Meningitis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the meninges surrounding your spinal cord and brain. Its inflammation triggers several symptoms. Some cases of the disease can be treated in a few weeks while others can be fatal and require immediate antibiotic treatment. It is absolutely necessary to seek immediate attention if you suspect meningitis. Early symptoms of the disease may mimic influenza and it may take a few hours or several days for the symptoms to develop. Early treatment for meningitis is key to boosting your chances of survival and can avoid certain complications. Before discussing the treatment methods for the forms of the disease, let’s discuss the common symptoms of meningitis and ways to treat it. Symptoms Most cases of the disease in the country are caused by a viral infection. Other causes include fungal and bacterial infections. Cancer and autoimmune disease may lead to the onset of the disease as well. Here are a few of the common symptoms and signs of the disease for anyone aged 2 years and above. Stiff neck Seizures Severe headache Sudden high fever Sensitivity to light Loss of appetite No thirst Skin rashes Sleepiness or difficulty in waking up Nausea and vomiting Vaccination Getting yourself vaccinated is the key to protecting yourself from the three most common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis. These bacteria commonly affect adults and children alike. Meningitis vaccines can cure certain meningitis causing viruses as well so do try them out. Getting vaccinated is one of the easiest forms of treatment for meningitis. These vaccines though cannot protect you from non-infectious causes of meningitis, which include autoimmune disorders and cancer. Bacterial meningitis and its treatment Antibiotics are generally used to treat bacterial meningitis. You will be treated with one or more antibiotics. These target the bacteria causing the infection.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones weaken and degenerate due to the loss of tissues. As a result, they become brittle and are largely vulnerable to pain and fractures, often leading to disability. There are certain food habits that hasten the process of bone degeneration in patients. Give below are five foods to avoid in the meals made for individuals suffering from osteoporosis plus certain medications for the condition. 5 Foods Osteoporosis Patients Need to Stay Away From Salt When the concentration of sodium in our blood increases, it leads to excessive loss of calcium through the kidneys, which can worsen the process of bone degeneration during osteoporosis. Thus, it is important to limit the amount of salt we consume or the amount of high-sodium foods we include in our meals. Carbonated beverages It has been observed that excessive consumption of carbonated beverages, such as colas and sodas, may have adverse effects on the bone density and bone health in an individual. These contain phosphorus, which has been linked to causing bone degeneration in people with osteoporosis. Moreover, the refined sugars present in such beverages are also considered harmful for bone health since they they cause excessive excretion of calcium through urine. Red meat Animal meat, especially red meat, is known to be extremely rich in protein. However, these animal-based proteins also contain a large amount of sulfur in it. To account for the higher sulfur quantity, the body compensates by excreting calcium, thus compromising bone density in people with osteoporosis. So, it is beneficial to have plant-based alternatives such as nuts, legumes, etc. Alcohol Alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, can be beneficial for the body only when consumed in moderation. However, excess consumption of spirits can have several adverse effects on the body, including loss of bone mass, decreased bone formation, and a heightened vulnerability to severe fractures.

Diabetes is a condition that has affected a large population of the United States and continues to spread rapidly. There are several causes that can be blamed for this and these include unhealthy eating habits, irregular sleeping habits, lack of physical exercise, and more. Diabetes is a disease that triggers the sugar or glucose level in the bloodstream and it is essential to manage diabetes through blood sugar control. The high blood glucose level can be the consequence of an inadequate production of insulin or inability of the body’s cells to respond to the produced insulin. It is also possible for a person to be suffering from both the occurrences. There are several symptoms that indicate that a person may be suffering from diabetes. An individual may begin to experience sudden weight gain or weight loss, tingling in the fingers and feet, the need to frequently urinate, tiredness, and a constant feeling of hunger and thirst. When a person suffers from a cut or injury, diabetes tends to delay and slow down the natural process of healing; this can be considered as the worst symptom of diabetes. This leads to other complicated conditions such as the formation of gangrene that may also be life-threatening. Once a person is diagnosed with diabetes, it is necessary to manage diabetes through blood sugar control or the condition can become worse. There are different types of diabetes and these include Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Prediabetes, and Gestational diabetes. While the first three kinds of diabetes can affect anybody gestational diabetes is one in which the blood sugar increases and affects pregnant women. A diabetic patient may be at a higher risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease. Thus, it is essential to eat healthy and monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly to avoid complications.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance present in every cell of the body. It is essential for the production of vitamin D, hormones, and other chemicals in the body that aid in digestion. Cholesterol is carried throughout the body by low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). For a healthy person, it is important to maintain a healthy balance between the LDL and HDL levels. LDL is also called bad cholesterol while HDL is called good cholesterol. The accumulation of LDL is considered unhealthy as it leads to accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries, blocking them. This, in turn, can lead to severe health conditions like heart attack, strokes, and other ailments like coronary artery disease. The increased level of HDL is considered good as they take cholesterol from other parts of the body to the liver, which removes it from the body. High cholesterol levels in the blood lead to the formation of plaque, which is made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. This narrows the arteries and blocks oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart. This can cause heart attack and other severe health issues. How to reduce cholesterol levels Reducing cholesterol levels require a holistic approach, including healthy food, medication, and healthy lifestyle choices. Following are some of the ways which can help you reduce the cholesterol levels in the body. Eating healthy food Cholesterol can cause multiple health issues such as heart diseases, strokes, and heart attack. While medications can help in reducing the LDL cholesterol levels in the body, making healthy food choices can help the medicines work more effectively. For those who are looking to reduce dependence on medication, including healthy food in your diet is very important. Following is a list of some ‘cholesterol busters’ which can help you reduce cholesterol levels and some foods to avoid, which increases the LDL levels.

Common diseases and disorders cause an imbalance in the natural blood sugar levels in the body. This imbalance increases the risk of diabetes if the body does not produce enough insulin to counter the overproduction of glucose. It is one of the leading health complications faced by people across the country. It mainly results from a lack of glucagon, a hormone that is necessary to maintain and control blood sugar levels. The pancreases are responsible for insulin production in the body which is then naturally released into the bloodstream through the circulatory system. Glucagon production is also essential for three primary functions including the conversion of glycogen to glucose, the promotion of glucose production from amino acid molecules, and reduction in the consumption of glucose for energy breakdown by the liver. Any imbalance will result in diabetes or glucagon deficiency. A large part of the population at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as more and more people now depend on artificial insulin to manage their hormone levels. Artificial insulin injections are effective in countering the overproduction of glucagon, but at the same time, an insulin overdose can result in hypoglycemia. It is a condition that causes blood sugar levels to spike due to excess insulin. One of the main reasons why non-insulin based injections are gaining popularity is to reduce the increased dependency on artificial insulin. Ozempic® is a popular name among brands that manufacture non-insulin based, glucagon-rich medications, that are quite effective in tackling type 2 diabetes. Alternatively known as Semaglutide, Ozempic® is used to lower blood sugar levels and counter the overproduction of the glucagon hormone. Ozempic® is available in the form of an injection. It slows down the speed at which food leaves the stomach, reduces the amount of sugar released from the liver, and increases the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas simultaneously.

What you eat can heal you or make your suffering a lot worse. Chronic inflammation can lead to further complications. So, knowing what food to eat and what to avoid can help prevent inflammation. Anti-inflammatory food Inflammation is an immune response. Injuries, infections, and so on result in inflammation because that is one of the ways the immune system alerts your body’s defense mechanism. The inflammation shows where the action needs to be taken in order to begin the healing process. This is good because it helps you fight off diseases and heal injuries. However, inflammation can also be triggered unnecessarily. There can be causes other than injury or infections. Stress, long hours of work without adequate sleep, heredity, and autoimmune disorders can all cause persistent inflammation without a good cause. Another possible cause is the food you eat. What food to avoid When you are not careful about the healthiness of your diet, you are not only risking obesity, but you may also be making yourself vulnerable to chronic inflammation. Refined sugar and grains, fried food, processed meat, preservatives, artificial color, and flavor additives in your food can contribute to causing inflammation. This type of food can lead to weight gain. The food also has an impact on the good gut bacteria, reducing them and promoting the chances of improper digestion and several other problems. They can also induce inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and so on. They can also worsen conditions like arthritis, causing excessive pain. What food to eat There are many types of food that several research studies have shown to help reduce inflammation. In fact, if you stick to an anti-inflammatory diet, it can give you better results than anti-inflammatory medicines. Here are some food items that fight inflammation:

Almost all of us snore from time to time, which is not a cause of concern. Sometimes a blocked nose may lead to snoring. However, regular snoring at night may hamper the quality of one’s sleep. It can also result in tiredness during daytime, health issues, and irritability. Regular snoring not only affects one’s own sleep but also that of their partner. Loud and excessive snoring may even lead to marital issues. Snoring is not just a nuisance but also causes serious health issues like obstructive sleep apnea. Partial obstruction of your airways causes snoring. Some other common causes are age, obesity, sinusitis, alcohol, sleep posture, smoking, and medications. The good news is that many anti-snoring devices are available for people who have a snoring problem. However, choosing the right one can be quite challenging. Factors to consider while picking an anti-snoring device Anti-snoring devices have gained popularity owing to the growing awareness among people about the ill-effects that snoring has on our health. Choosing the right equipment helps in combating the snoring problem effectively. Here are a few tips to pick the best anti-snoring device: Clinical evidence of effectiveness While choosing the anti-snoring device, one must consider the clinical evidence or expert reviews on its effectiveness. Medical and dental experts measure the effectiveness of these devices and provide data about them. One must consider this data before making a choice. Cost of an anti-snoring device Certain devices may cost much lesser than tailor-made devices. One must carefully evaluate the effectiveness against the price to decide on the right anti-snoring device. Comfortable fit One must feel comfortable and not experience any pain while wearing an anti-snoring device. An individual will only get a good night’s rest if they’re comfortable with using it. Another factor to consider is the design and clinical expertise of the anti-snoring device.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a lifelong condition that affects your quality of life by causing pain and discomfort in your joints. Relieve your rheumatoid arthritis pain naturally by using these remedies. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, in simpler terms, it occurs when the immune system of your body starts attacking the healthy joints. In rheumatoid arthritis or RA, joints on both sides of the body are affected such as both hands, both wrists, or both knees. More common in women than men, RA affects around 1.5 million people in the United States. As this form of arthritis progresses, it can also affect the other organs of the body, namely, lungs, heart, skin, eyes, and nerves. Even though the cause of RA is not yet known, there have been various theories that have been put forward to explain why the immune system attacks the healthy joints. Because RA causes inflammation in your joints, some of the common symptoms of this disorder are stiff joints, fever, swollen joints, fatigue, redness, reduced movement in the affected joints, and joint pain. The rheumatoid arthritis pain varies from one individual to another; some may find it debilitating, while others may describe it as just mildly irritating. There is no single specific test that can be used to diagnose RA, however, doctors do rely on the rheumatoid factor tests as an indication of RA. More than half the people suffering from this type of arthritis have ‘rheumatoid factor’ in their blood, but you cannot say that everyone will this factor will develop rheumatoid arthritis at some point in time. Therefore, it becomes necessary to use this test along with some others to reach an accurate diagnosis of RA. Your treatment plan for RA usually involves a combination of joint protection, medications, exercise, and in rare cases, surgery.

Metabolism is the speed at which your body burns down the calories acquired from food. Slow metabolism rate leads to weight gain and fatigue. And no matter how much you exercise or consume a balanced diet, you won’t be able to get rid of that unwanted fat. Adding metabolism boosting foods in your diet can be a head start in solving this problem. There are several factors that affect metabolism, such as: Age Hormones Stress Gender In addition, metabolism is also affected by the foods we consume. Here are 15 metabolism boosting foods that improve body’s capacity to burn more calories: Chili peppers Chili peppers greatly accelerate metabolic rate by increasing thermogenesis, a process of heat generation in the body to melt the fat. Capsaicin, a chemical found in hot pepper, is known to raise the body temperature and boost metabolism. Coffee The caffeine in coffee is known to improve your metabolism. The dark and aromatic drink helps in quick fat oxidization by increasing the metabolic rate by up to 11%. Also, coffee is a great solution for improving your workout performance as it helps the body to burn fat for energy. Herbs Herbs such as oregano, cilantro, dill, fennel, thyme, and rosemary are packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants negate the effect of free oxygen radicals and improve the body’s metabolic rate. Apple These are a rich source of dietary fiber, flavonoids, and antioxidants. They do not only help in increasing metabolic rate but also reduce inflammation, cholesterol, and improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. Celery Popularly promoted as a negative calorie food, celery is one of the best metabolism boosting foods . When you consume celery, your body cells have to work really hard to break it down, thus increasing your metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories digesting it than the calories actually present in it.

A significant statistic was recently released on the number of Americans suffering from diabetes or pre-diabetes. Over 100 million Americans are suffering from one of these two conditions and this number is only expected to rise with time. Processed food and junk food does us more harm than good and sadly, many people do not know their limits. If you continue to consume junk foods, it will lead to weight gain and you might suffer from either high blood pressure or high levels of sugar in the blood. Why suffer from these diseases in the first place when you can control what you eat? Living a life dependant on pills and medications is not appealing and hence exercising and following a proper diet is essential. Of the many diet plans available in the market today, the 1200 calorie diet plan is quite popular and with good reason. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of this diet plan and help you determine whether it is worth taking up or not. What is the 1200 calorie diet plan? The 1200 calorie diet plan is believed to be very effective when it comes to tackling weight loss. Our bodies require a certain amount of energy to function and in order to maintain a healthy look. We get this energy from the food items we eat and following an intake of just 1200 calories per day encourages the burning of stored fats in the body. Hence, this way, your body will lose weight while compensating for your limited calorie intake. While maintaining the requirement of nutrients, avoiding junk food and maintaining a lowered calorie intake, the body should respond well and help you achieve the weight you dream of. While this will take time, the method is spot on. The details of the 1200 calorie diet are given below:

According to a study conducted by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), nearly 15,414 penis enlargement surgeries are done globally. It has been observed that the demand for penis enlargement techniques has increased since 2011. Although the reason for this is not clear, it seems that penis enlargement surgery is one of the most popular choices when it comes to aesthetic surgeries for men. The desire to enhance or tweak a part of the body is quite an intrinsic part of human behavior. It is not uncommon for people to want to physically change their bodies to fit into the popularly accepted norm of perfection. Driven by this want and demand, medical science has come up with techniques such as creams, oils, capsules, and surgeries to enhance any body part including the penis. The motivation behind undergoing any penis enlargement technique has been an expected enhancement in sexual performance. However, there might be rare cases, when the need for penis enlargement is more than cosmetic. In either case, the results of penis enlargement techniques differ depending on the health condition and other factors. Although it is quite debatable whether penis enlargement techniques really give the results they promise, there are a few enhancement techniques that have been known to be quite popular. Here are some of the popular penis enlargement techniques: Losing weight: Often being overweight can lead to the perception that the penis is not the right size as it ought to be. It appears disproportionate compared to the rest of the body. Being overweight has also been known to have a undesired effect on the function and performance of the penis. By losing excess weight, the shaft hidden beneath excess body fat will be more apparent. Although losing weight does not actually increase the size, it does give an appearance of an enlarged penis.

In the modern world today, many people don’t know about the importance of an insurance policy which leads to various problems. Insurance allows a person to ensure more protection from financial loss during critical situations. There are different types of insurance policies available in the markets which help to overcome risks in life. A medical insurance or health insurance covers expenses for injuries and illnesses that ultimately give ways for reducing the burden. It is a suitable one for individual, family, and employees to gain major benefits. Leading insurance companies offer health insurance plans with best premium rates to save money. The importance of having a family health insurance plan The medical treatments are becoming an expensive one, and many families find it difficult to afford them due to low income and other factors. A health insurance policy will ultimately help to manage them effectively for accomplishing goals in life. Another benefit is that it provides methods for reimbursing the amounts after undergoing treatment in a hospital. Some of the key features of a health insurance policy include cashless treatment, ambulance charges, tax benefits, medical check-up, no claim bonus, co-payment, pre and post hospitalization. A family health insurance plan covers all the members, and the costs are usually high than an individual plan. However, the costs may vary with the gender and age allowing them to receive better care services in hospitals. An indemnity plan can benefit a family a lot which gives ways for accomplishing goals in life. At the same time, it is a difficult one to choose a right plan that exactly suits a family. The following tips can help a family to select a plan at affordable rates. Determining the plan type Most insurance companies provide health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO), exclusive provider organization (EPO), and point of service (POS) plans to families at the best prices for reducing expenses considerably.