Sunday, December 26, 2010

I just had my umbilicus pierced and now have a red rash and the site is quite tender. I am 22. What should I do?

From your brief history, it looks like you have an infection after piercing. It seems that the infection is moderately severe. 

The safest remedy is to get the ring out of the umbilicus and see a doctor. The longer the ring remains, the longer the infection will fester. You may also need antibiotics and hence a visit to a doctor is recommended. 

Just wiping with warm water or peroxide usually is not the way to treat an infection from a pierced ring. If you are not sure about the severity of your skin condition, go see a doctor as soon as possible. 

These infections can spread rapidly and be quite serious.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

I noticed my 4 year old son has small worms on his anus. He has numerous scratch marks on the anal skin and this is how I noticed the worms. How do I get rid of them?

The only way to get rid of these worms (pinworms) is take a medication known as mebendazole. This drug will kill both the mature worm and any newly hatched eggs. 

The treatment has to be repeated a week later to ensure no more worms are present. In the meantime, maintain excellent hygiene at home. Make sure everyone in the family washes the hands frequently. Bathe your son at least twice a day to get rids of the eggs near the anus.

These worms can easily be transmitted to other members of the family. Wash all linen separately and get the treatment as soon as possible. Pinworms by the way are not life threatening.