Skin, After thoughts

In my last post, I discussed the treatment of dryness and itching. Since then, I have discovered many, many serious skin problems, and diseases. Some have been in existance for many years, and may not have a cure. Others have been relieved and treated quite well, according to specific care by a physician. In the event that your condition is particularly festering, with pain, discharge, and/or redness, you must seek medical evaluation by a trained doctor.
When you begin to have any skin irritations, observe the site, taking note of the exact time/date that this began. In afew days, if you have not gotten much relief or improvement, call the doctor immediately. In the event of any fever, or uncontrolled bleeding, or puncture
wound, call your doctor. If your skin just has general itching, try my suggestions from the previous posting.
Remember, as a rule of thumb, itching can be helped with 1% Cortisone cream, whereas, something with a cut, burn, or sore should have some antibiotic treatment, to kill the germs and heal . A Triple Antibiotic cream or Bacytracin type are both excellent, and cheap. Even dabbing a sore with rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide will be better than nothing. As a back up, chest rub, vaporizor, can be applied directly to the external skin, away from eyes, and mouth. An old home remedy for itching is to apply oatmeal to the skin. You can make athin paste, or just a bit mixed with water to soften. I heard you can bathe in the tub with some, but I found this makes a real nightmare in the tub to clean out.

SKIN  It is a surprising issue that many people find themselves feeling "itchy" all over. When it is cold out, and we spend more of our time inside where there is a heating system going, to provide warm against the weather change. It can become quite distracting, or annoying at the very least.

Continue to shower/bathe frequently, using as warm a water as you can stand. The heat has a tendency to desensitize the frazzled nerve ends, calming the itch temporarily. 

Be sure to hydrate yourself, and remind children and elders to do so. If you are not keen on clear water, be sure that you chill it first, as it will taste much better. Adding a thin slice of lemon is not only appealing, but it is good for digestion, and breathe.

Next, you need to look at the skin area that is itchy. If you have isolated bumps, redness, you could have bites. A generic cream with Cortisone will provide much help. Apply to clean skin very often. You may have gotten into chiggars, just walking across the yard. There are some types of Ladybugs that will bite. I tend to get spyders behind my bed, or in the closet. If you have a pet that goes outdoors at all, you could have a flea or two. Bedbugs are another problem, which I am not familiar with. I am told that one usually gets bitten with 3 or mor bites in a group, near the center of your body. These are a reddish bug and tend to hide in the light. There are other numerous insects, and many successful ways to rid your home of them. I am only concerned with the bite. A tried and true product that heals and helps these bites is Caladryl lotion or cream. It is a combination of calamine, the soothing pink stuff, and Benedryl, an anti-histomine drug to heal the reaction of swelling and itching. If you have a truly extreme amount of bites, or over reaction, you may need to take oral Benedryl or call a doctor.

Another skin issue that is quite common in older adults, is Shingles. This is caused by a virus, from the Chickenpox, which is a childhood disease. It stays in the body, and will erupt when you are rundown or stressed. Fortunately, it will go away ,but you could be quite miserable while it is infested. You can get the Shingles on any part of the body, and the can be very mild to very angry sores. The problem is, you will experience local pain and tenderness, not much itching. Contact your doctor, and check with the pharmacist for Persons with an exema, rash, psoriasis, or even poison ivy are not likely to be new problems, just because it has gotten colder outside. 

If you are having a constant problem, be sure to include a tablespoonful of oil, like olive,  everyday. Generously apply lotion to your skin. It really does help. There are economical lotions that contain oatmeal, or Cortisone to help soothe and heal. Adding a dose of vitamin E also helps, as it is required for every cell, even skin cells, to rejouvenate. Every single cell in your body requires vitamin E.