Alzheimer's disease is a neurological problem that is characterised by a cognitive decline and memory loss. It is a type of neurodegenerative dementia. The symptoms of alzheimer's disease include not being able to absorb and retain new information, lack of reasoning and judging, not being able to take on complex tasks, impaired visuospatial abilities, problems in reading, writing and speech, among many others. If a person has at least two of these symptoms in a debilitating manner, then the diagnosis can be made in favour of alzheimer's disease. The main causes of alzheimer's are shrinkage of the brain size and death of the brain cells. The immune system is also said to trigger this neurodegenerative disease. Let us find out what medical science has found so far.

1. Connections: many a times, in alzheimer's disease, the memory and behaviour of the person changes because the brain is unable to make proper neural connections which can lead to memory loss of how a person behaved and the elements that formed the basis of the patient's cognition. Apparently, the immune system behaves in the same way within the brain and blocks the connection. This happens because there is constant communication between the brain and immune system along neurological lines, which is where the disease first emanates.

2. Inflammation: the brain is prone to inflammation or swelling that is not the normal kind. This inflammation happens as a result of the activation of the infection fighting neurotransmitters and the chemical changes that happen in the brain when an infection strikes. The inflammation usually happens in the plaques or clumps which the brain tries to protect. These clumps are made up of a protein called amyloid. The immune system is responsible for creating this inflammation in the brain of the patient.

3. Pattern recognition receptors: many of these receptors work in different manners and cooperate with each other to create a response in the brain. These prrs can be found in the brain plaques, and they develop the signs of danger which further fuels the inflammation in the brain as a matter of protection.

4. Activation of cells linked with the immune system: when the prrs begin to respond, it basically activates the immune system and the cells of the same. This is the basic reaction that causes the changes in brain which then leads to the attachment of the protein to the tissue that is diseased, in which case alzheimer's disease starts. The inflammation that we had spoken about earlier basically happens in the nervous tissue.

It is important to recognise and act on the initial signs of alzheimer's disease before it progresses beyond one's control.

Can the Immune System Trigger Alzheimer's Disease

The reason why you suffer from bad health every now and then is due to your poor immune system. Whenever there is a change in weather and you are attacked by the flu virus, stop blaming the weather because it is actually your weakened immune system that has let you down. Same goes for the particular food you eat or the way you heal from your wounds rather slowly.

So, if you really want to boost up your immunity system, then you can take a cue from the books of Ayurveda. Ayurveda not only believes in healing the body but makes sure that the root cause is weeded out so that you stay healthy for a longer duration of time.

Let us see how Ayurveda develops your immune system so that you can withstand all kinds of emotional, physical and most importantly, environmental challenges.

The first thing Ayurveda says is to stick to healthy and nutritious foods. That doesn t mean, you can t cheat once in a week, but make sure that you have a protein rich and less carbohydrate diet. Make sure your food is warm; neither hot nor cold when you consume it.
Cold foods and drinks are harmful to your body because they affect the digestive system. Say no to any kind of aerated drinks.
Avoid foods, which are oily and especially difficult to digest.
Take care of your muscles and skin by massaging daily with sesame or sunflower oil. They help in rebuilding the tissues of your body.
While taking a bath, apply some essential oils such as lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus or juniper oil in a tub of warm water. This will make you feel fresh and uplift your mood.
While cooking, add some spices to your food, especially turmeric, cumin, coriander or cinnamon. These will increase the food value.
There are some suggestions made by Ayurveda:

Make sure you get an adequate of 6-8 hours of sleep. Avoid sleeping less or oversleeping.
Exercise regularly; yoga, walking, free hand exercises which will increase blood circulations in your body.
Finally, avoid negative thinking. Make sure you are infused with a positive spirit, no matter what the situation is. Doing this, you will stay physically and mentally spirited.

Can Ayurveda Boost Your Immunity?

If not for Edward Jenner, millions would have lost their lives to several diseases. The discovery of smallpox vaccination in the last leg of the 18th century marked the beginning of a new chapter of vaccination and became a lifesaver for the human race from fatal and limiting diseases like smallpox, polio, tetanus, rotavirus, etc.

World Immunization Day, observed each year on November 10, is celebrated to increase the awareness on getting vaccinations in time to protect individuals against preventable diseases. 

Immunization is very important to help create resistance and to prevent your body from getting infected with a number of diseases. Timely administration of vaccine can help protect both children and adults from major diseases. 

Why must you get vaccinated? Is it really important?
Yes, getting vaccinated is indeed important. It helps the body stimulate its own immune system to protect against subsequent infections and also prevents them from spreading through any form of contact.  Vaccination is more important for children because the immune system of a child developed through breastfeeding starts to diminish, once the development cycle of the new immune system begins.

Vaccinations are highly cost-effective and easy to access. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), timely vaccination has helped prevent up to three million deaths per year, but still, there are almost 19 million infants who are not given timely vaccinations.

Vaccination in India
The Universal Immunization Program (UIP) of India is one of the largest in the world in terms of the amount of vaccine given, the geographical area covered, and the number of people who have benefited from the program. The program has been in effect for more than 30 years. However, due to a lack of awareness among citizens, it has only been able to reach out to two-thirds of children all over the country. 

We should seek to achieve complete immunization of not only children but also of adults. Under the Mission Indradhanush, which was launched by the government in 2014, the program allowed all children of up to 24 months of age and pregnant women to get free vaccinations. 

Important vaccinations for children
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends several vaccinations to be administered from 0 months to 10 years of age, the important ones being for polio, tetanus, rotavirus, typhoid, chickenpox, and MMR amongst others. It is essential for the parents to follow the immunization schedule and have the baby vaccinated against preventable diseases.

Vaccinations for adults
Vaccination is not just for children, but also for adults. All adults between the age of 20 and 30 should get a screening done for major preventable diseases like influenza, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B. An influenza injection should be administered once a year while a tetanus injection needs to be administered once every 10 years. 

Hepatitis A and B injections need to be administered during one's childhood. However, if adults aged above 19 and up to 49 years do not have any documentation of vaccination, it is strongly advised to take two doses of Hepatitis A and three doses of Hepatitis B.

Prevention is better than cure, and the most important gift that you can give your child and to yourself is good health. On this day, let's be aware of the importance of vaccination, and spread the same. Get vaccinated, stay healthy, and happy! 

World Immunization Day 2017 - Why Immunization Is Important?

When you have soft drinks or sodas, the pancreas quickly start to make insulin because of excessive sugar. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to move sugar from food items or drink into the circulation system, where cells are then ready to use that sugar for energy purposes. Within 15 minutes, glucose levels increase and the liver reacts to the insulin by transforming sugar into fat for capacity. Here is how soft drinks affect our health:

Asthma: It is prevalently found in a large number of soft drink consumers. Soft drinks contain sodium benzoate, which is utilized as an additive to control microbial growth. Sodium additives get blended with the rest of the diet and decrease the amount of potassium in our body. This expands the odds of rashes, asthma and skin aggravation.
Tooth enamel: Soft drinks contain high responsive solvents, which when blended with saliva or acids in the stomach, become acidic in nature. This starts affecting the body immediately. Because of such a quick effect, our mouth and teeth get influenced. It is proven that with every sip of a soft drink, the layer of the teeth decreases by two percent. The skin in the mouth and throat is very delicate and is easily harmed. This also causes rashes on the face and leads to pimples some times.
Heart diseases: Soft drinks contain fructose corn syrup, which has been connected with an increased danger of metabolic disorder. This condition increases the danger of both diabetes and heart diseases. One of 40 deaths each day are caused by heart strokes, which is an aftereffect of consuming soft drinks.
Kidney issues: A number of soft drinks contain phosphoric acids. These phosphoric acids irritate the digestive system and healthy organs. The stomach-related framework is connected to kidneys. Phosphoric acid expands the odds of stones in kidney and other kidney issues and diseases.
Reproductive issues: Soft drinks contain tar in them which contains BPA (Biphenyl   A) and is a similar tumor-causing compound found in pet bottles, water bottles and tinned food cans. This affects the endocrine framework, bringing about untimely adolescence.
Osteoporosis: It is seen that calcium is urinated alongside phosphoric acids, by the use of these drinks. This leads to osteoporosis, which results in corrosion or thinning of bones.  This in turn leads to calcium deficiency, which is one of the vital minerals of the body.
Obesity: It is dangerous to gain weight because of soft drinks. So it is not encouraged to consume soft drinks regularly since they can lead to obesity-related issues.
Sugar over-burdening: After around 15 minutes of soft drink consumption, our glucose shoots up, bringing on an insulin burst. The liver acts by changing the sugar particles into fat. This excites the consumer and increases the pulse, which causes the liver to deposit more sugar into the circulatory system.


Soft Drinks - How They Affect Your Health?

The human body is a marvellous creation and functions in a highly synchronised and balanced way. Disease results when this balance is disturbed either due to infections, inflammations, trauma, autoimmune diseases, tumours. Whatever the reason, with any of these, the body has a strong immune system, which reacts to these changes and tries to ensure that balance is restored as quickly as possible and with minimal effect on overall bodily function.

While most of us have a natural tendency to do so, some have it weaker. This makes them more prone to infections and they take more time to repair and restore health. However, there are a number of supplements which can help to strengthen the immunity. These can be used with the consultation of a professional, and this can help improve overall health.

Homeopathy obviously fits into the class of therapeutic methods that augment the body's own defenses. A microdose of a substance heals the symptoms in large dose. Homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.

Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body's own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. Homeopathic medicine do not simply stimulate the body's immune system to treat ill people, for they can also calm it when this is necessary for the healing of the individual.

People with auto-immune ailments suffer because their body's immune system is over-active and it attacks the person's own cells, not just bacteria, viruses, or foreign substances. Homeopathy believes that  like cures like.  So in treating a disease, what it does is use small amounts of the substance that is known to induce the disease. This way, similar symptoms are induced and the disease is treated. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines are-

Allium Cepa: With winter setting in, more and more people are prone to developing a runny nose, nasal congestion, and teary eyes. So, with winter still around the corner, using allium cepa (small onion) helps build immunity by easing these symptoms. Keeping 3 to 5 pellets of this compound under the tongue can help control nasal congestion.

Oscillococcinum: Popularly known as Oscillo, this contains very small amounts of duck liver and heart. When used on the first couple of days with the onset of flu-like symptoms, this helps the body aches and fatigue disappear. It is proven to be safe, effective, and helps prevent further attacks of similar symptoms.

Gelsemium: Obtained from the vine Gelsemium sempervirens, this is useful to build immunity towards cold and flu symptoms. Keeping it under the tongue also helps relieve symptoms if they are already present and controls further attacks of flu-like symptoms.

Silica: This is responsible for stimulating the production of macrophages. These are a type of cells, which are essential for eating up bacteria and foreign bodies. It, therefore, helps improve immunity and fight infections.

Arsenicum Album (white arsenic): This is used in a variety of conditions ranging from anxiety to poisoning to digestive disorders.

While some people refer to most homeopathic medicines as immune stimulating, they are in fact immunomodulatory. Whether a person has an autoimmune disease or repeated infections, homeopathy can be used. A detailed discussion with a specialized homeopath would be the first step to identify what is the right compound to use.

5 Best Homeopathic Medicine for Strengthen Immune System

Catching a cold once in a while is nothing to worry about, but needing to take sick leave every few weeks is a sign of low immunity. Immunity can be defined as our ability to fight infections. By eating right and making a few lifestyle changes, you can easily strengthen your immune system and lower your risk of catching infections. On that note, here are 10 ways to strengthen your immune system.

Eat a balanced meal: Along with fruits and vegetables, your body also requires carbohydrates and proteins. Eating a balanced diet helps keep your blood sugar levels stable and allows your body to prioritize building your immune system over generating energy to perform normal tasks.
Drink plenty of water: When you re ill, fluids help transport nutrients to the infected area and flush out toxins from the same. Hence, it is important to stay hydrated in order to recover faster from an illness and to build your immune system.
Probiotics: 80% of your immune system is located in the gut. Probiotics help the body produce more healthy gut bacteria. Thus, probiotics directly boost the immune system.
A good night s sleep: Ideally, a person should get 8 to 10 hours of sleep on a daily basis. While we are asleep, the body produces cytokines ad antibodies that are vital to a strong immune system. Depriving the body of this sleep can thus make us more susceptible to infections.
Get some sun: While we put a lot of effort into protecting ourselves from the harmful UV rays of the sun, sunlight is also a rich source of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps protect us from a number of serious illnesses. Apart from sunlight we can also get vitamin D by adding cod liver oil, egg yolks and fatty fish to our diet.
Quit sugar: Sugar is an immunosuppressant and hence cutting out added sugar from your diet can have a drastic effect on your immunity. Added sugar refers only to refined sugar in cubed, crystal or powdered form and not the natural sweetners in fruits.
Exercise: Regular exercise improves blood circulation and boosts the production of antibodies. A healthy circulatory system combined with antibodies enables your body to fight infections in any part of your body.
Avoid tobacco and alcohol: Alcohol impairs the immune system and tobacco smoke weakens the body s basic immune system. This holds true for both first hand and second hand smoke.
Reduce stress: Stress increases the production of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol suppresses the immune system and thus makes us more susceptible to illnesses.
Prevent germs from spreading: Lastly, make simple things like washing your hands before eating and after coming home or using the toilet a habit. This prevents germs from spreading and entering our bodies.

10 Ways You Can Strengthen Your Immune System

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