What Are the Symptoms of Menopause - Dry Skin

What are the symptoms of menopause is a series of articles dealing with the symptoms of menopause. One of the more common menopause symptoms is dry skin.

Dry skin affects everyone at one time or another, but it is especially troublesome during menopause and perimenopause. Dry skin is an indication that your body is lacking in the necessary hormones to maintain healthy skin. The good news is that there are some rather simple, common sense techniques you can do on your own to get some menopause relief.

\"Dry Skin\"

What do hormones have to do with dry skin?

What Are the Symptoms of Menopause - Dry Skin

Many people might think that the best solution for dry skin is to use an expensive skin cream. In reality, healthy skin is made from the inside. It may help temporarily to apply moisturizers and such, but to effectively treat dry skin you must give your body what it needs to heal itself.

As the reproductive hormones slow down in production, there are fewer oils available for the skin to keep it's elasticity and youthfulness. This can cause the skin to become dry, itchy and flaky

The essential fatty acids found in a healthy diet are also responsible for maintaining healthy skin. All too often though, modern diets are big on the wrong foods and short on the foods that promote health and well being.

Dry skin, wrinkles and aging skin

By the mid thirties, most women begin to notice more wrinkles, aging skin and dryness. Many times, a habit of eating junk food, processed foods, and too few fruits and vegetables, is the cause of poor skin. Because the skin is actually an organ, it is a good indicator of your overall health.

Many women in developing countries who eat diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables also have radiant skin. Their diets are rich in natural vitamins and minerals, thus providing their bodies with the necessary tools to promote healthy skin.

It is as important what you do not eat as what you do eat! Medications, artificial sweeteners, additives, etc. all can have a damaging effect on health, and the skin is often the first to show it.

It is possible to reverse the aging of skin

This might sound like a hyped up claim, but it is true. By using some very simple techniques, you can help your body to heal itself. When the necessary ingredients are there for you body, a great deal of progress can happen quickly.

The body naturally wants to heal itself. All to often, however, we mistreat and neglect the body, with devastating results.

Here are some tips to help

• Get enough rest
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Use a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement
• Drink plenty of clean, fresh water
• Get adequate exercise. This works wonders for dry skin.
• Eliminate processed foods as much as possible.
• Avoid additives, colorants, preservatives, etc.
• Take cold showers! This is an observation I have noticed repeatedly from various women around the world.

What Are the Symptoms of Menopause - Dry Skin

Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd, have worked together to create a website to help families manage their stress, especially during menopause. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Randy Hough

This all started when a therapist asked Randy what his secret was. This led to a search for safe and natural remedies for the stresses of modern life. Our site, http://safemenopauserelief.com has well researched information on products and methods to help you. There really are many ways to get safe menopause relief.

"All they wanted was love and affection!" Line from a song by the Irish band, Clannad, about street kids.

Liver Disease Symptoms

Liver disease may not show any symptoms at first, as symptoms can be vague. This includes weakness and loss of energy.

Other symptoms include jaundice that is a disease of the gall bladder. Jaundice is one of the main symptoms of liver disease. Jaundice can turn the skin color to yellow. Another symptom is related to digestion and appetite. Poor appetite is a very common symptom. It leads to loss of weight and anemia. Along with this vomiting, nausea or diarrhea can also manifest.

\"skin Irritation\"

Another important symptom is light colored stool. Due to the lack of bile production, the stool will appear light and can be gray colored or pale.

Distention and bloating can be considered as another symptoms to watch out for and can cause a pain during breathing.

Polyuria or excess urination and polydypsia or excess thirst are the other symptoms typical of the liver disease.

Liver cancer has symptoms that include weight loss and loss of appetite. Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, enlarged liver, change of color (yellowing) of the skin and the whites of the eyes are also noticed. Bile duct obstruction has symptoms like pale stools, dark urine, abdominal pain, jaundice, vomiting, nausea and fever.

Portal hypertension that is a high blood pressure in the portal veins has no symptoms. But complications due to this disease can result in bloody vomiting and black, loose stools from varices, ascites; and signs of brain disease called encephalopathy.

Alcoholic liver disease has symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, swollen abdomen, jaundice, abdominal pain, ascites, weight gain, mental confusion, excessive thirst, dry mouth and fatigue. Additional symptoms include vomiting blood or black, paleness, light-headedness or fainting, fluctuating mood and altered level of consciousness.

Liver Disease Symptoms

Liver Disease provides detailed information on Liver Disease, Liver Disease Symptoms, Fatty Liver Disease, Alcoholic Liver Disease and more. Liver Disease is affiliated with Kidney Stones In Women.

Scalp Infections - Symptoms, Causes & Natural Options For Fast Relief & Treatment

There are many definitions and symptoms commonly described as "scalp infections". There are in fact quite a few quite different reasons why your scalp may be sore, itchy, inflamed burning red or infected. If you are like many people with chronic scalp issues - it may be driving you completely up the wall and not knowing what it is or how to treat the problem effectively after many unsuccessful attempts to eliminate it can make it seem far worse - like you are never going to get to the bottom of the problem. Well that need no longer be so! It can be simple to diagnose and treat it now and for good.

So if you are dealing with any of these symptoms lets first identify the problem and then some of the underlying causes.

\"dry Scalp\"

Firstly, if you want to get to the root of your problems, so to speak, you need to be able to identify what your problem actually is. Of course, many scalp infections & conditions look alike, so here is a brief description of some of the most common scalp conditions:

Red burning itchy scalp can be characterized as any tingling,burning, prickly, and sensitive to the touch or a fiery hot sensation. Often associated with an allergy, sunburn, chemical burn (sensitization of the scalp),or fungal infection.

Dandruff as most of us know is the process of continual shedding of skin cells on our scalps. Often the cause of dandruff is simply the result of toxins, pollutants and products that have built up on the scalp particularly products like silicone- a cheap commonly used artificial shine enhancer in conditioners sold in supermarkets.

When the natural balance of our scalps is disturbed, this creates the perfect environment for the yeast fungus Melassezia Globbosa to move in and thrive. This is when the natural process of shedding our cells gets a little out of hand resulting in an unsightly condition known as "Seborrhoeic Dermatitis" (fancy name for dandruff) and we see the highly visible tell-tale signs of flaking and crusting.

The accompanying itch and urge to scratch are often made worse by the multiplication of the fungal yeast pityrosporum-ovale (having one big party on your scalp). Another follow on effect of this is that the relentless scratching by the sufferer can cause small lesions which weep and ooze or become infected resulting in scalp infections.

Lumps bumps and sores are also common when the scalp is highly irritated or sensitivity has been aggravated. Candida can be an underlying cause of yeast infections of the scalp.

Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitols) is a superficial fungal infection of the scalp. Scalp ringworm is caused by mold-like fungi called dermatophytes. Ringworm infection occurs when a particular type of fungus grows and multiplies anywhere on your skin, scalp, or nails. It is far more common in children and symptoms include red, itchy patches on the scalp, leaving bald areas. The skin might itch and be red and peel or be scaly, have swollen blisters or a rash (that can spread) and looks like black dots. The rash is highly contagious. It is normally treated with over the counter products containing miconazole, clotrimazole, or similar. Sometimes prescription anti fungal skin medications, such as ketoconazole are needed to clear it up. There are also products direct from nature's factories that can aid the healing process and act as natural antibiotics, although it must be said that ringworm is an aggressive fungus which needs to be monitored closely and treated accordingly.

Dry scalp can feel "tight", a sensation that is sometimes accompanied by flakiness. It is often the result of natural oils being stripped from our scalps by the frequent use of shampoos, hair dyes and or other hair products.

Dermatitis of the scalp (Seborrheic dermatitis) is an inflammatory disorder affecting areas of the head and body where sebaceous glands are most prominent. It can vary from mild dandruff to dense flakey and greasy scale. Once again it is often an accumulation of toxins and products built up on our scalps that our body is trying to rid itself of.

Eczema of the scalp similar in appearance to Seborrheic dermatitis but instead has the name Atopic dermatitis.

Scalp Psoriasis commonly occurs on the back of the head however multiple areas of the scalp or the whole scalp may be affected. Scalp psoriasis is characterized by thick silvery white scales on patches of very red skin and can extend slightly beyond the hairline. Scalp psoriasis, despite being partially hidden by the hair is often a source of social embarrassment due to flaking of the scale and severe 'dandruff'. Scalp psoriasis may be extremely itchy or on occasion have no itch symptoms. It can also cause temporary baldness on the affected areas. It is a common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease and is associated with increased risk of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma.

Folliculitis of the scalp is a superficial bacterial infection of the hair follicles. It is characterized by pustules around the hair follicles and symptoms include painful brushing of hair and tenderness when rubbing your scalp around the hair follicle sites. Treating with antibiotics for the particular bacteria is the usual course of action but can eventually cause resistance to the antibiotic used. Options include applying Evoclin Foam which is topical. Folliculitis is commonly caused by staph bacteria which also reside inside the nose and sinus cavity. Natural oils such as tea tree and lavender have good antibacterial properties and can also be used to treat this condition.

If you have a bump or lump under the skin (commonly a lump behind the ears with no broken skin or rash developing, then this could be a cyst. Cysts are liquid filled pustules which can be painful when they become infected. If you have such symptoms I recommend seeing a doctor to be safe. Doctors can also treat cysts with antibiotics if they have become infected or incise them as a further but uncommon procedure if the antibiotics are not sufficient.

Stress Related Itching Stress can contribute to or worsen scalp itching as it plays havoc with our immune system and hormones which have an effect on production of sebum from your sebaceous glands. Although it can contribute to the problem it is still somewhat of a myth. It may appear that you have a"stress rash", but it is more likely that the problem was already there in a less noticeable way, then aggravated by increased stress levels making it harder for your body to deal with the problem on its own and eliminate the problem. Many of the treatments below include stress relieving properties - like Lavender oil for example which calms the mind and soothes the body.

Solutions - what YOU can do about it

Going to your doctor may be the best way to get an accurate answer to diagnosing your problem, but I understand that many of you may have already done this, been prescribed some form of medication of cream (even "heavy duty" cortisone based ones where the cortisone potency may need to be increased after time).

Often the problem either doesn't go away from the start - or seems to subside but comes back with full a vengeance later leaving you wondering with more unanswered questions and a VERY unhappy scalp! Well the good news is if you don't like using these expensive and often impotent products- or even want to help them along you can use natural remedies and essential oils known to be super effective anti-bacterial busters such as tea tree oil for instance to inhibit or stop the growth of the infection and assist healing/re balancing of the scalp.

Something that is also important to understand in curing scalp conditions and scalp infections - a factor that is missed by so many doctors, and something not disclosed by companies who sell hair products and treatments is the number of people who are allergic or sensitive to commonly used ingredients in shampoos, dandruff treatments and other hair products. In fact MOST hair products (as many as 90%) contain at least one ingredient that is used in engine degreasers, another is a common ingredient in antifreeze.

These ingredients are cheap to produce foaming agents that make shampoo foam up, and do a fantastic job of stripping dirt and oily build up from hair. Problem is that they sometimes do SUCH a good job that they remove all of the natural oils and sebum from the scalp thus removing the scalps natural against bacteria etc. Another little known fact is that the most common ingredient (Sodium laureth sulphate) is used to induce skin irritation in test patients by drug companies to test the effectiveness of their itch relief skin creams. When first produced and for year's afterwards manufacturers did not know that skin was not a barrier but an absorber of ingredients & that they caused skin irritation in so many people.

So sometimes the beginning of a scalp condition can have originated from something as simple as an imbalance to the skins (scalps) sebum or an allergy to an ingredient that can easily be rectified.

Like your immune system, if your skin has an opportunity to rebalance itself and not be subjected to "incoming foreign matter" and the daily stripping of its natural oils that further aggravates the problem you can allow your body to re balance and heal itself. Obviously buying products that do not strip your hair and scalp is an obvious step in the right direction.

Fortunately there are a lot of manufacturers such as Aveda and Akin (Purist Company) who know what consumers are suffering from these issues so have addressed this problem. They have applied this knowledge to produce some amazing products with all of the benefits of natural ingredients, with none of the side effects at a price we can afford (Akin especially). It need not be difficult, nor expensive to make these choices and a move to healthy hair and scalp long term.

So yes you can eliminate harsh shampoos containing sodium sulphates and go for natural Sulphate and paraben free shampoos that contain ingredients such as macadamia, wheat germ or jojoba oils. These oils mimic our natural sebum to some extent to help to re moisturize and nourish our scalp.

Then there are lavender, rosemary and tea tree oils which contain antibacterial, healing properties. Neem oil great for its antiquing and stops itching. You can apply these topically to your skin for fast relief, to assist healing as well as looking out for shampoos with these natural ingredients in them.

Lavender calms the skin (as does chamomile tea cooled and used as hair rinse).
As well as buying quality shampoos containing these ingredients, you can
create your own combinations of remedy or remedies to soothe your scalp.
You can also help it along by using natural remedies to treat your scalp such as this scalp treatment containing natural oils to assist healing, detoxify and stimulate hair growth: (Add to
water (4 parts water 1part oil) and spray onto scalp and you can add to your shampoo and conditioners also).

Oils To Relieve Itching: Lavender, German Chamomile and Eucalyptus Oils
(Mixed together and dabbed locally on effected areas has a soothing effect).

Neem oil is also a very good dandruff preventative which can be added to any of the formulas detailed below and is excellent for psoriasis and eczema & scalp infections.

Scalp massage with lavender oil (not scented - the real oil) is another
wonderful way to relieve the tension from a sore scalp as well as treat the
issue. It also helps to re grow hair and repair the damage done to your
follicles by chemicals in shampoos causing thinning hair. (Lavender is known to stimulate hair growth too).

There are many more powerful scalp remedies you can use to treat your scalp as well as many shampoos that are excellent value, contain no nasties to aggravate your scalp and hair follicles. It can be really simple to treat scalp problems by treating yourself to your own pampering session using natural oils to help heal your scalp infection. And then be kind to your hair and scalp by using only products that nourish your hair and scalp such as Aveda or Akin brand shampoos. You can assist the healing process and help restore balance back to your scalp and you hair will appreciate and reward you for it too by becoming less brittle, stronger and shinier.
As with all natural remedies please patch test first. It is not intended for this information to replace a doctors medical advice, so please see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The responsibility of obtaining doctors diagnosis and using remedies is yours.

Scalp Infections - Symptoms, Causes & Natural Options For Fast Relief & Treatment

Mia Wadsworth who founded http://www.DryItchyScalpRemedies.com/ to help hundreds of sufferers of Scalp Infections [http://www.dryitchyscalpremedies.com/scalp_infections.html] , itchy scalp, dandruff & other scalp conditions relieve & eliminate their condition fast & permanently.

The Truth About Dandruff Symptoms and Treatments

What is dandruff? Dandruff is a skin disorder on the scalp that develops during the normal growing process of the skin cells of the scalp. In a normal growth cycle, old cells die and are sloughed off approximately every month, and replacement cells are manufactured quickly. In a scalp that has dandruff, the cells are sloughed off before they are dead.

There are two forms of dandruff:

1. Internal Dandruff - Internal dandruff causes include hormonal imbalances, poor health, poor hygiene, food allergies (including dairy and seafood), lack of rest, emotional stress, excessive consumption of sugar, fat and starch and hereditary predisposition.
2. External Dandruff - External dandruff is caused by excessive use of hair products including lotions and styling gels, cold weather, dry indoor heating, stress, infrequent shampooing of the hair or inadequate rinsing of the scalp.

\"dry Scalp\"

Most dermatologists agree that dandruff is associated with a tiny fungus called Pityrosporum ovale, or P. ovale. This fungus makes a home on our bodies and scalp, usually without causing a problem. For some people, it grows out of control and leads to a dandruff problem.

Dandruff Symptoms include:

• an overly dry scalp
• itchy white flakes
• waxy or greasy hair appearance
• greasy scalp with scales

These dandruff scales are usually small, round, white or gray patches on top of the head. Scaling can occur anywhere on the scalp, in the hair, on the eyebrows, the beard and can spread to the neck and shoulders. Please remember that there is no known way to prevent dandruff from occurring. You can only treat it after it surfaces. Since dandruff cannot be eliminated the only option is to manage it. Most of the time that is an almost impossible task!

Since dandruff has to be managed, the most common treatment is to use a dandruff shampoo. When making the choice of which one to use make sure that you always take the mildest option available. If you are in a position that you have to shampoo every day use a small amount of baby shampoo along with your dandruff shampoo. This will help from drying out your scalp. Nizoral is currently the only shampoo that contains an active ingredient that is medically proven to be effective against the fungus P. ovale. Since you don't need to use this shampoo every day, Nizoral is very cost-effective. Note: When buying over the counter products make sure that they contain zinc pyritheone or selenium sulfide as these ingredients are the most effective in removing flakes from the scalp.

It is important to remember that there is no known "official" cure for dandruff. Once you have the problem, the best that you can hope for is management and control. For more tips on controlling dandruff, please see our other articles on how to control dandruff.

Remember if your scalp starts to show any of the following items then please see your doctor as they could be signs of a more serious problem.

• scalp shows signs of redness
• swelling
• scabbing
• oozing accompanied by flakes

The Truth About Dandruff Symptoms and Treatments

Well there it is! Remember that there are many products available to you so don't lose hope. Information is POWER [http://www.beatingdandruff.com]. Do your research and test several products to find which one is right for you. The best online information can be found at www.Beatingdandruff.com [http://www.beatingdandruff.com]. There are alternatives! Use these Natural Remedies and get your life back. Get back to walking out the door without grabbing your hat and brush.