Arihant Homoeo Clinic

When you are pregnant, the need to watch your health is significantly higher. It is not just a question of your health, but of the developing baby also. This makes it extremely significant as different bacteria and viruses could affect the baby’s development and even lead to complications with pregnancy and childbirth.

The flu, short for influenza, is a mild viral infection that affects the upper airways, including the nose, throat, and sinuses. The usual symptoms include nose blockage, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, cough, heavy headed feeling. It is caused by a virus and therefore there is no remedy for it. It has to run its course which usually takes about 7 days, and the body will fight off the infection on its own.

Symptomatic treatment including paracetamol and adequate hydration can help live through the flu. Though it is common in any weather, the winters increase the risk.

Another increased risk factor is the reduced immune levels in a pregnant woman, making them more prone to catching the flu. This could lead to complications like pneumonia which might require hospitalisation and prolonged treatment with antibiotics. The baby could also be at risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth.

Symptoms: If you do catch the flu during your pregnancy, you will notice the following symptoms a headache, runny nose, fatigue, sore throat, shortness of breath, coughing, sudden chills or fever, diarrhoea or vomiting, and body aches, and loss of appetite.

Management: If you suspect that you could have the flu, contact the doctor immediately. Taking safe antiviral medications can help reduce the duration of the illness and reduce pain and suffering. In addition, getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluids can help recovery. Acetaminophen can help manage the fever, while Robitussin and guaifenesin can help manage the cough.

Prevention: If you are planning for pregnancy or are already pregnant, it makes great sense to get vaccinated for the flu. This can help prevent a flu attack and sail through pregnancy smoothly. In addition to protecting the mother, the flu vaccine also transmits the virus to the newborn, which gets immunity for up to 6 months of life. The vaccine also has a beneficial effect on the newborn.

It is safe to get the flu vaccine during pregnancy, though taking it in the early months is advisable. It is also safe during breastfeeding with no harmful effects documented. In addition, some healthy habits like regularly washing hands, eating healthy, getting adequate sleep, and keeping a safe distance from people with flu can help prevent flu attack.

While prevention is the best solution, if contracted, the flu can be managed well by seeking immediate medical attention.

Bloodshot eyes aren't exactly the best feature of a person! When a person's eyes are bloodshot, it is quite easy to 'see' that something is wrong! Eyes are possibly the most delicate organs of the body, and are all the more vulnerable to infections such as 'subconjunctival haemorrhage'. However, as dour as such terms may sound, there is a lot which really should be known about them!

The eye has a thin layer which goes by the name of the conjunctiva, which covers a part called the sclera. Many a times, especially in the case of children, if an injury unfortunately occurs in the eye, there are chances that it may form subconjunctival haemorrhage.

The reason why this occurs is that there are some of the very small blood vessels in a person's eye break. The reason for this, apart from an injury could also be on account of a sudden increase in the blood pressure of the person. This usually takes place due to some very strenuous lifting exercise but also can occur due to laughing or sneezing!

The occurrence of a subconjunctival haemorrhage can also be closely linked to the consumption of pills which thin the blood such as aspirin.

Treating Subconjunctival Haemorrhage

Now, considering the fact that such a haemorrhage has the potential to look quite scary, it may be natural for a person to react proactively. However, in many cases this is not required at all. As a matter of fact, the issue clears up within a couple of weeks at the maximum and a week and a half, on average. If this does not happen to be the case, it is a signal that a medical professional should take a look at the patient's eye.

In many instances, a person may not even get to know that he or she is suffering from a subconjunctival haemorrhage as there is no effect on the vision of the person and he or she would probably get to know that this is the case by taking a look in the mirror or being informed of his or her eye looking red.

In order to treat a subconjunctival haemorrhage in an effective manner, the first thing to be done by a person is to avoid any medication which could be causing it. Also, it is quite important not to rub one's eye as this really does slow down the healing process.

Artificial tears help soothe the eye but they do not hasten the rate of repair. A subconjunctival haemorrhage may occur, but if a person follows the right steps, his or her vision can consistently remain 20/20!

Hair fall also known as alopecia is a problem encountered by millions of men and women worldwide. Hair fall can be a very distressing problem and can make you feel depressed. Hair fall may happen due to several reasons. Finding out the root cause of your hair fall will help you to deal with your problem more efficiently. Following are some causes that could be the reason for your hair fall:

1. For some people hair fall may be a hereditary problem.
2. Hormonal imbalance may at times lead to hair fall.
3. Stress can be a leading cause of hair loss.
4. Frequent use of hair styling tools may cause your hair to fall rapidly.
5. Consuming steroids like birth control pills very often may result in uncontrolled hair fall.
6. A diet with insufficient amount of protein can trigger hair fall.

But there is no reason for you to be disheartened, because there are many treatments available for controlling hair fall. Homeopathy offers promising remedies for reducing hair fall.

Some of the treatment methods are mentioned below:

1. If your hair fall is due to scalp diseases like dandruff or eczema then your homeopathic physician may recommend you medicines like Psorinum.
2. Your doctor may recommend you medicines like Pulsatilla or Sepia Officinalis, if hair loss happens due to childbirth or after menopause.
3. If hair fall is due to alopecia then your doctor may recommend you medicines like Calcrea Carbonica.
4. Homeopathic medicines like Fluoric acid are used for growing back your hair if bald spots appear on your scalp due to hair fall.
5. Medicines like Lycopodium are used for growing back your hair in case of complete baldness.
6. Silicea is a common homeopathic medicine prescribed for hair fall in case of young people.

Hair fall must not be ignored. You may consider visiting a homeopathic doctor if your hair is falling at an alarming rate.