The common reason why most of us get throat infections is because they are viral in nature. This means that if one person gets a throat infection then he transmits it to others by touching, coughing and sneezing etc.
Viral throat infections can be managed easily. There are several home remedies that can alleviate your viral infection. However, it is suggested to consult an ENT specialist if the home remedy is not providing any relief to you.

Gargling: It is one of the most popular methods of treating viral throat infection. All you need to do is mix one tablespoon of salt in 200 ml of water and warm the solution. When the water becomes lukewarm, take a small portion of it and rinse your throat with the solution. Take care that the solution remains within your throat and does not reach your stomach. Rinse your throat for 5 minutes and repeat the procedure after a rest of 2 minutes. Ensure that the water remains lukewarm for effectiveness.
Inhalation: Another common method of ridding yourself of viral throat infections is to inhale steam. Boil some water mixed with eucalyptus oil. When the water starts developing bubbles, take your face near it, cover it and the pot containing water with a dry towel and inhale the steam. This procedure is inconvenient for many people because inhalation results in sweating, but the result is perceptible. You must inhale steam for at least five minutes. Once you are done with inhalation, avoid taking cool fluids like cold water etc., else the effect would be reversed and your infection might get more severe.
Take lots of fluids: Strange as it may sound, viral throat infection can also be treated by taking lots of hot fluids. The warm temperature helps in neutralising the viruses, while the fluids prevent the dehydration of the body. Take hot tea, coffee etc. when you have an infected throat.
Drink hot milk and turmeric: Many mothers administer this solution to their kids to treat throat infections caused by viruses. This concoction is best taken before sleeping in the night. Turmeric has been found to carry several anti-microbial properties.
Avoid smoking: If you are a smoker, you must avoid smoking to alleviate your viral throat infection.
Use decongestants and nasal sprays: These substances make breathing easier by contracting the swollen mucous membranes. Nasal sprays also help relieve runny noses and post-nasal drips, which are so irritating and inconvenient to many. However, avoid administering this remedy to small children. Since these sprays contain synthetic drugs, it is advisable to stick to prescribed dosages for different age groups. Please also consult your ENT doctor before administering the nasal sprays to yourself or anybody else.

Viral Throat Infection - 6 Ways They Can Be Managed!

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

Who would have thought that a little dry scalp could make a multitude of people feel terrible about their lives! dandruff is not only upsetting because of the physical constraints it brings along, but also because it is a compelling cause of mental setback. Peers and relatives judge you silently; they might choose to avoid your company. Some might even console you that you are making the issue more embarrassing. Instead of feeling depressed about flaky scalp skin that recurrently keeps worsening, one must make efforts to deal with it. A wide mass of people will suggest you with tips and ideas to tackle the situation; in most cases a majority of these tips arise from popular assumptions. The best suited option for you is to consult an expert dermatologist and to maintain the health of your hair through natural home remedies alongside.

Ways to curb dandruff:

1. Apply a fenugreek hair pack at least once a week: fenugreek or methi is known for its inimitable medicinal purposes. Fenugreek paste can be applied on the roots of your hair to remedy dandruff. This protein rich ingredient provides strength and nourishment to one's hair while curing flaky skin. It is also rich in amino acids. Lecithin, an emollient, can prove to be effective in strengthening the hair roots and preventing them from falling off due to dandruff and subsequent itchiness.

2. Use egg white in combination with lemon juice: lemon juice has a high concentration of citric acid. When used in combination with egg whites, it can treat a dry and itchy scalp. This concoction is also acclaimed for its smoothing effect on rough and brittle hair.

3. Listerine is a multifaceted product: you knew it could only act within the realm of your mouth and you were very wrong. Listerine has more to itself than a person can think of. Listerine is meant to fight fungal and bacterial infections and it therefore, can be used on a person's scalp. One part of this liquid should be mixed with two parts of plain water and then poured into a spray bottle. This mixture should be applied on your head to make you experience the difference.

4. Neem leaves could be your ready solution: neem leaves are held in high regard for their antifungal properties. Apply neem paste on your scalp to get rid of dandruff. One may even boil a fistful of these leaves in water and wash his or her hair with the lukewarm liquid after a head bath.

How to Control Dandruff

There are various neurodegenerative disorders and Huntington Disease is one of them. It is characterized by loss of thinking ability, chorea or uncontrolled writhing and jerking movements, and psychiatric difficulties. 

Nerve cells in the brain are impaired in this disease. This leads to loss of coordination and involuntary movements. As the disease progresses, patients slowly fail to control their throat and mouth muscles and simple tasks like eating, swallowing, and speaking becomes challenging.

Huntington's Disease may also affect the reasoning and thinking abilities of an individual and makes communication and conversations more challenging. The problem of swallowing food can lead to choking as food can go down the wrong way or a lung infection in more severe cases. 

Speech-Language Pathologist or Speech Therapist helps the patients with speaking and swallowing problems with the help of various therapies.

Visiting a Speech-Language Pathologist in the initial stage of Huntington's Disease is advised. This helps in planning in advance about the ways to handle changes as the disease progresses. The therapist can help the patients when they begin showing an inability to speak or understand and swallowing problems. The symptoms showing swallowing difficulties may include choking, coughing and altered eating habits of the patient and loss of weight.

Symptoms

Dysarthria, in which the ability to remember words, understanding and forming a sentence is not lost but clear speech becomes difficult.

Stammering.

Slow or imprecise speech.

Aphasia, inability to understand what is being said and inability to remember grammar and vocabulary, and the pattern of losing a word in between the sentences.

Weak voice or low volume because of respiration issues.

Scanned Speech or unusual lengthy pauses between words.

Problem with pitch control and resonance.

Treatment

The progression of Huntington s disease varies from patient to patient and the therapy also varies as per the needs and challenges of the patients. The therapy usually starts with the discussion of problems and symptoms faced by the patients. 

For swallowing difficulties, patients may be recommended to maintain a journal of swallowing problems and fixing a time for meal intake every day. He/she may be recommended to eat soft food items, and eat slowly and chew the food properly.

As for speech therapy, one may be recommended breathing exercises. The therapist may demonstrate the patients how to overemphasize certain mouth movements to make the words easier to understand. The family of the patient is advised to reduce distraction while communicating with the patient. 

Assistive devices can also help with communication such as computers, smartphones or tablets. Other low-tech objects from everyday life, such as calendars, picture boards with a depiction of daily life activities, and object images and notebooks can also be helpful.

Take Away
Huntington Disease is a brain disorder where it becomes difficult for a person to control mouth muscles. In this, speaking, swallowing, and eating becomes a task for them. There are speech therapies that can help the patients to gather control over their words and communication problems.

 Huntington's Disease - How Effective Is Speech Therapy In It?

Jock itch can be defined as a fungal infection affecting the skin, especially around the inner thighs, genitals, buttocks or the groin region. Also called  tinea cruris , this condition triggers irritation that results from the ring-shaped red rashes that primarily affect the warm and moist regions of one s body. This condition majorly affects people who sweat excessively, such as athletes or even people who are over-weight. Although it is often bothersome and uncomfortable, jock itch doesn t bring about severe complications for the affected individual. Jock itch can easily be cured by keeping the groin region dry and applying topical anti-fungal medications.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of Jym itch include itchy and painful rashes in the buttock, inner thigh or the groin region. The rash is usually tan, red or brown in color, slightly scaly and often formed at the edges.

Causes:

Putting on damp, wet or unlaundered clothing, such as athletic supporter and very tight underwear or wearing them frequently.

Sharing towels that were used by a person suffering from the same condition.

Taking showers irregularly, especially after excessive sweating or exercising.

Living in hot and humid conditions.

Obesity.

Wearing tight clothing.

Immune system disorders.

Treatment:

Anti-fungal creams or lotions can help treat ringworm of the groin. Few examples are Miconazole, Econazole, Clotrimazole and Ketoconazole. These medications should be applied twice a day for about two to four weeks.

In case the eruptions start to ooze fluids or pus, antibiotics may be administered by the doctor.

General Measures:

Measures to prevent recurrence of tinea cruris include weight reduction (if obese), wearing less occlusive clothing, drying thoroughly after bathing, using topical antifungal powders, laundering contaminated clothing, and treating concomitant fungal infection of nail of feet, if present.

Jock Itch: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

With viral fever on the rise it is advisable to prevent yourself against dengue and chikungunya. Dengue is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and rash. The presence of fever, rash, and headache is particularly characteristic of dengue.

Most common symptoms of dengue are:
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

Sudden, high fever
Severe headaches
Pain behind the eyes
Severe joint and muscle pain
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of fever
Mild bleeding (such a nosebleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)
How to diagnose and prevent against dengue?
Diagnosing dengue fever: Blood test to check for the virus or antibodies to it .IgG AND IgM for Dengue Fever.

Prevention against dengue fever:

Stay away from heavily populated residential areas, if possible.
Use mosquito repellents, even indoors.
When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
When indoors, use air conditioning if available.
Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes. If sleeping areas are not screened or air conditioned, use mosquito nets.

Role of Ayurveda in treating dengue
Ayurveda treats a person as a whole, it means that Ayurvedic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The treatment is selected after a full individual examination and case analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient physical &amp; mental constitution, family history, presenting symptoms, underlying pathology etc. An Ayurveda practitioner tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is not on curing the disease, but to cure the person who is sick; to restore for health. If a disease pathology is not very advanced Ayurvedic remedies; give a hope for cure; even in incurable case the quality of life can be greatly improved with Ayurvedic remedies.

Prevent Your Loved Ones Against Dengue

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