Autism in children is a condition that is characterized by limiting social intelligence, unequal skill development across sectors, and repetitive behavioural patterns. These children may show awkwardness when dealing or speaking with people, as they seem to fail to understand what other people feel. Hence, they are unable to deal out emotional responses in kind. They themselves are very troubled, sometimes, by stimuli that are considered normal by other people, including certain visions, touches, smells and sounds.

The skill set of an autistic child forms and develops unequally. While they are not very social, they sometimes gain intense intellectual abilities in the field of math, music, chess, art and related matters which require the brain to visualize and function.

There are further ways to diagnose underlying autism in a child, and diagnosis is extremely necessary for early treatment and cure. These warning signs are-

  An autistic child will shy away from both tactile and non-tactile contact. Some children may naturally be scared of being touched by a stranger, but autistic children will not even look or smile at you when you are feeding them. They cannot maintain eye contact, and neither will they show signs of affection like small smiles or cuddles, or loving glances.

  Lack of auditory communication - This is another area of communication where an autistic child will be found lacking. Even above and beyond not responding to visual and tactile stimuli, she/he will completely forego aural communication as well. They will not respond to familiar sounds around and go even to the extent of not recognizing or being able to respond to their own name.

  If you point at things in the distance, there is a lack of communication with your child as well. These children do not have the ability to maintain a connection long enough to follow your hand and record what it is gesturing at. Either the child does not feel enough of a connection to you to actually feel your stimulus worth pursuing, or she/he does not have the power or attention span to keep following with eyes the trail your fingers have created.

  The child does not use a lot of aural communication her/himself as well too. She/he does not call out often or call you by acronyms like mother and does not make small whimpering noises like most infants do, in search for some warmth and affection.

She/he does not seem to have a natural affinity for physical touch and love and does not seem to be able to show very much love her/himself through cuddles or disappointment expressed if you get sick.

Autism is a disease that has now spread to a whole range of behavioural peculiarities, termed collectively as the Autism Spectrum Disorder. If diagnosed sufficiently early, this condition can be helped to a great extent. Make sure to monitor your child for the above signs, and contact a doctor immediately if you see cause for concern.

The Ways You Can Identify An Autistic Child!

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which you experience frequent breathing pauses while sleeping. In case of some, the pauses may last for just a few seconds, while for others, it may continue for a few minutes. Sleep apnea is generally chronic in nature. There are three types of sleep apnea, namely Central, Obstructive and Complex sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea occurs if the brain fails to transmit signals to the muscles responsible for your breathing functions. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs due to relaxation of your throat muscles. Complex sleep apnea refers to a combined condition of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

Some of the possible causes of sleep apnea are as follows: 
1. Blockage of airway during sleep can cause sleep apnea
2. Putting on weight can cause obstructive sleep apnea
3. In some cases, large tonsil tissues can lead to obstructive sleep apnea in small children
4. Intake of certain medicines like Oxycontin or MS Contin can cause central sleep apnea
5. Male people are more prone to sleep apnea
6. Smoking is also a potent trigger for sleep apnea
7. At times, high blood pressure can induce sleep apnea
8. Suffering from sinus can also lead to sleep apnea
9. Large neck size (more than 16 inches) may cause sleep apnea
In case of some people, sleep apnea might be an inherited condition.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are mentioned below:
a. Sometimes, obstructive sleep apnea is accompanied by choking or snorting sounds.
b. You may encounter breathing trouble while sleeping, leading to a disruption of your sleep.
c. Maximum times, sleep apnea is accompanied by snoring.
d. Sleep apnea leads to a dry mouth, which can disturb your sleep.
e. You may feel dizzy during daytime.

Causes and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Blessed are the people who can effortlessly fall asleep, especially at night. For some people, sleep appears like a distant dream that haunts them for days. Medically known as Insomnia, the disorder can take a toll on the physical and mental health of the individual affecting their personal as well as professional life to a great extent. The sleeping disorder may be temporary (Transient Insomnia) or long-lasting (Chronic that may persist for months). 

Some individuals may suffer from insomnia on and off (Intermittent Insomnia). Short-term insomnia may last for a few days or weeks and often improves on its own. Chronic insomnia needs medical attention at the earliest to avoid further aggravation and discomfort. On an average, a person needs 6-8 hours of sleep daily. In case of insomnia, a person may experience difficulties in falling asleep in spite of being tired and exhausted. Some may also not be able to enjoy a sound sleep (interrupted sleep).

Homeopathy and Insomnia
Homeopathic treatment has been a revelation in dealing with insomnia. With a holistic approach and the use of natural products and herbs, homoeopathy believes that evaluating and eliminating the underlying trigger can bring about drastic improvements in the case of insomnia. Insomnia may be an outcome of health conditions (secondary insomnia) such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Alzheimer's disease over-functioning of the thyroid. However, the trigger can be stress, anxiety, following an unhealthy sleep cycle, having the dinner late at night and retiring to bed immediately after (often termed as Primary Insomnia). The Homeopathic approach in treating insomnia involves a right mix of the homoeopathic medicines and bringing about the necessary changes in the lifestyle habits. Understanding the pattern and type is important to treat insomnia.

In the case of primary insomnia, in addition to the intake of medicines, the homoeopathic approach also emphasizes upon eliminating the lifestyle habits that triggered the sleeping disorder.

Time and again, homeopathy has stressed that there should at least be a 3 hours gap between dinner and sleep to ensure there is a better digestion of food without any incidences of acid reflux or heartburn. Avoid heavy or spicy foods for dinner. Keep the dinner light and simple.
Try to live a stress-free life. Meditation, yoga, exercise, listening to soft and light music, can play an instrumental role to keep the mind and the body calm and relaxed.
A healthy sleep cycle (sleep early, wake up early) can go a long way to reduce the incidences of insomnia, especially Transient and Intermittent.

Insomnia - Why Homeopathy Is The Best Form Of Treatment?

Injuries are very common, especially head injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in adults. As per surveys conducted, 1.7 million people suffer from head injuries every year and this estimation is increasing day by day.

There are several types of head injuries from mild as a cut, bruise, bump, contusion to severe ones caused due to a concussion, fractured skull bone, deep cut, internal bleeding, brain damage, etc.

A head injury is a comprehensive term which consists of an array of injuries that damage the skull, scalp, brain, and blood vessels and tissues in the head. It is generally referred to as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and brain injury, depending upon the type and extent of trauma.

Causes of Head Injury-

A head injury can occur due to many reasons. Some common causes of these head injuries are:

Vehicle accidents

Domestic violence

Street fights

Fall from height

Child abuse

Subdural hematomas

Brain hemorrhages

Symptoms of Head Injury-

A head injury is followed by various symptoms depending upon the intensity of the injury. Here is a list of all the possible symptoms of brain injuries:

Nausea and vomiting.

Fatigue or sleepiness.

Extreme headache.

Confusion.

Loss of muscle control or paralysis in the part of the body controlled by the part of the brain that is affected.

Coma.

Dilation of the pupils and related visual problems; Blurred vision, photosensitivity, blindness, loss of muscle control in the eyes.

Cerebrospinal fluids might come out of the ears and nose, sometimes accompanied by blood.

Problem breathing.

Low pulse rate.

Increase in blood pressure.

Difficulty in swallowing.

Loss of hearing.

Problems in cognitive functions.

Numbness or tingling in the limbs.

Loss of bladder and bowel control due to loss of control over muscle functions.

Loss of consciousness.

Treatment of Head Injury-

Diagnosis of a brain injury has to be detailed and very quick at the same time. It always comes under emergency cases. Some of the steps involved are:

Cardiac and pulmonary function test.

Glasgow Coma Scale test.

Pupil dilation and corneal function test.

Brain stem reflex tests.

The most common way of diagnosis is the use of CT scans and MRI scans.

A severe head injury often needs surgery to reverse symptoms like chronic fatigue, bleeding, or loss of bodily function. Diagnosis involves finding out the type and severity of the injury and treatment involves removing the problem surgically.

Take Away-

Head injuries take time to heal, but medical treatment along with neurosurgery can aid the process of recovery and also help a person to lead a healthy life in the future. Most young patients recover fully, while some older patients or patients with preexisting neurological conditions live with a degree of disability.

All You Must Know About Head Injury & Its Treatment!

Social interactions and social skills are going to help a child make friends, help to develop hobbies and interests. It helps a child to learn something new. For children with Autism, it is not going to be easy to interact with people, in classrooms, in some simple conversations or on the playground. Being a parent of a child with Autism is not at all easy. You will never want to see your child suffer even when they interact with their friends.
But there are ways to help your child to enhance their social skills.

Here are some of them for you:

Reward them: You need to support your children as much as possible. When you get less time to spend with them, then you can opt for therapy sessions. But therapy sessions alone will not help. When there is something done at the session, practice it at home as well. Reward them if they are able to meet the expected behaviour.
Buy a Pet: Yes, a pet can help them to improve social behaviour. They form an emotional bonding with the pets and that is when they will be able to understand these emotions and feeling. Many studies show that when a child with Autism has a pet, they learn to interact in a much better way.
Help them understand what is expected: At the very beginning, do not try to teach your child what is right or what is wrong. Rather, you should try to help them understand what is expected from them. For example, when someone is talking to them, they tend to look elsewhere. Do not tell them that it is wrong to look elsewhere, rather help them understand that when a person is talking, they expect your attention. Give them some example, some concrete example to make it easy for them.
With right practice and understand, you will be able to help your child improve their social skills. In fact, you play the major role.

Helping Your Child With Autism To Improve Social Skills!

Pain related sleep disruption has affected a large number of people around the globe. Statistics has it that, in India, about 25% of the population suffers from pain-related sleep deprivation. Studies call it  the vicious cycle of pain and sleep  as pain affects your ability to sleep and lack of sleep makes the pain even worse.

Back pain and arthritis are examples of some common pain-related medical disorders. People with these types of chronic pains have reported persistent sleeplessness or have had immense trouble falling asleep.

The following are the primary sleep disorders associated with chronic pain:

Insomnia: It is a medical condition that is characterized by an inability to fall asleep no matter how physically exhausted you are. Insomnia can be acute (lasting for one night to a week) or chronic (that lasts for more than 3 weeks).
Hypersomnia: It is a condition wherein you tend to sleep excessively; in this condition, you will have trouble being awake throughout the day or can fall asleep at any point of time.
Sleep Apnoea: This is a sleep disorder wherein breathing pauses and resumes repeatedly. Risk factors include obesity, age and gender; it is more commonly observed in men. This condition can be chronic with symptoms such as snoring loudly or feeling very tired even after one has had a night s sleep.
Restless leg syndrome: It is a sleep disorder wherein you continuously move your legs while sleeping. However, this condition can also cause you to move your legs even if you aren t sleeping.
Some of the causes of sleep disorders due to chronic pain are:

Pain
Worry and anxiety
Sweating at night
Depression and other mental disorders
Treatment

A pain and sleep disorder should be simultaneous as both the components of it, pain and sleep, are interrelated. Some of the ways people with chronic pain can still have a good night s sleep are:

Limiting caffeine intake
Abstaining from alcohol and smoking, as these disrupt the sleep cycles, thus aggravating the existing pain.
Practicing meditation and other relaxation techniques
Pain killers or sleeping pills can be administered, but only with the doctor s advice.
Hot water fomentation over painful area during night, for better sleep.

Back Pain and Bad Sleep

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