Dr. Sukanya Prakash

The disruption of the normal female cycles of menstruation and ovulation after the age of 45 and the loss of her ability to conceive naturally is known as menopause. The associated symptoms of menopause are heat flushes, insomnia, weight gain, depression, nausea and fatigue. While hormone replacement therapy is the most common procedure to provide relief from menopausal symptoms, natural homeopathic remedies can also be used for the same. These remedies are completely safe as opposed to hormone replacement therapy which has a number of side effects.

The following homeopathic medicines and remedies can be used to treat menopause:

1. A balanced diet which provides you with optimal nutrition can be helpful in treating menopausal symptoms. When you get enough vitamins and minerals, the physical discomfort caused by the symptoms can be reduced greatly.
2. Phosphorus can help with migraines, extreme sweating, numb hands, fast pulse, memory problems and dry and itchy skin. Foods high in phosphorus content are meat, fish, cheese, nuts and seeds of pumpkins, sunflowers etc.
3. Excessive deposition of fat can interfere with the hormonal cycles and cause imbalances in the level of estrogen and progesterone. So, regular yoga and exercise can be helpful.
4. Amylenum nitrosum can provide relief from profuse sweating, shortness of breath and palpitations.
5. Phytoestrogen or dietary estrogen is a compound found in foods such as soybeans, oats, barley, carrots, fenugreek, rice etc. Phytoestrogen can provide natural relief from menopausal symptoms.
6. Aurum metallicum is used to get the tissues and organs to function normally again and control feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia.
7. Aconitum napellus (wolf's bane) is a flowering plant and its extracts can reduce panic attacks, heat flushes, over excitability and depressive symptoms.
8. Argentum nitricum is a nitrate compound of silver which is used to control excessive bleeding in the pre-menstrual stages.
9. Belladonna (deadly nightshade) is beneficial for a large number of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, insomnia, frequent urination, osteoporosis, abnormal weight gain and other nervous disorders.
10. Bryonia alba, a flowering plant, is used as a remedy for vaginal infections, rashes and vaginal dryness that are common during menopause.
11. Natrum muriaticum, in small amounts, helps to reduce stress. Stress can cause problems in thyroid function, cognitive functioning, digestive system functioning and it can elevate blood pressure levels rapidly.
12. Nux vomica (strychnine) is a common homeopathic medicine for nausea, vomiting and indigestion. These problems are seen frequently in menopausal women, especially after meals at night.

Related Tip : "Is Postmenopausal Bleeding Normal??"

Tobacco kills irrespective of religion, culture, gender and age. Thus, in order to create awareness regarding the hazardous effects of consuming tobacco an initiative was started in 1987 by the World Health Organization.

Tobacco is the chief ingredient of cigarette and there are over 4000 chemicals compounds created by burning cigarette, 69 of those are known to cause cancer as well as damage the heart and its blood vessels! 6 of these chemicals and their actual usage and side effects are listed below:

1. Nicotine: A naturally occurring chemical in tobacco, which when reaches your brain triggers adrenaline, by increasing your blood pressure and gives you a high. It is a chemical which makes you addictive to cigarette.

2. Arsenic: A common chemical used in rat poison. Exposure to high levels of arsenic can be fatal. Over time, it accumulates in smokers’ bodies and can lead to liver and kidney damage, irregular heartbeat and shortage of red and white blood cells.

3. Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong smelling chemical which is used to preserve dead bodies and is found in cigarette smoke. Short term exposure to it can cause nausea, skin irritation and burning in eyes, nose and throat, it is a lesser known fact that long term exposure to it can cause cancer.

4. Benzene: A flammable liquid commonly found in gasoline, coal tar and crude oil. Long term exposure to Benzene decreases red blood cells, damages bone marrow and increases your risk of blood cancer (leukemia).

5. Polonium: A highly radioactive substance and regular consumption can cause diarrhea, vomiting and hair fall. Over time it causes severe damage to kidney and liver along with your DNA.

6. Cyanide: The most lethal type of poison, which prevents the body to use and absorb oxygen when inhaled.

Would you still want to hang till death? I doubt. It’s never too late to quit! Seek help now on Lybrate. Share this with your friends and family to spread awareness about how deadly every single cigarette is.

Sex drive is nothing, but the desire to have sexual interaction, but this desire might get badly affected by several reasons. Lower sex-drive can be found both in women and men, but the reasons might vary at times. In this case, sexual thoughts can be decreased as a result of which you will not get the energy and enthusiasm in getting physical with your partner.

Probable causes for a lower sex-drive

1. Excessive medications: If you are taking excessive drugs, then your sexual desire might get badly affected.  There are many medicines that can invite libido loss as a result of which sexual desire gets decreased. Therefore, you should take only prescribed drugs , but with limited dosage only. Sometimes, excessive intake of antidepressants may cause the libido to decrease a lot.

2. Unhealthy lifestyle: If you are addicted to smoking or alcohol consumption, then you will face a completely unhealthy lifestyle, and this might lead to a decrease in the libido amount in both males and females.

3. Excessive stress: If your mind is filled with acute stress, depression and tension due to either personal or professional affairs, then you will never be able to concentrate on sexual arousal part and thus your sex life will get greatly hampered. This is the reason you have to regulate your mental stress so that you can get erotic thoughts in your mind.

4. Relationship troubles: If you have got relationship troubles due to misunderstandings, then you will never be able to enjoy your sex life peacefully. Sexual thoughts will not hit your mind and thus you will not get involved in any physical interaction with your partners. Therefore, you have to resolve all misunderstandings with your partner and then only you can get a successful love life.

5. Hormonal problems: Hormonal fluctuations often lead to decrease in libido and thus sexual desire gets badly affected. You can now get necessary treatments so that sexual hormones can be effectively balanced.

6. Age: With the increase in age, desire for lovemaking automatically gets decreased and this is quite common. Not only your energy levels will get decreased, but your testosterone levels will also get diminished and thus you will feel tired and will not be able to participate in sexual interaction.

7. Chronic medical conditions: If you have got any chronic diseases or health issues, then also your sex life will get interrupted and you will not have the desire to have sex.

Congratulations, that your Urine pregnancy test is positive and white stork will be visiting you soon! So it's your fourth week and you are advised an ultrasound in the coming week. With all the questions coming in your mind on what to expect from the ultrasound in regards to a normal pregnancy, I am here to help you month-wise. (Know more about dietary facts in pregnancy)

In the First Month (Learn more about First Trimester)

On ultrasound you will see the pregnancy sac and the doctor would describe the same as the womb-pregnancy sac. This highlights that the pregnancy is not ectopic (pregnancy outside the womb).Cheers! You will be called again a week or two later to see the further developments of the baby.

In the Second Month

On ultrasound you can now see a fetal node and the doctor makes you hear a typical galloping horse like sound-that's the fetal heart beat- the heart beat of your baby. You can also see a small ring like structure in the pregnancy sac which is yolk sac. It takes care in terms of nutrition until the placenta is formed

In the Third Month

You are asked to give your Dual test- a blood test which tests for hormones like B hcg and PAPP-A which indirectly indicate whether the baby has chromosomal abnormalities or risk of growth restriction later on. You will be told to have an 11-13 weeks scan .In this scan ,markers for chromosomal abnormalities like Nasal bone, Nuchal; translucency(fluid behind the neck) ,blood flow through the liver(Ductus venosus) , Tricuspid regurgitation along with Length of the baby and heart rate will be studied .During the ultrasound you will be shown the structure of the baby from head to toe. At the end you will be counselled whether you are a low risk or high risk for getting a baby with chromosomal abnormalities(especially Down Syndrome).

And if all is well you are called for the next scan at 5th month.

In the Fifth Month

This is the anomaly scan or Level 2 scan. You will notice your baby has grown significantly since you last saw. The doctor will see the structure of the baby including the brain and heart .The location of your placenta will also be reported. It you have a quadruple test/ triple test ,the results will be interpreted and explained.

If its a thumbs up, you are advised to follow up with your obstetrician and come for an ultrasound at 8th month if everything continues to be as expected.

In the Eighth Month

This scan checks the growth of the baby and the fluid around it. The medical experts check the blood flow through the essential structures like the brain,liver and umbilcal cor (fetal Dopplers ). The same is done to reassure you or decide further management. In some cases , this scan may be pre-pond starting at 7th month.

3D/4D Ultrasound

If along with the expertise, there is a high end ultrasound machine , you get a chance to see your baby moving/dancing/thumb-sucking in 4 dimensions. You and your hubby will surely fight over the nosy -its alike yours or your hubby's! And the experience is awesome and ever cherishing.