Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a severe, long-term lung condition that includes chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. The disease makes it difficult for the air to pass through the airways comfortably, leading to obstructive breathing. According to studies, chronic lower respiratory diseases, including COPD, are the leading causes of death in the country. While the illness is manageable, COPD flare-ups can cause discomfort. Here’s what you need to know about the condition and its management options.
Types of COPD
COPD flare-ups
If one experiences shortness of breath, excessive wheezing or coughing, or producing more phlegm, one might have a COPD flare-up, also called an exacerbation. The symptoms of the disease are visibly worse than usual and require additional treatment. While the intensity of the flare-up ranges from moderate to severe, frequent exacerbation can cause lung damage which can be irreversible.
Signs and symptoms
Some of the signs of a flare-up include fever, scratchy throat, and other similar signs of cold, swollen ankles, coughing with mucus that is green, tan, or red in color, fatigue, unusual sleepiness or drowsiness, and a confused state of mind.
Some signs of an emergency include drowsiness, chest pains, shortness of breath, lips or fingers turning blue, or inability to think clearly. An emergency treatment kit may help, but if the symptoms worsen, consult a doctor at the earliest.
Treatment options
While some lifestyle changes may help manage the illness, treatment plans may help control the flare-ups to a great extent.
Preventive measures
Some preventive measures to ensure the flare-ups are not as frequent or severe include getting a flu shot (against pneumonia), avoiding big gatherings or crowds, washing hands regularly, and avoiding the use of fragrant cleaning products or perfumes.
The skin barrier, known as the stratum corneum, is the outermost layer of one’s skin. It serves two purposes. Being the outermost layer, it reflects a person’s appearance and quality of health to the external world. Furthermore, it is the body’s first line of defense against weather elements and pathogens. However, due to this, the skin barrier is often prone to damage. In such scenarios, the skincare tips mentioned below might come handy.
Some natural products like aloe vera and lavender benefit the skin due to their extensive healing abilities. Aloe vera-based organic creams and products use their soothing and skin-repairing capabilities to mend damaged skin barriers quickly. Aloe vera has outstanding healing abilities that repair sun damage too. Many dermatologists advise people with sunburns to use aloe-infused creams to heal their skin. Aloe has chemical properties that help keep the skin elastic and moisturized. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and acts as a moisturizing ingredient in many skincare items.
Similarly, lavender-based products effectively address one’s damaged skin barrier and similar issues. Lavender oil is famous for its powerful antifungal and antibacterial qualities. Many skin experts advise using lavender oil for diseases like eczema and psoriasis as it can treat symptoms such as itching and inflammation properly. Besides these qualities, lavender speeds up the healing and regeneration of damaged skin tissue.
A lack of moisture in the skin is one of the primary reasons the skin barrier suffers damage. Therefore, moisturizing is the most crucial part of repairing the skin barrier gradually. You can use organic moisturizers for this purpose. Also, moisturizing must be done regularly, as doing it occasionally can cause the hydration to evaporate through the damaged skin barrier. Using a moisturizer regularly helps to seal these barriers and cracks and prevent the skin from losing more water than necessary. Retaining water in this way helps people maintain a soft and luscious texture for their skin.
The skin needs to be hydrated regularly, so depriving it of water can be one of the primary reasons for damaged skin barriers.
Most people may overlook the sensitivity aspect of their skin and over-wash and over-exfoliate it as a part of their daily routine. However, these actions can cause damage to one’s skin barrier. To avoid this, one can wash their face using a cleanser once every day. As stated earlier, cleansing and moisturizing are essential, but doing so with rampant regularity can damage surface-level skin tissue. Therefore, exfoliation should be done only once a week. Additionally, replace physical scrubs with exfoliants that are milder on the skin.
Hot showers may be refreshing and cleansing for the skin, but overexposure to steaming hot water for long periods can have debilitating effects on one’s skin. The excessive heat carried by hot water causes the skin layer tissues, nutrients, and natural oils to wither away. These elements safeguard one’s skin, so having frequent hot showers can cause skin barrier damage through the loss of these protective layers.
To avoid this problem, one can take hot showers only if necessary. One can also use lukewarm water instead of piping hot water for showers. Doing so would bring about minor, incomprehensible changes to one’s daily life but will massively benefit one’s skin.
The pH level of one’s skin determines how acidic or basic the skin barrier is. Ideally, a pH of 7, which is neither too acidic nor too basic, is preferable in any bodily area. Detergents tend to cause skin issues due to their volatile pH. They generally cause the skin to lose its natural oils and leave the barrier dry and, more worryingly, exposed to irritation and damage. Detergents increase the alkaline (basic) levels in a person’s skin, which disrupt the skin’s natural development and other processes.
Therefore, one needs to use organic or mild chemical skincare products and tools that do not increase the acidity or alkaline levels of one’s skin barrier.
One of the significant causes of skin barrier damage is a poor skincare routine. One of the best ways to streamline one’s skincare routine is to reduce the number of products from one’s daily usage list. Using several products can irritate one’s skin.
After this, one needs to simplify their skincare routine. It involves using only those products that are beneficial for the skin and eliminating those that may be surplus to requirements. One needs to hydrate their skin with water regularly for maximum moisture retention and skin flexibility.
Exposure to sun rays and UV radiation is a significant cause of skin barrier damage in individuals. One needs to be prepared to face the sun before leaving their house. An ideal way to do that is through SPF sunscreen usage every day. Ideally, the SPF rating of such creams should be more than 30 to have positive protective effects against the unforgiving sun rays.
Ideally, one must use organic sunscreen that does not contain many chemicals to keep their skin protected and healthy.
Bags under eyes, also known as puffiness of eyes, are common with aging and especially, among older people. With aging, the muscles supporting the eyelids start weakening and fat supporting the eyes move into lower eyelids. This causes the eyes to appear puffy. There is also a possibility of fluids accumulating below the eyes and adding to the swelling.
Eye puffiness is not a serious medical condition but it makes you look older. Home remedies such as applying cucumber, tea bags, etc. on the eyes can help to treat eye puffiness. In case of severe and persistent symptoms, it is good to consult a doctor.
Signs and symptoms
Common symptoms of bags under eyes include:
In case of persistent symptoms, it is necessary to consult the doctor. These symptoms include the following:
What causes the bags under your eyes?
How to treat under eye bags?
Home remedies
The various home treatment methods to cure eye puffiness are as described below:
Hydration
Drinking plenty of water keeps your body well hydrated and thus helps in reducing eye puffiness. Water also helps to flush out harmful toxins from the body. It is recommended to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day for staying well hydrated.
Cucumber
Cold cucumbers have inflammatory properties that will tighten the skin and help in reducing eye puffiness. It also benefits to get rid of dark circles and will provide a refreshing feeling to the eyes. You can take two fresh slices of refrigerated cucumber and place them on your eyes for few minutes till the slices become warm. Repeat the process several times a day to get better results.
Potato
Potatoes also possess anti-inflammatory properties which provide a good remedy for treating eye bags. It is also beneficial in getting rid of dark circles. Refrigerate a washed, raw potato for few minutes and cut it into two slices. Place them on your eyes for 15–20 minutes. Repeat this procedure several times until the puffiness reduces.
Egg whites
The skin tightening properties of egg whites play a great role in treating eye puffiness and tightening the skin around eyes. Besides, it also helps to prevent wrinkles. Break 2–3 eggs and take the egg whites in a container. Whip the egg whites thoroughly. Apply it on the affected area using a clean brush or soft cloth. Leave it for few minutes and allow it to dry. Finally, clean it with cold water. Repeat the process daily.
Tea bags
Tea bags, whether green tea bags or chamomile tea bags, can help to reduce swelling under the eyes due to their anti-irritant properties. Their herbal properties are also helpful in reducing inflammation and redness. Take two chilled tea bags and place them on your eyes. Relax for a few minutes and you will notice quick results.
Cold spoons
Even though it sounds surprising, but ice-chilled spoons prove to be very effective in reducing puffiness of eyes. They help to tighten the skin surrounding eyes and relax the blood vessels. Refrigerate 4 or 6 metal spoons for some minutes. Place a spoon over each eye by holding its rounded portion against the eyes and leave them as it is until they become warm. Repeat the process again by replacing the warm spoons with the cold ones.
Bags under eyes creams
Besides the above-mentioned home remedies, there are also many eye products available in the market to treat puffiness of eyes. The below list consists of the top 10 bags under eyes creams available to treat puffiness of eyes:
You can choose from these top 10 bags under eyes creams to get effective and quick results. However, it would be better to consult your doctor before choosing one of these bags under eyes creams so that you would have a better idea of which cream would suit you better.
How to prevent your eyes from puffiness?
You can use any of the above-mentioned home remedies or bags under eyes creams to get effective results and get rid of the bags under your eyes.