Prevent the oil buildup

Acne happens as a result of excessive sebum that clogs up the pores. To prevent this oil buildup, you should wash your face twice everyday. Use a mild soap or liquid based cleanser.

Do not scrub

Scrubbing might give you the feeling of doing a good, hard job of cleaning your skin but it can actually make your acne worse. Scrubbing can irritate the skin which can result in an acne flare-up. Wash your skin gently and use your hands instead of a washcloth.

Use the right products

Make sure that any cosmetic products you use- make up, moisturizer, sunscreen- are oil free. Look for labels like ‘oil free’, ‘noncomedogenic’, or ‘nonacnegenic’ on the product packaging.

Use hair gels and sprays carefully

Styling your hair isn’t going to cause acne but your gel or hair spray can contribute to acne if you aren’t careful using them and apply them to your face by mistake. These products can clog up the pores which can lead to acne.

Carefully remove makeup

Before going to sleep, don’t just quickly wash your face and call it a day. Whenever you remove your makeup, take the time to cleanse your face. Residual make up can clog up the pores.

Keep your hair away from your face

This is mostly an issue for people with longer hair. Keep your hair clean and tucked away from the face to reduce the oil content.

Avoid caps and hats

You could get pimples along your hairline by wearing baseball caps and hats. Avoid them if you have an acne problem.

Clean up after work outs

Whether you’ve been exercising or just sweating a lot, make sure you take a nice shower or bath afterwards. Remaining clean and dry is important in reducing acne.

Don’t touch

It’s true for most skin conditions: touching and scratching only makes it worse. Our hands are the most effective way of transporting bacteria and, by touching your face, you only provide them with a free ride! Try to avoid the temptation!

Don’t pick, pop and squeeze

Most importantly, you should not pick, pop, squeeze or otherwise mess with your pimples. You acne will grow worse.

Try over the counter solutions

Products with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid can help prevent acne and even treat it. But always be careful of using these products as you might be allergic to an ingredient (and hence make the acne worse) or damage your skin. Visit us at the MedHelp clinic for advice on acne prevention and the right products for your skin.

DUST MITES

• Say good bye to feather or down pillows and comforters. Switch to synthetic polyester-fill. Cover your pillows and mattresses with dust-mite proof covers (easily available at many stores). Vacuum or wipe clean the covers every week.
• Use very hot water to wash the sheets and blankets to kill the dust mites.
• Carpeting and upholstered furniture should not be used in your child’s bedroom or playroom as they can both collect dust (and therefore dust mites) over time.
• Your curtains, rugs and throws should all be washable. Use hot water.
• Clean and vacuum as often as you can.
• Unfortunately, stuffed toys can also be hazardous to your child if they are allergic to dust mites. Allow your child to only keep a few washable stuffed toys and, even then, you will need to wash them weekly to ensure that they remain clean and free of dust mites.
• Air filters (such as HEPA or electrostatic filters) can be used around the house to reduce dust mite allergens. Choose an air filter size that’s big enough to cover the whole room.
• Moist air allows for dust mite infestation. So don’t use humidifiers.

POLLEN AND MOLD

• Humidifiers also assist in mold growth so that’s another reason to stop using them.
• Mold is most likely to grow in dark and moist places like the basement. By utilizing good ventilation and keeping the light on, you can reduce mold growth.
• Use air conditioners around the house as they reduce moisture, keep the pollen out and circulate the air.
• Windows and doors should be kept shut during pollen season.
• Mold in bathrooms and other places can be killed by using a weak bleach solution.
• Wallpapers and carpeting should be avoided in rooms like the bathroom as mold can grow under them making it hard for you to know its there or remove it.

By using environmental control methods and making your home an allergen-free zone, you can make life a lot easier for yourself, your child or anyone else in the family who has an allergy. Join us next week to find out how you can reduce exposure to some other allergen types.

Best Ways to Avoid the Flu and Common Cold

It’s time for the second post in our ‘Healthy Winter’ series (which covers the best tips and advice on how you can protect yourself from the flu and cold). If you have just joined us, make sure you read our earlier posts so you don’t miss out on our previously doled advice on what to do when you’re down with common seasonal illnesses like the flu, common cold and sinusitis- and how you can protect yourself against them. Now without further ado, here are some more tips on having a healthy and happy flu-free winter! (You can find Tips 1 to 3 here)

04. SLEEP WELL

Our body’s immune system is weaker when we’re tired and overworked. That is why it’s so important that you get a good night’s sleep so that you can wake up refreshed and ready to fend against a day’s worth of new health risks! If you’re already feeling a bit under the weather, turn in early and get a good sound sleep of 8 – 10 hours (as recommended by medical experts). You’ll find yourself feeling better after you wake up.

05. EAT HEALTHY

This one sounds like a very general tip but it’s included here because it has benefits for every aspect of your health- and that includes fighting viral and bacterial infections. Having a healthy diet (that is high on fruits and vegetables) results in a stronger immune system; which in turn gives you better protection against not only the flu and common cold but all manners of illnesses.

06. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

If there’s one thing you really could benefit to learn from this year’s movie releases, it’s the importance of restricting physical contact with people who are sneezing or coughing (courtesy of director Steven Soderberg’s star studded pandemic drama Contagion). Even if you didn’t manage to catch the ominous flick, it’s no secret that flu and cold spread quite easily from person to person and the only way you can limit your chances of catching the infections is if you maintain a safe distance from people who are displaying flu/cold symptoms. While this is easily done with strangers, you should also make an effort to not expose yourself unnecessarily to a sick friend or family member. After all, who is going to take care of them if you fall sick too!

To find out more about how most common seasonal viruses spread, obtain more medical advice and get treatment, walk in to your nearest MedHelp clinic in Alpharetta, Atlanta. Our team of medical experts will be happy to help you. And don’t forget to join us next week as we continue our ‘Healthy Winter’ series!

Best Ways to Avoid the Flu and Common Cold

Our previous posts covered a few common winter illnesses in basic detail. We talked about the best ways to cure the flu, beat the common cold and the necessary precautions for sinuses. When you’re already ‘under the weather’, learning about symptoms and treatment is useful. But as all healthy individuals know, you should never wait to get the flu or go down with a fever before you start taking care of yourself. That’s why we’re now going to do a series of everyday tips that will help you stay flu free and cold-less during the whole season. After all, prevention is better than cure!

01. SHAKE AND WASH!

While you wouldn’t want to offend anybody by washing your hands right in front of them after shaking hands with them, doctors and medical experts recommend that you should wash your hands as often as you can. Physical contact- even small stuff like shaking hands- with other people is a sure way of getting germs on you. But when you keep the water flowing over your hands, you’re literally sending those illness-causing germs straight down the drain!

02. JUST BECAUSE ITS YOUR OWN FACE DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD KEEP TOUCHING IT

We all touch our face A LOT and usually it’s without reason (it’s not like we have to check and see if it’s there!). Whether you do it unconsciously or because of a nervous habit, the fact is that frequently touching your face- especially the nose and eyes- increases your risk for contracting the flu and cold etc. Because germs can travel directly from your hands into your eyes or nose, you basically provide them with convenient transportation when you touch your face!

03. DON’T WAIT FOR A HIGH FEVER TO GET A SHOT

Flu shots are highly effective in protecting you from many of the associated viral infections. A lot of us don’t seem to find the time to get a shot when we’re up and about. But getting one in time is better than regretting not getting it when you have to miss out on weeks of work and stay under the covers because you’re feeling too sick. Getting a shot doesn’t even take much time: just walk into your local MedHelp clinic in Atlanta and you could get a flu shot in the same visit. Our trained and professional medical staff will make sure your winter is full of health and joy- and not runny noses and bloodshot eyes!

Check back next week for more tips on protecting yourself from the flu and cold.