A discomfort in chest accompanied by shortness of breath and a tingling sensation in fingers or toes might be a sign of hyperventilation, more commonly known as panic attacks. This is the condition wherein you need more amount of oxygen than normal.

And, you need to be aware of the symptom, especially if you are suffering from COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). With COPD, experiencing symptoms of hyperventilation may turn adverse, and there are enough reasons to know the ways to manage it, which is indeed possible.

Symptoms
Hyperventilating or over-breathing can be accompanied by or can cause various symptoms in people. Apart from the common symptoms described above, some patients may also experience dizziness, palpitations, sweating profusely, wheeze, feelings of suffocation or choking, tinnitus, weakness, etc. Some may also feel highly anxious or tensed. Though very uncommon, still, one may suffer from loss of consciousness as a result of hyperventilating.

Dealing with hyperventilation
Depending on the severity and type of hyperventilation, the available treatment option may vary from person to person. From various home remedies to certain prescribed drugs, treatments are available easily. However, it s through practicing a few techniques on noticing the symptoms that can help one deal with hyperventilation. Some of those useful methods are, breathing through pursed lips, holding the breath for 10 to 15 seconds, trying to take deep breaths into the belly rather than in the chest and breathing slowly into cupped hands or a paper bag. These techniques will help regulate the breathing.

Preventing hyperventilation



As with many conditions, being aware of the preventive measures is crucial to managing the symptoms and the same is true with hyperventilation as well. A few measures to follow by COPD patients to prevent hyperventilation
Wearing tight fitting clothes restrict normal breathing. Therefore, wearing clothes that are loose on the upper chest portion can assist in preventing over breathing.
Opting for light exercises regularly (approved by the doctors, as having COPD needs extra attention in activities) helps in reducing stress levels and anxiety, which again can play a crucial role in preventing hyperventilating.
Though initially, it may be difficult, still, one must try to breathe through his or her nose and close the mouth for preventing over-breathing, as closed mouth makes it extremely difficult to hyperventilate.
Further, sleeping well during the night, eating a balanced diet, reducing the intake of caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee, and practicing various techniques for relaxation can be helpful too in preventing hyperventilation.
In case, the episodes of hyperventilation last for more than 30 minutes, even after trying all the techniques mentioned above, one should not delay in seeking necessary medical attention.
Growing episodes of hyperventilation or over-breathing can leave one feeling breathless. Therefore, when people with COPD notice any symptom of hyperventilation, consulting with pulmonology specialist must be of top priority. Neglecting this particular condition for an extended period may end up causing further complications. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Hyperventilation - How COPD Patients Can Deal With It?

If you are having a chronic cough and often pant for breath, it is quite possible that you may be suffering from bronchitis. In addition to this, you may also experience wheezing, fatigue, and pain in the chest. It is triggered when the lining of the airways in the lungs become irritated. To determine, whether or not bronchitis is contagious, it is important to understand what caused the ailment.

Chronic bronchitis: This type of bronchitis happens when the airways get continuously irritated. It may last for months or even years and tend to come back. It is caused by irritants that affect the lungs such as dust, chemicals, smoke, fire, and smoking cigarettes. Even though chronic bronchitis is not considered contagious, it is a serious health issue that requires medical attention.
Acute bronchitis: It generally lasts for about 1 to 3 weeks and stems from cold or flu virus. As these infections are contagious, so is acute bronchitis.
Whether a person having bronchitis can spread the disease depends on the virus that is causing the ailment. In most instances, it is seen that the disease is contagious for a first few weeks of infection. Since there are hundreds of viruses causing bronchitis, it is best to assume that a person is bound to spread the disease when he has symptoms of cold and flu.

What causes transmission of bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis owing to infection is generally transmitted via an airborne droplet containing germs. It is transmitted when someone having infection shakes hand or sneezes or coughs or has any other physical contact. Some virus and bacteria have the power to live outside the body for a prolonged span of time, and therefore, you can get infected by touching any object that is harboring the germs.

It is often seen that acute bronchitis begins as flu and therefore, the best way to prevent it is to get an annual shot of flu. When you come in contact with an infected person, the chances of being affected is high if you have chronic infections or weak immune system. Aged people and young children are most vulnerable to this disease.

How can acute bronchitis be prevented?
Even though acute bronchitis is extremely common and can occur at any time, winter is the most vulnerable season for bronchitis. But there are ways in which you can prevent bronchitis effortlessly. You should avoid close contact and sharing of utensils with an infected person who has flu, cold or bronchitis. You should not touch a used tissue since the virus of bronchitis can easily spread through mucus. Make sure that you get the annual flu shot and wash your hands in warm water.

The disease is very common, and it can make you feel very uncomfortable at times. But there are times when the symptoms subside on their own without any sort of medical attention.

Is Bronchitis Contagious?

The tonsils are soft tissue masses which are located at the back of your throat, usually at the pharynx. The tonsils are masses which are part of the lymphatic system that helps fight infections. However, tonsils can themselves become inflamed and cause a lot of pain. Tonsillectomy is a procedure to remove the tonsils and relieve pain.

Why is tonsillectomy performed?
A few decades back, tonsillectomy was a routine surgery performed to relieve any pain within the tonsils. This method of treatment however has changed over the past few decades as pain medications for inflammation have improved vastly. However, tonsillitis is still performed in many cases wherein it tends to cause acute problems. Some of the cases it is applicable in are:

Chronic bad breath problems caused by recurrent inflammation of the tonsils
Recurrent sore throats caused by tonsillitis
It is also done along with dental surgery for correcting teeth with imperfect positioning
Abscess formation in the mouth
Upper airway being obstructed due to inflammation, thus causing difficulty with sleeping, snoring, or causing sleep apnea (irregular breathing during sleep)
Ear infections being regularly caused by inflammation of the tonsils
Other reasons why it may be recommended
Tonsillectomy may be also be recommended when there are no indications of problems but tonsillitis and other infections keep cropping up too regularly. This affects children and can make them sick or keep them in pain regularly. Some of these other indications are mentioned below:

Tonsil infections and inflammations happening too frequently within a year
Tonsillitis is caused by bacterial infection wherein the antibiotics aren t effective
Formation of pus in the form of an abscess within or around the tonsils which keep forming even after repeated drainage or administering antibiotics
Possible complications and risks
Like any other form of surgery, tonsillectomy has certain risks associated with it as well. However, these are very rare. Some of these risks and complications are mentioned as follows  

Swelling of the mouth: The tongue and the soft palate or the roof of the mouth may swell, resulting in breathing difficulties an few hours after the surgery.
Infection: As is the case with any surgery, infections may occur in rare cases, which may require further treatment.
Adverse reactions to anesthetics: Many patients exhibit an adverse reaction to anesthetics and may develop symptoms such as a headache, nausea, muscle soreness and frequent vomiting.
Bleeding during surgery or healing: Although it is rare, bleeding during and after surgery has been reported after all sorts of procedures and it may occur with tonsillectomy as well. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an ENT specialist.

Tonsillectomy - When Should You Go For It?

Asthma, the long term inflammatory disease, affects the airways of lungs. A number of symptoms, including obstruction of air flow into the lungs, which can cause breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, allergic reactions and swelling of the tubes, points to it. The causes include genes as well as pollution in the environment which is resulting in an increasing number of cases. The diagnosis is usually done with a spirometry and the treatment is a long term process. 

Women who suffer from asthma have to be especially vigilant during pregnancy as it can lead to a number of complications including less air passage to the foetus. This can result in a slow rate of development and certain anomalies in extreme cases. So how can a pregnant lady manage asthma? here are a few tips:

 Involve pulmologist: to begin with, the obstetrician and the pulmonologist must both be well aware of the situation. The pulmonologist must be given detailed information with regards to allergies as well as past treatment and medical history so that the treatment is done systematically to prevent an asthmatic attack and any complications to the foetus. 
 Lung function: during pregnancy, the doctor must monitor lung function carefully with monthly check ups to ensure that the right amount of oxygen is reaching the foetus. This is done because the severity of asthma changes in most women during pregnancy. A spriometry or peak flow metre can be used to measure the lung function. Also, the foetal movements must be monitored on a monthly basis, or rather, once every 28 days, to be more specific. 
 Influenza: flu is a common outcome of asthma, especially when it becomes severe during pregnancy. The onset of flu or influenza must be prevented at all costs with the help of a flu vaccine that will be effective at least for a season at a time. It is a pregnancy safe injection. 
 Triggers: there are many things that may trigger an asthmatic attack or an allergic reaction that can lead to the same. Ensure that you do not suffer from these triggers by avoiding dust, pollen, tobacco smoke and varied other substances that can lead to choking and wheezing. 
 Medication: one must ask the doctor about pregnancy safe inhaled corticosteroids that one can take during pregnancy if and when the need arises.

 It is recommended to take medication for asthma during pregnancy only after a consultation with the doctor. Also, do not reduce the dose of the medicine unless your doctor has recommended a change.

How to Deal With Asthma During Pregnancy

A slipped disc is when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This prolapsed may push on the spinal cord or on the nerve roots. However, it is worth noting that 20 percent of the population has slipped discs without experiencing any noticeable symptoms. The term 'slipped disc' does not really describe the process properly - the disc does not actually slip out of place, but bulges out towards the spinal cord. This condition is also known as a herniated, ruptured, prolapsed, or, more commonly, slipped disk. Some of the most common symptoms of slipped disk are pain in back, neck and lower part of the body, feeling of partial or complete numbness in the parts above and below the affected area, weakness in the lower limbs, scratchy/itchy (tingling) feeling around the genitals, pain while doing any activity such as sneezing, coughing, walking, people suffering from slipped disk often complain of experiencing partial or regular unconsciousness.

In the past, a patient suffering from Disc problems may have been prescribed painkillers/medications, instructed to refrain from physical activities, referred for Physiotherapy, received steroidal shots or injections, and when they weren t progressing, they were sent for Spinal Surgery. Frankly speaking only 5% of Back pains require Surgeries; the other 95% can be dealt with conservative & curative Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa. The Ayurvedic treatment usually involves Panchakarma expert Ayurvedic doctor s consultation and a series of ayurvedic panchakarma treatments like Abhayangam, Swedam, Elakizhi, Navarakizhi, Nasayam, Kativasti, Anuvashan and Kashaya vasti, Marma chikitsa, Meru Chikitsa (Ayurvedic Neuro-Therapy) along with Vatahara chikitsa and Brumhana chikitsa and internal medicines. Usually the treatment p, riod is 7/14/21/28 days according to the severity of the disease.

Today, you may not have to live with that pain anymore. We have successfully treated Lower Back Pain resulting from herniated, bulging, or degenerative discs. We are dedicated to improving the health and function of our patients by combining Traditional Ayurveda Panchakarma Chikitsa with modern technology and Osteopathic manipulation techniques (OMT) to deliver an unprecedented level of service. 

We have treated many patients with Spinal conditions like: 

Herniated Discs
Bulging Discs
Degenerative Disc Disease
Sciatica Syndrome
Spondylosis (Cervical /Lumbar/ Ankylosing)
Cervical radiculopathy,
Lumbago
Dehydrated disc
Disc prolapsed
Spondylolisthesis
Spinal canal stenosis
Lower back pain
Neck pain
Scoliosis etc.

Ayurvedic Management For Slip Disc!

Although your body is already in possession of the bacteria leading to tuberculosis, your immune system is able to prevent you from becoming sick. Doctors have made a distinction between latent and active tuberculosis (TB). In case of latent TB, the bacteria in the body in a passive state and it causes no symptoms, and therefore it is not contagious. But, in the case of active TB, you would become sick and may even spread the disease to others. It can take place in the first few weeks or even after several months of being infected with TB bacteria.

What are the symptoms of active TB?
If you are coughing for over three weeks and sometimes even coughing up blood, it can be a sign of TB. Chest pain and pain while coughing and breathing along with fatigue, fever, chills and night sweat are the common symptoms of TB along with loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss. TB may even affect other organs of your body, including your brain, spine and kidneys. When TB takes place outside the lungs, then the signs of TB can vary as per the organs that are involved. For instance, TB in the spine can cause back pain and that in kidneys may cause blood in the urine.

What are the causes of TB?

TB is stemmed from a bacteria which spreads from individual to individual via the microscopic droplets that are released into the air. This may happen when an affected person is left untreated and he speaks or sneezes or coughs or laughs. Though the disease is contagious, it is not easy to be affected by it. As a result, you are much more likely to get affected with active tuberculosis from a person you live with or come in regular contact with, rather than a stranger. It is important to note here that people who are affected with TB and going through proper medications for over two weeks are no more contagious.

Right from the 1980s, the number of individuals affected with TB has increased dramatically, owing to the spread of HIV, which is the virus known for causing AIDS. A person infected with HIV has a weak immunity system as a result of which it becomes difficult for the body to deal with TB bacteria. So those who have AIDS are more likely to be affected with active TB and sometimes the latent form also progresses to an active one very quickly. Therefore, it is important to seek medical assistance and detect if you have any such health complications concerning TB.

Know The Reasons Behind Tuberculosis!

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