Ghee or butter oil (endearingly called as Desi ghee) refers to clarified butter made from cow’s or buffalo’s milk in the East. It is highly popular as part of Indian staple diet and for its great health benefits. Before coming to the USA I had hardly tasted ghee bought from outside. My mother make pure ghee at home which is either by some with rice as it is, used to make doses or a wide variety of Indian sweets and desserts. Ghee is also used with certain Ayurvedic medicines at the recommendation of the Doctor. Ashtanga Sangrah, an Ayurvedic treatise by Vagbhatta, acknowledges the potency of ghee and its thousands of uses.

The butter is churned from curd and is melted over a low fire. It turns into a thick yellowish fluid which is cooled and then strained. Ghee is a part of a Brahmin’s daily life. It also plays a major role in Hindu religious ceremonies and sacrifices.

The Indian Cuisine cannot light up without ghee. The buttery flavor and non-burning quality endears ghee to Indian dishes. Ghee is healthy for sauteing and frying as it doe snot burn  and hence is not carcinogenic. Ghee is great for people with lactose intolerance as it does not contain lactose or milk solids. It is highly nourishing without any hydrogenated oils and is beneficial if used in moderation. It is maintained by some that ghee does not increase cholesterol as the casein protein is removed while separation. It also contains Vitamin E and A. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid present in ghee which promotes growth and development of body’s tissues and organs. Gee is easily digestible as it contains 8% percent lower saturated fatty acids than oil improving absorption and assimilation.

Old ghee (Purana ghrita in Sanskrit) stored for around 6 months is highly known for its curative powers. It is good to enhance memory, to nourish the tissues, the brain and the nervous system. It is used for the treatment of tension, disorders of head, ear, eye and uterus. Old ghee can also help with wounds related to diabetes and ulcers. Ghee is an emollient and stoma chic according to certain healing arts. It is also a cure for many eye-diseases, dyspepsia, to improve voice and personal appearance and other ailments. Old ghee is believed to have healing powers on external application. Ayurveda recommends mediated ghee for many diseases. The varieties of mediated ghee include gudchi ghrita, Triplala Ghrita, Vasa Ghrita for fever, and Panchakola Ghrita, Nagara Ghrita, Chitraka Ghrita (processed ghee) for abdominal disorders, piles and other ailments.  Mahatiktak Ghrita is ghee with the medicinal powers of many herbs and is used for skin diseases and acidic problems. Old ghee is also good for tridoshas. Ashwagandha Shatavari ghee is advised for fall season while Dashamoola ghee is for winter and Mahasudarshan ghee for summer. Ghee intake is not recommended for people with high cholesterol, diabetes or toxic condition.

Shata Dhout Ghrita (100 times washed ghee) is a chemical free and natural ingredient for a skin cream for glowing skin. The ghee after a washing of 100 times is transformed into a cool soft cream. It can can be used as a medicine for skin conditions like eczema or even for aging, wrinkling, dry skin and so on.

Baggy Eye care

The eyes are the most sensitive part of the body. Even the slightest scar or scratch can harm the eye permanently. That’s why not many fiddle with the eye. However as age advances and sometimes much before that, the eye may demonstrate symptoms of puffiness and swelling which are not fatal but depict ill health of the eye. In addition it reduces the sharpness of features in a person and hence affects the beauty. However still this is not a major cause to call for medication as medications may cause many other side effects. On the other hand natural care could be the best choice to alleviate the symptoms.

Lets start with the reasons or causes of development of baggy eyes as the management would arise out of the same.

Thyroid problems

People suffering from a thyroid problem (also referred to as a goiter) normally have very baggy eyes - if you have any qualms about your thyroid, or if you have any symptoms of an over - or under active thyroid please consult your doctor immediately.

Aging and nutrition

As we age the fragile skin around our eyes start to lose its elasticity, and here we can look at nutrition to assist us in our fight against aging, as poor nutrition contributes to aging as well.

In the absence of vitamin C, collagen cant be synthesized by the skin. To assist in collagen formation and re-vitalizing your fragile skin around the eyes - please consider taking an extra vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplement.

Tiredness

Plain tiredness will also add to the problem of bags under your eyes, and especially to those ugly dark circles under the eyes.

Have a look at the amount of hours you sleep and also check on the amount of hours you work in front of a computer terminal or watch television – both these actions place a tremendous strain on your eyes.

Eye drops will relieve the blood shot look of your eyeball, but will do little to soothe the tired eyes as such.

To relieve strain, look at having a regular soothing treatment, which can easily, and inexpensively, be done at home.

Some people believe in placing sliced figs or slices of cucumber on their eyes – and although it does work, it may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.

If you are looking at an alternative treatment to freshen your eyes, try the following:

1. Take two pieces of cotton wool, large enough to cover your eyes, and soak them in rose water (an inexpensive product that you can buy at the pharmacy / chemist / drug store) and place it over your closed eyelids while lying down.

If doing it during the day close your drapes / curtains and if doing it at night switch off your lights. You will find that doing it in the dark really gives your eyes and stressed out body a relaxing break. Switch off your television during this period of rest, and rather listen to your favorite soothing music. Relax for at least 20 – 30 minutes.

2. Sit, relax and while breathing normally but deeply, look at a spot between your eyes, above the bridge of your nose. Keep looking at this spot for a count of five, and then relax the eyes. Next look at the tip of your nose, also to the count of five and relax.

Fluid retention

Fluid retention can be a major cause of swollen eyes, and here you will have to look at your general health and any other underlying medical condition. Diuretic pills (to remove excess water from your body) can be helpful, but many people do have side effects from them.

Salt or sodium

If you are ingesting a lot of salt, either directly or indirectly, it could add to your problem with water retention. Try and cut down on eating raw salt, and check food labels as well, as processed food can contain large amounts of salt – check for sodium on the label

The way you sleep

If you find that your eyes are more swollen in the morning, have a look at increasing the height of your pillows, by adding another pillow when going to bed. The raising of your head could assist with draining excess fluids as well.

Perhaps the greatest punishment for man would be to make him bed ridden. Dependency more than the sickness makes the patient mentally weak. This deteriorates his condition more than the illness itself. Imagine your plight if you would have to wait for someone’s help to change your position, getup, drink water and even using the bathroom. Many diseases today cause this kind of a dependency. What worsens the condition of these patients is that they are prone to a more brutal situation…they are susceptible to form bed sores! These are ugly looking sores which are infectious holes which run deep till the bones and other visceral organs surrounded by redness and soreness.

Why are bed sores formed?

Many people shift in their chair during meetings, fiddle with the radio when driving, turn a dozen times in their sleep. Every day, without thinking, they make hundreds of subtle postural adjustments that help stave off problems arising from inactivity. But for people immobilized by paralysis, injury or illness, those problems — including bedsores — are a constant threat.

Bedsores, more accurately called pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are areas of damaged skin and tissue that develop when sustained pressure — usually from a bed or wheelchair — cuts off circulation to vulnerable parts of your body, especially the skin on your buttocks, hips and heels. Without adequate blood flow, the affected tissue dies.

Although people living with paralysis are especially at risk, anyone who is bedridden, uses a wheelchair or is unable to change positions without help can develop bedsores. They’re especially common in areas that aren’t well padded with muscle or fat and that lie just over a bone, such as your spine, tailbone (coccyx), shoulder blades, hips, heels and elbows. Because your skin and the underlying tissues are trapped between bone and a surface such as a wheelchair or bed, blood flow is restricted. This deprives tissue of oxygen and other nutrients, and irreversible damage and tissue death can occur.

Other causes of pressure sores include:

§ Friction. Frequent shifts in position are the key to preventing pressure sores. Yet the friction that occurs when you simply turn from side to side can damage your skin, making it more susceptible to pressure sores.

§ Shear. This occurs when your skin moves in one direction, and the underlying bone moves in another. Sliding down in a bed or chair or raising the head of your bed more than 30 degrees is especially likely to cause shearing, which stretches and tears cell walls and tiny blood vessels. Especially affected are areas such as your tailbone where skin is already thin and fragile.

The patient may not even realize the development

Many a times the paralyzed patient has a poor nervous system and is unable to sense of discomfort or pain which signal the development of bed sores. This may make the identification of initial stages of the bed sore difficult. However if the care taker is aware enough the initial stages may be caught. For this purpose, the following stages in the development of bed sores are discussed:

§ Stage I. Initially, a pressure sore appears as a persistent area of red skin that may itch or hurt and feel warm and spongy or firm to the touch. Stage I wounds are superficial and go away shortly after the pressure is relieved.

§ Stage II. At this point, some skin loss has already occurred — either in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in the dermis, the skin’s deeper layer, or in both. The wound is now an open sore that looks like a blister or an abrasion, and the surrounding tissues may show red or purple discoloration. If treated promptly, stage II sores usually heal fairly quickly.

§ Stage III. By the time a pressure ulcer reaches this stage, the damage has extended to the tissue below the skin, creating a deep, crater-like wound.

§ Stage IV. In the most serious and advanced stage, a large-scale loss of skin occurs, along with damage to muscle, bone, and even supporting structures such as tendons and joints. Stage IV wounds are extremely difficult to heal and can lead to lethal infections.

Treatment for bed sores:

Specific treatment of a bed sore is determined by your physician and based on the severity of the condition. Treatment may be more difficult once the skin is broken, and may include the following:

• removing pressure on the affected area

• protecting the wound with medicated gauze or other special dressings

• keeping the wound clean

• transplanting healthy skin to the wound area

• medication (i.e., antibiotics to treat infections)

Tags: medicine, diabetes, alternative, herbal, remedies

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