be high on fiber and must contain milk without cream, butter milk, fresh fruits, green vegetables etc.  The diabetes diet for Indians must be in the ratio of 60:20:20 for carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  The calorie intake per day should be between 1500 to 1800 calories with the proportion of 60:20:20 as indicated above.  The diabetes diet should have at least two seasonal fruits and three vegetables in the diet plan.  Here is a list of diabetes diet for Indians as shared by a doctor.

-  One teaspoon of methi seeds soaked in 100 ml of water overnight.
-  Drink tomato juice with salt and peppar every morning on empty stoamch
-  6 almonds soaked overnight each day is also helpful for keeping a check on diabetes


Here is  a diabetes diet for Indians as suggested by experts

- Grains, oats, channa atta, millets and other high fiber foods should be included in your meal. 
-  Milk is the right combination of carbohydrates and proteins.  Two servings of milk daily controls blood sugar levels
-  High fiber vegetables like peas, beans, broccoli and spinach and leafy vegetables should be included in your diet. pulses and sprouts are a healthy option in the diet
- Vegetables rich in fiber help in lowering blood sugar levels
- Good fats like Omega 3 and MUFA should be consumed as they are good for body.  The natural sources for these are  canola oil, flax seed oil, fatty fish and nuts. 
- Fruits high in fiber like papaya, apple, orange and guava should be consumed. Mangoes, bananas, grapes contain high sugar and hence can be consumed in lesser quantities.


The diabetes diet for Indians includes carbohydrates, proteins and fats. As always, a balanced and planned diet can build and improve personal health. A controlled diabetes diet may seem like a drag and bore, but a good cook can add life to a diet. Time to call up mom and experiment with diabetes diets!

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Before going into the details, let us see what is Blood Pressure?  Blood pressure is nothing but the measure of the force with which the blood is pushing against the blood vessel walls.  The heart pumps the blood into the arteries which carry the blood throughout the body.  High blood pressure is very dangerous because it causes your heart to work harder to pump the blood to the body and causes hardening of the arteries and may develop into heart failure.

Let us now see what is the normal blood pressure readings before going into the causes of high BP.  A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and a bottom number (diastolic).  The range of values of blood pressure are listed below.

•  Normal blood pressure : 120 over 80 ( 120 / 80 )
• Pre hypertension : 120 - 139   over 80-89
• Stage 1 high blood pressure :  140-159  over 90-99
• Stage 2 high blood pressure :  160 and above over 100 and above

If your blood pressure is above the normal range, you should immediately consult your doctor about the steps to be taken to control it and bring to normal.

What causes high blood pressure?

 The exact reasons for high blood pressure are not known, but there are several factors and conditions which play a role for development of high blood pressure.  These factors responsible for High Blood Pressure include :

• Smoking 
• Over weight
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much salt in the diet and too much alcohol consumption
• Stress and old age
• Genetics
• Family History
• Old Age
• Kidney disease
• Thyroid disorders 

 There are two types of high blood pressure.  1.  Primary ( essential ) Hypertension   2.  Secondary Hypertension

1. Primary Hypertension : There is no exact cause for high blood pressure.  This type of high blood pressure is called as Primary or Essential Hypertension.  This tends to develop gradually over many years.

2. Secondary Hypertension :  Some people has high BP caused by a certain underlying condition.  This type of high blood pressure is called as Secondary Hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension.  There are many conditions and medications which can lead to secondary hypertension which include:

• Adrenal gland tumors
• Kidney problems
• Defects in blood vessels
• Some medications like birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, pain relievers and some other drugs
• Illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamines