With rising temperatures and scorching rays literally pounding down on everything this summer, you are in a bit of a hot spot: literally and figuratively! Living in a tropical zone comes with its own advantages and challenges – and one among these challenges is the potentiality of a sun stroke. Invariably easy to keep at bay, avoiding sun strokes is one thing.

But what if you do wind up struggling under the burden of one?
We have a few useful pointers you can keep in mind, to address a sun stroke naturally!

– Understand your symptoms first. If you suffer from severe headaches, dizziness, sudden chills, very dry and heated skin, cramps in your muscles, vomiting or nausea, heightened heartbeats, unconsciousness and disorientation are common symptoms of sun strokes. In most situations, the symptoms are a combination of one or more of these.
– Start cooling the person down. The first step is to loosen all clothing and make the person comfortable, so that circulation can begin. If you happen to have ice or cold water, put the ice or cold water onto the back, neck and armpit to fight the effects of a sun stroke. Wherever possible, use cold towels and wet towels, even.  Get the person to lie down and lift their feet about 30 centimeters in the air so that they can avoid any potential shock.
– Start cooling the space or surroundings down. The most important thing in sun stroke cases is to ensure that the body is no longer heated. Either lead the person away to a shaded and cool place, or have them placed in a room with a fan, or an air conditioned space. If you don’t have access to the air conditioner, open up all the doors and windows and ventilate the space.
– Start hydrating the patient, and get them to drink water with electrolytes, or have them drink a solution of juice with salt and sugar, so that they can avoid the ill effects of dehydration. Wherever applicable, ensure that their sweating stops by cooling them down suitably. Don’t let them gulp the liquid, gently sipping it in bits and pieces is good.
– Try Home Remedies: A teaspoon of honey mixed with the water in which dried fenugreek leaves have been soaked in can work wonders. Coconut water, fresh lemon juice with salt and sugar and even buttermilk can help cure a sun stroke. Another alternative is to grind tamarind seeds with water, sieve the mix and mix sugar in the water, and then get them to drink the liquid to heal quickly from the sun stroke. Help them concentrate on their breathing so that they can recover from the heat. This can be done slowly by letting the person take deep breaths and letting it out as if one were blowing off steam.

Sun strokes are serious, and if you don’t attend to it soon enough, it can cause dehydration and damage, especially to your brain and internal organs. For the most part, though, sun strokes are curable and easy to attend to with simple home remedies. Stay sun safe!

References:

http://healthmeup.com/
http://www.wikihow.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/

Come summer, and everyone is bound to curse at the heat. True, you can’t go from one point to the next without breaking into buckets of sweat! With this as a backdrop, if one were to tell you that you might be deficient in Vitamin D, there’s a chance that you’ll laugh it off and say that this much sun exposure is enough to ensure that there’s no deficiency.

Hold your guns. You aren’t exactly right about that. People around you, and perhaps you yourself, might be complaining of calcium deficiencies, back aches and joint pains, bone issues and muscle trouble. The root for this really lies in the lack of suitable amounts of Vitamin D.

Did you know that about the prevalence of Vitamin D related deficiencies are prevalent to the tune of 70-100%?

Yeah! That is a fact! Being in India does not guarantee you high Vitamin D. True, many of us live in terribly hot areas that know only summer and its milder forms, but the fact is, we are all not getting as much exposure to the sun as we ideally need. Work, school, college, family needs and plenty more that make our stress-filled lives what they are, keep us indoors for a long time. We are often dressed in a way that keeps us covered considerably. With all that in tow, we are in a space where we do not get enough exposure to the sun to stay healthy in terms of Vitamin D. Add to this mix the fact that Indians have a fair bit of low vitamin D intake through their food. Food supplements are often perceived as elder medication, and are often neglected by other age groups.

What does low Vitamin D cause?

Vitamin D is typically a nutrient for bone health. When there are low Vitamin D levels, one could suffer from bone disorders such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, rickets and even bone deformities – especially in children and elders. The body becomes significantly weaker, and cannot withstand movement, exercise and flexibility. The condition can manifest itself as aches and pains, weak bones and joints and even inability to stay physically mobile.

How do we get more Vitamin D?

India is a rather heavily vegetarian country – whether by choice or religion, the consumption of meat, fish, liver and chicken is confined to a certain segment of the population. Vegetarian sources of Vitamin D are not as ample as non-vegetarian sources. The latter include such things as fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon, cod liver oil, percomorph liver oil, beef liver, and egg yolks. Vegetarian sources include cheese, certain kinds of mushroom, almond milk, soymilk, oranges and citrus fruits, milk and yoghurt. Among these, lactose intolerance, cultural beliefs against mushrooms and acid intolerance render some of these food groups impossible for consumption for certain populations. The best way to keep Vitamin D alive in the body is by taking to suitable sun exposure. Spend some time basking in the sunlight: you are doing your body a world of good!

References:

http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/vegetarian-vitamin-d-food-sources

http://healthmeup.com/news-diet-fitness/why-indians-should-not-ignore-vitamin-d-deficiencies/35909

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/g797/sources-of-vitamin-d-in-foods/

Make a fist with your hand and hold it up: that’s how big your heart is. Just imagine how much work it does, for an organ that’s really actually pretty small! Makes you feel pretty responsible to take care of it, doesn’t it? Heart health is extremely important not only for longevity, but also for a life of good quality. There are certain things that are beyond your control – such as heredity, age and perhaps even location-centric hazards that may expose you to pollution and such. But, there are a lot of times when the ball is in your court to keep your heart healthy. Here are five pointers you can keep in mind to keep heart diseases at bay.

– Avoid Substance Abuse of any kind: Smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and even drug use can be disparaging for your heart. Did you know that smoking increases your vulnerability to a heart ailment by filling your bloodstream with toxic gas? Or that heavy alcohol consumption can trouble your liver enough to affect your heart health? Quitting addictions to cigarettes and alcohol can bring you back to good health in a matter of a few years after drawing the line.

– Get off your couch and move! Sedentary lifestyles are dangerous for your heart health. By preferring to avoid exercise, your heart is forced to pump blood for a body that is laden with high cholesterol and fat – while also combating the pressures of high blood pressure and diabetes. A good amount of exercise every day, coupled with a more mobile living can help your heart stay healthy. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Make sure to include routines of bending, stretching, squatting and reaching in your everyday activities.

– Eat healthy! Sure, it’s terribly easy to pop frozen food in the microwave or to snack on a bag of potato chips, or to grab a bottle of soda to quench your thirst. But it’s also terribly destructive to your health! Substitute fried snacks with healthy options – such as nuts, and carrot, celery and cucumber sticks. Drink green tea instead of coffee, and keep your food portions to a minimum. Snacking between meals is not the best way to go, but if you simply must, eat something healthy instead!

– Get some sleep! Did you know that sleep deprivation makes you vulnerable to an unhealthy heart? You are more vulnerable to obesity, high blood pressure, depression and even heart attacks, if you don’t sleep enough. Set a good sleep schedule and stick to it. A minimum of six to eight hours of sleep is an absolute necessity for your heart to function well.

– Keep stress at bay! Of course you are busy: even while you read this article, your mind is probably wandering off to worry about work pressures and family demands. Stop. Breathe. Relax. Spend some time unwinding each day: listen to good music, read, walk about, talk to friends and family in person, play with a pet, and let your mind feel light. Don’t soak in stress: it increases your blood pressure and heightens the tension your heart has to deal with.
It is never too early to start to keep your heart healthy. Your heart never rests: it’s an engine that runs for as long as you live. You have a duty to take care of it if you want a good, long and healthy life. Remember, these are lifestyle choices, and not one-day or two-day affairs, so make that commitment now!

References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease-prevention/art-20046502?pg=2
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Preventing-Heart-Disease—At-Any-Age_UCM_442925_Article.jsp
https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/preventing-heart-disease
http://www.lifelinescreeningblog.com/essential-heart-disease-prevention-tips/

Depriving yourself of something you want is difficult enough, but fasting is more than simple self-denial: It goes against your physical needs and a lifetime of habits and mores. This self-denial is one reason why fasting is used in many of the world’s religions, but there is evidence that abstaining from food, at least temporarily, can bring a wealth of health benefits too.

Around the world and throughout time, fasting developed independently among different groups for its spiritual and physical benefits. Now, outside of religious context, some doctors consider fasting an effective method of reducing cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and even extending life span. But this level of deprivation may not be healthy for everyone, and it certainly isn’t a good introduction to living well.

It’s not for everyone

“Fasting is an advanced technique,” says Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “The End of Dieting” and a fasting expert. “If someone isn’t already committed to eating healthy both before and after, it just isn’t realistic.”

Going from a strict fast back to a diet of unhealthy foods is more dangerous than skipping the fast altogether. This sort of yo-yo effect is hard on your body.

“Also, the fast itself will be more unpleasant, as your body will go through more intense withdrawal symptoms than if you were someone who was normally eating healthy foods,” Fuhrman says.

These unpleasant feelings— such as headaches, moodiness and difficulty concentrating— are often attributed to hunger by inexperienced fasters, and could give you reason to never fast again. But, several studies have identified that these symptoms stem from changes in the brain brought on by high-fat and high-sugar diets. When you cut out those types of foods suddenly and without warning, your body goes into crisis mode.

Click here to find out more about Fasting!

Article Courtesy: http://www.foxnews.com/health/

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Standard treatment of tuberculosis involves a six month regimen comprising of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Of these, isoniazid and rifampicin are the most important, and are continued throughout the six month period.

When one or more drugs are ineffective against tubercle bacilli, it is termed as drug-resistant tuberculosis. When the bacilli are resistant to at least two main drugs (isoniazid and rifampicin), it is termed as multi drug-resistant tuberculosis or MDR TB. Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) Facts You Should Know

1. MDR TB is a growing menace globally and especially in India, which has the largest number of MDR TB cases in the world, with around 100,000 cases per year.

2.The symptoms of MDR TB are the same as those of drug-susceptible tuberculosis i.e. fever, cough, night sweats and weight loss. MDR TB is essentially a microbiological diagnosis, and the clinical presentation may not provide clues as to whether the patient is suffering from drug susceptible tuberculosis or MDR TB.

3.MDR TB is usually acquired (previously treated patients), however, there are increasing cases of primary MDR TB (first-time patients). The main causes of MDR TB are poor patient management, non-adherence to the prescribed regimen, a poor national programme, or a combination of these three. The highest rates of MDR TB are found in previously treated patients.

For example, in Mumbai, the incidence is about 3-5 percent in new patients, but almost 20-25 percent in previously treated patients. Risk factors for drug resistance include previous treatment (especially if lengthy), exposure to other patients with MDR TB, immigration from another country with a high incidence of MDR TB, substance abuse (including alcohol), HIV infection, or being a child.

Click here to Read More!

Article Courtesy: healthmeup.com

Photo Courtesy: imgarcade.com