What Causes Acne?

How Acne Develops   Acne happens when sebaceous (oil) glands attached to the hair follicles are stimulated at the time of puberty by elevated levels of male hormones. Sebum (oil) is a natural substance which l ubricates and protects the skin. Associated with increased oil production is a change in the manner in which the skin cells mature so that they are predisposed to clog the follicular openings or pores. The clogged hair follicle gradually enlarges, producing a bump. As the follicle enlarges, the wall may rupture, allowing irritating substances and normal skin bacteria access into the deeper layers of the skin, ultimately producing...

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Treatment for Acna

If you haven't been able to control your acne adequately, you may want to consult a primary-care physician or dermatologist. The goal of treatment should be the prevention of scarring (not a flawless complexion) so that after the condition spontaneously resolves there is no lasting sign of the affliction. Here are some of the options available: Topical (externally applied) antibiotics and antibacterials: These include erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone),clindamycin (BenzaClin, Duac), sulfacetamide (Klaron), and azelaic acid(Azelex or Finacea). Retinoids: Retin-A (tretinoin)...

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Diagnose Acne

There is no medical test used to diagnose acne. A diagnosis is made only with a visual examination. Most people can recognize and diagnose acne themselves; however, there is a tendency to overreact. One zit or one pimple does not constitute a full-blown case of the disease. However, if you are unsure if what you are experiencing is acne, or if your acne seems severe, see your dermatologist. Some skin conditions can look remarkably similar to acne, although their causes and treatments are different. Do you have acne or an acne look-alike condition? If you are unsure, it is always wise to consult with a doctor. Common skin conditions that can...

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Signs And Types Of Acne

Acne typically appears on your face, neck, chest, back and shoulders, which are the areas of your skin with the largest number of functional oil glands. Acne can take the following forms: Comedones (whiteheads and blackheads) are created when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil secretions, dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria. When comedones (kom-uh-DOE-neze) are open at the skin surface, they're called blackheads because of the dark appearance of the plugs in the hair follicles. When comedones are closed, they're called whiteheads — slightly raised, skin-colored bumps. Papules are small raised bumps...

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Acne

Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne) is a disease of the hair follicles of the face, chest, and back that affects almost all males and females during puberty; the only exception being teenage members of a few primitive isolated tribes living in Neolithic societies. It is not caused by bacteria, although bacteria play a role in its development. It is not unusual for some women to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s. Acne can be distressing and annoyingly persistent. Acne lesions heal slowly, and when one begins to resolve, others seem to crop up. Acne appears on the skin as: congested pores ("comedones"), also known as blackheads or whiteheads,  tender...

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Chocolate and Fried Foods Give You Acne

Some speculate that this myth dates back to the baby-boom generation, who had worse acne than their parents and also more access to chocolate and fried foods. Wherever this idea came from, it's wrong. Pimples form when oil glands under the skin produce too much of a waxy oil called sebum, which the body uses to keep skin lubricated. But when excess sebum and dead skin cells block pores, that area of the skin gets irritated, swollen, and turns red -- the telltale signs of a pimple. It is unknown why sebaceous glands produce excess sebum, but hormones are the prime suspects, which explains why teenagers are affected more...

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Cold Weather Can Give You a Cold

"Put your jacket on or you'll catch a cold!" How times have you heard that? You may not want to tell her this, but dear old Mom was wrong. Viruses (more than 200 different kinds) cause colds, not cold weather. In order for you to catch a cold, the virus must travel from a sick person's body to yours. This usually happens via airborne droplets you inhale when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can also get a cold virus by shaking hands with an infected person or by using something where the virus has found a temporary home, such as a phone or door handle. Colds are more prevalent during the colder months because people tend...

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Spot Diagnosis 001

A 67-year-old male subject with severe hemithorax pain and dyspnea, along with disseminated pain and muscle weakness in the right shoulder and down the arm. What is your diagnosis and do you know what symptoms, other than pain in shoulder, can this condition cause? The correct answer is...

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Chocolate Good for the Heart and Brain

Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis AbstractObjective To evaluate the association of chocolate consumption with the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies.Data sources Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, IPA, Web of Science, Scopus, Pascal, reference lists of relevant studies to October 2010, and email contact with authors.Study selection Randomised trials and cohort, case-control, and cross sectional studies carried out in human adults, in which the...

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