Asthma is a respiratory disorder, which is characterized by the narrowing down and inflammation of the inner lining of the airways of the lung, resulting in excessive secretion of mucous. The airways are responsible for the passage of air from and to the lungs. Asthma can affect any person of any age group; however, the symptoms of the condition can vary. The symptoms of asthma include severe pain in the chest, coughing and problems in breathing, interruption in sleep due to breathing problems and a croaking sound during exhalation. Asthma, in most cases, tends to be chronic and can exist throughout your life with eventual changes in the nature of attack.

The most common causes of asthma are:

    Common cold and allergies from dust particles, smoke and minute insects might be catalysts for asthma.
    Suffering from severe anxiety might also cause asthma.
    Asthma might occur as a result of physical exercise and as a side effect of some medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

As of now, asthma is incurable. But medications can control the symptoms. Homeopathic preparations can also be useful for the treatment of asthma. Some common homeopathic remedies are as follows:
1. Arsenic album: If the symptoms include severe episodes of stress and nervousness, immense thirst but the inability to drink much water, severe attacks at night and intense pain in the upper right portion of the chest, Arsenic Album might be very useful to cure the problem.
2. Nux Vomica: If the attack is primarily caused because of gastric disorders or sudden outbursts of anger along with symptoms of dry cough, headaches and stomach aches, Nux Vomica might be used as a remedial medicine.
3. Carbo Veg: Carbo veg can be recommended if the symptoms include a pale face at the time of attack along with cold feet and hands and an itchy sensation in the larynx.
4. Kali bichromicum and Moschus: If the attacks become worse in the morning accompanied by yellow mucus discharge, the above mentioned homeopathic preparations are recommended.

Asthma: Breathing Made Easy with Homeopathy

The humble, easily available banana is not as humble when it comes to its contribution to your health. And once you learn how much good it can do to your body, you will be compelled to add it to your daily diet. This god of a fruit protects you from innumerable diseases, keeps your hair, heart and head well as well as fights chronic diseases - and the list has just begun. 

Here are just 15 reasons for you to have a banana every day-

1) This fruit is high in potassium and low in salt, it is your protective shield against blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

2) Iron rich banana is extremely good for anemic people.

3) The calcium-rich bananas are excellent for your bones and help in increasing bone density.

4) For people who exercise, bananas are an energy booster and sustain your blood sugar as well as protect against muscle cramps post workouts or leg cramps.

5) Bananas help beat depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin: the feel-good brain neurotransmitter.

6) It also enhances your moods and relieves PMS symptoms as well as stress levels in body and mind.

7) Due to high levels of vitamin B-6, bananas produce white blood cells and help in building immunity as well as strengthen nervous systems.

8) Weightloss - If you swap your junk foods with bananas, you might be inching towards losing weight. As an added bonus your energy will be become more steady and consistent.

9) Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.

10) Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.

11) Extremely caring about your stomach, Banana not only soothes your digestive tract to restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea, it also helps in relieving constipation due to ts high fibre content.

12) Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.

13) Fever too? A banana can bring down your body temperature to cool your temperature off.

14) Bananas make you smarter! It makes you very alert. The high levels of potassium help your memory as well. Think about it before an exam.

15) Smoke? High levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium in the fruit, help in speedy recovery from the effects of withdrawal.



15 Reasons Why Banana is Healthier Than Apple

Food plays a vital role in lowering the cholesterol apart from timely medication. Here is a list of 10 foods that contribute to a great extent in lowering the cholesterol level:

Oats: Changing the morning meal is the first action you should take. Oatmeal can bring down the LDL level to a staggering 5.3 percent in a matter of 6 weeks. It contains beta-glucan, which is capable of absorbing the LDL present in the blood.
Red wine: You can cheer to reduced cholesterol with a glass of red wine in hand. A study conducted by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain found that red wine can reduce the cholesterol level up to 9 percent owing to a vital component known as Rioja present in it.
Salmon Fish: Fatty and salmon fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids. They are known to be extremely effective for diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases and much more. A study conducted by the Loma Linda University found that Omega-3 can increase the HDL by up to 4 percent. 
Nuts: Nuts can reduce the cholesterol by up to 9.3 percent, a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed. 1.5 oz of regular consumption of nuts greatly helps in bringing down cholesterol. Since nuts are very rich in protein, portion control is necessary to refrain putting on weight.
Beans: A research conducted by the Arizona State Polytechnic University revealed that adding beans to soup can bring down the LDL up to 8 percent. Owing to their rich fibre content, they effectively absorb cholesterol. Some of the beans that can be tried include kidney, black and pinto beans.
Cocoa: A study conducted by the AJCN reported that the daily intake of cocoa increases the HDL by over 20 percent in 3 months. Due to its high antioxidant content, it streamlines the blood flow and doesn t let platelets stick together.
Garlic: 2-3 cloves of garlic per day can dramatically reduce cholesterol-limiting LDL into the artery. It can prevent other conditions such as blood pressure, infections and blood clotting. Garlic can be consumed with any regular dish. 
Olive oil: Olive oil has multiple health benefits. It contains a compound known as MUFAs that lowers cholesterol and helps to get rid of abdomen fats. You can use it with salads, roast vegetables and marinate chicken.
Avocado: Avocado contains monounsaturated fat that helps to raise the level of HDL and lower the LDL in the body. It contains Beta-sitosterol that absorbs cholesterol and brings down the count of it in the body. Owing to its high-calorie content, portion size should be looked into.
Margarine: Two margarine can lower the LDL level up to 14 %. They are capable of absorbing cholesterol from the bile. It can be consumed with toast in the morning or as a snack in the evening.

Cholesterol - 10 Foods That Lower it!

The lungs take in oxygen and leave out carbon dioxide through breathing. It often does not get noticed but is the most vital function. When a person is not able to breathe properly, then the overall physical ability of a person is reduced. Even walking a few steps or doing simple chores can seem daunting tasks. Therefore, shortness of breath can be very limiting and may alter the quality of life of the patient.

The medical term being dyspnea, it can be short or long-term, acute or chronic. Any problem in the heart or lungs can cause shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath can be caused by various conditions including:

Asthma
Lung infections
Heart conditions including congestion and failure
Allergies
Fever
Any systemic illness or infection
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Pneumonia
Bronchitis
Given that shortness of breath is caused by almost any ill health condition, especially in people with chronic conditions, it is best that the lungs are empowered to improve their function and do not cause shortness of breath. The idea is to delay the onset of shortness of breath and also to reduce the severity.

Some techniques to reduce shortness of breath are:

Breathe by reducing the rate of respiration. This reduces shallow breathing, which often happens, and so improves the amount of oxygen that reaches the system with each breath.
The patient should learn to relax, sit, and pace around without exertion.
Become aware of air movement during respiration   controlled breathing and active cycle of breathing techniques.
Postural drainage   Depending on the area of the lung that is causing shortness of breath, the person is made to lie prone and turn to a side that will allow the fluid in that region to drain out.
Overall relaxation techniques to improve airflow and control short of breath.
Avoid bending down, as it can induce shortness of breath.
Over-eating at one go in one meal should be avoided.
Weight needs to be maintained, especially if not under control. This can lead to shortness of breath without any associated medical condition either.
The patient should learn to push objects instead of pulling them.
Heavy objects should not be lifted but moved down at ground level.
Avoid extreme hot or cold showers.
Quit smoking as it causes various lung problems.
Help physiotherapy provides for people who are short of breath:

Improve exercise tolerance
Calms the person
Allows the person to control symptoms
Improve the quality of life
Provide manual treatment

Can Physiotherapy Cure Shortness Of Breath?

Somebody in the world suffers a stroke every two seconds. Stroke affects physical as well as mental health gravely. It can be a life- altering situation leading to new limitations overnight. Such limitations can be physical or mental, affecting mobility and cognition. According to psychologists, cognitive functions of the brain encompass speech, language, functional memory, spatial- motor systems, ability to switch between tasks, executive functions like task organization, attention, and being able to employ tools and symbols.

When the stroke strikes, it irreversibly damages a part of the brain. It happens due to hemorrhage or blocked supply of blood. However, the brain can be trained and taught compensatory strategies. These compensatory strategies consist of attention increasing activities that require neurological utilities. These activities and exercises are formed in a way to improve the memory. Both pictorial and hearing skills are engaged in these activities.

Memory, attention span, and executive activities are dependent on each other and any problem regarding these affects an individual s daily life. That is why to improve the complete mental capacity, exercises are required. These exercises help to improve memory and attention span. In cognitive rehabilitation, goals are set as per the requirements of the patient and treatment is then followed. This requires some plans and strategies to carry out daily activities. These plans may consist of planning and analysis of the task.

The recovery varies from individual to individual depending upon the restoration of the damaged neurological functions supporting specific cognitive area. However, there are very limited types of treatments for cognitive rehabilitation, mostly generic treatments which depends on doctor s experience.

Evidence is found by researchers which supports the cognitive rehabilitation after stroke, in which the areas discussed are smaller than the issues faced by the stroke survivors. The studies fail to talk about the long-term results and common treatments for daily tasks. It is now really important for us to have a serious innovation in the field of cognitive rehabilitation with the amount of stroke patients increasing day by day.

Before one going for rehabilitation, he/ she should ensure that why they need it and what are their needs that are to be fulfilled through rehabilitation. Experts recommend rehabilitation so that patients are able to lead as normal lifestyle as possible post stroke strikes them.

Who are more prone to stroke?

Old age people, alcoholics, people with high cholesterol levels, active smokers, Diabetic patients, people who consume drugs, people suffering from Hypertension, patients going through transient ischemic attack (TIA) are all very much prone to a stroke.

It is also very important to consult a doctor after stroke. He will advise you the best possible way to treat the problem. 

Take away

Stroke these days can happen to anyone which although largely depends upon the age factor, but one's lifestyle can also make him/her the target of stroke. There is cognitive rehabilitation which can help a person to recover post stroke through activities and exercises and change in lifestyle. It is important for an individual to consult a doctor if he/she finds any difficulty in carrying out daily activities with one side of the body.

Cognitive Rehabilitation Post Brain Stroke!

A sensation of pain in the chest is almost automatically associated with having a heart attack. While it is true that it is one of the best indicators of a heart attack, there are quite a few other things which can cause one s chest to pain and not all need to necessarily be as time critical as a heart attack. So, what are the various things one should be aware of when it comes to pain in the chest? In order to understand chest pain better, it is first very important to understand the various types of chest pain better! So, there is a sharp pain, its opposite which happens to be a dull pain, burning, aching, stabbing pain, as well as a crushing sensation.

Let s start with the elephant in the room, which is medically known as myocardial infarction or referred to as the infamous heart attack. This occurs when the muscle cells, which are located in the heart die on account of not enough blood flowing through the heart. In simple terms, the best way to get to know that one is having a heart attack is when the person feels a seriously crushing pain in the centre or the left side of the chest. What could be said to be unique about this type of pain is that resting does not make it better.

Another condition of the heart which is often mistaken by the layman for a heart attack happens to be myocarditis. Inflammation of the heart muscle leads to fatigue and a fast beating of the heart. The person would also experience some difficulty breathing.
Heart disease can come in multiple forms and one of those is known as CAD or Coronary Artery Disease. When there is a blockage in the blood vessels of the heart, the pain [which is known as angina] is caused by this blockage. The probably solitary source of good news is that permanent damage to the heart is not caused by CAD!
That being said, a heart attack is a greater possibility. The pain in the chest could spread to the jaw or the back, or even the arm. The sensation is that of the body part being squeezed. The first thing to be done when angina occurs is to rest in order to lower the pain.
While these conditions have focused on the heart, pneumonia affecting the lungs can cause deep chest ache. It causes a cough and chills. There is also likely to be pus from the respiratory tract which is coughed up!
Asthma is yet another respiratory issue which could cause chest pain!

Chest Pain - Reasons Behind It!

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