A headache can be a hindrance to any person at any time. It can either occur on left or right side in case of a migraine, be isolated to a point or radiate across the entire head. The pain can be sharp, throbbing or dull. It can either develop gradually or suddenly and can last for few hours to several days. Headaches need not arise due to a factor or condition of or in the head alone, they can be triggered because of other disorders or diseases in the body.

What are the different causes of a headache?
There are different kinds of headaches. Based on the symptoms, a doctor can diagnose the causes and the best treatment option for it. Not all headaches indicate serious illness. On the other hand, some headaches can be life-threatening as well. Primarily headaches can be divided into two broad categories- a primary headache and secondary headaches.

Primary headaches: A primary headache is caused due to conditions or factors associated with the pain-sensitive structures of the head. These types of headaches do not result from underlying illness. Muscles of the neck and head, blood vessels and chemical activity in and around the skull are the reason for primary headaches. Even certain genes could be responsible for triggering the pain. Some of the types of primary headaches include a cluster headache, tension headache, migraine, paroxysmal hemicrania etc. There could be primary headaches that last for a very long time such as sex headaches, cough headaches, chronic migraine, hemicranias continua etc. Typically, primary headaches are often triggered by poor posture, alcohol, lack of sleep, irregular food timings, processed meats etc.
Secondary headaches: Secondary headaches are the symptoms of a disease that can activate the pain-sensitive nerves of the head. The severity of the pain varies greatly. Some of the possible causes of secondary headaches include arterial tears, acute sinusitis, brain aneurysm, brain tumour, dehydration, ear infection, carbon monoxide poisoning, dental problems, glaucoma, hangovers, flu, hypertension, stroke, panic attacks, toxoplasmosis, post-concussion syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, monosodium glutamate, meningitis, giant cell arteritis etc. Some of the common triggers of secondary headaches include ice cream headaches, compression headaches, thunderclap headaches, sinus headaches, rebound headaches, spinal headaches etc.
When to seek emergency care for headaches?
Headaches could indicate serious disorders such as encephalitis, stroke or meningitis. It is advisable to seek immediate medical care for an unbearable headache which also includes the inability to understand speech, stiff neck, trouble in vision, vomiting accompanied with nausea, trouble in speaking, high body temperature, greater than 104 F. A doctor should be consulted if the pain occurs multiple times in a short duration, keeps one from working or performing daily activities, the pain doesn t improve even after the consumption of over the counter medicine and disturbs sleeping.


Headache - Why You Must Consult For It?

Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system, thus it is basically a neurological disorder. In this the nerve cell activity of the brain is disrupted and causes seizures along with episodes of unusual behavior along with the loss of consciousness. The symptoms of the seizure can vary and some people with epilepsy just stare blankly for few seconds when a seizure takes place, while some twitch their arms and legs repeatedly.

Symptoms of Epilepsy:
As epilepsy is caused by the abnormal activities in the brain cells, seizures affect the processes with which the brain coordinates. Some signs and symptoms are:

Staring blankly
Confusion which is temporary
Uncontrolled jerking movements of the legs and arms
Loss of awareness and consciousness
Psychic symptoms
Mostly the symptoms vary depending on the type of the seizure. The seizures are further classified into focal and generalized depending on which part of the brain shows abnormal activity.
Focal seizures
When seizures are due to the abnormal activity of the cells in just one area then it is known as focal seizures. These seizures are of two types:

Simple partial seizures or the focal seizures without loss of consciousness. These seizures basically alter the emotions and the things like change in smell, look, sound and taste. These also result in the involuntary jerking of the body like the legs and arms, with spontaneous sensory symptoms like the tingling and flashing of the lights.
Complex partial seizures or the focal dyscognitive seizures. These seizures have a loss of awareness and consciousness. One might just stare blankly into space in this seizure and performs repetitive activities like swallowing, chewing, walking in circles and chewing.
Generalized seizures
There are six types of generalized seizures. These are:

Absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures, are commonly seen in children and are characterized by subtle body movements like lip smacking and eye blinking and staring blankly into space. These also cause loss of consciousness.
Tonic seizures lead to stiffening of the muscles. These affect the muscles of the legs and arms and also cause to fall to the ground.
Atonic seizures are also called as drop seizures. These cause loss of control in the muscles, thereby leading to collapse or fall.
Clonic seizures are the rhythmic and jerking muscle movements. These affect the arms, face and neck.
Myoclonic seizures appear as twitches in the arms and legs.
Tonic-clonic seizures also known as grand mal seizures are very dramatic and lead to body stiffening, abrupt loss of consciousness, shaking and loss of bladder control and tongue biting.

Epilepsy - How Seizures Affect It?

Ever faced a nagging low back ache that just won't quit? You could be dealing with sciatica. Sciatica or sciatic nerve pain is not a diagnosis in itself, but is a symptom of a deeper problem. Conditions that trigger sciatica include degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, a herniated disc in the lumbar region or   spondylolisthesis. Whether your sciatica pain is persistent or sporadic, it can make routine tasks difficult to perform. The good news is that there are a number of remedies to ease this pain and improve the health of your spine.

1. Hot and cold therapy: Sciatic pain that extends down to the thighs can be relieved by alternating between a heat pack and an ice pack. Each pack can be applied for about 20 minutes at a stretch every two hours. However, this does not treat the sciatic nerve itself.

2. Pain medications and steroid injections: Over the counter pain medication like ibuprofen or muscle relaxants can help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. In chronic cases, epidural steroid injections may also be prescribed to address the inflammation and pain. Pain relief provided by medication and steroid injections can last for a few days or a few months depending on the person.

3. Yoga: Sciatica patients looking for long term relief often turn towards alternative forms of treatment like yoga. Yoga helps strengthen muscles, increases flexibility and improves posture. This is more beneficial towards preventing sciatica problems from arising than treating ongoing sciatic pain. When practicing yoga with a sciatica problem, it is very important to understand your body's limitations and not over extend your back muscles.

4. Massage: A massage that treats sciatic pain is very different from the usual massage you may get at a spa. A massage to relieve sciatic pain involves putting pressure on the inflamed part of the back and the piriformis muscle. This is the muscle that sits over the sciatic nerve and triggers sciatic pain. In most cases, 3 to 4 massage sessions at intervals of 7 to 10 days can have effective results on sciatic pain.

5. Physical therapy: Sciatica patients often find the slightest movement extremely painful. While lying in a bad is tempting, it can actually worsen the pain. Exercise increases blood flow to the spine and helps flush out toxins. Going for a walk, light aerobics or swimming are ideal ways for a sciatica patient to exercise.

6. Chiropractic manipulation: This involves realigning the spinal column and is an effective way of treating underlying conditions that trigger sciatic pain. These spinal adjustments should only be performed by licensed chiropractors or osteopathic physicians.

Treatments for Sciatica Pain

Arthritis, which is quite a common ailment among people aged above 40, is painful regardless where it affects a person, be it the hands or the toes. However, the Ayurvedic field of medicine has come up with historic ways of treating the issue. Over the course of time, these methods have proved to be quite effective, and especially popular as they have no side effects. A person only needs to spend a little time to get to know how to go about using Ayurveda to cure the arthritic aches and pains, which plague daily life!


One of the best things about Ayurveda is the fact that the solutions are generally made using ingredients that are very easy to source. For example, there is a solution for arthritis, which involves mixing a cup of mustard oil with about 10 grams of camphor and then heating the combination. This oil mixture then needs to be massaged on the affected areas. Now, isn t that simple?


The common potato, long considered to be a vegetable of the masses, also finds its use in Ayurveda when it comes to treating arthritis. If you soak a few unpeeled slices of potato in a glass of water overnight and drink this water the following morning, you are sure to find an improvement in your condition quite soon. 


Additionally, there are a few other food items that are recommended in the Ayurvedic treatment. These include bitter gourd, which is not only low in calorie content, but also very high on vitamins and ginger which improves metabolism. Consuming garlic and buttermilk is also considered advantageous. 


Moreover, you may also need to make some changes to the lifestyle habits, which have been deeply ingrained. For instance, sleeping as per a regular schedule and not going to sleep very late at night has a positive impact.


As you have probably be discerned, when it comes to health, the devil is in the eating! If a person who has arthritis makes an effort to conform to a good and healthy diet, which does not contain fried or sugary food, or even those which have spices in excess, he or she will not only find the pain symptoms of arthritis reducing, but also gain a general sense of health.


As long as a person has the patience to follow the way of treating arthritis set out by Ayurveda, the benefits will truly be bountiful!

Arthritis - How Ayurveda Can Help Treat it?

Myofascial pain syndrome refers to a chronic condition that affects a person s musculoskeletal system. With this disorder, pressure on the sensitive points (known as trigger points) in the muscle induces pain in various parts of the body.

Myofascial pain syndrome mostly affects people in the age group 40-60 years.

What causes myofascial pain?

Typically, myofascial pain syndrome occurs because of repetitive muscle contraction or overuse, or due to an injury. Sensitive areas of the tight muscle fibres can develop following an injury/trauma, and ultimately lead to pain and strain throughout the muscle.

Symptoms to watch out for-

Common signs and symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome include-

  Severe pain in localized muscle areas
  Pain that worsens when you stretch or strain the affected muscle
  Muscle pain that persists for longer than usual, or worsens with time
  Painful, tender knots in the muscles that lead to severe pain when pressed
  Weakness and stiffness in the muscles
  Inflexibility or a reduced range of motion

Although muscle pain is temporary in most cases, and usually subside on its own, you should visit a doctor immediately if the pain becomes intense and severe. Otherwise, the symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome can aggravate and impede your daily routine.

What is the treatment for myofascial pain syndrome?

Treatment for myofascial pain syndrome include a range of pain management options such as the following-

  Medications
Your doctor will likely prescribe medications that include anticonvulsants, analgesics, and over-the-counter Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). These work as painkillers and help relieve pain and reduce muscle spasms.

  Dry-needling
Dry-needling is a quicker way of getting rid of myofascial pain symptoms. The doctor inactivates the trigger points by directly inserting a needle into it. He/she will then slowly move the needle around and poke it inside and out. The initial process can be a little painful, but it certainly helps manage the pain in your muscles. Alternatively, acupuncture needles can be used for the same procedure since they are small and are less painful.

  Local injections
Local injections, also known as trigger point injections, are similar to dry-needling. The only difference is that local injections involve injecting a solution (saline/steroid/or a local anaesthetic) into the trigger points. The method yield similar results as does dry-needling.

  Therapy
Different types of therapies can be used to ease the pain associated with this chronic pain disorder.

Ultrasound therapy where sound waves are transmitted into the muscle tissues through a sound-conducting gel applied on the skin. The sound waves heat up and relax the muscles, thereby improving blood circulation and removing the scar tissues. Ultrasound therapy is also effective in reducing muscle stiffness and increasing one s mobility.
Massage therapy also is very effective in treating myofascial pain syndrome. The therapist usually uses his/her fingers or some sort of equipment to induce pressure on the various trigger points. When performed, this procedure may first aggravate the muscle pain and then release muscle tension.
Apart from these, the doctor may prescribe regular exercising or physiotherapy treatment for patients suffering from chronic muscle pain.

Myofascial pain syndrome can be managed well using the techniques mentioned above. In addition, it is very important that you stick to some sort of physical activity. Talk to your doctor and incorporate these pain management techniques to live a pain-free healthy life.

Myofascial Pain - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Of It!

World Hepatitis Day or WHD takes place every year on 28 July and it is designed to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and to influence real change. WHD, endorsed by the World Health Organization, unites patient organisations, governments, medical professionals, and civil society, as well as the public, to boost prevention measures for fighting viral hepatitis like vaccination.

In the simple terms, hepatitis means injury to your liver due to inflammation. There are five main types of hepatitis and the type that you are suffering from is determined by a laboratory test. All the five main types of hepatitis are caused by viruses. Out of the five, Hepatitis C and B are quite big. Globally, around 250 million people are affected by hepatitis C and 300 million people are estimated to be hepatitis B carriers.

Fact sheet on hepatitis

Hepatitis A & E is caused by consuming contaminated water.
Hepatitis B, C and D is transmitted through infected blood to blood contact.
Hepatitis C is usually spread via direct contact with the blood of an infected person.
The initial symptoms of hepatitis are the same as those of flu.
Hepatitis can heal on its own causing no significant liver damage; however, if it progresses, it can cause extensive liver scarring and extensive damage of your liver.
Most liver damage is caused by 3 hepatitis viruses, and these are hepatitis A, B and C. 

How do you safeguard yourself against infection from these three dangerous hepatitis viruses?

The most common cause of concer is that a lot of us who are infected with hepatitis, especially hepatitis B don t know that we are. The biggest bulwark against hepatitis is periodic testing and vaccination. Vaccination is available for most hepatitis viruses including A and B, which tend to be extra virulent.

So, do take care and go for periodic testing. We are reiterating this because if you are infected with hepatitis B and are not treated you can develop serious problems of the liver, including liver cancer. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 people living with hepatitis B develop serious liver problems including liver cancer. Hepatitis B related liver cancer is a leading cause of fatality and getting tested for hepatitis can help you access life-saving treatments that can prevent serious liver damage.

Other ways to prevent hepatitis are
Hepatitis A

Wash your hands with soap after using the toilet
Only consume freshly-cooked food
Only drink bottled or boiled water
Only eat fruits that can be peeled. Don t eat fruit that has been cut and kept
Avoid eating raw vegetables
Vaccinate yourself against hepatitis A if you travel a lot.
Hepatitis B

Practice safe sex by using condoms
Only use new syringes for injections
Do not share toothbrushes, razors, or manicure instruments with others
Vaccinate yourself against hepatitis B
Take care while getting tattooed. Only use brand new tattoo needles. Also, ask for new needles during acupuncture treatments.
Hepatitis C

Avoid sharing toothbrushes, razors, and manicure equipment
Cover open wounds if you are infected
Don t share needles. Always ask for fresh needles.
Use only well-sterilized equipment for acupuncture, piercing, and tattooing etc.
Cut down on alcohol
Do not share drug needles

World Hepatitis Day - Tips To Help You Prevent Yourself!

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