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

4 Things to Know Before You Lose Your Virginity

Losing your virginity can be a big experience and can be exciting as well as nerve-wrecking at the same time. Its significance is different for everyone and there are no wrong or right ways to lose your virginity. Making your first time a memorable experience is easy if you know and remember these 4 things:

1. Relax

You might be conscious about your body or nervous about pain or pleasing your partner, but you need not be. It is natural to feel insecure and nervous, but communicating your reservations with your partner will clear the air between both of you, helping you level your expectations and relax. Your first time is about exploring each other's body and pleasuring each other as well as an understanding partner will help you relax and forget your insecurities.

2. It might hurt a bit

If you are a woman, intercourse for the first time might hurt a bit if your vagina is not well lubricated before you have sex. Also, you might feel some pain and/or bleed if your hymen tears, but it will not be excruciating pain. Worrying about the pain is a lot scarier than the actual pain. Some women may not experience any pain at all. However, you should make sure you are well lubricated. Foreplay is a great way to get ready for intercourse and if it is still painful you could use additional lubricants to minimize discomfort and pain.

3. Go slow

If you are a man, help your partner be comfortable by going slow in accordance to their wish. Going too fast may hurt your partner if they are not comfortable and make your first time a traumatic experience. Try to gauge your partner's reactions and proceed in a way pleasurable to both of you. Penetrating too soon might cause you to ejaculate too quickly before your partner has climaxed. Indulge in foreplay so that both of you are ready. If your partner ejaculates too fast or is unable to hold his erection, do not feel rejected or angry, support him and help him get aroused again, as it is just an effect of nervousness and excitement.

4. Use protection

There is no truth in the saying that you cannot get an STD on your first time. It is completely possible and the only way to prevent that is to use condoms or not have penetrative sex. Women can get pregnant during unprotected sex and unless you plan to become pregnant, panicking about being pregnant for days after your first time will ruin your first time and peace of mind. Use birth control and/or condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancy after your first time, and both your partner and you will be able to enjoy losing your virginity without any worries.



4 Things to Know Before You Lose Your Virginity

The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood to the entire body through a network of arteries and veins. This network contains big vessels which branch out further to supply blood to the distant organs. There is, therefore, some pressure that the heart and thereby the vessels need to exert to push the blood through these vessels. This is known as blood pressure, and normal pressure levels range from 90-140(systolic)/60-90(diastolic) mm of Hg. However, due to various reasons, this pressure could be more, which is one of the first signs of heart disease. 

Causes of increased blood pressure: 

Thickening of the blood vessels. With age, the elastic blood vessels naturally turn rigid and less elastic, so there is more pressure required to push blood. It is natural for people over 55 years of age to have higher readings of blood pressure. This is known as primary hypertension (HTN) 
Narrowed blood vessels. This happens due to cholesterol accumulation along the walls of the blood vessels. Faulty dietary habits along with sedentary lifestyle have increased the incidence of hypertension due to this condition, known as atherosclerosis. Critical atherosclerotic narrowing of renal arteries lead to renovascular HTN that is one of the commonest of secondary HTN. 
Other Causes of secondary hypertension are: 

Kidney problems 
Thyroid hormone disorders 
Congenital heart defects 
Chronic alcohol abuse 
Adrenal gland tumours 
Chronic use of medications like birth control pills, pain killers, etc. 
Unidentified and uncontrolled hypertension can be silent and can lead to more severe conditions like heart attack and stroke. India is fast becoming the new hypertension capital of the world. Some of the common risk factors are: 

Age 
Family history 
Being obese or overweight 
Sedentary lifestyle 
Smoking 
Alcohol consumption 
Excessive salt intake 
Stress levels 
Ethnic background 
Symptoms: 

Hypertension can go undetected for years together, but if there are risk factors like diabetes and high cholesterol, it is advisable to periodically monitor blood pressure. 
Headaches, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath should not be ignored. These can be the first warning signs of hypertension, and if detected early, preventive measures can be taken. 
If there are co-morbid risk factors, it is advisable to constantly keep a check on BP readings. 
Management: 

This includes a combination of diet and lifestyle modifications. 

Quit smoking and alcohol: Of the many wonders quitting smoking can do, reducing BP readings is just one. The improvement would be almost instantaneous. Quit or else reduce alcohol and see dramatic improvements. 
Weight management: Through a combination of diet and exercise, ensure that weight is brought under control. Set a target BMI (Below 26 kg/m2) and work towards it religiously. 
Diet: Reduce salt, increase potassium, increase vitamin D, eat a heart-healthy diet, and see the hypertension readings improve. Please find attached and reviewed copy for health tip for posting

High Blood Pressure - All You Need To Know About It!

The presence of red blood cells in the urine is called hematuria. If there are sufficient red cells, the urine turns to a bright red, pink or cola shade. Frequently, the urine looks totally ordinary because there is insufficient blood to change the colour. In this situation, the condition is called 'microscopic' hematuria.

The most common causes of hematuria are given below:

    Urinary tract infection (UTI)
    Kidney stones
    Tumours in the kidney or bladder
    Exercise: In this case, the blood is produced in the urine after strenuous activity. It is more commonly experienced by male patients.
    Injury: Traumatic damage to any part of the urinary tract, from the kidneys to the urethral opening, can cause hematuria.

The symptoms of hematuria vary depending upon the condition. These are as follows:

    Glomerulonephritis: If the glomerulonephritis is not serious, it may not show any signs. If the symptoms do show up, they can cause swelling, particularly in the lower furthest points(the thighs, legs, feet, and toes), decreased urine, and hypertension.
    Kidney or bladder infection: Symptoms rely on the site of the diseaseand can even cause extreme pain on one side of the lower back, fever, chills, nausea with vomiting, and pain in the bladder.
    Prostate infection: There can be pain in the lower back or in the region between the scrotum and rearend. Pain with discharge, blood in the semen, andfever and chills can also occuronce in a while.
    Tumour in the kidney or bladder: Most kidney and bladder problems develop without bringing about any pain or uneasiness. At the point when side effects build up, abdomen pain may be persistent.
    Kidney stones: When a kidney stone gets attached to the ureters, it can bring about extreme pain in the back, side or crotch, with nausea and difficulties in urination.

Based upon the suspected cause of hematuria, some of the treatments may include the following:

    Urine culture: In this test, a urine sample is extracted and examined to check whether bacteria has developed. This test is used to find a case of a kidney or bladder disease.
    Computed tomography (CT) of the kidneys, ureters and bladder: For most cases,a CT scan is conducted. This helps in viewing the internal organs and finding the areas that may have been affected by the condition. It also shows the extent of the damage and the spread of the disease so that a proper treatment plan may be laid out.
    Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to create images that can show whether or not a kidney mass is a non cancerous. This method can also be used to find out whether or not there are any kidney stones, which may be causing hematuria.
    Cystoscopy: In this test, the specialist embeds an adaptable telescope into the urethra and passes it into the bladder to investigate the bladder lining for tumours or different issues.

Can Hematuria Be Treated?

The rains almost always bring about a plethora of diseases with fevers of different kinds. Dengue, typhoid and chikungunya can be regarded as the top three tropical fevers and diagnosing them sometimes become quite tricky as all of them have similar symptoms and the laboratory tests are not always precise. The best you can do is be aware of the early symptoms and signs as successful treatment is heavily dependent on the detection of early symptoms of the fever you are suffering from.

Dengue

Causes: Dengue is considered as a serious viral ailment and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This fever occurs in two varieties, uncomplicated fever and the more serious haemorrhagic fever. The latter is the second leading form of the viral disease, leading to bleeding and shock and in the most severe instances. It can also be fatal, especially for children.
Symptoms: The symptoms may vary as per the age and physical condition of the patient. If you are affected with a sudden onset of very high fever along with headaches, rashes and pain behind the eyes, with loss of appetite and vomiting tendencies, then you must consult a doctor. It can also cause weak pulses, difficulty in breathing, restlessness and bleeding from the nose or gums along with blotchiness under the skin.

Typhoid
Causes: Typhoid is a bacterial ailment and mainly occurs due to unhygienic toilet habits, impure drinking water, and it can be transmitted to others through flies, food, faeces, touch and fornication.
Symptoms: The most common symptoms of typhoid fever include high fever, rashes all over the skin, cough, headache and loss of appetite. You may also experience coated tongue, malaise and diarrhoea or constipation. In case you are experiencing any of these signs, then you must seek medical help.

Chikungunya
Causes: Chikungunya fever is a viral ailment that is transmitted to human beings by infected mosquito bites. It is the leading cause of human epidemics in some parts of the African and Asian continents and it has now recently moved to some parts of Europe.
Symptoms: The chikungunya virus infection leads to symptoms that may be debilitating for some people. Fever, rash, fatigue and headaches along with muscle and joint pains are some of the most common symptoms of chikungunya. Some patients have reported excruciating joint pain and arthritis that can last for a week or even months together.

If you are faced with any of these symptoms for over three to four days, then you should not ignore them and seek medical assistance without any delay.

3 Tropical Fevers - How to Differentiate Between Them?

Among one of the most common skin conditions that affect many people all over the world is Acne. It is not a harmful or a dangerous condition, but is usually a cosmetic problem and may also sometimes be a symptom of underlying conditions.

What is acne and what are its causes?

Human skin has follicles or pores in them through which hair comes out. The accumulation of a substance known as sebum within the pores of the human skin can sometimes clog these pores. When this accumulates, dead skin cells also get stuck in it and results in a swelling, which takes the form of a pimple like a crest due to bacterial infections. This condition is most prevalent among adolescents due to rapid hormonal changes in the body, although many adults and pre-adolescents have also reported this problem. Here are some common issues and lifestyle factors which make you prone to acne.

1. Hormonal imbalances - This is probably the most common reason cited for acne as adolescents tend to be afflicted by this problem. In many cases, acne goes away on its own after sometimes although in other cases it does stay. In adults, especially women it has been noticed that certain hormonal changes in the body may act as acne triggers. Some of the examples of hormonal imbalances may be:

- PMS or period related triggers in adults and adolescent women
- High testosterone levels in women
- Excessive androgen in men and women
- Hormonal problems due to polycystic ovary syndrome and others
- Taking medicines or steroids that may cause hormonal changes

2. External factors such as using too much makeup - Excessive use of cosmetic products can cause issues within the skin by blocking the pores within the skin may induce acne, even if you  do not have sebum related problems.

3. Diet - Research has proved that excessive oil consumption as well as having foods rich in fat can cause acne problems. Moreover, if you consume iodine in large quantities or for a long time, it results in irritation of the skin pores giving rise to acne.

4. Certain medications and drugs - Consumption of specific over the counter medicines like the ones containing bromide and use of recreational drugs like marijuana and cocaine can lead to the occurrence of acne as side effects.

5. Genetics - Certain genetic factors may also be responsible for someone being more prone to acne than others.

I sincerely hope that you found this information and the underlying advice from me useful. If you did, do share it with your loved ones and others. You can also consult privately with me if you believe I can help you with your Acne or other skin related conditions.

Wishing you loads of good health and happiness.

What Makes Your Skin Prone To Acne? Top 5 Reasons Revealed!

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