Adolescent Skin - Part 1

Changes in the skin. During your adolescent years your appearance becomes more important to you. Your skin, for example, begins to concern you more and more. Some people com plain  of oily skin and pimples. Others complain of dry skin. Still others are concerned about acne, dandruff, or the odor of perspiration. All these problems are common during adolescence. Fortunately, few of them develop into serious medical problems.

Your skin is not just an attractive covering to hide bones, muscles, and other internal parts. It is a complicated layer of glands, blood vessels, nerves, hair, and tissue. It helps the body maintain its temperature, protects the internal organs, eliminates some wastes from the body, and helps to prevent infections in the body.

Glands in the skin. The parts of the skin that cause most problems for teen-agers are the glands in the skin. There are two types of glands in the skin: the sweat glands, which secrete almost pure water, and the sebaceous glands, which secrete an oily substance called sebum.

The sweat glands always give off a tiny amount of salt dissolved in water. Usually the water evaporates quickly, leaving a thin coating of salt on the surface of the skin. In hot weather, when you perspire more freely, this coating can build up rapidly. This coating is not offensive because it has no odor. Daily washing and bathing removes it.

During adolescence a different type of sweat gland appears in the body. These glands secrete the normal salty-water solution, but they also secrete Products that can be broken down by bacteria that are normally on the skin. It is this bacterial action that produces the unpleasant odor that has become associated with perspiration. These special sweat glands are concentrated under the arms; consequently, it is from this area that the offensive odor comes.

You can avoid perspiration odors by bathing regularly and by using a deodorant that does not irritate your skin. But everyone needs to keep in mind that nothing is as effective as frequent bathing in eliminating skin bacteria and dissolved salts.

Skin problems. One of the problems many teen-agers face is oily skin. Some people’s skin becomes oily because the sebaceous glands in the hair follicles produce too much sebum during adolescence. This oily substance keeps the hair flexible, but in excess, can cause oily skin. The best way to remove the excess oil is to wash twice a day with soap and water. Pay particular attention to the nooks and crannies at the edges of the nose, eyes and ears. These places often collect more than their share of oil because the sebaceous glands are numerous on the nose and forehead.

Sometimes the glandular activity in a teen-ager’s skin causes another problem: blackheads and pimples. Contrary to popular opinion, these are not formed by dirty pores. They are formed when the tiny amount of dirt normally present on the skin combines with sebum, which clogs pores and sebaceous glands. Due to the concentration of bacteria in the sebum, there is a likelihood that the pores will become infected, swell up, and form pimples. When many pores become inflamed, the condition is known as acne.

First Aid for Shock and Burns

Shock. Most people suffer shock after an accident. Consequently, it is a good idea to treat all accident victims for shock.

Doctors know that one of the causes of shock is a partial collapse of the circulatory system. Therefore, the treatment for shock is to get the patient to a doctor or hospital where he may be given plasma or a blood transfusion. For this reason you should call an ambulance or a doctor immediately.

Quite often a person in shock has suffered a loss of blood, either through a wound or internal injuries. However, this is not always the case. A person in shock is usually pale and listless. His body processes are slow. Perspiration may appear on his face. He may vomit or feel nauseous.

If the shock is severe, the patient may be unconscious. In this case, give no fluids, but lay the patient down and elevate his feet slightly. Call a doctor at once.

Electric current injury. Do not confuse shock with electric shock (electrocution ). The two conditions are not similar and are treated differently. The treatment for electric shock is artificial respiration because a shock may stop breathing. Treatment for burns is also given, because electric current accidents often involve severe burns.

Burns. One of the most common and most painful injuries is a burn. Burns may be caused by heat, chemicals, sunlight, or electricity. They may be mild (first degree), severe (second degree), or very severe (third degree). In any of them, good first aid may relieve considerable pain and may save a life.

First aid for burns. The best first aid for any burn is simple and easy to remember. If possible, plunge the burned area in ice water immediately. If you cannot plunge the burned part into water, you can apply ice or very cold water to the burned area. Wet sterile cloths or ice packs are good for this. Keep the burn chilled until the victim can be taken to a doctor.

Placing ice water or cold water on the burn relieves pain very well. It also helps prevent further tissue damage within the burned area.

This treatment is very effective and may be used for all burns, whether slight first-degree burns or very severe third-degree burns.

If the skin of the burned area is not broken, you may cover the burn with a sterile pad and bandage it loosely.

Burns of the eye. In the case of a chemical burn to the eye, immediate first aid is necessary. Wash the eye with great quantities of water. It is extremely important to remove every trace of the chemical, especially if a strong alkali is the harmful substance. This first aid is so important that the first-aider should continue pouring water over the open eye even while the victim is being transported to a doctor or hospital.

First Aid for Poisoning - Part 2

Universal antidote. Another method of treating many poisonings is to give the universal antidote. This substance counteracts poisons by inducing vomiting and by slowing absorption of the poison by the system. The antidote can be made by combin­ing two parts burned toast, one part strong tea, and one part milk of magnesia. If prepared beforehand, it may be administered immediately with the water or milk. Most drugstores now carry it, and it is a valuable addition to any first-aid kit.

Strong acids and alkalis. The most common victims of poisoning are children too young to read. Sometimes they swallow cleaning preparations such as toilet bowl cleaner (a strong acid), or lye or ammonia (strong alkalis).

In the case of a strong acid, give plenty of milk or egg whites to dilute the acid and protect the lining of the stomach. Do not induce vomit­ing. Call a doctor or an ambulance immediately.

In the case of strong alkalis, give plenty of water and some vinegar, with egg whites or milk. Do not try to induce vomiting. As in all poisonings, call a doctor or an ambulance as soon as possible.

Try This
Dissolve a teaspoonful of ammonia in a half cup of water. Test the solution with both red and blue litmus paper. Which paper changes color? If the solution is an acid, the blue litmus paper will turn pink. If the solution is an alkali, the red litmus paper will turn blue. Make the same test on some household chemicals such as toilet cleaning powders, chlorine bleach, and aspirin dissolved in water.

Gasoline and petroleum products. These substances are dangerous because they can cause pneumonia or death if their fumes are inhaled. If you suspect a person has been poisoned from swallowing kerosene, gasoline, oil, or some other petroleum product, lay him down and keep him warm. Do not try to induce vomiting since damage to the lungs may result from the victim’s inhaling the fumes of the poison. Call a doctor or an ambu­lance right away. Make it clear that the poison is a petroleum product.

Poisoning by gas. Asphyxiation may occur if a person has been exposed to high concentrations of certain gases such as carbon monoxide. Leaky heaters and stoves and gasoline engines are the major culprits in this kind of poisoning. Once a victim has been safely rescued from the contaminated area, give him artificial respiration and call a doctor and the fire department rescue unit. Give artificial respiration even if the person is breathing a little by himself. Keep the person lying down and quiet until he is under medical care.