Home remedies for Sinusitis

Many people get sick when weather changes. One of the most common ailments is the sinus infection. Sinus infection or sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages.

• Sinus infection can result in different ailments like headaches, pressure in the eyes and nose, coughs, fevers, bad breath, stuffy nose and runny nose. Sinus infection can be experienced commonly after a viral infection or due to the exposure to allergens. The best remedy for sinus infection is the home care.
• One of the best home remedies for sinus is consuming half liter of vegetable juices like carrot, cucumber, beet and spinach. This is a very beneficial remedy for sinusitis.
• Fruits rich in Vitamin A are very effective for treatment of sinusitis. Mango is very rich in vitamin A.
• Drink plenty of water. Hot tea with lemon or honey is great since it give a soothing effect to the throat. Drinking plenty of apple cider vinegar is also very effective.
• Use steam or vaporizer with Vicks to loosen the mucus so that it is easily drained off.
• Sinusitis is well treated with cumin seeds. Ground roasted cumin seed mixed with pure honey is one of the effective remedies for sinusitis.
• Inhalation of black cumin seeds tied in a thin cotton cloth is one of the common home remedies for sinusitis.
• Consumption of fenugreek tea increases the perspiration which in turn reduces fever along with the sinusitis.
• Pungent foods like onion and garlic also prove to be very beneficial for the treatment of sinusitis.
• During sinusitis one should avoid consuming cold items, oily foods, junk foods and cold drinks. These items trigger the upper respiratory diseases.
• One should avoid direct blow of wind in any form. This includes driving in open air without wearing the helmet or covering the face except eyes; sitting directly under the fan or in front of the air-conditioner.

Tea or Coffee: Which is more Healthier?

A cup of hot tea or coffee along with a newspaper and our favorite music playing in the background- that’s a perfect morning for most of us. Almost 95% amongst us like to start our day with a cup of tea or coffee. The cup of tea or coffee stirred with milk or sugar has different flavor, depends on the persons taste.
There has always been controversy regarding the health benefits of tea and coffee. Let’s check out which one is healthier.

Tea:

• All tea, whether green, black or white, contain high level of strong anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants help purge the human body of toxins, may prevent the inflammation of blood vessels and reduce the risk of cancer.
• Daily cup of tea decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease, the liver, the cancer of Gallstones and diabetes.
• Tea can also act as a mild pain-reliever due to the high levels of quercetin found in it. This can give relieve from mild arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
• Green tea is the healthiest among all due to its extremely high anti-oxidants content. It prevents cancer, fight plaque on teeth, and lower cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
• A cup of tea calms the disturbed mind.

Coffee:

• Although coffee is preferred for its strong taste, unlike tea, coffee has got high caffeine contents and is absorbed by the blood stream faster thus leading to the “caffeine crash” (sudden loss of energy).
• By drinking too much of coffee, one may feel anxious and jumpy, followed by a sudden loss of energy.
• Researches have shown that coffee increases the risk of heart disease and has been linked with increased blood pressure.
• Caffeine present has one benefit: it has the ability to relax the airways in the lungs which can be of great benefit for asthma patients.

The benefits of drinking tea far outweigh the benefits of drinking coffee. Though coffee is not bad for health, in short we can say that “Drinking tea is much healthier than drinking coffee.”

Childhood Obesity Prevention

Obesity has already acquired the role of an epidemic. The cases of childhood obesity have been continuously increasing throughout the world. There have been many articles in newspapers and documentaries on television asking the parents to get up and prevent their children from falling prey to obesity. There are easy ways that parents can become the first line of defense for their children and truly be instrumental in reducing the risk for childhood obesity within their child.

• Have the child evaluated regularly by the family physician or the pediatrician. A health and wellness checkup is important for every child, because it can help to evaluate medical problems while assessing risk factors for potential and future medical problems.
• Encourage healthy eating by removing high fat and sugary snacks, and replacing them with healthier choices like fresh fruits and vegetables. Numerous healthy low fat snacks are also available in the market.
• Take a stand against sedentary activity. Motivate and encourage your child for more physical activities rather than just sitting at one place and getting glued to television, computer or video games. Always remember that the child who abstains from physical activities is more prone to obesity.
• Communicate acceptance to the child in case he/she is already obese. An obese child knows they have a weight problem, and they do not need to have the parental ridicule to deal with on top of the peer ridicule they probably receive daily. Parents should love their child unconditionally and accept them for who they are. They should form a partnership to help their child reduce the risk of obesity and combat weight problems.
• Always remember to be a positive role model for your child because children learn from the example set by their parents. So, practice what you preach.

Foot care

Feet are part of the body that is neglected by most of us. A person’s hygiene can be found out by looking at his feet. Therefore, good health of feet depicts one’s personality. Foot care is simple and easy. It not only keeps the feet clean but also a stress reliever. Here are few tips that can help to maintain healthy feet.

• Soak feet regularly in lukewarm water. Use a pumice stone or foot scrub to remove dead and rough skin. These dead skin if left unattended, become thick and cracks, leading to infections.
• Feet are a place where the nerve endings are pooled up. Therefore a good massage to the feet relaxes the whole body.
• The soles of the feet lack oil glands, so apply a moisturizer very night in regular basis. This nourishes the skin and keeps it fresh. Do not apply cream in between toes.
• Choose shoes of right size. Preferred time to buy shoes is later in a day. That is the time when feet are a bit swollen. Shoes that are comfortable at that time are the right choice.
• Make sure the feet are dry before wearing a socks or shoes. Apply a sun screen if you are wearing sandals.

Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is an ancient drink once known only to the Chinese and Japanese, now it has gained popularity across the world, beginning from Asia to the Western world. This refreshing drink is known to have many health benefits. Green tea has antioxidant properties.

• Green tea helps to boost metabolism thereby aiding to weight loss by burning up calories.
• Green tea helps to regulate glucose in the body and prevents type 1 diabetes and slows the advancement for those who already have diabetes.
• Green tea is considered as a better drink due to its high amount of antioxidant property when compared to black tea.
• Green tea also could be use to prevent the tooth decay.
• Green tea has shown that it may reduce the risk of cancer up to 60 percent.
• Green tea lowers the levels of stress hormones which makes more relaxed.
• Green tea prevents heart attacks and strokes by inhibiting the production of blood clots.
• Three cups of green tea a day proves to give health benefits, however the drink should not exceed ten cups a day.
• Green tea contains a minimal amount of caffeine when compared to a cup of coffee. So this can be a substitute for a cup of coffee especially to pregnant women.
• Green tea has the ability to kill bacteria and is known to deter food poisoning.
• Green tea helps to lower LDL Cholesterol levels.

Benefits of Juices

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are good for health. It is good to start our day with a glass of vegetable or fruit juice. Instead of having soft drinks or carbonated beverages it is better and healthy to have fresh juices. Juices supply lot of nutrients and also enzymes. A daily intake juice improves glamour. It is always good to have juice without straining as fiber will benefit your health. Drinking fruit juices or vegetables juices without adding sugar is best for you good health. One serving of vegetables or fruits can be substituted with a glass of juice. Every juice has its own importance depending upon with which fruit and vegetable is the juice made. some of the common juice we drink are carrot juice, Tomato juice, Apple juice, Pomegranate juice, Beet root juice, Orange juice, Grape juice , cranberry juice etc.

Some of the health benefits of each fruit and vegetable juice:
Orange juice: Orange is a citrus fruit and citrus fruit provides vitamin c. And vitamin c acts as antioxidant.

Carrot juice: Carrot juice is rich source of Vitamin A. Drinking carrot juice is very beneficial it improves eye sight, it gives glow to the skin etc. It has antioxidant properties and fights & eliminates cancer causing agents.

Beet root juice: Drinking beet root juice improves digestion as chlorine is present in it. Beet root juice improves hemoglobin levels and thus it is good for anemia patients. It also a rich source of folic acid, vitamin C and potassium. Drinking Beet root juice keeps you healthy and fit.

Pomegranate juice: It has lot of antioxidant properties. It improves HDL and decreases LDL bad cholesterol. Pomegranate juice is good for skin glow and glamour. It also reduces skin and breast cancer. It provides many health benefits for diabetic patients.

Cranberry juice: It lowers blood pressure. It is a good source of vitamin C. Cranberry juice has antioxidant properties. It lowers LDL and improves HDL cholesterol.

Apple juice: Apple juice is a good source of Vitamin A and vitamin C. Fresh juice made from apple is a source of soluble and insoluble fiber which has many health benefits.

Low Fat diet

A diet low in fat is called low fat diet. Some dietary fat is actually necessary. In certain medical conditions the body cannot tolerate much fat. So, a low fat diet may help people with these medical conditions. Some of the medical conditions where low fat diet is prescribed is Gall bladder disease, Delayed stomach emptying, Fatty liver and malbsorption syndrome.

Gall bladder secrets bile which helps to break down and absorb fat. When Gall bladder diseases or Gall stones are present there is not enough bile secreted or no bile produced by the gall bladder and so fat from food cannot be digested properly and this may cause diarrhea. A low fat diet allows your gall bladder adequate rest. Due to excess of cholesterol in the bile Gall stones are formed.

Gastroparesis is also known as delayed stomach emptying. In this disease the stomach empties food into intestine very slowly. When high amount of fats are present in foods we eat then this delays stomach emptying and cause gastroparesis. So low fat diet is good for gastroparesis.
Malabsorption and low fat diet: steatorrhea which is due to malabsorption of fat , where more than 6% of dietary fat is excreted in stool. In pancreas and small intestine diseases, patients have trouble in absorbing nutrients from diet, that include fat. A low fat diet helps may help
to control symptoms.

Fat is normally not stored in liver. Due to number of reasons fat may accumulate in the liver and this may damage to liver. A low fat diet may be helpful.

List of low fat foods:
Non stick cooking spray, puddings with skim milk, soy milk, Low fat yogurt, whole wheat pasta, Brown rice, Whole wheat bread, Popcorn, Millets, Muesli, Whole Rye, Whole wheat tortillas, Oat meal, Black beans, Chick peas, Green peas, Lentils, Lima beans, Kidney beans, White beans, soy beans, Navy beans, Egg whites, Lean pork Lean lamb, skinless chicken, Liver, Skinless turkey, Rabbit, sea foods ,fresh vegetables and fresh fruits, Low fat tofu.

Tips To Follow Low Fat Diet:

• Avoid fried foods.
• Avoid carbonated beverages.
• Drink low fat milk or low fat dairy products.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages and stop smoking.
• Increase physical activity.
• Include more number of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Substitute one egg with two egg whites.
• Eat lean meat.
• Avoid fried chicken.
• Avoid fast foods.
• Use cooking spray instead of oil.

Fluid Requirements

Fluid requirements vary between individuals. Body contains 62% of weight as water. Adequate hydration is important to maintain body temperature. Blood, lungs, kidneys and heart are made of 80% of water. Muscle, skin, brain and intestines are made of 72 to 75 % of water. Fat tissue is 10% water and even bones are 22% water. An average person needs 8 to 10 glasses of water per day just to replace average losses.

• In normal healthy adult the fluid requirement is around 25 to 20 ml per kg body weight per day.
• Adult 55 to 75 years fluid requirement is 30ml/kg body weight per day.
• Adult greater than 75 year’s fluid requirement is 25 ml/ kg body weight/day.

Fluid requirements for pediatrics:

• Body weight less than 10 kg, 10 ml/kg fluids per day.
• Body weight between 11 and 20 kg 1000 ml per day + 50 ml/kg for each kg and above 20 kg.
• Body weight greater than 20 kg 1500 ml per day + 20 ml/kg for each kg and above 20 kg.

An increase or decrease in fluid requirement is based on number of factors:
Factors that increase fluid requirement are vomiting, fever, diarrhea, fistula, pressure ulcer, excessive perspiration.

Factors that decrease fluid intake are edema, renal disease, cardiac disease, congestive heart failure, hyponatremia.

Dental Health Care for Children

Dental or oral health care of children starts from the day when baby is born. Few simple steps which can contribute to healthy teeth are:

1. Always wipe off gums after feeding the baby.
2. Try to avoid bottle feeding as far s possible.
3. Never allow baby to sleep with milk bottle in his mouth.
4. Once your child starts going to play school, teach him how to brush. Brushing regularly with fluoride toothpaste avoid caries.
5. Teach him good oral habits. For example, rinsing after every meal and brushing twice a day.
6. Avoid thumb sucking habit. Teeth start protruding outside if this continues for a long time.
7. Avoid sweets and sugary snacks in between the meal, this can lead to cavities.
8. Young children tend to swallow toothpaste, so take proper care and do not allow them to swallow as toothpaste contains fluoride.
9. Regular dental checkups are useful to have a proper record of baby’s teeth.
10. During teething always take care of dental hygiene. Tethers or gum soothers used should be properly washed and clean.

30 Tips for Perfect Health

1. Drink eight glasses of water a day.
2. Start the day with a glass of warm water and a dash of lime.
3. Include two vegetables and one fruit in every meal. Include high fiber foods plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains in planning your diet.
4. Include one green vegetable and one yellow vegetable in every meal.
5. Begin each meal with a raw vegetable salad.
6. Make a light snack of assorted sprouts.
7. Use only fresh vegetables and meals, and not the leftovers and refrigerated.
8. Once a week have only fresh fruits until noon and make lunch the first meal of the day.
9. Go on a juice fast for a day. Start with vegetable juice, and sip fruit for lunch and dinner.
10. Kick the old coffee habit and avoid beverages like soda, coffee, colas and so on. Have a glass of fresh fruit juice instead.
11. Cut out all deep-fried foods and high sugar products like soft drinks, ice-cream, candy and cookies from your diet.
12. Never skip a meal, even if you are on diet. Eat a fresh fruit or have vegetable juice instead.
13. Use salt in moderation
14. Wash vegetables thoroughly in clean water before chopping.
15. Retain peels of potato, cucumber, carrot and tomato while cooking.
16. Don’t rush through your meals. Set aside enough time to appreciate, enjoy and digest your food.
17. Make every meal an enjoyable experience. Set dishes out attractively and chew slowly to appreciate the full flavor of the foods you eat.
18. Choose to be radiantly healthy. Keep yourself informed about the nutritive value of every food you buy.
19. Watch out for eating habits paired with emotional states, like reaching for a chocolate when you are depressed.
20. Eat popcorn (rather than chips) while watching a movie.
21. Sit at the table at meal times. Don’t read the paper or review bills while eating.
22. Get a good night sleep, every night.
23. Take a brisk, 20 minute invigorating walk each morning.
24. Do not use elevators when you can climb the stairs.
25. Learn to relax. Spend 20 minutes consciously relaxing each muscle of your body.
26. Spend 20 minutes a day in silent meditation, prayer or contemplation.
27. Learn the healing power of laughter. Watch a crazy movie, recall a joke or read a funny book and laugh out loud.
28. Balance your lifestyle. Devote equal time each week to work and fun.
29. Eat just to the point of the fullness. Don’t stuff yourself!
30. Restrict alcohol consumption and stop smoking.

Head Lice in Children

Head lice infestation is very common especially among school going children. Head lice are parasites that live by the host’s blood in the hair and head scalp and which can develop in large numbers. That is most horrifying thing about hair lice, it just few lice to make a large population.

Head lice are pretty unpleasant and most people have suffered an infestation at some point or another. Children are more likely to get them, due to contact through play and being around lots of other kids at school or at the playground. Despite being gross and a bit of nuisance, they are very common, pretty harmless.

It is mostly assumed that head lice spread from one head to another by close contact only. However, they can also spread through the sharing of items, such as a hair brush, pillow, soft toy or hat. It should be also noted that killing the lice will not solve the problem. This is because lice eggs hatch after about 7-10 days. If they are not removed the person will be re-infested.

Personal hygiene has nothing to do with the lice infestation. Symptoms of lice infestation include:

• Tickling feeling in the hair
• Frequent itching
• Sores from scratching

There are many treatments which are available now for this kind of threat. The best and safest way to start the treatment of lice in the child is through all kinds of natural remedies, like use of various essential oils, mayonnaise, vinegar, herbs and many more. Lice combs are also available which are specially made for killing lice.

Medical treatments in the form of anti-lice hair shampoos are also available in the market. Before using shampoos consult a dermatologist or a good doctor to make sure that product is safe for the child or the infested person.
In case of lice infested, it is very important to act fast and not to delay.

How to Help a Choking Child?

Children, particularly those between the ages of 1 and 5, often put objects in their mouth. This is a normal part of how they explore the world. Some small objects, like marbles and beads, are just the right size to get stuck in a child’s airway and cause choking. The best way to avoid this is to make sure those small objects like marbles and beads are kept out of your child’s reach.
A child that is choking is extremely frightful. This is due to the fact that a child's airway is smaller than an adult’s, making it easier for food or any other thing from lodging in the airway preventing air in or out.

It is a common believe that when a child is choking, he/she should be hit on the back. However, the American Heart Association does not approve this. Evidences have shown that hitting someone on the back that is choking causes the food or the object to go further down the trachea making it harder to resolve the situation.

Some common indications that something is blocking the child's throat include coughing a lot, inability to speak, cry, or breath, face turning bluish, or in the worst case, the child passes out.

The following precautions are recommended to help a choking child:

• Stand behind the child. Wrap your arms around the child's waist.
• Make a fist with one hand, thumb side in. Place your fist just below the chest and slightly above the navel.
• Grab your fist with the other hand.
• Press into the abdomen with a quick upward push. This helps to make the object or food come out of the child's mouth.
• Repeat this inward and upward thrust until the piece of food or object comes out.
• Once the object comes out, take your child to the doctor. A piece of the object can still be in the lung. Only a doctor can tell you if your child is OK.

Avoid foods like apples, hot dogs, chips, hard candy, etc., that can become easily lodged in the throat/trachea for the child. Also, do not let the child run around with these types of foods in their mouths. Children get so occupied with playing that sometimes they are not paying attention to the food in their mouth. Eventually this often leads to a choking child. However, providing the child the first and timely medical support can save his life.

Ancylostomiasis

Hookworms are widespread in the tropics and the subtropics. In 1995, WHO estimated that there were 151 million persons infected with hookworms and 65,000 deaths occurred from hookworm disease.

Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. AD begins slowly, first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language.
Alzheimer's disease can be categorized into early onset-Alzheimer's disease and late onset- Alzheimer's disease. People with AD may have trouble in remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. Over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care. This can cause great stress for family members who must care for them. AD usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as one get older.The risk is higher if a family member has the disease.

Allergies

Allergy is a disorder of the immune system called as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to normally harmless environmental substances known as allergens which are acquired, predictable, and rapid. Allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity and is called type I hypersensitivity.

Types:

• Hay Fever
• Hives
• Poison Ivy & Plant Allergies
• Bee Sting Allergy
• Pet Allergies
• Latex Allergy
• Mold Allergy
• Cosmetic Allergies
• Drug Allergies
• Eczema
• Eye Allergies
• Food Allergies etc...

Alcohol abuse

Alcohol Abuse is a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. Alcohol abuse causes extensive damage to health and society. It results in thousands of innocent deaths each year, and exacerbates situations involving violent crimes and domestic violence.

AIDS

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a final stage in a development of disease resulting from a viral infection known as the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is characterized by a weakening of the immune system by destroying lymphocytes (CD4 cells). AIDS is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease causing agent (HIV). Roughly 40 million people around the world living with AIDS.

Anatomy of heart

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning. They tend to react strongly to certain substances that are breathed in. As a result muscles around them tighten. This causes the airways to narrow, and less air flows to lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may make more mucus than normal. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid that can further narrow airways.About 12 percent of children (< 18 years) and 8 percent of pregnant women have asthma.

Types:

• Allergic Asthma
• Intrinsic Asthma
• Exercise-Induced Asthma
• Nocturnal Asthma
• Occupational Asthma
• Steroid-Resistant Asthma