Health Nest

What is Bronchitis?

A cold or the flu runs its course in a couple weeks if you’re lucky. After that, you’re back to normal. But sometimes you may get bronchitis, too.

That’s when your bronchial tubes, which carry air to your lungs, get infected and swollen. You end up with a nagging cough and a lot more mucus.

Types:

-Acute bronchitis: This is the more common one. Symptoms last for a few weeks, but it doesn’t usually cause any problems past that.
-Chronic bronchitis: This one is more serious, in that it keeps coming back or doesn’t go away at all. It’s one of the conditions that make up what's called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Causes:

1. Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu also cause bronchitis. Sometimes, though, bacteria are to blame.

2. In both cases, as your body fights off the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow, which can make it harder to breathe.

3. If any of these things describe your situation, you have a bigger chance of getting bronchitis:

4. You have a weaker immune system. This is sometimes the case for older adults and people with ongoing diseases, as well as for babies and young children. Even a cold can make it more likely since your body’s already busy fighting off those germs.

5. You smoke or live with a smoker.

6. You work around substances that bother your lungs, such as chemical fumes or dust. (Examples: coal mining, working around farm animals).

7. You live in or travel to a place with poor air quality or lots of pollution.

Symptoms:

-Cough and production of mucous or sputum are the two most common symptoms of bronchitis.
-Due to excess production of mucous within the bronchial tubes, the cough reflex is induced in a bid to get rid of the mucous. The mucous is usually whitish in colour.
-Often patients feel shortness of breath. This shortness of breath is aggravated on any physical activity like walking, running or climbing stairs.
-There may be wheezing in the chest while breathing. A sensation of tightness or heaviness in the chest may be felt.
-Exercising or running or climbing stairs is often difficult as the compromised lungs are unable to meet the increased requirements of oxygen.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor usually can tell whether you have bronchitis based on a physical exam and your symptoms. She’ll ask questions about your cough, such as how long you’ve had it and what kind of mucus comes up with it. She’ll also listen to your lungs to see whether anything sounds wrong, like wheezing.

That’s usually it, but in some cases, your doctor may:

-Check the oxygen levels in your blood. This is done with a sensor that goes on your toe or finger.
-Do a lung function test. You’ll breathe into a device called a spirometer to test for emphysema (a type of COPD in which air sacs in your lungs thin out and are destroyed) and asthma.
-Give you a chest X-ray. This is to check for pneumonia or another illness that could cause your cough
-Order blood tests.
-Test your mucus to rule out diseases caused by bacteria. One of these is whooping cough, which is also called pertussis. It causes violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe. If your doctor suspects this or suspects the flu she'll also take a nasal swab.

Role of Homeopathy In Bronchitis:

When it comes to treating bronchitis, Homeopathy is very effective. In fact, it is the most promising system of medicine for the treatment of bronchitis. Here one must mention that the preventable or avoidable causes of bronchitis should be and must be removed. It is very important that one should stop smoking if the patient is suffering from bronchitis. Any sort of pollution should also be avoided. In homeopathy, I have seen pretty severe cases of bronchitis getting cured.

Diet and Non-Diet Food:

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also eat meats low in fat, chicken, fish, and low-fat or nonfat dairy.

What is Bronchitis?

A cold or the flu runs its course in a couple weeks if you’re lucky. After that, you’re back to normal. But sometimes you may get bronchitis, too.

That’s when your bronchial tubes, which carry air to your lungs, get infected and swollen. You end up with a nagging cough and a lot more mucus.

Types:

-Acute bronchitis: This is the more common one. Symptoms last for a few weeks, but it doesn’t usually cause any problems past that.
-Chronic bronchitis: This one is more serious, in that it keeps coming back or doesn’t go away at all. It’s one of the conditions that make up what's called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Causes:

1. Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu also cause bronchitis. Sometimes, though, bacteria are to blame.

2. In both cases, as your body fights off the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow, which can make it harder to breathe.

3. If any of these things describe your situation, you have a bigger chance of getting bronchitis:

4. You have a weaker immune system. This is sometimes the case for older adults and people with ongoing diseases, as well as for babies and young children. Even a cold can make it more likely since your body’s already busy fighting off those germs.

5. You smoke or live with a smoker.

6. You work around substances that bother your lungs, such as chemical fumes or dust. (Examples: coal mining, working around farm animals).

7. You live in or travel to a place with poor air quality or lots of pollution.

Symptoms:

-Cough and production of mucous or sputum are the two most common symptoms of bronchitis.
-Due to excess production of mucous within the bronchial tubes, the cough reflex is induced in a bid to get rid of the mucous. The mucous is usually whitish in colour.
-Often patients feel shortness of breath. This shortness of breath is aggravated on any physical activity like walking, running or climbing stairs.
-There may be wheezing in the chest while breathing. A sensation of tightness or heaviness in the chest may be felt.
-Exercising or running or climbing stairs is often difficult as the compromised lungs are unable to meet the increased requirements of oxygen.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor usually can tell whether you have bronchitis based on a physical exam and your symptoms. She’ll ask questions about your cough, such as how long you’ve had it and what kind of mucus comes up with it. She’ll also listen to your lungs to see whether anything sounds wrong, like wheezing.

That’s usually it, but in some cases, your doctor may:

-Check the oxygen levels in your blood. This is done with a sensor that goes on your toe or finger.
-Do a lung function test. You’ll breathe into a device called a spirometer to test for emphysema (a type of COPD in which air sacs in your lungs thin out and are destroyed) and asthma.
-Give you a chest X-ray. This is to check for pneumonia or another illness that could cause your cough
-Order blood tests.
-Test your mucus to rule out diseases caused by bacteria. One of these is whooping cough, which is also called pertussis. It causes violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe. If your doctor suspects this or suspects the flu she'll also take a nasal swab.

Role of Homeopathy In Bronchitis:

When it comes to treating bronchitis, Homeopathy is very effective. In fact, it is the most promising system of medicine for the treatment of bronchitis. Here one must mention that the preventable or avoidable causes of bronchitis should be and must be removed. It is very important that one should stop smoking if the patient is suffering from bronchitis. Any sort of pollution should also be avoided. In homeopathy, I have seen pretty severe cases of bronchitis getting cured.

Diet and Non-Diet Food:

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also eat meats low in fat, chicken, fish, and low-fat or nonfat dairy.

What is Bronchitis?

A cold or the flu runs its course in a couple weeks if you’re lucky. After that, you’re back to normal. But sometimes you may get bronchitis, too.

That’s when your bronchial tubes, which carry air to your lungs, get infected and swollen. You end up with a nagging cough and a lot more mucus.

Types:

-Acute bronchitis: This is the more common one. Symptoms last for a few weeks, but it doesn’t usually cause any problems past that.
-Chronic bronchitis: This one is more serious, in that it keeps coming back or doesn’t go away at all. It’s one of the conditions that make up what's called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Causes:

1. Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu also cause bronchitis. Sometimes, though, bacteria are to blame.

2. In both cases, as your body fights off the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow, which can make it harder to breathe.

3. If any of these things describe your situation, you have a bigger chance of getting bronchitis:

4. You have a weaker immune system. This is sometimes the case for older adults and people with ongoing diseases, as well as for babies and young children. Even a cold can make it more likely since your body’s already busy fighting off those germs.

5. You smoke or live with a smoker.

6. You work around substances that bother your lungs, such as chemical fumes or dust. (Examples: coal mining, working around farm animals).

7. You live in or travel to a place with poor air quality or lots of pollution.

Symptoms:

-Cough and production of mucous or sputum are the two most common symptoms of bronchitis.
-Due to excess production of mucous within the bronchial tubes, the cough reflex is induced in a bid to get rid of the mucous. The mucous is usually whitish in colour.
-Often patients feel shortness of breath. This shortness of breath is aggravated on any physical activity like walking, running or climbing stairs.
-There may be wheezing in the chest while breathing. A sensation of tightness or heaviness in the chest may be felt.
-Exercising or running or climbing stairs is often difficult as the compromised lungs are unable to meet the increased requirements of oxygen.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor usually can tell whether you have bronchitis based on a physical exam and your symptoms. She’ll ask questions about your cough, such as how long you’ve had it and what kind of mucus comes up with it. She’ll also listen to your lungs to see whether anything sounds wrong, like wheezing.

That’s usually it, but in some cases, your doctor may:

-Check the oxygen levels in your blood. This is done with a sensor that goes on your toe or finger.
-Do a lung function test. You’ll breathe into a device called a spirometer to test for emphysema (a type of COPD in which air sacs in your lungs thin out and are destroyed) and asthma.
-Give you a chest X-ray. This is to check for pneumonia or another illness that could cause your cough
-Order blood tests.
-Test your mucus to rule out diseases caused by bacteria. One of these is whooping cough, which is also called pertussis. It causes violent coughing that makes it hard to breathe. If your doctor suspects this or suspects the flu she'll also take a nasal swab.

Role of Homeopathy In Bronchitis:

When it comes to treating bronchitis, Homeopathy is very effective. In fact, it is the most promising system of medicine for the treatment of bronchitis. Here one must mention that the preventable or avoidable causes of bronchitis should be and must be removed. It is very important that one should stop smoking if the patient is suffering from bronchitis. Any sort of pollution should also be avoided. In homeopathy, I have seen pretty severe cases of bronchitis getting cured.

Diet and Non-Diet Food:

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also eat meats low in fat, chicken, fish, and low-fat or nonfat dairy.

If your child develops an eating disorder, you might be unsure about how to solve the problem and how to act on it. Eating disorders occur when your child tends to either eat in excess, or eats too less. The behavior of your child is also subjected to change because of an eating disorder. It is likely for him to get withdrawn, rude, and touchy. This makes it difficult for you to deal with them at a time when communication is necessary. Here are some essential tips that you should follow in dealing with eating disorders in children:

1. You should get advice about how to talk to your child. It will help you in realizing that your child is likely to be defensive as their eating disorder is a form of coping. Hence, it is normal for a child to be reluctant about letting go of it. If your child is undergoing treatment, the treatment team has a vital role to play. However, your constant love and support are also very important.
2. It is important to talk to your child about the condition, even though he cannot accept that he is having a problem. Communication is an essential part of treatment, which you should never ignore. You should not blame or judge your child, and refer proper resources to him. You have to be prepared for a negative response from your child.
3. You should educate yourself properly about your eating disorder. Abstain from talking to your child about his appearance, even in the form of a compliment. Use ways for boosting your child’s self-esteem and confidence.
4. Abstain from referring to weight problems and diets followed by other people. You need to assure your child that you will be there for him, no matter what. You should talk to him about activities he should get involved in, in a positive tone and approach.
5. Coping with the meal times of your child suffering from an eating disorder is very important as well. Consult your child’s treatment team to know about ways of arranging your meal times ideally.
6. Take your child out for shopping and agree on having meals that are acceptable, from both your and his end.
7. You should have an agreement with your whole family regarding meals, which will help to set the expectations of everybody. Agree on not talking about fat content, calorie content, or portion sizes during meals.
8. You must abstain from consuming low calorie food items in front of them. Try to keep the meal time atmosphere positive and light hearted. Do not focus on others during meal times and teach your child to concentrate on his own meal.

While most noise is just in the background for us, loud noises, either in small spurts or prolonged exposure, can cause hearing loss. This has been happening more frequently as the levels of noise in an industrialized society go further up.

Noise induced hearing loss explained
Loud noises may damage the sensitive structure of your ear, which process the sound waves into information. They eventually become nonfunctional, resulting in a loss of hearing in that range. If exposure to loud noises continues, then this might extend to the entire range of hearing and may cause total hearing loss.

What may cause noise induced hearing loss?
Some of the scenarios which may cause noise induced hearing loss are as follows:
1. Listening to music on high volume: If you constantly listen to music or watch movies at your home on very loud levels, then it may result in noise induced hearing loss. In fact, listening to music or watching movies with headphones in your ears is one of the leading causes for hearing loss. Headphones have deceptively loud levels and may result in damaged hearing overtime.

2. Noise of household tools: Household tools such as drills, mixers, grinders, mowers, and saws can expose you to loud levels of noise. Even a quick exposure for a few seconds could temporarily damage your hearing. 

3. Occupational problems: Occupations such as construction, factory work and military that require the use of power tools on a constant basis can also cause hearing loss. The sound from the resulting friction might damage your hearing very quickly. Explosions and impacts are also causes of hearing loss in the military and law enforcement departments.

Prevention and treatment
Treatment: It is difficult to treat hearing loss as in most cases; it may be permanent, except sudden shocks, when your hearing might come back to normal. The only treatments for hearing loss are hearing aids or cochlear implantswhich can restore hearing partially.

Prevention: Prevention is the best method to avoid hearing loss and in most cases, you should wear ear protection such as mufflers or sound level reduction devices to protect your hearing. Also, practice listening to music, watching TV or movies at lower levels, especially if you are on the headphones.