Alternative medicine has made its way into the lives of so many people. This means of regaining your health has really become popular in all parts of the world. Everything has already been used from roots to buds, from candles to smoke. There are also others who resort to some simple apparatus to correct their ailments. One such equipment is the neti pot.
Oxymetazoline is a decongestant. It works by constricting (shrinking) blood vessels (veins and arteries) in your body. The nasal formulation acts directly on the blood vessels in your nasal tissues. Constriction of the blood vessels in your nose and sinuses leads to drainage of these areas and a decrease in congestion.
Oxymetazoline nasal is used to treat congestion associated with allergies, hay fever, sinus irritation, and the common cold. Continue reading
Laryngitis is the swelling of the larynx or also known as the voice box due to infection or overuse. Inside the larynx where the vocal cords are located, the one responsible in producing sounds through the vibration and movement. However, if the person is affected with laryngitis, these vocal cords are irritated or swollen. Continue reading
When the mucous layer of the inner lining of your nose is all swelled up, then it is very possible that your nasal sinuses are blocked or congested. This could really cause you to have problems with your speech, hearing, sleep pattern, and breathing when you sleep.
In one large study among children aged 15-85 months, the seasonal nasal-spray flu vaccine LAIV (FluMist®) reduced the chance of influenza illness by 92% compared with placebo. In a study among adults, the participants were not specifically tested for influenza. However, the study found 19% fewer severe febrile respiratory tract illnesses, 24% fewer respiratory tract illnesses with fever, 23-27% fewer days of illness, 13-28% fewer lost work days, 15-41% fewer health care provider visits, and 43-47% less use of antibiotics compared with placebo. Continue reading
The seasonal flu shot is a “trivalent” vaccine, which means it contains three influenza viruses. Although the individual strains vary each year, the types of strains selected for the vaccine usually consist of an influenza A strain, an H1N1 strain (not the pandemic 2009 strain) and an influenza B strain. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration also approved a “monovalent,” or single strain, vaccine designed exclusively to combat the pandemic H1N1 strain. Continue reading
There must’ve been some point in your life when you used your voice too much or exposed yourself to the elements most of the time. This results to soreness in the throat area. Although sore throat is indeed one of the most common infections that you can acquire, it is very uncomfortable and very irritating to have. It can be accompanied by a cold or a cough. It may even just come up from a simple throat overuse or weather change.
What if you stop smoking at this very moment? Have you ever thought about the benefits it could cause to your body, to society, and to the environment? Gone were the days when cigarette smoking is a cool thing. Gone were the days when cigarette smoking is legal indoors. Continue reading
Sore throat pain is often characterized as painful and annoying pain of the throat. It is often related to other ailments. Depending on the cause of sore throat pain, it usually resolves on its own while other cases need medications.
Sore throat pain is irritation of the throat that usually worsens when you drink and swallow. It can occur due to several reasons. The simplest reason is shouting or singing for a long period. Depending on the symptoms, it can also be an onset of viral infection or bacterial infection. Sore throat associated with viral infection may be alleviated through home remedies but sore throat due to bacteria like Streptococcus needs antibiotics to avoid rheumatic fever.
Untreated sore throat due to bacteria may result to rheumatic fever in kids. Rheumatic fever is a serious condition that may result to fever, joint pain and inflammation of the heart.
If your sore throat is associated with fever and may have trouble in swallowing. Visit your doctor right away to rule out underlying serious ailments.
The causes of sore throat pain are divided to two main reasons. It can be due to a viral illness or bacterial infections.
Viral illnesses that cause sore throat are:
Bacterial infections that cause sore throat pain are:
Aside from viral illnesses and bacterial infection, other causes related to sore throat pain are:
Sore throat pain symptoms vary according to the cause. Some of the symptoms may include:
Severe symptoms of sore throat related to other ailments may include:
Consult your doctor to see the cause of your sore throat especially if your symptoms do not heal with home treatments.
Sore throat pain due to bacteria or virus is transmittable. The best defense against it is prevention. Preventing sore throat may include:
Sore throat pain treatments vary depending on the diagnosis. Some of effective treatments that may alleviate the discomfort are:
1. Antibiotics
Antibiotics are given if the cause of sore throat pain is bacterial. Antibiotics are taken for 7 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Finish the whole course of antibiotics for failing to do so may worsen your sore throat or it may lead to serious health problem like rheumatic fever.
2. Nasal Spray
If your sore throat pain is related to allergies, you may ask your doctor if you need nasal spray. Nasal spray can help in managing your allergies and sore throat.
3. Saltwater solution
Saltwater solution is the first home treatment for sore throat pain. Put 1 tsp. of salt to warm water and gargle the solution. You can gargle 2 to 3 times a day. This will soothe your sore throat and will lessen the redness of the tonsils.
4. Drink lots of water and fluids
Drinking lots of water may help in soothing the dryness of your sore throat. Aside from water, you may also drink warm broths and soups.
           5. Avoid smoking
Smoking will only worsen your sore throat. It is recommended that you avoid smoking to avoid irritating your throat.
           6. Sore throat lozenges
Sore throat lozenges may temporarily give comfort to your sore throat. Lozenges are for adults but do not give them to children to avoid choking.
Sore throat pain may be simple but it can lead to some serious problem if left untreated. Ask your medical health provider if your symptoms persist more than two weeks.
Asthma is one of those common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes airway hyperresponsiveness, mucosal edema, and mucus production. This hyperresponsiveness and inflammation ultimately leads to recurrent episodes of asthma symptoms which are cough, chest tightness, wheezing, and difficulty of breathing (dyspnea). Asthma is different from other obstructive pulmonary diseases in that it is largely reversible. This can be reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. People suffering from asthma may have asthma symptom-free episodes alternating with acute exacerbations, which can be very dangerous too. Acute exacerbations can last from minutes to days. Continue reading