Dr. Dipak K Guha

Maintaining good oral hygiene has now become all the more important. A new study has linked the cause of migraines to be a specific type of bacteria present in mouth and gut. People complaining of splitting headaches is fairly common place nowadays. Statistics in india show that nearly one third indian women and one fifth of indian men suffer from this type of headache.

Symptoms of migraine include:

    Moderate to severe pain that affects the whole head or may shift to one side
    Increased sensitivity to light, sound and pungent odour
    Blurring of vision
    Nausea and/or vomiting
    Dizziness, fatigue
    Seeing dark spots in front of eyes

There are three different types of headaches- severe headache, cluster headache and migraine.

Headache is simply unpleasant pain in the head region of varying intensity. Cluster headache is intense one sided headache with tearing in the eye of the side of the pain. Migraines are moderate to severe pain in the head, usually diffuse and presents along with the above stated symptoms.

Causes of migraine:

Knowing what causes migraine can help avoid it. Common causes that affect different people are as follows:

    Stress
    Hormonal changes and supplements
    Over use of contraceptive pills
    Exertion
    Excessive heat
    Sleeping in small closed rooms with inadequate ventilation
    Overuse of mosquito repellent
    Acidity
    Bad oral hygiene
    High bp
    Overuse of pain killers
    Smoking

Food that triggers migraine:

Many people experience migraine because of different food items. Identify your trigger and then try hard to avoid it.

    Chocolates
    Wine
    Processed and canned meat products
    Onions, potatoes, spinach, and over eating of rice

Since many years now, nitrate medicines have been used to maintain cardiovascular health and previous research has revealed that heart patients who were given medications containing nitrates routinely complained of headaches. The migraineurs had high nitrate levels, but the actual connection to link the two had not been established until now.

Researchers at the university of california-san diego investigated this further to identify the connection between what the migraineurs eat that alters their experience with migraines. Bacterial sequencing was done on the 172 participants of samples collected from their mouth and gut. Tests showed an abundance of nitrate reducing bacteria in their faecal samples, but even more in their mouth bacteria.

The study published in the journal msystems has identified the link between oral bacteria and migraine, but it is still not evident whether these bacteria are the cause or a result of migraine. But even then it is best to stay safe from our side by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a good oral hygiene. Migraine is often neglected by the patients and hence becomes difficult to treat. Identify the above triggers and causes of migraine and consult a physician if you have any of them.

Are you aware of the number of people who suffer because of pneumonia? As the weather becomes cold and damp, chances of getting affected by pneumonia increases. Pneumonia can originate from virus, bacteria and a host of other factors. It is one of the most common ailment which affects the adults, all over the world. Hence, it is important for all of us to prevent  ourselves from pneumonia and for that we can follow the below mentioned steps:

1. Know about the symptoms of pneumonia first: It is difficult to detect or diagnose pneumonia, especially in people over the age of 65. In older patients, the common symptoms such as fever, chills, cough may not be experienced. You should watch out for non-respiratory symptoms like weakness, dizziness, delirium and confusion. It is even more difficult to diagnose pneumonia in people who are suffering from preexisting conditions.
2. Practice good hygiene: Common respiratory infections, influenza and cold may cause pneumonia. You should follow hygienic habits. Wash your hands regularly before meals and use hand sanitizers in order to prevent the illness from spreading. You should also maintain proper oral hygiene as several oral infections may also lead to pneumonia. You should also keep away from people who are affected by pneumonia or any other illness like flu, cold and serious diseases such as measles or chicken pox. All these factors may cause pneumonia.
3. Get vaccinated: It is recommended for people of all ages who may be at a risk of getting pneumonia to get vaccinated and immunised against pneumonia causing virus called pneumococcal pneumonia. This is a one-time vaccine, which prevents and reduces the severity of pneumonia. A booster vaccine after every five years may also be prescribed. Elderly people should be vaccinated against all diseases which cause pneumonia.
4. Quit smoking: Smoking accounts for being a major cause or risk factor for pneumonia. It increases a person’s chance of getting pneumonia as the lungs’ ability to defend themselves from the infection is reduced. By quitting smoking, you will be able to prevent pneumonia.
5. Maintain a good general health: Maintaining an overall good health and following healthy habits will help you in preventing pneumonia. This is because your immune system stays strong and is able to fight efficiently against pneumonia-causing infections. A proper diet with all essential nutrients is also recommended along with regular physical exercise and proper rest.

Severe cases of pneumonia are capable of making you suffer and you may be admitted to a hospital. According to studies, it has been estimated that more than 60% of people over the age of 65 need to be hospitalised because of pneumonia.

The newborn are often extremely susceptible to fatal diseases and the first few months of the infant's life calls for uncompromised care and vigilance. One of the most precarious diseases afflicting the newborn babies are chronic lung disorders. This condition mainly emanates from a damage to the lung tissue, which results in breathing troubles. Under such circumstances, the lung may collapse, being filled with fluids and end up oozing out harmful mucus. While a severe form of such lung diseases may often result in the death of the infant, in most cases the infants outgrow the disease and with proper care, grow up to lead a healthy life. 

Most chronic lung diseases in infants are congenital and are spurred by a variety of causes: 

1. Premature delivery: Chronic lung diseases are recurrent in babies born prematurely, i.e. before the lapse of at least 26 weeks of gestation age. Underweight infants also run the risk of suffering from this ailment. The lungs are not able to develop fully in such situations as a result of which they become prone to respiratory distresses. Another allied trigger to Chronic Lung Disease is the use of ventilation on the premature babies. The forced breathing and imposed oxygen levels induced by ventilators often impair normal lung functions in babies. 
2. Fluids in the lungs: Certain babies are either born with or develop a condition where fluids accumulate in the lungs. This inflicts a lot of damage to the lungs and leads to such diseases.
3. Respiratory Infections: Some babies are likely to acquire lung infections from certain disease causing viruses. This largely handicaps the normal lung functions. 
4. Heart conditions:  Abnormal blood circulation in the heart also stimulates lung diseases in newborns. If the heart is unable to regulate the flow of blood to the lungs properly, then the chances of such diseases increase by leaps and bounds. 
5. Inhaling harmful foreign materials: Certain particles often affect the health of the lungs tremendously. Exposure to meconium during delivery might result in the inflammations that potentially injure the lung tissues. 
6. Nutrition deficiencies: If an infant's body lacks vital nutrients, it may result in a condition of malnutrition. Lack of vitamin A may cause chronic lung diseases. 

Chronic Lung Diseases are usually recoverable with early detection and appropriate treatment. However, one needs to meticulously cater to the health needs of the baby, in order to ensure complete recovery and avert recurrence.