Saturday, July 19, 2008

How to Treat Rashes

A chronic rash can have adverse effects on the mental and physical well-being of patients, particularly children. However, many of these rashes are readily treated once an appropriate diagnosis is made. See your primary physician or ask for a referral to an allergist or dermatologist if you have a rash that's getting the best of you.

The diaper rash will be red, appear inflamed and will be in the genital area, the folds of the thighs and around the buttocks of your baby. The affected areas will need to be treated or it might grow into something worse such as a fungal infection or a bacterial one. Usually yeast infections start in babies that are on antibiotics since the bacteria that keeps the yeast infection in check are killed along with the bad bacteria.

Baking Soda

Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with luke warm water. Bathe your baby in the water with the baking soda for 10 minutes. The baking soda neutralizes the acids that causes diaper rash.

Evening Primrose Oil, Sunflower Oil: These cold-pressed oils provide the essential fatty acids omega-3 (linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid) as well as GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), important modulators of the inflammatory response. Help regulate epidermal proliferation and desquamation of the skin.

To treat a diaper rash, you can do many of the same things, but try to avoid vigorous rubbing of sore areas. A squirt bottle and then gently patting your infant dry can be less irritating. Next, after allowing him to completely dry, let him air out a little longer if possible, and put a generous amount of your favorite diaper rash cream or ointment to completely cover the rash.

Change the diapers regularly. A major cause of diaper rash is the prolonging of wet or soiled diapers. Urine and waste by themselves already do much to irritate your baby’s skin, but combined, they form a lethal tag-team of irritants. The urea in urine breaks down in the presence of urease, present in fecal matter, increasing the baby’s skin pH. The increase promotes fecal enzyme (like lipase and protease) activities that, in turn, increase the skin’s susceptibility to bile salts that act as irritants themselves. Be sure to change your baby’s diaper each and every time it gets soiled, even if is as often as two or more times every hour.

Make a paste out of petroleum jelly and cornstarch, coat babies bottom....
it works way better than store bought cremes. When going diaper-free isn't feasible, the best way to avoid diaper rash or cure an existing outbreak is to make sure the baby is always clean and dry. Check the baby's diaper often, and change it as soon as possible after it is soiled.

Rinsing

Sometimes you will have to rinse off urine and poop instead of wiping it away. Even with alcohol-free wipes or wet wash cloths, your baby's diaper rash will continue to worsen. Rinsing off bodily fluids with water is a painless way of cleansing your baby's bottom. You can use a sink hose, bathtub, shower, or even a bulb syringe filled with water.

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