Arthritis, which is quite a common ailment among people aged above 40, is painful regardless where it affects a person, be it the hands or the toes. However, the Ayurvedic field of medicine has come up with historic ways of treating the issue. Over the course of time, these methods have proved to be quite effective, and especially popular as they have no side effects. A person only needs to spend a little time to get to know how to go about using Ayurveda to cure the arthritic aches and pains, which plague daily life!


One of the best things about Ayurveda is the fact that the solutions are generally made using ingredients that are very easy to source. For example, there is a solution for arthritis, which involves mixing a cup of mustard oil with about 10 grams of camphor and then heating the combination. This oil mixture then needs to be massaged on the affected areas. Now, isn t that simple?


The common potato, long considered to be a vegetable of the masses, also finds its use in Ayurveda when it comes to treating arthritis. If you soak a few unpeeled slices of potato in a glass of water overnight and drink this water the following morning, you are sure to find an improvement in your condition quite soon. 


Additionally, there are a few other food items that are recommended in the Ayurvedic treatment. These include bitter gourd, which is not only low in calorie content, but also very high on vitamins and ginger which improves metabolism. Consuming garlic and buttermilk is also considered advantageous. 


Moreover, you may also need to make some changes to the lifestyle habits, which have been deeply ingrained. For instance, sleeping as per a regular schedule and not going to sleep very late at night has a positive impact.


As you have probably be discerned, when it comes to health, the devil is in the eating! If a person who has arthritis makes an effort to conform to a good and healthy diet, which does not contain fried or sugary food, or even those which have spices in excess, he or she will not only find the pain symptoms of arthritis reducing, but also gain a general sense of health.


As long as a person has the patience to follow the way of treating arthritis set out by Ayurveda, the benefits will truly be bountiful!

Arthritis - How Ayurveda Can Help Treat it?

Are you experiencing severe hearing loss or turning deaf? To get back your normal hearing, you should undertake a cochlear. It is a small device which is planted in your ear via a surgical procedure. It sends impulses to the auditory nerve directly and as a result, sound signals are carried to your brain. Such an implant does not make you hear like normal again, but it helps you with sounds and knowing sounds around you such as telephones, alarms and doorbells.

How Does Cochlear Implant Work?

Cochlear implant is meant for adults and children who have sensorineural hearing loss. This is a condition which damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear known as the cochlea. Your hearing gets impaired when these are damaged. A cochlear implant sends signals to the auditory nerve directly by skipping the damaged hair cells.

The device has two distinct parts. One part is the receiver-stimulator which is placed under the skin via surgery. The other part is the speech processor, which is worn around the back of the ear like a hearing aid. The outside device is, however, bigger in size than a hearing aid.

The receiver is placed under the skin, behind the ear through a small incision and it gets connected to electrodes. This is put into the cochlea of the inner ear. The surgery takes about some hours to be completed.

Two weeks after the surgery, the speech processor is fitted by the doctor. You will have to wear a microphone behind your ear. The processor can be connected to the microphone and worn around the ear. It can also be worn at any other place of the body, depending on your age and lifestyle.

Advantages of Cochlear Implant-

The major advantages of a cochlear implant are as follows:

You may be able to hear speech at an almost normal level.

You may understand speech without the help of lip reading.

It will be easy for you to talk on the phone and listen to the television.

Your experience of listening to music will improve.

You will be able to pick up different sounds starting from soft, medium to loud sounds.

You can also control your own voice in a better way, which will make it easier for others to understand you.

A cochlear implant can be a life changing device if you suffer from serious hearing loss. The results are not the same for everyone and vary from person to person. Some people may benefit more than others.

All You Need To Know About Cochlear Implant

With age, most body organs begin to deteriorate in their function. This happens to the brain also, thereby reducing the overall speed of functioning of most organs. While slowing of bodily movement is visible, the internal organs functioning also slows down, which is not that obvious. Memory loss or dementia is one of the main manifestations of this degeneration of the brain.

Alzheimer s is the most common form of dementia, and the associated symptoms includes reduced reasoning abilities and cognitive defects. Though it is seen only in the elderly, not all elderly people will have Alzheimer s. The overall quality of life of the affected person is reduced with difficulty remembering things that were recently learned. It is a progressive disease and as it gets more severe, a full-time caretaker may be required.

Causes: The brain cells are affected by protein masses known as plaques and tangles. These hamper the way communication between the brain cells happens as well as affect nutrition from reaching all parts of the brain. This leads to shrinking of the brain, eventually leading to memory loss and other problems. There is also a strong genetic linkage, as most people with Alzheimer s have the lipoprotein A gene.

Symptoms: Though memory loss is the most common symptom, there are other symptoms:

Being confused about places, people, and times
Inability to find the right words during conversations
Regular objects are misplaced
Becoming irritable, (in someone who was not so previously)
Mood swings
Personality changes
Inability to organise thoughts
Not able to make the right decisions
Repetitive talks and actions
Forgetfulness (not something the person always does)
Difficulty with numbers (again, not something calculations
Difficulty managing everyday tasks and minor problems
Suspicion of others (like immediate family members and friends)
Risk factors: While age is definitely a risk factor, the fact that not all aged people develop Alzheimer s is to be borne in mind. Other risk factors include the history of stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and poor lifestyle choices.

Diagnosis: While there is no definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer s, symptoms along with brain scans and neuropsychological function testing are useful ways to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment: This is aimed at two things reducing the rate of disease progression and treat (or reverse) symptoms if possible.

Cholinesterase inhibitors improve cellular communication in the brain and also manage depression and agitation. Memantine is used to slow the pace of disease progression.
In people with the disease, small changes are useful to help them with the symptoms. These include keeping essential things like keys and wallet in the same place, keep a daily diary to help them remember things, keep pictures of friends and family within visible distance.

Alzheimer's - An Overview!

Nerve pain or peripheral neuropathy, as it is medically known, is characterized by pain, numbness and weakness that arise out of nerve damage. This pain is usually restricted to the feet and the hands.

What are the common causes?

Diabetes is the most common cause for this condition. However, other causes, such as injuries, infections and prolonged exposure to certain toxins can also trigger nerve pain.

How can you control nerve pain?

Nerve pain can be managed and taken care of at home taking into consideration the points that have been mentioned below:

Topical Painkillers: Certain over the counter ointments and creams can help relieve nerve pain. These medications act as local anesthetics; that is they numb the area of the pain. Capsaicin, a derivative of chili peppers, is one of the major ingredients used in these medicines. Others use botanical oils as the major ingredients.

Painkillers: There are painkillers available OTC which can curb nerve pain. However, painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen do not really work well for severe pain of the nerves.

Supplements: The lack of Vitamin B12 is considered to be a very important cause, and at times, a catalyst for nerve pain. In a case such as this, Vitamin B12 supplements or injections might be administered. Although more research needs to go into this, but certain supplements, especially gamma-linolenic and alpha-lipoic acid can help soothe nerve pain caused by diabetes.

Acupuncture: This time-honored Chinese approach is a proven alleviator of nerve pain. Acupuncture releases chemicals which numb the pain, or prevent the pain signals from travelling to the brain.

Physical Therapy and Massages: Physical Therapy can especially heal and strengthen weak muscles that can stem from acute nerve damage and pain. Though more evidence is needed, according to a few sufferers of this condition, massages can be helpful with the tremendously painful muscle spasms that can so often result from nerve pain.

Relaxation Techniques: In combination with the abovementioned approaches, relaxation techniques can go a long way in relieving debilitating neural pain. Besides being helpful with dealing and reducing a few stress phases of life which can cause nerve pain, these techniques might actually root out the actual pain itself.

Lifestyle Modifications: This one s always a winner! Eating a well-balanced diet that guarantees all nutrients in uniform amounts can never go wrong. Regular exercises for about 30-45 minutes can remedy different types of pain; nerve pain being one of them. Try and limit alcohol intake (a peg once a week won t harm one, but binge drinking can play the ultimate spoilsport and make all health plans go topsy-turvy!). Abstain from smoking or chewing tobacco as this is usually the primary contributor towards any medical condition or disorder.

How To Control Nerve Pain?

While cold and cough are common, diseases like Addison s disease are rare. It is also known as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism as it is a result of insufficient production of hormones like cortisol and aldosterone by the adrenal glands. This disease can affect men and women of any age.

There are two types of Addison s disease. These are:

    Primary adrenal insufficiency: In this case, the adrenal glands themselves have a problem.
    Secondary adrenal insufficiency: If the hormone production in the adrenal glands is restricted by a problem that has started somewhere else like the pituitary gland, for example, it is known as secondary adrenal insufficiency.

Primary adrenal insufficiency is more common of the two. This could be triggered as a result of autoimmune diseases or a long lasting infection such as HIV, tuberculosis and some fungal infections. Cancer can also cause this type of Addison s disease.

Secondary adrenal insufficiency is usually caused by a problem with the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus as they are responsible for the production of hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands. Damage caused to the pituitary gland by tumors or radiation and surgery can also interfere with hormone production. Prolonged and improper use of steroid hormones can also trigger this condition.

Addison s disease has a very slow progression and its symptoms develop gradually over time. Some of these symptoms are:

    Weight loss and loss of appetite
    Extreme fatigue
    Hyperpigmentation
    Low blood pressure
    Craving for salt
    Nausea and diarrhea
    Pain in the abdomen and joint pains
    Irritability
    Depression
    Loss of body hair and sexual dysfunction in women

Treatment for Addison s disease involves hormone replacement therapy. This aims at correcting the hormone levels in the body. Hormone replacement therapy includes oral corticosteroids and corticosteroid injections. The dosage of these steroids could vary depending on the situation. For example, the doctor may suggest a temporary high dosage when the patient is in a stressful condition. Along with this, sodium is also recommended especially during the summer months and while exercising. This medication must be taken regularly as skipping a single dose can be dangerous.

In some cases this condition can become life threatening. An addisonian crisis causes a drop in blood pressure, sugar and a spike in potassium levels in the body. This requires immediate medical attention and can be treated with intravenous injections of hydrocortisone, saline solution and sugar.

Addison's Disease - What You Should Know About it

Pulmonary tuberculosis was a fatal disease in the past in India. On an average, 95% of the deaths occur in third world countries, especially the developing ones, due to tuberculosis. In India, the deaths account to 50% out of the 95%. Such is the scenario that everyone is apprehensive if they have a prolonged cough and cold. As sputum with blood is a clear sign that the person is suffering from tuberculosis, steps must be taken promptly and at a swift pace to streamline things for quick care. 

Tuberculosis is an air-borne disease and it can easily travel through the air when the affected person is in contact. In tuberculosis, specific bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis affects the lungs. On an average, 10% of such infections progress into acute disease and kill the affected individuals.

The symptoms of tuberculosis are seen more in patients suffering from AIDS as their immunity is often compromised. Early detection can be made possible through a chest X-Ray, microscopic examination, and the nature of the fluids. In case you are suffering from a prolonged cough and cold, you must go for tuberculin skin test or blood test to find out more about the problem.

Why is it important to eat a proper diet during pulmonary tuberculosis?
Malnutrition and pulmonary tuberculosis are interrelated. If you are eating right and inducting all healthy means in your daily lifestyle, it will build your immunity and help fight against grave diseases. When you have pulmonary tuberculosis, the desire or craving for the food will disappear and eventually, your body will wither off. You will lose mass by losing muscles.

So, eating healthily can only help you stay strong to defeat pulmonary tuberculosis. Those who are suffering from tuberculosis face challenges with nutrients in their body. They are deprived of essential micro-nutrients and they have severe deficiencies of zinc, Vitamin A, D, C & E, selenium, iron and copper.

A protein- and vitamin-rich diet can boost the immunity of the body and prevent deadly diseases from wreaking havoc in the body. So, if you are wondering about food, here are a few items that you can eat and few that you can avoid when you have pulmonary tuberculosis.

Food to eat

Kale and spinach are instant sources of high iron and Vitamin B, which will help you power-up your immune system.
Whole grains like wheat, bread and cereals are a must-have during this time-tested period.
Carrots, peppers, tomatoes, blueberries, and cherries are rich anti-oxidants and they can boost your immune system by flushing out the oxidants from the body, which are tantamount to poison.
Vegetable oil (not butter) could be a  green go  during pulmonary tuberculosis.
Food to avoid

Greasy food like beef, chicken, and mutton must be avoided. They can increase the cholesterol level in the body and compromise on the power of immunity.
Avoid margarine and butter. One should not eat cake, pastries, and other food with hydrogenated oil.
Keep an eye on your regular diet, work to build a strong immunity, and always stay healthy. 

How A Right Diet Helps Recover From Pulmonary Tuberculosis?

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