Asthma is a disease that can be only controlled and not completely cured. This chronic disease can make one feel breathless and experience chest tightening. Modern medicine has an answer to the stressful symptoms of asthma. A wide range of tools and medicines help a great deal in controlling this disease. Find what tools and medicines can help in bringing down the symptoms of asthma and help one breathe with ease.

Pink flow meter: This small tool helps in measuring the movement of air in the lungs. You need to blow into it and read the number. The result helps in finding out the frequency of doctor visits and the dosage of the medicines. Forthcoming asthma attack too is indicated by this device, and you can see it declining with constant use. In fact, you would slowly stop experiencing any other symptoms. Using the pink flow meter forewarns you about a forthcoming asthma attack.

Checkups: You need to visit your doctor regularly. The frequency can vary. You will be seeing your doctor after every two to six weeks, based on the severity of the disease. If you strictly stick to the instructions of your doctor, you can improve the lung function. You can stay active and sleep well if you follow the medicines. This way, there will be no fear of emergency treatment as the peak flow is almost always above 80 percent in case of complete compliance to medicine. Even if you know your condition cannot be cured, you can keep it in check to lead a healthy life.

Medications: Asthma has to be controlled with two types of medicines. You will need to take fast-reacting medicines and the long-term medications. Providing immediate relief is what the quick-relief medicines do, and reducing inflammation of the airways is what the long-term medicines aim at. While there are pills available, the inhalers play a vital role in keeping asthma patients healthy. Through an inhaler, the medication is administered straight into the airways. This makes it easy to give larger and continuous dose of medicines. In fact, this is the most effective way to prevent and treat the asthma symptoms. Corticosteroids are inhaled with an inhaler and it results in long-term relief. Even if taken daily, patients do not get addicted to corticosteroids. Physicians may also prescribe pills that reduce inflammation of the airways. Short-acting b2 agonists are often prescribed as quick-relief medicines. Asthma-affected individuals must carry the inhaler and the quick-relief medicines with themselves, wherever they go.

Treatment for different age groups: In children, only the quick-relief medicines are prescribed. If required, the long-term medications are used after six years of age. If desired results are obtained, the treatment is stopped after six weeks. Children can also be administered corticosteroids. This may result in slowed growth in a few children but the effect does not last long. In elders, long-term inhaling of corticosteroids can increase the risk of osteoporosis. It is essential to take vitamin D supplements along with it. Also, do not take pain suppressants and anti-inflammatory drugs. Speak with your doctor about taking pills for other diseases. When a pregnant mother is asthmatic, the chances of the child getting asthma are higher. They also suffer the risk of premature birth and low birth weight. Check with your doctor about taking medicines for asthma when you are pregnant. You need to consider the risk and stick to safe medication practices.

Asthma - Know About Its Treatment In Modern Medicine! 

A stroke may be called a brain attack. It may happen to any person at any time. A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off. The brain cells become oxygen deprived due to the stroke and eventually die. Dead brain cells result in brain dysfunction due to which patients lose control over muscle and memory.

Strokes can be mild to life threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Stroke requires advanced care and should be treated by extensively qualified and experienced medical experts. 

Neurosurgery satisfies all the required clauses for treatment of stroke and accounts for being one of the best ways for management of stroke. Renowned hospitals have a dedicated neurosurgical wing and a team of neurological specialists who know how to deal with stroke the best.

Vascular Neurology
This form of neurology focuses on patients who have undergone a stroke or have experienced symptoms of stroke. A multidisciplinary approach is taken for the prevention of recurrent cerebrovascular conditions.

Types of stroke

Ischemic stroke: This kind of stroke occurs when there is a blockage in a blood vessel, which supplies blood to the brain. This form of stroke is the more common. The underlying cause of this stroke is known as atherosclerosis, which is a condition where fatty deposits occur in the walls of the blood vessels and cause blockage in them.
Hemorrhagic stroke: This type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel gets weak and ruptures into the brain. This is caused by two types of weak blood vessels known as aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation.
Transient ischemic attack: This type of stroke is also known as a mini stroke. These attacks occur because of blood clots. The blockage caused is temporary or transient in nature.
Treatment of Ischemic stroke

Tissue Plasminogen Activator: This is one of the best ways to treat ischemic strokes. This medicine is given to the patient intravenously. It dissolves the blood clot and improves blood flow to the area of the brain which is affected. The medicine should be given within three to four hours after stroke symptoms appear.
Endovascular procedure: This is a process by which the blood clot is removed using a catheter, which gets inserted into the area of the blocked blood vessel. It helps in restoring blood flow to that area. 
Treatment of Hemorrhagic stroke

Endovascular procedure: Several endovascular techniques and methods are used so that the weakening of blood vessels is reduced and less bleeding is caused.
Surgical treatment: Different modes of neurosurgery may be undertaken to stop bleeding and for relieving pressure within the skull.

Role of Neurosurgery in Management of Stroke

A traumatic injury refers to a serious brain injury that affects all the aspects of a person including his or her personality. This may be the result of a severe fall, a car accident, firearms etc. Unlike an injury to the arm or leg, no two traumatic injuries have the same effect. These injuries also do not heal like other injuries.

There are many different kinds of treatment options available for traumatic injuries. Initially, treatment aims at stabilizing the individual and assessing the scope of the injury. Acute treatment is used to minimize secondary injuries. In many cases, surgery is also required to prevent secondary injuries and to help maintain a steady flow of oxygenated blood to the brain. This relieves the internal swelling and pressure. It also minimized additional damage to brain tissue. Most patients also need rehabilitative care to get back to their normal life.

Surgical treatment is usually advised in the case of a traumatic head injury. However, in the case of internal brain injuries, this may not be the first preference. In such cases, an intracranial pressure monitoring device or a bolt is implanted to monitor pressure levels in the brain. Only then surgery may be required to drain bleeding in the skull cavity and to repair the torn tissues. Blood clots or hematomas will also need to be removed surgically. Sometimes, surgery may also be required to create a window in the skull so as to relieve internal pressure.

In severe cases, if there is extensive tissue damage, the damaged portion of the brain may be surgically removed. This creates space for the healthy brain tissue to heal. In the case of an open brain injury, surgery is the first course of treatment. In such cases, the doctor s first sim is usually to repair the fractured skull and remove damaged tissue. This minimizes pressure on the brain and also helps prevent secondary infections and injuries.

These surgeries are generally performed while the patient is under general anaesthesia. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury takes time and hospitalization is usually required for a few weeks. Once the injury has healed considerably, rehabilitation is then required to relearn basic skills. This may begin as an inpatient procedure and later be transferred to an outpatient exercise. The duration and type of rehabilitation required vary from case to case and depends on the type and severity of the injury. 

Does Surgery Help In Treating A Traumatic Injury?

A quite serious bacterial infection, diphtheria is caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheria. It usually tends to affect the throat and the mouth of an affected person, although there are other varieties which can infect your skin as well. However, the most common cases of diphtheria affect the throat and the mouth. 

Symptoms of diphtheria in general
It may take up to five days for symptoms to show up when you are infected with the disease. Some of the symptoms would be:

You neck would swell up due to swelling in the lymph nodes, especially in the neck
Your throat and tonsils will develop a thick grayish membrane 
Your throat may become sore and hoarse
You may face difficulty in breathing, depending on the size of the membrane and the resultant inflammation
You may have difficulty swallowing as well
These are the primary symptoms which will affect your throat in general. Some of the other symptoms that may show up are:

Fever
Nasal discharge
Malaise or a general feeling of discomfort 
Chills
The parts of your body, which are affected the most tend to be your throat, tongue and the neck. The pain tends to persist for quite some time as you recover.

Causes of diphtheria 
Diphtheria is usually spread by the following methods

Airborne droplets: This is possibly the most common method of contracting the disease. This usually happens when a person is infected with diphtheria coughs or sneezes around you. The airborne droplets then travel from one person to another, transmitting the infection. This is particularly the case in crowded area such as public transport and public spaces.
Touching personal items which may be infected: Touching used towels, paper tissues or drinking from an unwashed glass may cause an infection as well. These tend to happen mostly in an indoor setting such as offices and houses. Even toys, door and equipment handles can cause transmission of this virus. 
If you are showing any of these symptoms, it is prudent to go visit your doctor immediately as diphtheria, if left untreated, may also result in serious complications.

Diphtheria - How it Affects Your Throat and Tongue?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an abnormal condition of the mind that develops when a person is exposed to certain traumatic events in life such as accidents, sexual assault or warfare.

The major symptoms of PTSD are:

Reliving the traumatic experience over and over again; this leads to severe and long-term mental distress.
Recurring dreams about the events.
Provocation of traumatic thoughts by the slightest event that causes distress to the individual.
Avoiding memories and thoughts that might remind them of the event.
Developing a negative view of themselves and the world.
Developing social or specific phobias.
Treatment

Medication and antidepressants: Medicines such as paroxetine, sertraline and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) help the individual address insomnia-related problems that occur due to PTSD and suppress nightmares.
Psychotherapy: This form of therapy is used to cure both mental health conditions (such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression) as well as emotional problems that result from PTSD. Skilled mental health experts are needed for this form of treatment to be administered. They would listen to each individual patiently and provide effective strategies to give solutions to the problems. Some of these therapies are:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: This therapy enables the individual to adapt to changes and recognize thought patterns which lead to irrational and negative behaviour and actions.
Exposure therapy: This therapy causes the affected individual to first become anxious by exposing him/her to the traumatic memories, situations and objects by simulating them. The therapy helps the person to overcome his/her fears and become comfortable in the same environment that had previously caused fear and anxiety.
Group therapy: This popular and effective form of therapy allows the individual to share his/her feelings, fears and thoughts with a group of people who have themselves experienced similar trauma in their lives. Sharing such experiences helps reduces stress levels.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Ways It Can Be Managed!

No matter how well you take care of yourself, everyone catches a cold or flu at some time or the other. That s probably the reason why it is popularly known as a  common  cold. A cold on its own does not harm the body much but it leaves you feeling weakened and suppresses the immune system. Cold is a viral infection and hence is usually unresponsive to antibiotics and other medication. However, Ayurveda can help manage a cold better and speed up the recovery process.

Cough and cold can be triggered by a number of factors including a sudden drop in temperature, exposure to dust or pollen or staying in rooms with poor ventilation. Additionally, aggravating the structure, stability, and cohesiveness of the body can also cause a cold or cough. When the food we eat is not digested properly, it turns into partly digested that triggers cold or cough when it reaches the respiratory system. Some common ayurvedic remedies for coughs and colds are:

Enhance your body heat: Keeping the body warm, especially the head, throat, chest and feet, is the first step to recovering from a cold. Drinking a cup of hot spiced tea or a glass of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a few times a day, can also help. Spices like cumin, coriander and black pepper are considered heat generating spices and hence should be used liberally when preparing food.
Vapour therapy: To recover from a cough that is accompanied by congestion, try inhaling the hot vapours of water mixed with a little eucalyptus oil. This helps dilate the bronchial tubes and unblocks the nostrils. Inhaling the vapours of water mixed with rock salt can help relieve heaviness in the head and a mild cold. Simple hot water vapours itself can even be inhaled to relieve sinusitis pain. To benefit from vapour therapy, it is essential to sit in a room without the fan on and to cover your head and the vapour source while inhaling the steam.
Turmeric Smoke: Inhaling turmeric smoke is said to have an antiseptic effect on the lungs and respiratory tract. To benefit from this therapy burn a dried root of turmeric and inhale the smoke a few times. If you do not have access to the dried root of turmeric, place a red hot piece of charcoal with a few dried leaves in a clay pot, add a heaped spoon of turmeric powder to this and blow gently till it catches fire before inhaling the smoke.

Common Cold & Cough - Home Remedies For It!

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