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?

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?

The symptoms of tuberculosis (tb), which is active might vary and depend on which part of the body is infected. Diagnosing tb just from its symptoms can be a difficult, as the symptoms are not for tb alone meaning the symptoms can be of other diseases as well. For the confirmation and diagnosis of tb one must get a test done for tb. However, the general symptoms of tb are tiredness, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, chills and night sweats.

Symptoms of pulmonary tb
Pulmonary tb is the tb of lungs. The symptoms of this are bad cough, which might have lasted for more than 3 weeks, chest pain, blood or phlegm might occur on coughing.

Extrapulmonary tb
The tb of any body part other than pulmonary is called extrapulmonary tb. This type of tb does not affect the lungs with the exception being the extrapulmonary tb also known as pleural tb. General symptoms of extrapulmonary tb are same as general symptoms of pulmonary tb.

Symptoms of lymph node tb
Lymph node tb also known as lymphadenitis is basically the enlargement and the inflammation of the lymph nodes. This is a response to the infections especially in children. The symptoms of this might be painless slow growing lymph nodes. These swollen lymph nodes can be in the neck area, though they might also be present in the groin. Lymph node tb of the neck is also called as scrofula or tb adenitis.

Symptoms of skeletal (bone and joint) tb
The common and the first symptoms are pain and depend on the area of the joint or the bone affected. Often it is marked with the loss of movement and curving of the affected bones and joints. The affected area also weakens and is prone to fractures.

Spinal tb is also called as pott disease or tb spondylitis
The symptoms of this depend on the affected site and the stage of the disease. However, back pain is one of the earliest symptoms.

Symptoms of meningitis tb
The meningitis tb starts with classical symptoms of meningitis. It usually starts with symptoms of pains and aches, fever and vague and unwell feeling. These might last for 2-8 weeks and then the evident symptoms like headaches, seizures, vomiting and stiffness might occur.

Symptoms of gastrointestinal or abdominal tb
This is marked with diarrhea, abdominal pain and bleeding from rectum and anus, though the symptoms depend on the exact site.

Symptoms of tb in children
The symptoms depend on the type and site, though the common ones being weight loss, fever and cough.

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

Chronic Bronchitis is a result of inflamed bronchioles (pipes carrying air to alveoli or balloons) that can produce mucus and lead to coughing and difficulty in breathing. When smoking causes inflammation of the bronchioles, constriction or squeezing takes place. This results in wheezing because air is travelling through narrowed tubes.

Emphysema, in short, is basically a dead lung. As smoke travels farther down your respiratory tract, the air sacs in your lungs (alveoli), start popping out or dying. Your bank of alveoli gets depleted over time as you continue your habits. You will notice as you increase your heart rate whether its by running or walking a flight of stairs this activity requires your red blood cells to move faster through the alveoli and have less time to receive oxygen from the lung. This leads to having less oxygen on red blood cells whose job is to deliver oxygen to the rest of the body.

Symptoms

In COPD, Both the airways(pipes) and lung parenchyma are affected by the disease and airflow limitation is progressive. COPD has been predominantly seen in patients above 40-yearold and frequent smokers.

The symptoms indicative of COPD are as follows:

 

1) Chronic cough - Also referred to as smoker's cough, the cough is relentless and does not subside with regular cough treatment. This is one of the first indications of COPD.
2) Mucus buildup - There is constant built up of mucus which gets expelled during coughing. The person never feels completely clear of mucus, and the regular cough expectorants do not help relieve the symptoms.
3) Fatigue associated with limited activity - As noted earlier, the reduced capacity of the organs limits their activities. Therefore, regular activities like walking short distances or climbing stairs can induce fatigue.
4) Shortness of breath - The above fatigue is associated with shortness of breath, even with small physical exertion. A person with COPD will see marked tiredness and reduced ability to perform routine chores and feel a tightness in the chest.
5) Wheezing - Passage of air through the obstructed air tubes produces a whistling sound or wheezing. It is more pronounced when there is mucus accumulation in the airways.

Rarely, Frequent respiratory infections, more frequent flu attacks, swelling of the feet and ankles, cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and morning headaches.

Treatment 

While there is no cure for COPD, once it sets, the following are some ways to slow its progression and reduce severity of the symptoms:

1) Bronchodilators - Dilate the air tubes and ease flow of air
2) Corticosteroids - Help reduce inflammation and thereby improve airflow through the tubes
3) Flu vaccination - Helps curb the frequent flu attacks
4) Antibiotics - To contain infections
5) Pulmonary rehabilitation - A combination of breathing exercise and patient education to improve lung function.
6) Oxygen therapy - In very severe cases, oxygen may be required.
7) Lifestyle changes - Eating healthy foods, preventing exposure to dust and smoke, quitting smoking, breathing exercises, bi-annual medical check-ups to monitor lung functions are essential.

Knowing that you have COPD is the first step towards managing COPD, which can be managed effectively.

COPD Is Broken Down To Clinical Scenarios - Chronic Bronchitis & Emphysema!

Copd, which is short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a severe form of lung disease that is characterized by increased breathlessness and obstruction of airflow from the lungs. People who are suffering from copd are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, heart diseases and many other conditions. It includes progressive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, few forms of bronchiectasis and refractory (non-reversible) asthma. The former two are the most common conditions contributing to copd. 

Chronic bronchitis induces inflammation in the airway that carries air to the lungs and fills it with mucus. This either completely blocks the airway or narrows it, causing difficulty in breathing. However in emphysema, the air sacs inside the lungs which inflate and deflate as you breathe in and out, lose their elasticity due to which less air comes in and goes out leaving you breathless.

The best way to treat copd is to quit smoking. Your doctor may also prescribe you medications or ask you to enroll in a lung rehab program. 
Causes:
1. Smoking
Smoking is one of the most common causes of copd. This is because smoking is known to destroy the stretchy fibers in people's lungs and irritate the airways. Even passive smoking is unhealthy. About 90% of the people having copd are current or former smokers. 
2. Genetics
Some individuals suffer from copd even after refraining from smoking. Genes might be at the helm of copd in such a case. Aatd i. E. Alpha -1 antitrypsin deficiency, is a protein in the lungs, the lack of which is one of the most common genetic factor causing emphysema. 
3. Environmental factors
Breathing in harmful pollutants present in your environment is also one of the causes of copd. Fumes, dust or certain chemicals are a few examples of harmful lung irritants. Organic cooking fuel may also cause copd. Exposing yourself to the aforementioned environmental factors for a prolonged period of time increases your risk of developing copd substantially. 

Symptoms:
1. Shortness of breath especially after exercising
2. Wheezing
3. Tightness in your chest
4. Unintended weight loss
5. Lack of energy
6. Frequent respiratory infections
7. Wheezing
8. Cough accompanied by mucus

Diagnosis:
1. Physical exam where your doctor monitors the functioning of your lungs. 
2. Questioning about your past health (smoking or other harmful lung irritants).
3. Spirometry and other breathing tests.
4. Chest x-rays and other tests to eliminate other problems which could be causing your symptoms.

All About COPD!

How is homeopathy beneficial for sinusitis?

Sinuses, also known as paranasal sinuses as they surround the nasal cavity, are hollow air-filled cavities. Humans have four pairs of such cavities which are known as:

-Frontal sinus - in the forehead
-Maxillary sinus - behind the cheekbones
-Ethmoid sinus - between the eyes behind the bridge of the nose
-Sphenoid sinus - behind the eyes

What is sinusitis?

Sinusitis is the inflammation or infection of one or more of the sinuses. It can be caused by a virus, bacteria, fungus, allergies or excessive nose blowing and results in the blockage of the sinus opening. Sinusitis can be acute (lasting 4 or lesser weeks), subacute (lasting 4 to 8 weeks), chronic (lasting beyond 8 weeks) and recurring (several attacks in a year).

Acute sinusitis generally causes pain in the sinuses, headaches, loss of smell, stuffiness, and coughs as well as may also cause bad breath, toothaches, and fever.

What does the homeopathic treatment for sinusitis entail?

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine system which uses plants and minerals to develop remedies that augment the body's natural defenses by stimulating symptoms of the disease the patient is suffering from.

Acute sinusitis finds a permanent cure in homeopathy. Though treatment takes time, it rebuilds the body's immunity to sinusitis. It drains the sinuses, kills the germs and wipes the infection off at the root, thus preventing it from recurring. When antibiotics are used to treat sinusitis, there may be side effects such as fungal infections. Fungal infection is a leading cause of chronic sinusitis.

Homeopathy can boost the body's immunity which can treat fungal infections from the root, hence eliminating chances of recurrence. It can treat the symptoms of sinusitis and provide relief from associated respiratory diseases and allergies. There are different remedies available to treat the different symptoms of sinusitis, which work together to completely cure it by boosting the body's immune system without having any side effects.

Homeopathy for Nasal Polyps:

With Chronic sinus, soft growths arising from the mucous membrane of the nose or paranasal sinus are referred as nasal polyps. The most common treatment option suggested by a conventional system in nasal polyps is surgical removal. In most cases, nasal polyps reappear after surgery. However, surgery is a temporary fix since it does not address the body's tendency to form polyps. Homeopathy, on the other hand, offers a permanent solution by treating the root cause. Following six homeopathic medicines are usually recommended  for nasal polyps - Lemna Minor, Sanguinaria Can, Calcarea Carb, Kali Bichrome, Teucrium, and Phosphorus.

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

How Does Homeopathy Cure Sinusitis?

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