skin allergy

My mother (57) is suffering from a skin allergy which produces rashes and causes constant itching. She takes Avil 25, along with some homeopathic medicines. In 2003 she underwent a hysterectomy and appendectomy. She doesn’t have diabetes. Please advise.

You haven’t mentioned for how long she has been suffering from allergy and whether Avil helps her or not. Skin allergy is an external manifestation of the body’s response to allergens (certain proteins present in our blood). It is not related to any operation. Your mother requires an allergy test to find out the culprit allergen. You also need to check her eosinophil count and serum IgE level. Allergies can be controlled with medicines, but I would advise you to consult your dermatologist to rule out the other causes of itching.

Fibrosis

I am a girl of 23. I have developed small lumps all over my arms, back, breast and stomach. They are very small and don’t cause any pain. Their growth has increased over the past six months. A doctor said that they were due to fibrosis and there was nothing to worry about. Please advise.

Probably you have multiple neuro-fibromatosis or Von Reckling Housen’s disease which are non-cancerous tumours of the nerve fibres. Sometimes it can be hereditary. These are fibrous tissue malformations which do not turn malignant unless interfered with. However, it can also be associated with certain central nervous system problems such as seizure, eye lesion etc. Patients with extensive disease may have large brown patches all over the body with small lumpy tumours. The best way to diagnose your condition is to do an excision biopsy of one of the tumours. Get yourself checked by a surgeon at regular intervals.

leprosy

My elder brother has been diagnosed with leprosy and is undergoing treatment. He is newly married. Will he have a normal child'

Leprosy is caused by bacterial infection. It is not hereditary. If it has been detected early and treated properly by a qualified doctor, the patient can definitely father a normal child like anybody else. As he is undergoing treatment, it would be advisable for him to complete the course and then go ahead with family planning. As it is best to avoid planning a family when you are under medication. Either way, multitidrug treatment (as specified by the World Health Organisation) usually cures the disease perfectly (in rare cases there is drug resistance, when the patient’s condition fails to improve or the disease spreads rapidly). He should not be worried about having a normal child because leprosy bacteria affect male organ only when the disease is severe and longstanding. If he is too worried he can go for semen analysis, which should give him mental peace.

eczema

I (26) have been suffering from eczema for the past 12 years. I consulted several doctors but in vain. Currently I am using Sulpholine but that too has failed to yield any long-lasting result. Is there any medicine that can cure eczema internally'

Unfortunately, it can not be cured if it is endogenous eczema. This type of eczema occurs due to inherent tendency of the sufferer’s hypersensitivity to certain allergens. You should undergo a patch test (allergy test) at any renowned laboratory under the supervision of a dermatologist. If the test detects an allergen, to which your skin is sensitive, you must avoid contact with it. This combined with proper use of medication will certainly control recurrences effectively. However your skin can be kept clean if you follow your dermatologist’s advice. Generally speaking, patients who suffer from eczema have dry skin, so you need to avoid alkaline soap and detergents as they tend to make the skin more dry. Keep your skin moisturised. Please check your food habits in case any of them is aggravating your problem. If your job exposes you to chemicals then take care as it may worsen your eczema. However don’t loose heart, as the condition will get better.