If you are experiencing a whizzing sound while you breathe or having difficulty in breathing, you are suffering from asthma. It is a medical condition characterized by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. There is no definite way to prevent asthma, but by following a step-by-step daily plan, you can prevent asthma attacks or keep them in check. Here are some important measures to follow to prevent asthma:

You need to strictly follow your asthma action plan. The plan should be laid down after a detailed discussion with your doctor or healthcare team. All the medicines you require to prevent the asthma attacks will be written down for you.
You should get vaccinated for pneumonia and influenza. This will prevent these conditions from triggering asthma attacks or flare-ups.
You need to identify the asthma triggers and stay away from them. Several outdoors irritants and allergens from pollen to cold air can trigger asthma attacks.
You have to monitor your breathing. By recognising the warning signs of an attack like wheezing, slight coughing or shortness of breath, you can prevent an asthma attack. You need to measure and record your peak airflow regularly using a home peak flow meter.
By acting quickly, you can identify a fatal attack and prevent it from occurring. When the peak flow measurement decreases, you need to take your medicines immediately and abstain from any activity which may have triggered the attack.
You need to keep taking your prescribed medicines, even if your asthma symptoms have improved. You should not change your medication schedule without consulting a doctor. It is recommended that you to bring along the medicines you take at your doctor s appointment as he will be able to tell whether you are taking them right.
If you use your quick relief inhaler a lot, the asthma is not under control. You need to visit your doctor as soon as possible and he/she will make some modifications to your treatment.
For prevention of asthma, you should use allergy proof pillow covers and mattresses. You must wash your bedding every week in hot water to eliminate dust mites. You may use a dehumidifier for reducing excess moisture to prevent mold.
Do not allow your pets in the bedroom and on the furniture. Pet dander is a common trigger of asthma and it cannot be avoided by people who own pets.
You can also fit an air filtration system in your home. It will help in the elimination of asthma triggers such as pollen, dust mites and other allergens.
Many doctors suggest immunotherapy for asthma prevention in the form of allergy shots. Immunotherapy aims at altering a person s immune response by making it less sensitive to asthma triggers.

Asthma - 10 Ways to Keep it Under Control

Here are 6 signs to watch out for that could indicate 'You need to get your Ears tested':

1. Your TV is blaring: Do you often find people around you shouting above the TV sound complaining that it's too loud? When you find it hard to hear the TV at the average volume and find yourself turning up the sound, this could signify a hearing loss. Doctors are seeing a growing number of patients visiting them after prolonged exposure to loud music and sounds.

2. You find it hard to hear phone conversations: Do you find yourself asking the person on the other end of the phone line to 'repeat' themselves, or find yourself pressing the phone instrument right into your ear? If you are trying so hard to hear, you might find yourself missing out on bits of the conversation as focussing to clearly hear the conversation is exhausting work. Getting a hearing test might be a good option if this sounds like you.

3. You have trouble hearing in noisy environments: When you are out dining with friends or family at a busy restaurant or accompanying a friend shopping in a busy street, all that background noise makes it difficult to hear what the people are saying. People with hearing loss often have problems masking out background noise.

4. Family members telling 'you're going deaf'?: Trust the views of the people closest to you, they never lie about your health. Family members often are the first to sense signs of hearing loss as they find themselves repeating things to you or calling out louder to get your 'attention'.

5. You find yourself staying away from social occasions, family gatherings or avoid being the first to start conversations

6. You find yourself leaning closer to people to follow the conversation or staring at their lips trying to lip-read what's being said.

6 Signs you Need a Hearing Test

Asthma is a condition that can flare up anytime; be it at your child's soccer practice or during the middle of the night. Whenever the condition sets in, it leads to your child struggling for breath. For a parent to witness this situation can be hard; but you should know the techniques to keep the situation under control.

Here are a few tips on how to manage the situation:

1. Find out the triggers in your home: Asthma is triggered due to substances that your child may be allergic to. Examples are cigarette smoke, fur of pets and dust. If possible, keep your child away from the known triggers so that the condition does not flare up again.

2. Keep records of the following: It is good to have an action plan ready for your child when the bouts of asthma strike. When you visit the doctor to discuss about your child's condition then make sure that you have these records at hand.

The triggers that caused the bout of asthma
How many times did your child have wheezing episodes?
The number of times your child has been admitted for the same reason
The medications that your child is currently taking, dosage and/or whether they have been changed
How often does he/she need medications if he/she has acute symptoms?
3. Knowledge of the test your child may require: Asthma control test is a type of test that allows parents and children to grade asthma symptoms without a doctor. A pulmonary function test is used to detect the capacity of the lungs and flow of air.

4. See how your child responds to the treatments: You should consider changing the treatments for your child if he/she has recurrent symptoms of asthma attack and require frequent visits to the Emergency Room even after taking medications for an extended duration.

5. Long term treatment plans require patience: Any asthma treatment plan requires patience as they might not immediately cure symptoms.

How to Manage if Your Child Is Suffering From Asthma

Benefits of breastfeeding 

Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients for your baby. Breast milk is easier to digest than is commercial formula.
The antibodies in breast milk boost your baby's immune system. Breastfed babies get fewer colds and sinus and ear infections. They also have less diarrhea and constipation and a decreased chance of having allergies.
Helps to increase the bonding with your baby
Helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer in the mother
No frantic runs to the store. No bottle cleanup. Many moms just roll over (especially if their baby is in a co-sleeper) and nurse in a sleepy state. Breast milk is instantly available and delivered warm.
If you mostly breastfeed, you save money on formula
Breast-feeding might even help you lose weight after the baby is born.
Its tough in the begining
Consider a breastfeeding class while you're pregnant. Getting baby to latch on may not feel natural. Ask for help in the hospital. Those first days, you might feel what experts call extreme tenderness -- and what we call pain. But once your baby is properly latched, discomfort should diminish during each nursing session and go away completely with time. Don't ignore shooting pain; a knot in the breast accompanied by soreness and redness could be a plugged milk duct, which can lead to mastitis, a nasty infection that requires antibiotics.

Start by getting comfortable. Support yourself with pillows if needed. Then cradle your baby close to your breast rather than learning forward to bring your breast to your baby. Support the baby's head with one hand and support your breast with the other hand. Tickle your baby's lower lip with your nipple to encourage your baby's mouth to open wide. Look and listen for a rhythmic sucking and swallowing pattern.

If you need to remove the baby from your breast, first release the suction by inserting your finger into the corner of your baby's mouth. If your baby consistently nurses on only one breast at a feeding during the first few weeks, pump the other breast to relieve pressure and protect your milk supply.

You're the food supply, so mother yourself

The nutrient needs of a woman are at an alltime high during breastfeeding. Keep taking prenatal vitamins, get ample calcium. By weight, 88% of breast milk is water. Breast milk volume increases from as little as 50 ml on the first day, to as much as 750 ml a day, when breastfeeding is well established. So, the most critical nutrient needed for the production of ample breastmilk to meet a suckling baby s demand, is water. Aim to drink at least 1.5- 2 litres/day.

You'll also need to learn to relax, however you can -- stress might affect letdown (the start of your milk flow). Take a warm shower, sink into a chair, and remember to breathe as you help your squirmy baby latch on. 

Select wholesome food such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds to maximise the overall nutrient quality of your diet.If you need medication (for anything from a cold to a chronic condition), check with your doctor. Most meds -- but not all -- are fine in breast milk. 

Breastfeeding - Why Is It Advocated & Tips For Moms

Tips to prevent irritant diaper dermatitis (diaper rash)

A mother's prime focus always is how to ensure that her child is happy and comfortable, especially when the child is too small. One of the problems which bothers many mothers who are bringing up really small children, is diaper rash. Sensitive skin, tight diaper and prolonged contact with feces and urine etc are common reasons for diaper rash or irritant diaper dermatitis.

Here are few tips to avoid diaper rash and ensuring your child is always comfortable.

1. Careful with wash: if you are using a cloth diaper, be extra careful in washing such that there is no soap remaining in the cloth.

2. Clean well: when bathing your baby, make sure you clean the area covered by diaper with a mild soap and do not rub the area while drying, since the skin is sensitive.

3. Remove soiled diaper instantly: this is the most important. However busy you are, you need to aware of the times when the diaper/cloth has been soiled. And when soiled, the diaper has to be changed at the earliest. Do not keep your baby in the diaper for all hours of the day. It is good if they are out of the diaper for some time every day.

4. Keep the diaper loose. Also, ensure that you wash the cotton diapers with fabric softeners and try to avoid wipes altogether as they have strong chemicals in them.

5. Keep a tab on rashes: if your baby does get the rashes, check with the pediatrician at the earliest. Frequent topical applications of a bland protective barrier agent (zinc oxide paste) may suffice to prevent dermatitis. There are also chances of fungal infections. Antifungal creams should be used on advice of a doctor.

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5 Simple Ways To Avoid Diaper Rash For Your Baby

When you have a newborn bundle of joy, no parent would be ready for constant crying bouts from the infant. However, for various reasons, even healthy, well-fed infants can be colicky.

What is it: although a mystery, a baby is said to be colicky if it cries for more than 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks at a stretch. The baby is completely healthy, and the symptoms start about 2 to 3 weeks of life in both breast-fed and bottle-fed babies. The baby usually has a red face from crying and could be pulling its legs towards its chest due to the abdominal discomfort.

Causes: though still not exactly established, some things that are believed to cause colic include:
1. The baby's digestive system that is growing and goes through spasms
2. Extreme sensitivity to noise and light in the surrounding environment
3. Accumulation of gas in the belly that is ingested with the milk (breast or bottles)
4. Hormones that are supposedly affecting the baby's moods

Treatment: as there is no specific cause identified, the treatment is also symptomatic and aims at soothing the baby's pain and discomfort.

1. Altered feeding: given that a baby's tummy is very small and is about the size of a fist, it makes sense to feed it small amounts at regular intervals than to give a full feed once in like 4 to 5 hours. The baby is sure to feel full with this and therefore the discomfort. Burping between the feed is also shown to help avoid feeling of fullness. If you are breast feeding, try to not let the baby doze off when feeding.

2. Anti-colic bottles: these bottles have a vent inside the bottle which will help reduce the accumulation of gas within the bottle. There are various brands available in the market, these could be a good solution if the baby is even partially bottle-fed.

3. Simethicone: this is an anti-flatulent, which again helps eliminate gas bubbles in the stomach and thereby provides relief to the infant. It can be given either by a dropper or a syringe.

4. Exercise: try bending the legs at the knee and holding it towards the baby's stomach, this can help ease the pain.

Remember that this is a very transient thing and usually disappears on its own by the 4th month, and the above measures are only to help the baby and the mother.

Colic Pain - How to Treat It

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