Conjunctivitis, or pink eye as it is sometimes known as, is an inflammation that affects the outer lining of the eyes. The condition is caused by bacteria or virus’ but can also affect people due to allergies or exposure to certain chemicals. Anyone can catch conjunctivitis but those closest to a sufferer are more at risk of contracting it than others.

When someone has conjunctivitis, all the fluid in the infected individuals eyes are very contagious, therefore the condition can easily be spread from one person to another via contaminated fingers, towels or clothes and through items such as sunglasses and makeup.

Conjunctivitis

Symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness in the white areas of the eyes, a scratchy sensation in the eyes, swollen eyelids that often feel itchy and “heavy” feeling eyes full of tears. The symptoms usually occur from 24 to 72 hours after infection and can last for several days.

Treatment of the condition depends on the cause, but a severe or chronic cased should be referred to a physician immediately. Prevention of conjunctivitis is always the best cure, so washing hands frequently as well as keeping them away from the eyes, not sharing towels, flannels or handkerchiefs with anybody and using fresh paper toweling to wipe the eyes if necessary and then discarding straight away, are all things to do to help prevent the spread of the condition.

Psoriasis is a skin condition which can start at any age but usually starts after puberty. Skin cells are produced by the body and as new cells are produced the older ones on the outer layer of the skin die and flake off.  This process usually takes between 21 to 28 days, but for someone with psoriasis, the process is accelerated and can occur in as little as six days.  This results in an excess of skin cells building up on the surface of the skin which are then shed easily.  Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body and appears as red, crumbling patches of skin.  The most common places on the body where psoriasis is found are the scalp, knees, elbows or lower back.

There are many treatments for psoriasis but no cure.  Symptoms can be mild in one person but extremely severe in others and can cause distress.  Psoriasis can be mild at some times and then flare up.  There are different types of psoriasis and most people only have one type at a time but find that one type can develop into another type.  The most common types of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, nail psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, scalp psoriasis and inverse psoriasis.  There are rarer forms of psoriasis called pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.  Pustular psoriasis causes pus-filled blisters to appear on the skin, while erythrodermic psoriasis causes a rash to appear all over the body and can result in the body losing proteins and fluids.

Psoriasis

There are some factors which can trigger a flare up of psoriasis symptoms such as smoking, stress, alcohol, and some medicines.  There are three types of treatment for psoriasis and these are creams and ointments, lights which the skin can be exposed to and oral or injected medication.

Migraines are throbbing headaches that are normally very intense, occurring in just one half of the head. They can affect people of all ages and their cause is unknown. What is known is that during a migraine attack, blood vessels located in the brain dilate. This dilation causes the blood vessels to draw in on each other which stimulate the nerve endings near to these blood vessels. It is this that is thought to cause the pain.

Migraine

Migraines are fairly common occurrences, affecting nearly 20% of women and 6% of men during their lifetimes. Triggers for the migraine attack can vary, but some people are very aware that eating certain foods such as chocolates, cheese or citrus fruits can bring on an attack. Some other things that have been known to trigger migraines include anxiety, stress, exercise, loud noise, bright lights, traveling and the contraceptive pill. Many women appear to have attacks on or around the time of the menstrual periods.

When people describe migraines, they are commonly associated with headaches of varying degrees. These can include headaches occurring in bouts of approximately four to 72 hours; headaches on one side of the head; headaches throb and get worse with physical activity; nausea accompanied by vomiting; and other symptoms associated with sensitivity to light.

Migraines are treated by using painkillers. Which type depends on the severity and length of bouts being suffered.