Headaches and migraines can vary drastically depending on their duration, specific symptoms and the person they are affecting. The more you know about your specific type of headache or migraine, the better prepared you will be to treat them and possibly even prevent them. The two types of migraine are- 

Migraine without aura: The majority of migraine sufferers have Migraine without Aura. 
Migraine with aura: Migraine with Aura refers to a range of neurological disturbances that occur before the headache begins, usually lasting about 20-60 minutes.
Symptoms of migraine vary and also depend on the type of migraine. A migraine has four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and postdrome. But it is not necessary that all the migraine sufferers experience all the four stages.

Prodrome: The signs of this begin to appear a day or two days before the headache starts. The signs include depression, constipation, food cravings, irritability, uncontrollable yawning, neck stiffness and hyperactivity.
Migraine Aura: Auras are a range of symptoms of the central nervous system. These might occur much before or during the migraine, but most people get a migraine without an aura. Auras usually begin gradually and increase in intensity. They last for an hour or even longer and are 

Visual: Seeing bright spots, various shapes, experiencing vision loss, and flashes of light
Sensory: Present in the form of touch sensations like feeling of pins and needles in the arms and legs
Motor: Usually related with the movement problems like the limb weakness
Verbal: It is related with the speech problems
Headache: In case of a migraine attack one might experience:

Pain on both sides or one side of the head
Pain is throbbing in nature
Vomiting and nausea
Sensitivity to smells, sound and light
Vision is blurred
Fainting and lightheadedness
Postdrome: This is the final phase of the migraine. During this phase one might feel fatigued, though some people feel euphoric.

Red flags that the patient may be having underlying serious disorder not migraine

Onset of headaches >50 years 
Thunderclap headache - subarachnoid haemorrhage 
Neurological symptoms or signs 
Meningism 
Immunosuppression or malignancy 
Red eye and haloes around lights - acute angle closure glaucoma 
Worsening symptoms 
Symptoms of temporal arteritis
These patients require CT scan / MRI or CSF examination. Most Migraine patients do not need these tests. 

Diagnosis of Migraine: Usually migraines go undiagnosed and thus are untreated. In case you experience the symptoms regularly then talk to the doctor, who evaluates the symptoms and can start a treatment. You can also be referred to a neurologist who is trained to treat the migraines and other conditions. During the appointment the neurologist usually asks about the family history of headaches and migraines along with your symptoms and medical history.

The doctor might advise for some tests like:

Blood Tests: These reveal problems with the blood vessel like an infection in the spinal cord and brain.
CT scan: Used to diagnose the infections, tumors, brain damage, and bleeding that cause the migraines.
MRI: This helps to diagnose the tumors bleeding infections, neurological conditions, and strokes.
Lumbar Puncture: For analyzing infections and neurological damages. In lumbar puncture a thin needle is inserted between the two vertebrae to remove a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid for analysis.
Treatments

Migraine treatments can help stop symptoms and prevent future attacks.

Many medications have been designed to treat migraines. Some drugs often used to treat other conditions also may help relieve or prevent migraines. Medications used to combat migraines fall into two broad categories:

Pain-relieving medications. Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms.
Preventive medications. These types of drugs are taken regularly, often on a daily basis, to reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.
Your treatment strategy depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause, and your other medical conditions.

Some medications aren't recommended if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. Some medications aren't given to children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.

Migraine - Identifying the Early Signs!

Alzheimer s disease is one of the most severe forms of dementia that is, memory loss which also comes with other disorders such as reduced muscle movement. A patient with the Alzheimer s disease practically forgets even the most basic day-to-day activities and hence, the disease interrupts the lives of people suffering from it and the ones who are related to them. A commonly observed pattern in the patients suffering from the Alzheimer s disease is that most of them are aged 60 years and beyond. In simple words, it is the death of the brain cells, that is, the nerve cells which causes the memory loss at first and then the cognitive decline of other bodily functions.

Symptoms:

A patient of the Alzheimer s disease might show one or more of the following mentioned symptoms. Read the symptoms carefully and help identify the symptoms if you see them in anyone in your surroundings. Most people mistake this symptom to be something else which causes a delay in the diagnosis. But if the disorder is diagnosed at an early stage it might help people survive, or at least have a little longer until their memory stays intact. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to know about the symptoms that are given below:

The inability to remembering the information 
Repeating questions or actions
Unable to find the way on a rather regularly visited road
The decrease in decision-making ability
Poor judgment
Unable to solve complex puzzles or do tough activities
Unable to recognize familiar people such as colleagues and relatives
Unable to dress up properly
Inability in speaking mother tongue or word formation
Uncontrollable mood swings
Rude and un-empathetic social behavior such as being outspoken
They will be unable to maintain their own finances unlike before.
Stages of Alzheimer s disease
It is not unknown a fact when someone says that detecting a disease at an early stage is beneficial than at a later stage. The reason being that if a disease is detected earlier, there are more chances of treating it successfully, or in case of the Alzheimer s disease there are more chances of a medication to work on slowing down the adverse effects of the disease since there is no permanent cure available for it. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that one is aware of the early onset of the disease and also, the symptoms to make a quick diagnosis. The disease affects people between the age of 30 and 60, generally, the symptoms begin at the very early age of 30 but they do not become persistent before reaching a later-on stage. The three stages are:

Preclinical when the individual hasn t recorded any symptoms
The beginning with mild symptoms
Complete dementia

Alzheimer's Disease - Know Its Symptoms!

Voice results from the air that comes out of the lungs and passes through the vocal cords. The latter is also known as the voice box. Speech results from the vibration of the chords. Voice disorder might occur for various reasons such as tone, pitch, and volume of the if the voice. The roots of all problems boil down to the malfunctioning of the cords.

Voice disorder examples:

Laryngitis: Laryngitis results from the swelling of the vocal cords. It can lead to a temporary halt of voice or a voice with hoarseness. It often occurs due to a viral attack in the respiratory tract. It can last from a few days to a few weeks. The treatment suggested for cases like these include resting the voice and intake of a lot of fluids. Some common causes that are responsible for laryngitis are GERD, chronic cough, and asthma.
Vocal cord paralysis: Paralysis of the vocal cord can be temporary or permanent. The possible cause of this scenario can be from viral infection, cancer, surgical injury to the nerve etc. In the case of a paralysis of the vocal cord, a person might find difficulty in breathing, can result in weak voice etc. While this condition improves for many people with voice therapy and surgery, for some they permanently lose their ability to speak.
Spasmodic dysphonia: The vocal cord spasm due to a problem with the nerve. This condition can lead to a quivery, hoarse, groaning or jerky voice. In this condition, a person might find it easy to speak at times and have difficulty in speaking later. Botulinum toxin and speech therapy help to improve this condition.
Possible causes of voice disorders:

Growth: Extra tissue formation on the vocal cords might stop the vocal cords to work properly leading to voice disorders. The growth can be treated with injection, medicine or surgery.
Swelling and inflammation: Exposure to chemicals, vocal and alcohol abuse, surgery-related complications can lead to inflammation or swelling of the vocal cords resulting in voice-related problems.
Hormone: Disorder of the male, female and thyroid hormone can lead to voice related disorders affecting speech.
Symptoms of voice disorders:

The harshness of the voice
Voice is breathy, weak and whispery
The voice sounds like choppy or strained
A quivering sound while speaking
The voice sounds harsh or rough while speaking
Diagnosis of Voice related disorders:
Voice related disorders can be detected through a process known as Laryngoscopy. This helps a doctor to view the throat region and find out the possible culprit that may be causing the problem. Some other popular methods are stroboscopy, EMG and imaging tests such as MRI and X-Ray of the throat.

Voice Disorders - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Are you suffering from piles and are looking for an effective and natural treatment measure? You can now opt for an Ayurvedic treatment of piles, which is an effective and an all-natural remedy. Piles or hemorrhoids refer to the swelling inside or near the bottom of your rectum, which contains enlarged blood vessels. The cause of piles is associated with increased pressure in the blood vessels near your anus. 

Here are some top Ayurvedic ways for treating piles:

Avoid a sedentary lifestyle: Sitting in the same posture for long hours without any movement can lead to piles. The lack of physical activity is a common cause of piles in modern day. Hence, it is important for you to work out, stay fit, and active. You must exercise every day strictly for treating and preventing piles.
Avoid food items which are difficult to digest: Piles develop because of an increased pressure on the walls of the rectum. So eat light food, which is easy to digest and eliminate as stool. You should add a lot of fruits and vegetables to your regular diet.  
Consume food items which improve your digestion: In case of a weak digestive system, you should add probiotic rich food to your diet. You can also take probiotic supplements which enhance your digestion, soften your stools, and exert less pressure on your rectum walls.
Have a detox drink daily: Prepare a mixture of ginger, fresh mint, lemon juice, and honey and drink it. This improves your digestion and treats piles. Add food items such as mango seeds, onion, radish, wheat, rice, turnip, sesame seeds, bitter gourd, papaya, and other  fiber rich stuff to your diet. 
Increase your water intake: Dehydration causes the stool to turn hard, making bowel movements difficult. So drink a lot of water for enabling the stool to pass easily.
Dried figs: Soak dried figs in warm water and consume them in the morning. This is very effective in curing piles.
Prevention
You can prevent piles or hemorrhoids from affecting you by taking some simple steps. 

Drinking sufficient water and eating fiber-rich food is the key. 
Also drink castor oil mixed with milk, which makes your stool soft, and helps it pass easily. It also reduces the pressure on your rectum walls and muscles. 
Massaging your abdomen using marjoram oil and rosemary oil is quite effective. 
To know more about the best Ayurvedic remedies, which are ideal for treating your condition and diagnosing the specific symptoms or problems you are facing, consult an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Piles - 6 Amazing Tips That Can Treat It!

Green tea has been promoted as one of the healthiest beverages around. It is made from the same kind of leaves (camellia sinensis) as generic black tea or oolong tea. The primary difference is that while processing the leaves for green tea, the withering and fermentation procedures are avoided, which helps the leaves retain more nutrients. However, green tea comes with quite a few side effects just like ordinary tea or coffee. They are:

1. Digestive problems
Since green tea is not put through the oxidation or fermentation process, the tannins present in the leaves are not removed. Tannins, can cause nausea and constipation by producing more gastric acid. Adding a little milk to your tea might help with this problem.

2. Reduced absorption of iron
Green tea contains catechins- antioxidants, which can block the absorption of iron from food. Iron deficiency has a number of negative impacts, the most threatening one being anemia where red blood cell formation is hindered. Anemia causes fatigue because sufficient oxygen is not circulated throughout the body due to low haemoglobin levels.

3. Problems with the nervous system
Green tea contains caffeine, just like tea or coffee, though its caffeine content is lower. Excessive consumption can lead to insomnia-like tendencies, heightened anxiety, frequent urination, irregular heartbeat, muscle cramps etc.

4. Risks during pregnancy
Caffeine decreases calcium content in the body, leading to weaker bones, which is an alarming symptom in an expecting mother. Also, caffeine, catechins and tannins are individually related to increased risks of miscarriage and other negative effects. Tannins and catechins passed on to breast milk can also block absorption of nutrients like proteins and fats in an infant's system.

5. Reactions with medication
Several chemical drugs are extremely reactive to the polyphenols in green tea, especially stimulant drugs like nicotine, ephedrin and amphetamine. Green tea reduces the functioning of lithium and dipyridamole. The polyphenols may also block the healing properties of the anti-cancer drug name bortezomib. Any kind of interference with your regular medication may impact your health adversely.

6. Negative impact on patients with glaucoma
The disease impairs the optic nerve and green tea increases the pressure on the eye within minutes of drinking it because caffeine accelerates intraocular pressure. The effects take more than an hour to subside.

Green Tea: SIde effects and why you may need to avoid it

While catching a cold is not something you can easily prevent, you can protect yourself against STDs or sexually transmitted diseases. STDs can be defined as diseases that are transmitted through any form of sexual activity that involves the mouth, vagina, penis or anus. While some STDs can be cured with antibiotics, others like HIV cannot be treated. In order to protect yourself from STDs it is essential to know how you can get them and how they can be treated.

Unprotected intercourse which involves the exchange of body fluids is the easiest way to catch an STD. Thus, a person can get infected with an STD virus like herpes even through oral sex. While pills can pregnancy, only a condom can prevent the transmission of STDs from one person to another. Ensure that if you use a lubricant with the condom, it is water based and not oil based. If you have a sexual relationship with more than one person it is a good idea for both you and your partner to get checked for STDs at regular intervals. Diseases like syphilis can also spread from one person to another through prolonged kissing if an individual has sores around the lips or inside their mouth.

Some STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy. Hence, checking for STDs is an essential test before trying to conceive a child. Some STDs like HIV and Hepatitis can also be spread through infected needles or tattoo equipment that has not been sterilized.

The earlier a STD is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. Some of the symptoms to watch out for are:

Rash and yellowing of the skin
Pain while urinating
Bumps, sores, warts, swelling or redness along with itching around the mouth, vagina, penis or anus
Weight loss
Pain during intercourse
Discharge from the vagina or penis
Most STDs can be treated with antibiotics. However, HIV and Hepatitis cannot be cured but can only be managed through medication. It is important that these antibiotics be taken regularly even if the visible symptoms disappear. It is also important not to share this medication with anyone. In some cases, your doctor may also prescribe medication for your partner to prevent further transmission of the disease. While on medication, it is important to abstain from any sort of sexual activity until your doctor says it is alright to do so.

What You Need to Know About STDs - How You Get Them and Treat Them?

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