Choosing a career is a serious concern for students soon after completing 10th standard when one is required to make a choice of subjects for 11th grade. While still very young, many of us hardly know what is good for us and which field is best. For most of us, choosing a career is not a serious affair until 12th grade. However, once a student is done with 12th, he rethinks -  Did I make the right choice of subjects in class XIth?  I had always wanted to go in this field after school, but nobody guided me about subjects required for it in class XIth and XIIth. So, after completing school one feels very sad and frustrated that interest lay in A field but wasted 2 school years doing B-Field, a totally different course of study.

Therefore, when selecting subjects in XIth, it is very necessary to have a career goal in place keeping the market in mind. In addition to this, selecting the right education institution in XIth is equally important. Eg.  I am interested in Fine Arts but my school offers only Science and Commerce.  So, the child takes one of these only and loses track of what he wants, sowing the seeds for future distress in the field thrust upon him. Unfortunately, not many students are able to discover their potentials and interests at this stage and end up making wrong choices.

In this scenario, seeking the help of an experienced and qualified career counselor becomes absolutely necessary who can assist in discovering your potential and aptitude and accordingly suggest the right course. Career counselor usually employs testing of three factors   aptitude, interest and personality. These aspects help the counselors in deciding the right career path for a student. With an increase in the number of opportunities in the market, the importance of career counseling has also increased manifold. People have begun to realize the fact that not all can become engineers or doctors and started exploring other fields depending on their talent and interest in alternate domains.

Sound guidance will depend on the qualifications, training and experience of the professional. It is always a good idea to first know about the professional expertise of the counsellor/psychologist on whom you depend for making a life-long career choice. Generally speaking, school counsellors are post-graduates with about 9 months diploma in counselling and guidance with a focus on school children. They may or may not have done M.Phil, or Ph.D to qualify as a doctor. Similarly, anybody with just a graduation degree in Psychology can self-proclaim as a Counsellor/Psychologist and offer guidance and counselling, charging much less a fees. For any professional you choose, the higher the educational qualifications, more the number of practical trainings from reputed institutes, and the greater the professional experience, more dependable will be the advice given by them.

Vocational guidance for students and adults is one of the best ways to choose the right career path. With a plethora of career choices out there, sound career counselling plays a pivotal role in ensuring that right career choices are made. This is rewarding, considering that an individual can choose the right career path as per the strengths and talents he possesses. Right counselling not only helps the person to grow in the job quickly but gives ample room to learn in his desired field.

Here is a list of some major benefits of vocational guidance and career counselling:

Right assessment of weakness and strength: Career counselling is typically conducted by expert professionals with years of experience behind their back. They assess a candidate based on various aptitude tests. The test results rightly portray the strength and weaknesses of a candidate. This information plays a key role in determining the right career choice for a candidate. A person can ensure that he refrain from choosing a wrong career that leads to frustration and low work satisfaction.
Right goal setting leads to better choice: A counsellor can help a candidate choose the right goal and help him to outline the process of achieving it. Furthermore, an experienced counsellor can help a candidate lay down a plan to reach the goal. A step by step blueprint of reaching the goal in a realistic manner helps a candidate to achieve his dream career faster. With right goal setting, a person can attend career success over a very short period of time.
Explore various career choices: There are vast career choices that a person can explore that are available within the scope of a person s expertise. A career counsellor can throw light on these choices and help a person focus on the right option. This ensures that a person saves a lot of time and energy while figuring out the best possible career choice that is out there. This is particularly true in cases where a person is trying to make a mid-career switch. 
The right guidance and support: An experienced career counsellor can guide a candidate to get hold of the right set of skills and expertise that may be required to achieve a particular career. This ensures that a candidate is adequately prepared before the big opportunity knocks on the door. Right guidance not only cut down the preparation time, it increases the chances of success as well. 
Search Support: While the job search is on, a good counsellor can help a candidate prepare in terms of resume preparation, cover letter, video introduction etc. They can also help a candidate with the right kind of networking to land that dream job.
To conclude, the crux of career counselling is to get the necessary guidance from a qualified professional that would help the student/adult in making the right choice regarding his career. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychologist.

Vocational Guidance & Career Counseling Benefits For Students & Adults

Swelling of the conjunctiva membrane due to an infection is called conjunctivitis. It can affect one or both eyes. The blood vessels get inflamed and the eye looks red or pink. Pink eye is the common name of conjunctivitis.

Symptoms

The symptoms of conjunctivitis are very obvious:

The white part of the affected eye appears reddish because the membrane which is affected is a layer that covers the white.

The affected eye is extremely itchy.

The eyelids get swollen.

It is painful, especially when the surroundings are bright.

A crusty layer may or may not form during sleeping and it can make it difficult to open the eye.

The infection typically affects one eye first and catches on to the other eye within a day because it is highly contagious. People in contact with the affected person are highly susceptible to contracting the infection.

Causes

This highly contagious infection is painful and itchy and needs immediate attention. The treatment is the same no matter what the cause. The main causes are:

Bacterial infection (indicated by sticky secretion).

Viral infection (indicated by a watery secretion).

In infants, it can be the cause of a partially opened tear duct.

Sometimes it happens due to an allergic reaction.

A Chemical reaction.

Immediate Action

Before going to a doctor and getting medicines, some immediate steps must be taken. Here are some things to do to reduce the discomfort and prevent the infection from spreading.

Contact lenses must be removed to prevent further infection. Infected contact lenses must be discarded or disinfected.

Contact with other people must be avoided. Direct physical contact, using the same towel or eye products must be avoided.

Avoiding touching the unaffected eye, it might prevent infection of the second eye.

Using a lukewarm compress can relieve some of the pain.

Using an over-the-counter hydrating eye drop can relieve some of the itchiness and the annoying sensation of having something in the eye.

Treating Conjunctivitis in Ayurvedic Way

Antibiotics have a lot of side effects and it does not sit well with some people. This is why a more natural approach is recommended. Ayurveda helps treat all the symptoms with zero side effects. Ayurvedic treatment is effective because it has everything needed:

Anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidants.

Antibacterial properties.

Ayurvedic treatment always works for conjunctivitis and does not cause any side effects. It is best to prevent getting infected altogether though. Using fresh sheets, fresh towels, disinfected eyewear and avoiding touching the eyes before disinfecting the hands can help.

Take Away

Conjunctivitis is one irritating eye infection which is contagious in its nature. However, it can be cured with proper care and ayurvedic treatment. It is always advisable to consult an ayurvedic specialist before going for any of the ayurvedic treatment.



Conjunctivitis - How Can Ayurveda Help?

The sense of hearing is a complex one. The ears are divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. While the outer ear sends the sound to the middle of the ear, the middle ear sends the same to the inner ear through the conductor. The inner ear in turn sends the auditory signal to the brain where the signal is processed and gives rise to a sense of hearing. 

Problems in hearings can arise if there is a problem in any of these parts. However, more often than not it is the middle or inner ear that is affected. However, there may also be situations when there are problems in both the middle and the inner ear. In that case, it is known as a mixed hearing loss. 

What is Mixed Hearing? 

Loss If there is damage to the middle ear, it may precipitate a conductive hearing loss. Now, in addition to that, if there is a sensorineural problem, then it gives rise to mixed hearing. So, in the case of a mixed hearing loss, all the parts of the ear and even the brain may be involved. There may be damage to the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, as well as the auditory nerve. 

Causes of Hearing Loss 

Since mixed hearing loss may result from damage to any part of the ear, it is necessary that the causes be grouped into different categories. 

  Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

Sensorineural loss may result from drugs, different illnesses, head trauma, malformation of the inner ear etc. Genetic predisposition may also precipitate such problems. 

  Conductive Hearing Loss 

Such type of hearing loss may result from excessive deposition of earwax, ear infections, perforation in eardrums, malformation of the middle or outer ear, as well as problems with the fluid in the middle ear. 

Symptoms of Hearing Loss 

Reduced hearing in either or both ears is considered to be delineating symptoms of mixed hearing loss. 

Treatment 

Since mixed hearing loss can result from sensorineural failure as well as damage to outer or middle ear, treatment needs to be divided into different groups too.   To treat Conductive Hearing Loss, doctors can use surgical or medical options. 

  For sensorineural hearing loss, doctors usually prescribe hearing aids. This indicates that treatment for mixed hearing loss may include treatment for conductive hearing loss as well as that for sensorineural hearing loss. So, it is usually a combination of both medical and surgical options. Physicians may prescribe both medicines and hearing aids or resort to surgical interventions and also prescribe hearing aids. Sometimes, physicians use special hearing aids or implants to treat mixed hearing loss. 

Conclusion 

In case a person is sensing reduced hearing in one or both ears, he/she needs to seek medical advice. It may be a symptom of mixed hearing loss. Getting in touch with an experienced physician is the first step towards that.

Mixed Hearing Loss - How To Treat It?

Baby bottle syndrome is a decay that affects the milk teeth in children who fall asleep with a bottle containing sugary drinks. Prolonged contact between the liquid and the surface of the teeth promotes the destruction of tooth enamel.

Causes and symptoms

The symptoms of baby bottle tooth decay are discoloration of the tooth (enamel), with the formation of yellow or black spots on the surface.

When a child falls asleep with a bottle containing sugary liquids such as milk, fruit juice, sugar water, or with a pacifier dipped in honey or syrup - bacteria present in the mouth, (streptococcus mutans to be precise) transform the sugar into lactic acid.

Normally, the saliva helps to neutralize this acidity, but its production declines during sleep. Thus, teeth are subjected to acid attacks that promote the formation of cavities. As milk teeth are weaker than permanent teeth, decay can be quick with enamel getting hit first, then dentin and finally the pulp in the centre of the tooth.

At this stage, the infection can spread rapidly to other teeth, causing significant pain when the dental abscess formation often requires removal of the damaged teeth.

Precautions

To avoid it, the first thing to do of course is to stop giving your child a sweetened drink at night or when putting the child for a nap. You should also brush your baby's milk teeth twice a day, especially at bedtime with a cotton swab and water and in a year - with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

In case, the teeth are already decayed or you have doubts about it (staining of the tooth that becomes pink or white can be the harbinger of decay), consult a paediatric dentist immediately. Decayed milk teeth may lead to deformation of the permanent teeth if not attended to immediately.

Causes and symptoms of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Infantile spasm is a seizure-related disorder that is witnessed among infants and young children. The average age for getting affected with infantile spasm is four months, but some kids might experience this disorder within a month of the birth. This disease can have a subtle appearance, and as such it is difficult to recognize as a serious condition. While a full seizure in an adult is scary, the one observed among infants can be as little as a minor head drop, along with minor body shakes. This might appear to be that serious, but infantile spasm is more serious as compared to a full body convulsion in adults. Unfortunately, an infant suffering from infantile spasm is at great risk of developmental disability, if the condition is not detected and treated early.

Anticonvulsant Medication:
There are very few medicines that are approved by the FDA for treating infantile spasms. The two medicines that are widely used by doctors include Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Vigabatrin.

ACTH: This is the oldest approved medicine by the FDA that was first discovered in the year 1958. This injection needs to be pushed twice in a day. Children tend to gain weight and feel hungry when this injection is injected.
Vigabatrin: Vigabatrin is very well tolerated by young kids and has a successful track record of treating infantile spasms. Studies have proven that Vigabatrin can tackle tuberous sclerosis and plays an important role in improving developmental outcome.
Second line therapies:

Pyridoxine: Dependency on Pyridoxine as a cause of infantile spasm is very rare. High dosage of oral administration of pyridoxine has fetched good results for patients, who do not suffer from pyridoxine related seizures.
Valproic acid: Valproic acid has the best anecdotal rate of success. However, doctors do not recommend this medicine for kids less than 2 years of age because of possible complications.
Clonazepam: This is one of the earliest non-steroid medicine for the treatment of infantile spasm. Some of the popular medicines used are nitrazepam, benzodiazepines, and clonazepam.
Ketogenic Diet: This is a decade old practice that has come back to popularity again. Studies have shown that ketogenic diet can help 20-35 % patients of infantile spasm to keep the condition under control.
IVIG: High dosage of IVIG has been reported to be very helpful in tackling infantile spasms. The dosage ranges from 100-200 mg/kg/dose ranging for about 2-3 weeks at stretch.
Surgery: The final part of the therapy includes a surgery that removes the abnormal part of the brain. It should only be considered for patients who have not responded to therapies including Vigabatrin and ACTH. It should also be investigated whether the patient has any structural abnormalities of the brain.


Infantile Spasms - How They Can Be Treated?

It is that time of the year when insects are all around. Suddenly one feels a buzzing sound or an itchy feel in the ear. To your horror, one feels a live insect is in your ear, which can be extremely annoying and is like a nightmare. Insects often get stuck when they enter our ears as they cannot fly or crawl out. They try to find their way out and their movements inside our ears can be very uncomfortable, painful and can be itchy as well. Moreover, they can easily produce infection.

In this scenario, do not try to remove an insect with cotton swab, tweezers or hair clip as it will make the situation worse and can lodge the insect deeper into the ear canal, which can possibly damag the eardrum, leading to permanent hearing loss. If an individual is not certain about the potential harm taht can be caused by the insect in the ear, one should seek medical care immediately. Insects in the ear are common reasons for visits to doctor's clinic, especially in children.

If one suspects an insect in ear, one may experience pain, swelling, blood or crackling. One may even feel biting, stinging, hearing loss or dizziness. It is best to stay calm in this situation as being active may lodge the bug further in ear or cause it to move further back or cause serious damage to the sensitive eardrum

One way to try to remove a bug in ear is by tilting the ear toward the ground and attempt to wiggle the ear. Grasp the earlobe and give it a wiggle. If the bug is not too far into ear canal, it may fall out on its own. If the bug is still alive and is not too far inside of the ear canal, it may simply come out on its own. If one stays calm and keep objects including fingers away from ears, it is likely that the bug will find its way back out of ear.

One can also try to flush the ear with warm water with a dropper or a bulb syringe. This can be done by holding head upright and stretching the ear canal by pulling the outer ear and then putting a steady stream of warm water into ear. Tilt head to the side to drain out the ear. Do not try this if one suspects that ear drum has been ruptured to prevent additional damage.

To avoid stinging or eardrum rupture from scratching or biting , one may use a drop or two of mineral, baby, or olive oil inside your ear canal to kill the insect. Finally, visit an ENT specialist doctor as they can remove the insect by special suction devices. Post insect removal, one must look out for signs of infection as swelling, dizziness, hearing loss, fever, and pain. Finally follow up with ENT specialist or Otolaryngologist for the final opinion.

How to Remove Insect from Ear at Home? 

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