Tonsillitis is a disorder of the tonsils present on the back of your throat. The tonsils acts as a defensive mechanism in the body as they prevent the body from infections. This is a contagious condition and can occur at any age. It is widely prevalent among school going kids.

Tonsillitis may be classified into two types:
1. Chronic tonsillitis: this type of tonsillitis tends to last for an extended duration with symptoms of bad breath and tenderness in the lymph nodes.
2. Recurrent tonsillitis: this is a form of acute tonsillitis which repeats itself over a year.

Causes
Tonsils prevent various virus and bacteria from entering the body through the mouth by producing antibodies. The tonsils, however, may become vulnerable to these infections. A virus that causes common cold or the bacteria that causes strep throat may result in tonsillitis. The most common cause of this disorder is the strep bacteria. School going children are especially vulnerable to this disorder because they are most prone to various infections.

The various viruses that may cause tonsillitis are:
1. Enterovirus
2. Herpes simplex virus
3. Epstein-barr virus
4. Influenza virus
5. Adenovirus
6. Parainfluenza virus

Common symptoms
The various symptoms of tonsillitis are
1. Swallowing difficulties
2. A sore throat
3. The sore throat may result in bad breath
4. You may experience fever and chills
5. Pain in the head, ear and stomach
6. You may experience stiffness in the neck and the jaw
7. Swollen tonsils with possible redness
8. Changes in voice
9. Symptoms of cold

Treatment
The treatment for tonsillitis is usually antibiotics and in some cases, tonsillectomy. The antibiotics help in getting rid of the bacterial infection. Surgery is only done in cases where tonsillitis is chronic in nature. It is important that you drink fluids and restrict smoking to prevent tonsillitis.

Causes and Symptoms of Tonsillitis

Tuberculosis is a highly infectious and potentially fatal disease which primarily affects the lungs. It is highly contagious and can infect other people via the tiny water droplets released by an infected person while coughing or sneezing. Some strains of this disease have the potential to resist drugs, which are commonly used to cure tuberculosis.

Read more to find all about the different causes, symptoms, preventive measures and the treatment of tuberculosis:

Symptoms: Tuberculosis, also known as TB, can be both latent and active. In latent condition TB is not contagious and it does not harm the infected person. But latent TB can change to an active form so treating it in its latent condition is highly advisable. Active TB can be diagnosed due to the prevalence of certain symptoms such as a cough, which lasts for more than 3 weeks, coughing up of blood, unintentional weight loss, chills, chest pain, loss of appetite and fever. Tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs, but can also affect your kidneys, brain and spinal cord.
Causes: Tuberculosis in general is caused by infection. It spreads from person to person by ultra-small droplets, which an infected person releases while coughing or sneezing. Tuberculosis is highly contagious but it is not very easy to catch TB as the immune system of your body fights it off. Also if a patient of TB is under treatment, the person 's disease is no more contagious.
Risk factors: Potentially everyone can be infected with TB but certain factors increase the chances of infection such as a weakened immune system, living in or travelling to certain areas and substance abuse. TB can also cause complications such as spinal and joint damage, liver or kidney problems and heart disorders.
Treatment: Administering medical drugs is the most convenient way of treating TB. But TB is more persistent than normal bacterial infections and utmost care and caution must be taken to treat it. Completion of treatment is highly essential to fully cure TB. Some of the side effects of TB medication include loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, dark urine and jaundice.

World Tuberculosis Day - Know More About It!

Lung diseases are some of the most common diseases suffered by human beings throughout the world. Smoking and infections are responsible for most lung diseases. The lungs perform one of the most important functions of the body. It is also one of the most active organs in the human body and hence lung problems can arise due to problems in any other part of the body. Some of the most common and infectious lung diseases are discussed below.

1. Asthma
Asthma is a common long term disease which is characterized by reversible airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, shortness of breath and tightness of chest. These symptoms may occur frequently during a day and depending on the person, it may become worse during night or during a certain exercise.

2. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is another common lung problem which is suffered due to inflammation in the microscopic air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli. Symptoms of pneumonia include dry cough, chest pain, breathing problem and fever. Pneumonia is caused most commonly by viruses or bacteria. It is also caused by certain medications and conditions which are popularly known as autoimmune diseases. There are a number of vaccines available to prevent certain types of pneumonia. Other methods include hand washing and refraining from smoking.

3. Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a very infectious disease which is caused by the bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it has been known to affect other parts of the body as well. Symptoms of tuberculosis include cough containing sputum with blood, night sweats, fever and weight loss. Air is an active medium for spreading tuberculosis. This happens when people who already have tuberculosis sneeze, cough or speak. Infection occurs more in those who have hiv/aids or those who smoke. Prevention of tuberculosis includes staying away and keeping those who are at high risk, early detection and treatment and vaccination.

4. Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer which affects the lungs. It affects the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, swollen abdomen, cough, chest pain, weight loss and general lethargy. Mesothelioma is caused mainly due to exposure to asbestos. Those people who mine asbestos, produce products from asbestos, work with asbestos products are at high risk. Mesothelioma also results from genetical problems and due to infection caused by the simian virus 40.

5. Pulmonary embolism
This is a disease caused due to blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance which has travelled from another part of the body by the bloodstream. Symptoms of this disease include chest pain, breath shortness and coughing up of blood. There may also be signs of blood clot in the legs.

Types of Lung Diseases

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

A slipped disc is when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This prolapsed may push on the spinal cord or on the nerve roots. However, it is worth noting that 20 percent of the population has slipped discs without experiencing any noticeable symptoms. The term 'slipped disc' does not really describe the process properly - the disc does not actually slip out of place, but bulges out towards the spinal cord. This condition is also known as a herniated, ruptured, prolapsed, or, more commonly, slipped disk. Some of the most common symptoms of slipped disk are pain in back, neck and lower part of the body, feeling of partial or complete numbness in the parts above and below the affected area, weakness in the lower limbs, scratchy/itchy (tingling) feeling around the genitals, pain while doing any activity such as sneezing, coughing, walking, people suffering from slipped disk often complain of experiencing partial or regular unconsciousness.

In the past, a patient suffering from Disc problems may have been prescribed painkillers/medications, instructed to refrain from physical activities, referred for Physiotherapy, received steroidal shots or injections, and when they weren t progressing, they were sent for Spinal Surgery. Frankly speaking only 5% of Back pains require Surgeries; the other 95% can be dealt with conservative & curative Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa. The Ayurvedic treatment usually involves Panchakarma expert Ayurvedic doctor s consultation and a series of ayurvedic panchakarma treatments like Abhayangam, Swedam, Elakizhi, Navarakizhi, Nasayam, Kativasti, Anuvashan and Kashaya vasti, Marma chikitsa, Meru Chikitsa (Ayurvedic Neuro-Therapy) along with Vatahara chikitsa and Brumhana chikitsa and internal medicines. Usually the treatment p, riod is 7/14/21/28 days according to the severity of the disease.

Today, you may not have to live with that pain anymore. We have successfully treated Lower Back Pain resulting from herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs. We are dedicated to improving the health and function of our patients by combining Traditional Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa with modern technology and Osteopathic manipulation techniques (OMT) to deliver an unprecedented level of service. 

We have treated many patients with Spinal conditions like: 

Herniated Discs
Bulging Discs
Degenerative Disc Disease
Sciatica Syndrome
Spondylosis (Cervical /Lumbar/ Ankylosing)
Cervical radiculopathy,
Lumbago
Dehydrated disc
Disc prolapsed
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal canal stenosis
Lower back pain
Neck pain
Scoliosis etc.

Ayurvedic Management For Slip Disc!

Doctors believe that tonsils and adenoids have a hand in helping the body fight infections. A common problem children face is enlargement of these organs.

Even though most cases of adenoid and tonsil enlargement subside naturally after a few days, in some instances of the disorder, severe symptoms may force you to seek treatment for your child. Here is a look at some complications from an enlarged adenoid and tonsils.

Complications:

  Hearing loss and chronic infection in the ear is a common complication. This occurs when the enlarged lymph tissue blocks fluid transfer in the ear.
  Sinus infections that recur over time
  Sleep apnoea is a common side effect of adenoid and tonsil disorders. This leads to difficulty in breathing while your child sleeps.
  Weight loss is an indirect consequence of enlargement in these lymph tissues. Your child may not be able to eat properly due to the pain experience while swallowing

In case of severe complications, doctors will recommend getting the adenoid and tonsils removed from your child s body. Coblation is the best option in such a case.

What is coblation surgery?

Coblation stands for controlled ablation. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure where an electrical handpiece is used to  burn  the affected tissue in the throat of children. Extremely low temperatures rectify the problem by  burning  the affected tissue. When the coblation method is used to remove both the tonsil and the adenoid lymph tissues, the procedure is known as Coblation Adenotonsillectomy.

The coblation method has replaced the older method where metallic surgery instruments were used for the removal of these tissues. Such crude methods often resulted in post-operative complications, especially in children.

Here are some benefits of Coblation Adenotonsillectomy:

  Less bleeding during the surgical procedure, limiting dangers to the child s health
  Less pain and discomfort post the surgery for the child, which leads to faster recovery
  Decreased risk of haemorrhage post-surgery

Consult an ENT specialist to know more about Coblation Adenotonsillectomy. They will be able to clarify any doubts you have regarding your child s safety during the procedure as well.

Adenoid & Tonsil Problems In Chlidren!

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