Many parents have a query as to what special protection to be taken for the small children in view of this corona pandemic.
I as a pediatrician, advise for no special protection for the children. Take routine/ normal care of your child.
If parents follow the protective measures and remain safe from corona virus then children too remain protected. To keep your child protected, you need to keep yourself protected.
A cough is probably one of the most common respiratory diseases that people suffer from. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about and can be cured with cough suppressants and salt water gargles. However, coughing of blood is a serious problem. The coughing up of blood that originates from below the level of the larynx is known as hemoptysis. This can vary in terms of severity depending on the amount of blood being expelled. This disease is a common condition, but on average, less than 5% of hemoptysis cases are life-threatening.
Hemoptysis rarely affects children. The symptoms of this condition include:
Sudden onset of a cough with bloody phlegm
Chest pain: Medical attention should be sought in cases where this condition recurs often, if it lasts for longer than a fortnight or if the volume of blood expectorated is more than 30ml per day. The various tools that help in the diagnosis of this condition are:
Chest radiography: This imaging modality helps lateralize bleeding and understand the amount of lung involvement. It is quick, inexpensive and can also help detect other underlying abnormalities.
Bronchoscopy: This involves the insertions of a rigid or flexible endoscope into the bronchial passages to check the airways and determine active bleeding sites.
MDCT: A multidetector CT is a non-invasive imaging tool that provides a comprehensive evaluation of airways, lung parenchyma, and thoracic vessels. It can also be used to uncover potential causes of bleeding such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary infections and lung cancer. In some cases, a multidetector CT angiography may also be used.
Oral antibiotics are usually the first stage of treatment for this condition. Smokers will also be urged to quit cigarettes as this can worsen their condition. Treatment for minor hemoptysis may also include:
In its later stages, hemoptysis can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular embolization or with surgery. In some cases, endovascular embolization may also be sued to stabilise the patient before surgery. This procedure reduces the pressure in the hypertrophic arterial blood vessels and decreases the risk of perioperative bleeding.
Hemoptysis is also one of the most common complaints of lung cancer patients. Depending on the stage of cancer and the amount of blood expectorated, treatment in some cases may not be possible. In such cases, a parenteral opioid and fast-acting benzodiazepine may be administered.
Honey can be consumed at any time of the day, however, it is always recommended by nutritionists and dietitians to eat honey in an appropriate amount and also at specific times of the day to reap the best health benefits of honey. We advise you to incorporate honey in your daily routine during these times:
A warm glass of water sweetened with honey can do wonders for your overall health and wellbeing. Our body requires energy that can sustain throughout the day. Morning is the best time to eat honey for boosting energy levels and staying all charged up. Having honey in the morning is not just good for your skin but has ample health benefits including:
Check Out: Honey Fruit Salad - A Homemade Honey Recipe For Healthy Breakfast
In the evening time, when half of the day is passed, leaving the person tired & exhausted, honey can help to revitalize you for the rest of the day.
Resist the urge for caffeine when your head gets heavier and boost your energy levels naturally by consuming a spoonful of honey. Fuel your body with honey instead of sugary snacks during evening slumps. Other benefits of honey if consumed during evening time are:
It should come as no surprise that honey is advised to be eaten before going to sleep by health experts. Consuming honey with a glass of warm milk ensures a good night's sleep. Your body absorbs all the goodness from this superfood at night to keep you healthy. Check out the benefits of eating honey at night are:
Check Out: Lemon And Honey Water - A Honey Recipe For Cough
A legit home remedy for cough and cold, Honey can be consumed at times you are sick instead of over-the-counter drugs. Rich in potent antibacterial properties, honey gives relief from sore throat and soothes cough.
Honey stimulates the immune system for faster recovery from illnesses. Besides tasting good, honey is a natural decongestant and has cold-fighting characteristics. So, consuming honey when you are sick is quite beneficial as it:
A rich source of carbohydrates and natural sugar, honey can be consumed whenever you feel tired and exhausted for an energy rush. Fitness freaks and weight watchers can consume it before or after a workout to replenish energy levels since honey serves as a great alternative to sugary energy drinks.
You can also mix honey with your carbs, fruits, and protein shakes. Honey is beneficial as a workout snack because it:
Summary:
Touted as a superfood, doesn’t matter at what time you consume, Honey offers enormous benefits and improves your overall health, attributed to its countless medicinal properties.
Update From Lybrate: Buy Sweet Honey for breakfast delights at Lybrate and provide a mouth-watering taste to your palate. These jams, Honey, and spread can also be consumed by health freaks and diabetic patients.
A cough is not necessarily to be worried about always. It is the natural response of our body to throw out harmful particles which somehow managed to enter our respiratory tract. There is sticky mucus situated in the pathway to lungs which plays a major role in trapping harmful particles. Coughing once or twice is generally a natural phenomenon but if it’s persistent it is called the chronic cough, and there is a reason to worry.
Is your cough chronic?
An acute cough aggravates within a very short span of time, maybe 2-3 days. There are situations when coughing doesn’t hinder your day to day activities and are easily neglected. Sometimes these infrequent bouts of a cough can persist for long and continue for more than 2 months, which has been characterized as a chronic cough.
A chronic cough is sometimes found associated with blocked or running nose. Persons suffering from a chronic cough feel very exhaustive and suffer from a headache, dizziness along with excessive sweating. Under such situations, you must consult a pulmonologist.
Know the causes of a chronic cough-
There are several causes for persistent coughing, and the following are the common causes of a chronic cough and medication is taken in consultation with a trained medical practitioner only.
To conclude, chronic cough is a preventable disease by reducing the exposure to risk factors as mentioned above. Quitting smoking, improving the indoor air quality with the use of solar cooking and moving on battery run vehicles can prevent COPD from further worsening. You can also undergo pulmonary rehabilitation program which is being counseled and coordinated by many physicians to benefit the individual suffering from the issue.
Children who suffer from recurring cold and cough usually develop other respiratory infections that can result in fever, dry cough and difficulty in breathing. It can lead to conditions like infantile bronchitis, tonsillitis, adenoids, etc.
Causes-
With more than over 200 different viruses which can cause cold in children, it can be a difficult condition to treat and prevent from recurring. As the immune system in children is comparatively weaker or underdeveloped, changes in weather can make them susceptible to cold and cough.
Symptoms-
A cold usually begins with a sore throat followed by a runny nose and cough. The sore throat is a result of built-up mucus which will then run down to the throat from the nose. As the cold gets worse, the child will start feeling tired, start coughing and experiencing soreness in his throat and muscle pain. It might also cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
The repeated recurrence of cold and cough makes many children dependent on prescription medications, which is detrimental to their health in the long run. Homeopathy is a much more natural alternative that remedies the infections causing the cold and cough and prevents them from recurring.
Boost Immunity With Medication Of Homeopathy!
Homeopathic Treatments-
Benefits of Homeopathy-
Small dosages-
Medicines in homeopathy are prepared from substances derived from minerals and plants and administered in low doses. This makes it much safer for consumption by children compared to other forms of medicine. It also ensures that there are no adverse allergic reactions.
Builds Immunity-
Since homeopathic medicines are sourced from natural ingredients, they counteract any illness at its root level. This helps enhance the body’s resistance and immunity against the disease.
Lifelong viability-
Homeopathy does not carry any risk of side-effects or toxicity, thereby making it suitable for people across all age groups.
Seasonal allergies like rhinitis and hay fever strike lacs worldwide. But what’s worse is that conventional treatments just don’t work on these allergies. So what does? Homeopathy, a complementary system of healing that works on the adage ‘like cures like’, is the perfect remedy for most seasonal allergies.
Homeopathy is also the best medicine for these allergies because it’s inexpensive and it works every time- especially if you have consulted a qualified homeopath who prescribes medicines according to your individual constitution.
The other advantages of homeopathy are that it’s safe, foolproof, and real, apart from being extremely economical.
One of the most common seasonal allergies that people grapple with worldwide is seasonal allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever. This allergy occurs when your immune system treats usually harmless substances like pollen and certain grasses as dangerous and releases chemicals to fight them. Hay fever can be triggered by different substances in different seasons and you can experience it in more than one season per year.
Whatever the season, its symptoms remain the same, like-
runny nose
watery and itchy eyes
itchy throat and sinuses
ear congestion
Here are a few common homeopathic remedies for seasonal allergies. Just match your dominant symptoms with the medicine that describes them, and take a low-potency dosage two to three times a day for two weeks. If you feel better, keep up the dosage, if not, it’s time to visit a homeopath for a sure-fire fix.
The homeopathic medicines that are of great help in treating nasal allergies like hay fever are Allium Cepa, Arsenic Album, Arundo Mauri, Kali Bichromicum and Gelsemium.
Both Allium Cepa and Arsenic Album are very beneficial for this common allergy and they work when your symptoms are a runny nose with sneezing and burning eyes. If you feel better in open air then Allium Cepa is the better remedy but if you feel better in a warm room as compared to open spaces, then you must take Arsenic Album.
Arundo Mauri works best when you are experience itching in nose, eyes, throat and sinuses.
Kali Bichromicum is of great help when the dominant symptom is nasal discharge dropping back into the throat called post-nasal drip and sneezing. And Gelsemium should be used prescribed when running nose and sneezing are accompanied by a headache and a feverish feeling.
Homeopathy cures seasonal allergies faster when you are conscious about prevention. Just, take these simple, easy steps to keep allergens out of your system like keep the windows in your room shut, limit time spent outside, wear a mask when you go out to keep dust away and avoid cigarette smoke to live allergy-free.
Rising levels of air pollution are always in the news and it is a legitimate cause of concern. It has a severe toxic effect on us, and our environment. Factories are popping up in greater frequency than ever before, trees are being cut down to make room for ever-expanding cities and with every family owning cars, pollution is becoming a crisis that is hard to contend with. According to the World Health Organisation, the chief pollutants are carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and lead, which are all emitted from factories and car through their exhausts.
What is the impact of air pollution on the human body?
• Eye irritation
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Skin diseases
• Neuropsychiatric disorders
The organ that is most affected by air pollution is the lungs. With pollution on the rise, more and more people are complaining of respiratory ailments. WHO has already proved that air pollutants are actually a carcinogen.
What are the symptoms of respiratory ailments?
The most common symptoms are-
• Irritated airway
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Dyspnoea or shortness of breath
• Aggravation of asthma or bronchitis
• In extreme cases, cancer of the lungs
Homoeopathy for the treatment of lung diseases-
Homoeopathy is a boon to the field of medicine and has been in practice for several decades now. Homoeopathy believes that lung diseases are a manifestation of an innate problem and if the problem is detected and eradicated, the symptoms will dissipate as well. Homoeopathy cures lung diseases by-
• Preventing further damage to the lungs
• Preventing side-effects from harming the body by adopting a natural and holistic approach
• Reducing reliance on steroids and bronchodilators
There are different types of chronic lung ailments and homoeopathy uses 25 compounds in different combinations to treat each of them. The best part about Homeopathy treatment is that it leaves no adverse effect on your body, unlike conventional methods of treatment.
Surveys reveal that three fourth of India’s population is affected by air pollution. If you feel that you might have contracted a respiratory ailment, consider consulting a homoeopathy doctor.
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 a longer period of time more than 4 weeks in children and 8 weeks or more in adults 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:
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 a 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 or PPI 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 airflow. 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 a chronic cough. Most people who are diagnosed are educated to handle it and carry the required medications including steroids, bronchodilators, and inhalers. Cough hygiene should be learnt and practised to prevent the spread of infections.
In case you have a concern or query, you can always consult the best general physicians online & get answers to your question via online doctor consultation.
A cough is probably one of the most common respiratory diseases that people suffer from. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about and can be cured with cough suppressants and salt water gargles. However, coughing of blood is a serious problem. The coughing up of blood that originates from below the level of the larynx is known as hemoptysis. This can vary in terms of severity depending on the amount of blood being expelled. This disease is a common condition, but on average, less than 5% of hemoptysis cases are life-threatening.
Hemoptysis rarely affects children. The symptoms of this condition include:
Sudden onset of a cough with bloody phlegm
Chest pain: Medical attention should be sought in cases where this condition recurs often, if it lasts for longer than a fortnight or if the volume of blood expectorated is more than 30ml per day. The various tools that help in the diagnosis of this condition are:
Oral antibiotics are usually the first stage of treatment for this condition. Smokers will also be urged to quit cigarettes as this can worsen their condition. Treatment for minor hemoptysis may also include:
In its later stages, hemoptysis can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular embolization or with surgery. In some cases, endovascular embolization may also be sued to stabilise the patient before surgery. This procedure reduces the pressure in the hypertrophic arterial blood vessels and decreases the risk of perioperative bleeding.
Hemoptysis is also one of the most common complaints of lung cancer patients. Depending on the stage of cancer and the amount of blood expectorated, treatment in some cases may not be possible. In such cases, a parenteral opioid and fast-acting benzodiazepine may be administered.
When you suffer from dry, chronic cough along with shortness of breath, it is normal to get worried and annoyed. You will want to know the cause and the cure. Note that it might be due to a condition called the interstitial lung disease.
Including almost more than 200 different lung conditions, interstitial lung disease refers to the inflammation and scarring caused in the lungs, which leads to less oxygen entering the blood. Mainly affecting the interstitial part of the anatomic structure of the lungs, which is responsible for the oxygen flow into the blood, interstitial lung disease can damage other parts of the lungs too, such as the lung lining, the airways or the blood vessels. The following is a brief account of the types, causes, symptoms, and treatment of ILD.
Types
Interstitial lung disease can be of various kinds, though all of them leads to the thickening of the lung’s interstitial part. Some of the types of ILD are
While some of the ILD types are short-lived, some are irreversible and chronic.
The primary causes of interstitial lung disease are viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Regular exposure to inhalable irritants such as talc, silica dust, asbestos, coal dust or any other kind of metal dust, bird proteins of pigeons, chickens or any exotic birds, grain dust, etc. can also cause interstitial lung disease. Though rare, sometimes it is the intake of particular drugs that may cause ILD. For the majority of interstitial lung diseases, the exact cause is not always known.
Both men and women of any age can develop this disease, and it is more common in people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and autoimmune disease. Some of the primary symptoms and signs of interstitial lung disease are nonproductive dry cough, shortness of breath, and considerable weight loss. While for some types of ILDs the symptoms develop slowly and gradually over months, for others, such as the acute interstitial pneumonitis or interstitial pneumonia, the symptoms develop more rapidly, within days or a few hours.
For identifying the presence of ILD, doctors usually rely upon chest X-ray, CT scan or computed tomography, pulmonary function testing, high-resolution CT scan, and lung biopsy. In case no apparent cause behind the disease is found from the tests, a patient's history of being exposed to certain chemical environments is then taken into consideration.
Depending on the type and severity of the disease the treatment options vary from one to another. While for some taking prescribed drugs can offer a solution to prevent the lungs from deteriorating further, for some a complete lung transplant may become the only solution. Treatments like pulmonary rehabilitation and oxygen therapy can also be ideal, based on the condition of the lungs.
Thus, if one is constantly exposed to lung irritants and experiences the symptoms of interstitial lung disease for more than eight weeks, he/she must seek the advice of a pulmonologist without delay as the condition may lead to severe complications when left untreated.