The inflammation of the cavities around nasal passage is known as sinusitis. When the cavities are full of fluid, germs attach themselves to the fluids, which give rise to infections. Some of the causes of sinusitis are common colds, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps and deviated septum.

There are 4 different types of sinusitis:

    Acute sinusitis: It remains for about 4 weeks or less. It is usually characterized by a runny nose and pain in the face which will stay for at least 10 to 14 days.
    Sub acute sinusitis: It is almost like the acute sinusitis but stays longer for about 4 to 8 weeks.
    Chronic sinusitis: The inflammation in this case lasts about 8 weeks, sometimes longer than that.
    Recurrent sinusitis: In this, the sinusitis attack keeps occurring all through the year.

At times, to clear up the blocked sinuses, a surgery is mandatory. This can be painful hence many are hesitant to go through with a surgery. If you want to control sinusitis so that it doesn't reach the limit where you have to go through a surgery, here are some tips of what you might be able to do regularly to clear your chances of controlling this:

    Take steam: This is the most common and easy way to control sinusitis. The steam helps to break down the excess mucus in the nasal passage and also reduces the inflammation of the sinuses. All you need is water. Heat it up to the required temperature and then inhale the steam. You will get a lot of relief if you do this regularly.
    Nasal Irrigation: This is basically the process of flushing the infected and stale mucus out of the nasal cavity. Take a liter of sterile water, mix one tablespoon of kosher salt and baking soda each. Then with the help of a syringe or a neti pot, wash your nostrils with the solution. The mucus will start coming out and your nasal cavity will clear out.
    Use warm washcloth: Lie down and place a warm washcloth (a washcloth dipped in warm water and wringed) on your forehead and nose region. The warmth from the washcloth will break down the mucus and clear the congestion.

Sinusitis: Controlling it without Surgery

Upper respiratory infection (URI) is a condition, which involves illness, mainly caused by critical infection in the upper respiratory tract. This region includes the pharynx, larynx, nose and sinus. This infection causes diseases, such as tonsillitis (tonsils get inflamed), pharyngitis (causes sore throat) sinusitis (nasal passage becomes inflamed), laryngitis (voice box in your throat gets inflamed) and common cold.

Causes of upper respiratory infection (URI):
1. Both virus and bacteria cause upper respiratory infection (URI). The most common form of virus causing this infection is known as 'rhinovirus.'

2. The immune system of young adults and children are often very vulnerable. Hence, they are more likely to develop upper respiratory tract infection.

3. URI is also contagious and airborne in nature. So if a person comes in contact with an infected person suffering from URI, he/she is likely to develop this infection.

4. Not washing hands before meals can also cause upper respiratory infection because the virus can be transferred easily to the mouth and can travel into your system.

5. If you have any lung problem or heart disease, you are more likely to be susceptible to upper respiratory infection.

6. Those who already have inflamed tonsils can trigger tonsillitis by drinking any cold or spicy beverage like ice-creams or cold milkshakes.

7. Exposure to some flu or cold can cause pharyngitis. It can also be caused by second hand smoking.

8. Birth defects or structural defects in the nasal cavity or nasal polyps can cause sinusitis. Sometimes the inside part of the nose may get swollen due to common cold and block your ducts. This is a common cause for sinusitis.

Symptoms of acute upper respiratory infection:
1. Congestion in the lungs or nasal area.
2. Whooping cough
3. Running nose due to common cold.
4. Feelings of fatigue and lethargy throughout the day.
5. Your body will start aching without engaging in any physical exercise.
6. You can also lose consciousness in severe respiratory tract infections.
7. Difficulty in breathing.
8. Oxygen levels in blood drop down drastically.

Sometimes in worse cases, acute upper respiratory tract infection (URI) can also cause respiratory failure, respiratory arrest and congestive heart failure. Therefore, it is necessary to book an appointment with a doctor as soon as you start experiencing the above symptoms.

Acute Upper Respiratory Infection: Causes and Symptoms

Choosing homeopathy to cure bronchitis

Bronchitis is a respiratory disease where people cough up thick mucus. Bronchitis can either be acute or chronic, with the most common cause of bronchitis being either viral or bacterial infection. Acute bronchitis improves within a few days with proper medications. On the other hand, chronic bronchitis is a serious condition causing constant irritation in the linings of bronchial tubes. The most commonly visible signs of bronchitis are a cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest discomfort and slight fever and chills. Exposure to excessive pollutants and smoking can cause chronic bronchitis.

How homeopathy can help you in treating bronchitis

Bronchitis can be treated with the help of homeopathy, which can be instrumental in providing relief, thereby improving your quality of life. In fact, homeopathy can be your best option for treating both the forms of bronchitis, as it offers significant relief from the symptoms as well as helps in improving your health in totality.

In the case of acute bronchitis, homeopathy can shorten the duration of the illness to a great extent. When a patient is on the homeopathic treatment he/she experiences a marked reduction in toxicity as well. For the management of an acute attack of bronchitis, the prescribed homeopathic medicines may have to be taken at shorter intervals, after every few hours.

Chronic bronchitis, though contagious, can be treated by homeopathy as well. The symptoms of chronic bronchitis can be significantly improved by homeopathic remedies. It can even aid the patient in quitting smoking.

The most important aspect of homeopathy treatment in the management of bronchitis is that the medicine works very fast and does not leave you weak and drained at the end of the infection. Homeopathic treatment can also help to prevent complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, right sided heart failure (the one that affects the right side of your heart), emphysema, etc.

Homeopathic medicines come without any side effects and are non-addictive. Also, there is no problem in administering the medicines to any patient irrespective of age; therefore, it's a safer choice to opt for homeopathy for the treatment of bronchitis.

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Related Tip: Did You Know: Every 7th Urban Indian Is Prone To Bronchitis

Here's a Reason for Choosing Homeopathic Treatment for Bronchitis

Pulmonary tuberculosis was a fatal disease in the past in India. On an average, 95% of the deaths occur in third world countries, especially the developing ones, due to tuberculosis. In India, the deaths account to 50% out of the 95%. Such is the scenario that everyone is apprehensive if they have a prolonged cough and cold. As sputum with blood is a clear sign that the person is suffering from tuberculosis, steps must be taken promptly and at a swift pace to streamline things for quick care. 

Tuberculosis is an air-borne disease and it can easily travel through the air when the affected person is in contact. In tuberculosis, specific bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis affects the lungs. On an average, 10% of such infections progress into acute disease and kill the affected individuals.

The symptoms of tuberculosis are seen more in patients suffering from AIDS as their immunity is often compromised. Early detection can be made possible through a chest X-Ray, microscopic examination, and the nature of the fluids. In case you are suffering from a prolonged cough and cold, you must go for tuberculin skin test or blood test to find out more about the problem.

Why is it important to eat a proper diet during pulmonary tuberculosis?
Malnutrition and pulmonary tuberculosis are interrelated. If you are eating right and inducting all healthy means in your daily lifestyle, it will build your immunity and help fight against grave diseases. When you have pulmonary tuberculosis, the desire or craving for the food will disappear and eventually, your body will wither off. You will lose mass by losing muscles.

So, eating healthily can only help you stay strong to defeat pulmonary tuberculosis. Those who are suffering from tuberculosis face challenges with nutrients in their body. They are deprived of essential micro-nutrients and they have severe deficiencies of zinc, Vitamin A, D, C & E, selenium, iron and copper.

A protein- and vitamin-rich diet can boost the immunity of the body and prevent deadly diseases from wreaking havoc in the body. So, if you are wondering about food, here are a few items that you can eat and few that you can avoid when you have pulmonary tuberculosis.

Food to eat

Kale and spinach are instant sources of high iron and Vitamin B, which will help you power-up your immune system.
Whole grains like wheat, bread and cereals are a must-have during this time-tested period.
Carrots, peppers, tomatoes, blueberries, and cherries are rich anti-oxidants and they can boost your immune system by flushing out the oxidants from the body, which are tantamount to poison.
Vegetable oil (not butter) could be a  green go  during pulmonary tuberculosis.
Food to avoid

Greasy food like beef, chicken, and mutton must be avoided. They can increase the cholesterol level in the body and compromise on the power of immunity.
Avoid margarine and butter. One should not eat cake, pastries, and other food with hydrogenated oil.
Keep an eye on your regular diet, work to build a strong immunity, and always stay healthy. 

How A Right Diet Helps Recover From Pulmonary Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The infections occurring in people with weak immunity as compared to the people with a healthy immune system are called as opportunistic infections. As, HIV enters the human body, it replicates and weakens the immune system which in turn increases the risk of contracting Tuberculosis in people already suffering from HIV infection.

An HIV and Tuberculosis co-infection occurs when an individual has both, the HIV infection and an either latent or active TB disease simultaneously.  Each disease acts in speeding up the progress of the other, when HIV and TB infection is present together in the body. HIV infection speeds up the progression from latent to active Tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis also accelerates the progression of replication and spread of the HIV infection.

HIV infection and Tuberculosis are totally different type of infectious diseases. HIV is a viral infection and TB is a bacterial one. An HIV infected person will not contract TB unless a contact happens with a TB infected person. TB spreads via droplet infection and is communicable. If a person lives in a country with a high prevalence rate of TB, an HIV patient is highly susceptible to contracting the infection. In the similar manner, a person suffering from TB gets infected with the HIV infection only through the blood and bodily fluids borne route, with unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV infected individual being the most important cause.

Amongst all the other opportunistic infections, TB occurs at an earlier stage in the course of an HIV infection than most other opportunistic infections. Mortality rate in the co-infected patients is more than twice that of HIV infected individuals without a TB infection. Even if a patient is undergoing anti-retroviral therapy, the death rates remain high in co-infected individuals.The natural history and course of TB gets altered in people with an infected immune system. The damage to immunity due to HIV infection causes a drastic reduction in the pathogen killing capacity of the body. In such patients if there is no anti-retroviral treatment prescribed, then the latency period between the infection and progression of disease gets eliminated. 

An active phase of TB is observed in such individuals progressing within a short span of time, ranging from weeks to months, rather than years as it normally should be spanning. Risk of progression from a latent stage to an active stage of TB is around 10-15 times greater in an HIV infected individual as compared to the non-infected person. Such individuals also communicate the disease more rapidly to others.Pulmonary tuberculosis in an HIV infected person can present similar symptoms like that of a classic TB disease. However, a co-infection can sometimes show less presenting TB symptoms, where even the chest X-ray scans can be observed to be normal. A  subclinical  phase of Tb in co-infected patients can cause delay in the diagnosis of the symptoms and subsequently affect the prognosis due to lack of timely treatment.

Social stigma and discrimination has caused an obstacle in provision of adequate treatment for people with HIV. Proper counseling  and initiatives taken to provide indiscriminate care can aid in identification of co-infection and earlier stages. Anti-retroviral treatment teamed up with anti-tubercular drug regimen is prescribed and a successful treatment for drug sensitive cases of TB can be provided with medications for 6-8 months.

How HIV & TB  Are Related?

Bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes become swollen due to an ailment or any kind of infection. These tubes are a part of the respiratory system and usually join the lungs. There are two types of bronchitis - acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. A virus or bacterium usually causes acute bronchitis. It shows up after a person has had a respiratory disease. The most common symptoms of this disease usually show up when a child has flu or cold. A blazing throat, a feeling of being sick and mucus draining from the sinuses usually describe the disease.

Homeopathy is a very effective treatment for bronchitis. In fact, it is the most effective treatment. Homeopathy has been successful in treating some exceptionally extreme cases of bronchitis. It functions admirably in both acute and chronic bronchitis. Here are a few treatments for acute bronchitis for kids that have proven to be beneficial over time:

Hepar Sulph is one of the best homeopathic medicines for bronchitis where a person experiences increased sensitivity to cold. Chilly air and exposure to the cold in any form is impossible to be tolerated by the patient. It energizes cough quickly. Hepar Sulph cures situations where even if a single part of the body is exposed to the cold like a hand or a foot, cough begins immediately.

Bryonia, on the other hand, is helpful in situations where a person feels extremely thirsty, yet may only have a few sips at a time. The mucous layers and the mouth become extremely dry. Even the cough is very dry in such cases. There is a pain in the abdomen and headache while coughing.

Pulsatilla is great in situations where the patient coughs up a lot of greenish or yellowish mucous. Cough is more irritable while resting and the person cannot rest or sleep because of the same. The patient is usually not at all thirsty in this situation.

Arsenic Album is one of the best homeopathic medicines for symptoms that include a feeling of weakness along with other signs of bronchitis. Extreme wheezing and cough increase after nighttime and makes it difficult for the person to sleep. Along with extreme weakness, restlessness may also occur. The patient feels parched and frequently drinks little quantities of water.

Antim Tart is useful when there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen and chest. Despite the fact that there is a lot of mucous in the abdomen, little is disposed off. Cough in this situation is aggravated while a person eats. However, Antim Tart tends to find relief from the same. Patients usually find it very hard to bring out the mucous in this situation.

Treat Acute Bronchitis In Kids With Homeopathy

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