You must not let the cold and dry air worsen your asthma symptoms. The air that blows during winter time greatly affects people with sinus and respiratory troubles, and all these factors contribute to worsening asthma attacks. But thankfully, there are a few tips that can be followed to curb down asthma and enjoy a lovely winter.

Washing your hands: Doing this frequently with soap and water is one of the easiest and most effective ways of avoiding the spread of cold and other diseases. You must also inculcate this habit among your children, and when you are outside, you should practice using a hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes.
Getting a flu shot: The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that all people over the age of 6 months should get their dose of the annual flu shot for protecting themselves against the flu virus. This will help keep your asthma in check.
Avoid sitting by the fireplace: Though it sounds cosy, you should refrain from sitting by the fireside if you have asthma. Burning wood is quite similar to burning tobacco and it can irritate your lungs to a great extent.
Keeping your mouth closed: Though most people are taught this since they were children, they tend to forget it or ignore it. Keeping the mouth opened is more than a social disgrace, and it even affects your lungs adversely. You can wear a scarf for covering up the nose and mouth as it would help in making the air you breathe warm.
Replacing filters: The heating system of your home may be blowing out dust and debris throughout the house, particularly when you operate it after a long time in winter. Therefore, it is imperative to clean and check the condition of the filters and replace them if necessary.
Exercising indoors: The days when it is bitterly cold outside, it is recommended to exercise indoors in a fitness club or a gym instead of doing it in the open air.
Warming up before exercising: People who are affected with asthma are able to recover faster and have a greater lung function after working out when they are warmed up. Therefore, you should try to warm up for at least 15 minutes before exercising.
Preventing asthma flares: Before you head outside, take a dose of your asthma medication and your inhaler as these will help in opening the airways and give you the necessary protection.
Having an asthma action plan: Regardless of whether it is summer or winter, you should be aware of what you should be doing in times when the symptoms flare-up.
Taking your medications: Finally, you should work with your doctor towards understanding the cause and symptoms of your asthma conditions and follow his recommendations closely to avoid recurrence of such problems.
With all these tips, you can expect to spend a happy winter. But if anything goes wrong, seek medical assistance immediately.

Asthma - 10 Ways You Can Control It!

A great alternative to refined sugar, honey is packed with essential nutrients and is really delicious to eat. There are many health benefits of honey. It can be easily added to any diet as a topping, say for fruit salads, ice-creams or as a spread. But are you aware that the jars of this tasty golden liquid can sometimes not be honey at all but syrup that tastes exactly like honey? So, How do you evaluate if you are buying real honey?

In order to boost profits, honey manufacturers dilute their product with adulterants such as flour, syrup or molasses and even sand and chalk. If you want to get the most out of this tick liquid, you should buy only pure honey.

What Is Pure Honey?
Real honey is not produced in factories but from bees. Usually, organic and natural honey are referred to as pure honey. However, it is not always feasible to tell if the honey is pure by just looking at it. Natural honey is made only by honey bees and when these bees are fed only at organically grown flowers, the honey they produced is classified as organic.

What Is Fake Honey?
Also known as artificial, adulterated or impure, fake honey contains additives including corn syrup, glucose, molasses, sugar syrup, dextrose, invert sugar, flour or starch apart from the floral nectar.

How To Find Fake Honey?
Listed below are a few simple tips that you can carry out at the comfort of your home to determine whether the honey you are buying is genuine or fake.



Read The Label: In addition to buying well-known and reputed brands of honey, ensure that you check the label for the logo and brand name. This will guarantee that the jar you pickup is not only good quality but also genuine. The label on the jar should list only one ingredient, honey, no additives, or flavourings.
The Warm Water Test: Add a teaspoon of honey to a glass of warm water. If the honey is pure, then it will sink to the bottom of the glass as a lump or stick to the spoon when the mixture is stirred. If the honey is adulterated with any kind of syrup, it will dissolve in the water.
The Thumb Test: Put a drop of honey on your thumb. If it spreads or spills, then it is not pure. Pure honey is thick in texture and would remain intact on your thumb.
The Flame Test: Honey is inflammable and easily catches fire. Dip a dry matchstick in honey, then strike the matchbox. If the matchstick lights with ease and continues to burn, then the honey is pure. Due to the moisture present as an adulterant in fake honey, a matchstick dipped in fake honey will not light easily.
The Foam Test: Add 2-3 drops of vinegar essence to the honey and mix well. If it becomes foamy within 2-3 minutes, then the product you have purchased is not pure and contains additives.
The Tissue Paper Test: Put a drop of honey on a piece of tissue paper. If it gets absorbed and leaves the paper wet or a watermark on the paper, then it is adulterated and not pure honey.
The Heat Test: If the honey is pure, then on heating, it will caramelize. However, fake honey tends to form bubbles on heating and does not caramelize.
The Bread Test: Pure honey when spread on the bread, makes the bread hardened within a few minutes. On the other hand, the slice of bread remains soft and moisturized if there are any additives present in the honey.
The Crystallization Test: Pure honey has a natural tendency to crystallize over time because of the presence of glucose oxidase, an enzyme that removes water/moisture from honey. Fake honey does not become thick, when stored.
The Egg Yolk Test: When honey is mixed will egg yolk in a bowl and both are blended together, the yolk looks like it is cooked. However, fake honey does not produce this effect on the egg yolk.
You might sometimes be able to spot fake honey by its taste and smell, though not always. Honey being a natural product and produced from the nectar of different flowers, it does not always taste or smell the same. It is also not possible to taste honey before buying it if as the product comes in a sealed bottle or jar. Therefore, it is recommended to only pick branded or organic honey to ensure that the honey you are buying is pure and genuine.

Honey - How To Spot If It Is Fake Or Not?

With the increase in pollution, there has been a significant increase in allergies and asthma patients off late. The reason is that apart from genetic problems, allergens or pollutants play a significant role. Homeopathy is the best way to treat these with less or no side effects!

Allergens

These are types of antigens responsible for drastic immune responses. Here, the immune system acts against these to protect the body and the reactions are called allergies. Allergy can be expressed via sneezing or rashes, itching, redness in eyes, vomiting and so on.

Types of allergens

1. One could have food allergies from foods such as peanuts (a legume), nuts, seafood and shellfish.

2. Other allergens could be, but not limited to dust mite excretion, pollen, pet dander and royal jelly.

3. Some drugs, dander or even dye can also cause allergy.

Homeopathic treatment for allergies

1. Ailanthus: for those allergic to smell of flowers

2. Apis mel: for those allergic to heat

3. Argentum nit: for those allergic to sugar

4. Arsenic album: helps patients allergic to cold drinks; fruits; rotten foods, iodine

5. Bryonia: for those allergic to castor oil

6. Carbo veg: helps those allergic to aspirin; bad liquors, salt butter, bad eggs, poultry items

7. Dulcamara: act against dampness allergy

8. Histamine: act against dust and strong perfumes allergies

9. Justicia adhatoda: for those allergic to dust

10. Petroleum: helps those allergic to cabbage

11. Natrum mur: helps those allergic to bread and acidic food

12. Nitri-spiritus dulcis: acts against cheese allergy

13. Nux vom: for those allergic to coffee

14. Sepia: for those allergic to warm boiled milk

15. Sulphur: act against antibiotic allergy

16. Tellurium: for those allergic to rice

17. Thuja: for those allergic to sweets; fatty meats, onion

Know about asthma before you treat it

In case of asthma, lungs are affected causing inflammation of lungs thereby narrowing airways. Asthma can start by allergies.

Symptoms

1. Tightening of chest

2. Difficulty in breathing

3. Persistent cough, particularly at night.

Homeopathic remedies

1. Natrum sulphuricum cures children: in case of hereditary cases, this is effective. Important symptom to have the remedy is wheezing.

2. Arsenic album for all: it is effective in acute phase as well as chronic state.

3. Sambucus for children: it is given if the attack is sudden at night.

Asthma is a form of allergy. However, it can co-exist with other nasal and skin allergy symptoms. Arsenic, allium cepa and histaminum are homeopathic remedies for asthma along with nasal allergy.

Now you know what is to be given and when. It is advisable to call up a doctor in case of severity.

Allergy or Asthma Cure in Homoeopathy

The first commandment of healthy living is to eat plenty of fresh fruits. However, did you know that some fruits are healthier than others? Fruits do not have any added sugars but many fruits are rich in natural sugar. However, here are 11 fruits which have lowest sugar content.

Limes and lemons: Limes and lemons are known as sour fruits. While they are rich in vitamin C, they do not contain a lot of sugar. Freshly squeezed lime juice and hot water is the perfect drink to curb your appetite and raise metabolism.
Raspberries: Raspberries are rich in fiber but have only a little more than a teaspoon of sugar per cup. This makes them the perfect fruit to start the day with.
Strawberries: Strawberries may taste sweet but a cup of fresh strawberries has only about 7 grams of sugar. However, a cup of strawberries has enough vitamin C to take care of your daily requirements.
Blackberries: A cup of these berries also has minimal sugar. Along with fiber, these fruits are also rich in antioxidants. These berries also help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other such conditions.
Kiwi: Did you know that kiwis are technically berries? Each kiwi has less than 6 grams of sugar but is very rich in vitamin C.
Grapefruit: A grapefruit is a perfect breakfast. These citrus fruits are rich in fiber and low in sugar. Half a grapefruit contains only 52 calories and minimal sugar. They are also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
Avocado: Avocados are naturally low in their sugar content. One raw avocado has less than a gram of sugar. However, they are full of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
Watermelon: Summer would be incomplete without watermelons. Though they taste sweet, watermelons are very low in sugar. A cup of watermelon has less than 10 grams of sugar.
Cantaloupe: Cantaloupes are rich in vitamin A but a cup of this fruit has only about 14 grams of sugar. They are also rich in vitamin B, magnesium and fiber.
Oranges: Eating an orange is the best way to boost our vitamin C levels and keep infections away. One orange typically contains less than 70 calories and 12 grams of sugar.
Peaches: A medium sized peach has less than 13 grams of sugar. This is an example of how taste can be deceptive when it comes to calories.
Given the sugar content in these fruits, it would be a great idea for the diabetics and weight watchers to include them in their diet and have a healthy and hearty meal. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Physician.

11 Best Fruits That Are Low In Sugar Content!

Do you know not all foods can be consumed on an empty stomach? So, it is imperative that you should be aware of such foods and restructure your breakfast menu accordingly. Here is a list of foods to avoid on an empty stomach. 

Stay away from the following foods when you eat after a considerable gap

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits contain fruit acids. When these acids enter an empty stomach, they can lead to heartburn. Hence, if eaten after a prolonged period post meal, a person is at risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Soda: Consuming cold soda drinks on an empty stomach may cause damage to the mucosal membrane while reducing blood flow to the stomach. This may lead to a slow digestive process and difficulty in the abdomen.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods are known to cause irritation and damage to the digestive tract, and are especially not recommended for people who suffer from acid reflux issues since very spicy food leads to consequences such as acid reflux in the food pipe.
Cucumber and other green vegetables: Green vegetables and cucumber are rich in amino acids. If consumed on an empty stomach it may very well lead to pain and bitterness in the upper abdomen.
Tomato: Tomato is a fruit containing high levels of tannin. Tannin causes acidity in an empty stomach and leads to consequences and appearance of gastritis if frequently consumed in such a manner.
Fermented milk products: Fermented milk products such as yogurt typically come with loads of health benefits being full of probiotics. But if consumed on an empty stomach it can interfere with the balance of healthy bacteria as the hydrochloric acid produced tends to be destructive.
Sweets: Items such as candy or sweetmeats contain high levels of sugar and cause a sudden and sharp surge of insulin levels in the blood. Over a long period, this has a bad effect on the pancreas.
Products containing yeast: Edible items such as biscuits, puff pastry, vinegar and beverages such as beer and wine contain yeast which can significantly irritate the stomach and cause bloating.
So, be a little conscious and avoid consuming these items on an empty stomach since a little effort goes a long way. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Empty Stomach - 8 Food Types That You Must Avoid!

What is Allergic Asthma?

Allergic asthma is the condition in which the symptoms of an asthmatic attack appear after exposure to certain allergens. 90% of the cases of asthma in children are allergy driven, while in adults, the percentage is said to be around 50%.

An allergy happens when an individual's immune system exhibits massive reaction or fights vigorously against substances like pollen, dust, animal dander or certain other minute particles which are actually not harmful to the body but are considered so by the immune system.

Symptomatic changes in cases of allergic asthma:

If the symptoms of an asthma attack occur only when you are subjected to these triggers or irritant particles, your case is allergy driven.

In such cases, the airway reacts aggressively to the entry of such allergens.

The airway muscles tighten up and inflammation is observed.

Breathing becomes painful and compromised, and mucus accumulation sets in very quickly.

Coughing is a common phenomenon, as the body tries to expel the mucus accumulated.

The allergens mentioned above are not the only triggering agents. Basically, anything that causes irritation could trigger an allergy and an asthmatic attack thereafter. Symptoms in the case of allergy driven asthma are more or less the same as seen in other asthmatic cases.

Confirming the cause of asthma as allergic or not:

The doctor would give you a much better clarification on whether you're asthma is allergy driven or not. There are pretty much two ways to decipher the same:

One is to administer a tiny amount of allergen to the skin and making a note of the reaction to that. Whether the reaction is a normal one or an aggressive one would tell if an individual has an allergy or not.

Specific IgE test may be done to confirm the cause, or to test the presence of an allergic reaction in the individual.

All your queries pertaining to allergic asthma and asthma, in general, are more than welcome.

What is Allergic Asthma?

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