Categories
Health

Food Allergy – a complete analysis

If you feel discomfort in your stomach, tired or not well after a mean; if you have stomach cramps or bowel movements problems; if you have food dislikes; if you have a collection of symptoms that cannot be explained or feel annoyed or depressed then you may be suffering from food allergy. This is considered as a factor in various health problems, especially in children.

When food harms

When we eat food that is over-processed and added with too many preservatives, our stomach will get toxins. This is a major source of many health issues. And sometimes, even if we eat well-cooked hygienic food, our stomach may not feel good. This is because of the stress we face in our daily life. Some sad hormones will affect the process of digestion and intoxicate the bowel system.

Food allergies not only harm our internal organs but also create several mental problems. Continuous allergenic to foods will make the body weaker. It will not have enough nutrients essential to do day-to-day activities. We may find ourselves limiting our diet when we suffer from certain foods that caused such health issues. Gradually, by eliminating the foods you need, the person will lose the outstanding benefits of nutrients present.

What is meant by allergenic food?

In simple terms, allergenic or reactive food is the one that causes allergic reactions like wheezing, stuffy nose, stomach cramps, etc. Some of the foods that cause allergenic reactions in children include milk, soy nuts, eggs, corn, etc.

For some people, citrus foods, seafood, chocolate, oats, etc. can be allergenic or highly reactive.

The level of sensitivity to one or more components of the food determines the allergenic level. Some vitamins and minerals present in the food may not work well with the enzymes and hormones in the bowel system.

Symptoms of food allergy

The following are the symptoms of food allergy:

  • Frequent sniffing
  • Throat clearing
  • Moodiness
  • Hyperactivity
  • Irritability
  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Headaches
  • Stomach aches
  • Muscle pain
  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Bowel problems
  • Frequent respiratory or digestive problems

Treatment

Treatment for food allergies includes desensitization which is a program that helps in improving the immune system. In this method, our body gets the capacity to react to allergens naturally. Another treatment is avoiding the food that causes allergenic reactions in one’s body. The third method commonly found is detoxification, in which body toxins that contribute to allergies are removed.

Categories
Health

Alzheimer symptoms – a complete overview

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of neurological disorder. This mostly affects individuals above 65 years of age. The main cause of this disease is the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. The person who suffers from this loses the capacity of carrying out simple routine tasks, thinking skills, etc. The sufferers will have feelings of loneliness, depression, fear, anger, and anxiety. Although there are several treatments available for this disorder, there are fewer chances to get complete recovery. The patient needs to be given proper mental stimulation, diet, and exercise throughout the lifetime. Alzheimer symptoms can be reduced to a small degree by some medical treatments as well.

Who suffers the most?

The primary factor to be considered is age. An individual has a high risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s like age increases. According to various studies and reports, people who are above the age of 65 are more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s. Some people may also suffer in their early forties and the children of this group have 50% risk of developing this disorder. Other than aging, some of the risk factors include diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

Symptoms

The symptoms at the beginning are slow and gradual. With the advancements, the problems associated arise and the patient develops difficulty in thinking and intellectual impairments. Behavioral changes also take place. They slowly develop the inability to carry out the daily routine works and office works. This condition will become even worse before the death of the patient.

Warning signs

Some of the warning signs that can help to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease include:

  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty in performing day-to-day activities
  • Decreased judgment ability
  • Misplacing things
  • Mood fluctuation
  • Problems with language
  • Inability to recall the current events
  • Forgetting time and place
  • Incapability to make decisions

Diagnoses

People who have symptoms of dementia are more like to get diagnosed with this disorder. Some other diseases like brain tumors, blood clots, strokes, etc. can also lead to this neurological disorder. Some of the medications that are used for treating bladder urgency, steroids, excessive alcohol intake, thyroid dysfunction, etc. can be responsible for dementia. There is no specific blood test or imaging technique is available to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. A number of disorders are often confused with this type of disease. However, there are three procedures followed to diagnose which include psychiatric evaluation, neurological examination, and medical workup. The research on perfect diagnosis is still going on.

Treatment

There are two types of treatments are in use that include medication and non-medication treatments.

  • Non-medication treatment – Social activities like walking, dancing, singing, etc. are helpful in treating the patient who suffers from psychiatric symptoms like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, irritation, etc. Rehabilitation and caregiving are generally preferred for the treatment.
  • Medication treatment – Drugs that are specifically made to slow down the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown that this only slows down for 6-12 months.
Categories
Health

Cataract – causes, symptoms, and treatment

The eye is the most vital organ in our body. It works like a camera. The lens collects the light in the outer world and transmits the visual detail to the brain. Understanding the structure and function of the eye is difficult. Taking care of eyes is important to maintain overall health. People who suffer from eye problems usually have a risk of affecting from injury, depression, etc. There are various ways to keep our eyes healthy which include eating leafy green vegetables, adding more Vitamin A and C rich foods in your diet, eye exercises, wearing sunglasses, using blue light spectacles when working on the computer, etc. Despite practicing these, there are a few common disorders that affect many people around the world. These common disorders include refractive errors, cataracts, glaucoma, amblyopia, strabismus, diabetic retinopathy, and so on. This article discusses one of the most common eye problems called a cataract.

What is a cataract?

A cataract is a cloudy lens. This begins with small clumps that prevent the lens from sending clear images to the retina. It develops very slowly and interferes with the whole vision if untreated. Cataracts can affect anyone and especially older people.

Causes

  • Too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation is one of the most common causes of cataracts. This blurs the vision which slowly forms clumps in the lens.
  • Our body’s immune system varies due to the medication we intake, this overproduces oxidants in the lens when then eventually produce the cloudy lens.
  • People who have diabetes are more likely to get cataract disorder.
  • Trauma
  • Vitamin deficiencies
  • Eye illnesses
  • Glaucoma
  • Aging
  • Infection in the eyes
  • Eye inflammation
  • By birth or congenital
  • Family history of cataract
  • Smoking

Types of cataracts

  • Cortical – this type of cataract is usually formed around the edges of the nucleus.
  • Nuclear – It mainly affects the center of the lens which becomes brown or yellow.
  • Congenital – This type is found right from birth or from the baby’s first year.
  • Radiation – this occurs in rare cases after undergoing radiation treatment for cancer.
  • Traumatic – caused by an injury to the eye.
  • Secondary – Due to steroid intake and other medications to cure certain diseases.

Treatment of cataract

Unfortunately, there is no medication to remove a cataract, the only option to avail is cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is a microsurgical technique in which a trained surgeon operates under a microscope and there is no chance to develop a cataract again after surgery. Normally surgery is recommended when it is difficult to perform daily activities, driving, or reading. There are two types of surgical methods, one is phacoemulsification and the other is extracapsular surgery.

  • Phacoemulsification involves using ultrasound waves to break the lens and remove the pieces.
  • The extracapsular method involves removing the cloudy part of the lens into fine pieces which then are carefully suctioned out. An intraocular lens is usually inserted into the eye after this procedure.

Is it necessary to implant an intraocular lens?

IOL is implanted in almost all cases. If an IOL is not inserted, then the patient has to use +10D spectacle to have a clear vision. This spectacle contains a heavily weighted lens which disturbs from carrying out regular activities. Thus, implanting IOL is usually recommended by most surgeons.

Categories
Health

Knee pain – causes, symptoms, and treatment

The knee is a vital joint throughout the body. It takes the maximum load when you walk, run, climb, or jump. The problem arises when you can’t bear weight on your knee or got a swelling, redness, pain, etc. Some of the causes of these knee pains are repeated force given to the knee or injury or due to aging. Sometimes the food we intake is also a reason for pain in the knee. A few of the worst foods include processed foods, prepackaged baked foods, omega-6 fatty acids, sugar, cheese, and high-fat dairy products, alcohol, etc. Simple sprains or strains get cured in a week or two but some injuries and arthritis last for months.

Causes of knee pain

Arthritis, an underlying health condition in one’s body can be the reason for knee pain in case if not suffered by any sudden injury. There are nearly 100 different types of arthritis exist. The most common types are as follows:

  • Osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis. This arises when the cartilage is affected due to excessive stress on the knee.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – this is called the autoimmune condition where WBC fights against its own cells causing swelling, redness, pain, immovable condition, etc. This disease is severe if not treated on time. One sad thing is this may come again even if treated.
  • Gout – This disease arises when uric acid crystals are formed in the knee joint. It mostly affects the big toe, making it difficult in walking.
  • Pseudogout – This arthritis occurs when calcium-containing crystals are formed in the knee joint fluid. This makes the person difficult to move.
  • Septic arthritis – as the name implies, if the knee joint is infected by the pathogens then this type of arthritis occurs. The most common symptoms include swelling, redness, and pain and are sometimes accompanied by a fever. Chances are high for extensive damage to the knee cartilage, therefore it is better to consult your doctor right away.

Do not do these

When you have severe knee pain, there are various factors that may make the situation even worse. Therefore, it is better to avoid the following:

  • Excess weight – do not carry heavy weighted goods that give stress on your knee joints. This damages the cartilage and worse the condition.
  • Do not play – avoid sporting which puts on stress on your knee joints. Sports like basketball, running, sky diving, etc. will make the pain severe and there is a high risk of getting an injury.

Treatment for knee pain

  • Minor knee pain can be treated using home remedies like ice, taking rest, etc. Our body usually revitalizes when we take enough rest. Avoiding physical activities help the body to recover quickly. Applying ice for about 15 to 20 minutes on the affected region reduces the inflammation and pain.
  • Compression bands are another solution to recover from minor knee pain. This helps prevent the buildup of fluids that causes infections and swelling.
  • Physiotherapy treatment is the most common method used for treating knee pain. This reduces the tension formed in the knee. It makes the person feel relieved.
  • Medication obviously is the most effective method for treating knee pain. Ointments and pain killers are usually prescribed for treating minor as well as the arthritis type of pains.
  • In rare cases, when fluid is extensively damaged or severe damage in the tissue, surgery is usually done. This treatment method is usually handled by the specialist depending on the cause of the pain.
Categories
Health

Silent Heart Attack Signs

A study says that the death rate of silent heart attacks is the same as those of non-silent heart attacks. In the case of Silent heart attack (SHA), the symptoms are hard to detect. It can only be detected through a careful study of medical history, testing blood for cardiac enzymes and ECG. Other methods include testing for certain hormones in the blood or a stress test. As there are no heart attack signs, it is difficult to treat the patient on time. People who are susceptible to such attacks are those who suffer from diabetes, strokes, and over the age of 65. Those who are under medication may also experience an SHA.

Treating a silent heart attack

The most important treatment for a silent heart attack is to restore the blood flow to the heart. Although these attacks lack the usual symptoms of a non-silent type, ordinary signs include discomfort in the chest, jaw, arms, or extreme tiredness, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc.

Women are at risk

Women with the highest calcium content in their body are especially at risk when comparing to Men. Women who are after menopause are also more likely to suffer from this type of heart attack signs. Obesity is the major reason for cardiovascular problems in women. Other problems include,

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Diabetes
  • Family history of stroke and heart attack

New studies found that not only the women at age 65 are suffering from cardiovascular problems but also the younger women are developing heart diseases earlier. This is because of the calcium buildup in arteries. Therefore, it is a must to keep the calcium level in control. Consuming less cholesterol can reduce the risk factors of increasing calcium levels in the blood.

Like said earlier, restoring blood flow is the most common treatment for SHA. This will dissolve the clots in the artery. This blood clot is usually called a thrombus. Other methods include pushing the artery opened using a balloon which is commonly called angioplasty. As there are no signs of such blocks in the artery, the person will remain unaware of the risk and continue to have an unhealthy or normal lifestyle. This makes the situation riskier by developing more and more blocks in the artery. There are a few indicators to prevent this.

  • Mild chest pain
  • Shortness of breath

It is good to seek a medical checkup when any of these two or both occur.

Healthy exercises for a healthy heart

Cardiac health can be maintained only if we follow a habitual lifestyle that includes an intelligent exercise plan. Let’s find out useful and easy cardiovascular exercises for a healthy heart.

  • Swimming – one of the most entertaining ways for a healthy heart is swimming. It helps in reducing stress and burn calories effectively.
  • Walking – Walking is undoubtedly the best form of exercise to keep heart diseases away. Begin with a leisurely walk and carry out for about 30 minutes. Although this is not as effective as swimming in burning calories, it can be very entertaining and keep you relaxed for the whole day.
  • Jogging – Jogging for about 30 minutes is good at reducing stress and burning fat content in the body.
  • Biking – Riding a bike to a nearby grocery store or making an outdoor plan is entertaining and healthy for your heart.
  • There are other forms of exercises like aerobic, climbing, team sports like basketball, etc. These help burn out fats very quickly. Sports help pump more blood to the heart and strengthen the cardiac muscles.
Categories
Health

Oral Health – Tips to maintain!

Oral care is important not only to your mouth but also to your overall health. People realize this only when they suffer from cavities, bad breath, etc. Good oral care protects your mouth from infections, oral cancer, tooth decay, and other diseases that affect the person’s overall health. Oral health can be maintained if we follow these simple tips.

Let us find out important tips to improve oral health.

Keep your mouth clean

Most dental experts normally suggest brushing thoroughly twice a day. Regular brushing can eliminate severe dental problems like gum-related diseases, tooth sensitivity, tooth cavity, tooth decay, etc. Brushing cleanses the bacteria and other harmful germs in the mouth.

Maintaining a healthy diet

 A healthy diet, in no doubt, contributes well to the overall health. Improper food habits like sugar and acidic foods can cause severe dental problems. Eating snacks often can also damage your teeth.

It is a best practice to chew sugarless gum after every meal, in case if you can’t brush. This facilitates simulation of saliva that cleanses small pieces of food on your teeth.

Avoid using tobacco and alcohol consumption, as they increase the risk of oral cancers, periodontal diseases, and even tooth loss. Instead, it is best to make a habit of drinking lots of water the whole day.

Regular dental check-up

A regular dental checkup thoroughly examined by a professional can help ensures that the state of the teeth’ health is normal. By doing checkups regularly, it is easy to find out any dangerous oral health issues like cancer at the beginning and treated right away.

Natural home remedies for oral health

Here are some home remedies for maintaining dental health:

  1. Sesame oil – Sesame oil is good at detoxifying the body. It cleanses even the small food particles in your mouth. Rinse twice daily with a mouth full of oil for better results.
  2. Bananas – for healthy sparkling white teeth, rub the white part with a banana peel and leave it for a couple of minutes before rinsing out.
  3. Babul – Babul twigs are useful in stopping gum bleeding and help to strengthen.
  4. Tulsi – Powdered tulsi mixed with orange peel powder or mustard oil helps to prevent bleeding of gums.
  5. Vinegar – Gargling with vinegar is effective in removing the stain from the teeth. It is also useful in killing harmful bacteria in your mouth.
  6. Vitamin C-rich foods – Fruits like oranges, strawberries, etc. help in cleaning the mouth. This vitamin also helps in eliminating bad breath.
  7. Apples – Stimulation of saliva when eating apples help to cleanse the mouth and kill bacteria causing bad breath.
  8. Mint – Mint is the best to freshen the breath and makes you feel cool.
  9. Cloves – These play a vital role in treating toothache and beat bad breath.
  10. Fennel seeds – These are often used as a mouth freshener and for making digestion easier.
  11. Garlic – Crushed garlic, when applied to the affected area, helps to relieve pain from the tooth.
  1. Cinnamon – Cinnamon is known for its antibacterial properties. It helps in strengthening gums and teeth.

Categories
Health

Panic Attack – Symptoms and Treatment

Anxiety is the most basic emotion of all. Sometimes, this unpleasant situation becomes dangerous. More and more people who suffer from such panic disorders look for solutions to stop panic attack without being under serious medication. High anxiety will harm your body and lead to many various life-threatening diseases. To cure this, it is a must to know what causes Anxiety.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a state of having worried thoughts, tension, and fear & increased blood pressure. The anxious person keeps on looking for possible danger and looks nervous or restless. Extreme anxiety leads to blurred vision, fearing of breathlessness, and tingling. When a person who does not understand why these happen to him tend to suffer from a serious mental illness.

The root cause of the Panic attack

A big event or even a smaller situation may trigger high anxiety, for example, work stress, a death in the family, or worrying about the poor financial status, etc. People with weaker personalities are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders or panic attacks.

When confronted with danger, our brain automatically sends signals to the nervous system. It is where our body gears to act based on the situation. It either calms or creates a state of equilibrium. To carry out these functions, there are two sub-sections in the nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to act whereas the parasympathetic nervous system prepares the body to maintain a calm state.

Many people who faced panic attack symptoms often have the fear of getting the next attack. Although it is unpredictable, the person worries too much even in the social situation.

Symptoms of a Panic attack

Shortness of breath or tightness in the chest- similar to the symptoms of a heart attack which often confuses the sufferer to call emergency care.

  • Fear, rapid breathing, or anxiousness.
  • Increased adrenalin flow which pumps the heartbeat rate extremely high.
  • Dizziness, feeling of nausea.
  • A feeling of an inability to swallow, tightness of a muscle in the throat.
  • A sufferer gets the fear of death.
  • A highly confused state where the brain doesn’t work properly or understands what is happening in the body.

Treatment

Hypnotherapy is an effective solution for such disorder. A hypnotherapist takes several approaches like focused breathing techniques, visualization, and mental relaxation techniques to become calmer and in control. The key reason for this is that almost all negative emotions are buried in the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind controls the breathing and other involuntary physical functions. This is why hypnosis is considered to be an effective therapy to eliminate panic attacks.

The main objective of this treatment is to keep the sufferer to be in control and to stop the feeling of fear and worrying thoughts.

Thus, with a positive mindset and proper hypnosis, one can overcome the dangerous emotions.

Categories
Health

Natural Immune Boosters for a healthy body!

Supporting your Immune System at home these days is more important than anything. Whenever people get sick, the first thing that comes to mind is that they have a weak immune system. If the immune system is weak, then we are more susceptible to almost all kinds of diseases. As we go about our daily routines, we come across or get in contact with various viral or bacterial invaders that are harmful in causing cold or fever. Our immune system should be at its best to fight these pathogens. Thus, it is our duty to increase the capability of these soldiers to fight. Immune boosters are those that are helpful in strengthening the immune system. We need to incorporate them into our daily routine to reduce the chances of getting sick.

Making adjustments in Lifestyle

Starting to do adjustments in your daily routine can be difficult but once you get used to it, you will be able to enjoy an illness-free life. 

  • Avoiding toxic foods – It is necessary to avoid sugar, cholesterol, and coffee from your daily routine. This is because Cholesterol-rich foods harm your immune system badly, Sugar increases insulin level which affects the other hormones to work properly, coffee causes dehydration which results in robbing your body’s essential nutrients. These can also cause mood swings and various other diseases. 
  • Avoiding negative vibes – Negative emotions take control of your whole body causing serious illness. Therefore, avoid worrying and try to take things easy. 
  • Eat healthy foods – More water and intake of raw foods are a must. Add Vitamin C to your regular diet as they help the body to grab the nutrients better. These are natural immune boosters and work the best. 
  • Following proper hygiene – Practicing proper hygiene is a must to avoid disease-causing bacteria. Keep yourself clean to protect your loved ones too. 

Categories
Health

Healthy Snacking in Your Weight Loss Diet!

To lose weight, exercise, and diet go hand in hand. Everyone loves to snack and just because you are on a diet doesn’t mean that you have to forget the snacking. Instead, you need to find out what are the best healthy snacks that have low calories and aid in weight loss. One of the best ideas to add snacks into your diet is switching to a low-fat version. This includes fat-free cheese, nuts, and fruit juices instead of carbonated beverages. This kind of healthy weight loss diet will help in reducing the fat most healthily.

Let’s find out some “calorie negative foods” to include in your diet.

Apples – This amazing fruit has fat absorption property plus this makes you feel full for a long time. So it is best to add apples to your daily routine diet for a healthy weight loss.

Dairy or Calcium-rich foods – Fat-free cheese, yogurt, and milk are dairy products that enhance fat burning in the body. Creatively, you can make yogurt popsicles to add to your dessert.

Fruits rich in Vitamin C – Citrus fruits like guava, oranges, grapes, lemons, tangerines, tomatoes, and sweet limes are considered to be healthy snacks as they help to enhance the ability to burn fat. Vitamin C is a vital thing for the proper functioning of the body to dilute fat.

Bubble Gum – Surprisingly bubble gum comes on this list as a fat burner. If you chew it for about sixty minutes, it could very well burn as much as eleven calories.

Frozen Juice bars – Frozen juice bars are quite a healthy snack to eat, they add rarely a few calories to your body.

Beef Jerky – This healthy snack adds more protein to your body that helps to improve the metabolism.

Protein – Of course, protein-rich foods like oatmeal, eggs, grain foods, and legumes boost the metabolic rate of the body thereby burning fat as much as possible.

 

Green tea – Drinking green tea regularly helps in increasing the metabolic rate of the body.

Nuts – A hand full of almonds or walnuts is a perfect healthy snack to add to your weight loss diet.

Avocadoes – These are rich in fiber that makes you feel full more quickly.

On following these tips, just switching to a healthier version of your favorite snack helps you reduce more calories. Eating a cup of veggies during your work not only improves your health but also aids in burning fats, this is a great replacement for the cookies and muffins passed around your workplace.

If you follow healthy snacking choices, then your children will follow the same. So teach your children to follow a healthy lifestyle. This is like prevention is better than cure; you can help them not to suffer from obesity.

Categories
Health

Home Remedies for Bloated Stomach after Eating

People of all ages suffered from a very common complaint called stomach bloating. Bloating is that uncomfortable feeling in the stomach which most of us have experienced at least once in a life time. This is often caused by the malfunctioning of the digestive system gases. The said problems are mostly because of the improper food intakes. Therefore, it is must to avoid such harmful food. Here are some foods that you must avoid in order to prevent the rising of Bloated Stomach after Eating.

  • Dairy Products- Dairy products such as cheese, milk, curd, etc. will build a mucus lining in the stomach which catches all other food particles. This often causes heavy pain in the stomach; therefore it is good to avoid such dairy products in your diet.
  • Wheat- this kind of food when added in your regular diet usually causes constipation.  Not only it irritates the digestive tract but also causes the pain throughout the body.

However, not just these two are the reasons behind the bloated stomach after eating; there are a lot of other foods and products and even one’s physical health condition that also helps in the bloating. In such cases, it is better to consult a specialist to stop bloating.

Let’s find out some of the home remedies to overcome bloated stomach after eating:

  1. Ginger tea is one of the most effective home remedies for bloating. It soothes the digestive system resulting into enzyme production that help improves the food digestion.
  2. A mixture of powdered cinnamon, honey and water is also good to get relief from stomach bloating.
  3. Chamomile tea is also one of the good and very effective remedies to help stop bloating. Just consume twice daily for better results.
  4. Bay leaves are the best in stopping bloating. Boil the leaves in a bowl of water and consume this mixture. It is good not to sleep or lay for at least one hour after consuming.
  5. Turmeric is the very effective remedy for bloating. Just add a small teaspoon of turmeric in the foods you cook. It is rich in nutrients and vitamins that soothe lining of the stomach.
  6. Peppermint tea is also one of the effective remedies for bloated stomach. It helps in releasing the digestive gases by relaxing the body muscles. It is better to drink this tea before a heavy meal.
  7. Buttermilk is good in fighting stomach bloating. It helps in improving the functioning of the digestive system.
  8. Fennel tea is the very effective remedy to improve the digestive properties.
  9. Cardamom helps in stabilizing the acid content of your stomach. Therefore, consume cardamom every day to treat bloating.
  10. Carom seeds are known for their antibacterial properties. It is good to consume this after a meal to stop bloating.

In general, avoiding troublesome foods like carbonated beverages, milk products, tobacco products, smoking, beans, celery, Brussels and apricots will definitely help in getting relief from bloated stomach.

Exit mobile version