Flea Bites Itching Natural Treatments:

Fleas are blood sucking insects that typically feed on the blood of animals, including human beings. They generally lay their eggs after feeding on the blood. When fleas insert their sting into the body of an animal or human being, their saliva is injected into the body of the host. This saliva contains an anticoagulant that serves to keep the blood from flowing and prevents coagulation. The anticoagulant in the saliva is an irritant that causes itching in the infected body part. Frequent scratching of the afflicted area may cause secondary infections.

There are three major species of fleas that often afflict humans as well. These are the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), the dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis), and the human flea (Ctenocephalides irritans).

Home Remedies for Flea Bites:

Flea bites can cause itching, redness, and soreness. It is important to treat the bite as soon as possible so as to avoid further infection and infestation. Some of the natural remedies to treat flea bites are as follows:

• Clean the area of the body where a flea has bitten you. You are advised to use cold water to wash the insect bitten area as hot water may stimulate further itching.
• Apply cold packs to avoid swelling. You can also use several natural cooling and soothing masks such as cucumber based masks. You could also place cucumber pieces on the affected area so as to relieve the swelling caused by flea bites. If swelling persists, apply a mild steroid cream.
• Do not scratch the affected area as it may expose the bite to other environmental agents.
• To reduce itching, make some alterations to your diet. Increase your intake of foods rich in Vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta carotene, such as beet root, citrus fruits, green chili, and broccoli.
• Apply calamine lotion to the affected area to reduce soreness and redness of skin.
• Use antiseptic lotions or ointments to prevent the bite from getting infected.
• If you get frequent flea bites, it is obvious that there is a flea cycle persisting in your surroundings. Find the flea habitat and break their regular cycle.
• Also protect your pets from flea bites. Use anti-flea and tick shampoos and check them regularly for infestations.

While these are some of the natural home remedies you can use to treat flea bites, if the itching and swelling persists, it is best to consult a doctor as soon as possible to avoid further complications.

Cure for Dark Armpits:

Arm pits are the area that generally becomes darker on account of frequent waxing or shaving. This area is prone to pigmentation due to the trauma caused to the skin due to frequent hair removal. Once the arm pits become pigmented, it is very difficult to get the natural skin tone of the affected area back, but it can certainly be lightened to a certain extent. You may use several home remedies to serve this purpose.
Some of the easy home remedies to treat dark armpits are as follows:

• You may sprinkle some sugar crystals on your dark arm pits and rub it with lemon juice, till the crystals of sugar melt. This will definitely help you lighten the darker skin tone of your arm pits.
• You may also apply a paste of lemon juice and turmeric powder so as to lighten dark armpits.
• You can use lemon juice as a scrub in order to remove the dead skin of the arm pits. Also, lemon juice serves as an excellent bleaching agent with absolutely no side effects. Hence, it helps you lighten the skin tone of your arm pits.
• You may also use raw potato juice as a bleaching agent so as to lighten underarm skin. Place a few the slices of potato on the arm pits for approximately ten minutes and then wash it so as to attain the desired result.
• You may also apply a paste of oatmeal, tomato juice, and curd. This paste may also help in removing the tanning in the arm pits on account of exposure to the sun’s rays, thereby imparting a lighter skin tone to the arm pits.
• You can also use a mixture of a teaspoon each of milk powder, honey, almond oil and lemon juice so as to whiten darkarm pits.
• You may also use a preparation of curd and powdered orange peels on your arm pits. Keep this paste on your arm pits for ten minutes and then wash them thoroughly.
• You may also apply yogurt in your armpits and rub it off on drying. The Vitamin B2 content of yogurt is effective in skincare.
You are advised to not use harmful chemicals or resort to cosmetic surgery. These methods have a grave impact on your state of health and the favorable impact on the skin tone of your arm pits may be transient.

Black Widow Spider Bite Natural Cures:

Spider bites can be extremely painful and the black widow is a very well known and feared spider. The venom produced by the black widow spider is a protein that is neurotoxic and damages the nervous system of the victim. The venom varies in its effect in different people. Usually when the bite first occurs there is an intense pain in the area. Twenty minutes later, the symptoms start to appear. Muscle cramps may occur, either in the area of the bite or all over the body. This is accompanied by a sensation of severe pain, tremors, stomach pain and weakness. In some cases, there may also be nausea and vomiting; pain in the chest; a dizzy feeling and breathing difficulties. Physical health and age of the victim determines the extent of the venom’s effects, and as such children and older persons suffer more damage. There may be an increase in heart rate and a rise in blood pressure which can further cause more complications. However, a bite from the black widow spider is rarely fatal.

Generally, black widow spider bites are treated with narcotics to bring relief from the pain. Antivenin is also administered to fight the damaging effects of the venom. Emergency medical care must be sought at the earliest. If the bite has resulted in severe pain and other symptoms have also started to appear, one must immediately seek help at the emergency ward of any hospital. Usually, once a victim has been admitted for a black widow spider bite, there may not be any extensive tests done. If the history of the spider is uncertain or if other serious conditions such as a heart attack may be suspected, then a thorough evaluation will be done. Muscle relaxants may also be administered in some cases.

The antivenin that is used to treat black widow spider bites is obtained from horse serum, by slowly increasing the number of injections of the particular venom given to the horse. As a result the horse starts producing the antivenin, which is then used for treatment. A single vial of antivenin can bring quick relief and serves to reduce the symptoms significantly. Home remedies for treatment of black widow spider bites are few. Hot and cold compresses are suggested remedies; as are baths with hot water. Over the counter medications for pain relieving are available and may be helpful in some minor cases. A paste of the content of charcoal capsules and water is believed by some people to be helpful in extracting the venom. A slice of potato may also be placed over the bite. Turmeric and olive oil applied to the bite may help to reduce the pain. Garlic and onion may also help to encourage recovery.

Fluid Retention in Legs – Causes and Natural Treatments:

Water retention is a condition characterized by excessive fluid accumulation in the body. Normally, the body regulates the fluid level naturally. When additional water is consumed, the body will take about two days to restore the fluid level back to its normal state. It does so by excreting excess water from the blood stream and passing it on to the kidneys, from where it is expelled through the urine. This condition occurs when the blood vessels are unable to dispel fluid into the blood stream. As a result, the blood accumulates in the tissues and joints in the surrounding areas. Water retention is caused due to a weakened circulatory system of the body.

Our body cells contain water and are also surrounded by water. The level of this water is controlled by hormones, the kidneys and sodium. When the sodium content is excessive, water is extracted from the cells in order to dilute it in the blood. This leads to a thirst for additional water. Certain steroid medications can also lead to water retention as they lead to excess sodium retention in the kidneys. Fluctuations in hormonal levels may also lead to retention of water. It usually occurs in women during the menstrual cycle. This is because estrogen levels are at a high during this time and this produces the hormone aldosterone. This leads the kidneys to hold on to water, which then accumulates in the areas of the stomach and breasts. Pregnancy also leads women to retain water in the legs. This occurs as the swell in the abdomen puts pressure on the veins which are unable to send fluid back to the heart, leading to water retention in the legs. When the heart is unable to pump strongly enough, it can also cause fluid retention in the tissues. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle can also cause water retention in the legs.

Remaining in a sitting position for a prolonged period of time may cause swelling in the legs and so it is best to stand or take a walk at regular intervals. Regular exercise also goes a long way in preventing fluid accumulation in the tissues. Excessive consumption of salt reduces the water level in the body, causing the body to require more and more water. Hence it is important to restrict your salt intake. Caffeine works as a diuretic and hence intake of coffee tends to restrict fluid accumulation. Soaking the feet in warm water helps to reduce the swelling. Ice compresses also serve this purpose. Including bananas and cabbage in your diet also helps to reduce fluid retention.