Autism spectrum disorders are a group of severe neurological and developmental disorders which begin in early childhood and can last throughout a person s life. It affects the ability to interact with others and also hinders communication and well as learning ability. A proper health center can diagnose the presence of autism spectrum disorder early on. Many tests are available for evaluation and diagnosis as it is a range of disorders which can have a variety of symptoms. The environment and genetics also play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder but the exact cause of autism spectrum disorder is not yet known.

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder:

Your child may not be able to respond when called by his or her name by 12 months age.
Will avoid eye contact and also have the desire to stay alone.
Have trouble understanding or relating to other people or talk about their own feelings.
Delayed speech and language skills which would affect the ability to speak.
Show unusual reaction to sound, smell, taste or feelings.
Answering questions with unrelated answers that have no meaning or link.
Prefer to play alone and would avoid physical contact.

Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation   The behavior of your child and development is first studied by the doctor in detail. The tests include genetic testing, neurological testing, hearing and vision testing among others. Doctors may also suggest other specialized tests in certain cases.
Developmental Screening   The development of your child s basic learning skills with respect to the age is checked. The doctor checks for some delays in the progress and will also monitor movement, behavior and speaking progress of the child. Some additional checks are also done for low birth weight, premature birth among other things.
Treatment:

Applied behavioral analysis   This is a notable treatment and widely accepted by doctors all over the world. ABA is known to encourage positive behaviors and improves a variety of skills in a child.
Occupational Therapy   Teaches the skills to live independently like eating, dressing and social skills. This can help people afflicted by autism spectrum disorders to lead a normal life within the society and thus relate to as well as interact with other people.
Speech therapy   It improves and focuses primarily on communication skills and also uses picture boards and gestures to improve the abilities and induce learning skills.

Autism Spectrum Disorder - How To Diagnose It?

Although nose bleeding is quite common during the cold months, they can occur in the summer months too. This is because, during the summer heat, your nose may tend to get excessively dry. The protective layer of mucus in the nasal cavity tends to dry up during the summer months, thus resulting in nose bleeding. The hot summers can also lead to allergies, which in result can cause it.

Although nose bleeding may be quite messy, it is nothing very serious and can be easily prevented or stopped. Here are a few home remedies that you can try if you are prone to nose bleeding during the summer season:

Vinegar: Vinegar is easily available in any household and effectively stops nose bleeding. Just pour in some vinegar in a cotton ball or a piece of cloth and put it into your nose for some time.
Ice: Ice also effectively helps with controlling nose bleeding. Just rub ice against your nose to reduce swelling in the blood vessels. The ice will also effectively numb the pain offering instant relief.
Foods containing vitamin C: Ensure that during the summer months you take the right amount of Vitamin C into your diet. This is because Vitamin C helps in blood clotting, and will stop nose bleeding faster. Foods that are rich in vitamin C are guavas, kale, mustard, parsley, oranges, strawberries and lemons.
Baking soda: Baking soda works wonders for nose bleeding. Just mix some amount of baking soda into water, and transfer the solution into a spray bottle. Spray your nose with the solution.
Steam: Inhaling steam is a great way to prevent nose bleeding. When you take steam, it moistens the nasal cavity and prevents it from becoming dry, thus avoiding any bleeding.
Right posture: Another way to quickly stop a nose bleeding is to elevate your head. Keep your head in that position until the bleeding stops and try not to bend, as it can just aggravate bleeding.
Whole-wheat bread: Make whole-wheat bread as part of your daily diet during summer. It is said to contain Zinc, which protects the blood vessels in the body.
Drink water: ?Also ensure that you keep yourself hydrated at all times during the hot summer months. Drink plenty of liquids like fruit juice and milkshake, to prevent your nose from drying out.

Home Remedies For Nose Bleeding In Summer Season

8 Ways to know that your immunity is low

Are you falling sick very frequently or get tired too soon? It could be most likely because your immunity is very low and your body has to fight harder to function properly. There are certain indicators which tell you that your immunity is low, and you must take quick action to avoid any major problem your body may encounter eventually.

Here are the telling pointers for lowered immunity.

1. Dehydration - Our body is made of 70% water. This goes to show how important water is, for it to function properly. Fluids help get rid of germs and other toxins from the body. It is very important to keep ourselves hydrated. At times, our body loses water, however we do not realize immediately. A good way to find this out is to keep a check on the colour of our urine. Ideally it should be transparent.

2. You are always unwell - It is a no brainer This is the clearest possible indicator that your immunity needs a boost. If every time there is a change in weather or you are around someone who has the flu/is sneezing, you get sick too then it is a clear indication that your body is unable to fight the germs.

3. Drinking water seems impure - Most parts of India doesn’t get pure drinking water and this happens to be a matter of grave concern. This doesn’t apply to only the poor and homeless; a lot of our population resides in localities where pure drinking water in not available. Therefore it is important to make sure you purify your drinking water. Always check your water purifier. In situations where one doesn’t have access to purifier, ensure that you boil and strain your drinking water.

4. You are forever stressed - Your work, family, personal and social obligations might be pulling you down and you are forever stressed or worried about something or the other. If you fall sick when already stressed, you body cannot fight the germs as it could if you are stress free. Chronic stress leads to your immunity being low and you falling sick repeatedly.

5. Your sugar cravings going up - We are all well aware that having a weakness for sweets poses a threat to your oral health and waistline. However, if it leads to a craving and you end up consuming too much, every day, it can lower your immunity by weakening the white blood cells. If the white blood cells are weak, the body loses its ability to fight the germs.

6. Your nasal passage feels dry - This is comparatively rare, but does happen to many people. While a dripping nose is bothersome, what is worrisome is a dry nasal passage. Germs linger in dry passages and one can have cold & flu frequently. Keeping a humidifier in the room might come handy.

7. You are overweight - Being overweight is never a good news. It leads to a multitude of diseases and also weakens your immunity. Once your body mass index is way above the allowed level, your body gets stuck in a vicious circle. An overweight body gives ways to health problems, which again affect your weight for instance, when hormonal imbalance happens.

8. Lack of energy - You are always tired. All you want to do is sleep, even after waking up from a good, long sleep. This is a clear indicator of low immunity. You need to regulate your diet & exercise, apart from ensuring you sleep a good eight hours in the night, instead of 8-10 hours throughout the day.




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8 Reasons Your Immunity Is Lower Than It Should Be

The chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS is a kind of debilitating disorder which causes extreme fatigue and tiredness. It is not treatable through rest and cannot be explained in the light of any underlying medical condition and hence a major problem.

Causes of chronic fatigue
It is understood what causes chronic fatigue. There are theories stating that it is triggered by psychological stress, viral infection and a combination of different factors which vary from one individual to another. Since no particular cause is still identified and many infections and diseases produce similar symptoms, it can be very difficult to diagnose. According to the reports of the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, chronic fatigue is the end stage of numerous health disorders rather than a single problem.

Diagnosing chronic fatigue
The chronic fatigue is one of the most challenging conditions to diagnose. There are no lab tests for screening the disorder and many symptoms of the chronic fatigue are similar to other conditions. The best way to be sure that an individual is suffering from fatigue is to rule out the possibilities of other disorders like major depressive disorder, hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, lupus, Lyme disease and mononucleosis.

Treating chronic fatigue disorder
At present, there is no particular cure for the chronic fatigue syndrome. Every person who is affected with the disease manifests different symptoms and thus, may require different treatment options which can manage the disease and relieve the symptoms. Some of the most prevalent treatment options for chronic fatigue include-

Home remedies and changes in lifestyle: Making proper lifestyle changes can bring about positive impact. One should try to limit and even eliminate the caffeine intake which can aid a better sleep and ease your insomnia. It is important to avoid sleeping during daytime. Another effective way is to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time each morning as a fixed routine.
Therapy: Two types of therapies can help the people suffering from the chronic fatigue disorder. The first one is psychological counseling which helps in coping with the problems and improving the mindset. Another option is physical therapy where a physical therapist can aid in creating a daily routine and carve out an exercise plan which gradually increases the intensity. This is termed as the graded exercise therapy or GET and it helps the patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome cope up with the difficulties.
Medications: It is important to note that no single medicine can treat all the symptoms of the chronic fatigue disorder. The symptoms can alter with the passage of time and may also trigger depression. The experts may recommend antidepressant for combatting it. In case the lifestyle changes fail to offer a restful sleep in the night, the doctor may also suggest a mild sedative. Sometimes, pain reliever is also suggested so that the affected individual can manage the joint pain caused by the chronic fatigue.
These are a few of the most common treatment options for chronic fatigue and helps in effective management of the disorder.

Chronic Fatigue - How It Can Be Treated?

Vomiting in infants and kids are very common. Most of the vomiting cases do not require patients to see a doctor. But there are some conditions that cause forceful vomiting in babies and infants leading to dehydration.

One such condition is called Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis. Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis is a problem that affects infants and requires the immediate attention of a Pediatric Surgeon. In this disease, the lower portion of the stomach known as Pylorus is blocked. Due to the blocked Pylorus, the food in the stomach cannot enter the small intestine. Due to this obstruction, the child experiences vomiting persistently.

Risks Prone to Pyloric Stenosis -

The disease is more common in boys than girls.

Children from white race are more prone to Pyloric Stenosis.

There is evidence of genetic predisposition.

Symptoms - 

The most common symptom of Pyloric Stenosis is frequent and projectile non-bilious vomiting in kids. Whatever feed they take from mothers is vomited after few hours. However, the vomiting is different than that of wet burps which are very common among infants.

Kids remain hungry after vomiting

Weight loss

Ongoing crying

Lack of energy i.e. lethargic

Sleeping

Fewer bowel movements

Bloating and constipation

Diagnosis -

In addition to the physical examination the following investigations are done:

Blood tests to evaluate dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Abdominal ultrasound is diagnostic to know the presence of pyloric mass and the length of pyloric canal

Treatment -

The only practical course for treating Pyloric Stenosis is to operate the infant. However, first doctors administer the infant with the medicines and IV fluid to treat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Once the baby is hydrated and ready to get operate, surgery is performed.

TAKE AWAY -

Consult a Pediatric Surgeon if your child is vomiting after feeds. He needs evaluation to know the cause of vomiting and treat accordingly.

Surgical Causes Of Vomiting In Children!

A lot of things can be done to cope with the initial stages of dementia. A person goes through a wide range of emotions such as fear, denial, frustration, and anger, post the diagnosis. Here is a list of tips that will help a patient with dementia to cope better:

Physical health: For a dementia patient, it is very important to take care of one s health. A good diet along with regular exercise and adequate rest is a prerequisite to manage this disorder.
Regular check-ups: Regular medical check-ups with the doctor are necessary in this condition. Depression and other mental health problems should be discussed with a professional.
Quit alcohol: Alcohol might give momentary pleasure from the misery, but it has long-standing implications. It reacts with the medicine and creates additional health and memory-related complications.
Allocate time for difficult tasks: With time, it can become difficult to perform even the simplest of tasks. The patient should accordingly schedule the time to perform the tasks which may be difficult to carry out. Adequate breaks should be taken while performing a task to avoid getting fatigued.
Redefine work: If a patient is suffering from dementia is still working, it should be ensured that the work is more manageable from a desk. Planning an early retirement may be a good idea in order to cope with dementia.
Be organised: Keeping track of things can get difficult with time. It, therefore, makes sense to organise all belongings systematically. Putting labels on doors and drawers also help.
Continue pursuing your hobbies: Amidst the difficulty and the depression, it is a good idea to continue doing things that are fun. While such activities might require some assistance from the doctor and family members, this helps the patient to be cheerful and healthy.
Maintain notes: Since dementia is involved with forgetfulness, it makes sense to maintain a diary and keep records of phone numbers, people, appointments, etc.
Communication channel: Maintaining a direct communication channel with family, friends, and relatives is a good idea. Sharing feelings will go a long way in maintaining relations with loved ones.
Support group: Joining a dementia support group can be highly beneficial for the patient. It will not only give the patient company but also make sure that the patient gets a lot of useful information about the disorder. It also helps in keeping the morale up.
Getting ready for the future: Things need to be meticulously planned well in advance to ensure that when the disease progresses, the patient has enough people to look after him. Things such as medical arrangements, financial assets, and property details should be carefully handed over as per the patient's wish. This will ensure a smooth run of the patients  life when they can no longer take care of themselves.

Dementia - Easy Tips To Help You Cope With It!

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