The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Prevent that maddening itching

Itching is a common skin disease. Sometimes it becomes very troublesome. Itching is the unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. It is a combination of the senses of touch and pain, for which the skin has many sensory nerve endings.

Itching is a symptom of some trouble, some assault on the skin. It is a one-alarm symptom as compared with more severe skin reactions, such as redness, and swelling, skin rash, blisters and wheals. Itching may be local or general, confined to one area of the body or present all over. Old people itch more readily than younger ones.

Itching may be mild or severe. Constant, severe itching can be a maddening torture. Some people experience waves of itching. The itching sensation comes on in waves of increasing intensity until it reaches a climax. Then the tension and itching disappear for a variable time, only to return again.

Causes of itching: Some generalised diseases are often expressed in skin itching. These include diabetes, kidney and liver trouble, and allergy. Itching usually accompanies hives and jaundice. Itching around the urinary organs is often caused by undisclosed diabetes, which is marked by a high concentration of sugar in the urine.

Allergy or sensitivity to foods, drugs and fabric is a frequent cause of itching. Usually, some undiscovered allergen in the everyday environment is responsible for this form of itching. It may be the heat of cooking stove; cold weather; irritating soap or other cosmetic item, a household pet, eggs, wheat, milk, chocolate or something else in the diet; woollen and nylon underwear. Until the allergen is discovered and removed or avoided, itching will continue. Neuro-dermatitis also causes itching.

Prevention, remedies: Avoid strong detergents, deodorant, soaps and overexposure to the sun, check humidity, especially the bedroom, avoid hot showers and baths. They strip the skin’s natural oil, which helps hold in the moisture.

Avoid scratching, which damages the skin. Cut nails short or wear gloves at night to prevent scratching. Avoid synthetic fabrics next to the skin. Wear cotton clothing. For very dry hands, try this for a night; apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly and wear thin cotton gloves to bed.

Apply cold water or an ice bag to the itching area. It is always better to take some drug which has the effect of purifying blood. Neem is a very good blood purifier. The juice of neem leaves mixed with some fresh water may be taken daily for a week. Take neembadi powder one teaspoon twice daily with curd before meals.

Add a bit of potassium permanganate to the bath water. For temporary relief, some cooling liquid such as alcohol can be applied to the affected part with great advantage.

Salt should be avoided during treatment. Bitter gourd is beneficial in the treatment of itching. Eat more vegetables and drink juice of bitter gourd.

— Anil Dheer

88-year man gets new lease of life
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 16
It was no less than a miracle for 88-year-old Shiv Parsad Vashist. A heart surgery has given him a fresh lease of life. Mr Vashist’s left main artery was blocked due to which his heart rate had dropped to an alarmingly low level.

Dr P. Lal, Director, Interventional Cardiology Metro, Delhi, had to insert a pacemaker to correct the heart rate. It was found that his left main heart artery was critically blocked. Such a patient could have a major heart attack at any time, said the doctor.

Dr Bedi, Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Chairman, Cardiac Surgery, Metro Heart Institute, Delhi, performed a bypass surgery. But as the patient had had a paralysis stroke, there was a great risk involved.

There was a pre-existing damage of the right side of the brain which would have increased with conventional surgery and Dr Bedi decided to perform a beating heart surgery.

Mr Vashist had a very quick and uneventful recovery. Dr Bedi said he was removed of all his life support systems within two hours of the surgery and was fit to go home on the third day of the surgery. With beating heart surgery, recovery is very quick, additional blood usage is brought down to zero and there is no damage to the brain, heart or lungs as would happen with conventional surgery informed Dr Bedi at Metro Kulwant Heart Institute, Ludhiana.