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

Come winter or even a slight change of season, and it is easy to catch a cold. With cold, it is quite normal and natural to develop a deep chest cough. However, it is to be noted that chest cough develops due to different reasons. Some are due to chest infections, while others are dry cough. Thus, for these different variations of cough, different homeopathic treatments are administered. Here is a list of some of the common types of treatments for curing deep chest cough-

Pulsatilla: Pulsatilla is administered to those who have a sore throat, constant irritation in the eyes and fever. When fever is accompanied with cough and cold, it is important to treat all three symptoms, lest it might usher in a more serious disease. Homeopathy is often described as a holistic form of treatment. Through the medicines, the personality of the patient can be determined. For instance, Pulsatilla is administered on those who are soft, gentle, mild and timid and who have a fear of being abandoned and thus cling on to people.

Nux Vomica: Those experiencing high levels of stress and falling prey to cough and cold with a sore throat and sharp pain while swallowing should try a dose of Nux Vomica. This is used to cure cough and cold, which block the nose, especially at night, making it troublesome for the individual to breathe. This might also cause blockage in the ear and sharp pains while trying to swallow food.

Phosphorus: At times, one experiences an extreme bout of cough that is triggered through dry throat and coarse fever. This violent cough can be nerve wrecking at times and a relaxing remedy is preferred by the patient as soon as possible to soothe the irritation.

Bryonia: This is the best medicine to treat dry cough that can be a symptom of a slowly approaching influenza. Such coughs occurs when an individual takes a high intake of cold drinks or due to sudden weather changes. The cough is followed by fever and dryness of the throat. It might also itch to a certain extent.

Natrum Mur: It is the best treatment for a dry cough, which often causes a tingling sensation in the throat. This sensation creates irritation and often leads to sleepless nights for the patient. There is also presence of whitish mucus in such types of cough.

These are some of the most common types of homeopathic treatments for treating deep chest cough. Each cough is different in nature and origin, and hence should be treated differently as per the individual symptoms.  

How To Treat Deep Chest Cough With Homeopathy?

A slipped disc is when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This prolapsed may push on the spinal cord or on the nerve roots. However, it is worth noting that 20 percent of the population has slipped discs without experiencing any noticeable symptoms. The term 'slipped disc' does not really describe the process properly - the disc does not actually slip out of place, but bulges out towards the spinal cord. This condition is also known as a herniated, ruptured, prolapsed, or, more commonly, slipped disk. Some of the most common symptoms of slipped disk are pain in back, neck and lower part of the body, feeling of partial or complete numbness in the parts above and below the affected area, weakness in the lower limbs, scratchy/itchy (tingling) feeling around the genitals, pain while doing any activity such as sneezing, coughing, walking, people suffering from slipped disk often complain of experiencing partial or regular unconsciousness.

In the past, a patient suffering from Disc problems may have been prescribed painkillers/medications, instructed to refrain from physical activities, referred for Physiotherapy, received steroidal shots or injections, and when they weren t progressing, they were sent for Spinal Surgery. Frankly speaking only 5% of Back pains require Surgeries; the other 95% can be dealt with conservative & curative Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa. The Ayurvedic treatment usually involves Panchakarma expert Ayurvedic doctor s consultation and a series of ayurvedic panchakarma treatments like Abhayangam, Swedam, Elakizhi, Navarakizhi, Nasayam, Kativasti, Anuvashan and Kashaya vasti, Marma chikitsa, Meru Chikitsa (Ayurvedic Neuro-Therapy) along with Vatahara chikitsa and Brumhana chikitsa and internal medicines. Usually the treatment p, riod is 7/14/21/28 days according to the severity of the disease.

Today, you may not have to live with that pain anymore. We have successfully treated Lower Back Pain resulting from herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs. We are dedicated to improving the health and function of our patients by combining Traditional Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa with modern technology and Osteopathic manipulation techniques (OMT) to deliver an unprecedented level of service. 

We have treated many patients with Spinal conditions like: 

Herniated Discs
Bulging Discs
Degenerative Disc Disease
Sciatica Syndrome
Spondylosis (Cervical /Lumbar/ Ankylosing)
Cervical radiculopathy,
Lumbago
Dehydrated disc
Disc prolapsed
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal canal stenosis
Lower back pain
Neck pain
Scoliosis etc.

Ayurvedic Management For Slip Disc!

A cough is not necessarily to be worried about always. It is the natural response of our body to throw out harmful particles which somehow managed to enter our respiratory tract. There is sticky mucus situated in the pathway to lungs which plays a major role in trapping harmful particles. Coughing once or twice is generally a natural phenomenon but if it s persistent it is called the chronic cough, and there is a reason to worry.

Is your cough chronic?
An acute cough aggravates within a very short span of time, maybe 2-3 days. There are situations when coughing doesn t hinder your day to day activities and are easily neglected. Sometimes these infrequent bouts of a cough can persist for long and continue for more than 2 months, which has been characterized as a chronic cough.

A chronic cough is sometimes found associated with blocked or running nose. Persons suffering from a chronic cough feel very exhaustive and suffer from a headache, dizziness along with excessive sweating. Under such situations, you must consult a pulmonologist.

Know the causes of a chronic cough
There are several causes for persistent coughing, and the following are the common causes of a chronic cough and medication is taken in consultation with a trained medical practitioner only.

Infections: Bacterial or viral infection in lungs can be one of the causes of a chronic cough. Tuberculosis is one of them which initiates as a chronic cough and is later characterized by emitting blood after cough bouts.
Drug Interactions: Antihypertensive drugs have been found to be responsible for a chronic cough in some people. Hypersensitivity to the prescribed drugs is found to responsible for the cough bouts, and change in medication takes care of the issue.
Asthma: It s a situation characterized by blockages in the bronchi which disallows the normal air flow during inhalation and exhalation. Due to inadequate oxygen, brain assumes that there is a blockage which needs to be expelled and coughing pattern starts. However, asthma has to be treated, and the bronchi have to be brought back to normal with the help of medication by an expert medical practitioner.
COPD: The most common cause of a chronic cough nowadays is COPD, better known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This is one of the progressive diseases which means it deteriorates with time. Active smokers are the biggest victims of it. Persons exposed to high degree of pollution or similar occupational hazards are also at high risk. Exposure to these pollutants causes inflammatory responses in lungs resulting in the tapering of the airways and destruction of lung tissues. These can be measured by lung function tests. In asthma, the narrow airways can be broadened by external medication, but in case of COPD, it s not possible.
To conclude, chronic cough is a preventable disease by reducing the exposure to risk factors as mentioned above. Quitting smoking, improving the indoor air quality with the use of solar cooking and moving on battery run vehicles can prevent COPD from further worsening. You can also undergo pulmonary rehabilitation program which is being counseled and coordinated by many physicians to benefit the individual suffering from the issue.

Chronic Cough - Why It Happens?

A cough is probably one of the most common respiratory diseases that people suffer from. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about and can be cured with cough suppressants and salt water gargles. However, coughing of blood is a serious problem. The coughing up of blood that originates from below the level of the larynx is known as hemoptysis. This can vary in terms of severity depending on the amount of blood being expelled. This disease is a common condition, but on an average, less than 5% of hemoptysis cases are life threatening.

Hemoptysis rarely affects children. The symptoms of this condition include:
Sudden onset of a cough with bloody phlegm

Fever
Anorexia and weight loss
Dyspnoea
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
Fatigue
Chest pain: Medical attention should be sought in cases where this condition recurs often, if it lasts for longer than a fortnight or if the volume of blood expectorated is more than 30ml per day. The various tools that help in the diagnosis of this condition are:
Chest radiography: This imaging modality helps lateralize bleeding and understand the amount of lung involvement. It is quick, inexpensive and can also help detect other underlying abnormalities.
Bronchoscopy: This involves the insertions of a rigid or flexible endoscope into the bronchial passages to check the airways and determine active bleeding sites.
MDCT: A multidetector CT is a non-invasive imaging tool that provides a comprehensive evaluation of airways, lung parenchyma, and thoracic vessels. It can also be used to uncover potential causes of bleeding such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary infections and lung cancer. In some cases, a multidetector CT angiography may also be used.

Oral antibiotics are usually the first stage of treatment for this condition. Smokers will also be urged to quit cigarettes as this can worsen their condition. Treatment for minor hemoptysis may also include:

Oral hemostatics
Cough suppressants
Anticoagulants
Radiation of laser treatment
Therapeutic bronchoscopy
In its later stages, hemoptysis can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular embolization or with surgery. In some cases, endovascular embolization may also be sued to stabilise the patient before surgery. This procedure reduces the pressure in the hypertrophic arterial blood vessels and decreases the risk of perioperative bleeding.

Hemoptysis is also one of the most common complaints of lung cancer patients. Depending on the stage of cancer and the amount of blood expectorated, treatment in some cases may not be possible. In such cases, a parenteral opioid and fast-acting benzodiazepine may be administered. 

How to Treat Coughing Blood (Hemoptysis) Problem

Common cold and cough is one of the most common viral illnesses that have no specific treatment. Allopathic medicines provide palliative cure to just treat the symptoms, there is no definite antiviral for it. There is also popular belief having cold once or twice a year is a good way to cleanse the body. On the contrary, cough and cold could be the first symptoms of a serious underlying disease like pneumonia. From that angle, it is better to treat it than to just let it run its natural course. Especially in children and elderly, it can be chronic issue with repeated bouts and therefore, treatment becomes mandatory.

The good news is that homeopathy provides a cure for this, that not just treat external symptoms. Also, like any other condition, homeopathy looks at treating the whole myriad of associated symptoms, thereby providing holistic treatment. Below are 5 common homeopathic remedies for chronic cough and cold:

1. Aconitum or aconite: used in the early stages of a cold that was sudden in onset and severe. There could be associated nasal discharge, fever and chills, chest congestion, itchy throat, and a traumatic experience. The person may also feel thirsty, anxious, and agitated.

2. Allium cepa: severe burning and watery eyes, nasal irritation, copious amounts of discharge, hoarseness, and headache. The runny nose improves in open air, but worsens when being indoors.

3. Arsenicum album: the patient usually has complaints on the right side including watery nasal discharge, weakness, restlessness, chills, thirst. The discharge can irritate the upper lip and nasal mucosa. The cold gradually moves to the throat and the irritation also shifts down (this phase requires a different treatment). 

4. Belladonna: when the cold has a sudden onset with red face, high fever, cold feet, this can be used in the early stages of the cold. There is associated high fever, tickly throat, glassy eyes, dry cough, restlessness, and delirium 

5. Euphrasia: burning eyes and profuse nasal discharge lead to reddened eyes and cheeks. More common in children, the condition worsens in open air, at night, and while lying down. The cough then moves down into the larynx, produces a harsh, hoarse voice. 

6. Pulsatilla: yellow or greenish mucous, nasal congestion, mouth breathing are some symptoms where this is used. It is very commonly used in newborn babies, if the discharge colour is green or yellow. Associated symptoms include moodiness, easy crying, craving for attention, easily hurt and sensitive. 

Homeopathy does'cure' the cough and cold in patients, in the true sense of the word. That provides palliative care and holistic treatment of the condition too.


Homeopathy for Common Cold and Cough

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