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Indigestion refers to an upset stomach; in the medical world, it is also familiar as dyspepsia. When does this happen? Indigestion takes place only when people eat a large amount of food fast and eat food which is not good for them.

Heartburn and indigestion

Heartburn is a condition often triggered by indigestion. This is a burning sensation that travels upwards from the patient’s chest to the throat and neck. This is due to the stomach acid and one gets relief after the acid is released from the stomach. The stomach acid can go up and cause problems in the oesophagus or the food pipe.

There are various over-the-counter pills and tonics available for acidity problems, but never take any medicine without asking your doctor.

Certain pointers

Indigestion is common among adults and kids. Inadequate sleep, stress, drinking alcohol and smoking are some activities that make the indigestion condition worse. With the worsening of digestive problems, ulcers may develop which one needs to avoid. Ulcers are not common among kids, so there is some respite for concerned parents.

Indigestion happens once in a while, with gobbling of unhealthy food that the body does not agree with. See a doctor when indigestion occurs even after you are getting ample sleep, are not stressed and eating healthy. In such situations, it is wise to get yourself examined via stomach x-rays and other tests; you need to know that there is no problem in the digestive tract.

Tricks to avoid indigestion

Eat several meals and in small quantities. It is better than having a few big meals. You can do away with consumption of fatty food, greasy food and fries. It is also not healthy to have too much of chocolates. Find ways to distress your life, if you do not want it to take a toll on your system.

Chew your food slowly and do not gobble food. It is advisable to have food at least an hour before playing or indulging in sports activities. It is also important to stay upright for a minimum of an hour after having a meal.

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Fever is our body’s way of warding off infections. However, is fever good? There is no black and white way of telling good or bad, still mild fever is good theoretically. As long as the temperature hovers around the 101-102 mark, it shows that the body is releasing White Blood Cells (WBC) to fight the unwanted infection. Medication should not be started at this moment. When the temperature goes beyond 102, say to 104 or 105 degree Fahrenheit, then medicines have to be taken to bring down the fever, otherwise the temperature will damage the central nervous system.

A few things can be done to reduce the temperature, for example taking fever-reducing medicines, placing a cool wet cloth on the forehead, undergoing sponge bath in lukewarm water, wetting the head with cold water, and drinking fruit juice. You should stay away from some things in fever. Hot water bath should be avoided; it will only aid in increasing the temperature. Draping yourself in thick blanket also does not help much. Thick clothes usually trap the heat inside your body! Alcohol is a strict no-no; at times, alcohol consumption during fever turns out to be fatal.

Inflammations can also cause temperatures to increase in the body. Ailments like leukaemia, arthritis, kidney diseases can cause body to produce defective WBCs, which fail to fight the infections properly.

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Cleft lip or cheiloschisis and cleft palate, also commonly known as palatoschisis are conditions that can occur in a person together. This is a congenital deformity that is usually triggered by inadequate facial development during the gestation period. What is a cleft? It’s a gap or a fissure and is also referred to as harelip.

When a cleft lip does not affect the palate and is restricted to the lip or till the nostril, it is known as cleft lip. Cleft palate happens when two plates of the skull forming the hard palate of the mouth are not joined completely. In this case, the soft palate is also cleft.

Though common in the lips, clefts can also happen in different parts of the face such as ears, eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead. Cleft lips and palates can be rectified through surgery right after birth. 1 in 600-800 children born have this kind of deformity.

Reasons for the deformity

Often the causes of cleft lips and palates are hereditary. If a person gives birth to a baby with cleft lip, chances are high that the baby may grow up to give birth to another cleft lipped infant. Environmental influences can also be blamed for cleft lip condition. If a pregnant mother is into smoking, drinking alcohol, is ignorant of her diet and intakes less vitamins, the baby to be born can have a cleft lip.

Other environmental factors like the pregnant mother’s exposure to pesticides, organic solvents, nitrate compounds, and lead can also be blamed for this condition. Pregnant women should also refrain from intaking heroine, cocaine and other drugs.

When can it be diagnosed?

Diagnosis is normally done during childbirth by a physical examination. Use of advanced technology in prenatal diagnosis is making it possible for obstetricians to diagnose cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial clefts in the uterus.

Treatment

Treatment is possible for cleft lips and palates with a high success rate. The treatment depends on the severity and type of the cleft. For treating cleft palate and craniofacial clefts, there are some teams which prefer to correct the jaw of the children later when the child is aged 10-12 years; this is to prevent the child from having to undergo repetitive surgeries which may be required when permanent teeth replaces the deciduous teeth. Other teams prefer jaw correction earlier, believing that this way the speech therapy required will be lesser in comparison to a later age.

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High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious health concern and you need to make some healthy changes to your lifestyle to reduce your blood pressure. Try to make the changes in your lifestyle, if you fail to notice any positive effects, you can then depend on medications.

Lifestyle needs to be changed

Start eating fresh vegetables and fruits, which are low in fat content and limit the intake of alcohol, caffeine and sodium. Avoid practices like smoking and tobacco; cigarettes as well as tobacco products have nicotine in them, which constricts blood vessels and increases the rate of heartbeats resulting in higher blood pressure. In case you are obese, it is vital to lose weight with exercising regularly. It is also important to do away with stress in life.

More changes you need to make

Make sure you are using less amount of salt when cooking; salt contains sodium and you need to avoid that for reducing your blood pressure. The intake of sodium should be limited to 2,400 mg. avoid gorging on cheese, potato chips, and bread which contain sodium.

Increase the intake of carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, cabbage, apricots and winter squash in your diet. Garlic is another wonderful thing that lets you reduce your blood pressure. You can also consume seaweeds, as they contain substances that help dissolve the fatty build-ups on your blood vessels and give you a steady heartbeat to get your blood pressure in control.

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A cataract is a covering that develops over the natural lens of the eye. The clouding lies behind the iris and the pupil of the eye and impairs normal eyesight leading to vision problems. The covering called cataract needs to be removed for enabling normal vision.

How does a cataract form?

The major part of the lens in eyes is made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in such a manner that we can see clearly. With age, the protein gets clumped together and forms a cloud over a small area of the lens. With time, this cloud grows larger and makes it impossible to see clearly.

Three types of cataracts

Subcapsular cataract starts forming behind the lens. Diabetic patients as well as people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa or high farsightedness and even people on high doses of steroids are prone to develop this kind of a cataract.

Cortical cataract forms in the lens cortex normally. This clouding extends its spokes from outside the lens towards the centre. Diabetic people are vulnerable to such cataracts.

Nuclear cataract develops in the nucleus, or the centre of the lens.

Why it happens?

It has not been known for sure why cataracts occur. Research and studies are on to find out the reason behind formation of cataracts. Some studies have found that exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun cause cataracts, so it’s advisable to wear broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses when out in the sun.

Diabetes is also an ailment that makes the patient prone to cataracts. Heavy consumption of alcohol, air pollution and cigarette smoke may also result in development of cataracts.

Symptoms

Certain common symptoms associated with development of cataracts include:

- Poor night vision
- Blurry vision
- Colors appear to be faded
- Seeing multiple images or double vision
- Sunlight may appear to be too bright

Detection of cataract

A comprehensive eye test is required for the detection of cataract. Visual acuity test measures the capacity of vision at different distances.

Dilated eye exam uses drops to widen and dilate the pupils and then the specialist examines the retina as well as the optical nerve for damage signs in the eye.

Tonometry detection is the process in which the specialist uses a device to measure the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops can be applied to the eye when undergoing this test.

Treatment

With the symptoms showing, new glasses, magnification, strong bifocals, appropriate lighting and other visual aids can help you see better.

Replacing the clouded natural lens, an intraocular lens (IOL) is placed. This filters out blue light which can be harmful for the eye. Surgery should be the last step when the cataracts have progressed to an extent that your vision is impaired considerably. The surgery is painless and simple and is normally highly successful in restoring vision.

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Sexual dysfunction is not only limited to men, women can also suffer it. Women enjoying sex in the past may suddenly have a painful experience when having intercourse with their partner. Female sexual dysfunction is not a rare case. According to medical reports, 4 in every 10 women, experience at least one sexual concern usually in the later stage of their lives.

Female sexual dysfunction – trauma

Female sexual dysfunction is revealed in the persisting problems that a woman faces in one or more sexual responses. This sexual dysfunction makes a woman depressed and shatters her love and sex life. If a woman finds that her body is having difficulty in responding to sexual intimacy normally, the intercourse will be a bad experience for both the sex partners.

Symptoms of female dysfunction

Sexual problems can be witnessed by women of all ages; women are usually hormonally prone to sexual dysfunction after menopause. The symptoms include:

- Pain when coming in sexual contact or when having intercourse
- Failure to achieve orgasm
- Willing to have sex, but not being sexually aroused
- Not being able to hold onto the sexual arousal when having intercourse
- Very less or total loss of sexual desire

It is to be noted that the aforementioned symptoms do not imply for sure that you are suffering from female sexual dysfunction. Talk to a doctor if you experience such symptoms persistently.

Causes

Physical factors as well as emotional problems may be blamed for sexual dysfunction in women. Physically, a suffering woman may be a victim of hormonal imbalances, yeast infections, post-partum depression, drug or alcohol abuse, or dryness during sex. Diseases like diabetes and multiple sclerosis can also be responsible for sexual problems.

Emotionally, a woman may be mentally stressed, have relationship issues with the sex partner, have cultural issues about intimacy or may have been a victim of sexual abuses previously.

Treatment

Treatment is essential for sexual dysfunction. Women should open out with such problems and talk with the doctor. The treatments that are suggested include:

- Hormonal replacement therapy for increasing the blood flow to the pelvic area post menopause
- Water-based vaginal lubricants can be used for helping women be comfortable during intercourse
- Topical estrogen helps overcome dryness in the vagina when having sex; this is required usually after menopause

Women may also need to undergo emotional or psychological treatments. Good communication and understanding between the two sex partners is essential for a woman to overcome sexual dysfunction. The male partner should be essentially supportive when his female partner is suffering from sexual dysfunction.

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