Medical News

Sinus is a condition consisting of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may occur result of infection, from bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune issues. A sinus infection can cause a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose, cheek area, or on one side of the head. Sinus infection person also face the problem like a cough, a fever, bad breath and nasal congestion with thick nasal secretions. Sinus is also caused due to colds, air pollutants (allergens), extreme climatic conditions, weak immune system, stress, dehydration, excess smoking, injury of the nasal bones and dental infection.

Sinus infection is further classified into acute, sub acute and chronic, depending upon the duration of the condition. Acute (sudden) sinusitis lasts for less than 4 weeks, sub-acute for about 4-6 weeks, and chronic (long-term) sinusitis, as the name suggests, usually lasts for more than 12 weeks. Other signs include thick yellow or greenish nasal discharge, cough, fever, bad breath, and pain in the upper jaw, fatigue, sore throat, problem in breathing through the nose, loss of smell and very rarely, a burning sensation in the eyes. In severe cases, sinus infection may lead to osteomyelitis, brain infection and meningitis.

Humans have four pair of these cavities each referred to as the:

• The maxillary sinuses are in each cheekbone.
• The frontal sinuses are on either side of your forehead, above your eyes.
• The smaller ethmoid sinuses are behind the bridge of your nose, between your eyes.
• The sphenoid sinuses are between the upper part of your nose and behind your eyes.

Sinusitis Symptoms

• pain and pressure in your face, which is worse when you lean forwards
• a blocked nose with green or yellow mucus, which can drain down the back of your nose into your throat and may cause a sore throat and cough
• a headache when you wake in the morning
• a fever
• earache
• toothache or pain in your upper jaw

1. Frontal sinusitis can cause pain just above your eyebrows, and your forehead may be tender to touch.
2. Maxillary sinusitis can cause your upper jaw, teeth and cheeks to ache and may be mistaken for toothache.
3. Ethmoid sinusitis can cause pain around your eyes and the sides of your nose.
4. Sphenoid sinusitis can cause pain around your eyes, at the top of your head or in your temples. You may also have earache and neck pain.

Sinus Infection (Sinusitis) treatment

1. Drink hot liquids. One of the best ways to unclog sinuses is to drink hot tea — black, green, herbal or decaffeinated, it doesn’t matter — or hot chicken soup throughout the day. Drink enough so that your urine turns light in color. These hot liquids help moisturize your mucous membranes, speeding up the movement of your cilia and thus washing mucus out of your sinuses more quickly. Sorry, java lovers, but hot coffee isn’t nearly as effective.

2. Apply warm compresses to your face. Do these three times a day for five minutes. A small towel soaked in warm water, then placed over your face below and between the eyes, will help increase the circulation in your sinuses, which will also help speed up the movement of your cilia.

3. Irrigate your sinuses. For 3,000 years, yoga practitioners have kept their sinuses healthy through the practice of sniffing a saltwater solution rapidly in and out of their nose at low pressure. Caution: Don’t try this unless you have been taught how to do it.

4. Clear your sinuses with aromatherapy. To help open up congested nasal passages and sinuses, drop some eucalyptus or menthol oil into a bowl of hot water, then breathe the vapors — or simply open up a jar of either and inhale the fumes directly.

5. Dustproof your bedroom. Dust and dust mites can wreak havoc on your mucous membranes, especially when you’re asleep and your cilia are at rest.

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder. Once thought to be a rare condition affecting only children, it is now known to be more common, affecting as many as two million Americans alone. It is a genetic disease and those with a close family member with a gluten allergy are at increased risk of it. For some individuals, the disease is latent until triggered by an event such as pregnancy, childbirth, surgery or extreme stress.

In a nutshell, individuals with this condition have a gluten intolerance. If they are exposed to gluten, it triggers an allergic reaction in which the body attacks itself, damaging and sometimes destroying the villi that line the small intestines.

Symptoms of a gluten allergy are much like those experienced with other food allergies, but can vary widely between individuals. Digestive problems are common with celiac disease, especially in infants and children. They may include abdominal pain and bloating, vomiting, constipation, chronic diarrhea or pale, fatty, or foul-smelling stools. Weight loss is common in children as a result of these symptoms. Gluten intolerance may also lead to defects in growth and development.

In adults, symptoms may be more varied. Many symptoms can be attributed to other conditions, which is why it may not be diagnosed right away. Symptoms may include bone and joint pain, arthritis, unexplained iron-deficient anemia, fatigue, bone loss or osteoporosis, seizures, tingling or numbness in the extremities, canker sores or dermatitis herpetaformis, an itchy skin rash. Women may also experience reproductive problems such as missed menstrual periods, miscarriages or infertility.

Left untreated, gluten intolerance can lead to more serious symptoms. Because the body’s response to a gluten allergy is to attack the villi of the small intestine, the body has a decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition. Liver diseases or digestive cancers can also result.

Many people with celiac disease have other conditions in which the body attacks itself. These may include Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, autoimmune liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison’s disease or Sjogren’s syndrome. These conditions may bring additional symptoms.

Symptoms of these conditions may include frequent urination, vision disturbances or problems, slow healing time, weight loss or gain, jaundice, joint stiffness, muscle weakness or fatigue, irritability or increased occurrence of infections. Many of these conditions have similar symptoms to gluten intolerance, which may mask the underlying gluten allergy.

Because of the varied symptoms that come with celiac disease and the probability of more serious conditions also being present, you should talk to your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms on a regular basis. A food journal may be helpful in diagnosing the condition if you can link gluten with symptoms. Keep in mind that gluten, while generally found in food, is also sometimes found in places you might not expect, including vitamins, medicines and lip balms.

To confirm a diagnosis of a gluten allergy, your doctor may run blood tests or order an intestinal biopsy. The blood tests look for specific antibodies which elevate in patients with gluten intolerance. If blood tests indicate celiac disease, the biopsy is generally done to confirm the diagnosis. The doctor will remove small pieces from the small intestine to look for villi damage.

Question:
I have had lifelong nasal problems due to a deviated septum and a long-standing infection called nasal vestibulitis. Antibiotics and ‘wash-out’ have not been successful. The infection seems to be in one sinus and I have crusting high up in the nostril, which makes it difficult to blow down and causes discomfort. What do you suggest? I don’t want to have surgery.

Answer:
A deviated septum where the bony partition between the nostrils veers slightly to one side is common and should not cause a major Problem unless there is an infection as well. I believe its prevalence is because a newborn baby sleeps on the side the mother tends to favour when she finishes a feed. If you look at a baby sleeping in bed with its mother, its face is often buried in the mattress, and I suspect the problem of a deviated septum starts then, while the bones and cartilage are still soft and malleable. So it’s best to lie the baby face up from the start so that the septal bone can grow straight.

Your problem, however, is connected more to your vetibulitis, an infection of the area (the vestibule) inside the opening of each nostril. There are several reasons why the nasal tract, the vestibules, and/or the sinus lining may swell up, become inflamed and discharge mucus. One is indeed a bacterial or viral infection settling on the mucosal lining of the nose causing inflammation and the other symptoms. The constant discharge and thickened lining of the nasal tract (brought about by the inflammation and over activity) narrow the passage, and the situation can be compounded by a deviated septum (which tends to Push into one side, making it narrower), so that one nostril may become totally blocked.

Nasal inflammation can also be a reaction to airborne allergens, such as dust particles, house dust mites, Pollen, the vapours from aerosol sprays and chemicals such as pesticides. Additionally, the body may use the nose to expel toxins that can’t pass through the kidneys’ filter system. Culprits here may be gut toxins, foods to which the body is intolerant including dairy mould or fungal types of foodstuffs, and constipation, which causes excess mucus discharge.

My treatment starts by cleansing the gut so that we can be certain that this is not contributing to the problem, then focuses on clearing the nasal ‘tract’ allowing you to breathe through body nostrils at once, an important feature in Ayurvedic medicine.

• Avoid dairy foods, also citrus fruits, spicy food, excess carbohydrates (sugar, bread, Pasta etc), ice cream, chilled drinks and bananas, which all produce excess mucus.
• Avoid all yeast products, mushrooms, mould-related foods such as cheese, alcoholic drinks and vinegar, and also prolonged courses of the contraceptive pill and HRT, as they tend to trigger candidiasis (over growth of the candida fungus), which is a cause of leaky gut syndrome, where toxins push into fie bloodstream.
• Make sure you are not constipated. Take two tablets of Herbolax or one tablet of Qurs Mullayan at bedtime for one month.
• Clear your nose with two drops of sinus oil in each nostril at bedtime for one month.
• Take the Unani supplement Lauq Sepistan: half a teaspoonful twice daily for one month, to help dry up the nose.
• Try the yogic method of nasal douching fill a neti pot with 250mlof lukewarm-water. Add half a teaspoonful of table salt and stir. Tilt your had to one side and, breathing gently through your mouth only, insert the nozzle into the upper nostril and gently pour in the water. This will trickle and then flow stead if out of the lower nostril bringing mucus with it. Repeat with head tilted to the other side. Then blow your nose thoroughly. Expel any residual water by doing the cleansing breath routine.
• To combat allergies, try a homoeopathic desensitizing programme.
• Try acupuncture.

Have you ever wondered why your skin felt itchy after your shower or bath? Many people experience the same itchiness too but simply dismiss it without giving it much thought. Some people try changing the brands of soap and shower cremes, trying out one after another.

Most soap that you purchase at the supermarket is actually detergent with synthetic foaming agents added to form lots of lather when mixed with water. It is not able to moisturize your skin, as the glycerine of regular soap has been removed during the process of making the soap itself.

No matter how much you shower or lather, there would inevitably be some rough patches of skin around the heels, ankle bone, elbows, knees, and even the the finger tips, around the nails. Some types of moisturizers might help soften the skin for awhile.

There is a gawking difference between natural handmade soap and the regular commercial soap that you buy from the supermarkets. The drastic difference lies in the process of the soap making.

Commercial soap is made in huge quantities, using heat processing methods, as it is a faster way to make soap. The glycerin in the soap is isolated and removed as a by-product of the heat process, and sold separately as a highly expensive beauty product. As a result, the soap itself is devoid of glycerin. Fillers and synthetic fragrances are added to the soap to make it smell very nice. In fact, you can even smell it through the packaging! Though some commercial soap may contain essential oils, but these are ruined as chemicals are added to make the scent stronger. These chemicals and synthetic ingredients in the soap often cause allergic reactions to the skin, ranging from mild itchiness to severe dermatitis, psoriasis or eczema in sensitive skin.

Long term usage and constant exposure to these chemicals and detergent could sensitize your skin and destroy the natural protective layer of the skin, thus making the skin even more vulnerable to environmental stress.

In contrast, handmade soap is made in smaller batches using cold process which retains the natural glycerin inside the soap itself. When you use handmade soap made with natural essential oils and free from harmful chemicals, you will find that your skin texture will improve with regular use. The protective layer of your skin will be strengthened as it is nourished daily with essential oils. People who suffer from sensitive skin will find that their skin will be able to better endure environmental heat, cold and pollution. The natural essential oils would also strengthen and restore their immune system over time.

What is an urticaria?

Urticaria is usually caused by an allergic reaction. It is described as a skin rash that can appear on any part of the body. It can be localized or generalized. It is usually a raised, red, wheal oftentimes extremely itchy.

What causes urticaria?

There are several things that can trigger than urticarial attack. Among them are the following:
Food – the most common cause of hives. Usually lasts less than 6 months and most of the causative factor can easily be pinpointed.
Physical – this is often caused by an inflammatory reaction due to extreme cold or heat. It can be caused by direct skin contact too like jewelleries, watches and even fabrics.
Drugs – most common medicines that cause hives are some antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
Stress – one’s emotional well being is also very important to prevent hives. It is believed that stress causes release of histamine which is the chemical mediator basically responsible for the onset of urticarial attack.

Can it be prevented or treated without drugs?

Certainly, it can be basically prevented and relieved without using medications. Mild to moderate cases can be easily remedied at home. Localized attacks in particular can be controlled to relieve itch and discomfort.

The most important and the easiest way to prevent and treat it, is to relieve stress. Deep breathing and meditations can help a great deal because nothing is more relaxing than a sound mind. When you are relaxing and enjoying yourself, your body comes into more balance and hormonal imbalances that often causes stress will be relieved.

There are a number of natural treatments that are much preferred because it is less likely to have side effects. One of the most effective home remedy is taking an oatmeal bath. It can ease itching and calm down the inflammation. Oatmeal can be mixed with the water for bathing or it can be placed in a nylon stocking and added to the water for bathing.

Adding baking soda and a little cornstarch also does wonders and is also very effective in easing itch. Another common home remedy is the application of ice or ice cold water to relieve the pruritus.

Calamine lotion works to some extent too and is one of the best remedy at home. Another technique is to dab milk of magnesia on the affected part. The milk of magnesia is an alkaline which is much known for its itch relieving property.

Drinking of chamomile or valerian tea soothes the nerves. Drinking it every day may help prevent stress thus prevent urticarial attacks caused by stress. Application of aloe vera and daily Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Zinc intake will also lessen attacks.

If the urticaria is severe or generalized, it is always advisable to seek the help of medical practitioners who are experts in the treatment complicated cases. Relying on home remedy is not sensible and may cause danger to the patient who is suffering from the hives.

Grass allergy is one of the more usual type of allergies which affects persons having its histories during the spring and summer seasons. The grass allergies are related to hay fever as indications and causes are the same.

If you have a grass allergy, you should learn and understand how to live with this allergy so that you could enjoy being outdoors or sitting in your garden. It’s about quality of life.

Symptoms of the allergic reaction
Allergy take place when your body’s immune system over reacts to a substance that it condiders as a potential health danger.

The most typical indication of a grass allergy is sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny nose, what is also called rhinitis. Rhinitis is a condition in which the lining of the nose, back of the mouth and throat is inflamed. The allergic rhinitis is a very common illness that many individuals suffer as a consequence of pollen, dust or other airborne particles.

This rhinitis is caused by an increase in histamine, and this is normally caused by airborne allergens.

Further, many people with a grass allergy also suffer from other types of allergies.

Grass – an allergen
Grass pollen was detected for the first time as probable trigger of periodic hay fever in late 19th century. There are more than one thousand varieties of grass but only a few causes an allergic reaction which could make it difficult to diagnos a grass sensitivity without proper examination.

Grass-like plants are among the most flexible life forms on our planet. Plants having grass-like structures have existed for millions of years. Unluckily, for some of us this makes it pretty hard to avoid exposure to this type of pollen.

Treatments
Essentially there are three kinds of treatments available. The first one is pretty obvious – if you have an airborne allergy to grass, you might try staying away from the grasses that promote your rhinitis. This is often much easier said than done, but you should at least go inside when your neighbor cuts the lawn

The second kind of treatment include medication taken on a regular basis, and among the most effective treatments for hay fever are nasal sprays (antihistaminic and/or cortisone) and antihistaminic tablets. If taken regularly, these medications help you to relieve the allergic reactions caused by the hay fever. This treatment can improve your quality of life considerably.

The third treatment is immunotherapy, a remedy which treats the underlying cause of the allergic reaction. Immunotherapy starts with subcutaneous injections of a small amount of grass allergen, slowly increasing the dose until your body starts to tolerate exposure without producing an allergic response. This is a treatment that can take years to conclude, but the benefits are long lasting.

Although I have a daughter with severe food allergies, I am not a doctor and this article is not medical advice.

The definition of anaphylaxis in the simplest form is some kind of harmful reaction to a food, an insect sting, or exposure to other types of allergens. Anaphylactic reactions often “sneak up” without notice, but understanding the signs and symptoms can teach you to recognize the “red flags” before they become a bigger problem.

Anaphylaxis is a whole body reaction, where after being exposed to an allergen, the body becomes sensitized to that allergen. When that allergen is re-introduced into the body, the body produces histamines to fight it. It is during this reaction that the bodies’ outside signals show what is happening on the inside.

An anaphylactic reaction could begin with tingling sensations, itching anywhere on the body, hives, wheezing, difficulty breathing, vomiting, swelling of the throat, coughing with increased intensity, diarrhea, a drop in blood pressure, nausea, swelling of the mouth and lips, watery or puffy eyes, or difficulty swallowing. It could also include skin redness and irritation, splotchy skin, confusion, anxiety, light-headedness, nasal congestion, and slurred speech.

Anaphylactic symptoms may be mild with only itching, or severe in combination with difficulty breathing, hives, and other symptoms. The symptoms can begin within seconds of a food being ingested, or show up two hours later. They can appear and disappear quickly, then come back several hours after the incident.

In some circumstances, anaphylaxis can be fatal if not treated properly and with quick action.

Children may not be able to tell adults what the specific allergy or reaction may be, and precious time can be wasted if adults do not immediately understand that the child is having a reaction to something.

Children may describe these allergic reactions as the food being spicy (when it is not), the tongue being hot, their mouth feeling funny, or like something is poking or itching their tongue. They could also say it feels like a frog is in their throat, their lips feel tight, like there are bugs in there, or complain that their throat feels thick. Or, simple observations of other signs will tell you.

If at any point you notice any of these signs or symptoms of anaphylaxis or see your child having an anaphylactic reaction, follow your doctor’s instructions on handling the situation. When in doubt, call 911 and take your child to the Emergency Room.

Allergy is thought to be listed at number six of all the chronic ailments that is suffered by the people of the US and so the diagnosis and treatment of allergies is very important as the symptoms make it difficult to lead our life in a normal way. It is better to get checked for allergies at the very beginning as the symptoms just appear. A test is carried to understand the reaction of specific allergens such as foods, medications, pollen or molds to our body. If the result comes out to be positive, this means that the person is allergic to the particular substance and he will show symptoms if he comes in contact with the particular allergen. But the positive outcome of the result does not mean the person is allergic to the particular allergen. It is therefore very essential to rely on the symptoms for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.

The most common tests of allergy are patch test, prick test, blood and oral test.

Patch test is done to find out whether the person is suffering from contact dermatitis or eczema. The allergen is applied for a certain period on the skin. The allergen is kept for thirty minutes on the skin in case of contact dermatitis. The result is positive if the skin turns red, gets swollen or is itchy. The allergen is left for longer period to test for atopic dermatitis.

Prick test is the test which is the oldest and the most suitable and is carried on for more than hundred years. After pricking, puncturing or scratching the skin with the help of a needle, the allergen is kept on the area for 15 minutes. The test is positive if the skin appears to be red, itchy and swollen as that of a mosquito bite. The test is done on the basis of the age, symptom and other features. The test done is evaluated with positive and negative control. Histamine is the positive control. Salt water is the negative control which examines if there is any irritation on the area because of the prick that has been done by the needle. If the outcome is negative and the person concerned has a history of allergy, intradermal test of the skin can be done. This test is not reliable. Diagnosis and treatment of allergies should be done properly.

Blood test or radioallegosorbent test is done to find out the number of antibodies of a certain allergen present. But the result may not be reliable.

Oral test is done by giving the particular food in case the physician is unable to come to a conclusion after performing the above tests.

Diagnosis and treatment of allergies should be done very minutely.

Allergy can be treated by drugs like antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, decongestants, immunotherapy and bronchodilators. These drugs fight the act or works against the histamine effect in allergy reactions. Thus it is very difficult to do the diagnosis and treatment of allergies appropriately.

We all hate the feeling of our skin itching and burning, the embarrassment of red spots on our skin all from a reaction that we are having to something. Skin rashes are more of an embarrassment then they are anything serious. There are several ways that these reactions can occur, the most common of these is dry flaky skin that peels off.

Now this I know does not sound like it is very appealing to listen to let alone have to go through when you are having a reaction. The truth is simply that you want relief and you really don’t care how and where you get said relief.

Now there are several creams out there that will give you temporary relief from your symptoms as well as give you a way to keep this from repeating itself in the near future. There are several things that will lead to a person experiencing an allergic reaction to a certain item. The most common of these triggers is makeup or laundry detergent that a person may have recently switched to in their daily life.

Usually if the reaction is caused by an item that is not related to these items the symptoms will not go away and will continue to get worse as time goes on. If the reaction is in fact being caused by detergent or makeup then just discontinuing use of it will cure the issue.

Your doctor will be able to tell you is the rash you are experiencing is being caused by items that you are using in your life or if in fact you are suffering an allergy to an item that is related to a food that you are eating instead. The doctor will be able to test to see if there is a reaction to something by doing a skin test. This will involve either a on top of the skin or beneath the skin test that will give him and indication as to the exact cause of your reaction.

These are the basic facts that you need to keep in mind when it comes to skin reactions and make sure that you talk to your doctor and tell him anything that you are using in your daily life that might be causing the reaction that you are experiencing.

While skin reactions are not life threatening there is a sense of embarrassment that is experienced buy people who suffer from this on a regular basis. Treatment is usually easy and will not involve that much in trying to get rid of this condition.

There are several tests that can be done to help to determine if a person is allergic to a certain item or food. Many of these test are easy to perform and can help in detecting a problem long before there is a serious problem with a person.

There are usually three different test that can be done to determine if a person is allergic to a particular item. These test usually involve a person having a little of the item placed on the skin or slightly underneath the skin to tell if a reaction occurs.

The first of these test is called a Skin Prick Test. This test is performed by the doctor placing a drop of a possible allergen on the skin, The doctor will then perform a series of scratches or needle pricks in an effort to allow the possible allergen to enter the skin and see if a reaction occurs. If a red spot does in fact develop then this is a sign of a positive reaction.

The next test is called a Intramural test. This test is performed when the doctor injects a small amount of the allergen under the skin. This type of test is more effective when a skin prick test comes back with a negative reaction and the allergen is still suspected. One drawback to this test is that there are usually positive results in a person who has shown no previous symptoms of an allergy.

The last test that can be performed on the skin is called a skin patch test during this test a allergen is placed on a patch which is placed on the skin for 72 hours. This will be a positive result if the area that was in contact with the allergen is red after the 72 hours.

There is another way to test a person to see if they have an allergy and that is is a blood test. This kind of test involves your doctor drawing a sample of your blood and then testing it to see if it contains certain characteristics that would indicate a allergy.

Testing for a food allergy as well as an allergy to certain other environmental issues is a quick and easy procedure that your doctor can easily perform to help you determine if you are suffering from a reaction that is due to a certain food or other environmental issue.