Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a skin condition that results in red and itchy skin. This skin condition is common in children, but it can occur at any age. Chronic eczema can flare periodically and can be accompanied by fever and asthma. It has a wide range of symptoms including dry, red, and itchy skin; small, raised bumps that leak fluid when scratched, and thickened and cracked skin. The symptoms usually appear before the age of 5 and can persist in adolescence and even adulthood. Apart from taking medications and treatments prescribed by dermatologists and doctors, there are home remedies that can be used to treat mild to moderate symptoms of eczema. Some of these are mentioned below: Bleach Bleach has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, which can help in improving eczema symptoms. It is known to kill S aureus, a type of bacteria that causes staph infection on the surface of the skin. It also helps in restoring microbiomes on the skin surface. Dermatologists recommend using half a cup of bleach in a tub full of water. You can soak yourself for up to 10 minutes, and then rinse it thoroughly with warm water. Gently pat the skin dry and apply moisturizer to avoid itchy skin. Aloe Vera gel The gel is derived from the leaves of the aloe plant. It has been in use for centuries to treat a number of ailments, one of which is eczema. Aloe Vera gel contains antibacterial, antimicrobial, wound-healing, and immune-boosting properties that can prevent skin infections. Aloe Vera gel can be purchased from a pharmacy or it can be extracted directly from the leaves of the aloe plant. Make sure to check the gel bought from the store as it can have drying ingredients and preservatives that can worsen the eczema symptoms. Coconut oil It contains healthy fatty acids that can lock the skin moisture and prevent it from getting dry.

Gastritis is a stomach disorder where the stomach lining becomes inflamed. It may happen due to certain foods or bacterial infection. Gastritis can be avoided by shunning certain foods as they help in dealing with the symptoms. Herein, we discuss the foods one needs to have and avoid when suffering from gastritis diet. What to avoid Gastritis symptoms can be aggravated by certain foods. Allergies to foods can cause gastritis and, hence, certain foods need to be avoided as they would trigger symptoms. Spicy foods Spicy food can irritate the stomach and aggravate the symptoms of gastritis. Peppers, chili powder and chilies in general, jalapenos, and spices like nutmeg and clove can cause a wide variety of problems. Spicy foods should be avoided or a least used in moderation. Alcohol Alcohol can aggravate symptoms of gastritis and should be definitely avoided. The stomach lining is adversely affected when Acidic foods Food that is acidic in nature must be avoided. It can irritate the stomach. This includes citrus fruits, coffee, grains, and even tomatoes. Any acidic food affecting a person must be avoided to prevent worsening of the symptoms. Fried and fatty foods Foods that are fried and fatty affect the digestive system. They are among the top causes gastritis and must be avoided. What to eat Food that can kill the bacteria that cause gastritis and reduce inflammation should be consumed. Broccoli Broccoli is rich in a compound called sulforaphane. Studies have shown that sulforaphane can kill H.pylori that cause gastritis. Garlic Garlic is antibacterial and can help to kill H. pylori. It can also reduce inflammation, thus reducing symptoms. Having raw pods of garlic can cause irritation in some people. A helpful alternative is consuming garlic in the form of capsules. Probiotics Probiotics found in yogurt, sourdough bread, and kefir can be very good for the stomach.

Fibromyalgia and its Disbaility Very often misdiagnosed and misunderstood, after osteoarthritis, the second most common musculoskeletal condition that affects a lot of people is fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia disability occurs in the form of joint pain, fatigue and widespread muscle pain along with other disability-like symptoms. Depression and social isolation are the direct implications of fibromyalgia disability. A syndrome is a set of symptoms that exist together and they point towards the presence of a specific disease or an increased chance of the disease developing in the system. The following symptoms occur in the case of fibromyalgia syndrome: Social anxiety Sensitive tender points Depression Widespread pain Decreased pain threshold Debilitating fatigue It has also been noted that women are ten times more likely to contract this disease as compared to men, usually between the ages of 25 to 60 years. While over 12 million Americans have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Symptoms of Fibromyalgia Disability A constant ache all over the body is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia that occurs with other symptoms of crippling fatigue. Feeling fatigued even after a whole night’s sleep is one of the most common symptoms. Deep and restful sleep cycles may also be punctuated by disturbances because of mood swings and occurrence of specific tender points on the body that may be painful to touch is also common. Another common indication of fibromyalgia is unexplained depression. Talking about muscles, it feels like the muscles are pulled or overworked even without any strenuous exercise. Muscles may also experience stabbing deep pains, burns or twitching. Achiness and pains around the back, shoulders, necks, joints and hips that makes it difficult to exercise or sleep is also experienced by some people suffering from fibromyalgia. Some other symptoms that can be considered common to a lot of problems but are indicative of fibromyalgia are:

Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT is a condition where a blood clot appears in a deep vein in the body. When a blood clot occurs, the blood turns gelatinous. A blood clot from deep vein thrombosis is more likely to appear in your thigh or lower leg. But these clots can also occur in other parts of the body. This is a condition called a thromboembolism. Vulnerable age groups The symptoms of deep vein thrombosis appear more commonly in people over the age of 50. Certain physical conditions can also increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis in your body. It’s important to identify the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis early to prevent the problem from getting worse. Once you identify the cause of the problem, it’s easy to seek treatment. The factors which are likely to cause deep vein thrombosis are as follows: Injured or damaged veins Being overweight or obese puts a lot of pressure on the veins in your pelvis and legs. This can aggravate the risk factor. So if you’re obese, keep an eye out for symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. A history of deep vein thrombosis in the family can also make you more prone to it. Placement of a catheter in the vein could also lead to the problem.Women who are taking birth control pills regularly may also experience deep vein thrombosis. If you’re undergoing hormone therapy, you may find yourself experiencing some symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. Smoking is one of the biggest triggers for deep vein thrombosis. Lack of physical exercise, a sedentary lifestyle, and the accompanying obesity risk is another major factor that could lead to symptoms of deep vein thrombosis manifesting at a younger age. Stay Vigilant, Stay Safe People over the age group of fifty should stay vigilant for the early symptoms of deep vein thrombosis.

It is easy to mistake allergy signs for something else entirely – learn how to differentiate allergy signs from other conditions. Knowing the difference between allergy signs and something else may be a tricky prospect. Distinguishing one from the other is not always an easy task. However, it is important to figure out whether you are looking at allergy signs or something that is perhaps worse. This is the only way you can get the right treatment and pain alleviation in a timely manner. For someone who is prone to allergies, it is easy to see allergy signs in pretty much every ailment. A nagging cold is characterized as allergic signs triggered by pollen or mold. You probably end up reaching for the ingredients leaflet on every skin product to ensure that it does not contain anything that will cause your skin to break out into hives. These precautions are extremely important, when you consider that more than 50 percent of Americans test positive for at least one environmental or food-related allergen, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Here’s how you can recognize an allergy at the first go: Inventory Your Symptoms In order to know whether your symptoms are nasal allergy signs or a viral condition, you will need to inventory your symptoms. Distinguishing the problem is important because nasal allergy or allergic rhinitis affects more than 10-30 percent of adults, but the right treatment can help reduce these symptoms and allergy signs in more than 85 percent of these individuals. If you have a fever, joint or muscle pain, and greenish/yellow-colored mucus, you are most likely suffering from a regular cold. On the other hand, if your symptom checklist reads itchy or watery red eyes, sneezing, scratchiness in the nose, throat or ears, as well as clear nasal discharge, take your allergy medication instead.

Do you often have an allergy across seasons? If yes, then you could be sensitive to mold spores as well as other fungi. Mold lives everywhere, and you can accidentally send a lot of spores in the air by upsetting a source of mold. Inhaling spores causes allergic reactions in some people, and this is why many people suffer from symptoms of mold allergy during the monsoons. Although there are various kinds of molds, very few of them can cause an allergic reaction. Most molds grow on fallen leaves and rotten logs, on grain and grass, and in composite piles. Outdoor molds are not active during the winter, and they mostly grow on plants in the spring. At home, this fungus thrives in damp areas, and you can look for it in the kitchen, basement, and bathroom. Let’s have a look at the various symptoms of mold allergy: Symptoms of mold allergies The symptoms of a mold allergy are similar to the symptoms of other types of allergies. Some of these signs include congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itching, and dry or scaling skin. Indoor molds cause allergic reactions throughout the year while spores from outdoor molds are responsible for these symptoms during the summer or fall. When mold spores get into your nose, they can cause signs of hay fever. Sometimes, these spores may get to the lungs and trigger asthma. The chemical released by mold spores causes the symptoms of mold allergy when they get into the lungs or nose. This reaction can happen right away or may take some time. At times, mold allergy causes delayed symptoms, and this leads to worsening asthma and nasal congestion over time. If your symptoms get worse when you expose yourself to a moldy or damp room such as the basement, then this means that you are allergic to mold.

Dry eye occurs when the tears fail to keep the surface of eye adequately lubricated. The risk of developing chronic dry eyes increases with age Consequences of dry eyes range constant eye irritation to significant inflammation and can also lead to scarring of the front surface of the eye. Dry eyes are one of the common syndrome affecting most of the citizens in the country. Common symptoms of dry eye syndrome include burning sensation, itchy eyes, aching sensations, eyes that feel heavy and fatigued, sore eyes, dryness sensation, red eyes, photophobia, and blurred vision. One of the other common symptoms is something that is called foreign body sensation. It is that grit feeling of some object or material in your eye. An odd symptom of dry eyes is watery eyes. This happens because of dryness of the eye’s surface sometimes overstimulate production of a watery component, which is nothing but a protective mechanism. Following are the causes of chronic dry eye syndrome: • A consistent layer of tears on the surface of the eye is essential to keep eyes healthy, comfortable and seeing well. The water content in the eyes keep them moist and washes away the dust, debris, and microorganisms, which might damage the cornea, leading to an eye infection. • Each component of the tear serves a critical purpose. Tear lipids increase lubrication and keep the tear film from evaporating too quickly. Mucin helps to anchor and spreading tears across the surface of the eye. The problem with these components can result in dry eyes. • One of the causes of the chronic dry eye is the Meibomian glands that do not secrete enough lubricating oil to keep the tear film in the eyes from evaporating. • In other cases, causes of the chronic dry eye could be due to lacrimal glands that fail to produce a watery fluid that is enough to keep the eyes sufficiently moistened.

A chronic inflammatory disorder, Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract. It may develop anywhere between mouth and anus. Some brief points regarding Crohn’s disease information are listed below Crohn’s disease usually occurs at the end of the small intestine It appears in patches. This means, the inflammation will not be constant throughout the gastro intestinal tract, it would appear near the rectum and some patches of inflammation would be prominent in the mouth. Crohn’s disease sometimes extends through the entire thickness of the wall Crohn’s disease information available on the internet might confuse the reader as this inflammatory bowel disease has similar symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The main difference between Crohn’s disease is that IBS is a disorder that it affects the muscle contractions of the bowel while Chron’s disease causes inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract. There is no information entailing the causes of Crohn’s disease. Several studies suggest it is caused by some factors that involve genetics, environment, and an overactive immune system. It is a misconception that Crohn’s disease is caused due to eating habits. Crohn’s disease characteristic information states that its severity is different for different people and may vary from time to time. It also depends on which gastrointestinal tract is infected. And since the symptoms vary from person to person, it might be harder to track the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. Some common Crohn’s disease symptoms include: Rectal bleeding Unexplained weight loss Fever Recurring Diarrhea Abdominal pain and cramping with reduced appetite Based on the area of inflammation there are five types of Crohn’s disease: Ileocolitis This Crohn’s disease affects ileum, which is the end of small intestine and colon which is the part large intestine. The symptoms include diarrhea, cramping flowed by pain in the right lower abdomen, and sudden weight loss.

After osteoarthritis, the second most common musculoskeletal condition that affects a lot of people is fibromyalgia, which is very often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Fibromyalgia occurs in the form of fatigue, joint pain and widespread muscle pain among other symptoms. It can easily develop into something that causes social isolation and depression. What is Fibromyalgia syndrome? A set of symptoms is known as a syndrome and when they exist together, they point towards the presence of a specific disease or an increased chance of the disease developing in the system. In the case of fibromyalgia syndrome, the following symptoms occur: Decreased pain threshold Sensitive tender points Depression Social anxiety Widespread pain Debilitating fatigue It has been observed that nearly 12 million Americans are diagnosed with fibromyalgia; it has also been noted that women are ten times more likely to contract this disease as compared to men, and they usually fall in the age bracket of 25 to 60 years. Fibromyalgia symptoms The most common symptom of fibromyalgia is constant ache all over the body and crippling fatigue. One of the most common symptoms is feeling fatigued even after a whole night’s sleep. There may be specific tender points on the body that may be painful to touch and deep and restful sleep cycles may also be punctuated by disturbances because of mood swings. Depression is also a common indication of fibromyalgia. Regarding muscles, it often feels like the muscles are pulled or overworked even without any strenuous exercise. Muscles may also burn, twitch or experience deep stabbing pains. Some people suffering from fibromyalgia may also experience achiness and pain around the back, shoulders, necks, joints, and hips, making it difficult to exercise or sleep. Some other symptoms that are common to other illnesses but may also indicate towards fibromyalgia are: Dryness in eyes, mouth, and nose Abdominal pain Numbness or tingle sensation in feet and fingers Hypersensitivity to cold or heat or both Chronic headaches Incontinence Irritable bowel syndrome Fibro fog or inability to concentrate Overall stiffness The signs of fibromyalgia are very similar to those of tendinitis, osteoarthritis, and bursitis, which are often classified by experts under a type of arthritis and its related disorders.

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. It is caused when the sheath of the nerve cells in the brain gets damaged. The disease manifests itself by affecting movement. Some neurons are responsible for the production of dopamine. When these neurons die, dopamine levels drop. Since dopamine is vital for controlled movement, a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease can experience a range of limited movements. Parkinson’s disease usually occurs in people who are in their 50s and above. However, there have been rare cases of it striking younger people as well. Parkinson’s disease life expectancy is similar to those who don’t have the condition. Late-stage Parkinson’s however, complicates the standard and quality of life greatly. This degenerative disease has five stages. Stage One This is the first dangerous stage of Parkinson’s disease. Life expectancy is normal, and it can be managed with medication. The first stage showcases symptoms of a minimal nature, which go unnoticed most of the time. The most visible symptoms are mild tremors, a change in posture and a change in the way patients walk. There maybe some minor difficulty with speech, but this is on the rarest of occasions. The tremors in early-stage Parkinson’s is usually limited to one side of the body. Stage Two This stage is when the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is more noticeable. The standard of life during stage two deteriorates quite a bit. The manifestation of these symptoms are more rapid; they show much faster than stage one. Tremors begin to become visible on both sides of the body. The change in posture is much more noticeable, and a patient has their walking form degrade enormously. The body begins to experience mild stiffness. The patient may begin trembling, and on rare occasions, a change in facial expressions may start becoming noticeable.

6 FDA-approved asthma medications to know about There is no known cause of asthma; usually, a combination of genetic and environmental factors lead to the condition. Exposure to allergic substances and irritants can trigger asthma symptoms. The triggers and symptoms vary from person to person. Everything from airborne substances like pet dander, mold spores, the common cold, cold air, smoke, GERD, and stress can trigger asthma symptoms. These triggers can induce asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, wheezing or whistling sound when exhaling, coughing attack, or wheezing attack. These symptoms can be alleviated and controlled using asthma medications. There are no complete treatments for asthma, but therapies and medications are used to prevent flare-ups and keeping the symptoms under control. For flare-ups, quick-relief inhalers are recommended. Long-term control of asthma symptoms can be done with certain FDA-approved asthma medications. Fasenra It is a medication used for the treatment of a type of severe asthma called eosinophilic phenotype asthma. This medication is usually prescribed to patients who are 12 years or older. Younger patients whose asthma condition is not under control with current medications have found relieve with the use of Fasenra. It is prescribed along with asthma maintenance medications. The medication lowers the number of severe asthma attacks that require hospital stay or emergency room visits. Additionally, taking Fasenra lowers the daily maintenance dose of oral corticosteroids. Zyflo Zyflo is a leukotriene inhibitor prescribed for the prevention of asthma attacks in adults and children above 12 years of age. Leukotrienes are chemicals released in the body whenever a person breathes in allergens. These allergens make the lungs swell and cause muscle tightening around the airways, triggering asthma symptoms. Zyflo prevents the effects of the allergens on the lungs and respiratory system, thus controlling asthma symptoms.

Menopause is an inevitable phenomenon in any woman’s life that marks the end of menstruation. In general, menopause occurs in women who are 51 years of age or older. This natural condition is often accompanied by a host of unpleasant symptoms that can take a serious toll on the quality of one’s life. Some of the commonly experienced menopausal symptoms are hot flashes, mood swings, sleep problems, fatigue, and vaginal dryness. Good nutrition plays a vital role during menopause and can help get relief from the symptoms and also promote overall health in the years following menopause. Listed below are a few food options that one can eat during menopause to cope with the symptoms and associated complications. Iron-rich foods Iron is a vital mineral that has powerful properties essential for women during and after menopause. One should aim for 3 servings of foods packed with iron to promote overall health. Also, iron is essential to ward off medical conditions like anemia. Including food items like nuts, eggs, vegetables (spinach, kale), and fish in the diet to ensure the daily iron requirements are met is advisable. High-fiber foods The onset of menopause often leads to estrogen deficiency that increases the risk of heart diseases. As per the findings, an increase in the intake of dietary fiber can help lower the risk of heart disease in women. Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is found in abundance in many food items such as fruits, beans, legumes, bread, grains, breakfast cereal, and pasta. One should consume at least 21 grams of fiber per day to prevent menopause from putting them at risk of cardiovascular diseases. Calcium-rich foods During menopause, women experience a sharp decrease in the levels of estrogen, a hormone that plays a vital role in bone health. Low estrogen levels increase the risk of osteoporosis, a chronic bone disease.