An abnormal junction or connection between two organs or tissues is referred to as a  fistula . It targets two hollow organs, vessels, or tissue structures. It occurs mostly in the rectum, vagina, however can affect the intestines and the eyes too. It results in extreme pain, discomfort and should be treated as immediately as possible to prevent infection.

It can induce sensations of:

Extreme irritation or itching
Discharge with unusual odor (if the fistula is located near the anus/vagina)
Irritable bowel syndrome
Excess pus
High body temperature
Blood discharge
Diagnosis
In case or prolonged tension and pain in these areas, a proctoscopy should be conducted for diagnosis. It most commonly occurs in women who have sustained prolonged labor (over 2-3 days). However, other causes include:

Digestive malfunction
Abscesses(formation of pus in hollow organs)
An unhealthy lifestyle which includes excessive indulgence in alcohol and tobacco

Ayurvedic treatment for fistulas are available which aim to sooth the inflammation by slowly remedying the wound through natural and safe measures. Since Ayurvedic practices are non-toxic, non invasive and completely safe, one can avoid the drastic measures that surgery consists of, and also avoid the side effects of medicines.

Ayurvedic remedies of fistulas include
Ayurvedic doctors have developed several oils, ointments and medications that are readily available in the market. The medications usually consist of a mixture of herbs, roots and plants that aim to restore the physical systems and also soothe the affected area.

The importance of buttermilk added with rock salt and black pepper also allows the enzymes of our body to multiply and thereby cure the fistulas internally.
Radish juice with a pinch of cumin is also recommended to be consumed after meals to improve digestion and empower the immune system.
A healthy lifestyle and fitness routine consisting of yoga and exercises also contribute to improve conditions in the patient by facilitating blood circulation and metabolism.

Fistula - Treating It With Ayurveda!

The gall bladder, which sits just below the rib cage to the right of the stomach, is very tender to touch. It is a little sac or storage compartment for bile, which is produced by the liver. The gallbladder emits bile into the small intestines via a duct referred to as the cystic duct. The entire process is meant to break down foods (namely fatty foods). 
Gallbladder attack symptoms may include one or more of the following:
1.Pain in the back right shoulder blade:
Sometimes, pain radiates through to the back shoulder blade on the right side or in the middle between the shoulder blades. This is pain from the gallbladder affecting the back of the shoulder. This back shoulder blade chest pain is one of the most common yet unknown symptoms of a gallbladder disorder. This can come and go or be constant. It may be sharp, excruciating or dull. It may also occur especially at night. A gallbladder attack will typically last for one to four hours.
2. Pain in the stomach: 
The most common symptom of a gallbladder problem is pain. This pain usually occurs in the mid to upper-right section of your abdomen. It can be mild and intermittent, or it can be quite severe and frequent. In some cases, the pain will begin to radiate to other areas of the body, including the back and chest.
3. Nausea or Vomiting: 
Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms among all types of gallbladder problems. But only a chronic gallbladder disease may cause digestive problems, such as acid reflux, gas, nausea, and vomiting.
4. Diarrhea:
Having more than four bowel movements a day for at least three months may be a sign of chronic gallbladder disease.
5. Fever or Chills:
An unexplained fever may signal that you have a bile duct infection. If you have an infection, you need treatment before it worsens and becomes dangerous. The infection can become life-threatening if it's allowed to spread to other parts of the body.
6. Unusual Stools or Urine: 
Lighter-colored stools and dark urine are possible signs of a common bile duct block.

Recognizing The Symptoms Of A Gall Bladder Attack

Gastrointestinal bleeding, as the name suggests, is characterized by bleeding in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and its accessory organs (esophagus, stomach, colon, small intestine, rectum, and anus). The bleeding also referred to as gastrointestinal hemorrhage, is not a disease in itself. However, it may be an indication of a disease, injury or infection in the digestive tract of a person. The bleeding in the GI tract may be mild to chronic (often fatal), depending on the severity of the condition that triggers the bleeding.

What causes the gastrointestinal bleeding?
As stated, the gastrointestinal bleeding may be indicative of some digestive tract disorder. Some of the common conditions that may trigger the bleeding include

Tumors that are malignant in nature.
Hemorrhoids (a painful condition where veins around the anus, as well as the lower part of the rectum, swell up)
Peptic ulcers.
Diverticulosis (formation of diverticula or pouches in the walls of the large intestine).
Inflammatory bowel disorder.
Colon polyps (a small mass of cells that develop on the inner lining of the large intestine or colon).
There may be problems in the blood vessels (in the digestive tract).
Anal fissures.
Esophageal varices (the veins of the stomach or esophagus swell up due to a liver disorder, such as cirrhosis).
Angiodysplasia (it is a minute vascular malformation that takes place in the gut).
There may be an inflammation of the gastrointestinal lining.
Symptoms:
The appearance of blood in the stool and vomit is one of the characteristic symptoms of the gastrointestinal bleeding. Other symptoms indicative of a bleeding include

Weakness and fatigue.
The stool appears black and tarry.
A person may complain of uneasiness and shortness of breath.
The skin appears pale. In some cases, prolonged bleeding that goes unattended may result in anemia.
Abdominal pain.
The stool may also appear maroon or bright red (often in the case of bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal part).
Consult a doctor at the earliest if the symptoms persist for more than a week.Timely medical assistance can help to minimize the extent of the damage.

Diagnosis and treatment:
Gastrointestinal bleeding in the colon or the stomach is easy to diagnose. However, the diagnosis of the bleeding that occurs in the small intestine may be tricky and often requires the use of advanced and sophisticated equipment. The diagnosis is often done by

Physical examination.
Liver function tests.
Complete blood count.
Endoscopy, colonoscopy, and sigmoidoscopy.
Treatment:

Endoscopic injections (often diluted epinephrine) at the bleeding site provides great relief.
To close or clamp off a bleeding blood vessel, doctors may use Endoscopic clips.
Endoscopic intravariceal cyanoacrylate injection is used to treat varices in the stomach effectively.
There are medications available to treat GI bleeding triggered by ulcers.
In the case of an acute bleeding, a person may need surgery (Laparoscopy).

Gastrointestinal Bleeding - How It Can Be Treated?

Do you feel extremely tired many times in a day? Are you experiencing sudden weight gain, chills at night and hair loss? Is your neck a bit bloated up? If you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms, it might be that your body regulator- Thyroid- is unbalanced. Quick 3 tests can help you detect any abnormality - TSH, T3 and T4. Women were three times more likely to be affected by thyroid dysfunction than men. 1 in 10 adults in India suffers from hypothyroidism, with 50 per cent being women.

What is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in the front of the neck. It produces hormones that control the speed of your metabolism - the system that helps the body use energy. Thyroid disorders can slow down or rev up your metabolism by disrupting the production of thyroid hormones. When hormone levels become too low or too high, you may experience a wide range of symptoms.

What are the Symptoms?
Thyroid can be of 2 types - Hyper (Overactive) and Hypo (Underactive) Thyroid.
Low and Underactive Thyroid High and Overactive Thyroid
Fatigue Nervousness
Dry Skin & Hair Tremors - Hand Shaking
Brittle Hair Hair loss or thinning hair
Constipation Diarrhea
Low Pulse High Pulse
Weight Gain Weight loss without trying
Intolerance to cold temperature Intolerance to hot temperature
Depression Sweatiness
Swelling in lower part of neck Swelling in lower part of neck

The swelling in the neck is a major and most significant feature. Hence one should always do the Self Neck Test.

Who should be tested?
Women aged 35 and above or those with symptoms/risk factors/family history are the right candidates for screening. It has been estimated that 75% of the people suffering from thyroid are undiagnosed.

Diagnosing thyroid disorders - A simple blood test can provide an answer. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) levels determine thyroid hypo and hyper function as it regulates the work of thyroid gland. Rarely an imaging study or biopsy is needed. Two additional tests may be required - T3 and T4.

What happens if Thyroid remains undetected?
As Thyroid disorders are hormonal imbalances, undetection can lead to a number of secondary complications:
Obesity
High Cholesterol and Hypertension
Hair Fall
Heart Disease
Complications in pregnancy

Understanding Thyroid Problems in Women: Did You Get the Test Done?

Many women experience a temporary encounter with hemorrhoids when they are pregnant. Quite surprisingly, most people tend to experience this in their daily lives. By the age 50, majority of people have encountered one or more symptoms of this ailment, including rectal pain, bleeding, itching and may be prolapse where the hemorrhoids protrude out of the anal canal. Though this ailment can be rarely detrimental, it can be a painful intrusion. But thankfully, there are a lot of things we can do about them.

How may this be diagnosed?
Hemorrhoids are usually diagnosed from a plain medical history and health exam. External hemorrhoids, more commonly known as piles, are normally apparent, particularly if a blood clot is formed. Your physician shall perform a digital rectal test to detect blood in the stool. Then the physician may also inspect the anal tube with the aid of an anoscope, which is a short plastic channel interjected into the rectum with illumination. If he finds any evidence of microscopic blood or rectal bleeding in the stool, then there may be a need to perform colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy to determine the probable causes of bleeding like cancer or colorectal polyps, specifically in women aged over 50.

Is it possible to treat hemorrhoids at home?
Most of the common symptoms of piles can improve drastically with simple in-home measures. If you are suffering from occasional flare-ups, you may try the following:

    Eat a lot of fibre: It is recommended to add fibre in the diet; may be a fibre supplement like Citrucel, Fibre con, etc. When you drink a lot of water along with loads of fibre, stools get softened making them effortless to pass, which will reduce the pressure on the swollen veins. Eating broccoli, wheat, oats, beans, fresh fruits every day will help in decreasing bleeding caused due to piles. It also reduces swelling and inflammation. If you feel digestive issues with a sudden splurge of fibre in your diet, you may start slowly and gradually increase the amounts.
    Take a sitz bath: A sitz bath is a lukewarm water bath for the lower back portion of the body, which can help in relieving irritation, itching as well as spasms occurring in the sphincter muscle. You can either get small plastic tubs for a sitz bath or sit in a normal bath tub. Most physicians suggest a half an hour sitz bath after every bowel movement. Then tenderly dry the area and avoid wiping it hard.

There are several invasive treatments that can be opted if these conservative treatments are not able to help your condition. In such an instance, it is always wise to seek advice of a medical practitioner. 

How to Deal with Hemorrhoids?

When an organ residing in a cavity such as the abdomen tries to push through the muscular layer it resides, it is called as hernia.

Though said to be genetic, hernias can be caused by things such as improper heavy lifting, incorrect posture, or chronic constipation and as a result of surgical complication or injury. Factors like obesity, pregnancy, smoking, chronic lung disease aggravate the severity of the hernia. It is believed that about 27% of all males and 3% of females can have a hernia during their lifetime.

Types of hernias:
Inguinal hernia - The groin is the most common area, where the abdomen pushes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal wall, causing a protrusion into the inguinal canal. More common in men than women.

Hiatal hernia - The abdomen has the diaphragm separating it from the thoracic cavity in the upper border. When it pushes through the diaphragm, a hernia is caused and there is almost always associated food reflux in these cases. Though the most common cause is associated old age, due to muscle weakness, there also are cases of congenital hiatal hernias.
Umbilical hernia - The abdomen finds a weak layer along its length and protrudes through the skin on the stomach. Most commonly seen in babies around the bellybutton, it gradually corrects itself on its own. Quiet rare in adults, seen during pregnancy and in chronic obese people.
Incisional - These are post-surgical, and happen when the organ protrudes through the weakened wall due to surgery. The abdomen is again the most common area and the hernia can happen either onto the external surface or internally, when they are called ventral hernias.
These are the most frequent types, though hernia affects other organs like the spine, brain, appendix, etc.

Treatment - This includes a combination of constant monitoring followed by a decision to do surgical treatment. Hiatal hernias and umbilical hernias can be monitored for a while before deciding on surgery. Inguinal hernias may require surgery earlier in the stage. Post-surgery, a mesh is placed to hold back the tissue in its corrected place. The umbilical hernia in children could be self-limiting. If it does not get auto-corrected in the first year of life, that also would qualify for a surgical treatment.

Dependent on each patient, hernias need to be managed under medical supervision.

Hernia - What Should You Know?

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