Food and nutrition.pdf

Nutrition Disorder Related to Food 143developing. Astringents, benzoyl peroxides, retinoic acids, and glycolicacids all work to prevent pores from clogging. Antibiotics, either takenorally or applied topically, can be used to control some types of acne. Inorder to decrease the inflammation associated with some cases of acne,topical corticosteroids are used to suppress immune cells in the acneriddenareas.Topical vitamin A acid preparations such as tretinoin, adapalene, andtazarotene normalize the shedding of skin at the follicular openings andserve to unplug pore openings. (Tretinoin is more commonly known bythe brand name Retin-A.) The medication reduces the formation of newcomedones, opens closed comedones, and prompts open comedones toexpel their contents. While this process of "opening up" takes place, acnemay temporarily appear to worsen. Existing lesions may need time to healbefore improvement is noticed. Because of their preventative effect,patients should continue to use vitamin A acids even in the absence ofactive blemishes. The side effects for vitamin A acids include a mildirritation of the skin that can make a sunburn seem more severe.Since the exact source of acne is not known, It is important toremember that there is no single medicine for acne treatment. Here aresome guidelines to follow:• Wash your skin twice a day with warm water and a gentle pHbalanced soap that does not contain sulfur, chemicals, orperfume.• Touch your face only when your hands are' clean, wash themfrequently and avoid touching your nasal area and then yourskin.• Steam your face a few times a week to open and cleanse yourpores. Boil some water in a pot on the stove, turn off the heat,cover your head and face with a towel and hang your face overthe pot. Take your face away from the heat whenever you needto, and when the steam is gone, rinse your face with cold water.• Check out your diet. Try eating a diet high in fibre (salads, bran,complex carbohydrates), and lots of water. This will keep yourdigestive system working so that your skin is not burdened bywastes your system can't handle. Keep your diet low in fat andsugar. Eating healthier foods insures that your skin gets thenutrients it needs. Food allergies may also contribute to acne.You might try eliminating dairy products, wheat, and/or foodpreservatives.For severe nodulocystic acne that does not respond to the abovetherapies, a doctor may prescribe a vitamin-A derivative taken orally, suchas isotretinoin which is known by the brand name Accutane. Isotretinoin