Dr. Sashikala Hande

Tips to stay healthy during the winter season

Are you ready for cold and flu season? if you want to avoid being sick and feeling like you have to go to the doctor to get antibiotics and other drugs, now is the time to be thinking about prevention!

To that end, here's some great tips to strengthen your body's immune system during the winter season.

    Drink the optimal amount of water. With the winter season here, it's more important than ever to consume the right amount of water for your health.
    Keep stress to a minimum. Studies have linked high stress levels to making a person more susceptible to catching colds and flu. Minimize your stress by working reasonable hours at your job. Aim for at least one night per week to spend with friends and family. If your stress is out of hand and you feel like you need some help, let me know.
    Eat a healthy diet. Maintaining a good healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and minimal amounts of organic meats is another way to keep your body clean and in good working order. Try eating an extra piece of fruit or veggie every day too!
    Exercise regularly. It is important to exercise regularly, even if only for 15 minutes a day! get out and take a short walk and enjoy the cooler weather.
    Get the right amount of sleep every night. The average person needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night. If you're not getting enough sleep, your body is extremely vulnerable to illness. Sleep is very much like fuel that recharges your batteries! you've got to do it to keep the machine running.
    Wash your hands regularly. Keep the bacteria and viruses off your hands and out of your mouth and eyes. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer close-by for those instances where you can't get to soap and water.
    Don't smoke. Most of you already know this, but it bears repeating because smoking significantly weakens your immune system. If you want to quit and have tried everything else, let me know. I have some nutritional recommendations that can help you quit!
    Eliminate all forms of sugar. This includes not only the obvious kinds (cake, cookies and sweets, in general), but bread, pasta, rice, yogurt and commercial, store-bought fruit juices. Although all of these things are made with different types of sugars, your body still converts them to sugar, which will compromise your immune system.

Female genital sores are painful eruptions that bear a red appearance which may cause severe itching and pain. These lumps and sores may be caused due to sexually transmitted diseases and other ailments like allergic reactions, dermatitis, and other irritants. These lesions are usually found in the vaginal area and may also be caused to a number of skin disorders which all affect this region. Let us find out how to treat this painful condition.

• Recognising the Sores and Lumps: Many of these cases go unreported because the patient may feel embarrassed or ashamed to come up with the problem. But one must recognise the symptoms and the appearance of such sores so that the doctor may take a look at the earliest signs of eruption, so as to avoid a flare up and increase in the severity of the condition. The symptoms include pain and itchiness in the area as well as burning and bleeding along with pain in the pelvic area and discomfort during sexual intercourse and urination.
• Causes: There are many reasons for these eruptions. Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs remain the top causes. Genital warts, genital herpes and chancroid which is a bacterial disease, can also cause this condition. Further, syphilis and molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection with pearl shaped nodules, which can also cause such eruptions and lumps in the genital area. Apart from STDs, other chronic conditions like inflammation of the vulva known as Vulvovaginitis, and contact dermatitis as well as atopic dermatitis, can cause this condition.
• Diagnosis: The diagnosis will usually be done with a pelvic examination as well as urine culture to show the presence of bacteria. Also, other blood tests may be done to detect the presence of cysts. The patient's medical history will also be taken into account, for such cases.
• Treatment: The doctor will prescribe a host of medicines including antibiotics and anti-viral medicines along with corticosteroids and pain relievers to help in treating these sores. Also, anti-itching ointments and medicines will be prescribed to make the condition less painful. These sores may also have to be removed with a minor surgical procedure at the doctor's clinic, in case they are too bothersome or painful.
• Home Remedies: The best way to take care of these sores is by taking a sitz bath with warm water and wearing clothes that will not brush against the area, which can cause further abrasions and discomfort.

One can prevent this condition by practicing safe sex with one partner at a time. Using condoms is strongly recommended along with routine testing and check-ups. All sexual contact should be avoided until the condition is cured completely.