When is Your Throat Pain, a Serious One?

Throat pain mainly occurs due to two conditions-'sore throat' or 'strep throat'. Often the terms 'sore throat' and 'strep throat' are used interchangeably, but they don't indicate the same thing. While a sore throat is a condition mostly followed by common cold, runny nose or congestion; strep throat is a bacteria-induced infection. The bacterium called Streptococcus is responsible for strep throat.

The most common reason behind a sore throat is a viral infection like flu or cold. So, if you've a sore throat that is caused by virus, there is no reason to worry as it can be treated easily. But if you are suffering from strep throat or streptococcal infection, then antibiotic drugs for additional treatment will be required to avoid complications.

Signs and symptoms of a strep throat (which indicates that your throat pain is serious and needs attention) include:

Pain while swallowing food
Sore throat which usually persists for more than 48 hours
Small red spots at the roof top of your mouth
Swollen and red tonsils at times with streaks of pus or white patches
Fever
Swollen, benign lymph nodes in your neck
Headache
Rash
Body aches
Vomiting or feeling of nausea, especially amongst younger children

When these signs and symptoms become noticeable, you need to promptly visit your doctor for test and treatment. And, if the reports indicate strep throat, then your doctor will prescribe you some oral antibiotics to reduce the complications and severity of symptoms so that it doesn't spread to others. You are advised to follow your prescription properly and stay indoors for at least a day after starting your medication.



When is Your Throat Pain, a Serious One?

What is Monogamous Relationship?

You (who have been tested for STD/STIs and don't have any) are having sex with only one partner (who also has been tested for STD/STIs and doesn't have any) who only has sex with you. And you both keep it that way! 

Stated another way, you are both STD/STI free and only have sex with each other. People of any sexual orientation can engage in monogamous relationships. The only thing implied by the term monogamy is that the relationship consists of two people who are romantically and/or sexually exclusive. Theoretically, outside of abstinence, this is really the safest type of "safer sex" that you can have. 

Celebrated on 1st December of each year, World AIDS Day, aims to spread awareness about HIV / AIDs. It is an STD wherein, HIV stands for human immunodeficiency infection and AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The disease hinders the immune system in keeping up our body s security against sickness. HIV causes individuals to end up wiped out with infections that regularly would not affect them and HIV leads to AIDS.

Understanding the Symptoms:

HIV has few or no signs or symptoms for up to ten years or more before side effects of AIDS tends to manifest. There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, yet treatment is accessible. A few people have HIV symptoms not long after being infected. These include:

There are a few phases of HIV illness. The primary HIV side effects may include swollen glands in the throat, armpit, or crotch.
Other early HIV symptoms incorporate slight fever, headaches, exhaustion, and muscle throbs.
These symptoms may keep on going for just a couple of weeks. At that point, there are typically no HIV indications for a long time. That is the reason it can be difficult to know whether or not a person is suffering from HIV.
The symptoms of AIDS show up in the most advanced phase of the HIV disease. These are as follows:

Along with a severely damaged immune system, a person with AIDS may likewise have thrush. A thrush is a thick, whitish covering on the tongue that is brought about by a yeast infection and now and then joined by a sore throat.
Serious or repetitive vaginal yeast infection.
Pelvic inflammatory illness.
Serious and frequent infections.
Unexplained fatigue that might be followed by headaches, dizziness.
Loss of more than ten pounds of weight that is not because of physical exercise or consuming fewer calories.
Risk Factors: There are a lot of ways in which you can get the infection. HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. The most well-known ways in which HIV is spread, are:

Having sexual intercourse without a condom with somebody who has HIV/AIDS.
Using needles or syringes that have been used by someone who has HIV/AIDS.
Being punctured with a needle or surgical instrument that has been contaminated with HIV.
Getting HIV blood, semen or vaginal discharge into open injuries or wounds.
Babies born to women with HIV/AIDS can get HIV from their mothers during birth or from breastfeeding.
There are numerous ways in which you can protect yourself from HIV. These are as follows:

The most secure way is to limit the number of sexual partners you take on.
Try to have safer sex and always use protection.
Get your partners tested for HIV.
HIV tests are a typical piece of social insurance.
In case that you think you may have been infected by HIV, talk to a specialist or a doctor about testing. Discussing what risks you might have taken can help you choose whether testing is ideal for you.

This World AIDS Day - Let's Spread the Awareness About HIV/AIDS

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

The kidneys are the main excretory organs and remove all toxins and wastes from the body in a liquid medium, the urine. The urine is normally straw coloured as there are filters which do not allow blood to enter the kidneys. However, due to various reasons, when there is a disease in the urinary tract, red blood cells can escape into the urine. The urine then assumes a pinkish tinge; the exact colour would depend on the amount of blood leaked. While the thought of pinkish urine is scary, it becomes a bigger concern when seen in children. Read on to know a little more about the types, causes, and ways to manage this condition. 

Types: 

Microscopic: When there is blood visible only through a microscope. This is quite common in children, and unless there is no accompanying kidney disease, it does not pose a problem when found occasionally. 
Gross: It is when the color of the urine changes to a pinkish tinge. This is of concern and requires immediate attention. 
Causes: 

There are various reasons and some of them are listed below 

Inherited causes: Conditions like sickle cell disease, polycystic kidney disease, Kidney stones and inherited nephritis. 
Structural causes: Cysts in the kidneys can cause hematuria 
Trauma: An injury (to the abdominal area) during sports should be ruled out, which could have damaged the problem 
Infections: Infections along the entire urinary tract right from glomerulonephritis to kidneys to bladder can cause blood in the urine 5.   Imbalances in minerals: High levels of serum calcium, which puts them at a higher risk of developing kidney stones later. Dietary calcium should be reduced. These children also could have a history of stones in the family. 
Idiopathic: When the cause of the hematuria is not known, it is termed idiopathic. 
Associated issues/Diagnosis: 

Hematuria is an indication or a symptom of an underlying medical condition (be it infection or trauma) and the underlying cause always needs complete evaluation. Accompanying symptoms can help narrow down the diagnosis. If any inherited cause is suspected, presence of hematuria should always be assessed in parents and grandparents. 

Check for history of trauma 
Known prior kidney disease 
Symptoms of infection 

Family medical history 
Urine tests to analyse its composition 
Urine culture, MRI, CT scanning, or biopsy may be required in more serious cases. 
When to worry? 

Associated proteinuria 
Microscopic hematuria which is persistent 
Kids with high blood pressure 
Kids with other existing kidney diseases 
Management: 

In most cases, no specific treatment for hematuria is required as the condition subsides after the underlying problem is addressed. For instance, once the infection clears, the hematuria also clears. Follow-up urine tests may be required to confirm that it is cleared. Blood in urine must always be evaluated by pediatric nephrologist as its causes range from very mild disease to rapidly evolving kidney failure, which may occur over days to weeks.

Blood In Urine In Kids - Know The Reasons Behind It!

Acute viral fever is a type of fever that includes various viral infections, primarily characterized by an increase in the body temperature. This disorder is very common among children and the elderly as they tend to have a weak immune system. Some common characteristics of this condition are skin rashes, body ache and headache.

Causes
The virus that causes this disorder is transmitted from one person to the other. The usual modes of transmission include direct contact, sneezing, coughing and even talking; anything that makes you exposed to physical contact with the body fluids of the infected person. Once the virus enters your body, it can take around 20-48 hours to get activated.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this disorder include a rise in body temperature, vomiting, weakness, loss of taste, swelling of the face. You may feel very lethargic, weak and nauseated. Apart from these symptoms, it may also cause pain in the joints and the stomach. In severe cases, this disease can lead to complications such as arthritis, pneumonia and diarrhea.

Treatment
Antibiotics, analgesics and antipyretics are prescribed when you have viral fever. Apart from the medications, you need to increase fluid intake and take complete bed rest. The body needs to heal; hence being extremely active will be counterproductive to the healing process. Heavy antiviral treatments are prescribed only in severe cases. Apart from medications, there are certain dietary changes that you may have to make to boost the healing process. Avoid spicy and fat laden foods as the digestive system is weak and consumption of such foods may lead to stomach disorders such as diarrhea and acidity. Try keeping your diet restricted to warm soups and fruit juices. Another factor you should be aware of is dehydration, as the body tends to lose fluids during this period. Drink a lot of water and fruit juices to keep your fluid intake at optimal levels.

You can also follow some preventive measure to avoid this disorder:
1. Wash your hands with antibiotic soaps
2. Stay away from crowded places
3. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands

Acute Viral Fever - Know its Causes and Symptoms

Yoga is a spiritual practice combined with both mental and physical disciplines which for the first time emerged on Indian soil and later split into various schools but the actual fragrance of yoga remained same throughout the time. Nowadays, with increasing studies and researchers on various pre-Vedic traditions put an entirely new light on the practice of Yoga. While until now it has mainly been considered as a spiritual practice, a new study from Indianapolis University claims that yoga is a kind of practice which is not only limited to psychological phenomena rather the practice of yoga enables one to withstand the effects of stroke.

After You Survived Of A Stroke: In most of the cases, strokes finally lead to prolonged disabilities. It is due to the fact that a stroke takes place when a part of a brain fails to get a steady supply of Blood rich in Oxygen. Apart from this blockage in a vessel may hamper the blood supply in the brain. Similarly, the after effect of a stroke entirely depends on which part of the brain is affected. So a stroke may cause dysfunction of normal speech or steady movement of arms and legs. It is why after a stroke one has taken recourse to rehabilitation with the aim of resolving life-long disabilities. The rehabilitation process includes certain exercises basically opting for movements and physiotherapy. Sometimes the effort of therapists bears fruit and sometimes all goes in vain
Yoga As A Healing Power: The new research from Indianapolis has voiced in favour of adding yoga to stroke rehabilitation because it consists of poses, breathing and meditation. In this study, forty-seven male stroke survivours were divided into two groups and between these two groups, one attended yoga session for eight weeks. After eight weeks it has been seen that those who attended yoga session has successfully completed the rehabilitation session in a comparatively shorter period.
Practice Of Yoga Increases Your Chance To Recover Soon: According to the researchers, the added advantage of yoga is that besides improving balance it improves the quality of life and reduce the fear of falling. If you or any of your family members has survived of a stroke, yoga is not the first step you would be advised to take recourse to rather the researchers say that at first begin the rehabilitation programme but add the practice of yoga with it. But before you add yoga to your checklist, you should consult it with your doctor whether the yoga would suit or not.
Yoga Develops A Style Of Life: In conclusion, it can be said that recovering from a stroke is actually to prevent the second attack. So you need to ensure a proper lifestyle without those addictions like smoking and drinking which are harmful to you. Afterall yoga develops an upliftment in thinking which would further help you to maintain a healthy life.

The Healing Power Of Yoga After A Stroke!

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