What is Swelling?
Swelling occurs whenever the organs, skin, or other parts of your body enlarge. It is typically the result of inflammation or a buildup of fluid. Swelling can occur internally (within the body) or it can affect your outer skin and muscles. A range of conditions can cause swelling.
Insect bites, illnesses, or injuries often result in external swelling. Internal swelling is often a side effect of medication or the result of a serious injury. You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience rapid unexplainable swelling, especially if you also have unexplained weight gain and pain.
What Causes Swelling to Occur?
External swelling is often caused by insect bites, injuries or natural causes, such as pregnancy. Inflammation in your bones, tissues, or muscles can result in external swelling. Cysts and tumors may also cause visible swelling. Although fluid retention is an internal condition, it may also cause external swelling.
The most common causes for external swelling are:
** insect bites
** rash
** hives
** injury
** fluid retention
** pregnancy
** menstruation
** hormonal changes
** infection
External swelling can be localized or widespread.
Localized swelling refers to situations where just one specific area is swollen. For instance, a person with an eye infection may experience swelling around the eyes. A person who has been stung by an insect may experience swelling in the area of the sting.
Widespread swelling occurs over a large area of the body. According to the National Institutes of Health, this is usually a sign of serious illness. (NIH) It is often due to fluid retention or an allergic reaction. Other common causes of widespread swelling are:
** kidney failure
** other organ failure
** anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction)
** venomous insect bite
People with diabetes or certain forms of cancer can experience widespread swelling, or swelling in their extremities, such as their fingers and toes. This form of swelling may appear periodically.
Inside of your body, swelling is often the result of organ inflammation, fluid retention, or flatulence. This can occur in people with chronic diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and cancer.
Symptoms of Swelling
Sometimes, instances of slight swelling may go unnoticed, especially since the condition does not always cause other symptoms.
For external swelling, the enlargement of skin or muscles is normally visible. However, other signs of swelling include the buildup of fluid in the affected area; an imaging scan that shows an enlarged organ, muscle, or bone; or stomach pain. These signs can help diagnose internal swelling, which is harder to identify.
If your swelling was caused by an injury, sting, or disease, you may experience a wide range of symptoms as well. These may include:
** itching
** vomiting
** flatulence
** pain in the affected area
If the swelling is not visible or if it is internal, you may experience the following symptoms:
** nausea
** vomiting
** dizziness
** fever
** fatigue
** insomnia
** flu-like symptoms
** pain
If you have oily skin, you may feel as though you're forever fighting a losing battle to remove the shine from your chin and forehead. You can probably thank your genes for the sheen: Overly oily skin is a problem that is often handed down through generations within a family.
Changes in hormone levels, such as those that occur during the teen years and early 20s, can cause skin to become oily and trigger outbreaks of acne. But it's not just a problem for teenagers and young adults. Many women notice oily skin problems around the time of their menstrual periods, during pregnancy, or at menopause. Some types of birth control pills can also increase skin oiliness.
Wash Your Face: In most cases, oily skin can be treated at home. However, you'll want to call a doctor if you develop acne that doesn't respond to home remedies or notice any sudden and/or unusual change in your skin (if it goes from dry to oily seemingly overnight but it isn't time for your period, for example). Otherwise, first try keeping skin squeaky clean.
As anyone with oily skin knows, the oilier the skin, the dirtier the skin looks and feels. To help combat this feeling, it's important to keep the skin clean by washing it at least twice a day. Some doctors recommend detergent-type soap. You might even try adding a drop or two of dishwashing detergent to your regular soap; the extra kick will act as a solvent for the oil. However, other dermatologists say detergent soaps are just too harsh even for oily facial skin, recommending instead twice-daily cleansing with a glycerin soap. If you try a detergent soap and find it too irritating for your skin, try the glycerin variety, generally available over the counter in the skin-care aisle of most drugstores
Apple Facial: If you're willing to do some creative cooking, your effort will be rewarded with this homemade, oil-ridding facial. Mix 1/2 cup mashed apple, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 slightly beaten egg white, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a smooth paste. Apply to your face for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water.
Refresh Skin With Fruit: Citrus fruits and some vegetables not only refresh the skin but also help reduce oils. Mix equal parts lemon juice and water, pat on face, and let dry. Rinse first with warm water followed by cool water for a refreshing treat. You can also try mixing 1/2 teaspoon lime juice with an equal amount of cucumber juice. Apply to skin a few minutes before showering.
Egg Yok: A fast fix for removing oil shine requires one of the simplest foods: the egg. An egg yolk mask dries out the skin. Apply the egg yolk with a cotton ball to oily spots. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with cool water.
Scrub or Masque: Giving your face a very light scrub can remove excess surface oil. Try this almond honey scrub: Mix a small amount of almond meal (ground almonds) with honey. Then gently massage (don't scrub) the paste onto your skin with a hot washcloth. Rinse thoroughly. You can also make a scrub from oatmeal mixed with aloe vera. Rub gently onto the skin, leave on for 15 minutes, then wash off thoroughly. If you suffer from acne on your face, however, you should probably skip the scrub, since it can aggravate your already-irritated skin.
Masques applied to the face can also reduce oiliness. Clay masques are available, or you can mix Fuller's Earth (available at pharmacies) with a little water to make a paste. Apply to the face and leave on for about 20 minutes before thoroughly rinsing off.
Absorb Extra Oil:
Try aloe vera: Apply aloe vera gel (available in many drugstores as well as health-food stores) to your face to absorb oil and clear out pores. Dab the gel onto your face two to three times a day (especially after washing), then let it dry. The gel will feel more refreshing if it's cool, so keep it in the refrigerator.
Carry tissues: Even if you don't have an astringent with you, paper facial tissues can help soak up excess oils in a pinch. You can also purchase special oil-absorbing tissues at the cosmetics counter that are very effective in removing excess oil between cleansings.
Chill out with cold water rinses: If you don't want to apply chemicals to your skin, simply splashing your face with cold water and blotting it dry a couple of times a day can help remove some excess oil.
An eye infection may be caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Although a lot less common, eye infections may also be caused as a result of fungal infection. There are various kinds of eye infections and the treatment for each differs. One of the most common eye infections is conjunctivitis caused by bacteria. Blepharitis which is an inflammation of the eyelid caused by the bacteria staphylococcal and styes which occur when the oil glands in the eyelid region get infected are also eye infections that are very common throughout the world. The eye is constantly exposed to many pathogens and an infection occurs when its natural defenses do not function properly. Infections can arise due to local or remote factors. Different causes may be responsible for eye infections such as immune deficiencies, trauma, surgery or poor hygiene.
Eye infections are extremely common and can affect individuals of any age group, gender, race or ethnicity. In most cases eye infections are not terribly serious, but the severity of the condition can vary greatly, and in severe cases may be even put your vision at risk. For this reason its best not to delay seeking an accurate diagnosis and the appropriate treatment. For most common eye infections, particularly in mild cases, home treatment with over the counter drugs or eye drops and home remedies should suffice to restore normalcy. If the condition does not respond or worsens however, you need to seek prompt medical treatment.
Fruits are definitely a priceless gift of nature to mankind. With the wide variety of fruits available in different flavors , we all can make a choice depending on individual taste, but whatever you choose will surely give you benefits which no other food item on this earth can give you. It would be very rare to find a person who would say absolute no to fruits, and if you have some clue on at least few of the benefits it can give to your whole body and skin in particular you would fall in love with these magic things on earth. Most of us I am sure would be religiously including lots of fresh fruits in our daily diet.
