Obsessive compulsive disorder is a condition, which is characterized by a constant occurrence of compulsive behavior and obsessive thoughts. People across all ages are affected by this condition; in some cases, it might start early whereas, in others, it develops around the early years of childhood. This is a very distressing condition as it can cause significant interference in your daily life. It is recommended to get it treated at the earliest to manage its symptoms effectively.

Symptoms

Obsessive compulsive disorder causes an obsession about an unwanted (forbidden or unfounded) thought, urge or an image. This obsession may result in disgust, unease and feelings of anxiety. A compulsion is defined as a certain behavior that is usually repetitive, something that you tend to do over and over again to get rid of the constant anxiety. An example would be to constantly check the windows of the house resulting from an uncorroborated fear that the house may be burgled.

The causes of obsessive compulsive disorder are:

Chemical imbalances in the brain marked by low serotonin levels
Family history of OCD
People who are meticulous, neat and methodical might develop OCD
Certain traumatic events such as having been bullied or abused can also cause OCD
Treatment

There are multiple treatment options. The aim of the treatments is to manage the symptoms and improve the quality of life. The treatments are:

Medications: Certain antidepressants that alter the chemical imbalance in the brain can treat OCD.
Psychological therapy: Counselling or cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective in treating OCD. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to modify one s thinking pattern and get rid of unnecessary fears and thoughts.

Fear of Dirt or Contamination - Can it be a Sign of OCD?

Epilepsy is a condition that starts in the brain and causes seizures in which the patient loses consciousness and has convulsions. He also jerks his arms and legs along with trembling and frothing from the mouth.
The lesser known fact about epilepsy is that there are many types of epileptic conditions-over 40 - and similarly, there are numerous drugs available to treat your epileptic disorder and prevent seizures. Your doctor will diagnose your type of epileptic disorder and prepare a treatment plan for it.

Types of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures are generally categorized as either partial or primary, generalized depending on where they originate in the brain. Partial seizures are less intense and they start in one section rather than the entire brain. If you have this type of seizure, you will be aware of what s happening to you. The other type of seizure affects a larger part of the brain. Here you may have difficulty understanding what's happening to you. Since these spread to the entire brain, you lose consciousness and start convulsing.

Having a seizure can put you at risk for serious injuries including head injuries.
So, if you close to you suffers from epilepsy, it's critical to your health and well being to educate yourself about your condition and have an action plan in place to tackle the seizures which can happen anywhere, and sometimes with no one to assist you or him actively.

Here is what you can do to manage epilepsy-

Educate yourself: You must know as much as possible about your condition. Know your symptoms and learn to recognize the symptoms preceding a seizure. Also, educate your friends and family about epilepsy so that they can support you during a seizure. Educate your family to do the right things when you have a seizure.
Make a seizure response plan: This plan should list the names and numbers of your doctors and two emergency contacts.
Other things you can do as an epileptic:
Antiepileptic drugs are quite successful in preventing seizures but they should be taken as prescribed. Don t change your dosage before talking to your doctor.
Sleep properly as lack of sleep can trigger seizures.
Exercising regularly can help keep you physically healthy and reduce depression and also help in managing seizures.
Manage your stress levels, limit alcohol and cigarettes.
On the other hand, if your family member or friend has epilepsy, this is what you can do:

Roll the person onto one side during a seizure.
Place something soft under the person s head.
Loosen tie and top buttons.
Don t put an object in an epileptic s mouth. It can hurt his/her teeth.
Don't try to restrain him during a seizure.
Clear away stones and other dangerous objects if the patient is thrashing around.
Time the seizures and be calm during them.
Don t leave the patient alone.

Epileptic Conditions - How To Deal With Them?

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is usually caused by inflammation or bacteria in the urinary tract. Pregnant mothers are most susceptible to this infection, especially after the sixth week and before the twenty fourth week of pregnancy. This usually happens due to the alterations that take place in the urinary tract during pregnancy.

Also, a growing uterus can block the urine drainage from this part of the body, leading to the accumulation of bacteria which causes infection. The symptoms are uncomfortable and even painful. These include pain and burning sensation, frequent urination, fever and chills. So how can you prevent UTI during pregnancy? we have a few tips for you!

- Hydration: The best thing you can do to both prevent and treat a urinary tract infection is to start drinking at least six to eight glasses of water in a day. Another good way to prevent and treat UTIs is with the help of cranberry juice which has powerful antioxidants that flush toxins out of your system effectively. You will, however, need to ensure that the cranberry juice is fresh and natural, without any sweeteners.

- Hygiene: Keeping yourself clean is one of the most important ways in which you can avoid UTI. It is best to clean from front to back, rather than the other way, so that you drive away bacteria and dirt. Also, make sure that you wash your private parts with warm water infused with a few drops of normal liquid antibacterial, so that you can be sure that the bacteria do not get a chance to thrive and affect your system. Also, remember to use soaps, washes and creams that have a mild formula, rather than a harsh chemical concoction. Hygiene for this area of the body includes keeping it dry.

- Diet: Your diet should have plenty of fluids and lemons or other citrus food that are rich in vitamin c, as this is a good vitamin to keep bacteria at bay. Also, you should eliminate sweet and refined products to ensure that you do not contract UTI. Other foods to avoid include caffeine and alcohol.

- Clothing: Wear airy and cotton based undergarments that are breathable and have a soft texture. This non abrasive type clothing can also help in keeping the area dry, so that bacteria does not get a chance to develop, as they typically need a damp environment for growth. Change your undergarments twice a day, if need be, and avoid wearing trousers and shorts that are too tight.

These tips and many others including urinating as soon as the urge sets in, can help in fighting the risk of contracting UTI during pregnancy.

Tips To Prevent UTI During Pregnancy

Abdominal pain after surgery is common. It is only a part of the healing process. But extreme pain or prolonged pain is a sign of infection, surgical complications or some other underlying health condition. It is difficult to detect whether the pain is normal or abnormal when the person concerned is a child.

Symptoms:

A child complaining about abdominal pain after surgery should not be ignored no matter how common it may be; especially if the pain does not start reducing after 3 days from surgery. Children who are too young to verbally communicate the pain or feel discomfort show symptoms like:

Excessive crying.

Difficulty in sleeping.

Irritability.

Reduced activity.

Refusal to eat

After surgery, a child's behavior must be closely observed.

Causes:

A common cause of abdominal pain after surgery on children is fear of the surgery itself. Children might associate the fear with the pain psychologically which can prevent them from realizing that the physical pain has actually already started to reduce.

In this case, the child needs attention and maybe placebo medication, if all possible causes of physical pain have been ruled out.

The obvious causes of pain after surgery include:

Surgical complications like collection (i.e. bile or blood or pus) below the wound or inside.

Infection at the site of surgery.

Not getting the right dose of pain-killers.

Diagnosis:

Apart from the symptoms already discussed, the diagnosis of complications after surgery includes:

Fever.

Swelling at the site of surgery.

Abdominal distension after abdominal surgery.

It is best to contact the Surgeon who performed the surgery. Diagnosis might involve:

Blood tests.

Ultrasound.

CT scan

Effects:

Possible complications resulting in abdominal pain after surgery are:

Wound Dehiscence.

Wound infection.

Hematoma or collection which may be bile or pus.

Treatment:

Pain management involves pain killers in the right dose, according to their body weight. If the medication doesn't help, the Surgeon should be consulted.

Other treatment methods include:

Rest to ensure no further injury occurs and the wound gets time to heal.

Antibiotics for the infection.

The site of the surgery must be kept clean and dry to prevent further infection.

The recommended diet, if any, must be followed for quick healing.

Pain after surgery isn't difficult to manage, even in children, as long as a reliable doctor's instructions are followed well.

Abdomen Pain After Surgery - How To Resolve It In Children?

5 simple and effective ways to cure that hangover

Most people experience prominent side effects on their body and mind the morning following a night of heavy drinking. These after-effects of consuming excessive alcohol, popularly called a hangover, include rapid heartbeat, headache, anxiety, exhaustion, vomiting, dizziness, lack of energy, and body pain.

Drinking too much alcohol (5 to 7 drinks for men and 3 to 5 for women) not only causes a hangover but also can negatively impact your health by damaging your liver, central nervous system, brain and gastrointestinal system. It takes about 8 to 24 hours to cure a hangover completely, but you can try these natural remedies to get quick relief from the symptoms and reduce the recovery time.

1. Have a banana

A hangover is often associated with decreased potassium levels in your body and having a banana will help replenish it as it contains an adequate amount of the mineral.

Directions: you can either have one or two whole bananas or a banana smoothie with few drops of honey to get relieve from most hangover symptoms.

2. Try honey

Honey contains fructose, which helps to neutralize the negative impact of alcohol on your body. Moreover, honey provides relief from the hangover as it also helps digest the alcohol better.

Directions: take 3-4 teaspoons of honey after each hour (post-hangover) till you feel yourself getting better. You can increase the dosage according to the severity of your hangover.

3. Go for a glass of tomato juice

Tomato juice proves to be very effective in curbing the symptoms of a hangover as it compensates for the dehydration caused in your body due to excessive alcohol consumption. Also, due to its fructose content, tomato helps in metabolizing the alcohol present in your body.

Directions: drink a glass of fresh tomato juice or soup laden with 1 tablespoon each of honey and fresh lemon juice. You can have this juice in the morning once and repeat in the afternoon if needed.

4. Drink a lot of water

When it comes to beating a hangover, there is no substitute for water. Drinking water is not only a tried and tested remedy, but is also the most effective way to cure a hangover. This happens because water fights the dehydration of fluids in your body caused by drinking alcohol.

Directions: to keep the hangover at bay, drink one glass of water after each glass or shot of alcohol you consume. If you forget to do this, starting your day with a bottle of water the next morning will help reduce hangover symptoms drastically.

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

Related Tip: 5 Quick-fix Detox Drinks That Will Do Damage Control This Wedding Season

5 Most Effective Home HANGOVER Hacks

Burn fat while you sleep

Its unbelievable but true! you can lose weight even as you sleep if you strictly follow these lifestyle changes.

1. Eat small frequent meals every 2 hours during the day: your body needs energy for metabolic functions. Your body may crave for sweet and junk food, but have that in portions like cheese, butter, chocolate of your finger tip size, chicken/fish of your palm size is absolutely okay to have once a week, either you can substitute your cravings with healthy food like a date or a piece of dark chocolate for sweet cravings.
There are certain foods that burn fat while you sleep. 

A. Whole grains - including whole grains (whole wheat, barley, brown rice, quinoa, wheat germ etc), legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans etc), dairy foods, spicy foods, green tea, and citrus fruits, in your daily diets.
B. Have citrus foods daily - citrus fruits which includes vitamin c plays a role in body's fat burning process.
C. Consume green tea - it boosts your metabolism as it is rich in antioxidants.
D. Spicy foods - spices are known to improve metabolism. If you've had a tasty dinner, sleep without worry that your body will be losing calories while you sleep.

2. Sleep well: how long you sleep and how well you sleep, are both equally important for your body. Minimum 8 hours of sound sleep is very important.

3. Resistance training: for your hormones to function properly and for your body to burn fat
Weight or resistance training is a must if you want to keep your metabolism high. When you lift weights, you increase the amount of calories your body burns. Hours after you lifted weight, your body continues burning the fat.



Would You Like To Burn Fat While You Sleep?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Zika Disease online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Zika Disease - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES