Postherpetic neuralgia is a painful skin condition caused by the herpes zoster (chickenpox) virus. Once the shingles start to crust and heal, neuralgia sets in, damaging the nerve endings in the skin. This causes a pain that burns and makes the skin sensitive to even the lightest touch. This condition can last from a few months to a year. People older than the age of 60 years are at a higher risk of developing this complication. Postherpetic Neuralgia Treatment Options Postherpetic neuralgia has no proper medication or treatment. A combination treatment for Postherpetic neuralgia is required in most cases to ease the pain. Medication Although medicines cannot eliminate the pain entirely, still they can work towards reducing it and making it more manageable for you. Initially, your health practitioner may recommend using an over-the-counter painkiller such as paracetamol or combine it with codeine to see its effect. However, these standard pills have been known to be ineffective against treating the condition, and most of the time it is required to explore alternative options for p ostherpetic neuralgia. These postherpetic neuralgia treatment options have been discussed below: Anti-depressants: Medicines such as duloxetine(Cymbalta) and amitriptyline are used to treat depression. As they target chemical reactions in the brain that form the core of pain impulses, they can also be used for treating the shingles pain. These are started off in small doses to work slowly on your nervous system, dulling the senses and providing relief from the pain. Side effects include drowsiness, feeling light-headed, dry mouth, and weight gain. Anti-convulsants: Anti-seizure medicines help stabilize abnormal spikes in brain activity that are caused by damage to nerve ends. Originally intended to treat epilepsy, this type of medication lessens the pain by causing a dampening effect on your nervous system. Pregabalin and gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin) are effective medications that are known to curb the pain sensitivity.

Snoring is very common, and you will find most people snoring once in a while. It happens when you are unable to breathe freely through your nose or mouth when you are asleep. This makes the tissues in the surrounding area of the nose and mouth vibrate and makes a sound. People who snore too much have a loose or floppy tissue that vibrates, and hence it causes a loud noise. The tongue can also be in the way and add to the snoring. There are many reasons for you to snore. Once you find the reason, you can use stop snoring mouthpieces. Common reasons behind snoring Here are a few reasons that might be the reason behind snoring. Age It is a factor that is known to affect snoring. As you reach middle age and beyond, the throat becomes more narrow, and the muscles in the throat weaken. There is nothing much you can do here except make new bedtime routines and try throat exercises to stop the snoring. Overweight Fatty tissues and weak muscles are also known to contribute to snoring. If you are overweight, your neck and throat tissue can be the reason behind your snoring. Exercise can help solve the problem in this case. Sleep posture Sleeping flat on your back can cause the muscles in your throat to block the airway. Stress A long and stressful day can leave you tired, and make you breathe heavily. This may add to your snoring. Other factors Men have narrower air passages than women and so are more likely to snore. Hereditary is also a factor that contributes to snoring. Once you figure out the reason behind snoring, you can find a way to deal with it. If you aren’t able to, you can use stop snoring mouthpieces.

The term diabetes reversal refers to an improvement in the condition of your body’s insulin sensitivity that sustains over a long period. Type II Diabetes 90% of adults have type II diabetes that tends to develop later in life. In type II diabetes, the body fails to produce enough insulin to cope up with the glucose levels in the body. As the body cells don’t react to the insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream, which cannot be used to fuel energy. Type II diabetes mostly ends up becoming a chronic health condition that cannot be cured once it develops. It can only be supervised and managed by combining medication with a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes and fat Eating and drinking more calories than required by the body leads to excess calories that get stored as fat in the liver and under the skin in the abdomen – visceral fat. This visceral fat is a common factor that puts you at a high risk of developing type II diabetes. The fat build-up in the liver extends over into the pancreas eventually. Over time this fat accumulation becomes a hindrance to the organ’s functioning and prevents the pancreas from releasing insulin after meals. This is why, obesity is a more common cause of type II diabetes, which turns into a vicious circle of cause and effect. The pressure on the Pancreas to keep producing extra insulin damages the insulin-producing beta cells. Damage to the beta cells renders the pancreas unfit to keep sugar levels in check, and this turns into a chronic disease. It damages the kidneys, eye retinas and other organs over the passage of time. Diabetes reversal treatment The research for a cure to beat diabetes is still in its infancy, but there seem to be motivating developments in stopping the symptoms of type II diabetes.

A hiatal hernia is a condition when a small part of the stomach slides up through a weak spot in the diaphragm. The stomach acid is pushed into the esophagus causing heartburn and other associated issues. A gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most common symptoms of a hiatal hernia. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing, chest pain, and congestion. Most people don’t show any sign of a hiatal hernia and others who do, experience heartburn. Surgery is not required to treat this condition. Instead, doctors recommend patients to lead a healthy lifestyle by maintaining weight and eating small meals at a time. There are a few foods that must be included in the hiatal hernia diet and a few that should be avoided. The symptoms are sure to subside if you eat healthy food on a daily basis. Foods to include in your hiatal hernia diet Here is a list of foods that you must include in your diet. These foods are sure to help you find relief from the heartburn. Lean meats Lean meats must be preferred over fatty acids if you have a hiatal hernia. Meats that have high-fat content can aggravate the conditions. These include red meats and cold cuts. Go for lean protein sources like codfish and chicken breasts. Bake your meat instead of frying it and use less spice in your foods. Fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet. You get all the necessary vitamins and minerals from them. Fruits that have antioxidants that can help reduce and prevent heartburns. Go for healthy options like raspberries, cherries, and apricots. Acidic and citrus fruits like oranges, tomatoes, and grapes must be avoided. Consume more vegetables to increase your immunity and increase your metabolism. Green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli have plenty of vitamin B and calcium.

The varicose veins are the blood vessels which carry the blood back from the legs to the heart. Many times you must have noticed the blue gnarled veins under the skin. This could probably be a varicose vein disorder. The National Institute of Health reveals that 60% of men and women suffer from the varicose vein problem. Varicose veins disorder starts with the development of spider veins. The spider veins are the soft red and blue tracing of veins that appear on the skin. They look similar to spider webs. Exposure to the sun breaks down the collagen level and worsens the problem caused by spider veins. The varicose vein disorder can be caused by several factors. Hormone disorders play a big part in the occurrence of varicose vein disorder. Birth control pills, puberty, menopause, pregnancy, and the consumption of estrogen and progesterone result in the weakening of vein valves. In pregnant women, blood circulation is increased to make sufficient blood available for the mother and fetus. This causes the veins to bulge. Sitting for longer time intervals on thighs obstructs the blood return to the heart. Generally, the varicose veins that arise during pregnancy subside after three months of delivery. Standing for long hours, aging, and excess weight gain are other causes of the varicose veins. There are many medications and treatments for varicose veins. Luckily, varicose vein treatment doesn’t involve bed rest and hospital stay. This is because varicose vein treatment involves less invasive procedures. Varicose vein treatment methods Sclerotherapy A solution that closes the varicose veins is injected into the varicose veins. The varicose veins fade in a couple of weeks. This varicose vein treatment isn’t painful and can be administered without anesthesia. Foam sclerotherapy A foam solution is injected into the larger veins to close the vein.

Skin rashes can be uncomfortable, hard to get rid of, and embarrassing. They occur in various forms and different parts of the body for various reasons. They can be caused by bacteria, virus, or even fungi. Keeping yourself educated on the types of skin rashes and the reasons why they occur can help you prevent many of them. Here are five types of skin rashes you must know about. Contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is one of the common types of skin rashes that occurs when a person’s skin is directly exposed to the substance they are allergic to. This can also happen with anything else that causes irritation. If it is an allergic reaction, your immunity system will be under attack. A rash will develop, starting from the area of contact. Common reasons for contact dermatitis include poison ivy, soaps, latex rubber, and nickel. Nickel is commonly found in some types of jewelry. Once you figure out what you are allergic to, make sure to not expose yourself to the allergen. Psoriasis Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease where we see skin cells multiplying at a much faster rate. This is one of the types of skin rashes in which the volume of the cells makes the skin look red and patchy with heavy flaking. Psoriasis is usually observed at the elbows, knees, and scalp. There are four types of psoriasis-pustular, guttate, inverse, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Pustular psoriasis is when the patient is observed with red, scaly skin on the hands and feet accompanied by tiny pustules. It is a very rare type of skin disease. Guttate psoriasis can be caused due to a number of reasons from tonsillitis to beta-blocker medications. It usually starts at a young age and the rash is mainly observed on the torso and the limbs.

Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affects the gastrointestinal tract. The inflammation causes abdominal cramps (pain), fever, weight-loss, and diarrhea. In the case of a severe inflammation, the stool is accompanied by blood and the infection spreads deep into the layers of the bowel tissue. Besides the inner infection, other complications such as anemia, skin rashes, lethargy, eye inflammation, and arthritis may occur. The ailment debilitates you and can lead to grave complications if left untreated. The colon, a part of the large intestine and the last part of the small intestine are the areas that are more prone to developing this disease. Crohn’s symptoms and signs Depending on the affected area of the bowel and the severity of the infection, you may develop symptoms that can prolong over weeks and years. In its active state, Crohn’s symptoms and signs include: Diarrhea : Diarrhea is one of the first tell-tale signs. If you have inflammation in the small intestine, you experience a more, watery form of diarrhea. If the infection is rooted in the colon, then diarrhea carries blood with it. When the condition flares up, diarrhea can be severely afflicting. However, when the inflammation goes down, the condition gets better. Rectal bleeding : One of the major symptoms of this IBD is blood that might appear on or in the stool. The blood spots are typically bright red as the bleeding might be from the rectum or the large intestine. Sometimes if the inflammation is too severe you may experience only passing blood. If the bleeding seems to be acute and steady, you need to seek emergency medical attention. Fever/night sweats : People with Crohn’s disease develop a fever as a reactionary step, taken by the body to fight the inflammation flare up. Night sweats develop as the body temperature changes, indicating that the immune system has kicked into action and has actively engaged with the infection in the digestive tract Fatigue :

Dealing with acne can be incredibly frustrating as it can severely affect your facial skin’s health. However, acne is a widespread condition and almost everyone at least once in their life has dealt with it. There are many reasons as to why you could be getting acne on your skin. Read on to know more about acne, its causes, how to treat it and put an end to your woes. What causes acne? Narrowing down the source is not easy, as many factors cause acne. A few of them are: The most common cause is an excessive accumulation of oil in your glands, which in turn clogs your pores and causes acne. Sebaceous glands are the powerhouse of oil production. If you haven’t been keeping your face clean, these pores will get clogged, because your glands continue secreting oil. Stress can cause acne too. When stressed, your hormonal levels get disrupted. This can cause you to have breakouts. Lack of sleep is another common cause of acne. Some people tend to get acne during or around their menstrual period. This is because there are a lot of hormonal changes during menstruation. Using too much cosmetics on your skin, especially ones that are greasy, can clog your pores and cause acne. Also, using a product that is not meant for your skin type can lead to acne. People with an oily skin type have to use products that are meant for oily skin. The same goes for individuals who have dry or combination type of skin. Sometimes, a few medications come with side effects, possibly acne can be one of them. Drugs that contain lithium and androgen especially are known to cause acne. If you happen to take birth control pills regularly, then you might experience acne, as they interfere with your natural hormonal levels.

There is a general misconception that cholesterol is bad for your health and heart. Fat is needed by the body to perform all metabolic functions. Not all cholesterol is bad. The fats that you consume, contain cholesterol in them (the levels differ depending on the food category). And it is the bad cholesterol that plays havoc with your heart health. A high level of bad cholesterol (LDL), low levels of good cholesterol (HDL) are a cause for concern. To maintain ideal cholesterol levels, wherein the levels of HDL is more than LDL calls for a proper diet and active lifestyle. What is good and bad cholesterol? HDL Good cholesterol or HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) is healthy cholesterol that is needed by the body. High HDL levels, not only help in lowering the levels of LDL, they also help in prevent heart diseases and stroke. In fact, when a blood test is done to verify the cholesterol levels, doctors first read the levels of HDL. As long as the HDL levels are greater in proportion, in total cholesterol levels, you’re on the safer side. Numerous studies have proved that low HDL levels increase the risk of heart disease. LDL LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) is bad cholesterol that causes plaque build up along the artery walls, causing blockages and resulting in heart attack. Higher LDL levels put you at a greater risk of having a heart disease. If your blood tests have high LDL levels, it’s time to take measures through diet and exercise which can help in lowering LDL levels. Triglycerides The most common type of fat in our body are triglycerides. The excess energy from the food that you eat, is stored as triglycerides. High triglycerides, low HDL, and high LDL is the potent combination that can lead to heart disease. Impact of cholesterol Excess amounts of cholesterol in the body forms a thick layer in the artery walls.

Testosterone, a hormone generated by the testicles, is required for boosting masculinity and muscle development. An increase in the levels of this hormone during adolescence is the reason why boys develop male characteristics such as facial hair and a deep voice. In addition to this, testosterone promotes red blood cell production, strengthens the bones, uplifts mood, and fosters mental capabilities. The levels of testosterone in the body peak during early adulthood and they begin to decline after the age of 40 years. Beyond the age of 50 years, men may complain of the symptoms of low testosterone levels such as alterations in sexual drive, impotence, anxiety, fatigue, gain in body weight, lowered muscle mass, and anemia. Although a reduction in the testosterone levels occurs as one grows old, it may occur owing to other health conditions such as infections, injuries, cancer treatments, hormonal or steroid drug consumption, stress, obesity, alcoholism, and severe illnesses. Normally, testosterone levels in the body range between 300 and 1000 nanograms per deciliter of blood. Men with levels less than this lower limit are deemed as suffering from low testosterone. This is a major concern for men. Hence one must consider consulting a doctor for low testosterone treatment. Who Needs Low Testosterone Treatment? Every individual diagnosed with a low testosterone level does not require treatment. Indeed, doctors say that low testosterone therapy is needed only when accompanied by several associated symptoms that are severe. Since treatment of low testosterone involves certain risks such as increased disposition towards blood clotting, breast enlargement, acne, and stroke, physicians prefer to identify the cause of reduced blood testosterone levels. If an individual suffers from unnatural weight gain, thyroid disorders, or side effects of certain medications are determined as the cause, these reasons are addressed and treated as a priority. Similarly, if men do not suffer from important symptoms such as decreased energy levels and sexual desires, doctors do not immediately recommend therapy.

Ear infections are most prominent in individuals during the rainy season. High outdoor temperatures such as those exceeding 38 o C could induce ear infections. Children are more vulnerable as compared to adults getting an ear infection. Ear infection symptoms often come into effect in little time. Timely treatment must be considered in case of severe ear infections. Different ear infections have different treatment methods. Symptoms of Ear Infection Pain in the ear Feeling unwell Low energy levels Inaudibility Discharge from the ear Feeling of fullness inside the ear Flaky skin both, in and around the ear Children and babies can have some other symptoms when they have an ear infection. These include: Irritability Restlessness Difficult in maintaining balance Disinterested in eating Tendency to rub or pull ears Let’s run through some of the key differences between inner and outer ear infections. Inner Ear Infections: Children are more vulnerable towards getting an inner ear infection. Most common causes are flu and colds. These affect the ear canal or the tube that connects the eardrum to the outer ear. Outer Ear Infections: Adults are more vulnerable, particularly in the age group of 45 to 75 years. The underlying cause is often something that irritates the ear canal. This may include swimming or a skin disorder like eczema. Outer ear infections affect the eustachian tube. This is the tube that runs from behind the eardrum right up to behind the nose. Basic Do’s and Don’ts while Healing Ear Infection: In most cases, ear infections would heal by itself within 2-3 days, but this depends on the severity of the infection. In the meantime, there are certain things you could do to reduce the discomfort. Do’s If you need to go for painkillers, use paracetamol or ibuprofen. Children below six years should avoid using aspirin.

Inflamed joints are a painful condition. Joint pain due to arthritic conditions like gout is one of the leading cause of pain worldwide. Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that is characterized by the accumulation of uric acid crystals around the joints. The course of gout is recurrent with attacks of inflammation, followed by pain that starts a few hours later. The pain is often severe and of rapid onset. Gout is caused by various genetic and environmental factors. Gout occurs when there is a high level of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid forms crystals and these uric acid crystals deposit around bone joints, tendons, and supportive tissues. Gout was once called “the rich man’s disease” or “the king’s disease” since it was associated with excessively rich diets. With modern diets and prolonged life spans, gout has become increasingly common. Being overweight, eating too much meat, and drinking too much beer increases your chances of developing gout. Gout diet plans aim to ease the symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks. Causes of gout The primary cause of gout is uric acid buildup. In most cases, the underlying reason for overaccumulation of uric acid is underexcretion of urate by the kidneys. Though uncommon, sometimes the reason could be an overproduction of uric acid. Genetic and dietary factors play a huge role in the development of gout. Diets with excessive amounts of meat, seafood, alcohol, and sweetened beverages, increase the risk of developing gout. Gout diet plans include consuming vitamin C, dairy products, and coffee along with moderate levels of physical exercise. Symptoms to watch out for The most defining symptom of gout is recurrent attacks of acute arthritis. The joints become red, inflamed, tender, hot to the touch, and even painful. In half of all cases, the joint of the big toe is affected.