DON'T LET PIMPLES SCAR YOUR LIFE

Pimples or acne, a common skin disease of adolescence, can sometimes play havoc and change lives.

My cousin, roughly my age, and I had care-free fun-packed school lives till acne made their appearance on his face in his teens. They erupted relentlessly, often in large crops, caused redness and swelling, refused to die down, and caught everyone’s eye. He sulked and avoided people, spent much time trying new ointments and lotions every evening, and became depressed. Thirty years later, while I see the same innocence and affection in his eyes from childhood days, others initially notice only his scarred rough face.

Acne vulgaris is characterized by pinheads, blackheads & whiteheads often on scaly red oily (seborrheic) skin. It occurs due to blockage of skin follicles by shedding keratin and sebum (oily secretion from the glands of the hair follicles), causing them to swell, and at times, getting red and inflamed. Infection with bacteria, present on the skin, often compounds the picture, making the acne red and angry, and leading to formation of pustules.

To the embarrassment of growing youngsters, the hormonal connection is all too obvious. Acne make their appearance in adolescence when levels of sex hormones, especially testosterone, in the blood, rise, inducing skin follicles to enlarge and make more sebum. These hormones are not exclusive to boys; hence growing girls also suffer from acne.

The tendency to develop acne runs in families. For example, school aged boys with acne often have other members in their family with acne. A family history of acne is associated with an earlier occurrence of acne and an increased number of retentional acne lesions.

A diet rich in sugars, fat and chocolates worsen acne, while fiber consumed in good amounts seem to bring relief. Studies also show that stress could be a factor, both bringing on acne, as often happens before exams or dates, as well as being brought on by it.

Keeping the face glowing and free from acne can be challenging for many. Generous helping of fibrous fruits and green veggies indeed help, as does strict avoidance of pastries, sweets, chocolates and thinking of the opposite sex.

Regular exercise helps too: increased blood flow following a run assists maintenance of skin cells as it brings in oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. It also reduces stress levels; adolescents who work hard in the fields do not suffer from acne; most afflicted are city dwellers with sedentary lives!

The skin needs care too. Frequent washing with an antiseptic soap to keep it oil-free is the first step. You may use wet tissues to wipe your face if washing is not practicable during work or college. Skin applications include benzoyl peroxide (acts on the germ Propionibacterium acnes), salicylic acid (removes keratin), retinoids and aloe vera.

Acne on the face of young people serves to remind us that small things located at strategic places in crucial times can indeed have far-reaching impacts!

As published in HT City(Hindustan Times) dated 20 November, 2011.

HEALING TOUCH

Music, which started from 7 basic musical notes derived from sounds of nature or songs of various animals, has evolved considerably over time from mere entertainment to a form of therapy. It is being increasingly recognized that music can make a difference not just to our moods and relationships but to our health and recovery.

Our exposure to “music” probably starts from the 20^th week in the womb when the baby’s hearing faculties develop, and he “listens” to his mother’s heartbeat. The fluctuations of her heart rate brought on by anxiety, frustration, relaxation or rest are stored in the fetal brain as memories, often reflecting in later years, the moods and attitudes of the two-some.

Adolescents attach great importance to music often huddling as friends or partners based on a common taste or liking to a type of music – slow classical, to rhythmic melodies, to vocal,deep-throated emotional renderings, to pop, jazz or hard rock. This common “taste” often brings together people of similar emotional dispositions, common backgrounds and at times, common intra-uterine experiences. Little surprise then that music bonds so well!

The areas where music therapy has been used range from mood disorders in adolescents, learning disorders in children, heart diseases in adults, stress management, recovery from stroke and high blood pressure.

Although there are several techniques of using music as therapy, most schools follow the steps of assessing the patient’s need, studying his backgound and preferences, planning and preparing a varied combination and dose of music – not just listening, but playing or singing, composing and song-writing, and moving to music.

According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, around 3% of adolescents suffer from mood disorders, of whom 1% commit suicide. An average American adolescent listens to 4.5 hours of music every day. Those suffering from either variety of mood disorders, depression and bipolar, respond very well to music therapy, reporting emotional, social and daily-life benefits, along with formation of one’s own identity. It also provides a creative outlet for release or control of emotions, and improves coping behaviour, self esteem and mood swings.

Neuroscientists have shown that some portions of the brain show electrical activity when we listen to music. One of the methods being used by them therefore is to use music to stimulate these portions that have been knocked down by stroke. Indeed regular exposure to music has been shown to enhance recovery of both mental and physical functions in stroke patients.

I was fascinated to attend a programme for the elderly in Australia.These 80 year olds were made to feel lively again with music, and as they tapped their toes or shook their legs, they improved their neuro-muscular coordination, muscle strength and balance. And doing it with partners of the opposite sex added that extra zing.

The potential of music is waiting to be tapped. Listen to it and let it make a difference to your health and lives.

As published in HT City( Hindustan Times) dated 13 November, 2011.

Wrinkles and poets!

As a first step towards conquering ageing, scientists seem to have discovered that a portion of our 23 pairs of chromosomes, called telomeres shorten with time, and might underlie the process. And what goes with it is a gradual decline in the activity of an enzyme present in our cells, called telomerase.

With over 60% of people in developed countries facing the winter of their lives, research institutions such as the National Institute of Health in USA have included ageing as one of their major thrust areas.. Answers are being sought with urgency from laboratories on why the disturbing changes of wrinkling of the face, graying of hair and weakening of bones occur, and if these can be prevented.

Ageing is the accumulation of physical, psychological and social changes that occur with time. What is intriguing is why 2 person, who went to school together and lived similar lives show these changes so differently. Why did the former chief of IMF, Dominique Stauss-Kahn have to hit news-headlines recently for his youthful “ranting” escapade at the age of 65, when the mood of most at that age in India would be, “Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings? For these are no longer wings to fly, / But merely vans to beat the air”.

Distinctions should be made between "universal ageing" (age changes that all people share) and "probabilistic ageing" (age changes that may happen to some, but not all people as they grow older including diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Chronological ageing may also be distinguished from "social ageing" (cultural age-expectations of how people should act as they grow older). As poets often express the signs and symptoms much better than scientists, I quote again from  TS Eliot. “ I grow old, I grow old / I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled / Do I dare eat a peach? (blood sugars have gone up!) / I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. / I have heard the mermaids sing, each to each./ I do not think they will sing to me”.

While ageing is generally negative as most actresses fearfully watching the mirror, and players apprehensively measuring their strength and stamina will tell you, it is not all bad.. The mind remains active for many long years after the physical decline has started. It is therefore no surprise that actors and players often turn to politics as the next productive phase of their lives.

Given the physical and cognitive declines seen in ageing, a surprising finding is that emotional experience improves with age. Older adults are better at regulating their emotions and experience negative feelings less frequently than younger adults.  

It is therefore not surprising that sons and grandsons often look more besieged and disturbed than the calm-looking octogerian with a multitude of diseases and limitations! Perhaps it si nature’s way to prepare us; at least till we find means to stratch our telomeres to longer lengths!

As published in HT City( Hindustan Times) dated 6 November, 2011.