Typically, cold and flu are not serious health issues. However, they can often prove to be frustrating as they bring down the body’s energy levels with a range of bothersome symptoms. This can negatively influence your health and even make routine tasks cumbersome. Such conditions can be treated with home remedies, but they might take a considerable amount of time to work. Therefore, to gain quick relief you can use cold and flu medicines. To understand your treatment options better, read further to get a gist of its signs. Identifying cold and flu symptoms You can develop cold and flu separately, or together. However, both of these conditions have different indicators. For instance, cold is characterized by signs such as a sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, chest congestion, cough, mild fever, etc. Moreover, flu symptoms can be comparatively more severe like fever, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, etc. In few cases, patients can also suffer from additional issues like nausea and upset stomach. Although, the occurrence of these signs will differ from person to person. If any of the symptoms persist for more than three to four days, then you should immediately seek medical help. Types of medications for cold and flu Depending on the signs, you can seek the assistance of OTC (over-the-counter) medications or prescribed medications. There is a range of cold and flu medicines that can help alleviate various symptoms. The following are some of the common kinds of cold and medicines that you can consider using. Decongestants – If you are tackling a stuffy nose, then a decongestant might help. This drug shrinks the inflamed tissues and blood vessels in the nose that assist in getting rid of any nasal blockage. You can find this cold and flu medicine in the form of pills, syrups, nasal sprays, and nose drops.

In order to compare Medigap plans, it is important to understand what Medigap plans are. A Medigap plan, also known as Medicare Supplement plan, are insurance plans or policies sold by private companies. Medicare Supplemental Insurance, another term frequently used for Medigap, helps in paying some of the healthcare costs that are not covered by the original Medicare. These costs include coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles as well. Some of the Medigap plans cover services like medical care while traveling outside the US and other costs which are not covered in the original Medicare plan. Thus, it can be said that Medigap plans supplement the original Medicare benefits. Before we compare Medigap plans, it is useful to note that if you buy any Medigap plan, the original Medicare facility will be liable to cover or pay its share or percentage of the Medicare-approved amount for the covered healthcare. The first thing to remember when comparing Medigap plans is that a monthly premium is required to be paid for a Medigap policy. These plans or policies are only available to those who already hold a Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. While Medicare Part A comprises payment for hospital services, Medicare Part B, however, covers the cost for medic services. Typical Medigap plans are branded A through N and include different health coverage levels. Plans E, H, I, and J, however, are no more available to the new subscribers. Usually, the premium required to be paid by the plan holder of Medigap varies, the benefits usually remain the same. For example, the Medigap Plan C policy provides predefined benefits that remain true irrespective of the insurance company that is offering them. However, when one would compare Medigap plans, they should know that the standard Medigap policies would differ in states such as Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin among what is offered by Medigap plans across the country.

Are you suffering from rosacea? Every eczema sufferer might have a lot of questions to ask. The most disappointing fact is that rosacea is a very poorly understood skin condition. Nobody can come up with the exact reasons for this problem, and when it comes to treatment, there is hardly any known cure for this problem. Fortunately, there are options that help you to alleviate the symptoms. Redness-prone skin involved with this condition can be treated using creams for rosacea, and there are prescribed medications and home remedies. Avoid confusion and use good quality skin care products. Most people with rosacea often become hesitant to apply anything on their skin. This is a misconception, and you should not shy away from using skincare products. Applying a moisturizer is a good option, and they help maintain the skin barrier that safeguards you from flares. Good moisturizers keep away the chemical and mechanical irritants to retain the skin health. Follow a simple skin care routine. There is no need to complicate things when making efforts to treat rosacea. You must limit the number of products that you are putting on your skin, and it is always advisable to follow a simple skin care routine. You need to search for products that are uniquely formulated for sensitive or redness-prone skin and these types of products soothe and calm the skin. Use sunscreen religiously. There is no clear understanding of the pathogenesis of rosacea, but there is a unanimous opinion that cumulative sun damage plays a very critical role. You can use sunscreen to prevent the condition in vulnerable patients, and it also helps prevent flare-ups. Identify your flare-up triggers. Every patient has different triggers. It is a fact that certain things work as triggers. For every patient, a specific factor aggravates the condition.

Our body weight completely relies on our legs; hence, we need to take special care of our leg and heel muscles. Excess pressure on the legs causes several ailments to muscles, nerves, and the bones. We are talking about plantar fasciitis; it is a condition in which the thick band tissue of the heel that connects it to the toe inflames and causes excruciating pain and muscle injuries. In this ailment, there is a stabbing pain in the heel every time you touch it to the ground, thereby compelling you to limp. This kind of pain lasts for some time; however, improper care may aggravate as you age. Aging brings with it an additional weakness to different parts of the body; hence, it is always advisable to keep your body healthy with the help of exercise and a nutritious diet. Here are a few remedies you can put to use in case you suffer a stroke of plantar fasciitis. Rest and recoup Sitting or standing for long hours puts immense pressure on leg muscles, particularly the ankles and heels. Sitting for long hours makes the muscle immobile, increasing the pressure on the muscles and nerves. Similarly, standing for long hours also puts pressure on the heel and toe veins, leading to excruciating pain while you walk. Release this stress by doing mild leg stretching exercises. Choose the right shoe Plantar fasciitis largely depends upon the size and shape of your footwear. Wearing the wrong size of footwear will strain the heel ligament, damaging it in the longer run. Choose a comfortable shoe with the help of a shoe size board to help get the correct size. You can also use shoe inserts to add good arch support and a cushioned heel. Shoe inserts help in reducing stress on the heel ligament allowing you a comfortable walk.

Vitamin D is a kind of steroid hormone that helps in escalating intestinal assimilation of calcium and phosphorus thus maintaining the bone structure and keeping the bones strong. Vitamin D is the one vitamin that ensures that our muscles, lungs, nervous system and even our heart is functioning as per the norms and is capable of fighting any infections. A lack of vitamin D in your body will make you weak. The reasons why our body needs sufficient amounts of vitamin D include: • Building immunity • Proper muscular functionality • Maintaining the functionality of cardiovascular system • Maintaining the functionality of respiratory system • Proper brain growth • Preventing cancer • Reduction in weight For prevention of diseases like asthma, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, depression and anxiety, cancer and type-2 diabetes, one must always ensure that the amount of vitamin D in their body is sufficient. Lack of vitamin D can cause a lot of health issues. You need to know about the best vitamin D supplements. The best vitamin D supplements available are listed below: Vitamin D with supplementary cofactors (Source: animals): The major ingredient of vitamin D is lanolin, a form of wax present in sheep’s wool. This is an inexpensive substance and is found in almost all the vitamin D supplements. Animal sourced vitamin D supplements also contain added cofactors that easily penetrate into your cells present in the body. Examples of such cofactors are zinc, magnesium, boron or even vitamin K2. Recommended products: Dr. Cannell’s Advanced Vitamin D which comes in a capsule form and helps in providing the proper functionality of bone and muscular system; it increases immunity, ensures proper functioning of the brain, boosts energy. Vitamin D exclusive of cofactors (Source: animals): The major source of such supplements is lanoline which lies in the best vitamin D supplements, but the difference lies in the fact that such supplements do not contain additional cofactors.

Pneumococcal pneumonia can be considered as a type of pneumonia which infects upper respiratory tract and spreads to lungs, middle ear and nervous system, if not checked in time. This disease causes pneumonia in children who are less than five years of age or adults who are 65 years or older. Elder people are at more risk of pneumococcal pneumonia and can even die in rare cases. People who suffer from some medical conditions including chronic heart ailment, liver diseases, and sickle cell anemia are also at a risk of being infected with pneumococcal pneumonia. Causal Agents Pneumococcal pneumonia is caused by a range of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Streptococcus pneumoniae is also known to cause Pneumococcal Pneumonia. Transmission Pneumococcal pneumonia is spread when a contact with people who are at risk is established. Also, this bacterium is also carried in the throat. The respiratory droplets of the infected person are also known to initiate the spread of Pneumococcal Pneumonia. Children, in particular, carry this bacteria in the throat even when they are not sick. Symptoms of Pneumococcal Pneumonia This infection begins suddenly in a person, and the person might suffer from severe chill symptoms which are followed by high fever, cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing and chest pain. Nausea, vomiting, and headache are other symptoms of Pneumococcal pneumonia. Diagnosis Pneumococcal Pneumonia is diagnosed by the medical health provider based on symptoms, physical examination of the patient and lab tests including some chest x-rays if required. Pneumonia is also caused by other bacteria and germs. If a person suffers from signs of Pneumococcal Pneumonia, the best course of action would be to take immediate medical treatment. Healthcare providers also diagnose Pneumococcal Pneumonia based on the presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria in the blood, saliva or the lung fluid. Treatment of Pneumococcal Pneumonia Antibiotics are usually prescribed the doctor for treating complications related to Pneumococcal Pneumonia.

Affecting 20% of the population every year, constipation is a common problem. The digestive system is in control of breaking down the food so that the nutrients can be absorbed by the body. And when a body is unable to do so, it leads to constipation, a condition of disturbed bowel movements. There are hundreds of foods as well as plant-based fiber products that help relieve constipation. Before discussing good sources of fiber for constipation, let’s first understand what it means. Dietary fiber refers to the non-digestible carbohydrates in plants, i.e., fiber is parts of plants or carbohydrates that are not digestible. Fiber is present in is in all plant foods, such as fruits & vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, and pulses. Dietary fiber refers to non-digestible carbohydrates present in plants. It is usually found in fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, and seeds. Fiber for constipation, by solubility, can be classified into the following two categories: Insoluble fiber – Insoluble fiber is known to attract water into the stool, thus making it lenient and easier to pass with little or no strain on the bowel. In simple words, it acts like a brush, sweeping through the bowels to get waste out and helps in keeping things moving.Insoluble fiber is known to promote healthy bowel movement and regularity when it comes to the passing of stool. Insoluble fiber is found in high quantity in vegetables, wheat bran, and whole grains. Soluble fiber – Soluble fiber softens and is known to produce a gel that is known to aid digestion. Soluble fiber is known to help improve form and consistency of stool. This type of fiber is normally found in nuts, seeds, oat bran, peas, beans, lentils and also in some fruits and vegetables. Foods that are rich in fiber contain a mixture of both soluble and insoluble fiber present in fluctuating proportions.

Let’s start off this article with a critical piece of information that people often do not get right – What is cholesterol? It is an essential element that your body requires to build and replace cells. Seems an important function right? Then the question is why it is conceived to be bad for your health. Well, the fact of the matter is that there are two types of cholesterol Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL (High-density lipoprotein) or we can just put it as a bad cholesterol and a good one respectively. Now the issue arises with your health when you don’t have enough of the good kind or excess of the bad kind. So now let’s discuss how this cholesterol affects your body when in excess or deficit. Though high cholesterol may not have any symptoms by itself, it may lead to very critical problems affecting the blood circulation and heart like a stroke, repeated chest pains and a fatal heart attack, which may also lead to death. Again here one more misconception that needs to be cleared is a difference between a heart attack and a stroke. A stroke is caused when the blood flow is blocked to any part of your brain through a blood clot, on the other hand, a heart attack occurs when blood flow to any part of your heart is blocked through a clot. So if you have a cholesterol problem, what cholesterol treatment options do you have? The answer lies in the mix of things that cause the imbalance of cholesterol levels in your system, focus on them, and you can bring it down to your natural recommended levels. Let’s look at some of the issues what cause cholesterol imbalance and how to control them – Exercise – Lack of proper exercise in your daily routine increases the chances of a cholesterol imbalance in your body.

Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is present in all the cells of the body. The body needs cholesterol to work properly. Before talking about the ill effects of cholesterol, you should know about the two kinds of cholesterol that exist. Cholesterol is carried to all parts of the body with the help of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are carriers of cholesterol. There are two types. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Among these two, LDL is the one that’s unhealthy. It increases the risk of heart disease by clogging up our arteries. Good cholesterol is HDL, and it helps in reducing the risk of heart problems. There are a lot of ways in which you can reduce cholesterol levels in your body. Following are some of the natural ways in which you can do so. Oats Oats is one of the most popular foods when it comes to reducing cholesterol. You can reduce cholesterol levels and your LDL levels and increase your HDL levels significantly by eating oatmeal. Oatmeal is also a food that improves your mood and helps you maintain weight. It is one of the richest sources of fiber. Have oatmeal regularly in the morning as breakfast, to keep you going throughout the day, and keep bad cholesterol at bay. Whole grains Barley, similar to oats and oat bran can help you lower the risk of high cholesterol levels. Whole grains can improve heart health, because of the healthy amount of soluble fiber in them. Okra Okra and eggplant are two of the best sources of soluble fiber. The vegetables play a vital role in lowering the LDL levels in the body. They also help in clearing out the plaque formed in the arteries. Beans Beans are rich in soluble fiber. Beans take some time for the body to digest compared to other food.

Cholesterol is present in your bloodstream and is classified as good and bad cholesterol. High levels of LDL or bad cholesterol leads to atherosclerosis, a plaque build up in the arteries which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. These include angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. If your medical tests reveal, high LDL cholesterol levels, you need to take measures to bring it down. Listed below are ways that help to reduce LDL Cholesterol and keep them within a healthy range. Lose some extra pounds Being overweight can automatically lead to high LDL levels. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and other chronic health conditions. Studies have proved that reduction in body weight does lower the LDL cholesterol levels. Exercising gives your metabolism a boost, and thus increases the fat burning capacity. You can take up low-impact exercises such as jogging, swimming, cycling, and stretching. You can also take up aerobics and running. Following a regular exercise schedule can effectively lower the LDL cholesterol levels by 5% to 10%. Adopt a healthy lifestyle Smoking leads to the formation of oxidized LDL, a potent type of LDL that can lead to atherosclerosis. So quitting cigarettes can considerably reduce your LDL cholesterol levels. Some studies suggest that you will be able to lower the LDL cholesterol levels by almost 5% by kicking the smoking habit. Limited consumption of alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 4% to 8%. However, binge drinking can put you at an increased risk of heart disease. Therefore exercise moderation when it comes to alcohol. Follow the right diet What you eat has a huge impact on your heart health. A nutritious and balanced diet, not only helps you to knock off the excess pounds but also improves your cardiovascular functions.

Fibromyalgia is actually a disorder which leads to harrowing pain and aches all over the body. Fibromyalgia patients tend to have ‘tender points’ throughout the body. Tender points are certain places on the shoulders, arms, legs, hips, back, and neck that gives way to pain when pressure is applied to them. According to studies and report claims, about 5 million Americans right from the age of 18 years and above are affected by fibromyalgia. Surprisingly, women are mostly affected by fibromyalgia. However, this disorder can affect children and men, and it is diagnosed only when the person is mid-age. Fail-Proof Ways to Treat Pain and Discomfort Caused by Fibromyalgia To add to the woes, fibromyalgia can interrupt a happy and healthy life by affecting you with excruciating pain. Given below are recommended fibromyalgia treatment following which you can get relief from the pain and the uneasiness. Pain Relievers Most of you might think of this easy option when it comes to pain. Well, medication is one of the options to reduce the excruciating pain caused by fibromyalgia. After consultation, doctors might suggest you an over-the-counter painkiller such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen sodium. Benefits of using painkillers are listed below: Minimize the muscular aches Reduce inflammation Improves the quality of sleep Other Medications That Help in Lowering the Pain Anticonvulsants Anticonvulsants or seizure medicines are also known to be useful when it comes to soothing the pain. Pregabalin or Lyrica is approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and is said to be the first anti-seizure for treating fibromyalgia. You can also choose to pop in gabapentin, but while you choose from all the given medications, you must also be aware of the various side-effects (mentioned below) linked with it: Weight gain Dry mouth and swelling Dizziness Antidepressants Antidepressants are the best-opined way to treat fibromyalgia pain and fatigue.

The human neck is made up of vertebrae that extend from the skull right up till the upper torso. These cervical discs absorb shock that can occur between the bones. The ligaments, bones and muscles of the neck support the head and allow its motion. Neck pain relief will depend on the type of stiffness and neck pain can be caused by any inflammation, abnormalities, or injury. People experience neck pain or stiffness at different occasions. The most common cause of neck stiffness and neck pain is a bad, poor posture that eliminates lumbar support. Neck pain can also be caused due to an injury, a fall etc. that can occur during high impact physical activity. Most neck pains and stiffness are not a serious conditions, but if not treated and prevented, they can become chronic. Most of these can be fixed within days with effective neck pain relief medications and remedies, but sometimes neck pains and stiffness point towards a serious illness, injury or disorder and may require immediate medical care. Neck pain and stiffness that lasts for more than a week should be or is very severe should be treated by a doctor as a medical emergency. Causes of neck pain There can be a number of reasons that cause neck pain and stiffness. Muscle strain and tension Activities and behaviors given below cause muscle strain and tension: poor posture working at a desk for too long with no changing position jerking the neck during exercise Wrong sleep posture especially the neck region. health conditions like heart attack, meningitis or fibromyalgia A doctor usually performs a physical examination and takes into account the patient’s complete medical history. The doctor should be aware of all the symptoms and any prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications and supplements that have been consumed for providing effective neck pain relief treatment.