Good health tips - Natural Home Remedies for Dark Circles under eyes

Dark circles under eyes are bothersome to many as it does not look good on your beautiful face. Under eye dark circles is the most common thing that can be seen in almost every individual. Around nine out of ten people have dark circles under the eyes.

What causes dark circles under the eyes ?
- Dark Circles under eyes are generally due to a lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, deficiency or some disease.
- Dark circles may be hereditary.
- Nasal congestion can also cause dark under eye circles.
- Chronic atopic eczema on skin can cause dark circles.
- Dark circles under eyes may also be due to aging which thins the skin around the eyes.
Eyelid swelling or eye puffiness can produce shadows producing light dark eye circles.

Natural Home Remedies for treating dark circles:

- Drink at least ten glasses of water everyday.
- Do not leave cream on the skin around the eyes for long periods. Remove the cream applied around the eye after 10 min.
- Mix one teaspoon flour, one teaspoon milk, a pinch of sugar, 1/4 spoon honey and squeeze half lemon juice. Apply it on face and once it is dry, rub the face with wet hands, till the pack in removed.
- Grate cucumber / potato and squeeze fresh juice out of gratings. Dip two cotton balls in it and keep these cotton balls on eyes. This relaxes eyes and relieves the tiredness of eyes.
- Apply a paste of fenugreek mixed in milk on dark circles in the night. Wash off in the morning and watch dark circles vanish for good.
- Take a teaspoon of tomato juice, a few drops of lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder (if you are not allergic to it) and a little flour, enough to make a paste and apply.
- Apply a paste of turmeric powder with pineapple juice for dark circles under the eyes.
- Crush some mint and apply it around the eye.
- Massage with almond oil under and around eyes at bed time daily for 2 weeks and see the improvement. Almond is very good skin food and helps to remove dark circles.
- Rub the area with a powdered Vitamin E capsule and wipe off with a mixture of honey and egg white. This will reduce darkness around the eye.
- Put hot and cold clothes alternatively under eyes for 10 minutes. Then apply some almond oil on the dark surface before going to bed.
- The acupressure point for eyes is on the mount below the index finger of your palms. Pressing this mount may help.

Exercise for Dark Circles under the Eyes :
- Do various breathing exercises, like pranayam. This is a very helpful eye care and removes your dark circles naturally.
- Rest your index finger and middle finger of your both hands on the area just above the eye brows. And then lift up your eyebrows keeping the fingers fix. Do this for 10-15 times, it is a very effective exercise.
- Live a stress-free life, take proper rest, proper sleep and stay happy. Keep a physical and emotional balance of body and mind.

Diabetic Nephropathy - A Kidney disease

Diabetic nephropathy is kidney disease that develops as a result of diabetes mellitus(DM), also called diabetes. This disease damages many organs, including the eyes, nerves, blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. DM is the most common cause of kidney failure in the United States and accounts for over one-third of all patients who are on dialysis.
Each kidney is made of hundreds of thousands of filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron has a cluster of tiny blood vessels called a glomerulus. Together these structures help remove waste from the body. Too much blood sugar can damage these structures, causing them to thicken and become scarred. Slowly, over time, more and more blood vessels are destroyed. The kidney structures begin to leak and protein (albumin) begins to pass into the urine.

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY :
* Fatigue.
* Foamy appearance or excessive frothing of the urine.
* Frequent hiccups.
* Generalized itching and ill feeling.
* Headache, nausea and vomiting.
* Poor appetite.
* Swelling of the legs, around eyes, body swelling in later stage of disease.
* Unintentional weight gain (from fluid buildup).

What causes diabetic nephropathy?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a complication of diabetes that is believed to contribute most directly to diabetic nephropathy. Hypertension is believed to be both the cause of diabetic nephropathy, as well as the result of damage that is created by the disease. As kidney disease progresses, physical changes in the kidneys often lead to increased blood pressure.

A higher proportion of individuals with type 2 diabetes are found to have microalbuminuria and overt nephropathy shortly after the diagnosis of their diabetes, because diabetes is actually present for many years before the diagnosis is made and also because the presence of albuminuria may be less specific for the presence of diabetic nephropathy, as shown by biopsy studies.

Screening for microalbuminuria can be performed by three methods:
- Measurement of the albumin-to-creatinine ratio in a random spot collection.
- 24-h collection with creatinine, allowing the simultaneous measurement of creatinine clearance.
- Timed (e.g., 4-h or overnight) collection.

TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY :
Specific treatment for diabetic nephropathy will be determined by your physician based on:
* your age, overall health, and medical history.
* extent of the disease.
* your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies.
* expectations for the course of the disease.
* your opinion or preference.
Treatment may include any, or a combination of, the following:
* proper diet.
* exercise.
* strict monitoring and controlling of blood glucose levels, often with medication and insulin injections.
* medication (to lower blood pressure).

Diabetic Retinopathy - Eye disease

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication common in uncontrolled diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Given that a healthy retina is necessary for good vision, damage to the blood vessels will affect your eyesight. At first you may notice no changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes. All people with diabetes—both type 1 and type 2—are at risk. That's why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year.



Diabetic retinopathy has four stages:
1. Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy. At this earliest stage, microaneurysms occur. They are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina's tiny blood vessels.
2. Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy. As the disease progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked.
3. Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy. Many more blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina with their blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment.
4. Proliferative Retinopathy. At this advanced stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. By themselves, these blood vessels do not cause symptoms or vision loss. However, they have thin, fragile walls. If they leak blood, severe vision loss and even blindness can result.




Signs and Symptoms
The affect of diabetic retinopathy on vision varies widely, depending on the stage of the disease.
* Blurred vision (this is often linked to blood sugar levels
* Floaters and flashes
* Sudden loss of vision
What are the symptoms of proliferative retinopathy if bleeding occurs?
At first, you will see a few specks of blood, or spots, "floating" in your vision. If spots occur, see your eye care professional as soon as possible.

How does diabetic retinopathy cause vision loss?
1. Fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye, blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the fourth and most advanced stage of the disease.
2. Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema. It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses.

How is diabetic retinopathy treated?
During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.
Proliferative retinopathy is treated with laser surgery. This procedure is called scatter laser treatment. Scatter laser treatment helps to shrink the abnormal blood vessels. Scatter laser treatment works better before the fragile, new blood vessels have started to bleed. That is why it is important to have regular, comprehensive dilated eye exams. The doctor places 1,000 to 2,000 laser burns in the areas of the retina away from the macula, causing the abnormal blood vessels to shrink. Because a high number of laser burns are necessary, two or more sessions usually are required to complete treatment.

How is a macular edema treated?
Macular edema is treated with laser surgery. This procedure is called focal laser treatment. Your doctor places up to several hundred small laser burns in the areas of retinal leakage surrounding the macula. These burns slow the leakage of fluid and reduce the amount of fluid in the retina. The surgery is usually completed in one session. Further treatment may be needed.

What can be done if somebody has already lost some vision from diabetic retinopathy?
An eye care professional about low vision services and devices that may help you make the most of your remaining vision.

NOTE : Visit your eye doctor frequently. Do not wait for symptoms to occur.

Corns : Natural Home Remedy

A corn refers to a localized thickening of the skin, especially on the toes, and extending into subcutaneous tissue.Corns are toughened skin patches formed in the shape of a cone, with the tip pointing into the foot. Hard corns are formed on the top of the toes or on the outsides of the little toes whereas soft corns are formed between the toes. When pressure is put on the corn, the tip touches the foot tissue, causing immense pain.

CAUSES :
- Wearing tight shoes, ill fitting socks, inflexible or nonporous shoes, high-heeled shoes.
- Diabetics are prone to get corns and they should never ignore foot problems.
- People with flat feet, erosion of skin on the foot sole and walking on hard surfaces without proper protection also cause corns.

HOME REMEDIES FOR CORNS :
- Apply raw Papaya juice to the corn 2-3 times a day.
- Chalk, powdered and made into a paste by adding water, is very when applied on a corn at bedtime.
- Liquorices powdered and mixed with either Mustard or Gingili oil to make a paste. This should be applied 2-3 times a day.
- A fresh slice of lemon should be tied over the painful area at night and allowed to remain there the whole night.
- The herb Indian squill, botanically known as Urginea indica, is useful in removing corns. A bulb may be roasted and applied over the corn. It should he secured with a bandage. This application may be made at night and removed in the morning.
- The milky juice of green figs is valuable for corns of long duration. It helps to soften them.
- Soak your feet in a solution of Epsom salts and warm water.
- Soak your feet in very diluted chamomile tea.
- Crush five or six aspirin tablets into a powder. Prepare a paste with a half-teaspoon each of water and lemon juice. Apply this to the hard-skin spots on your foot, then put your foot into a plastic bag and wrap a warm towel. Sit still for at least 10 minutes. Then unwrap your foot and scrub the area with a pumice stone. All that dead, hard, callused skin should come loose and flake away easily.
- Dip a fresh cloth in rectified turpentine and wrap it around the area. Apply this several times a day.
- Dip a cotton ball with vinegar. Keep this until the area becomes soft. Once it is soft, rub it with a pumice stone.
- Try to get right-fitting shoes as much as possible. A better-fitting pair of shoes can be your solution to this problem.
- Do not cut off these corns as they will simply cause infection or may result in bleeding.
- Apply castor oil on the corn. This is an effective treatment for corn and calluses.
- Parsley is another great home remedy food that is often left uneaten on the side of the plate. Besides being rich in potassium and vitamins it is also reputed to strengthen the kidneys and help with waste removal.

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS :
A light nutritious diet containing vitamins and minerals in the form of fruits and vegetables is recommended.