Tuberculosis or TB is an airborne disease that mainly affects the lungs and has the potential to be fatal. People with an impaired immune system such as newborn babies, pregnant women or women who have just delivered a baby, diabetics, cancer patients and HIV positive people are at the highest risk of suffering from this disease. However, this disease can be prevented and treated.

Here are a few ways to protect yourself from this bacterial infection.

Keep your distance: TB is a communicable disease and hence can spread from one person to another. If someone around you suffers from this disease, try limiting your contact with them. In cases where this is not possible, wear protective gloves and a mask to keep yourself safe. Avoid crowded, unhygienic places and always wash your hands with a disinfectant after contact with a TB patient.
Boost your immunity: A strong immune system can fight off TB bacteria and keep you from getting infected. To build a strong immune system, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables along with the required amount so carbohydrates, proteins and fats every day. Along with this, consult your doctor and start taking multivitamins or antioxidants on a daily basis.
Maintain proper hygiene: Keeping your surroundings clean are crucial to the prevention of tuberculosis. Ensure that not only your home is kept clean, but the surrounding area is cleaned as well. Do not allow garbage to accumulate around your house. Make it a habit of washing your hands with disinfectant soap every time you come home and before eating anything.
Vaccinate your children: When getting your children vaccinated, ensure that your child also receives the BCG or Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine that can protect him or her against TB.
Ventilate the house: The bacteria that causes tuberculosis, thrives in stagnant air and enclosed spaces. Hence, open your windows and let some fresh air in. Not only does this prevent the multiplication of bacteria and viruses in your house, it also does not allow your home to have a musty odour.
Follow the complete course of treatment: If you have been diagnosed with TB, it is essential to complete the full course of antibiotics and not stop midway even if the symptoms have disappeared. Not adhering to the prescription gives the bacteria the ability to develop resistance to the drugs. When this resistant bacteria is exhaled it can infect more people with drug-resistant tuberculosis that is harder to cure.

6 Precautionary Measures You Must Follow In Tuberculosis!

Benign growth of abnormal cells is characteristic of a uterine fibroid. It grows on the walls of the uterus and occurs in 70% of women. However, most of the times, they go undetected as they are non-intrusive, painless and recede on their own. 99% of the cases reported for fibroids in the uterus are the ones which progress into painful tumors.

Fibroids occur due to elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body; therefore women who are inching closer to menopause are most susceptible to developing fibroids due to elevated and prolonged exposure to these hormones.

The symptoms include:

Pain during urination
Pain during coitus
Constipation
Excessive bleeding and extended menstruation
Fertility problems
Fibroids in the uterus can very easily be treated with various methods. Ayurvedic treatment remains to be one of the most popular choices among women for these illnesses. Ayurvedic treatment involves the use of naturopathic methods to reduce and cure diseases rather than the use of medicinal or surgical methods which may be intrusive, and carry potential risks of side effects and failure rates. It aims to strengthen the immune system of the body and allows the system to mend the infection internally. Ayurvedic methods include the use of herbs, medicinal plants, roots and body enhancing/strengthening practices. Ayurvedic practitioners offer a wide array of treatment methods to battle uterine fibroids naturally with household alternatives, or other readily available remedies.

Ayurvedic treatments for uterine fibroids:

Daily intake of Aloe Vera (with milk, or honey)
Guggul and Asoka herbs (with ghee, or milk)
Douching with herbal decoctions
The ingestion of turmeric in meals
Foods rich in fiber and detoxifying elements (such as spinach, banana) are also recommended as they increase the metabolism rate.

Along with that, if a healthy lifestyle, sound sleep patterns and a regular workout regime are also advised by Ayurvedic practitioners. By taking proper care of one s self, maintaining proper hygiene and taking preventive measures, one can ensure that the recurrence of uterine fibroids do not present itself.

Fibroids - Best Natural Ways It Can Be Managed!

What is Allergic Asthma?

Allergic asthma is the condition in which the symptoms of an asthmatic attack appear after exposure to certain allergens. 90% of the cases of asthma in children are allergy driven, while in adults, the percentage is said to be around 50%.

An allergy happens when an individual's immune system exhibits massive reaction or fights vigorously against substances like pollen, dust, animal dander or certain other minute particles which are actually not harmful to the body but are considered so by the immune system.

Symptomatic changes in cases of allergic asthma:

If the symptoms of an asthma attack occur only when you are subjected to these triggers or irritant particles, your case is allergy driven.

In such cases, the airway reacts aggressively to the entry of such allergens.

The airway muscles tighten up and inflammation is observed.

Breathing becomes painful and compromised, and mucus accumulation sets in very quickly.

Coughing is a common phenomenon, as the body tries to expel the mucus accumulated.

The allergens mentioned above are not the only triggering agents. Basically, anything that causes irritation could trigger an allergy and an asthmatic attack thereafter. Symptoms in the case of allergy driven asthma are more or less the same as seen in other asthmatic cases.

Confirming the cause of asthma as allergic or not:

The doctor would give you a much better clarification on whether you're asthma is allergy driven or not. There are pretty much two ways to decipher the same:

One is to administer a tiny amount of allergen to the skin and making a note of the reaction to that. Whether the reaction is a normal one or an aggressive one would tell if an individual has an allergy or not.

Specific IgE test may be done to confirm the cause, or to test the presence of an allergic reaction in the individual.

All your queries pertaining to allergic asthma and asthma, in general, are more than welcome.

What is Allergic Asthma?

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition, which primarily affects the lungs and persistence of this condition might lead to severe breathing problems and loss of lung function. If you have inherited two copies of the defective gene from your parents, you are likely to suffer from this disease. Cystic Fibrosis causes a buildup of thick mucus in your lungs and affects other organs such as the kidneys, pancreas and the intestines in your body.

It isn't very uncommon as one out of fifty people in Asia is a carrier of this disease. The disease gets its name from the cysts formed in the pancreas of the sufferer. However, this disease can be detected by testing the quantity of salt present in your sweat. Prenatal testing for Fibrosis is another method to test if your newborn is likely to contract a lung infection.

Complications faced due to cystic fibrosis include:
1. Serious sinus infections
2. Serious damage in lungs due to inflammation and incessant infection
3. Malnutrition
4. Complication in breaking down protein
5. Respiratory tract contamination

If you observe one or more of the following symptoms, you might be suffering from Cystic Fibrosis:
1. Salty-tasting skin
2. Bowel obstruction caused due to meconium ileus (obstruction of the bowels)
3. Mucus amiss in your alveoli
4. Persistent coughing with phlegm discharge
5. Shortness of breath while engaging in a physical task
6. Stunted or measly growth despite healthy lifestyle habits
7. Infertility in males

If you're suffering from cystic fibrosis, there isn't any particular treatment which is recommended due to the varying degrees of it found in people. However, consultation with a medical practitioner and an individualised treatment plan can help you minimise the risks and lead a better life.

Some therapies you can opt for are:
a) Airway clearance: This therapy helps sift the thick layer of mucus around your organs. Some people have also chosen to use the inflatable vest which vibrates around your chest, thereby, thinning and loosening the layer of mucus.

b) Inhaled medicines: Another breakthrough in the field of respiratory medicine, this method requires the patient to sniff a liquid consisting of mist, which is inhaled with the aid of a nebuliser. This method is known to be beneficial for opening airways.

c) Pancreatic enzyme supplements: Along with multivitamins, these specially designed supplements are known to cater to your pancreas with the much-needed nutrients and they need to be consumed with every meal.

Cystic Fibrosis: All You Need to Know

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that is known to affect some of the vital organs of the body including the lungs, digestive system to name a few. For long it was believed that cystic fibrosis affects a person in their childhood. However, various research and studies suggest that adults are also susceptible to this inheritable disorder. In this article, we will discuss the cause and symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis.

Cause
The epithelial cells that line the stomach, nasal cavity and lungs, are responsible for the production of the digestive fluids, sweat, tears, mucus. The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene codes for a protein called the CFTR protein. The CFTR protein, a membrane protein plays a pivotal role in transporting the chloride ions of the epithelial cells inside and out of the cell. This regulation of the chloride ions goes a long way in ensuring that the mucus produced is free-flowing and thin.

In the case of Cystic Fibrosis, the CFTR gene that codes for the protein undergoes a mutation. With the CFTR protein unable to perform its function, sticky and thick mucus builds up and clogs some of the major systems of the body including the digestive system, reproductive, and respiratory system. There is also a higher salt content in the sweat of the affected person.

For a person to be affected by cystic fibrosis, he/she must inherit a copy of the mutated CFTR gene from both the parents ( Autosomal Recessive Disorder) at birth.

Symptoms
The symptoms associated with cystic fibrosis depends on the organs and systems affected.

The thick mucus formed can clog the digestive tract resulting in incomplete absorption of the essential nutrients from the food. This may have an impact on the overall growth and development of the body.
- There may be stunted growth or no weight gain.
- The stool may appear greasy and foul smelling. Some may also suffer from constipation.
- Newborns and infants may suffer from an intestinal blockage.
Cystic fibrosis, left unattended can lead to diabetes, intestinal blockage or obstruction.
- The mucus can also block the bile duct triggering a host of problems including liver disorders.
- At times, the obstruction or blockage can occur at the junction where the large and the small intestine meets (Distal intestinal obstruction syndrome).
The thick mucus can also affect the lungs and the respiratory system by blocking the tubes that act as a passage carrying the air inside and out of the lungs. As a result,
- A person may suffer from lung infections frequently.
- There may be difficulty in breathing, stuffy and blocked nose, or wheezing.
- Some people may also suffer from a chronic cough with a thick sputum.
Left untreated the complications can worsen resulting in

Nasal polyps, Chronic infections, Hemoptysis (there is blood while coughing), and Pneumothorax (air fills up in the space bifurcates the chest wall from the lungs).

In severe cases, there may be a respiratory failure.

Cystic fibrosis can also trigger fertility problems (both in males and females).

Cystic Fibrosis- Causes and Symptoms!

Doctors keep learning from research conducted on different types of diseases and their treatments. In the case of lactose tolerance, the conventional wisdom has been that the condition may actually start setting in by the time the baby turns 2 years, but it may not manifest itself till the child reaches adulthood. However, later research has revealed that not only does lactose intolerance occur as one ages, but there are other considerations besides the age of the person, which determine lactose intolerance and its intensity.

Production of Lactase: There is no difference of opinion that the basic cause of this condition is directly related to the production of an enzyme, lactase within the body. This enzyme is produced in the small intestine, and once its production tapers off or stops completely, lactose intolerance surfaces. Lactose intolerance refers to the manner in which the body reacts to the consumption of milk and some foods made with milk. Chemically, milk is described as a combination of one portion galactose and one portion glucose. When milk is consumed, these two are broken down with the help of the lactase enzyme.

Age Does Matter: When researchers started studying cases of lactose intolerance reported at different locations or parts of the world, the patterns that emerged showed a slightly different picture. It is true that the age of the person diagnosed with lactose intolerance does matter. As mentioned, it can start in kids as young as 2 years, but definitely, many symptoms may appear only later in the adolescence period. But some people may develop the condition much later. This means, they might not have faced lactose intolerance to begin with, but as they grow older, their body s ability to produce lactase may dwindle and even disappear and that is when the condition could be noticed and if left untreated, it can become serious too.

Other Factors Relating to Lactose Intolerance: While remaining with the same conviction that age is in important factor in the onset of lactose intolerance, there are other significant indicators which have relation to the genetic composition of the person. For example, in a mixed race population or country such as the US, among whites, the condition may not occur before 5 years of age, while among African-Americans, it occurs by the age of 2 years. Among the Asian population also the occurrence of lactose intolerance is very common, whereas in some European races, the condition is rarely noticed.

How to Manage with the Condition?
It can be easily diagnosed by Lactose Hydrogen breath test (LHBT). If you have already been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, there is not much you can do to improve or induce lactase secretion. The only way is to avoid milk. But there are some products such as butter and some specific types of cheese that can be consumed. Many manufacturers mark the packaging of their products to indicate if they can be consumed by people who are lactose intolerant.

Lactose Intolerance & Age - Understanding The Relation!

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