Cough is mainly a reflex of the body to get rid of throat irritants in the air passage. Cough can be caused due to infections or viral fevers, but can also be one of the symptoms of diseases related to the heart, lung, stomach and the nervous system. Cough symptoms are seen irrespective of age, but the intensity of it can be the one differentiation, for you or the physician to figure the seriousness of it. There are basically two types of cough – acute and chronic. Read along to find out more about them and their differences, causes and possible treatments. Acute cough: It is a common cough due to seasonal allergies or hay fever. Causes : It occurs along with other symptoms like cold, fever, shortness of breath and lasts for less than three weeks. It can be the initial signs of flu, tuberculosis, pneumonia or any other respiratory illnesses. Treatment : These cough symptoms can be treated easily, with either home remedies or allergy medications. But a visit to a doctor is advisable as it will help you diagnose if there are any other deeper issues. Chronic cough: It is a more serious condition where the need for medical attention is a must.

You may be suffering from itchy skin because of a number of reasons. From a flea bite to severe conditions like psoriasis, itchy skin can be caused by different medical conditions. The best way to understand it is by diagnosing the itchy skin symptoms. Consulting a doctor will be the ideal way to treat itchy skin symptoms and get a prognosis on measures to be taken to control the itchiness. However, often it is not possible to consult a doctor. You must be aware of these procedures that will help you control itchiness. Use a good quality moisturizing lotion Apply a high quality or medicinal moisturizing lotion to the itchy area at least once a day. Use creams and gels that have cooling effect on your skin Try to use creams and gels that are based on items like, cucumber, aloe vera, mint, and lemon that induce a cooling effect on the skin. Avoid things that make your skin itch more Try to avoid using clothes or foods or conditioners that accentuate the itchiness of your skin. Apply anti-itch cream or lotion to the affected area Anti-itch creams are easily available in a pharmaceutical store. Apply to the affected area at least 2-3 times daily.

Hearing loss in adults can occur due to genes or can be acquired from an illness or can be due to aging. For many adults, the onset and progression of deafness can extend over a  long time. One’s family and friends are likely to be the first to notice some difficulty in hearing, long before the person does. If you think you or someone you know might have a hearing loss and would like to know for sure, check out for these warning signs. They might repeatedly occur or in combination but should be enough to tell you that there is a problem. When you face difficulty in grasping sounds If you are suffering from the early signs of deafness, you will find it hard to understand words. This will happen more often when there’s a lot of noise in the background. Not just this, when someone says something softly, you might ask the person to repeat what he’s saying again more clearly until you get it right. Lastly, if someone is talking to you from behind, you might not understand that either. When hearing loss hinders your daily activities Deafness can be noticeable when it concerns daily routine as well. For example, you might find trouble listening to someone over the phone.

An alternative medicine which involves a range of healing and holistic approaches have brought renewed hope for people living with HIV. In combination with traditional medical HIV treatment, many people use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as well. CAM treatments can alleviate some symptoms of HIV. Alternative medicine includes many types of therapy. The goals of these treatments are to: Give assistance from side effects of drugs Improve the immunity Enhance the quality of life Alternative medical systems These have developed individually and in few cases, even before the arrival of the standard Western medicine. Some of them are listed below. Chiropractic Chiropractic is a system of treatment involving skeletal structures, especially the spine, which could help enhance the immune system. Biological therapy This form of HIV treatment uses natural elements to improve overall health through: Herbal treatments using plant-based medications Dietary supplements, which add as a nutrition quotient. It keeps the body healthy, fights weakness and boosts the immune system. They may contain minerals, vitamins, herbs, enzymes or amino acids. Relaxation therapies Relaxation treatments, such as meditation, is an effective HIV treatment option, which helps decrease anxiety. These therapies might increase the body’s strength to deal with the pressure of the illness.

Biologically, carbohydrates are a form of starch or polysaccharides (sugars). These are broken down to glucose by the liver and released into the blood for energy supply. This energy is called calories. So, once the required amount of glucose (glycogen as its form is called) is released, the calories that are in excess gets converted into fat that will further gets stored in fat cells for later use. Processed sugar or foods like pasta, bread, candies, rice, etc. are calorie rich and if consumed in excess it may lead to high sugar levels in the blood or weight gain. It is more likely that you will be suggested to restrict your carbohydrate intake if you are a diabetes patient or someone who is trying to lose weight. A plan that restricts or limits carb in a diet is what low carb meal plans are all about. Such a diet plan is not only low in carbohydrates but also high in proteins and fats. Most low carb diet plans teach one of the simplest concepts of keeping your preferred food as something that is low on carb or can be called whole foods (or unprocessed as they are called). A good start here ussually is to include a lot of fruits and green veggies which are very low on carbohydrates.

In many patients, chronic asthma reaches a stage when the normal medicines used, cease to have any perceptive effect. It has become obstinate or refractory. Symbicort Inhalers are recommended for use in such patients. It is a combination of two drugs, a corticosteroid – Budesonide and long acting beta 2 adrenergic agonist – Formoterol. Symbicort is basically a controller medication and it cannot be discontinued just because the symptoms are somewhat diminishing. This medication has to be continued as long as the doctor determines that the asthma is under control and the medicine can be withdrawn. Symbicort Inhalers are neither rescue medication that can be used in an exacerbation. The patient should clearly understand the role the medicine plays in the asthma treatment regime. The recommended dose is two puffs in the morning and two in the night as directed by the physician. It is imperative that neither the medication is missed nor over done. The corticosteroid- budesonide reduces the inflammation while the beta2 adrenergic agonist – Formoterol relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi. Long acting beta agonist, LABA as a group has a side kick that can set up sudden flare ups and if not attended to properly in time can be fatal.

HIV is a virus which is responsible for destroying the immune system of the body of human beings. This destruction of the immune system makes the body vulnerable to various infections, which might turn extremely severe in some cases. In the first stage of HIV infection, all the symptoms match with the symptoms of viral fever or the flu, but a proper identification with clinical tests and HIV medication might prevent further infection. What is AIDS? Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection where the immune system of the body completely loses its battle with HIV. The worst part of the disease is that no specific HIV medication can cure AIDS altogether. The most vital component of the immune system of human beings is the CD4 cells, which are infected and killed by HIV. The affected individual should immediately go for HIV medication so that they can lead a better life since there is no cure for HIV. How do you get HIV? HIV is transmitted through blood, semen or pre-seminal fluid, vaginal secretions or breast milk. So getting AIDS or getting infected with HIV can occur only through these sources. The ways one can get HIV are as follows:

HIV and AIDS are probably two of the most major health concerns all over the world. Since its origin, it has come a long way and turned into a manageable disease from being considered as the most dreaded and unknown quotient. Despite the awareness that is being created among people about AIDS or HIV medication and treatment, there are various misconceptions present. Take a quick look at some of them here: Oral sex poses no threat of HIV transmission Though the risk level is quite low, oral sex isn’t safe from the point of view of HIV transmission. Rather, the presence of cuts and abrasions in the mouth or the genitals or a direct contact with semen increases the risk of having HIV. Having HIV means having AIDS A person who is diagnosed with the HIV doesn’t necessarily have  AIDS. Rather once HIV is diagnosed and if the person opts for early treatments and HIV medication, preventing AIDS becomes possible. However, to the majority of the people in the world, even now, HIV means AIDS. HIV/AIDS can spread through insects One can’t contract HIV through an insect bite such as mosquito bites. This virus cannot survive in the body of an insect and doesn’t reproduce.

Chronic cough can be extremely irritating and a deterrent to everyday life. A cough that persists for more than eight weeks in adults and four weeks in children is classified as chronic cough. However, if there are any accompanying symptoms, it is only prudent to consult a professional health provider early. Spitting colored sputum or blood certainly warrants a call on to the physician. A persistent cough leads to complications. It can interrupt sleep and cause exhaustion. In severe cases, it is known to cause a momentary loss of consciousness or syncope, headache, nausea, vomiting, etc. A chronic cough normally has an underlying medical problem. The treatment is treating the underlying anomaly after identifying it. Chronic cough is generally associated with symptoms like runny or blocked nose (normal cold), postnasal drip, throat infection, whooping cough, wheezing. and shortness of breath (asthma). Other symptoms may include heart burn (acid reflux), colored or perhaps bloody   sputum.   Coughs that disturb sleep or interferes work or school or bring up sputum or blood are severe enough to have a consultation with a health provider at the earliest. Besides these certain blood pressure drugs can also cause a chronic cough. In most cases, the diagnosis is made from the history of the case and a physical examination itself.

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a chronic malady whose exact cause is unknown and therefore, it is termed idiopathic. In this progressively worsening condition, the lungs get scarred, and the healing process for unknown reasons repairs the damage with scar tissue, an inelastic fibrous connective tissue. These scar tissues cannot be replaced. Pulmonary fibrosis is not very uncommon. The individual types are rare and difficult to identify. It is believed that various factors interact in the development of this disease, with heredity having an important role. Exposure to certain toxic chemicals, certain medications, and medical conditions, coal and silica dusts, asbestos fiber, heavy metal dust, radiation therapy, grain dust, and animal and bird dropping are all the major contributors. Long term smoking also seems to be a factor. With loss of elasticity the lungs cannot expand and contract restricting breathing. Loss of normal tissue affects the gas transfer resulting in shortage of oxygen in blood. As the disease progresses the lung becomes more and more scar tissue and restricts the blood flow leading to pulmonary hypertension which drags the heart into complications. The disease normally starts with shortness of breath, inability to breathe deep, and reached a stage when breathing itself becomes painful.

It is said that atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis is a disease which probably has no cure. It cannot be treated, but it can be kept under control through dermatitis medications. Dermatitis pictures of skin rashes, itchiness, and dry, scaly spots sometimes show fluids oozing out of these patches. The itchiness sometimes increases to such an extent that the person, especially children (as it mostly affects children), tend to rub the irritating patches against bedding or carpeting to get relief from the symptoms. The itch occurs to such an extent that it may lead to skin infection. Long-term dermatitis can be treated through dermatitis medications. However, for such patients, there are certain home remedies or tips that may help to get quick relief from itching. Some handy tips that would help a person get relief from the itchiness are as follows: • Using virgin coconut oil – The oil derived fresh from coconut kernels before processing when applied to the irritating patches may provide relief to a dermatitis patient. • Using of yogurt:  Yogurt contains probiotics or good bacteria. Yogurt is not only beneficial as a part of dermatitis medication for oral administration, but its application on the skin is also known to provide relief to patients.