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Heat rash or prickly heat, as it is popularly known as, refers to the development of rashes on the skin due to excessive sweating after running, working out, aerobics and other similar activities. It is accompanied by the sensation of prickles all over the skin. It is caused due to deviation of sweat, which causes it to flow inside the skin, rather than escaping from the skin. This leads to blockage and inflammation of sweat ducts.

You can treat heat rash by following some simple treatment procedures. In order to understand how to cure heat rash, you must learn the techniques discussed below:

• Ice cubes - In order to cool down the skin, you must apply ice cubes to affected areas. You may prefer to apply these cubes directly or wrapped up in a cloth. It is beneficial to repeat this procedure after regular intervals of 3-4 hours.
• Hydrocortisone cream - It is advised to use products like hydrocortisone cream over affected areas of skin regularly. Also, dusting powder must be applied to these areas to ease out with rashes as well prickles. However, one must avoid oil enhancing creams and ointments.
• Water - It is often advised to drink a lot of water during the appearance of heat rashes. This will enforce the sweat to move out of the skin pores and relieve the body from prickling sensation.
• Backing soda - It is beneficial to use baking soda in the form of paste, prepared in water, to recover from heat rashes. You must apply the paste gently over affected area and wash after sometime. It will help the heat inside body to dissipate to the surroundings.
• Antibacterial soap - It is advised to take a bath with antibacterial soaps. Also, you must use lukewarm water for bathing and may add little quantity of baking soda in it.
• Fresh air - It is advised to expose your skin to fresh air, so that the blocked sweat ducts may get unplugged and release the sweat outside. It is not at all a wise act to apply bandage over the infected area.
• Oatmeal - Just like baking soda, oatmeal powder also exhibits the quality to treat heat rashes over skin. You may also add this substance to your bathing water.
• Cornstarch - You may also apply cornstarch over affected area of the skin. This will relieve the skin from rashes and also, help the sweat ducts to get unclogged.
• Cotton clothes - It is also recommended to wear loose cotton clothes to keep your skin cool. You must also keep the cool surroundings around you to save your skin from heat and high temperature.
• Cleaning - It is of great importance to clean your skin on regular basis to avoid regular blockage of sweat pores and formation of heat rashes.

Swimmer’s ear is the common infection of ear, caused by exposure to water for along time. This disorder mainly appears on the scene, due to swimming and other water-related activities. Bacteria and fungus are main contributors towards this ear infection. It affects the outer canal of the ear, when waxy substance of this portion is washed away by extensive exposure to water. The moist and damp setting created in the ear feeds the growth of microbes inside ear, leading to wrinkle formation on the inner skin. This completes the picture for swimmer’s ear or otitis externa, the other name for this infection.

The symptoms for swimmer’s ear include pain, itching, discharge of milky content, hearing inability, experience of humming sound and swelling and heaviness in the ear. It is possible to treat swimmer’s ear by following some of the most apposite home remedies listed below:

• Apple Cider Vinegar - In case, you feel existence of water insider ear, it is advised to put few drops of apple cider vinegar inside the ear. You must add water or alcohol to this product before starting the treatment. This is the most admirable home remedy for swimmer’s ear.
• Sweet oil - Addition of sweet oil to the infected ear is another great home remedy for swimmer’s ear. After pouring this oil in the ear, it is advisable to cover the ear with cotton ball to restrict the flow of oil out of your ear. You can try this remedy, only if you are fortunate enough to find rarely existing sweet oil.
• Coarse Salt - In order to extract water out of the ear, it is recommended to prepare a sock of coarse salt and put it in the ear. This remedy is effective in reducing the pain and level of swelling. It is beneficial to keep the salt in microwave for few minutes, before applying it to the infected ear.
• Rubbing Alcohol - A mixture of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide is a trusted home remedy for swimmer’s ear. This mixture forms bubbles inside in the ear, letting the water inside ear to evaporate.
• Vinegar - Vinegar, specifically the white vinegar, must be poured in each ear alternatively in the form of few drops. You must keep it in one ear for 5-6 minutes and then, repeat the procedure for other ear. Keep in mind to remove the drops from ear, after accomplishing the procedure.

Apart from these remedies, you must follow the procedure to dry out the water present in ear. This could be achieved by using a hairdryer or exposure of ear to sun rays.

Also, it is of great importance to avoid the water from entering ears, while swimming or related activities. In order to do so, you can put oil in your ears before landing in a pool. You must swim in clean and clear water, free from contamination.

Painful at times, stuffy ear is very annoying thing that cause discomfort to its maximum. The major cause behind this stuffy ear is nothing but the impurities that start building up inside the ear due to lack of care. This helps the earwax to grow and swell. It is then that you find you ear to be stuffy.

There are a few home based remedies to this stuffy ear. If you ever encounter the problem, you can try these out. Probably, you may find them helpful. If they don’t, then the best way to get rid of it is to see a doctor and ask him to clean up the mess built inside your ear.

The remedies are listed below. A word of caution is important. Please don’t try those treatments if you are afraid of losing your hearing ability or even if you think that there is an infection inside your ear.

• Ear-candling: This is an ancient method and is used to bring out the earwax and other impurities present inside the ear. In this method, a waxed cloth is rounded up to forma cone or a cylinder. One end of that cone or cylinder is placed in the ear canal and the other end is lighted. The vacuum generated inside the hollow of the cylinder or the cone pulls out the earwax and other impurities present inside the ear. This gives a relief from the stuffy ear. Caution is to be taken while doing this so that not even small amount of wax enters the ear. Normally, the hollow candle is stuck outside by a paper plate or an aluminum pie tin.
• Another better option is to warm up some olive oil a little above the body temperature and pour a few drops in the ear. This will dissolve the wax that is built up inside the ear. You can then tilt your head so that the oil can flow out of the ear. Wash your ear using warm water (make sure that the water is just above the body temperature to avoid burning).
• You can also use a solution of a spoonful of baby oil or hydrogen peroxide and warm water to wash off your ear wax. Make sure that there are no infections inside your ear because hydrogen peroxide can increase the infection and the situation can be worse.

Ear is a very sensitive organ. A little bit of neglect can lead to deep trouble and the days to come can be full of agony. Please ensure that you take care of your ear properly to avoid discomfort and pain which can actually hamper your regular lifestyle and day to day activities.

Ear wax is a protective coating for the outer ear canal leading to the eardrum. Limited amounts of earwax are a necessity for healthy ear. Usually soft by nature the earwax is easily removable without causing trouble. But, in case the earwax builds up and becomes hard and dry, there can be several problems.

• You can have a blocked feeling in the ear.
• There can be hearing trouble.
• Discomfort in ear because of earache.
• You may also feel some kind of ringing inside your ear.
• Pain in ear can lead to fever.

There is however some preventive measures to avoid building up of earwax.

• Using ear plugs while working near dust can prevent building of earwax.
• Using 1-2 drops of mineral oil every week can keep the earwax soft and avoid drying.
• Point your chin towards your chest while applying soap or shampoo during bathing. This also prevents building up of earwax due to accumulation of soap or shampoo inside the ear canal.

Even after this if you find earwax builds inside the ear, there are some home based treatments that can be used to avoid the end results of excessive earwax. These are easy to use and readily available and can help you in getting out of the troubles. The most commonly used treatments at home are listed below.

• Warm paraffin oil or any other mineral oil (2-3 teaspoons) just above the body temperature and fill in the ear to be de waxed with a few drops of the warm oil using an eye dropper. Stay still for 5 minutes and then empty the oil in a sink. This method can soften the wax or even dissolve it completely. After pouring out the oil, wash your ear with some warm water. This will wash away the soft wax.
• Make a solution of a tablespoon of baby oil or hydrogen peroxide with warm water and drop a few drops of the solution in the ear. Then tilt the ear on a towel or a clean cloth. This will wash out the wax. This method is however not suitable for sensitive ear canal and infected or puncture ear drums because hydrogen peroxide can worsen the condition of an infected ear.

If these home treatments give you some favorable result then you can avoid some huge expenses in terms of doctor’s fee and expensive medicines. In case they don’t then, you have no other alternative to count on your doctor no matter what the fee is and the medical expense need to be borne because your ear is valuable and you are responsible to take care of them.

Blisters can be formed not only by a fire burn. Even our life giving sun has the ability to give blisters to you! Sun blisters are a result of prolonged exposure to sun. A question can quiet normally arise. Why does it happen and is it same for everyone? The simple answer to the question is, it is not same for everyone and that it happens because the intensity of the harmful sun rays exceeds the protective capacity of the melanin (a black pigment in our body that protects us from the harmful ultra violet rays of sun). People with dark complexion have higher concentration of melanin than the fair and this explains why fair people are more prone to sun burns and sun blisters.

There is a long list of home remedies that can be effectively used to cure sun blisters. The list of those treatments is given below with a hope that they will be able to help you in case of sun burns and sun blisters.

• Dehydration can have burning and itching effect on the sun blister. Avoid dehydration by consuming a lot of water.
• Applying cold compresses dipped in a solution of vinegar, ice and water can help in extracting out the heat and cure the sunburn and blister.
• Apply a mixture of mashed tomato and some crushed ice on the blister for instant relief.
• Apply a thin sandalwood paste on the blister. This help!
• A mixture made by mixing two teaspoon tomato juice and one teaspoon buttermilk can be applied on the blister. Leave it in the affected area for half an hour and wash off. It helps in quicker healing.
• Apply a mixture of two teaspoon vinegar and two teaspoon olive oil on the blister for half an hour and then wash it off. This is another helpful treatment.
• Rubbing of fresh cold cucumber slices on the blister helps in fast healing.
• A paste made of barley; yogurt and turmeric (all three in equal proportions) can be applied on the blister for its treatment.
• Lavender oil can also be used for treating the sun blisters. Apply some lavender oil on the burn area and spread it with the help of a soft clean tissue. This will help in quick healing of the blister.
• Put some vinegar on a cotton ball and rub it on the blister very gently. This is very effective and can heal the sun burn very quickly.
• Take a stalk of pulp of live Aloe Vera and apply it over the sun burn. The aloe vera contains aloectin B which is known to stimulate the immune system and thereby help in faster cure of the blister.

These home remedies can be used to help and cure the sun blister. In case it does not help you always have a second option open. You can visit a skin specialist!