Lakshmi Clinic & Dental Concept

Plantar fasciitis is an orthopedic problem that gives rise to pain in the foot and heel due to strain or pressure on the plantar fascia. This is a ligament or connective tissue which lies in a flat band, connecting your heel with the toes and effectively, providing a basis for the motion of the feet in general. Inflammation, swelling and bruising of this tissue or ligament can lead to excessive pain in the heel.

Let us look at ways that can help you deal with this pain:

1. Rest: Taking rest and giving your feet a break from all kinds of strain inducing activities can help in relieving the pain. Also, you can keep your feet elevated to help in reducing the pain in the area.
2. Supportive footwear: Using pads within your shoes with gel built into them, or using specific footwear that help in walking without feeling too much of pain is a good way of dealing with Plantar fasciitis. The shoe inserts must be rubber, felt or plastic so that they are soft for your feet. They also give your heel and its arch good support, while Orthotics pulls the ligament so that there is less stress on the same. You can also pull on a pair of night flints which will keep the foot and the ligament stretched while you enjoy a good night of sleep.
3. Exercise: Indulging in mild muscle strengthening exercise that also involves stretching and heel hooks can help in alleviating chronic pain that you may be suffering from. Lie flat on your back and take a towel. Lift your leg and hook your foot into it. Now press against the towel and pull down the towel simultaneously. Repeat at least ten times per foot. This will give you flexibility and strength in the area.
4. Painkillers: Use painkillers only when absolutely necessary and with due advice from the doctor or Orthopaedic specialist. The use of Ibuprofen and other pain relievers can help in numbing the pain-inducing nerves in the brain and give you instant relief.
5. Anti-inflammatory drugs: Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication that can bring down the swelling for more comfortable functioning when you are on your feet. Naproxen is one such drug that helps in bringing down the inflammation. Also, corticosteroid injections can relieve severe pain.
6. Surgery: Heel spur removal or Plantar fascia release are some of the surgical options for chronic and severe cases.

Taking care of your feet is a matter of ensuring that you look into the slightest discomfort and report the same to a doctor.

Gastric acids are chemicals provided by your stomach to aid digestion. But the corrosive effects they induce are counteracted by the secretion of other chemicals. It is when the secretion of these chemicals is impaired that it leads to damaged stomach lining, causing acidity, also known as acid reflux.

Ayurveda promises some easy home treatments for acidity which are quite efficient in ensuring fast recovery for you. You can use any of these listed Ayurvedic treatments if you suffer from acidity.

1. Amla powder (Indian Gooseberry) and honey

Soak one teaspoonful of amla powder in half a cup of water. Add honey and stir and drink empty stomach in the morning. Repeat similarly for the evening.

2. Cumin seeds

You can reduce cumin seeds to their powder form, then you have to add half a spoon of it to water; presumably, one liter. Then, keep the solution boiling then filter it. You will have to make sure that you drink this solution instead of normal water. Take this water based solution everyday till recovery. This is quite an effective remedy for acidity.

3. Mulethi (liquorice) and honey

You can reduce liquorice root to powder, then to half a spoon of this powder add little honey to form paste. Lick to consume this paste twice daily after meals. Liquorice neutralizes the acids quickly to give relief.

4. White pumpkin juice

Take white pumpkin peel and slice it and make a pulpy juice out of it. Half a cup twice daily gives fast recovery from gastritis and acidity. Alternatively you may eat sweet made of pumpkin (peetha ki methai) after meals.

5. Buttermilk

You can take half a glass of buttermilk and add a pinch of each asafetida and turmeric to it. With it, also take care to add a tiny amount of fenugreek and drink it at night, to make the most of its benefits.

6. Jaggery

You can try taking boiled ash gourd with jaggery. This relieves the burning sensation in the stomach to a considerable extent.

Premature ejaculation or early ejaculation is the expelling of semen with minimum sexual stimulation, almost immediately after (or sometimes before) sexual penetration. This is a common sexual problem for men below the age of 45 in addition to erectile dysfunction. Premature ejaculation can be a result of several physical and psychological factors.
If the root cause is not serious, the problem can be solved by a few simple techniques, such as:

1. Breathing exercises

Relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and meditative practices can help you to concentrate. It also moderates the tension and stress levels which are directly related to arousal. Avoid short and rapid breaths as they can put undue pressure on the heart and increase the pulse rate. This often results in early ejaculation. On the other hand, if you take deep breaths and practice holding them in for three to five seconds, you can also use the technique during arousal. 

2. Kegel exercises

Kegel exercises can help both men and women with their sexual problems. In men, these help to strengthen the pubococcygeus muscle by repeated contraction and relaxation. The pubococcygeus muscle helps to control urination too. If you use the same technique when you are close to an orgasm, you can delay your ejaculation. 

3. Squeeze technique

This technique is used to reduce excessive and rapid rate of arousal. When you are close to orgasm, you can squeeze the base of the penis to curb the erection somewhat so that it can build up again. This will automatically delay ejaculation. It is a good idea to practice this technique on your own first and then try it with your partner.

4. Stop and start an exercise

This exercise was perfected by the Masters and Johnson team of sexual research. This technique is also to be practiced individually for the first few times. You can masturbate alone and stop just before reaching the climax. You can practice this again and again by bringing yourself closer to ejaculation every time until the point you cannot control or regulate the process anymore. This will help you to know the limit till which you can stop and regulate the ejaculation process. You can then use this technique during sexual activity with your partner.

5. Reduce stress

The stress hormones in your body prevent the secretion of testosterone which is responsible for your sex drive. Alcohol, tobacco or nicotine and other illegal drugs used to combat stress can also have an adverse effect on your sexual arousal and cause premature ejaculation.
 

Type 2 diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction may appear as different ailments but they do have a connection. Reports suggest men suffering from Type 2 diabetesare likely to experience Erectile Dysfunction. Moreover, diabetic people suffer from Erectile Dysfunction 10 to 15 years earlier than others.

Reason: The reason behind the connection between the two ailments is quite complex. The whole scenario involves deterioration in nerves, muscle functioning and blood vessels. For successful penetration of penis, body requires healthy functioning of blood vessels, nerves, hormones and sexual desire. Type-2 diabetes hamper the proper functioning of these blood vessels and nerves, thus posing a potential threat to a successful sexual intercourse. Diabetes becomes a big obstacle in obtaining a firm erection. Also, non-regulated flow of blood through these blood vessels adds up to the problem.

Factors Contributing to Erectile Dysfunction due to Diabetes:
Complexities due to Type-2 diabetes increases exponentially when aided with following risk factors-

1. Obesity
2. Unbalanced diet
3. Non-regulated Blood Supply
4. Excessive smoking and drinking
5. Excessive stress and hypertension
6. Lack of Physical activity
7. Blood Pressure
8. Side effects of medication taken to cure ED

Remedies: 
Given below are few suggestions which, if followed, can bring your sex life back on track.

1. Consult doctor: It is better to open up about your sexual concerns and consult a doctor. Hesitating in doing so will only increase your problem. Proper knowledge regarding all your existing ailments will allow him to diagnose properly and help you to regulate your blood sugar level. You may further consult a sexologist for specialized treatment for Erectile Dysfunction. Through prescribed medicines and some therapies, this issue can be dealt smoothly.
2. Practice a healthy lifestyle: Stay fit. Reduce your extra weight. Include exercise and meditation in your daily routine. This will help a lot in improving your emotional health. In many cases psychological pressure also contribute in causing impotence. So, try to perform some stress relieving exercises to curb down this psychological factor.
3. Avoid drinking and smoking: Smoking diminishes the quantity of required nitric oxide which in turn lowers down the blood flow to penis. This increases chances of Erectile Dysfunction to a greater extent. Excessive drinking destroys your blood vessels, thereby posing a serious threat to your sex life.
4. Take a proper diet: A balanced diet pays a major role in checking and controlling the blood sugar level. This step will definitely decrease the harm done to your blood vessels and nerves.
5. Get enough sleep and keep yourself astray from the harmful effects of fatigue.
6. Talk with your partner: It is necessary that you discuss freely regarding your sexual problems with your partner. This will help you in gaining confidence, release stress and perform better.

Follow the above suggestions and choose a healthy lifestyle for a safe and pleasing sex life.

Fever is not a disease! It's a known fact that normal human body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C). If temperature goes beyond that, then it's called fever. But one must not worry every time if there is a rise in the temperature. 

Why?

The reason is that immune system is designed to raise temperature as a defence mechanism if there is any attack by a foreign body (such as bacteria). So body temperature may fluctuate between 97 and 100.4. But there is no need to worry.

When to Consider Checking?

Routine check up is unnecessary. You may consider to check when:

*   You feel the warmth while you touch
*   You feel very tired, dizzy and lose appetite
*   You feel nauseated, see rashes on the body, experience loose motion, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, etc.

Is it Time to Worry?

Normally, fever is not dangerous. However, if you see the following conditions, then it's time to worry and call a doctor. 

*   If the body temperature is more than 103 F 
*   If fever lasts for more than five days
*   If you feel difficulty in breathing
*   If there is severe vomiting or diarrhoea
*   If you feel stiffness in the neck and have headache
*   If you feel excessively sleepy and lethargic
*   If you see redness in skin, rashes or blood in stool.

If the condition worsens, it is time to rush to a hospital. There could be following:

*   Meningitis: it's life-threatening and highly transmissible in case of bacterial infection. A combination of a fever, extreme headache and stiffness in the neck is an indication that you must rush to the emergency department of a hospital near you.
*   Difficulty in breathing or chest pain along with fever should prompt you to call for emergency medical assistance.
*   If someone has fever along with blood in stool, urine or mucus, it's one of the reasons to seek for emergency medical help.
*   If one has fever and is quite disturbed or puzzled unnecessarily, then the person should be taken to the emergency department.
*   A person with low immune responses (such as one who is suffering from cancer or AIDS) needs doctor's help in case of fever development.
*   Hyperthermia: it's a condition of very high fever, i.e., more than 104 F. The person seems to be confused and may not respond to verbal stimuli or commands. It's time for    medical emergency.

What should You Do?

For mild fever, even home remedy can help. Aspirin shouldn't be the first choice and an absolute no for individuals less than 18 years. Other drugs that people usually tend to consume are ibuprofen or acetaminophen. One should also drink plenty of water. In case of a heat stroke, body needs to be cooled.
Other severe causes such as viral infection should lead you to a doctor.
 

If there is blood in your urine, it is a sign of renal illness. While this could be happening because of various reasons, it is advisable to see your doctor soon.

Following are the causes of blood in your urine:

1. An enlarged prostate - An enlarged prostate is a common cause of the appearance of blood in the urine in men who are in their middle ages or older. Enlargement of the prostate gland causes the urethra to be compressed. This prevents the urethra from getting fully emptied while urination.
    
2. Cancer - A cancerous kidney, bladder or prostate gland can also cause blood to appear in the urine. It is another major cause of hematuria but usually occurs in older patients.
    
3. Infection - Infections like urethritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis or infection in any other body organ along the urinary tract is one of the most common causes of hematuria. Such bacterial infection in the urethra can also infect the kidneys and the urinary bladder. It results in the urge to urinate frequently and also causes blood to appear in the urine.
    
4. Kidney stones and bladder stones - Another reason that can cause blood to appear in the urine is the presence of stones in the kidney or bladder. These stones are crystallized minerals that are formed in the kidney or the bladder but fail to pass through the urinary tract. They cause blockage and pain and result in hematuria.
    
5. Polycystic kidney disease - PKD is a kidney disorder in which cysts filled with fluid form in the kidneys and impair the kidneys, causing them to fail entirely at times. It is an inherited disease and causes blood to appear in the urine. In children who are between 6-10 years of age, kidney disorder after streptococcal glomerulonephritis can be a possible cause of hematuria.

If you have got diabetes, then it is quite natural that you will soon face acute eye troubles. This is the reason diabetic patients are always suggested to keep their blood sugar levels controlled so that eye troubles can be easily avoided.

Thorough medical check-up is required in order to detect conditions of the eyes. Some of the commonest eye troubles occurring due to diabetes are cataract, glaucoma, blurry vision, diabetic retinopathy and others. 

List of eye diseases caused by diabetes are as below:

-  Diabetic retinopathy

When retina's smallest blood-vessels get severely damaged due to increased blood-sugar, then this kind of eye condition occurs. Early detection of this eye condition can save your 
eyes, but if it is too late, then nothing can be done, and it might even lead to blindness. 

- Cataract

Fogging or clouding condition can bring this kind of condition, and this can only be corrected by wearing proper corrective lenses.  However, if you fail to control diabetes, then in spite of wearing glasses, your eye condition might get deteriorated day by day. Glared or blurred vision is the commonest symptom in this regard. 

- Glaucoma

When the eye-fluid is not drained properly, then this kind of eye trouble occurs. In fact, eye pressure increases to a great extent as a result of which delicate eye nerves can get severely damaged. The blood vessels of the eyes can get clogged causing greater interruption in vision. Medicines can make aqueous humor to get drained in a proper manner, and thus you should go for a proper eye check-up so that you can acquire the requisite medicines. Some popular symptoms of glaucoma are headaches, eye aches, blurred vision, watery eyes, vision loss and others. 

- Diabetic macular-edema

This eye disease mainly occurs in the advanced stage of diabetic-retinopathy. Macula is nothing but the most delicate part of retina and when it gets swollen, then you might face this eye trouble. Only medications can help you to get rid of the same and thus immediate medical help is needed. 

- Blurry vision

Though this is quite a small and temporary eye issue for diabetic patients, but this condition might turn into a serious one if you neglect to correct the same in the very beginning. You might even face blindness due to negligence of this trouble. Also, fluctuating sugar-levels should be stabilized so that this kind of trouble can be easily tackled.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder. In asthma, the airways of the lungs get inflamed. Due to this inflammation, there is swelling inside the airways. This also causes excess production of mucous. The combined effect of swelling and mucus production is that the passage of air gets obstructed. This makes breathing difficult. A whistling sound or wheezing is often heard in such patients. Often the patient gets cough due to this obstruction of the airways. This cough is a reflex of the body to get rid of the excess mucous in the airways. A sense of tightness or heaviness is felt in the chest. One cannot expand the chest fully while inhaling. This is a medical condition characterised by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea.

Homeopathy for Asthma-

When it comes to the treatment of Asthma, Homeopathy is much better at treating asthma. It is in stark contrast to allopathy, where inhalers and steroids are used to suppress inflammation. Homeopathic medicines do not aim at just reducing inflammation. They also intend to cure the basic cause of the recurrent inflammation. This way, not only the symptoms of asthma are treated but the incidence of asthmatic attacks is completely eliminated. With a couple of months of Homeopathic treatment, you will be able to live a disease-free and medicine-free life. It is worthwhile to mention here that all Homeopathic remedies are natural and do not contain any chemicals. That is why these purely natural homeopathic remedies do not have any side effects at all. Here is a list of the top homeopathic medicines for asthma, along with the symptoms when they are used-

1. Ipecac: Ipecac is used in treating asthma, where the patient experiences symptoms like heaviness and tension around the chest area. Sudden wheezing, suffocation is experienced followed by other symptoms like motions, vomiting and gagging. A cough remains constant, and the chest gets filled up with phlegm. Cold and perspiration are also likely to be experienced. A patient may feel as if a lump is present in the chest. Increased salivation is also indicated.

2. Arsenicum: Arsenicum is an efficient homeopathic medicine, which treats asthma attacks, which take place after midnight. The patient is anxious, restless, and cannot sleep because of the fear of being suffocated. In such cases, the patient dozes off a bit and wakes up with great burning sensation and sore feeling in the chest. Arsenicum is prescribed during chronic stages of asthma, usually in elderly people.

3. Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica is used when asthma attacks occur due to gastric disorders and during simple spasmodic asthmas. People who consume an excess of caffeine or alcohol are more likely to experience such attacks. A constricting feeling in the lower chest region may be experienced. These attacks commonly occur during the morning.

4. Kali Bichromicum: This homeopathic medicine is used is asthmatic patients where the asthma attacks occur because of potashes. The attacks generally occur between three to four a.m. in the morning. The patient gets compelled to rise from sleep and sit up in order to breathe. A stringy yellow mucus may be produced, and the patient feels a lack of air in his chest.

5. Natrum Sulphuricum: This is another effective medicine for treating asthma. The symptoms of asthma treated with this medicine get worse in damp weather. Most asthma attacks occur with a rattling sensation being felt in the chest. Bowel movement may become loose after this type of asthma attack. Alcohol and aerated drinks make the symptoms even worse. Such attacks are common in the morning with the production of green mucus.

Homeopathy has no side effects and treats the underlying cause of asthma. You should consult a homeopathic practitioner before starting homeopathic treatment for asthma.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a common infection in the female reproductive organs like the ovaries, the uterus and the fallopian tubes and also the inside of the pelvis. If left untreated for a long time, PID can lead to severe problems like pregnancy complications, infertility and cancer. 

• Cause: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) like chlamydia and gonorrheaproduce vaginal bacteria which travel to the interior organs and cause PID. Having unprotected sexual contact with someone who has an STD is the most common cause of PID. Moreover, medical processes like abortion, miscarriage, childbirth, insertion of contraceptive devices can also lead to bacterial infection. Having sex with a number of people, or having sex before the age of 20, or having had an STD in the past, also increase the chances of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. 
• Symptoms: The disease may show only minor symptoms or it may not show any symptom at all. When it does, the common symptoms are pelvic pain, discomfort while urinating or having intercourse, difficulties with menstruation and unusual fluid discharge from the vagina. 
• Associated symptoms: High fever, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, exhaustion, shivering and fainting. 
• Diagnosis: A pelvic examination is conducted to check for abnormal bleedingfrom the cervix (the opening of the uterus), fluid discharge or severe pain in the uterus, fallopian tubes or in the ovaries. Swabs taken from the cervix and the vagina are tested for STDs or other possible bacterial infections that may cause PID. An ultrasound or a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan is conducted to make sure that the symptoms are not being caused by other disorders like appendicitis or other kinds of infection in the reproductive organs. A pregnancy test is also done to take the necessary precautions to protect the fetus from the adverse effects of the infection. 
• Treatment: The treatment procedures of PID vary depending on the type of bacteria that caused the infection in the specific case. Antibiotic medication is used to treat the condition. In case of severe complications, the patient has to be hospitalized.