Some diseases like Bell s Palsy have a sudden onset. One moment everything is fine and the next, half your face feels paralysed. Bell s Palsy is a viral infection that causes temporary paralysis of one side of the face. The exact cause is unknown but this virus is said to be related to the herpes virus. The sudden onset of this condition can make a person believe that they have suffered a stroke and this condition can last for several months. Many people do not completely recover from this condition. A numb sensation, lack of control over the lips and eyelids, drooping of one side of the face and an inability to smile or blink are some of the symptoms of this condition.

Homeopathy has been used to treat a number of Bell s Palsy cases successfully. However, the results vary from person to person and the extent of nerve damage done. This form of treatment does not address only the visible symptoms but addresses the physical, mental and emotional health of a person as a whole. Since homeopathy has negligible side effects, it can be prescribed to children and adults alike. Some common homeopathic remedies for Bell s Palsy are:

Aconite and Causticum: Aconite is prescribed in the initial stages of this condition especially is paralysis seems to have set in after exposure to a cold draft. Patients who can benefit from aconite often also complain of a tingling sensation on the affected side of the face. On the other hand, causticum is prescribed to treat chronic cases of facial paralysis.
Hypericum: This is the most preferred homoeopathic remedy in cases of paralysis caused due to injury to a nerve. In addition to the symptoms of Bell s Palsy, the patient may also complain of tingling or numbing sensations and burning sensations on the affected side of the face.
Ignatia: Bell s Palsy can also be triggered by grief. In such cases, Ignatia has been proven to be quite effective. It also resolves excessive saliva production and frequent biting of cheeks of the tongue while talking and swallowing.
Cadmium Sulph: Bell s Palsy that develops as a result of a sudden haemorrhagic condition can be treated with Cadmium Sulph. In such cases, the patient may have a distorted face and may face difficulties swallowing food and speaking properly. He or she may also be unable to close the eye on the affected side of the face.
Bacillinum and Causticum: The medicines are prescribed in cases of Bell s Palsy triggered by the suppression of facial eruptions.


5 Natural Homeopathic Medicines For Bell's Palsy

Leading a life with peripheral neuropathy is quite similar to riding a roller coaster. Managing the pain can be frustrating at one time and overwhelming on the other as patients can experience alternating symptoms with debilitating pain. So you should learn about the various treatment options as they can help you go a long way in managing the pain.

The peripheral nerves are considered the longest in the body which extend from the hands to feet. When these nerves are damaged, you may feel some sort of pain, tingling in the hands and feet and even numbness, and these symptoms can even get worse and you may experience stabbing pain with increasing weakness. 

There are many things that you should know about peripheral neuropathy as they would help you to manage the condition much more effectively.

Diabetes is the leading cause of neuropathy: More than 70% of diabetics develop symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. So you should keep your blood sugar within optimum levels as a means of reversing diabetic neuropathy.
A melange of causes behind neuropathy: Though diabetes is the number 1 cause of peripheral neuropathy, other causes include deficiency of vitamin B12, alcoholism, traumatic injury, chemotherapy and exposure to toxic substances. Physicians may find it difficult to pin-point the cause and when this happens. This is often termed as  idiopathic neuropathy .
Medications causing neuropathy: If you are suffering from diabetes and being treated with the drug named metformin, you may develop peripheral neuropathy.
Preventing neuropathy is the most recommended way: While it is the fact that some nerves may potentially get damaged from certain surgeries or injury, peripheral neuropathy can be potentially prevented or sometimes stopped from spreading. As diabetes is a major cause of diabetes, being watchful about your diet and exercising regularly can help you go a long way to prevent diabetes as well as neuropathy.
Pain is not simply confined to a tingling sensation: Though pain and a tingling sensation is the commonest and easiest way of recognising the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, each of your sensory, motor and autonomic nerves can show different set of symptoms that you should be watchful of.
A diet may make the symptoms even worse: You can either help or hurt your nerves with your choice of foods. For improving symptoms, you should avoid food with excessive sugar, refined grains and artificial sweeteners as they may strain your nerves and irritate them further.
Whether you are recently diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy or living with it for many years, understanding a few conditions would help you make informed decisions about your well-being.

Peripheral Neuropathy - 6 Things You Should Know!

Acoustic vestibular schwannoma or the acoustic neuroma is a kind of tumour. But this tumour is benign which means it is non-cancerous. The vestibular nerve connects your ear to your brain, it is responsible for hearing and balancing. An acoustic neuroma develops on the vestibular nerve. And it can cause hearing impairment.

How does acoustic Vestibular Schwannoma occur? 
The vestibular nerve is lined with Schwann cells. Sometimes, these cells start to develop rapidly. This forms a mound on the nerve, it slowly becomes large enough to prod against the brain, and this adversely affects the actions of the brain.

What are the Symptoms?
In the early phases, the tumour does not trigger any symptoms. They begin to manifest once the tumour starts expanding. Here is a list of the symptoms of acoustic vestibular schwannoma-
  Gradual hearing loss
  Misalignment and losing balance
  Ringing in the ears.
  Regions of numbness in your face
Even though these tumours are benign, sometimes they enlarge to such an extent that they can be harmful to the brain. As soon as you witness the above-mentioned symptoms, book an appointment with a doctor.
With timely treatment and medication, doctors can reverse the growth of an acoustic vestibular schwannoma. 

What triggers this Disease?
The exact cause of this disease is not known. It could be any one of the following-
  A chromosomal anomaly or a malfunctioning gene
  Inhibition in the function of the protein suppressor that regulates the growth of Schwann cells

How is Acoustic Vestibular Schwannoma detected?
Your doctor will recommend these tests-

  Audiometry -
The audiologist will present sounds at different frequencies and you will have to make a gesture whenever you hear a sound. This will reveal the state of your hearing.

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging -
An MRI can detect the presence of a tumour that is 1-2 mms in diameter. If MRI causes pain or discomfort, a CT scan will be done.

Treatment -
If the tumour is tiny, your doctor won t prescribe medicines but your tumour will be monitored and imaged regularly so that the proper action can be taken as soon as it begins to enlarge.

  Surgery -
If the tumour is large, then you might have to undergo surgery. Not only will the tumour be removed, but also care will be taken to preserve the facial nerve so that facial paralysis does not set in.
You will be placed under general anaesthesia. The surgeon will drill a small hole in your skull near the ears and extract the tumour through your inner ears.

  Radiation -
If the tumour is small or if the patient is elderly and surgery can cause complications, doctors suggest radiation therapy. In this therapy, gamma rays are directed towards the tumour to shrink it.
Acoustic vestibular schwannoma can be treated if diagnosed on time. So, if you have noticed any symptoms, talk to a doctor right away.

Acoustic Vestibular Schwannoma - All You Must Know About It!

Cerebral palsy is the term for a group of neurological disorders that affects one s muscle movement and motor skills.

In most cases, the condition is caused due to a brain impairment that develops while the baby is still in the womb. Cerebral palsy may also occur shortly after or during birth.

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy:

The signs and symptoms of the condition vary from one individual to another, ranging from mild to severe. The commonly observed ones in children are-

  Difficulty walking
  Difficulty holding on to objects
  Delay in developing motor skills- sitting up straight, rolling over, crawling
  Variation in the muscle tone- too stiff or too floppy
  Delay in development of speech
  Spasticity
  Lack of coordination of the muscles
  Difficulty swallowing and excessive drooling
  Functioning of only one side of the body
  Neurological ailments such as intellectual disabilities, seizures, and others

Types of Cerebral Palsy:

Cerebral palsy can occur in the following forms-

  Spastic cerebral palsy - Causes exaggerated reflexes and muscle stiffness. This is the most common type of cerebral palsy, affecting nearly 80% of the population.
  Dyskinetic cerebral palsy - Causes abnormal, involuntary movement of the legs, arms, and hands. It may also affect the movement of the tongue and face, thereby making it difficult to talk or swallow.
  Hypotonic cerebral palsy - Causes overly relaxed muscles and reduces muscle tone. The legs and arms are easily moveable and appear saggy.
  Ataxic cerebral palsy - This is the least common type. People living with this form of the condition have problems with coordination and balance.

Diagnosis and treatment of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy can be diagnosed with the help of the following-

  CT scan
  MRI
  Ultrasound
  Electroencephalogram

Treatment of the condition depends on its severity. Long-term treatment includes physiotherapy, medications and surgery.

  Physiotherapy and occupational therapy helps restore muscle strength and improves muscle tone. You can try stretching exercises to improve flexibility.
  Usually, the doctor prescribes medications in the form of muscle relaxants and sedatives. Muscle relaxants reduce muscle tension, helps relieve discomfort and muscle pain.
  You may need to undergo an orthopaedic surgery in case medications and therapy does not yield positive results. The surgery will aim to release tight muscles and repair bone abnormalities caused due to spasticity.

The specialist as a last resort may recommend SDR or Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy to reduce spasticity and chronic pain. This involves operating the nerves at the base of your spinal column.

There is no permanent cure for cerebral palsy. However, the condition is manageable with the help of drugs, therapy and surgery. The kind of treatment required depends on your overall condition. While some may be able to live with the condition without much assistance, others may require immediate medical intervention. Therefore, it is best to consult an orthopaedic and get help if the symptoms deteriorate over time.

Cerebral Palsy - Symptoms, Types & Treatment Of It!

Your mother has often yelled at you for playing video games for long hours, but obviously you haven t paid heed to it. Such is the obsession with video games that they don t let you rest unless you have championed all the levels in the virtual interface. Here is the source of all problems. Studies have revealed that video games have a direct relation to neuropsychiatric problems. As a result, many health experts across the world consider video game as a kind of health abuse.

People who play action-oriented video games are at higher risks. The more you indulge in these kinds of games, the more they are going to affect the hippocampus section of your brain. It is that part of the brain which is considered to be the centre of your nervous system, memory and emotion. Reduced hippocampus volume may make person vulnerable to multiple neuropsychiatric complications. Let us see some of the signs, which may indicate the onset of certain complications arising from an over indulgence in these games.

1. You spend hours on the computer or related gaming devices and devote lesser hours for your family and friends

2. You get agitated when someone stops you midway through the game

3. You become socially isolated and show signs of occasional mood swings

4. You are unable to keep a track of time once you start playing

5. You repeatedly neglect your studies, resulting in a dip in performance at school

Why does this happen?

All of the above signs indicate that sooner or later you might develop neurological problems. When you spend an excessive number of hours on playing and navigating through the games, the  hippocampus  portion of your brain shows signs of decreased gray matter. As a result, the volume of the hippocampus shrinks, causing severe nerve related disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer s disease, dementia, depression, and overall general stress.

One of the biggest reasons behind this is a lack of self-control. Most of the video games will encourage you to steal cars, run away after a theft and kill your enemies. Moreover, if you succeed, you are rewarded. This naturally unleashes a blatant urge for the gratification of all these awkward desires in your real life too. Hence, once you are encountered with the reality, you tend to show violent behavior.

Can Playing Video Games Cause Neurological Problems?

Neurological disorders may creep in due to many reasons. It may be due to degenerative diseases, accidents, other health conditions, birth defects or genetics. The most common form of disorder occurs due to non-functional brain cells in some parts, and loss of myelin sheath in neurons, which protects the nerve signals in their complete transfer from origin to destination. These losses are irreparable, but further degeneration can be avoided with Ayurveda. Panchakarma, the branch of Ayurveda, which deals with detoxification of the body and mind, specially helps. Over a period of time, it can bring back the lost sensation in nerves. Yoga, pranayama and Ayurvedic treatments lead to recovery and relief to a huge extent.

Important facts about Panchakarma
There are 3 important steps in Panchakarma, which are followed one after another to get the result. The main objective of Panchakarma is to detoxify the body. Virechanam, vamanam, sneha vasti, nasyam and kashaya vasti are the 5 folds in Panchakarma.

Poorvakarma or preparing the body, followed by Abhyangam or massage, followed by Elakizhi or herbal paste massage, and finally podikizhi, or steam bathing makes the body ready for receiving further treatments.
Njavara Kizhi is the special treatment done in Panchakarma where the body is given a rice bolus massage to improve the joint and neuro functions.
What is Njavara Kizhi?
Njavara is a variety of rice, which is specially used for Ayurvedic treatment and massages. In this treatment the rice is made into a pudding by boiling it with milk. This pudding is then made into boluses. The boluses are filled in muslin cloth, and then using these muslin bolus dabs, the whole body of the patient is massaged. This full-body massage has excellent effects on neurological and joint functions. The deep tissues within the body are rejuvenated. The treatment is carried on for 45 minutes to 60 minutes by therapists or experts. Another form of the treatment requires the rice to be made into a paste, and then the paste is applied all over the body. But this is more preferred for beautification.

Other effective therapies
Siro Vasti, Kati Vasti, Ela Kizhi and Nasyam are all different forms of Panchakarma treatment, which detoxify the body and mind and rejuvenate the body and nerve functions. But these treatments cannot be conducted on the body on your own. You need a masseur who must be a specialist in Ayurveda to do this for you. Hence contacting Ayurvedic clinics, doctors or experts would be the best to start the treatment.

Neurological Disorder - How Panchkarma Therapies Can Help?

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