The sugar found in milk and other dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese is called lactose. An enzyme in the small intestine called 'lactase' breaks lactose into galactose and glucose. When the lactose is not digested properly by the small intestine, it passes unbroken into the colon. The bacteria in the colon break the lactose down into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. People who fail to digest lactose in their small intestines are diagnosed with lactose intolerance.

Usually lactose intolerance only affects adults, but sometimes children do suffer from it. For children, their symptoms can be mild or very severe (for example, cramps, diarrhoea, etc.)
Normally, parents can confuse milk allergy with lactose intolerance. They do share the same symptoms, but they are completely different medical conditions. Milk allergy is caused by the immune system while lactose intolerance is a problem with the digestive system.

The causes of lactose intolerance include:
1. Absence or deficiency of the lactase enzyme
2. Infections in the gastrointestinal tract that damage the lining inside the small intestine
3. Gluten intolerance (It affects lactase production)
4. Genetics (Lactose intolerance can run in the family)

When the lactose is broken down in the colon, certain gases are produced. These gases can cause symptoms such as:
1. Abdominal inflammation and pain
2. Excessive burping
3. Loud sounds in the bowel
4. Excessive diarrhoea and gas
5. Explosive and watery bowel movements
6. A feeling of urgency when it comes to bowel movements (In children, they might feel like they need to get to the bathroom as soon as possible or they might embarrass themselves)

How best to treat it?
Living with lactose intolerance usually involves dietary modifications and taking supplements such as over-the-counter lactase to aid in digestion. For instance, you can replace milk with soy milk, or take lactase before ingesting any dairy product. Or alternatively, you can consume lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk and dairy products.
Calcium deficiency is a serious side effect of lactose intolerance. So incorporate calcium-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, tofu, almond, dried fruits, soybeans, turnip greens, collard greens and fortified orange juice in your diet.

How to Treat Lactose Intolerance in Children

Pulmonary diseases are some of the most commonly experienced health conditions all over the world. Millions of people suffer due to various causes including genetics, smoking, pollutants and infection. Now lungs are one of the most important and complex organs of the body. They are the apparatus through which oxygen enters and carbon dioxide gets expelled. 

Lungs expand and contract on a constant basis to ensure that we can breathe properly. Let us find out more about lung or pulmonary diseases.

Asthma: This is one of the most common and potentially fatal conditions that affect children and adults. It grips the airways formed by the bronchi which branch off into smaller tubes from the main trachea that holds them. This condition causes inflammation, and even spasms, which can lead to wheezing and breathlessness. The main triggers of asthma attacks include allergies, infections and pollutants that may escape into the airways.
COPD: This is also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder. It is an umbrella term used for various lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties due to an obstruction of the airways. Chronic bronchitis is one of the conditions that falls under COPD, and is usually characterised by persistent, hacking coughs.
Cystic Fibrosis: This is another condition that affects the airways by causing poor passage of mucus from the bronchial tubes. This condition is a genetic one where the mucus that gathers eventually becomes a lung infection.
Pneumonia: This is a condition that causes an infection in the alveoli, which are the tiny tubes that the airways branch into. These are air sacs that can catch myriad infections like pneumonia.
Tuberculosis: This is also a kind of pneumonia, which is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. This condition usually attacks the air sacs of the lungs and can be a potentially fatal disease if it is not treated on time. The patient will require immediate hospitalisation.
Pulmonary Edema: This condition is caused by fluid leaks from the tiny blood vessels into the surrounding air sacs within the lungs. It can also be caused due to heart failure as well as back pressure which falls on the lungs. Direct injury to the lungs can also lead to this condition.
Lung Cancer: This is a fatal disease which can be found in any part of the lungs. It has many forms and the type as well as the location usually determines the kind of treatment option that will be followed.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: When the lungs suffer a sudden injury which is usually caused by a bout of serious illness, it is called ARDS. Treatment involves the use of life support ventilation.

All About Pulmonary Diseases

Symptoms of Acute Bronchitis

Most of India’s urban populace is highly prone to respiratory infections and problems due to the dangerously high air pollution levels in all major cities across the country. Air we breathe in travels through the bronchial tube to reach our lungs. Problem begins when these tubes get inflamed and mucus builds up. It leads to coughing and shortness of breath which is known as bronchitis. It is very important to identify the symptoms in the beginning and get yourself treated by a doctor immediately. 

Look out for these symptoms of acute bronchitis.

1. Prolonged Cough - If your coughing goes beyond ten days, it could be bronchitis. If you have been coughing so long, check if the mucus is coloured too.

2. Shortness Of Breath - If you are facing shortness of breath despite not being asthmatic, you should see a doctor.

3. Chest Pain - Chest pain and chest tightness could be a symptom of acute bronchitis as breathing troubles might cause problems in such areas.

4. Sore Throat - Sore throat with persistent coughing is also a symptom for acute bronchitis.

5. Flu Like Symptoms - Most children show very different symptoms of bronchitis. They might show flu like signs of runny nose, sore throat, back or muscle pain and chills.

6. Weight Loss - You might also experience unexplained weight loss.

7. Barking Cough - Deep, barking cough is a sure shot symptom of something serious and you need a consult a specialist immediately.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

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

Tuberculosis refers to an infectious disease associated with the lungs, which is mostly caused by bacteria. There are two types of tuberculosis, that are pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. There are various types under each type of tuberculosis. Here are some the possible treatments for both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

What is pulmonary tuberculosis?
Pulmonary tuberculosis is a type of disease in which bacteria invade your lungs. It is possible that the bacteria in your lungs could kill you. However, fortunately if you have been taking the right medicines for your bacterial infection you can get cured immediately. The name of the bacteria which causes tuberculosis is known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can attack other parts of the body as well. When this happens, it is known as extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

What is extra-pulmonary tuberculosis?
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis is when tuberculosis affects in parts of the body other than the lungs. There are many parts of the body which tuberculosis can affect, including the lymph nodes, nervous system as well as the bone and joints. Luckily, it is easily curable.

Treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis
Firstly, it is worth noting that latent tuberculosis has no symptoms and there is no way you can pass it to another person either. However, it is still crucial that you take treatment for it. If you do not complete your treatment, then your tuberculosis will progress to a very dangerous form of tuberculosis. This is known as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is sometimes abbreviated as MDR TB. There are plenty of medicines which people are recommended to cure tuberculosis. These include:
1. Isoniazid
2. Rifampin
3. Ethambutol
4. Pyrazinamide

Treatment for extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis has pretty much the same symptoms as pulmonary tuberculosis. This is because extrapulmonary tuberculosis is the exact same disease which occurs to the patient, it is just that it affects a different body part. Therefore, the exact treatment recommended for pulmonary tuberculosis can be used to cure extrapulmonary tubercul

Types Of Tuberculosis: Pulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary and Treatment For Them

Panchakarma is a unique treatment process followed in the ancient field of alternate medicine, Ayurveda. Over the years the practice has found takers not only in India but in several other countries, including the advanced ones such as the US. The recent opening of an Ayurveda kendra or center in New Jersey is ample proof of the popularity of this system of treatment. Practically every health condition is addressed through the panchakarma treatment and sinusitis is also included among them.

Different Levels of the Condition
Sinusitis is a form of inflammation inside the nasal passage that causes pain in the areas surrounding the nose and there are many causes for the condition to develop. Those who undergo the disorder, may experience different levels of sinusitis. It becomes essential for the physician to first diagnose if the sinusitis is acute, sub-acute, chronic or recurrent. Each type can show slightly different symptoms or last for longer durations. Starting from 4 weeks one could have sinusitis conditions lasting a whole of 8 weeks or even longer and there are those who experience it several times during a year.

Not Difficult to Diagnose
Someone with any level of sinusitis usually shows symptoms of a cold or nasal block and accumulation of mucus and so on. But there are simple diagnostic methods using which the doctors distinguish a common cold from sinusitis-like conditions. If the symptoms are severe, the doctor may order a scan done.

Panchakarma Can Offer Effective Remedies
Under the Ayurvedic system, the practitioner would first identify the  dosha  and then go about prescribing the remedy. Since the condition is related to the presence of toxins, detoxification will be a primary form of addressing the issue. There are different methods prescribed within the panchakarma method of treatment. Among them, for sinusitis, Nasyam and Rasaayan therapies are the most frequently suggested ones for this condition.

Under the Nasyam method, the patient is generally asked to lie on his or her back and a specially prepared medicated oil is passed through the nostrils to clean the area. It can result in the condition not only getting cured, but can prevent it from recurring.

The other panchakarma treatment for sinusitis is Rasaayan. In reality, sinusitis is seen as an imbalance in the levels of fluids within the body and if the balance is restored, then health will automatically return. Based on this, the treatment of sinusitis is formulated using the appropriate herbs and elements needed to provide a healthy restoration of the nasal passage and removal of blockages.

If administered by professional Ayurveda practitioners, sinusitis, whichever type it is, can be effectively cured using the panchakarma treatment. As indicated, in many cases the remedy can be so useful that it can go beyond curing and can stop the condition from resurfacing again. That is the beauty of panchakarma.


Panchakarma Treatment For Sinusitis!

Asthma is a condition characterized by inflammation of the airways which impairs the circulation of air from the lungs. The inflamed airways are very susceptible to various allergens thus increasing your risk of allergies. It also causes a hissing sound while breathing, breathing complications and coughing.
Homeopathic remedies are effective in treating asthma as they do not have any side effects. These treatments assist in maintaining the balance of the immune system. The various homeopathic remedies for asthma are:

1. Natrumsulphuricum
One of the most common treatments for asthma, it is very effective in treating asthma in children. It is also effective in treating asthma that is inherited and aggravated in humid conditions.

2. Arsenic album
This treatment is used to treat asthma in both chronic and acute phase. It is prescribed when the asthma attacks occur frequently during the night, resulting in suffocation. It is very useful in treating patients who are affected by asthma and fall sick during cold weather.

3. Sambucus
It is very effective in treating asthma in children who are chronically afflicted with it. It can cause dryness of the skin and may also result in burning sensations.

4. Kali bichrome
This is another remedy for treating symptoms of asthma that are very frequent at night. It helps in relieving symptoms of chest congestion as it thins the mucus.

5. Nux vomica
If you are suffering from asthma along with symptoms of indigestion, then this treatment can be beneficial. It brings relief if you are suffering from breathing problems due to indigestion.

6. Carbo veg
Carbo veg is recommended in cases where there is excess irritation in the abdomen due to gas. It is also very useful in treating symptoms of asthma in the elderly. It is prescribed in cases of acute asthma attacks.

Homeopathic Remedies for Asthma

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