If you have been diagnosed with asthma, it is important for you to know about the most common triggers of asthma. Asthma is a medical condition, which is characterised by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. It causes breathing difficulties, tightened chest and coughing. By identifying and reducing your exposure to several asthma triggers, you will be able to manage or control your asthma symptoms and the frequency of your asthma attacks. Here are the most common triggers of asthma you should know about:

Allergies that trigger asthma
Allergies, are common problems and over 80% of people are suffering from asthma and are allergic towards substances like weed pollens, animal dander, dust mites, mould and cockroach particles. Children having large amounts of cockroach droppings in their homes are more likely to develop childhood asthma. Dust exposure may lead to dust mite allergy in asthmatic patients.

Food which triggers asthma
Certain food allergies may lead to isolated asthma, where other symptoms are absent. Patients with food allergies can exhibit asthma as a part of anaphylaxis, which are food induced. The common food items which are associated with allergies include eggs, peanuts, cow milk, soy, fish, wheat, shrimps, salads and fresh fruits. Several food preservatives also trigger asthma. They may include sulfite additives such as potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and many others. These are commonly used in food processing and trigger asthma in sensitive people.

Asthma induced by exercise
Strenuous exercise may lead to the narrowing of the airways in maximum people having asthma. Exercise acts as a primary trigger for asthma symptoms in many people. Patients having exercise induced asthma are likely to feel chest tightness accompanied by coughing and breathing difficulties after completing an aerobic workout session. Although the symptoms subside, they may reoccur within some hours. You should warm up properly and slowly before a rigorous workout session to prevent an asthma attack.

Smoking
People who smoke are more likely to have asthma. If you have asthma and still smoke, the symptoms of wheezing and coughing worsen. Pregnant women who smoke increase the chance of wheezing in their to-be-born babies. You should absolutely quit smoking if you have asthma.

Infections which trigger asthma
Several infections such as cold, bronchitis, flu and sinus may cause asthma attacks. The respiratory infections, which are viral or bacterial, are a common cause and trigger asthma, especially in children. Asthma is also associated with severe heartburn. According to studies, more than 85% people with asthma also suffer from heartburn. This is a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

Asthma - Common Triggers Behind it?

It is no longer so surprising to read about alarming air pollution levels in our cities. On more than one occasion, these levels have risen above the danger levels. For some people, this may simply create an annoying fog that makes it difficult to see. For others, it can cause serious health issues. Air pollution is one of the most common reasons for the growing instances of asthma and allergies. Children are most susceptible to such diseases caused by air pollution.

Asthma and Allergies
Asthma can affect children even before their fifth birthday and the condition is characterized by breathlessness caused by a constriction of the airways. While the root cause of asthma is unknown, it is usually seen that asthmatic patients are more sensitive to others to particles in the air such as pollutants, dander, dust, smoke etc. Thus, the airways construct as a reaction to these allergens. Changes in the weather, a sudden cold draft or the flu can also aggravate asthma.

Can you Protect Your Children from Asthma?
Wheezing, panting, finding it difficult to breathe and a persistent cough are some of the signs of asthma. If you notice these symptoms, you must consult a doctor immediately. At home, here are a few things you could do.

Avoid exposing your children to smoke: Do not smoke around your children or allow others to smoke around them. If you cannot give up the habit, wear a smoking jacket when you smoke and take this off before you play with your children. When you ll go out, drive with the windows up so that your child does not inhale exhaust smoke. Set your air conditioner to circulate air within the car itself.
Dust often: Try and keep your home as dust free as possible. Use a wet cloth to clean so that the dust does not fly in the air. Wash all your bed linen once a week. Carpets and rugs should be vacuumed regularly or dusted outside. It may also be a good idea to invest in dust mite impermeable covers for your child s mattress and pillows.
Keep your Pets clean: If you share your home with pets, bathe them once a week and brush them daily. Do not let them climb on to the furniture or your beds. Also, avoid having their toys lie on your beds.
Wear a face mask: Try and time your child s outdoor activities when the pollution levels are low. Buy yourself and your child a face mask that will filter the air they breathe in. These should be worn whenever they play outdoors.
These simple steps could help your child be healthier and can prevent asthma and other such allergic reactions.

Increasing Asthma & Allergy In Children - What Should You Do?

Few things in life take longer than habits to be inculcated and eventually to die out. Every parent tries in his or her way to teach the child certain healthy habits, those that they wish would be followed long enough to be internalized by them. Certain healthy habits that every child should follow are:

1. Include a lot of vegetables in the diet: There is an array of vegetables available in the market, which is replete with rich nutritional values. Though children are generally averse to the idea of eating vegetables, it is your duty to inculcate in them the habit of eating vegetables and constantly remind them of their rich nutritional benefits.

2. Never skip breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is often the most ignored. Most children have the propensity to skip breakfast if they are late and generally they are seldom reprimanded by their parents. As a parent, you must make it a point not to take this lightly and severely insist on a healthy breakfast every morning.

3. Indulge in physical activities: With the advent and easy access of technology, going out to play in has become a distant reality, one that is never explored. However, it goes without saying that nothing can substitute the physical and mental benefits that a physical activity entails. It not only keeps the body of your child fit but also helps in keeping the mind fresh.

4. Read daily: Few things in life can be as rewarding and fulfilling as reading a book. However the habit does not come easy and as a parent it is your responsibility to induce in them this. Try to make your child read a few pages everyday till they take it up themselves out of their volition.

5. Drink water and skip the soda: The many flavored sodas, which are available serve as a more palatable alternative to the drab water for the children. Though the choice may seem convenient, it must be snipped off right from the beginning. Sodas are packed with harmful preservatives and should be duly avoided by children. Instead, they must choose the bottle of water to quench the thirst.

5 Healthy Habits That Every Child Should Follow

The primary or milk teeth begins to erupt at about 6 months of life with the complete set in place by 2.5 years of age, and the entire set is replaced by the age of 14. The benefits of some of the preventive dental measures are outlined below.

Maternal care during pregnancy: the teeth begin to form during the second trimester of pregnancy. It is very important that the maternal diet includes sufficient amounts of calcium, potassium, and fluoride for optimal tooth mineralization. Good tooth structure has greater resistance to decay than hypomineralized teeth.

Routine oral hygiene: for the first 6 months, though there are no teeth, after each nursing, end it with a spoonful or two of water to wash down the milk. Gradually, the gums can be just wiped with a gauze pad or soft cotton to remove any residual bacteria. The baby also gets used to this habit, and once the teeth are in, there are lesser bacteria for the decay process to begin.

Once the teeth begin to erupt, the nursing habits also need to be modified to ensure the baby is not allowed to go to sleep with a bottle. This is a common practice to put the baby to sleep and should be avoided to reduce the occurrence of nursing bottle caries.

Fluoride application: fluoride has been shown to have significant benefits in preventing caries. Once routine dental visits begin, then the dentist will be able to tell if fluoride needs to be applied. This can happen either in the form of a gel or varnish that is applied in the dental office or as a paste that is used at home. This helps in building resistance to decay.

Pit and fissure sealants: the tooth has a number of pits and fissures which are 8 times more vulnerable to decay than other surfaces. Deep pits are shown to harbor more bacteria and thereby greater incidence of caries. There are sealants which are thin resins that can be applied on the tooth, which can reduce bacteria accumulation and further decay.

Space maintainers: in the event that a child has lost a tooth, either due to trauma or decay and subsequent infection, then a space maintainer should be placed within the next 3 months. This helps in maintaining the space and establishing a good bite during the transition phase and later, once the permanent teeth are in place.

Orthodontic treatment: if there is malocclusion, then early intervention helps by reducing treatment time and getting better results as the teeth and periodontium are still very elastic and are more malleable to movement.

By doing these preventive measures early in life, the result is a child who has healthier teeth, less decay, less pain, and a happy smile all the time!

Benefits of Preventive Dental Treatments in Children

Type II Diabetes is also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) or Adult-onset Diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome characterized by increased level of sugar (glucose) in the blood due to deficiency or inactivity of hormone 'Insulin' that is absolutely necessary to monitor glucose metabolism of body. This is a metabolic disorder that is primarily characterized by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency and consecutively hyperglycemia. Diabetes is prevalent worldwide and if not attended properly, it may lead to serious complications.

Causes of Type II Diabetes:

Diabetes basically occurs due to defective insulin secretion combined with defective responsiveness of the body to the insulin (also called Insulin resistance). Due to both these factors, hyperglycemia starts occurring in the body. It is strongly associated with obesity and with increasing age. A strong inheritance pattern has been noted in cases of type 2 diabetes. Sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc pose as risk factors for developing Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes can begin at any age though it is not very common in childhood. It usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin but later it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. This ultimately results in Hyperglycemia (high levels of glucose in circulation).

Homeopathic Treatment for Type II Diabetes:

Diabetes is a constitutional disorder as it is an offshoot of constitutional defects (genetic factors, altered immunity) having an impact on the entire constitution of an individual. Hence it calls for an in-depth constitutional approach for its management.

Homeopathy is based on the principle that disease is a total affliction of body. Moreover, homeopathy recognizes importance of the underlying causes such as genetic and inherited factors as the root of any ailment of the body. Homeopathic medicines prescribed on such criteria plays a crucial role in management of many deep-rooted, chronic, difficult diseases; one amongst them being Diabetes.

When we talk about diseases like diabetes, we talk in terms of management rather than cure. Homeopathic treatment along with intake of hypoglycemic drugs and/or insulin can prevent the progress and the complications associated with this condition. Moreover timely administered homeopathic medicines help in maintaining the levels of exogenous insulin and hypoglycemic drugs at minimum possible dosage and in preventing the further progress of the disease. However, it may be noted that there is no substitute to insulin in homeopathy. The role of a healthy diet and exercise cannot be underestimated along with all the above treatment measures.

Diet Food For Diabetes

Hearing loss is not something limited to elderly men or elderly women only. This is something that can affect any adult at any stage of life. The good news is that it can be managed. Today, there are a number of hearing aids that can help improve hearing ability. These aids allow an individual who has lost part of his or her hearing to live a normal life. For best results, hearing loss should be arrested in its early stages.

Here are a few signs you should look out for.

Muffled Speech: When you hear people talk, their speech should be clearly identifiable. If you hear muffled noises that you have to interpret as words, it could be a sign of hearing loss.
Difficulty understanding words: The human ear has the ability to separate conversational sounds from ambient noise. However, in some cases where the inner ear is damaged, a person might find it difficult to separate the two. In such cases, the person might not be able to understand words clearly as they get confused with background noise. This is a sign that must never be taken lightly.
Feeling the need to ask people to repeat themselves: Once in a while if you find yourself asking another person to repeat what he or she said, there is nothing to worry. However, if this becomes a regular occurrence and happens with many people, then the fault lies in your hearing. Thus, if you notice yourself needing to ask people to repeat themselves or talk slowly, consult a hearing specialist.
Increasing the volume of the radio or television: As children, we are taught that playing music or watching TV at a very high volume can damage the ears. The radio, television and other such appliances should be played at a volume where the information being relayed is clearly audible and people can have a conversation alongside without needing to shout. If you find yourself having to increase the volume constantly, it could be a sign of hearing loss.
Withdrawing from conversations: As hearing loss is aggravated, people begin to feel conscious of having to ask others around them to repeat themselves or talk slowly. This can make them withdraw from a conversation and other social situations. In many cases, the simple reason for avoiding a party could be the discomfort of not being able to hear the other person clearly in a conversation.
 All hearing problems can be better handled by proper investigation, different test, sign and symptoms of the patient, which are carried by a specialist of hearing, called as AUDIOLOGIST, who can look your hearing problems, plan out treatment plan, rehabilitation pre and post etc. Audiologist will definitely help you hear again. 

Common Signs Of Hearing Problems In Adults!

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