No one likes to suffer from any infection, and especially not in the upper respiratory tract. This is because few things have the potential to ruin a person s productivity, and infection is one of those things. 

The throat pain has its own unique way of irritating the person suffering from this infection along with a headache, which renders all intention to get stuff done useless. This takes a serious toll on a person s health and well-being.

Taking all this into account, a person would obviously want to get rid of the upper respiratory tract infection. In fact, there are a variety of ways in which doctors treat infections of the upper respiratory tract. After all, it all depends on the specific field of medicine that the doctor practices. As a matter of fact, homeopathy is said to be the best way to treat such an infection.

Belladonna is one of the most effective medicines from the field of homeopathy when it comes to treating upper respiratory tract infections. In fact, what often happens is that the medicine which is taken to nips the problem in the bud before it has been given the time and chance to progress.

While it is true that a name such as arsenicum album may be a little disconcerting on account of having the word Arsenic in its name, it does plays a big role in reducing the impact of upper respiratory tract infections. This medicine has its greatest effect on those who feel really cold due to the infection and feel that their noses are blocked. An added symptom is feeling a burning sensation. It may be true that most people who have upper respiratory tract infections experience two if not all three of these symptoms.

Infections such as these do involve a lot of sneezing in some cases. And this sneezing can be really annoying, not only for the person who experiences persistent sneezing multiple times a day but also for the people around him or her! In a situation like this one, the best medicine is none other than Merc sol! People with fevers and a recurrent thirst are the ones who need this medicine.

Sometimes, during weather changes or epidemics, the symptoms may be similar or may even overlap in patients. It is best to visit a homeopathic practitioner to get the right treatment at the right time.

Can Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Be Treated With Homeopathy?

Tuberculosis during pregnancy is the third leading cause of maternal mortality. In fact, it is one of the most feared diseases during pregnancy for mothers as well as children. The problem with Tuberculosis during pregnancy is that it is most often not diagnosed until very late in pregnancy or until child birth. This acts as a double-edged sword since it leads to progression of the disease in the mother and transmission of the disease to the child concurrently.

The best way to prevent Tuberculosis during pregnancy is to stay away from causative factors for tuberculosis.

Effects on Pregnancy

Tuberculosis during pregnancy can harm both the mother and the child. It can be grouped in two ways: effect on mother and effect on fetus.

Effect on Mother

Diagnosing Tuberculosis during pregnancy becomes difficult due to various changes in the body, including the immune system. Diagnosis is further vitiated due to no apparent weight loss. In fact, weight loss due to Tuberculosis is disguised by weight gain during pregnancy. However, pregnant women with Tuberculosis may experience less than normal weight gain.

There is an increased risk of miscarriage and abortion and premature labor.

Effect on Fetus

Tuberculosis during pregnancy affects the baby in different ways:

The fetus may contract the disease from the mother through the umbilical cord. This is referred to as congenital tuberculosis. The baby can contract the disease during its passage through the birth canal too.  However, the symptoms of congenital Tuberculosis are often non-specific in nature. Since the mother also does not show any specific symptoms, it becomes difficult to diagnose the disease right after birth.

The child may suffer from swelling in the liver or spleen.

It may also suffer from respiratory problems, fever, etc.

How to Stay Away from Contracting Tuberculosis

The danger of contracting Tuberculosis bacteria during pregnancy is multiplied if the pregnant mother has a weak immune system. If a pregnant woman is exposed to bacteria during pregnancy, she may contract the disease. This is why pregnant women need to stay away from the disease by doing the following:

Staying away from TB infected persons around you

Stopping smoking since it enhances the risk of contracting the disease

Avoiding poor living conditions

Fighting Tuberculosis During Pregnancy

Management of Tuberculosis during pregnancy is extremely important since that can help you avoid any harm either to the mother or to the child. Though doctors would in all probability prescribe antibiotics, there are certain medicines that you need to avoid during pregnancy. Gynecologists are well aware of these drugs. Along with taking antibiotics, you also need to make sure that you:

Eat a balanced and healthy diet.

Breathe plenty of fresh air.

Talk to doctors about side effects like headaches, nausea, vision changes, etc.

Conclusion

People might think that taking medicine for Tuberculosis can harm their unborn child. However, the untreated Tuberculosis is even more harmful for the fetus. This is why doctors may recommend some TB drugs that help prevent the child from Tuberculosis. There are many medicines available that won t affect the child.

Eating healthy food, following proper treatment and medication, and some preventing measures will surely help the women to save the child from these conditions.

Tuberculosis - All About The Disease!

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?

Link Between Sinuses and Headaches

Suffering from splitting headaches? The remedy to it can only be found once the cause behind it is identified. Everything from migraines to stomach infections can be the cause of your headaches. But it is not impossible to tell the difference between the different aches. You have to notice the other symptoms that accompany your headache to understand what is causing the pain.

Symptoms of sinus headaches

When you have the following problems along with your headache you can be sure it is being caused by your sinus:

- Pain in the head, face and nose
- Pain in the eyes
- Stuffy or blocked nose along with the pain
- Accompanying nasal allergies and bouts of sneezing
- Inability to smell

Understanding sinuses

The sinuses comprise of a rather sizable cavity present behind your cheekbones, bridge of your nose and forehead. Generally, the fluid in the region gets drained through the nose. But due to infection, allergic reactions and tumors the cavity can get blocked and also get inflamed. The inflammation is caused by an increase in mucus production, which can lead to the nasal cavity being blocked. The blockage stops the fluids from draining and the sinuses get even more inflamed. When the cavity gets inflamed it starts pressuring the cheekbones, nose bridge and forehead and eyes.

Why does it ache?

The building up of the pressure on the cheekbones, nose bridge and forehead causes the area to start hurting. Thus, when one has a headache originating from inflamed sinuses, the pain is not just isolated to the forehead. The pain in the nose is a sure shot sign that the headache is caused by the inflammation of the sinuses.

Not just another chronic ache

Most people mistake any chronic headache as a sinus problem. But mostly such aches are caused by migraines and stress. If you have a prolonged headache as well as fever you are sure to have a sinus ache instead of any other chronic headache.

Make it better

Once you have identified the headache as a sinus ache you can start the treatment. Steam inhalation helps clear the sinuses, reducing the pain almost immediately. If steam inhalation does not help, you might have a severe sinus infection. In such cases, it is best to visit a doctor to understand the extent of the infection. The doctor is likely to prescribe antibiotics for the remedy of the infection. Even if you are aware of what medicines to take for sinus infections it is best to get checked by a medical professional before you start popping pills since the headache might just be due to some other causes as well.



What's the Link Between Sinuses and Headaches?

Many women develop uterine fibroids by the time they hit the age of 50 years and above. These are non-cancerous growths that may occur in the uterus. Most women go through severe bleeding and pain as well as discomfort as a result of these fibroids. Age, family history of the same condition, obesity or being overweight, eating habits and even ethnicity play a large role in deciding the risk of each individual patient. These fibroids can grow in the submucosal, intramural and subserosal areas.

Following are the common side effects of uterine fibroids:

    Frequent urination: Due to the pressure of the fibroids on the uterus, the patient may experience a constant feeling of fullness in the lower pelvic area of the body, which may lead to frequent filling of the bladder. This gives rise to frequent trips to the washroom for urination. 
    Heavy Bleeding: Severe bleeding is one of the most common causes of the presence of these kinds of fibroids. The patient may experience a lot of bleeding during menstrual periods, as well as pain and cramps the rest of the time. The periods will also be very painful when there are fibroids in the uterus or the uterine lining.
    Painful Intercourse: It is a well-known fact that any kind of infection or growth as well as sores and other such ailments can lead to vaginal dryness as well as pain during sexual intercourse. This is true for uterine fibroids as well, which can lead to severe pain during sexual activity. These fibroids can also give rise to pain in the lumbar or lower back region.
    Abdomen Swelling: The abdomen may go through significant swelling in such a condition and the patient may even look like she is pregnant. The growth can push the shape of the abdomen outwards and create a full feeling.
    Pregnancy Complications: The presence of uterine fibroids can give rise to several complications during pregnancy and even after child birth. One of the most common problems in this case is bleeding, followed by more severe outcomes like miscarriage. The women suffering from uterine fibroids are at greater risk of undergoing a caesarean section for the delivery of the baby. The baby may also be born breech and a premature delivery may take place. 
    Infertility: This is also a rare side effect of the uterine fibroids and is generally seen only in very severe cases. 
    Cancer: Only one in every 1000 cases might transform into malignant tumours. These uterine fibroids are generally known to be non-malignant. 

Any symptoms must be reported to a gynaecologist at the earliest to avoid any serious complications.

Common Side Effects of Uterine Fibroids

Cold and cough is caused by a viral infection, which can last for about two to four weeks. The symptoms include stuffy or a runny nose, coughing and sore throat. Many times, the infection may raise body temperature and the child may suffer from fever. Our body s immune system naturally fights with such infections. Depending on the type of cough and the symptoms, the virus can stay active in the body for about 4 to 6 weeks. It is quite painful to see the child suffering from cold and cough. The symptoms of this infection are worse during the first two days.

The child will experience pain and irritation in the throat with difficulty in swallowing, frequent coughing with mucous, breathing difficulty and high fever. Most parents rush to over the counter drugs for cold and cough to ease of their child s agony. However, most drugs/ cough syrups available over the counter only provide temporary relief. Medical evidence suggests that antibiotics do not kill viruses, thus, it is not advisable to treat cold and cough with antibiotics unless accompanied by another infection. So, what do parents do? Well, there is a lot that can be done.

Let s first understand the type of a cough your child might be suffering from:



Dry cough: Generally occurs due to infection in upper respiratory tract, cold or influenza. Children with asthma and allergies are also prone to this type of cough as dry cough is triggered by smoke or dust.
Croup Cough: A harsh barking and dry cough with swelling beneath vocal cords.
Wet Cough: Most commonly caused by cold. This is an infection of the lower respiratory tract characterised by mucous secretions.
Whooping cough: Characterised by fast coughing, breathing difficulties and a whooping sound while breathing.
Apart from this, If coughing starts suddenly along with choking, the child may have inhaled a foreign body. Immediate help may be required. For babies less than 12 months of age, cold cough followed by breathing difficulties may indicate bronchiolitis and require a paediatric attention. A normal cold and cough generally subside with two to four weeks. However, it is important to understand when to consult a doctor.

Chest pain or breathing problems
Cough lasting for more than 6 weeks.
A yellow, green or brown mucous indicating another infection.
Swollen glands, persistent high fever, rashes.
Body getting pale and symptoms getting worse.
Temperature higher than 38 degrees in the case of infants.
Precautions and diet that should be taken care of

Increase Intake of fluids especially hot liquids
Never stop breastfeeding the baby
Vapour rub applied on chest and back is an effective remedy
Inhaling steam provides relief to a sore throat and nose
Intake of crushed tulsi leaves with honey or hot turmeric milk is soothing and very helpful
There is little we can do to prevent viral infections. However, proper care and caution can ensure a smooth recovery.

Cold and Cough in Children - Precautions that Parents Must Take

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