Homeopathy and its role in treating ADHD

A brain disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a continuous pattern of hyperactivity and inattention, resulting in interference with normal development and functioning. The term is applied to both adults and children who exhibit these two characteristics over a long period of time. The condition is usually discovered during a child's early school years, between the third and sixth year (during which he or she may display problems associated with attention) and can go on into adulthood. Although medications are available under western medical science for treating this condition, they aren't free from any side effects.

Which remedies are generally used for treating ADHD?

Homeopathic remedies can help in easing some of the symptoms of this condition, making it easy for children to take part in normal school and social activities. A homeopath prescribes the relevant remedies after having a clear understanding of your characteristics. Some of the medicines that are used for treating the condition are Cina, Hyoscyamus Niger and Stramonium. While Cina is prescribed for alleviating aggressive behavior, Stramonium is recommended for treating fears or PTSD and Hyoscyamus Niger for sexualized or manic symptoms. But the one remedy that is most preferred for treating the varied symptoms of ADHD is Tarentula Hispana.

How is homeopathy different from conventional medicine?

When it comes to the homeopathic treatment approach for ADHD, it differs from conventional western medicine in two very different ways. Firstly, the treatment is personalized to suit your needs and health condition. For this reason, the remedy that is suggested to you differs from the one that is suggested to another individual. Such an approach allows a homeopath to better help you by addressing your specific symptoms compared to the conventional treatment of ADHD. Secondly, it treats the condition using smaller doses of the remedies and not higher doses so as to not aggravate the symptoms of ADHD.

In addition to being safe and non-toxic, when these homeopathic remedies are taken along with dietary modifications and lifestyle changes, they can bring about vital improvements in your health.

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How Hyperactivity of ADHD can be Controlled by Homeopathy

It is nightmarish when your babies have cough, congestion and stomach aches – and they happen often. The littles ones can't express very well, but as parents you might be able to figure out. Here are common and highly effective home remedies to these baby ailments.
 
1) COLD & COUGH : Honey is highly soothing for temporary cough relief. You can prepare a warm drink with ginger, honey, and lemon juice to drink before bedtime. The ginger and lemon soothe the throat, and the honey loosens up mucus and also acts as a gentle cough suppressant.  Don't give honey to babies ages one or under, though, due to the risk of infantile botulism. For the really little ones, a hot steam vaporizer usually does the trick. 
 
2) NASAL CONGESTION: A stuffy nose is an added challenge with babies and toddlers, as they can’t blow their nose. Prepare a solution of salt in lukewarm water, put this saline solution into the nose, then let your baby lie down for a while, and use the aspirator to remove the loosened mucus. This remedy is safe for babies as well as toddlers.
 
3) STOMACH UPSET/VOMITING:  Stomach aches or infections are the most difficult to get around and can be highly uneasy for the child. Try giving light liquids like dal/rice and vegetable stock, the best that works for everything is breat milk. If you can't breast feed, try to boil fennel seeds (sauf) in milk to make the baby's stomach feel better. 
 
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3 Must-know Home Remedies For Every Parent

A genetic disorder, Down s Syndrome is caused due to extra genetic material during cell division. It is the faulty arrangement of chromosomes which results in the Down s Syndrome. It approximately affects one in 800 births around the world, across a wide spectrum of race, gender, region, and socio-economy. Since it is a naturally occurring condition whose underlying cause cannot be controlled or regulated, there is nothing one can do to undo this condition. Instead, people with Down s Syndrome, because they are generally socially and intellectually underdeveloped, are equipped with learnings and interventions related to life-skills from very early in life and striving towards making them independent. Various therapies can be incorporated for improving the overall quality of life of the people born with Down s Syndrome.

Occupational Therapy and Down s Syndrome -

Development of motor skills is delayed in the children born with Down s Syndrome. This is due to their certain physical characteristics like low muscle tone (hypotonia), loose ligaments or ligamentous laxity making the joints extra flexible, and decreased strength.

The aim of the Occupational Therapy for children born with Down s Syndrome is to facilitate or enable the development of movement patterns optimally, as against accelerating the rate of development which is a general assumption. It helps in achieving developmental milestones in an efficient manner. Occupational Therapy hence helps children in developing a good or correct posture, aligning their foot properly for proper balance and movement, improving their walking pattern, and helping them generally through developing fine and gross motor skills for carrying out daily activities.

Moreover, Occupational Therapy helps in teaching self-care skills like getting dressed, eating, toileting writing, using a computer, etc. For teenagers, Occupational Therapy helps in identifying suitable skills, careers, jobs, and vocations to match with strengths, capabilities, and interests. Sensory integration activities help in teaching the child to produce an appropriate response to any situation, and in developing attention and concentration.

Occupational Therapy Assessment -

Children with Down s Syndrome have delayed gross and fine motor skills, and lack basic cognitive and communication skills among many other issues they face due to their condition. Occupational Therapy addresses all these shortcomings of development for comprehensive management of the disease.

Occupational Therapy checks the sensorimotor components like muscular tone, strength, endurance, coordination, balance, range of motion, hand function, and posture. It also checks the perceptual and cognitive components like memory, attention, figure-ground, and directionality. For checking social skills, areas like peer relationship, verbal and non- verbal communication, and group interaction are assessed.

According to the assessment results, intervention strategies and fun activities are devised for the child to promote optimal function of motor senses.

Take Away -

Down s Syndrome cannot be cured but can be managed through methods like Occupational Therapy which helps in teaching basic life skills for making the patients confident and independent to face the world on their own.

Down Syndrome - Know How Occupational Therapy Can Help!

Seasonal changes can be very exciting for most people. Each season brings with it a new set of colours and nature takes a new turn. However, for people with seasonal allergies, a seasonal change also comes with a set of allergies. From skin rashes to wheezing to breathing difficulties, the list of symptoms can be quite long. Asthma is the most common problem, and the attacks can be quite bothersome with wheezing attacks and breathing troubles.

With advancements in the field of medicine, there is a lot of relief for asthma patients. A little understanding on how asthma attacks happen will help in understanding how to control it. Asthma is an allergic reaction caused by narrowing of the airway with thick mucus, which makes breathing difficult. During an attack, the person can have a dry cough, face shortness of breath and wheezing.

Asthma is often triggered or worsened by some factors, and being aware of these can help prevent or manage an attack:

Common allergens like pollen, mites, ticks, furs of animals, bird feathers, specific foods (peanuts, milk products, eggs, etc.) and mold spores appear during change of season.
Environmental chemicals like cigarette smoke, car fumes, dust, etc., can also trigger an attack.
Attacks of cold or flu can lead to an asthma attack.
Workout during cold weather can be problematic, but exercise can also help control asthma attacks. Lung function improves sufficiently, but an exercise regime should be drawn up for the patient based on his condition.
Stressful emotions like anger and anxiety can also lead to an attack or make it worse.
Some medications like aspirin, beta blockers, glaucoma drops can aggravate attacks of asthma.
Once you know the triggers, here are some common measures that can help prevent and relieve the wheezing.

The preventers reduce the inflammation in the airway tube and the swelling. While they do not provide immediate relief during an attack, using these in the long term helps avoid attacks. These are low-dose inhaled corticosteroids such as beclomethasone, fluticasone, and budesonide. Doctors would advise their usage even when there are no symptoms, as asthma attacks can be triggered when they are not taking these medications for a while. Newer drugs include leukotriene antagonists like montelukast and zafirlukast. Relievers are used for symptom relief and include Salbutamol (short acting) and Salmeterol/Formoterol (long acting). Peak flow meter may be useful in acute attacks, wherein the peak flow rates can be reduced.
A good strategy is to use preventers regularly and rely on relievers during an attack. The first one helps build resistance and so reduces the incidence of attacks. Reach out to a doctor if a severe attack ensues (lasts more than 3 hours).


Tips to Control Allergy Driven Wheezing this Season

Cleft palate or palatoschisis is a common genetic abnormality that leads to a horde of problems and is presently a growing challenge to medicine practitioners. The major developmental stages affected due to this particular irregularity include feeding, speech development, dentition and maxillofacial growth which are rather important to the normal overall developmental pace of an individual. Even though the cleft palate deformity was defined centuries ago, no fixed management algorithm exists for patients suffering from the condition in the present day scenario.

Cleft palate may be successfully fixed using reconstructive surgery. Multiple specialists are involved in the reconstruction surgery including plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, nutritionists, oromaxillofacial surgeons and speech pathologists. Some hospitals also consider psychological therapy for the patient and the family to help get through the emotional trauma and the issues faced due to developmental backlogs.

The treatment for cleft palate usually begins around 9 to 12 months of age. If left untreated, it may cause major deformities. It takes about some years before the whole procedure is completed although it depends on the type and severity of the deformity.

The process involves the administration of anaesthesia after which the palate repair closes the inner, middle and final layers and at the same time realigning of the palatal muscles in a technique called anintravelarveloplasty is conducted. This ensures that the muscles are adjusted in a normal position which facilitates the best functioning of the palate during feeding, swallowing and speaking. It is possible that the child might require more than one surgery to completely close the palate.

Some of the risks involved during the process include:
1. Abnormal reactions to the medications
2. Bleeding
3. Problems in breathing
4. Need for more surgery
5. Infection

Although complicated and time consuming, cleft palate must be given immediate attention to avoid serious developmental issues. The reconstruction surgery and therapy combined ensures a normal development for the child in the longer run, given the surgery was done at the correct time. The child would be required to remain at the hospital for about 5-7 days. Complete recovery takes a time period of 4 weeks. Keeping the wound of the surgery clean is of the utmost importance and it should not be strained.

How to Surgically Treat Cleft Palate

Why it's important that your child's diet is calcium-rich

Calcium is an inevitable part of your child's diet. You cannot afford to skip it if you wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle for your child. It is recommended that children between the ages of 9 and 18 should get approximately 1300 milligrams of calcium every day. Calcium-rich diet is important for your child for a number of reasons.

Why calcium?

Calcium helps in building strong bones and teeth for your child.
It is important in order to ensure proper functioning of your child's muscles and nerves.
Calcium plays a vital role in the release of such hormones and enzymes in your child's body that convert the food he eats into energy.
It is also helpful in causing the blood to clot whenever your child gets bruised.
Since your child is continuously growing, a calcium-rich diet ensures an adequate supply of resources that help him to develop new bones that are healthy and strong.
A calcium-rich diet is also essential as far as other bodily functions like muscle contraction, blood vessel constriction and relaxation are concerned.
What does lack of a calcium do to your child's body?

Lack of calcium can cause bone diseases like osteoporosis in your girl child, thus exposing her to a greater risk of weakened bones and possibility of fractures.
If your child is a young kid and his diet lacks calcium or vitamin d, which absorbs calcium, he is exposed to the threats of the bone-softening disease called rickets. It can cause in him bowing of the legs, muscle pain and poor growth.
Bones are living tissues that change constantly, old bones keep getting replaced by newer ones and a calcium-rich diet aids this procedure. Therefore without an adequate supply of calcium, this process would borrow minerals from existing bones, thus weakening them and exposing them to increased risks of fracture.
Lack of calcium also increases risks of cardiovascular diseases, damaged gums, high blood pressure, ovarian and breast cancer and several other infirmities in your child in his later years.

Why it's Important That Your Child's Diet is Calcium-Rich

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