How to Manage Piles at Home and with Medication

Piles or hemorrhoids can be a debilitating disorder of the rectum and anus where passing stool becomes painful. It is the swelling of the veins in the anus and the rectum, which may then be bruised by hard stool passing through it or due to excessive pressure being put on it. This can be a very painful and embarrassing condition for many people to go through.

Remedies for piles at home

There are many remedies that you can try at home to reduce the pain and swelling and even reduce the hemorrhoids themselves over time. Let's look at a few of the options.

Radish for treatment: In this treatment, a radish should be crushed and mixed with appropriate amounts of milk to form a thick paste, which is to be applied on the anus twice daily, and washed off after 15 minutes. This should relieve the symptoms in a few days.

Cumin seeds paste: You can take a tablespoon of cumin seed powder, make it into a paste after adding water and then put it on the affected area. After leaving it for 15 minutes or so, it should be washed away with water. Repeating this twice daily will help with the symptoms and reduce pain.

Diet: Lack of a balanced diet can be problematic for those with piles, and thus, it is recommended that enough roughage such as green leafy vegetables and fruits are included in the diet as well.

Figs: Dried figs are also another great weapon against piles. Soaking some dried figs in warm water overnight and then having them in the morning is known to be good for smooth bowel movements, thus, relieving pressure on the rectal veins.

Some Ayurvedic Medications that May Prove Effective with Piles:

Some of the specific ayurvedic medication that are known to be helpful in treating piles are:

Hareetaki: This is the fruit peel of Harad and if taken with 1 cupful of jaggery, it can reduce the symptoms of constipation as reported by many patients.

Castor oil: Mixing a small teaspoon of castor oil with a glass of milk can also help soften the stool and reduce the stress on the rectal walls.

Nagakesara: This is also an ayurvedic medicine, which is usually prescribed as oral medication three times daily and has proven its effectiveness many times over.

Abhayarishta: 30 ml of this ayurvedic herb is also given to patients after food with equal parts water and has been known to be very effective.

Kasiaditaila: This is an oil, which should be applied externally and it can help reduce the inflammation and itching caused by piles.

10 Best Home Remedies to Treat Piles  - Natural Treatment

5 Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are feared and loathed by all of us alike – they hurt, they slow us down and they just give us a helpless feeling! The most common cause of these cramps is premature fatigue which affects the reflex control of muscles. Here are 5 ways guaranteed to beat these troublesome muscle cramps:

1. Take rest
The most easy and sure-shot way to kill a muscle cramp is to take rest. Just rest your body, be at one place and the cramp will not last more than 3-4 minutes. Moving around will only cause the pain to be aggravated and eventually affect other areas as well.

2. Consume solutions rich in salt
Whenever you encounter a troublesome cramp, the first instinct is to reach for water. However, studies have shown that salt solutions are far more effective in countering cramps as compared to plain water. You can have pickle juice and similar drinks which have a high salt concentration.

3. Be physically active
The most common reason for muscle cramps is over-straining of the body. If you are planning to indulge in an extremely intensive physical activity, make sure to train well in advance. Also, keep the duration and intensity of the training at a similar level to that of the actual activity.

4. Keep your body hydrated
Dehydration is the root of a number of troublesome conditions, muscle cramps being one of them. Make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water on a daily basis.

5. Indulge in light passive muscle stretching
When faced with a muscle cramp, in addition to resting, try and gently stretch the affected muscle. This continuous and light passive stretching lets the brain know that it can relax the muscle and help it return to normal.




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5 Winning Ways to Stop those Nasty Muscle Cramps

Sunburns are caused due to long stretches of exposure to the sun. People living in tropical countries are more prone to sunburns. The harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun can lead to skin pigmentation that if not treated, can become a permanent skin condition. The worst aspect of sun tanning is that it keeps piling on your skin layer after layer. It is therefore absolutely essential to cover the skin of your face and arms while venturing outdoors. 

Medications are effective in certain cases, but in some other cases, the afflicted person's skin is so sensitive that medicated ointments fail to show improvement. Ayurvedic home remedies can be put to use to avoid alarming side effects. 

Sunburns are characterized by the following symptoms:

 The affected area is usually hotter than other parts of your skin 
 A stinging and itching sensation may develop
 Red and pink patches may be seen on your face and arms or around the neck
 Acute sunburn can even make a person suffer from fevers and fatigue 

 These ayurvedic ways can be followed at home to treat sunburns:

 Use black tea to cure sun rashes and sunburns: refrigerate some black tea if possible. This cold beverage must be applied to the areas that have been harshly affected by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Applying black tea on your skin multiple times in a day can repair the damage already done.
 Coconut oil is a great way to remove sun tan: coconut oil has been held in high esteem since ages. It is known for its ability to cure rashes. One must use coconut oil on the red patches every night before going to bed.
 Aloe vera gel can do wonders with your affected skin: instead of using creams that contain aloe vera; one should use aloe vera gel by extracting it directly from the plant. Aloe vera can heal the burns and can also soothe the burning sensation.
 Cucumber in combination with lemon juice can remedy sunburns: lemon juice has acidic effects that helps in lightening sun tan. When this juice is used with cucumber paste, the latter cools down an irritated skin area and rejuvenates it from within.

Treating Sunburns with Ayurveda

Snoring is the harsh or hoarse sound that occurs when air passes through the relaxed throat tissues   this causes vibration in the tissues as you breathe. Almost everyone snores now and then, but it can be a chronic problem for some people. Sometimes, snoring could also indicate an underlying health condition. 

Causes

Several factors, such as the anatomy of your mouth and sinuses, a cold, and certain allergies, can cause snoring. When you fall in a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your tongue, throat, and mouth relax just enough to block your airways partially, causing them to vibrate. The narrower the airways, the more forceful the airflow. This increases vibration in the tissues and prompts you to snore louder.

Besides, there are certain risk factors that increase your chances of snoring. These include  

Gender   men rather than women are more likely to snore

Being overweight   people with excessive body weight are susceptible to obstructive sleep apnoea, which is characterized by snoring

Drinking alcohol   as it relaxes the throat muscles and increases your chances of snoring

Nasal problems   a structural defect in the airways, like deviated septum puts you at a higher risk of snoring

Symptoms 

Snoring is linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, a common sleep disorder. However, not everyone who snores has OSA. If snoring is accompanied by the following symptoms, you may be at risk of OSA. So watch out for these signs  

Breathing pauses while asleep

Feeling sleepy during the day

Morning headaches

Difficulty concentrating

Restless sleep

Waking up with a sore throat

Choking or gasping at night

Chest pain at night

A rise in the blood pressure

Make an appointment with your doctor if you encounter the above symptoms, as they may suggest that your snoring is associated with OSA. In the case of children, talk to a specialist about throat and nose problems   these can cause your child to develop obstructive sleep apnoea. 

Diagnosis 

The first step of diagnosis involves the doctor going through your medical history and reviewing the signs. He/she may also perform a physical examination. 

Next, your doctor may suggest an imaging test, like CT scan, MRI, or X-ray to check the structure of your airways.

Depending on the seriousness of snoring and the related symptoms, you might be advised for a sleep study. A sleep study involves performing an in-depth analysis of breathing while you are asleep. You will be connected to multiple sensors and kept under observation overnight. 

A sleep study records the following information  

Oxygen level in the blood

Brain waves

Heart rate

Breathing rate

Leg and eye movements

Sleep stages

Treatment 

Your doctor will most likely recommend lifestyle changes to treat snoring.

Lose weight

Avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed

Treat nasal congestion

Avoid sleep deprivation

Avoid sleeping on your back

If snoring is caused due to obstructive sleep apnoea, you may be suggested the following  

Oral Appliances - These help advance the position of your tongue, jaw and the soft palate to open up your air passage.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure   This involves putting up a mask over the mouth or nose while sleeping. The mask releases pressurized air from a tiny pump to the airways to keep it open when you are asleep.

Upper Airway Surgery   This refers to a number of procedures, like Maxillomandibular Advancement, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation that work to open the upper airways and prevent its narrowing using a variety of techniques. 

Snoring can be a problem for those who experience it, and a nuisance to others around them. Make sure you get yourself checked by an ENT and seek treatment for the same before it leads to a severe health complication.

All You Must Know About Snoring & Its Complications!

Often most couples face difficulty in trying to conceive and are distraught by the fact that they cannot have a child of their own by natural methods. Nowadays, there are countless alternative options for trying couples to find a solution to this pressing issue.

In vitro Fertilization or IVF is a procedure in which the doctor combines the sperm from the man and egg from the woman to develop an embryo in a laboratory. This step is carried out in a test tube and is therefore referred to as a test tube baby.

Afterwards, the embryo will be transferred back into the woman s womb. The in vitro fertilization procedure was advanced in order to help women suffering from dysfunctional fallopian tubes. In a situation where IVF fails to provide help to the concerned couple, surrogacy is suggested.

Procedure of IVF:

The IVF procedure begins with hormone therapy on the female candidate s body. This is done in order to promote the development of eggs within her ovary. The eggs are then collected and put in a test tube for fertilization. This facilitates the production of a number of embryos. After four days in the incubator, one of the embryos will be transferred within the mother s womb for implantation.

What is Surrogacy and How is it Different?

Surrogacy comes as the next obvious step in light of an IVF procedure failing to make the mother pregnant. In this procedure, the eggs are implanted within the womb of another woman who is referred to as the surrogate. The surrogate keeps the baby within her womb for nine months and gives birth to the child.

Compared to an IVF procedure surrogacy is a very complex process where there are a number of legal, emotional and financial factors involved.

Often couples might take the route to surrogacy as the first option after the woman experiences repeated miscarriages when both the partners have been trying for a number of years and have not met with any success. Other reasons for considering surrogacy include Hysterectomy and frail health condition of the woman that makes her prone to further complications and risks.

Basic Difference:

The basic difference between IVF and surrogacy is that in IVF the egg is fertilized outside the body of the woman whereas in surrogacy, the egg is implanted in another woman s womb and she carries the child for nine months.

The Major Differences Between IVF & Surrogacy!

Contaminated food is one of the most common sources of infections in the human body and so the stomach is one of the most commonly affected organs. Whether it is eating raw food or unhygienically prepared foods, the stomach has very high chance of getting infected than other body parts.

One of the most common causes of stomach infection is the norovirus also called as cruise ship virus. Spread through vomitus and faecal material, it is quite contagious and can affect large amounts of people in confined areas like a cruise ship. The common symptoms would include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloated feeling, abdominal pain (generalised or localised), fatigue, and tiredness.

On the brighter side, there are well-proven measures listed below which are simple and easy to follow that can help avoid stomach infection.

Restore bacterial balance: The good bacteria in the stomach are lost with the stomach flu and restoring it will help in managing the flu. A good amount of probiotics and fermented foods including yoghurt, sour curd, etc., will do wonders by restoring natural flora. Supplements can be taken if required, and these bacteria will restore the ability of the stomach to fight the virus.
Isolation and separation: If there is a close family member affected by the virus, ensure they are staying separately and all their clothing (bedding included) are maintained in an isolated manner. Children and elderly need extra protection, whether they are affected or are in the same household.
Cleaning methods

Since the virus spreads by contaminated faecal matter, vomitus and through surfaces, it is necessary to prevent the spread.

When in doubt, washing hands is very useful. Use soap and water instead of a hand wash. Staying away from picking nose and touching eyes are also useful.
The infected person s clothes should be washed separately in extra hot water and bleached to get rid of the virus.
Using the dishwasher or soaking the washed utensils in extra-hot water is a good way to get rid of the virus.
Surfaces like laptops need to be cleaned more regularly and rigorously
Steam cleaning of carpets is a good idea to get rid of the virus that may be locked there.
Avoid going out or being in close contact for about a week, as the virus needs that much time to clear out completely.
Food habits

Do not eat raw or uncooked foods
Drink loads of water, clear soups, sports drink and lime juice to replace lost fluid.
Eat whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables that are well-cooked to ensure you get the essential vitamins and minerals.
Following the above measures can help avoid the stomach flu and stay healthy.

Stomach Infection - 4 Ways to Avoid it!

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