Do you know that there are certain substances, which may cause respiratory and skin problems? Substances while at work may lead to the development of allergies when breathed in. Allergies may also occur when the substances are exposed to the skin directly. These substances are known as skin and respiratory sensitizers and are capable of causing damage to the nose, skin, throat and lungs. If you are affected in any way, further exposure to sensitizers may lead to allergic symptoms.

Effects of skin and respiratory sensitizers
The effects on the respiratory system may be experienced in the form of symptoms, such as runny or itchy eyes and nose, which is typical of hay fever. More symptoms may follow which include wheezing, breathlessness, coughing and chest tightness. The symptoms in case of skin include itchy, red, dry and cracked skin with irritation. Severe symptoms like bleeding might follow and the symptoms may spread to the different parts of the body.

When do the symptoms occur?
The symptoms show up on being exposed to the substance. In most cases, sensitization occurs within a few months. The symptoms may be experienced even twelve years after the exposure. The symptoms are more severe during evening and night. There are chances of the symptoms improving during weekends and holidays. Once established, respiratory attacks may occur, triggered by exposure to tobacco smoke, cold water and exercise. Attack on skin commonly occur when exposed to chemicals present in the cleaning products.

Substances causing sensitization
The substances, which cause skin sensitization include isocyanates, wood dust, flour and grain dust, solder flux, glues and resins, laboratory animals glutaraldehyde and chemicals used in hairdressing.

Legal obligations associated with skin and respiratory sensitisers
There are certain legal duties, which an employer should undertake for protecting employees. These include protecting workers and public from risks which are associated with skin and respiratory sensitizers. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Heath Regulations lay out the legal requirements in order to protect workers. In order to comply with it, an employer has to assess the risk of health which may arise from activities at work. The employer also needs to decide the precautions which should be taken to prevent or control any risk. It is also to be ensured that control measures are utilised and maintained well. The workers  exposure to harmful fumes and substances should be monitored constantly. The workers should also be informed, instructed and trained about the risks associated with their work.

According to homeopathy, when a patient suffers from cold, his body will develop skin complaints at times. It s a way to get rid of internal affection in respiratory system. People usually misunderstand such cold, as another skin disease. However, neither the cold nor the skin complaint will get cured. The patient will be declining day by day. Similarly, if there are skin diseases, when suppressed, affect internal organs. Skin disease is not a health hazard unless it becomes septic. If you experience any symptoms associated with skin and respiratory sensitizers, it is important for you to visit a homeopath. This would enable timely diagnosis and treatment.

How Respiratory Complaints Related to Skin?

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

Tuberculosis is absolutely curable and can be cured with anti-TB medication. As treatment for TB takes much longer than other types of bacterial infections, a patient is often required to take a combination of drugs for six to nine months.

Here is how you can safeguard yourself against Tuberculosis:

1) Maintain strong immunity by adopting healthy eating habits, exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep.

2) Diet supplemented by turnips, beet root, spinach and other green vegetables and seasonal fruits along with dairy products and eggs can be helpful is fighting against the TB bacteria.

3) Go for a check-up if you suspect that you could be suffering from TB. Typical symptoms include a persistent cough (more than 3 weeks) and  low grade fever.

4) If someone you know has contracted TB, encourage him or her to adhere faithfully to the treatment.

However if you have been diagnosed with active TB, please ensure the following:

1) Complete the entirefull course of your TB medications.
2) Stay at home especially during the first two weeks of treatment.
3) Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and wear a mask when around people during the first few weeks of treatment.

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World TB Day Special - How to Prevent Tuberculosis

Coughing is a common problem of the respiratory tract and often indicates a deeper problem. It can be very irritating and can affect eating habits and socialization. A cough which persists for more than 4 weeks is believed to be chronic in nature. Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of chronic cough in India. TB is an airborne bacterial infection caused by the organism - 'Mycobacterium tuberculosis', that primarily affects the lungs, although other organs and tissues may be involved. Cardinal features are: 

Chronic cough with or without sputum.
Fever more in the night time. 
Poor appetite. 
Unintentional weight loss. 
Read on to know about other common causes of chronic cough and how to manage them.

Allergies: People with allergies usually have a chronic cough, which gets aggravated when exposed to the allergens such as pollen or environmental dust. Staying away from allergen provides relief. Antihistamines are also useful, which most people detected with allergies keep in handy. Inhalers might be required, if there is associated congestion or shortness of breath.
Asthma: This is a very common chronic condition, caused by inflammation and swelling of the lungs, in addition to wheezing and shortness of breath. Asthma patients often suffer from a chronic cough. An asthma attack usually happens during the night or early morning, and is triggered by colds, cigarette smoke, air pollutants or allergens, which can even include certain foods. Most asthmatics usually carry their steroids, inhalers, and bronchodilators, as the onset of attack can be unpredictable.
Bronchitis: This condition of inflammation of the bronchial region is very common among smokers and among the elderly. There is excessive mucus accumulation, which the body tries to clear via coughing. The lungs are weakened and therefore, the coughing is painful.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This is a problem of the digestive system, but regurgitation of food into the airway induces cough. GERD is a chronic issue and so most people also end up with a chronic cough. It is worse with sitting up than with sitting down. Treatment includes H2 blockers to suppress acid production and dietary changes including small, frequent meals and avoiding spicy food items.
Upper airway cough syndrome: There could be multiple problems in the upper airway, which leads to a constant postnasal drip. Here, there is constant dripping of the sputum into the air passage, which can lead to a chronic cough whenever there is impaired air flow. This can be caused by various forms of chronic sinusitis and rhinitis. People diagnosed with this condition usually resort to antihistamines and decongestants for relief.
Other causes: There are a number of other causes as noted below. Smoking, tuberculosis, congestive heart failure, pertussis or whooping cough, foreign body in the airway, cancer in the airway passage, chronic aspiration of foods, etc. can all lead to chronic cough.
The key is to identify the reason that is causing the chronic cough. Most people who are diagnosed are educated to handle it and carry the required medications including steroids, bronchodilators, and inhalers.

Suffering from Chronic Cough - How to Manage it?

Bronchial asthma is a medical condition. It happens when the airways of your lungs swell up and become narrow. This limits the amount of air that can pass through the passages and this leads to respiratory distress. Asthma can affect anyone and usually, it starts from childhood.

What are the Symptoms of Bronchial Asthma?
Some common symptoms of bronchial asthma are-

  Wheezing and breathlessness
  Tightness of the chest
  Frequent bouts of coughing which are more common at night or in the early morning, making sleep difficult. 

Bronchial asthma does not go away on its own. It requires treatment.

What is Siddha?
Siddha is a very ancient system of medication and treatment that originated in Tamil Nadu. According to Siddha, the individual is a microcosm of the entire universe. And it is made up of some fundamental elements- earth, air, fire, water and ether as well as three humours- Vata, Pitta and Kapha. An imbalance of these components causes an ailment. So, the chief goal of Siddha is to restore the right balance to root out any illness.

Types of Asthma according to Siddha -
We find mention of asthma in Siddha literature. It is called Eraippu Noi. There are five types of asthma -

  Vazhi Eraippu Noi - Digestive troubles may lead to accumulation of Vata. This is not a grave form of asthma and can easily be cured.

  Iya Eraippu Noi - Exposure to cold climes or freezing winds or being drenched in rain can cause Kapha to build up in the system, which triggers this form of asthma. It is accompanied by symptoms such as the runny nose, nasal congestion, breathing trouble when lying down.

  Iyavazhi Eraippu Noi - Both Vata and Kapha accumulate to trigger this kind of asthma. Its symptoms include breathlessness, bloating, indigestion, disorientation, etc.

  Mukkuttra Eraippu Noi - An imbalance of all three humours- Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the culprits behind mukkuttra Eraippu Noi. A person who has contracted it might experience severe chest pain, constipation and even loss of consciousness.

  Mel nokku Eraippu Noi - This is the gravest form of bronchial asthma and requires extensive treatment.

Treatment of Asthma according to Siddha -

Siddha will first try to understand what kind of imbalance has caused your asthma. The medication depends on the type of asthma. Siddha medicines are made from particular parts of herbs that will induce you to either vomit or defecate to get rid of the excess humour that has accumulated in your body. Thus, the balance of Kapha, Pitta and Vata is restored.

You might also be suggested a few breathing exercises to strengthen your lungs and diaphragm.
Siddha follows a holistic way to curing bronchial asthma and targets it at its source. Unlike allopathic medication, medicines prescribed by Siddha are herbal and have no side effects.

Siddha Approach In Treating Bronchial Asthma!

Benign growth of abnormal cells is characteristic of a uterine fibroid. It grows on the walls of the uterus and occurs in 70% of women. However, most of the times, they go undetected as they are non-intrusive, painless and recede on their own. 99% of the cases reported for fibroids in the uterus are the ones which progress into painful tumors.

Fibroids occur due to elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body; therefore women who are inching closer to menopause are most susceptible to developing fibroids due to elevated and prolonged exposure to these hormones.

The symptoms include:

Pain during urination
Pain during coitus
Constipation
Excessive bleeding and extended menstruation
Fertility problems
Fibroids in the uterus can very easily be treated with various methods. Ayurvedic treatment remains to be one of the most popular choices among women for these illnesses. Ayurvedic treatment involves the use of naturopathic methods to reduce and cure diseases rather than the use of medicinal or surgical methods which may be intrusive, and carry potential risks of side effects and failure rates. It aims to strengthen the immune system of the body and allows the system to mend the infection internally. Ayurvedic methods include the use of herbs, medicinal plants, roots and body enhancing/strengthening practices. Ayurvedic practitioners offer a wide array of treatment methods to battle uterine fibroids naturally with household alternatives, or other readily available remedies.

Ayurvedic treatments for uterine fibroids:

Daily intake of Aloe Vera (with milk, or honey)
Guggul and Asoka herbs (with ghee, or milk)
Douching with herbal decoctions
The ingestion of turmeric in meals
Foods rich in fiber and detoxifying elements (such as spinach, banana) are also recommended as they increase the metabolism rate.

Along with that, if a healthy lifestyle, sound sleep patterns and a regular workout regime are also advised by Ayurvedic practitioners. By taking proper care of one s self, maintaining proper hygiene and taking preventive measures, one can ensure that the recurrence of uterine fibroids do not present itself.

Fibroids - Best Natural Ways It Can Be Managed!

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