Infants often suffer from certain diseases which need proper care and timely treatment for quick recovery. At times, it can be difficult to communicate with an infant and understand his/her needs and problems but with a close observation you will surely be able to detect any alteration in the baby's behavior and sense it when he/she is ill. Here are some of the most common diseases infants are susceptible to and what you can do about them.

1. Abdominal distension
It is normal for a baby's belly to stick out after he/she has been fed, but if between feedings there is swelling in the abdomen or it feels hard, it can be an indication of a problem. If this symptom is accompanied by vomiting and absence of bowel movements for more than two days, your baby may be suffering from abdominal distention. This condition may have been caused by swallowing of extra air by the baby while crying or feeding. In such a situation, a pediatrician should be consulted for proper diagnosis and treatment.

2. Jaundice
It is common among newborns to develop mild forms of jaundice as the undeveloped liver is often not able to eliminate the chemical bilirubin from the blood. Mostly, this situation proves to be harmless till the level of bilirubin reaches a certain limit. After that, the disease must be properly treated to avoid damage to the baby's brain or nervous system.

3. Rsv infection
Rsv or respiratory syncytial virus is responsible for causing respiratory problems among infants. Rsv infection usually affects the bronchial passage and shows symptoms like cough, runny nose and mild fever which may even lead to bronchitis. Moreover, this infection may also develop into viral pneumonia, which makes it more important to consult a pediatrician if your baby shows any of the above symptoms.

4. Diarrhea
Infants are susceptible to watery bowel movements due to the action of virus, allergens, specific medications or bacteria. If you observe that your baby is passing stools more often than usual and it is watery, then it may be a case of diarrhea. Sometimes, these symptoms are accompanied by high fever, abdominal pain, lethargy, vomiting, dry eyes and mouth etc. In this situation you should consult your pediatrician and focus on replacing the fluids your baby has lost, to prevent dehydration.

4 Common Diseases that Babies are Susceptible To

Infection is generally understood as the invasion into the body tissues by certain foreign bodies, such as bacteria, parasite and virus. They are transmissible diseases and can be transmitted from one person to the other via sneezing, coughing or physical contact. They can be mild, moderate or severe.

1. They can be acute that is can last for a short time or chronic that lasts for a long time or a latent infection that may not cause any symptoms at first but reactivates and resurfaces over a period of time.

2. Although each infection has its own distinct symptom, generally these symptoms include fever, swelling, redness, inflammation, burning, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, muscular pain, nausea, vomiting, rapid pulse or rapid breathing.

3. If the patient has severe headache, difficulty in breathing, painful swelling, and unexplained prolonged fever or cough, he or she should immediately consult a doctor.

Conventional drugs that are given to treat infections like antibiotics, antiviral, antihistamines and steroids have many side effects on the human body . They, on one hand hampers the digestive power of the system and on the other hand lower the immunity power of the body. In the long run, these medicines can have adverse effects on the body. Though conventional drugs suppress the disease for some time, the disease tends to resurface in future.

However, Homeopathy has been found to be a great success in treating both acute and chronic infections. The best part is that, there are no side effects of this treatment and the disease is cured permanently. Homeopathy also boosts our immune system so that the body naturally develops the strength to fight against infections in future, when foreign bodies invade. Homeopathic medicines have also proved to be effective as preventive measures against infections.

Some of the homeopathic medicines for the treatment of most common infections are discussed below:
1. Throat infections - Belladonna, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Phytolacca, and Mercurius are most commonly administered to cure throat infections.
2. Skin infection - Common homeopathic remedies are Sulphur, Calendula, Hypericum, Silica, and Hepar sulfuris.
3. Bladder infection - Berberis, Chimaphila, Hydrastis, Apis, Cantharis, and Sarsaparilla are commonly prescribed.
4. Stomach infection - Arsenic album, Nux vomica, Carbo veg, Lycopodium, and Pulsatilla are commonly recommended
5. Sinus infection - Kali bichromicum, Pulsatilla, Mercurius, Natrum muriaticum, and Allium cepa work well in cases of sinus infections.

Note: Although, the names of the medicines have been mentioned here, still it is strongly recommended that no medicine should be consumed without consulting a homeopathic doctor. The  potency and dosage of the medicine will vary from person to person and can only be decided by a trained practitioner.

Homeopathy Treatment for Infection  - Effective Alternatives

Abdominal pain can be triggered by a number of factors. Sometimes, it's mild enough to be overlooked while at others, the pain can be debilitating. Most abdominal problems start with the same symptoms and hence the cause of this pain can be a little difficult to pin point. In many cases, the location of the pain can help understand the factors that are triggering it.

Generalized pain can be simply be triggered by indigestion. On the other hand, it could also be a symptom of a number of illnesses like irritable bowel syndrome, appendicitis, viral gastroenteritis and intestinal obstructions etc. However, the former are more common. This type of pain resolves itself without medical intervention.

In other cases, abdominal pain can be localized to the upper or lower abdomen on the right or left side or in the centre of the abdomen. This sort of pain is usually sporadic and comes and goes with great intensity. In most cases, this sort of pain is a symptom of a serious problem and should not be ignored. One of the most common examples of localized abdominal pain is the pain caused by appendicitis in its later stages. Severe pain that is located just above the centre of the belly button could be a sign of pancreatitis. A burning sensation and severe cramps in the center of the stomach could point towards stomach ulcers that could cause perforations if left untreated. Other causes for this type of pain include endometriosis, ovarian cysts, angina, kidney infections and a spleen infection.

Mild stomach pain whether localized or general can be relieved using home remedies and does not often require medication. However, if the pain is severe or if it comes on suddenly, you must immediately consult a doctor. Another reason to consult a doctor is if the pain persists for more than 24 hours. If the pain is accompanied by black or bloody stools or vomiting and nausea, do not ignore it. Black stools are often an indicator of the presence of blood in the digestive tract. Abdominal pain that worsens with movement or is tender to touch is also something that should be shown to a doctor. Other reasons to consult a doctor are abdominal pain with persistent vomiting following meals and unexplained weight loss and a loss of appetite.

The bottom line is, that when it comes to abdominal pain, it's better to consult a doctor and be told that there's nothing to worry about rather than self medicate and wait for it to worsen.

Abdominal Pain & When To Consult A Doctor

Infection is generally understood as the invasion into the body tissues of an organism by certain foreign bodies such as bacteria, parasite, and virus. They are transmissible diseases and can be transmitted from one person to the other via sneezing, coughing or physical contact. They can be mild, moderate or severe.

*They can be acute, that is, can last for a short time, or chronic that lasts for a long time, or a latent infection that may not cause any symptoms at first but reactivates and resurfaces over a period of time.

* Although each infection has its own distinct symptom. Generally, these symptoms include fever, swelling, redness, inflammation, burning, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, muscular pain, nausea, vomiting, rapid pulse or rapid breathing.

* If the patient has a severe headache, difficulty in breathing, painful swelling and unexplained prolonged fever or cough, he or she should immediately consult a doctor.

Conventional drugs that are given to treat infections like antibiotics, antiviral, antihistamines and steroids have many side effects on the human body. They on one hand hamper the digestive power of the system and on the other hand lower the immunity power of the body. In the long run, these medicines can have adverse effects on the body. Though conventional drugs suppress the disease for some time, the disease tends to resurface in the future.

However, Homeopathy has been found to be of great success in treating both acute and chronic infections. The best part is that, there is no side effect. Homeopathy also boosts our immune system so that the body naturally develops the strength to fight against infections in future, when foreign bodies invade. Homeopathic medicines have also proved to be effective as preventive measures against infections.

Some of the Homeopathic medicines for the treatment of most common infections are discussed below:

1. Throat infections - Belladonna, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Phytolacca, and Mercurius are most commonly administered to cure throat infections.
2. Skin infection - Common homeopathic remedies are Sulphur, Calendula, Hypericum, Silica, and Hepar sulfuris.
3. Bladder infection - Berberis, Chimaphila, Hydrastis, Apis, Cantharis, and sarsaparilla are commonly prescribed.
4. Stomach infection - Arsenic album, Nux vomica, Carbo veg, Lycopodium, and Pulsatilla are commonly recommended.
5. Sinus infection - Kali bichromicum, Pulsatilla, Mercurius, Natrum muriaticum, and Allium cepa work well in cases of sinus infections.

Most of the Homeopathy medicines are prescribed on the basis of symptoms observed. So, Homeopathic medicines are prescribed, even before the definitive diagnosis is made. Thus, the time saved prevents the infection from spreading, and the patient is automatically cured rapidly.

Homeopathy Treatment For Infections

Measures to be taken before surgery for fast recovery from Abdominal Surgery.

Ancillary measures

Take regular walks several times daily to prevent blood clots and help the bowels moving.
Avoid climbing the stairs every day, at least for the first ten days. 
Avoid strenuous exercise such as lifting, carrying, pulling, or moving heavy objects (more than 5 pounds) until your surgeon advises as it may open the sutures due to pressure. Avoid lifting anything over a certain weight for at least six weeks after your operation.
Maintaining a good posture will help your wound heal correctly. Use a comfortable pillow while sitting to give rest to the operated site.
Take good sleep and proper rest for a quick recovery as most of the repair and healing occurs during sleep.
Avoid straining with bowel movements by eating a high-fiber diet or taking stool softeners to avoid constipation.
An abdominal binder can also help with the recovery process. These help keep everything in place and can decrease the possibility of a hernia.
A gradual return to work may be advised because sudden resume to work may cause opening of sutures and delay the process of healing.
Use table that easily wheels away from the bed but can also straddle the bed. This will allow you to read, use the computer, and eat without putting any pressure on your stomach or twisting around.
Cough and sneeze carefully by applying pressure to the incision with your hands or a pillow to avoid reopening of the surgical incision.
Improper dressing or not maintaining hygiene during dressing and keeping dressing unchanged for a longer period of time may lead to infection which may cause delayed healing. Thus, in order to prevent this a gentle wash with soap and water is required to avoid infection.
Dietary measures

A protein-rich diet should be consumed in order to hasten wound healing.
Have a liquid diet with lots of vitamins as vitamin C and zinc help with healing. Also, include B12 and Iron   as both aid bone marrow in forming new blood cells.
Intake of Fiber and probiotics help boost the immune system and also keeps your digestive tract moving along.
Have plenty of water-this will help the recovery process and removal of toxins from the body.
Try sitting in the sunlight as it will help with getting some extra Vitamin D.
Keep control over sugar levels if you are diabetic as increased levels of sugar in the blood helps bacteria to grow rapidly. This will further lead to infection and delay the process of healing.

Abdominal Surgery - Recovery Tips!

The abdomen houses multiple organs and pain in the abdomen could indicate a problem with any of these organs. From a medical point of view, the abdomen and associated pain can be divided into nine areas or quadrants the right, middle and left sideways and the upper, middle, and lower quadrants from top to bottom. The doctor would usually ask the patient to point to the area of the problem for instance, right lower quadrant or upper left quadrant.

With a mental mapping of the organ in each of these quadrants, the diagnosis is arrived at, with confirmation by imaging if required. Some of the most common causes for lower abdominal pain are listed below, and the kidneys are important organs in this area.

Lower left abdominal pain is caused because of the problems in the large intestine, small intestine, spleen, left kidney, ureter, ovaries, fallopian tube, urinary bladder and their associated structures.
Some of the common issues in this area could be menstrual cramps, urinary tract infections (UTIs), left kidney stones, uterine disorders, intestinal obstruction, ectopic pregnancy, constipation, colon cancers, pelvic inflammatory disorder, Crohn s disease, inguinal hernia, and a ruptured spleen.
Lower right abdominal pain can be due to appendicitis, right inguinal hernia, UTI, right kidney stones, colon cancer, menstrual cramps, uterine disorders, intestinal obstruction, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disorders, diverticulitis, Crohn s disease, endometriosis, and lymph node inflammation.
As is evident from this list, many of these are related to the urinary tract and kidneys. Whether it is the kidneys per se, the urinary bladder, the ureters, or the associated nerves and blood vessels, UTIs are very common. And if one of these organs is affected, then the chance of the infection spreading to the surrounding organs is very high. There is a constant flow of urine through these structures, and so the infection can pass through easily.
A person who has had kidney problems would have very characteristic symptoms. The pain would be in the lower back, on either side of the spine, depending on which side is affected. While the pain experienced due to kidney stones is acute and can be stabbing in nature, the UTI would appear in bouts. The associated symptoms should always be kept in mind when identifying and treating kidney problems.
There could be nausea, diarrhoea, blood in the urine, fever, profuse sweating and severe fever, which could help in discovering the problem.
These should not be ignored and diagnosis should be confirmed with blood tests and imaging including X-rays and CT scans. The treatment would depend on the condition, and early identification of the problem leads to better prognosis and a simpler treatment.

Lower Abdomen Pain - Can It Be A Sign Of Kidney Problem?

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