I've been thinking about this for a while and hope others will contribute their personal experiences - laughing not allowed (but expected, anyway).
This may be old hat to those (Ozis) that grew up in the tropics but as a northern hemisphere baby I've noticed some interesting conditions and diseases that I attribute to the tropics and I would be very interested in a frank and unembarrassed exchange of experiences and, better still, cures you may have found.
There is really only one caveat: some of the things I/we have seen may equally be cause by advancing age and senility although I won't be 60 till my next birthday therefore "advancing" may not be correct either.
1) Good friend has had 2 attacks of what she calls "shingles" since she's been here for almost 2 years - this is a viral herpes disease of the nerve fibers that is supposedly incurable but she had it last over 25 years ago so 2 attacks in such a short time must be brought on by something else possibly tropical? It does fade after a while but is very painful and can be unsightly as long as it lasts.
2) Not such a good friend has had on his (largely bald) head an annoying skin condition that causes scaling and skin to flake off, accompanied by painful small lesions in the skin on his forehead and scalp. Doctor (European) told him it was sun damage and to take a cream called Solarize or aze or some such. This made the conditon worse. He tried many things but it only got worse - doctor had told him to avoid washing it with soap as that dried skin out more. Largely cured he says, and it does look better, by using as much soap and water as he could as it is apparently some kind of fungal or bacterial infection. Could be mites as my cat has that and it causes hair loss and sores on the pussy - told him to leave off my cat and he might get better, dirty bastard!
3) Various itchy sores and infections in those folds of skin the better fed of us have instead of a life ring. Can get quite serious and spread over a large area if ignored as we do until it gets down as far as the family jewels. Scratching those can be entertaining, I will admit, but not 8 or 9 hours a day and they do not hold up to such punishment well.
Unfortunately Tattered Sack Syndrome (TSS - you saw it here first!) will not win any Nobel prizes me thinks.
Local doctors give the usual anti-bacterial creams and pills (as fecking usual - idiots give those for anything and everything) but fact is it seems to react best to anti-fungals and regular washing (can also be fun...).
That's all I can think of for now but I'm sure more will occur.
This may be old hat to those (Ozis) that grew up in the tropics but as a northern hemisphere baby I've noticed some interesting conditions and diseases that I attribute to the tropics and I would be very interested in a frank and unembarrassed exchange of experiences and, better still, cures you may have found.
There is really only one caveat: some of the things I/we have seen may equally be cause by advancing age and senility although I won't be 60 till my next birthday therefore "advancing" may not be correct either.
1) Good friend has had 2 attacks of what she calls "shingles" since she's been here for almost 2 years - this is a viral herpes disease of the nerve fibers that is supposedly incurable but she had it last over 25 years ago so 2 attacks in such a short time must be brought on by something else possibly tropical? It does fade after a while but is very painful and can be unsightly as long as it lasts.
2) Not such a good friend has had on his (largely bald) head an annoying skin condition that causes scaling and skin to flake off, accompanied by painful small lesions in the skin on his forehead and scalp. Doctor (European) told him it was sun damage and to take a cream called Solarize or aze or some such. This made the conditon worse. He tried many things but it only got worse - doctor had told him to avoid washing it with soap as that dried skin out more. Largely cured he says, and it does look better, by using as much soap and water as he could as it is apparently some kind of fungal or bacterial infection. Could be mites as my cat has that and it causes hair loss and sores on the pussy - told him to leave off my cat and he might get better, dirty bastard!
3) Various itchy sores and infections in those folds of skin the better fed of us have instead of a life ring. Can get quite serious and spread over a large area if ignored as we do until it gets down as far as the family jewels. Scratching those can be entertaining, I will admit, but not 8 or 9 hours a day and they do not hold up to such punishment well.
Unfortunately Tattered Sack Syndrome (TSS - you saw it here first!) will not win any Nobel prizes me thinks.
Local doctors give the usual anti-bacterial creams and pills (as fecking usual - idiots give those for anything and everything) but fact is it seems to react best to anti-fungals and regular washing (can also be fun...).
That's all I can think of for now but I'm sure more will occur.