Seasonal changes are usually a time when we need to take extra precautions to ensure that we do not end up catching any bacteria that may lead to infections or influenza as well as allergic reactions. Common cold and flu is a common occurrence during such times. Seasonal changes are usually known to cause flu and cold, which can also come with chills, sneezing, cough and fever. 

Here are a few homeopathic medicines and remedies that can be used during this season.

Aconite: This medicine is especially helpful when there is fever after sudden exposure to dipping temperatures. Once the cold starts to affect the patient, this medicine must be taken so that congestion is prevented. It can also be used when initial symptoms like tingling and burning sensations in the nose start.
Arsenicum: This medicine can be used during harsh winters and can be prescribed for stopping the discharge from the nostrils. It can also help in treating congestion and severe cold. If sneezing fits do not reduce, one can have this medicine. It also relieves burning sensation in the throatand nose, as well as fever.
Allium Cepa: When the discharge from the nose is cold and heavy as well as thin, it can be cured with the help of Allium Cepa. Persistent discharge is one of the symptoms for which this medicine is usually prescribed. Also, this medicine helps patients who experience cough and discharge once they step out of a warm room.
Euphrasia: When the top part of the respiratory mucous membrane is affected, this medicine can be used. It is also helpful when there is soreness in the nostrils and lips. Also, yellow and acrid discharge from the nostrils can be cured with this medicine. Dryness and pain is also one of the symptoms for which this medicine may be prescribed.
Gelsemium: When the cold first starts and begins to manifest as headaches, this medicine can be used so that it breaks up the cold effectively. Also, dullness and weakness due to oncoming fever can be checked with this medicine. Further, a sore throat can be treated with this medicine. Excessively warm weather that leads to a cold can be treated with Gelsamium too.
Nux Vomica: If you have caught a cold from damp and cold weather conditions, the doctor can prescribe Nux Vomica. This effectively treats cold symptoms likedry nose, minimal discharge and a tickling sensation in the nose.
Mercurius: This medicine can be prescribed to treat frontal sinuses that may be suffering due to the flu. Violent sneezing and excessive sweating can be cured with this medicine.

Seasonal Flu - 7 Best Homeopathic Remedies for It!

Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder, which generally affects the colon (large intestine). It usually shows symptoms like abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, gas and constipation. IBS is a long-term condition. It can result in sudden mood swings, depression and thus holds you back from living your life to the fullest. IBS can be controlled by managing lifestyle, stress and managing your diet. Medication and counseling could also be required to manage IBS.

Symptoms of IBS:

Immense cramping and pain.
A feeling that your belly is bloated all the time
Severe gas
Alternating and sudden bouts of constipation and diarrhea.
Presence of mucus in the feces.
Whenever you experience such kind of symptoms, it is always advisable that you must consult a doctor, so that it doesn't lead to a serious condition.

When should you consult a doctor for IBS?
IBS is not a chronic disorder and can be controlled by home remedies. It may also require medical treatment if the symptoms become acute and persist for too long. If you experience certain symptoms like rectal bleeding, weight loss and heavy abdominal pain that might increase at night, you may be at a risk for colon cancer. If such symptoms persist, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Causes of IBS:

Foods: Most people are susceptible to IBS if they consume foods like spices, fats, fruits, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carbonated beverage, milk or alcohol. These foods irritate the lining of the stomach and trigger IBS. However, the trigger may vary from person to person.
Stress: Signs and symptoms of IBS can also increase if you are very stressed out. Stress makes your muscles too worked up and this may result in IBS. However, you should know that stress aggravates or triggers the symptoms but doesn t cause IBS.
Hormones: Women are more likely to develop IBS. Fluctuations in the hormonal cycle can trigger IBS. This usually occurs around or during menstruation.
Other illnesses: Sometimes illness such as gastroenteritis (infectious diarrhea) or bacterial overgrowth in the intestines can trigger symptoms of IBS.
Age: You will be more likely to develop IBS if you are 45 years of age or above.
Hereditary: People having a family history of IBS are more susceptible to develop IBS.
Mental problems: Depression, personality disorder, anxiety and a history of sexual abuse can also trigger symptoms of IBS.

Can Severe Gas be a Sign of Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Common Signs of Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a very common condition, which is associated with the passage of the ingested fluids and foods through your colon more frequently than usual or in huge amounts. This condition is mostly caused by the action of viruses, parasites, bacteria, medications like antibiotics, certain digestive disorders, abdominal surgery, lactose intolerance, and consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol etc. Here are some of the common symptoms, which indicate that you are suffering from diarrhea:

Passing watery and loose stools
Frequent bowel movements
Pain or cramps in the abdomen
Feeling of nausea
Vomiting
Bloating in the stomach

If you are suffering from a more serious form of diarrhea, you might also experience symptoms like:

Presence of mucus, blood and traces of undigested food in your stool
Fever

Diarrhea mostly gets cured even without consuming any medicines within a couple of days. However, you need to consult a doctor and get proper treatment for diarrhea in the following cases:

If you are continuously experiencing the condition for more than two days
Your stools contain blood or are black
Severe pain in the rectum or abdomen is bothering you
You experience signs of dehydration like excessive thirst, weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, urine of dark color or reduced frequency and amount of urination
Your body temperature exceeds 102 F (39 C)



Common Signs of Diarrhea

Bacteria are the organisms that people must avoid. But is that true for all bacteria? According to many researches, the Gut Bacteria present in the digestive tract of the human body help in digestion and play an important role in the well-being.

These bacteria help to lower the probability of diseases like obesity, diabetes, colon cancer, depression, etc.

What is Gut Bacteria?

Gut bacteria live inside the gut and is a mixture of 300 to 500 different kinds of bacteria. These bacteria contain approximately 2 million genes. Not only bacteria, but they may also combine with other organisms like Fungi and Viruses to make Microbiome or Microbiota.

Like everyone s fingerprints are different, Gut mixture of bacteria also differs from person to person.

It depends on many factors like a person s lifestyle or diet. It also partly depends upon his/her mother s Microbiota.

How Gut Bacteria is Helpful to Lower the Risk of Diseases -

According to research, people who are sick have less amount or lack of bacteria variety as compared to a healthy person.

Although bacteria live throughout the body, bacteria inside the gut, intestine, or colon may be helpful for well-being and have the biggest impact on digestion. They also play a major role in everything from immune systems to hormonal balance to metabolism.

These friendly bacteria are helpful in the following illness:

1. Provides Immunity

According to a study published by the University of Chicago, bacteria play a vital role in the immune system. In this study, researchers introduced a bacteria strain with melanoma in the digestive tract of mice. These bacteria prompted the immune system of mice to fight against tumor cells. Bacteria in the body help the immune system make natural antibiotics. These natural antibiotics help fight against diseases.

2. Controls Mood

People may often think about how gut bacteria help maintain hormonal balance, but many studies and researches exist that shows the impact of these bacteria on the human mood or mental disorders. The doctors may call this link a "gut-brain axis.  According to Prof Dinan, people who are suffering from depression or any mental disorders have less microbiota than healthy people. Another scientist from McMaster University said that based on the mouse study, gut bacteria may play a major role in depression and anxiety.

3. Manages Appetite and Body Weight

Gut bacteria may also affect the metabolism of the body. They determine the calories the person gets from food, and the kind of nutrients he/she draws from it. High amount of Gut bacteria in the body may change fibers into fatty acids, which lead to the deposition of fats in the liver, and cause  metabolism syndrome.  This can even cause obesity. This shows that by maintaining gut bacteria, one can maintain his/her body weight.

4. Aids Nutrient Absorption

It is important to eat properly, but what if the food is not absorbed in the bloodstream of the body? According to a study at Washington University School of Medicine, gut bacteria play an important role in absorbing nutrients from food. This study indicates that irrespective of one's proper diet, gut bacteria are required to absorb vitamins and nutrients from food. These bacteria help in breaking down the food to provide nutrients to the body.

There are trillions of bacteria that live inside the digestive tract and contribute in many functionalities to the body. One should always eat healthy foods and exercise well to maintain the balance of these gut bacteria.

What Are The Benefits Of Gut Bacteria?

An abnormal junction or connection between two organs or tissues is referred to as a  fistula . It targets two hollow organs, vessels, or tissue structures. It occurs mostly in the rectum, vagina, however can affect the intestines and the eyes too. It results in extreme pain, discomfort and should be treated as immediately as possible to prevent infection.

It can induce sensations of:

Extreme irritation or itching
Discharge with unusual odor (if the fistula is located near the anus/vagina)
Irritable bowel syndrome
Excess pus
High body temperature
Blood discharge
Diagnosis
In case or prolonged tension and pain in these areas, a proctoscopy should be conducted for diagnosis. It most commonly occurs in women who have sustained prolonged labor (over 2-3 days). However, other causes include:

Digestive malfunction
Abscesses(formation of pus in hollow organs)
An unhealthy lifestyle which includes excessive indulgence in alcohol and tobacco

Ayurvedic treatment for fistulas are available which aim to sooth the inflammation by slowly remedying the wound through natural and safe measures. Since Ayurvedic practices are non-toxic, non invasive and completely safe, one can avoid the drastic measures that surgery consists of, and also avoid the side effects of medicines.

Ayurvedic remedies of fistulas include
Ayurvedic doctors have developed several oils, ointments and medications that are readily available in the market. The medications usually consist of a mixture of herbs, roots and plants that aim to restore the physical systems and also soothe the affected area.

The importance of buttermilk added with rock salt and black pepper also allows the enzymes of our body to multiply and thereby cure the fistulas internally.
Radish juice with a pinch of cumin is also recommended to be consumed after meals to improve digestion and empower the immune system.
A healthy lifestyle and fitness routine consisting of yoga and exercises also contribute to improve conditions in the patient by facilitating blood circulation and metabolism.

Fistula - Treating It With Ayurveda!

Diarrhea is a condition wherein you suffer from loose, watery bowel movements on a frequent basis, generally 3-4 times a day. This lasts for a few days and due to the frequency of fluid loss, it results in dehydration. Dehydrations signs begin to show up with the loss of ability to stretch the skin and frequent irritations in behaviour. Passing of less urine, loss of skin, heart rates getting faster and slow responses are some of the other signs. You can easily sense the occurrence of diarrhea by following certain symptoms. We take a look at some of the signs and symptoms typically associated with the problem of diarrhea.

Signs and symptoms of diarrhea

As mentioned earlier, one of the most common symptoms of diarrhea is watery bowel movements on a frequent basis, occurring minimum 3 to 4 times a day for a few days.

Some other symptoms are as follows:

Cramps in the abdomen followed by pain

Fever

Blood in the stool

Bloating, a situation, arising when stomach gets swollen due to gas.

Nausea

You feel an urgency to have a bowel movement.

When you come across these symptoms and feel as if they are slowly turning into severe ones, consult your doctor. Diarrhea persisting for more than two days seek for an immediate appointment with the doctor.

You need to be extra cautious if your children seems to have either of these symptoms, as diarrhea can very easily lead to dehydration for them.

Causes behind diarrhea

Diarrhea can be caused as result of a number of diseases and conditions. They include:

Viruses: Norwalk virus, cytomegalovirus and viral hepatitis are some of the viruses, that can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea among children are caused due to Rotavirus.

Bacteria and parasites: Another cause behind diarrhea is contaminated food or water, which has the potential to transmit bacteria and parasites to the body. Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium are the two parasites which cause diarrhea.

Medications: Some antibiotics can also cause diarrhea as they destroy both good and bad bacteria, thereby causing disturbance to the natural balance of bacteria in our intestines.

Dairy Products: Dairy products like milk, curd etc have lactose in them. Lactose is a sugar found in these products. Now people, who face difficulty in digesting lactose suffer from diarrhea after eating dairy products.

Artificial Sweeteners: Sorbitol and Mannitol are some of the artificial sweeteners, generally found in chewing gum and many other sugar-free products, cause diarrhea.

Treatment for Diarrhea

In majority of the cases involving diarrhea, they get resolved without treatment. Still, some of the treatment options which people go for to get relief from diarrhea are:

Rehydration: As diarrhea results in loss of fluid during to frequent bowel movements, so drinking enough water to stay hydrated is a must. ORS can help replenish the water and salt in the system.

Eat Bland Diet: Only drink water for one whole day. Then gradually limit your diet to only bananas, rice, toast and tea.

Antidiarrheal Medication: Medicines like Loperamide and Imodium, which restricts stool passage are both available over-the-counter.

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