Seasonal changes can be very exciting for most people. Each season brings with it a new set of colours and nature takes a new turn. However, for people with seasonal allergies, a seasonal change also comes with a set of allergies. From skin rashes to wheezing to breathing difficulties, the list of symptoms can be quite long. Asthma is the most common problem, and the attacks can be quite bothersome with wheezing attacks and breathing troubles.

With advancements in the field of medicine, there is a lot of relief for asthma patients. A little understanding on how asthma attacks happen will help in understanding how to control it. Asthma is an allergic reaction caused by narrowing of the airway with thick mucus, which makes breathing difficult. During an attack, the person can have a dry cough, face shortness of breath and wheezing.

Asthma is often triggered or worsened by some factors, and being aware of these can help prevent or manage an attack:

Common allergens like pollen, mites, ticks, furs of animals, bird feathers, specific foods (peanuts, milk products, eggs, etc.) and mold spores appear during change of season.
Environmental chemicals like cigarette smoke, car fumes, dust, etc., can also trigger an attack.
Attacks of cold or flu can lead to an asthma attack.
Workout during cold weather can be problematic, but exercise can also help control asthma attacks. Lung function improves sufficiently, but an exercise regime should be drawn up for the patient based on his condition.
Stressful emotions like anger and anxiety can also lead to an attack or make it worse.
Some medications like aspirin, beta blockers, glaucoma drops can aggravate attacks of asthma.
Once you know the triggers, here are some common measures that can help prevent and relieve the wheezing.

The preventers reduce the inflammation in the airway tube and the swelling. While they do not provide immediate relief during an attack, using these in the long term helps avoid attacks. These are low-dose inhaled corticosteroids such as beclomethasone, fluticasone, and budesonide. Doctors would advise their usage even when there are no symptoms, as asthma attacks can be triggered when they are not taking these medications for a while. Newer drugs include leukotriene antagonists like montelukast and zafirlukast. Relievers are used for symptom relief and include Salbutamol (short acting) and Salmeterol/Formoterol (long acting). Peak flow meter may be useful in acute attacks, wherein the peak flow rates can be reduced.
A good strategy is to use preventers regularly and rely on relievers during an attack. The first one helps build resistance and so reduces the incidence of attacks. Reach out to a doctor if a severe attack ensues (lasts more than 3 hours).


Tips to Control Allergy Driven Wheezing this Season

Which baby doesn't spit up their food! This is usually not a reason to worry, but if this spitting up is chronic and is accompanied by other symptoms it is known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. Severe GERD can cause weight loss and breathing problems and thus, should not be ignored.

Reflux occurs when food is pushed out of the stomach and back up the esophagus. This is usually because the digestive system in babies is not yet fully developed. Vomiting often during the day is one of the most common symptoms of GERD. Other symptoms include:
- A persistent cough
- Choking or gagging while eating
- Refusing to eat
- Crying while feeding
- Heartburn
- Pain in the stomach

Most cases of GERD can be diagnosed by its symptoms and a look at the baby's medical history. In some cases, additional tests may be required, such as:

Barium swallow
The child is given a chalky substance to drink. This highlights the esophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestines in a special X-ray. It is used to check if there are any blockages in the digestive system.
pH probe

A long, thin tube with a probe at one end is put down the child's throat. This is kept in the esophagus for 24 hours. The probe measures the levels of acidity in the stomach. This test is usually done when the child complains of breathing problems along with reflux.

Upper GI endoscopy
Here the doctor puts a thin, flexible tube down the child's throat. At one end of the tube is a camera that allows the doctor to look into the esophagus, stomach and small intestine.

Gastric emptying study
One of the causes of reflux is the slow emptying of the stomach. To check this, the doctor will mix a radioactive chemical with the baby's milk that allows a special camera to follow its path down the digestive system.

In most cases, GERD can be treated by making a few lifestyle changes. Some of these are:
- Raise the head of the baby's crib
- After feeding the baby, do not let him lie down, but hold him upright for half an hour or so.
- Change his feeding schedule
- Ask your doctor if you can try giving him solid food. Else, check if you can thicken his feed with cereal.
- Make the baby burp after feeding

Most infants outgrow this condition within a year, so do not stress yourself and enjoy life with your baby.

Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux In Babies

It is that time of the year when insects are all around. Suddenly one feels a buzzing sound or an itchy feel in the ear. To your horror, one feels a live insect is in your ear, which can be extremely annoying and is like a nightmare. Insects often get stuck when they enter our ears as they cannot fly or crawl out. They try to find their way out and their movements inside our ears can be very uncomfortable, painful and can be itchy as well. Moreover, they can easily produce infection.

In this scenario, do not try to remove an insect with cotton swab, tweezers or hair clip as it will make the situation worse and can lodge the insect deeper into the ear canal, which can possibly damag the eardrum, leading to permanent hearing loss. If an individual is not certain about the potential harm taht can be caused by the insect in the ear, one should seek medical care immediately. Insects in the ear are common reasons for visits to doctor's clinic, especially in children.

If one suspects an insect in ear, one may experience pain, swelling, blood or crackling. One may even feel biting, stinging, hearing loss or dizziness. It is best to stay calm in this situation as being active may lodge the bug further in ear or cause it to move further back or cause serious damage to the sensitive eardrum

One way to try to remove a bug in ear is by tilting the ear toward the ground and attempt to wiggle the ear. Grasp the earlobe and give it a wiggle. If the bug is not too far into ear canal, it may fall out on its own. If the bug is still alive and is not too far inside of the ear canal, it may simply come out on its own. If one stays calm and keep objects including fingers away from ears, it is likely that the bug will find its way back out of ear.

One can also try to flush the ear with warm water with a dropper or a bulb syringe. This can be done by holding head upright and stretching the ear canal by pulling the outer ear and then putting a steady stream of warm water into ear. Tilt head to the side to drain out the ear. Do not try this if one suspects that ear drum has been ruptured to prevent additional damage.

To avoid stinging or eardrum rupture from scratching or biting , one may use a drop or two of mineral, baby, or olive oil inside your ear canal to kill the insect. Finally, visit an ENT specialist doctor as they can remove the insect by special suction devices. Post insect removal, one must look out for signs of infection as swelling, dizziness, hearing loss, fever, and pain. Finally follow up with ENT specialist or Otolaryngologist for the final opinion.

How to Remove Insect from Ear at Home? 

Lactose intolerance is a condition wherein you are not able to digest lactose, which is a sugar found in milk. Other foods that contain lactose include cheese and ice-cream. Inadequate production of the lactase enzyme in children causes lactose intolerance. This enzyme is produced in the intestine that helps in the digestion of lactose.


Lactose intolerance is often confused with milk intolerance. The symptoms are similar but they do not share the same cause. Milk allergy is an adverse reaction towards milk and it is a problem of the immune system, whereas lactose intolerance involves the digestive system.


Symptoms-
The symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
Bloating; on consumption of milk over a period of time
Diarrhea is also very common
Stomach pain
Nausea


Diagnosis-
It is self -diagnosable; just strike out foods containing lactose from your child s diet and see if the symptoms get better with time. If the symptoms happen to fade away gradually, then it certainly must ve been lactose intolerance.
However, it can be tricky as many non-dairy products also contain lactose.
If the child is lactose intolerant, then he/she might have to undergo a lactose breath test. This is used to test the levels of hydrogen in the child s breath after the child consumes a lactose solution. Usually, hydrogen levels are low in one s breath. However, if the lactose solution is not digested properly, then it will lead to a temporary increase in the levels of hydrogen in the breath, thus indicating lactose intolerance.


Treatment-
This disorder does not have a cure; so in case your child has lactose intolerance, you need to adjust his/her diet accordingly. Over-the-counter lactase is also available that helps in digesting lactose based foods. You can also go for the  lactose- free  milk variety for your child.


Lactose Intolerance in Kids

Hearing loss is experienced by millions of people these days. Ageing is not the only factor that brings hearing impairment. The causes are many. Certain medications, continuous exposure to loud noise, genetic involvement, injury and some medical conditions may cause hearing loss.

There are quite a few myths that people have come to believe about hearing loss over the years. Since it is such a common phenomenon, here we take a look at the common myths surrounding hearing loss.

Myth no. 1: Hearing loss is exclusive to elderly.

Fact: As said before, hearing loss can be an outcome of various causes. Nearly half of the people suffering from the same are below the age of 55 years. No matter what your age is, you must always get your ears checked, especially if you are feeling that are you missing things.

Myth no. 2: Diagnosing hearing loss is easy.

Fact: Most people do not come to know about the condition until it gets worse. Also, your physician never really checks for hearing loss symptoms in a general check-up unless you ask for it specifically.

So, always get a check-up done, like you do for other probable diseases.

Myth no. 3: There's no effective solution for hearing loss.

Fact: Like there have been advancements in the medical field for everything else, there are aids available these days that improve your hearing and have finer adjustments for noise adaptation. Also, there are certain other procedures and surgeries that have proved to improve the condition in many.

So, seek help as soon as possible.

Myth no. 4: The sounds aren't loud enough; my ears are healthy and fine.

Fact: If there is a problem you're experiencing with hearing, you have got to accept that and get it treated. Avoiding a certain condition will only get things worse for you.

Also, hearing aids are no more a stigma. Ear aid devices have designs similar to earphones these days, which are comfortable enough to wear. Ignoring a medical condition or inability to accept the same would only do more harm instead of making things fine.


Common Myths About Hearing Loss

Have you heard of a health condition in which there are insufficient red blood cells in your body for carrying sufficient oxygen to all parts of the body? This condition is called sickle cell anemia and it is an inherited form of anemia. Usually, the red blood cells in your body are round and flexible and move through the blood vessels easily. In case of sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become sticky and rigid. They are shaped like crescent moon or sickle. Because of the irregular shape, these can get stuck in the blood vessels, which slows down the blood flow.

Treatment
The only potential cure of sickle cell anemia is a bone marrow transplant. Other treatment measures focus on easing the symptoms and preventing further complications. The various treatment modes are as follows:
Medicines
Several types of medications are used for sickle cell anemia treatment. They include:

Antibiotics: Children with sickle cell anemia can start taking antibiotic penicillin by the age of two months. This prevents infections like pneumonia. Even in the case of adults with sickle cell anemia, antibiotics help in fighting certain infections.
Pain-relieving medications: Several over-the-counter pain relief medications may be prescribed by a doctor for reducing pain during a sickle cell crisis. Hydroxyurea is another type of medicine, which helps in reducing the frequency of pain. 
Vaccinations: Childhood vaccinations should be given for preventing the disease in children. These vaccinations are more important for children already affected with sickle cell anemia as they are more prone to infections. Vaccines such as the annual flu shot and the pneumococcal vaccine are important for adults suffering from sickle cell anemia. 
Blood transfusions: In case of a red blood transfusion, red blood cells are removed from a supply of blood that is donated. The donated cells are intravenously given to a sickle cell anemia patient. Blood transfusion increases the number of normal red blood cell count in circulation, giving relief to anemia. Regular blood transfusions are important for children with sickle cell anemia, who are highly prone to stroke. 
Stem cell transplant: A stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant involves the replacement of the bone marrow affected by sickle cell anemia with a healthy bone marrow given by a donor. This is a risky procedure and is only recommended for patients with sickle cell anemia at a chronic stage. 
It is recommended for you to consult a doctor on experiencing any symptom of sickle cell anemia. This is a dangerous health condition and requires proper diagnosis and treatment before it gets out of your hands.

What is Sickle Cell Anemia? How Can it Be Cured?

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