Rhinitis is an irritable medical condition where the mucous lining of a person's nose swells up. The term is more of a category and less of a definitive way to describe something specific. Rhinitis involves a host of other conditions that affect the mucous membranes of your nose. If you were not aware, common cold is also a kind of rhinitis. Rhinitis can cause acute touchiness in the inner lining of the nose leading to continuous discharges from one's nose. It can also lead to clogging of your nose or inflammation of the internal tissues. 

Rhinitis can be divided under two main types; allergic and non- allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis, popularly known as hay fever is caused due to contact with allergens that are usually undamaging. However, in case of non- allergic rhinitis the symptoms take after that of the allergic type but no particular causal factor can be identified.

Factors that can increase your propensity to suffer from rhinitis of any kind are:-

Pollen from flowers
Inhaling certain substances can be harmful; smell of certain chemicals is bad too.
Both active as well as passive smoking can be detrimental
High levels of air pollution contributes to the risk
Weather conditions affect your health; a windy yet humid weather can aggravate rhinitis.
Common symptoms of rhinitis can be listed as below:-

A person suffering from this condition might catch a cold all of a sudden.
People, usually little children, might even face high fevers.
Your nose tends to be runny. After the infection subsides, chances of a thick, sticky discharge are more.
Exhaustion is also felt in combination with headaches and teary eyes.
The nature of your nasal discharge tells the doctor if you are suffering from an allergy or from a viral infection.
A few preventive measures to aid you against rhinitis:-

Rhinitis can be communicable and in most cases it is so. Therefore a person should not share his or her utensils and other personal things such as towels or handkerchiefs with any other person.
One should not be in close proximity of another infected person.
Hands are the most common sources of infection. One must wash his or her unclean hands before touching the face.


All about Rhinitis

Pilonidal Sinus/ Cyst is Characterized By 
   Small nodular swelling in the lower spinal region with occasional discharges that may stain undergarments. Sometimes mild pain may also be noticed. 
   It is usually seen in adults of college/ school going age & with hairy skin. 

Pilonidal Sinus/ Cyst seldom heal with medicinal treatment. Any medication whether allopathic, Ayurvedic or homeopathic may show some temporary relief but do not eradicate the problem. In most of the patients having pilonidal sinus/ cyst, surgeons usually recommend surgical procedures like Z-plasty etc. Even after surgery the chances of recurrences are always there. Post operative pain, hospitalization and chances of recurrence are the factors which suggest that surgery is not the appropriate method of treating pilonidal sinus/ cyst. 

TREATMENT OF CHOICE (AYURVEDA) - 
In Ayurveda, a parasurgical treatment known as Ksharsutra therapy is an effective treatment for pilonidal sinus/ cyst. Treatment method includes proper identification of sinus tract wrt. to its depth, direction and branching pattern. This could be achieved via sinogram or skilled probing. Once the sinus tract has been properly identified, a super specialized medicated thread i.e. Graded ksharsutra  is placed in the tract. The medicine from the medicated thread is gradually released which leads to debridement of the sinus tract which means unhealthy tissue, pus, hairs are expelled out from the tract. The proper and complete debridement of the tract induces healing of the sinus which subsequently heals. The medicine coated thread remains effective for 7-10 days after which it has to be replaced by a new thread. 

Usually, in a sinus of approx. 5 cm length, 6-8 sittings of medicated thread replacement are required at a weekly interval. Ksharsutra therapy being a non surgical opd procedure doesn't involve any hospitalization or bed rest and patients can resume their routine work immediately after treatment. Graded ksharsutra  treatment is the treatment of choice for Pilonidal Sinus as chances of recurrence are seldom seen. The facility of Graded ksharasutra  is available only at Sushruta Anorectal Institute. 

Pilonidal Sinus/ Cyst Treatment FAQs 

Question 1 - What is Pilonidal Sinus/ Cyst Disease? 

Answer - Pilonidal Sinus disease is seen as a small nodular swelling in the lower spinal region with occasional discharges of pus & blood. It is most commonly found in people with hairy skin. Some times mild pain may also be noticed. The main problem is that it keeps on developing again and again after short period of remission. As the problem aggravates, the size of the swelling & pus discharges also increase. It is usually not noticeable in the beginning till it keeps recurring again and again. It is advisable not to get it operated as the chances of recurrence after surgery are pretty high, where as in Ayurveda with the help of Graded ksharsutra , this problem can be completely cured without surgery. *(There is no guarantee of specific results and the results can vary.) 

Question 2 - What are the Causes of Pilonidal Sinus Disease? 

Answer -Pilonidal sinus is also known as the jeep riders back problem. The problem was first recorded on a large scale during world war II in the soldiers who rode jeeps and motorbikes on a frequent basis. Though, the reason behind the occurrence of the issue is really not known it is believed that in growing hairs and hairs penetrating the skin are main cause. The problem is more common in people who have hairy skin. Home remedies for Pilonidal Sinus? Answer - Pilonidal Sinus is an infective condition usually seen in hairy skin individuals. As such there is no home remedy for Pilonidal Sinus. So instead of wasting time in searching for home remedies; you should plan for complete treatment i.e. Ksharsutra Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus as soon as possible. 

Question 3 - What are the ways of identifying a Pilonidal Sinus and Recognizing Signs of Infection? 

Answer -The main problem with identifying Pilonidal Sinus Infection is; it cannot be done till it grows to a certain extent. At first, it appears like a normal boil on the skin. When it does not go away with time; pus starts discharging out of it. We have demarcated a few of the signs that may help you in detecting the problem. 

Sensation of pain while sitting or standing in the low back region. 
The cyst appears swollen 
Pus and blood mixed watery discharge from the cyst 
eddened skin near the cyst 
Cyst forming again and again

Pilonidal Sinus - Say No to Surgery!

Remember how Shrek literally pulled out a candle from his ear for the dinner table? Ever tried doing it yourself? Well, the stuff in your ears may be called wax, but it can t really be used to make a candle. However, it certainly can signify a lot about your health. Though the idea of discussing earwax is rather disgusting, it actually plays a pivotal role in keeping your ears healthy and functioning. Earwax protects your eardrums by barring the entry of insects, fungi, bacteria, dust and bacteria. In clinical terms, earwax is also known as cerumen. 

Studies indicate that children typically produce more earwax than adults. The earwax in your ear is a combination of alcohol, shed layers of the ear, unsaturated and saturated long-chain fatty acids and squalene. In order to clean earwax, you should not insert objects too deep in your ear, instead, you can just wipe it off with a cotton swab.  The color and texture of the earwax removed can actually indicate your overall health condition, stress level, genetic ancestry, etc.

Know what your earwax color says about your health 
Pale yellow to yellow earwax: It is the most common type of earwax and indicates overall good health. Children typically produce soft, pale yellow earwax and in case of adults, the color should remain the same, but the texture tends to be sticky. 
Wet vs. dry earwax: Wet and dry are the genetically determined earwax types, wherein, the 'wet type' is dominant and the 'dry type' is recessive. A research, conducted on Biologic variation in health and illness: race, age, and sex differences (1985) by Overfield, Theresa, established that dry-type earwax indicates East Asian and Native American ancestry, while wet-type indicates African and European. 
Thick, dark and black colored earwax: The production of earwax is also influenced by your stress level i.e. when you are stressed out, the glands that are responsible for the production of earwax work overtime and produce excess amount of earwax. As this earwax collects, it can turn thicker and darker thus, this type of earwax is a sign of increased stress level. And, black colored earwax indicates that it has been accumulating in your ears for quite some time and has not been cleaned. To avoid this, it is essential to clean your ears from time to time and in the right way. 
Dry, gray earwax: The gray color of the wax is an indication of dust build-up and must be cleaned properly at regular intervals. However, if your earwax suddenly seems dry and brittle, it could be the sign of a skin infection. Dry earwax accompanied by itchiness in the ear is usually a sign of eczema.
Bloody earwax: Blood in the earwax should never be ignored. This could be caused by an ear infection or can be a sign of ruptured eardrum and you must consult your doctor immediately. 
Thus it is important that you take proper care of your ears so as to ensure that your hearing is maintained and although earwax protects your ears against infections and problems, it must be cleaned from time to time. It is advisable that you get your ears cleaned professionally, in case you are suffering from certain ailments such as Diabetes.

Earwax - Did You Know Its Color Can Say A Lot About Your Health?

Tonsils are the two oval-shaped tissue pads at the back of your throat, which function as a mechanism to protect you from diseases. Any infection of the tonsils is referred to as  tonsillitis .

You can suffer from tonsillitis at any age, but it is more commonly diagnosed in children. Tonsillitis is highly contagious.

There are two types of tonsillitis:

Chronic tonsillitis Longer episodes of acute tonsillitis
Recurrent tonsillitis Recurrent episodes of tonsillitis in a year
Causes

Tonsillitis can cause viral and bacterial infections. The  Streptococcus (strep) bacteria  is a common cause. Some other causes include:

Adenoviruses
Influenza virus
Epstein-Barr virus
Parainfluenza virus
Enteroviruses
Herpes simplex virus
Symptoms

Since tonsillitis has various causes, symptoms too tend to differ. Some symptoms include:

An extremely sore throat
Painful or difficult swallowing
Scratchy-sounding voice
Bad breath
Fever
Chills
Earaches
Stomach aches
Headaches
Stiff neck
Neck and jaw tenderness due to inflamed lymph nodes
Tonsils that become swollen and red in colour
Yellow or white spots on the tonsils
In children, symptoms such as excessive drooling, increased irritability or poor appetite are usually noticeable.

Treatment

If the tonsillitis is mild, especially caused by a virus, it usually doesn t require any treatment. More critical cases of tonsillitis might require treatments such as tonsillectomy (a surgical process used to remove the tonsils) or administration of antibiotics.

Penicillin is the most commonly administered antibiotic. Once commonly performed, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) is now reserved for extremely critical cases. 

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Tonsillitis

Are you aware of the causes and symptoms of vertigo? Also known as bhrama, vertigo is a balance disorder. It is also referred to as a spinning sensation and head rush. A sense of spinning of the nearby surroundings is experienced by a person affected with vertigo. Standing in an upright position becomes difficult. The onset of this condition occurs in several ways. Ayurveda has a complex explanation for vertigo or bhrama, which is as follows:

Ayurvedic approach
According to Ayurveda, vertigo is caused because of your pitta and vata doshas.

When the vata and pitta doshas get excited, an abnormal functioning of the balance mechanism within your inner ear is caused.
A vestibular imbalance, or an imbalance in the inner part of your ear is the primary cause of vertigo. It disrupts the coordination of a stimulus and response.
Any defect or disruption in the proper flow of oxygen to the ear can result in vertigo attacks.
Factors causing imbalance in doshas

Viral infections like common cold
Ear problems like discharges, infections in the ear cavity, and perforation of the eardrum
Certain cardiovascular diseases such as low blood pressure, valve diseases, and improper heart rhythms
Migraine and anemia
Certain neck ailments such as cervical spondylosis
Arthritis and injury to the head that leads to concussions
Ayurvedic treatment

Several Ayurvedic herbs and remedies are used for the treatment of vertigo. These herbs are added to a patient s regular diet. They are as follows:
Ashwagandha improves the flow of oxygen in your body. It is commonly used for dealing with respiratory problems that result in vertigo or bhrama.
Ginkgo is the most effective Ayurvedic herb for curbing all forms of circulatory problems. It enhances the flow of oxygen to various parts of your body. It is ideal for the reduction and elimination of vertigo. It also cures ringing in the ears, which is a common vertigo symptom.
The roots of the vacha tree are effective in giving relief to vertigo patients.
A concoction made of Guduchi Kasaya is effective in curing a vertigo. One should have 30ml of the concoction every morning, at least half an hour before breakfast.
Other important Ayurvedic remedies that help with vertigo management include Triphala, Sarpagandha, Yogendra rasa, Saraswatarishtha, and many others.
It is recommended for you to visit an Ayurvedic practitioner before starting Ayurvedic treatment for vertigo on your own. He will be able to diagnose your condition and severity, and accordingly prescribe the best treatment.

Vertigo - How Ayurveda Can Help You Treat it?

Sinusitis refers to an extremely painful condition caused due to the inflammation and swelling of sinuses. A host of causes contribute to sinusitis, chief among them being allergies, air pollution or sometimes infection. It causes extreme discomfort, throbbing headache, sore throat and a blocked nose. Though different branches of medicines have tried in their own ways of dealing with this problem, ayurveda with its reliance on natural products as remedial measures have emerged as a clear favorite. Some of the ayurvedic remedies for sinusitis are-

1. Inhalation of steam with tulsi
The benefits of tulsi are widespread and need little introduction. The ambit of its advantages is expansive, making its presence felt even in treating sinusitis. In case of severe bouts of sinusitis, it is highly recommended that you inhale steam with tulsi almost every day in the week.

2. Have ginger along with honey
Another way of treating acute pangs of sinusitis is by making a paste of ginger and honey. Make small tablets of this mixture and for most effective results it is advisable that you have it every day.

3. Avoid certain food
Just how incorporating certain food in the diet help in reducing the pain of sinusitis, eliminating few, often times help you to achieve the same purpose. When you suffer from sinusitis, it is only advisable that you diligently avoid dairy products like milk, yoghurt as well as intoxicants like cigarettes and alcohol.

4. Lemon juice and water
In the initial stages of sinusitis, having a daily concoction of lemon juice and water is considered very beneficial. During this phase maintaining a light diet is advisable.

5. Practice pranayama
The gamut of ayurvedic remedies includes not only the prescription of what to eat and what to avoid but also several exercises that help in expediting the process of recovery. Among them, pranayama with its focus on control and regulation of breath is particularly beneficial in curing sinusitis.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Sinusitis

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