Speech therapy helps in improving the speech, understanding the language skills, and also help in communicating in non-verbal ways such as listening and taking turns. Speech therapy treats various kinds of communication and swallowing problems.

Children with Cleft Palate are diagnosed with an opening in the upper tissue palate in the mouth. This condition causes Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) which results in excessive airflow from the nose while speaking. Although it can be corrected with surgery, the patient will still be affected by VPD.

Speech therapists help in this condition by assisting the patient with speech and language skills. The speech therapy for such a patient can be categorized as auditory feedback and articulation practice.

Auditory Feedback

Before involving the patient with any speech therapy, it is essential for the patient to understand the difference between normal voice and nasal voice output.

For this purpose, the child is instructed to use a tube to listen to the voice of the normal person. To understand the difference, one end of the tube is then held near the ear of the child and the other is held near his nasal and then he is instructed to make sounds so that he understands the nasal voice.

After this understanding, the different approaches to speech therapy starts.

Articulation Practice

This is usually where speech therapy begins. In this practice, the different type of condition is understood that relates to different speech organs. The understanding of different vowels, consonants and related sounds is taught to the child for making the speaking sound less nasal.

Some of the methods for achieving these sounds are:

Pharyngeal Plosives: This sound is produced when the tongue is moving backward. The practice of making  ng  sound, and dropping the tongue and producing  k  sound.

Pharyngeal fricatives: When the tongue retracts but is not able to make contact with the pharyngeal wall is when this sound is produced. The speech therapists make the child learn the techniques of making sounds of  t ,  ts ,  ch , or  sh , and provide feedback for learning the proper positioning of the tongue.

Nasal Plosives: This sound usually occurs when the tongue is positioned improperly and it obstructs the vocal tract. A speech therapist may make the child yawn so that the back of the tongue is pushed down, and feel as the mouth stretches.

Palatal-Dorsal Productions: It occurs due to the malocclusion of the teeth. Practicing sounds like  t ,  d ,  n ,  k ,  g , and  ng  often helps in such condition.

Take Away
Cleft Palate is generally developed due to improper growth while the child was in the womb. The difficulty of producing proper sounds when there is excessive airflow in the mouth can be overcome by training and practicing certain sounds, as instructed by a speech therapist.

 Cleft Palate - How Efficient Is Speech Therapy?

What is Sore Throat?
A sore or dry throat is an unhealthy and painful scratchy feeling inside the throat which is coupled with pain while swallowing and can cause really bad irritation. A sore throat usually resolves on its own because it is a mild health problem.

Causes of Sore Throat-
A sore throat is caused by many important risk factors. Let us have a look at some of them:

Viral infection: It is the most common cause of a sore throat and several viruses are present which can result in a sore throat of many intensities.
Toxins like cigarettes, smoke or pollution can also lead to an acute sore throat because of the unhealthy chemicals present in these things.
A bad injury or infection in the throat can lead to a chronic sore throat. Sometimes when people should loudly for long periods also result in a sore throat because the tissues burn away of tear apart.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease also causes a sore throat when the acid from the stomach retreats back to the esophageal tract.
The development of cancer cells or tumor results in a sore throat and blocks the entire throat tract.
Treating a Sore Throat:
Sore throats are easily curable and sometimes they tend to go away on their own. Let us have a close look at the remedies:

Gargling with warm salt-water will hell you to get rid of sore throat because saltwater helps to wash away the viruses and germs.
Honey mixed in tea is an excellent detoxifier and helps your body and throat to get rid of the unnecessary foreign objects stuck in the tract.
Consuming fenugreek also helps in killing the bacterias which are causing the sore throat.
Chamomile tea is a proven relief during throat sores. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities that help the throat to get relief and heal overtime.
Drink warm water or liquids which will constantly keep the throat wet and warm leading to the decline of the bacterias present.
Antibiotics can also be taken for 5-6 days if you think no other remedy is working in the right way. However, try not to give antibiotics to children of young age and stick to home remedies. 

Sore Throat - What Causes It?

Thumb or finger sucking is common in infants through the first year of their lives. A child usually turns to his thumb when he is tired, upset or bored.

A child younger than five years should not be pressured to stop thumb sucking. While majority of children give up such habits on their own before they enter school, about 15 percent of children continue thumb sucking past their fifth birthday. This is an age when teasing often starts, causing difficulties for children.

Apart from this, thumb sucking can also lead to dental problems. A child who is still sucking his thumb by age five, when permanent teeth start coming in, may develop an abnormal bite. In addition, prolonged thumb sucking can cause minor physical problems, such as chapped lips or cracked skin, calluses, or fingernail infections.

The effects of thumb sucking are usually reversible until the age of seven because children still have their deciduous (baby) teeth. If thumb sucking continues beyond that age, when the second teeth are erupting, permanent dental problems can occur.

There are various things you can do to help your child stop thumb sucking:

1. Reward your child and offer encouragement - for example, with a hug or praise to reinforce their decision to stop the habit.

2. Limit nagging - if children feel they are being nagged they will become defensive.

3. Mark their progress on a calendar - for example, place a star or a tick for each period (such as a day or week) that the child does not suck thumb or finger. Provide a special outing or a toy if the child gets through the period successfully.

4. Encourage bonding - for example, with a special toy.

5. Reminders - give the child a mitten to wear as a reminder not to suck, or place unpleasant tasting nail paint (available from chemists) on the fingers or thumb. Placing a band aid over the thumb at bedtime is another reminder.

6. Offer distractions - while a child is watching tv, have toys available for children to play with. Sit with the child during this time and give a cuddle to help them not to suck. In the car, have toys available to keep children occupied.

7. Talk to your pediatrician and your child's dentist, who may recommend appropriate treatment that prevents thumb sucking.

Preventing Thumb Sucking in Children

Herpes is caused due to the presence of the herpes simplex virus in your body. Herpes can appear on multiple areas of your body, but more commonly manifests in the genitals as well as the mouth. The two types of herpes are HSV-1 (oral herpes) and HSV-2 (responsible primarily for the outbreak of genital herpes). 

Causes of Herpes Simplex:

Herpes is contagious in nature and can be passed to you by having sexual intercourse with anyone who has been infected. HSV 2 is the primary form of the virus, which is transmitted in this manner. 
Herpes could be transmitted to an infant from their mother if she was infected while pregnant. 
It can also get passed through direct contact like using the same plates or spoons or even the sharing of lip balm. Even kissing can spread the virus if the infected person has cold sores.
Symptoms of Herpes Simplex:

The presence of blistering sores within the mouth or in the genital area is a telltale sign that you may have contracted genital herpes.
If you are having painful urination then you should check with your doctor for the herpes virus.
Continuous itching in certain areas such as the genitals.
Not wanting to eat, having a fever could also be symptoms of herpes simplex virus in your body.
Herpes can spread to your eyes and is known as herpes keratitis. It can cause pain in your eyes.
Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex:

The common way to diagnose herpes is with an actual physical exam. Doctors will generally look out for sores on your body and may also check for some similar symptoms which might indicate herpes simplex. 
HSV testing (alternately called herpes culture) is done to check the presence of a virus on the genitals. A fluid sample from the genitals is sent to laboratory for tests and will require a visit to the health center.
There are blood tests to look for antibodies for both forms of HSV to diagnose the infections. However, this test is done only when there is and absence of sores or visible symptoms.

Herpes - 5 Signs You are Suffering from it 

Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is a condition in which a woman experiences fluctuation of hormone levels, estrogen, and progesterone which causes cysts in her ovaries, dysfunctional menstrual cycle, cardiac problem, fertility and changes in appearance. Hormones are chemical messengers that can trigger a number of issues in the body. Long term problems due to PCOS can be avoided with an early diagnosis and a proper treatment.

Causes
- Genetics and hormonal imbalance have been identified as the main causes of PCOS although the exact reason has not been discovered.
- Overproduction of androgen, a male hormone in a woman can cause small lumps in the ovaries, irregular development of eggs and abnormal insulin level.

Symptoms
The severity of the symptoms depends on the constitution of the person but the most common one is irregular periods. PCOS occurs when there is a decrease in sex hormones which can lead to the development of certain male features like:

- Deeper voice
- Growth of hair on face, toes, stomach, chest and back
- Reduction in breast size
- Loss and thinning of hair

There are other symptoms as well which can help one to determine the syndrome including:
- Oily skin leading to acne
- Irregular egg formation causing fertility problems and miscarriages
- Depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Hyperinsulinemia, that refers to the presence of too much insulin in the body which can cause obesity
- Difficulty in breathing while sleeping

The severity of the symptoms varies but if you are experiencing any of these problems, it is advisable to seek a professional consultation. A healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, nutritious diets are some of the preventive measures you can take. There are hormone regulating medicines and treatments that attempt to curb the condition but there is no permanent cure.

What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

What menstrual problems are to women, prostate problems are to men. The prostate is a gland in the lower abdomen that aids in the production of semen. The prostate is walnut sized in a young man, but can get enlarged with age. As it grows bigger, it can cause a number of problems. These are commonly seen after a man celebrates his 50th birthday.

There are three common prostate problems faced by men. Some of the symptoms that can tell if a man has a prostate problem are:

1. Difficulty faced while urinating
2. The urge to urinate frequently at night
3. Constant feeling of a full bladder
4. Pain while urinating
5. Blood in the urine

Prostatitis

This can be defined as inflammation of the prostate gland. In most cases the cause of this inflammation is unknown. However, there are two types of prostatitis; bacterial and nonbacterial. While the former reacts well to antibiotics, the latter is more difficult to control. Symptoms of this disease vary from one person to the next. Some of the factors that could trigger this disease are:

1. Chemical irritants
2. Past bacterial infection
3. Dysfunctional pelvic floor muscles
4. Sexual abuse
5. Chronic anxiety

Enlarged prostate

As mentioned earlier, as men get older, the prostate gland tends to grow in size. This growth is benign, but can block the bladder neck and prostatic urethra. This can cause problems urinating and lead to acute urinary retention. This can be very painful. Inserting a catheter can provide temporary relief and help release stored urine. Chronic retention is much less common and is associated with high bladder pressure and can damage the kidneys.

Prostate cancer

Advancing age and family genetic history are said to be the main triggers of prostate cancer. This type of cancer can remain restricted to the prostate gland in its early stages but may spread to the other glands as the cancer advances. This can also cause the growth of secondary tumors in the bones.

The only way to correctly diagnose a prostate problem is with a thorough physical examination. This includes a digital rectal exam where the doctor will insert a gloved finger into your rectum to check the size of your prostate, a blood test, mid stream urine tests and ultrasounds. In some cases a biopsy of the prostate may also be required. Depending on the diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, surgery, radiotherapy or hormone therapy to manage your prostate.

Are You at Risk of a Prostate Disease?

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