If you happen to be a victim of constant headaches, you are not alone. Headaches, especially migraines are attacks of moderate or even severe pain that occur as a result of specific alterations in one’s brain. However not all headaches are migraines and given below are some of the main indications and symptoms of a migraine. Major symptoms of migraine Nausea and sometimes even vomiting Throbbing pain in the eyes Extreme sensitiveness to sound and light A pain similar to a kind of severe pounding that occurs normally on one side of the head Blind spots Common triggers of migraine While the cause of migraine headaches cannot be clearly identified in some people, the most common culprits of a migraine include: Rooms filled with smoke of any kind Flickering or bright lights Allergic reactions Dehydration Passive or active smoking Physical stress like fatigue, exercise or jet lag Irregular sleep patterns Hormonal alterations like fluctuations in menstrual cycle, menopause or ingestion of birth control tablets Tension headaches Treatment for Migraines Normally migraine is treated with either prescription medications or over the counter pills. Common medications include Frova, Axert, Imitrex, Sumav, Zolmitripan and Maxalt, etc. It is found that alterations in diet and lifestyle and regular exercise can aid the lowering of the frequency of these migraine attacks.

Headaches are not confined to adults. Headaches are becoming extremely common in kids and teenagers too. The headaches, which little children experience, are quite similar to the ones experienced by adults. You do not have to panic when your child says he is suffering from headache thinking about the worst scenarios. Just remain calm and find out what exactly is triggering these headaches. What triggers migraines in kids? The precise cause of migraines in kids is not clear. A lot of these attacks are normally caused by a non-permanent deficiency of a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Apart from this, migraines are also triggered when children eat some specific food like chocolates, any and all kinds of nuts, shellfish, Chinese food, cheese, caffeine, and any kind of sugary food. Symptoms of migraine attacks in children Majority of children experience the numerous symptoms and signs which are an indication of migraine. These are stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, sensitiveness to light and sound, extreme fatigue and sleepiness, extremely swollen nasal passages, thirst, and dark circles beneath eyes along with paleness. Most kids sleep off within one hour of the commencement of the attack. Treatment for migraine in children There are a lot of treatment options for children and your doctor will be the best person who will be able to advise you in this regard.

A cold can be a nuisance. Colds aren’t fatal but the constant sneezing, watering from the nose and body aches can drain you out. Colds are typically caused by virus infections and hence most antibiotics are not the best medication for a cold. However, there are some types of medication that can help treat specific symptoms of a cold. NSAIDS or Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: This type of medication fights inflammation and can be sued to treat sore throats, headaches and body aches that accompanies a cold. It also has the ability to reduce a fever. Common NSAIDS shoudl not be taken without a doctors consult or prescription. However, do not take NSAIDS if you are on any form of blood thinning medication or suffer from gastric ulcers. Antihistamines: Antihistamines can help fight allergies and symptoms related to them like a running nose, persistent sneezing and watery eyes. There are many different kinds of antihistamines available today. One of the side effects of most antihistamines is that it will make you feel drowsy. Decongestants: This medication can help clear a stuffy nose. Decongestants are usually not available over the counter and you will need to get a prescription for them. This is because in rare cases, it can have serious side effects such as fastened heart beats and increased blood pressure.

Persistent coughing can be debilitating for you. Constant coughing can cause aches in your chest muscles and impede your normal life. Read on to know about the various forms of cough treatment which are simple to administer. Staying hydrated: Do you know that drinking lots of water and other fluids can help you overcome continuous bouts of coughing? When there is an upper respiratory tract infection like cold or flu, it causes excess secretion of postnasal fluids. These drips or fluids cause irritation at the back of your throat and cause coughing. When you drink lots of water and other fluids, it helps in thinning out the mucus in the postnasal fluids. Having adequate water and other fluids also moisturizes the mucous membrane which helps in keeping cough under control. Hot Drinks and Lozenges: Another line of treatment is having hot drinks and lozenges. Lozenges numb the back of the throat thus suppressing coughs. Having hot coffee or tea also soothes the throat. The effect is magnified if some honey is added to your hot tea or coffee. Taking a steamy shower: Many doctors advise their patients about taking a steamy shower to treat cough and cold. Doing so releases the secretions from the nose and this, in turn, helps ease cough from not only colds but also allergies.

It is perfectly okay for young children to get a fever. This is nature’s way of boosting up the body’s immune system. Every time there is a fever, our cells and other tissues get together to ward off the harmful bacteria and virus. In most cases, fever goes away on its own provided we are taking the right medication. In some cases, however, it may last longer than desired and this may be a cause for concern. Doctors may like to consult the fever temperature chart of the patient before making an opinion about her illness. Let us understand the various ways of taking temperatures of the patient. An important point to be noted is not to use mercury based thermometers lest they should break while taking the readings. Rectal method: This is the most dependable method to take the temperature of your baby. Clean the thermometer with soap and cover its tip with a thin film of petroleum jelly. Place your baby on her stomach with her knees bent. Now gently insert the thermometer inside her anus, about 2.5 cm, and hold it firmly. Wait for 1 minute. After you have heard a beep, take out the thermometer, note the reading and the time and record your findings on a piece of paper.

If you find yourself saying what! too many times a day, it may be time you get yourself a hearing aid. Hearing aids do not technically treat deafness but they amplify sounds and hence make them more audible. A digital hearing aid typically contains a computer chip with an amplifier that converts incoming sounds into a digital code. Based on your level of hearing loss and the ambient sounds around you, it amplifies the signals and reconverts it to sound waves. This is then played through speakers in your ears. When it comes to buying a digital hearing aid, there is no universal solution and it must be customized to fit your ear size and lifestyle. There are six main types of hearing aids that you can choose between: Completely-in-the-canal Hearing Aid: These types of hearing aids are molded to fit the inside of your ear and are virtually invisible. It is mainly used in cases of mild to moderate hearing loss. PROs Smallest and least visible hearing aid Does not amplify background noises such as wind CONs Highly susceptible to clogging by earwax No extra features e.g.: volume control Uses very small batteries with a short lifespan In-the-canal Hearing Aid:

Leukemia means cancer that affects blood cells. Leukemia begins inside the bone marrow, where blood cell production takes place. There are different types of blood cells but leukemia usually targets white blood cells. These white blood cells fight infections. When these cells begin to grow abnormally, it impairs their infection-fighting function. Leukemia can be chronic or acute. Chronic leukemia develops at a slower pace than acute leukemia. Further classification of leukemia is based on the type of blood cells affected by the disease. The leukemia that targets white blood cells (lymphocytes) is called lymphocytic leukemia. Myelogenous leukemia targets red blood cells, granulocytes or platelets. Types of Leukemia Based on different classifications of the disease, there are several types of leukemia. • Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) This is the most commonly-occurring leukemia. It mostly occurs in children but can affect anyone. • Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) This type of leukemia can affect people of all groups but most commonly is seen in adults. • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) It can develop in adults without manifesting any signs of the disease for long periods of time. • Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) The symptoms may not show for years but then escalate quickly.

A good night’s sound sleep is a sign of good health. Irregular sleep causes many health issues. OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) is one such common disorder which has been seen in increasing numbers amongst people in the last few decades. It later leads to more complicated health issues. Snoring is one such issue, which mostly happens due to OSA. It also gives birth to health issues like diabetes and blood pressure. Hence, sleep apnea needs to be cured early on. Some of the health risks due to OSA are: High blood pressure is one of the biggest risks that occur because of OSA. If blood pressure already exists, then sleep apnea gets worse, with one even experiencing stressful times during sleep when the blood pressure tends to spike. Oxygen levels in the body could also decrease, leading to breathing difficulties. For most people, treating sleep apnea will also control blood pressure levels greatly. Keeping the heart healthy is one of the greatest challenges for being healthy. People with OSA are more likely to get heart attacks. The reason is because of low oxygen and a stressful time at night. Sleep apnea also causes the oxygen circulation to the brain and in arteries to be uneven.

Sleeping disorder is a situation in which a person cannot sleep frequently or for quite a period of continuous time. A person should get enough time in a day to sleep otherwise it will affect the health and functioning of the body adversely. Not getting sleep for one day is fine, but if a person cannot experience good sleep continuously for more than two-three days, it is a sign of the person having a sleeping disorder and he needs to consult a physician or therapist immediately. Symptoms In order to find out whether a person suffers from a sleeping disorder or not, one has to clearly know its symptoms. If a person suffers from any of the below mentioned symptoms frequently or on a daily basis, he/she is suffering from sleeping disorder. The most common symptoms for sleeping disorders include: • Failing to sleep at night • Daytime fatigue • Very slow reactions and reflexes • Not being able to concentrate • Depression • Feeling very sleepy during the day Types Sleeping disorders can be of multiple types. These include: • Insomnia: Inability to sleep. It is a result of a lot of tension and stress, jet lag and other kinds of anxiety.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is considered to be an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are those that are caused by one’s own immune system going hyperactive and attacking one’s own body organs. The exact cause as to why the immune system becomes hyperactive is not known. Multiple sclerosis is one like that the immune system attacks the nerves of the central nerve system and that of the brains. MS exhibits a periodic upheaval and subsidence, the periods being unpredictable. Each patient suffers in a way that is unique and different from the other . Some get very mild symptoms and the disease do not progress also that the patient needs no treatment. The disease attacks the Myelin sheath, a protective coating around the nerve fiber. The myelin layer, besides offering the nerve protection helps in the conduction of electrical signals from the brain to the muscle. The symptoms depend on the nerve and the position of attack and the extent of damage. In extreme cases the nerve itself gets damaged and breaks. Listed below are the symptoms of MS: Problems with bladder operation : Both inability to urination, leading to urine retention and inability to control draining of urine, incontinence are experienced.

Nutrition as an idea actually sprouted eons ago. Th e first record about nutrition was found carved in a stone tablet in Babylon around the time 2500 BC. Those who suffered at that time were given the advice to not eat onions for three days. Studying nutriti on as a subject was, probably, studied in 6th century BC. The food that classified as hot, were items like meats, ginger, and hot spices. While items like green vegetables were considered cold in I ndia, China, Malaya and Persia. T he Chinese physician considered diseases as defi ciencies of elements like fire, earth, wood, and metals. In the Bible in the book of David, it is recorded that he and his companions were allowed to eat what they preferred , vegetables and pulses and the king and his people ate fine food and wine. After ten days, their health was compared with that of the king’s men, who were found to be of inferior health . Antoine Lavoisier became famous for saying life is chemical processes. He went on to design a calorimeter o f measure the heat produced by working and also by eating different food. Hippocrates (Greece, ca 460 BC – ca 370 BC ) was the first to see fo od had something important in it .