One thing that a weather change brings about is lung infections - most commonly cough and cold. Most people dread the change of seasons from one temperature to another because of the fear of how their body will react to the weather change. Be it extreme hot or cold, most people end up with a cough and cold. The more affected age groups again are the children and the elderly. However, all it takes to prevent this is to plan a little so that the body can get used to the change and not react with a cough or cold.

Prevention: There are few things that can be done which can help avoid catching cold.
1. Avoid sudden exposure to cold, from a heated room to the cold outdoors, especially in the evening and morning. Those who are used to a morning and evening walk may have to change the routine.
2. Avoid cold food items such as cool drinks, milk shakes and ice-creams.
3. Having a warm bath, early morning and late evening is advisable.
4. Avoid foods such as sour stuffs, pickles and fried foods.
5. Eat small, frequent meals that are prepared fresh are nutritious and of moderate temperature.
6. If there are infected people in your neighborhood, avoid being in close contact with them as you might get infected as well.
7. Wash your hands enough to keep them free of germs
8. As much as cold weather does not make you thirsty, push enough fluids so that your body stays hydrated. If water is not appealing enough, drink warm water or tea or lime.
9. Ensure the house, especially kitchen and bathroom are clean and disinfected.
10. Avoid exposure to dust and pollen as they carry lot of germs.
11. Avoid staying in a poorly ventilated room, enough circulation ensures germs are not concentrated in one room
12. Timely vaccination against flu

Treatment: Despite these measures, once the cough and cold has set in, the following are some easy remedies:

1. Steam inhalation, preferably with eucalyptus oil added to it.
2. Having warm soup with ginger and garlic added to it to soothe the throat
3. Ginger and other spices like cardamom and cinnamon can also be added to tea.
4. Lemon and honey can be added to a glass of warm water. This will soothe the throat and help fight cold.
5. Chewing Tulsi leaves can be beneficial
6. Yoga exercises such as Pranayama and Jalneti can be done to cleanse the nasal cavity, prevent sinus congestion, and clear mucus

Cough and Cold Due to Weather Change - Prevention & Treatment Tips

Season is changing and kids are very susceptible to cold and flu these days. Here are 5 ways you can keep your kids safe -

1. Blow their Noses: Frequently and Right: Blow their noses often and don't let them gulp the mucus. Don't ask them to exert too much pressure as it might hurt their ears.
2. Gargle Daily: Make your kids gargle with lukewarm water everyday. It moistens the sore throat and gives relief.
3. Give them a Steamy Bath: Make sure they always take bath with warm water. It relieves nasal congestion and makes them feel good
4. Hygiene is a must: Inculcate good personal hygiene.
5. Hand Wash: Ensure frequent Hand Wash with antiseptic lotion and lukewarm water.

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Avoid Cold & Flu in Toddlers in 5 easy ways

Once feared to be highly contagious and fatal, leprosy is today a disease that can be treated and even cured. Leprosy or Hansen s disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and affects the peripheral nervous system and skin. Leprosy has been categorized into two types   tuberculoid and lepromatous   with the latter being more severe. Both these categories have been further subdivided into more categories. Skin lesions are the most prominent symptom of leprosy. If left untreated, leprosy can cause permanent damage to the skin, nervous system, limbs and eyes.

An early diagnosis of this disease makes treatment easier. Apart from antibiotics, homeopathic medicines are also effective when it comes to treating leprosy. Homeopathy is a holistic form of treatment that addresses not only the symptoms of the disease, but also the root cause of the infection. One of the biggest advantages of homeopathy is that it has negligible side effects. When it comes to leprosy, homeopathy can be used to reduce inflammation and pain, drain sores and promote suppuration. It can also strengthen the immune system to prevent recurrent sores and boils. Some of the homeopathic remedies that may be helpful are:

Sulphur: If the patient has a tendency to suffer from eruptions, curvature of the spine, wrinkled and flabby skin and has a voracious appetite triggered by diseased glands, sulphur is effective. The symptoms may also be aggravated by washing and the affected area may itch more on scratching. There is a tendency for the folds of the skin to be sore.

Graphites: If the patient has swollen lymph glands, mesenteric glands and prominent skin sores, this medicine is useful. It also treats moist eruptions that bleed or ooze tenacious discharge before turning into scabs on the scalp, face, joints and in the folds of the skin. The patient may experience an absence of sweat and hair fall.

Calcarea Carbonica and Silicea: The combination of these two medicines help in treating a patient who suffers from a swollen abdomen and has open fontanelles. Excessive sweating is another symptom treated by Calcarea carbonica and Silicea.

Rhus Toxicodendron: This is prescribed in cases where the patient has reddish skin that is covered with vesicles and suffers from intense itchiness.

Cantharis: It is used when the patient has large blisters on the skin accompanied by intense burning. The blisters may look like typical burn blisters.

Croton Tiglium: It is used to treat small blisters that itch terribly and form pustules that dry into yellowish scabs.

Although homeopathy is considered safe and free from side effects, it should not be used to self-medicate.  

How To Treat Leprosy With Homeopathy?

All year round, we are vulnerable to an array of health disorders, be it due to poor lifestyle choices, a pre-existing disease, or changing climate/weather. While most people focus on the cure of grave diseases, the most common ailments are often overlooked. One such condition is cold and flu   a viral infection of the nose and throat. Although the infection usually occurs in winters, the viruses causing cold and flu can make you fall sick anytime, and when you do, you are forced to sit back at home and keep away from people because the infection is contagious.

What are the symptoms?

If you catch a bad cold and flu, you are likely to experience the following symptoms  

  Runny nose

  Nasal congestion

  Sneezing and coughing

  A sore throat

  Headaches

  Body or muscle aches

  Tiredness/fatigue

  Fever and chills

Usually, the symptoms resolve in a week or two and most people recover on their own. However, if the condition does not improve and if you fall sick repeatedly, you might have to turn to medications.

Who gets a cold and flu?

Ever wondered  Why am I getting sick all the time ? That is probably because you have a weak immune system. Certain autoimmune conditions exhaust the immune system and make you prone to infections, flu and cold. People, who have chronic immune conditions, tend to fall sick and take longer to recover.

How do you stop from getting sick?

If you have been falling sick more than once in every few months, then you can ask your doctor for supplements that will help build your immunity. Probiotics, zinc supplements, and vitamin supplements are good for cold and flu. You can also avoid getting cold and flu following a few preventive measures, such as the following  

  Get vaccinated against flu and cold, influenza, and seasonal allergies

  Keep your surroundings clean and free from pollutants because such viral infections are air-borne. If you need to go out, make sure you are using a mask to cover the mouth and the nose.

  Viruses that make you sick often spread by coming in contact with an infected person or contaminated surfaces. Therefore, you must always practice good hygiene. Wash your hands with soap or a sanitizer immediately after touching an unclean surface. Also, make sure you clean your hands before eating.

  Exercise at least thrice or four times a week. Any sort of physical activity helps build immunity, improves your overall health and reduces the risk of a number of ailments.

  Eat a balanced diet that includes enough proteins, fibre, healthy fats and lots of fluid. It is very important to keep yourself hydrated, especially in summer to avoid falling sick. The above measures not only prevent you from contracting flu and cold but also keep a dozen other ailments at bay.

How To Avoid Getting Sick?

Coughs and colds are the commonest health issues that can occur to anybody and everybody at any point of time. Nasopharynx is one of the leading causes of common cold. Cold symptoms highly affect your body's immunity power. It is always better to rely on natural products rather than medicated drugs so that speedy results can be gained and on the other hand, side-effects can also be prevented.

Common cold is the most common dosha disorder affecting human beings. Everyone has suffered from common cold at some point or other in their lives. Its symptoms are too well-known. In ayurveda, this very ordinary ailment is called as pratishyaya.

All the three doshas are responsible for the occurrence of common cold. Vata dosha common colds have dry coughs, little mucus discharge, hoarse voice, headache and a runny nose. People with pitta dosha who have common colds will have fever, sore throat, yellowish nasal discharge and continuous blockage of the nose. People with kapha dosha common colds have thick mucus discharges with dull headaches and heaviness of the head.

Major ayurvedic products for treating cold:

Ayurveda is the ultimate solution for all kinds of health issues. There are few ayurvedic products that can efficiently deal with cold symptoms, and they are as follows:

 Karpooradi thailam: it is for direct application over face and chest. Few drops need to be put in water and then the solution should be boiled so that you can take the steam. The solution not only reduces inflammation, but chest congestion can also be well treated.
 Thaleesapathradi choornam: excess cough can be easily released if you take it along with honey.
 Agasthya rasayanam: it is equipped with potential anti-histaminic properties, and thus it acts as a valuable decongestant.
 Fluvin capsules: these capsules are now treated as one of the excellent ayurvedic solutions that can efficiently treat all kinds of cold symptoms. These capsules are enriched with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties as a result of which cold symptoms can be easily cured, and you can get utmost relief. You also get increased immunity by having these capsules.

5 homemade solutions for dealing with cold symptoms:

 Drinking ginger tea: it improves taste buds and digestion can be stimulated as this tea is a decongestant.
 Having lemon juice: both honey and water can be mixed with this juice in order to soothe the sore throat. Excess cough can be driven out and vitamin c intake is also boosted.
 Taking garlic: this ingredient is highly enriched with antiseptic properties and thus infectious elements can be eliminated. Garlic can be used both in supplements and soup and thus you can choose any of these forms.
 Drinking ginger juice: water, amla juice and honey can be mixed with ginger juice in order to create a magical solution that can treat all signs of cold. It not only plays the role of decongestant, but your immunity can also be improved by the same.
 Make tulsi preparation: pepper and tulsi together create the most powerful combination, which drives away both toxins and infectious elements as a result of which suffering due to cold symptoms can be reduced, and you can get instant relief.

Top 5 Ways to Treat a Cold Using Ayurveda and Home Remedies

Allergic rhinitis is characterized by symptoms of a runny nose, congestion, itchy eyes and sneezing. This disorder is usually caused by allergens such as pollen and dust. Commonly known as hay fever, allergic rhinitis may exhibit the following symptoms:

The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are:
1. You may experience a runny nose and congestion in the nose
2. You may have allergic conjunctivitis where your eyes turn itchy and watery
3. Persistent coughing
4. Symptoms of sneezing
5. Swelling may develop underneath the eyes
6. You may have an itchy nose
7. Constant signs of fatigue

Causes
Allergic rhinitis or hay fever causes the immune system to recognize certain airborne substances as harmful. The immune system in the body starts to form antibodies to combat these irritants. The antibodies cause the body to release  histamine , a chemical that triggers the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

The various triggers that may cause allergic rhinitis are:
1. Dust mites
2. Tree pollen
3. Grass pollen
4. Spoors from outdoor and indoor fungi
5. Ragweed pollen

The treatment for this disorder is to avoid exposure to the triggers. Mild symptoms of this disorder may be treated with over-the-counter medications whereas severe symptoms may require prescription medications.
The various medications for allergic rhinitis are:

Antihistamines: Antihistamines may be administered as pills or nasal sprays; these medications can help with itching and sneezing. Antihistamines help in limiting the effects of histamine in the body.
Nasal corticosteroids: These prescription medications can help treat itching and inflammation in the nose. They are usually the first medications that are administered.
Decongestants: Decongestants are over-the-counter medications that can be used to treat congestion in the nose. You should be careful not to overuse these medicines as they can increase blood pressure.
Allergy shots: If medications do not relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis, the doctor may prescribe allergy shots to treat the disorder. The injections contain allergens in small amounts which are injected over a period of time; this causes the body to get used to these allergens, resulting in a reduction of the symptoms.

Allergic Rhinitis - 7 Signs You Are Suffering from it!

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