Ageing is inevitable, and as much as we want to escape, there is no way out. All organs, whether obvious or not, undergo gradual degeneration and deterioration. The brain is no exception, and memory being one of its main function also begins to decline with age. There are various factors which determine how quickly this ageing sets in and how rapidly it progresses. These are dictated by a person s lifestyle, activity levels, and overall body changes. Dementia also has a strong family history, and if you know someone who has a family history, there are some early signs that you could watch for. This will help in both empathizing with the person, as well as to help in arresting progression. Read on to know the signs that need to be watched out for.

Mood changes: Sudden changes in mood, especially going into short periods of depression without an obvious reason, is one of the first symptoms of dementia. If it is happening repeatedly, this can help identify dementia.
Personality changes: If a shy person suddenly becomes outgoing or vice versa, this could be an early indicator of dementia. They either develop or shed inhibitions, which is a new change for them.
Memory loss: Sudden short-term memory loss for a person who had a very strong memory is a definite indicator of dementia. They might clearly remember the distant events but forget small things like where to find their medicines, where things are in the kitchen or bathroom, etc. Because of this, you might see them repeating what they just did. This could be like washing a glass again, saying or asking the same thing again, etc.
The difficulty with regular tasks: Short-term memory loss causes difficulty with regular tasks like laying out the dinner table, finding regular medicines, paying utility bills, etc. There is also difficulty in learning new tasks, which further complicates things.
Feeling lost: Due to sudden memory loss and difficulty with regular tasks, they suddenly feel lost, which in turns adds to their depression.
Apathy: This also leads to a general lack of interest in things and people around them. They could have had hobbies, which no longer interest them.
Disoriented: They find it difficult to be aligned to time and space. Directions which they clearly know could seem difficult.
Not able to connect the dots: While the elderly people are generally good at telling stories and anecdotes, with dementia setting in, this becomes difficult.
These are some symptoms which can help identify if a near one is slowly developing dementia. Identifying in the early stages can help in arresting progress and extending support.

Dementia - How To Know If Someone Is Suffering From It?

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of most deadly diseases know globally. It is an infectious disease occurring in many developing and developed countries as well. However, more patients can be seen coming from developing nations. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), 9 million people suffer from TB in a year. Tuberculosis is one of the diseases leading to deaths among women aged between 15 to 40 years.

The main cause of TB is a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is an infectious disease that is also contagious. However, tuberculosis can be of two varying types:

Latent TB- In this case, the bacteria causing TB remains inactive in a person s body and does not show any signs and symptoms of TB. However, it may become active. An estimated 2 million people have latent TB and need to be treated.
Active TB- The bacteria causing TB is active and results in various symptoms which can be transmitted from one person to another.
Some of the signs and symptoms of active TB are:

Severe Cough
Coughing up Blood (Hemoptysis)
Chest Pain
Loss of Weight
Fatigue
Fever
Night Sweats
Decreased Appetite
Feeling Cold
Having Difficulty in Breathing
Swollen Lymph Nodes
There are other types of TB occurring among people that have many more symptoms:

Skeletal TB (Pott s Disease)
TB Meningitis- headaches, mental changes and coma
TB Arthritis- usually pain in knees and joints
Genitourinary TB- dysuria, flank pain, increased frequency, masses or lumps
Gastrointestinal TB- problem in swallowing, ulcers, mal-absorption and diarrhoea
Military TB- It is basically small nodules that occur in organs
Pleural TB- This basically refers to the respiratory problems of empyema and pleural effusions
Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB)- People suffering from TB and having medications for it may develop a resistant to certain drugs over time.
XDR TB- Patients being drug resistant to tuberculosis drugs. XDR stands for extensively drug-resistant.
Caseous TB- Necrotic (dead and dying) tissue infected with TB has a dry and cheesy appearance.
These were some of the symptoms associated with various types of Tuberculosis. However, its diagnosis may range of doing a skin test to blood tests to x-rays to sputum tests. Along with this doctors use a stethoscope to listen to the sounds of lungs.

What you need to keep in mind is that TB affects other parts of the body as well. If you are having tuberculosis in your kidneys, then it results in loss of blood through urine. So you need to observant and report to your doctor accordingly.

As TB is a contagious disease, its treatments require certain medications which have to be consumed for a period of 6 months. For effective results and better recovery, doctors advise patients to complete the full course of medications.

TB Symptoms - What Are The Signs Of Tuberculosis?

With technology at your fingertips, it is hard to think of times when the existence of laptops and television sets was unimaginable. Technology is common enough to be taken for granted in present times. TV and laptops are especially in widespread use. The primary reason could be entertainment, an urge to connect to the larger world, or the need to kill time. Such dependability leads to severe health hazards. Read on to find out more:

Effects of TV and laptops on your health:

    Sleep deprivation: Long hours of exposure to artificial light can lead to sleep deprivation.
    It can also lead to serious vision problems: Watching TV or using laptops for long hours can make your eyes vulnerable to constant glare. You fail to realize, but changing lights of a computer screen or of a television set in a dark room can be extremely strenuous for your eyes to adjust. Constantly changing lights can lead to glaucoma. However, dry and itchy eyes, headaches and poor vision are the commonly noticed effects.
    It causes obesity in children and adults: Since all your work can be done on the internet, you tend to become lethargic. You are too lazy to go to the market or to the bank. Even if you are not watching you use the television for background music. Adults therefore do not make qualitative use of their free time. Children are addicted to playing games and browsing sites on the laptop. They hardly indulge in outdoor games. This leads to obesity in adults and children all the same.
    Propels your desire to eat fast food or packaged food: Binge eating is a very common practice while watching TV or using laptops. Chips, pizzas, burgers, ice- creams, cold drinks and absolutely anything junk devoid of nutritional value are more liked by us. Junk food not only leads to weight gain but is also detrimental to our digestive system.
    Can increase the risk of infertility in men: Laptops heat up when used for a long span of time. This heat can increase scrotum temperature which results in reduced sperm production, leading to infertility.   

As is said, nothing in excess is good for your health. It is therefore, best to make controlled use of TV and laptops to avoid its harmful effects.

Watching TV and Using Laptop: How it Affects Your Health?

The onset of winter brings with it chilly and dry winds. For some, it s the time to enjoy the chill weather with hot water baths and soothing drinks, and for others it s time to brave the long persistent cold and flu like symptoms which cause sickness and discomfort.

People who are allergic to the winter season can catch a cold on the slightest exposure to cold air. Sometimes, it s difficult to ascertain whether it is cold or an external allergen. In people prone to winter allergies, the allergies are mainly caused due to the allergens present in the environment. Mostly, winter allergies are also caused by the same allergens that are triggered in the summer season. 

Thus, people who have some or the other form of seasonal allergy is likely to suffer from allergies as the season changes.

Pet dander (flakes of skin in an animal's fur or hair) allergies are believed to escalate in winter since pets are mostly indoors during this season. The best way to deal with this is keeping the pet s area clean and dry, washing and changing of the bedding regularly, and avoiding physical contact as much as possible.
Dampness of clothes, blankets and shoes at home can be an allergy trigger for many people. The best way to control this type of allergy is to keep damp clothes and shoes in sun for some time. However, this may not work in many countries with extreme cold climates, which lack sunshine in their environment.
Decaying leaves and other yard waste can cause allergies due to mould and mildew. Mopping and sweeping the floors and garden can help alleviate the problem to some extent.
Dry climate can cause irritation in the nose and throat. It s important to replenish the body with adequate liquids and water rich fruits and veggies. It s important to choose your drinks wisely. Too much tea or coffee can also dehydrate the body. Go for ginger lemon honey infused in warm water for best results.
Allergy symptoms can also be caused due to too much moisture in the environment. It can give rise to a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Thus it s best to avoid sitting in a moist environment for long.
Sinus congestions are also common during the winter season. Steam inhalation and hot showers can help relieve the symptoms and provide relief.
Whether you are allergic to pets, moisture, dampness, dry weather or chilled winds, the thumb rule is twofold to understand what triggers your allergies and to avoid your exposure to those allergens. As we all know, allergies have no cure and they need to be managed. Drugs also help in controlling the allergy symptoms to some extent. However, it s best to prevent them as far as possible. If you are confused about what triggers your allergy, make sure to consult your doctor.

Allergy - Best Ways Ayurveda Can Help Manage It!

What makes your nose bleed in the summer season?

Nosebleeds are a common occurrence, and may indicate a severe medical condition. The rupture of the blood vessels within the front and back of the nose can cause such bleeding. These blood vessels are very tender and, thus, bleed easily.

There are two kinds of nose bleeds: namely anterior and posterior nosebleeds.

An anterior nosebleed occurs when the blood vessels at the front of the nose break or rupture, giving rise to bleeding. A posterior nosebleed is when the rupture takes place in a deeper part of the nose. The latter is more dangerous because blood can flow down the back of the throat.

Some of the causes of nose bleeding are:

- Trauma to the face, such as a punch on the face
- Repeated bouts of nose picking or irritation can also cause nosebleed
- Although rare, inability of the blood to clot can also cause the nose to bleed
- High blood pressure can also be a contributing factor

According to some people, cold can cause your nose to bleed. This holds true to an extent. Among the many reasons that can cause the nosebleed, summers serve as one.

This is because:

- Summer months are dry and hot, both of which are bad for your nose. The protective coating of mucus present within the nasal cavity can get dry due to low humidity in the hot months. The loss of the mucus causes your nasal cavity to be prone to dryness, leading to subsequent bleeding.

- The heat also has another damaging effect, as summers tend to intensify allergy, and an allergic reaction can cause nosebleeds.

Washing your nose with cool water and avoiding being subjected to direct sunlight may help to prevent nosebleeds.



What makes your nose bleed in the summer season?

If someone in your family or your partner is suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder, your mental health is at stake too. You will have to take care of yourself and your emotional needs first. Life can be frustrating for you all the time. But, you need to identify your  feel good  activities and take some time out of your daily life to relax and calm down. Remember, you can succeed in the critical task of appeasing or pleasing your dear one with BPD, only when you are at peace with yourself first. Destress yourself to fight back the depression or emotional drainage caused by handling a BPD patient.

Here are few things that can help you have a better life while being in a relationship with a person suffering from BPD:

1. Don t isolate yourself: You must be in touch with people you like to be with. You need emotional support from friends and family to deal with life. Spending some quality time with friends and family members can add little happiness to your life. It will boost up your energy level to fight back the dark side of life. You must remember that you have a life as well.

2. Take care of your health: Sometimes, relatives of BPD patients forget to take care of their physical health. They forget basic stuffs like having proper meals, exercising, etc just because they are caught-up in a stressful relationship. But, remember you can help your loved one better only when you are physically fit.

3. Manage stress: Don t get anxious or depressed with the ongoing stress in your life. It will only add to your existing problems. Keep your nerves cool to have a better life for yourself as well as your sweetheart with BPD.

4. Believe in the 3c s formula: Well, it is a formula recommended by most of the mental health practitioners. Don t blame yourself for the irrational behaviour of your friend or dear one. The patient with BPD is solely responsible for his or her destructive behaviour or abnormal outburst. You will have to remember these 3c s: I didn't cause it; I can't cure it; and I can't control it.

5. Careful communication: You have to be very careful while communicating with BPD patients. Don t argue or try to convince them, when they are already in a disturbed frame of mind or agitated. They might end up getting destructive. Listen to their words carefully and patiently. Occasional nodding in between a conversation is advisable to let them feel assured about the fact that they are being heard and understood.

Don t forget to acknowledge their feelings. It is also important that you stay calm when the patient is angry and has turned destructive.

How to Deal with a Person Suffering from Borderline Personality?

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