4 home remedies that can help ease cold symptoms

 The common cold is a viral infection that can be spread by direct contact with someone who has a cold. It can also be transferred from one person to another by way of tiny air droplets released through a sneeze, cough, or by someone blowing their nose. Cold viruses can live on surfaces for several hours, too; you can become ill by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

Typical symptoms of a cold include runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, sore throat, cough, and headache. Symptoms usually last for three to seven days, up to two weeks.

The good news is that keeping up on your overall hygiene, including washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds each time, can help prevent the spread of germs. So can wearing a medical mask over your mouth and nose, much as you would to help prevent COVID.

Although there is no proven cure for a cold, there are ways to get some relief. Here are four remedies that may help.

 Use a humidifier

A humidifier won’t get rid of your cold, but if you have a stuffy nose, it might make it easier for you to breathe. It does this by helping to keep the mucous membranes in the lining of your nose moist. Try to maintain your room’s humidity somewhere between 30 and 50 percent.

Take note, however: Although a humidifier can be a useful tool to generate moisture, it can also spread germs and mold through the air if you don’t rinse and scrub it with dish soap and warm water frequently. Keeping your humidifier clean is especially important for people with allergies or asthma.

Taking a hot shower may help temporarily, too, thanks to the humidity it generates within a closed space

 Gargle with saltwater

When mucus drips into the back of your throat (also called postnasal drip), you may end up with a sore throat, but gargling with salt water may provide temporary relief. Try mixing 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt into 4 to 8 ounces of warm water, and then gargle. While it won’t cure the underlying infection, it’s not likely to be harmful.

 Drink lots of water

Although staying hydrated doesn’t reduce the duration of cold symptoms, it may ease them. Drinking plenty of water can loosen congestion in the throat and maintain your balance of bodily fluids. Maintaining proper hydration can help especially if you feel a fever coming on: Any time you’re sweating out your liquids, it’s important to replenish them. In addition to water, drinking warm beverages such as tea or soup can help relieve congestion.

Always talk to your healthcare provider (HCP) about how much water is right for you. Individual needs vary depending on your activity level, the weather, environmental conditions, and medications you may be taking.

Over-the-counter medications

Unfortunately, there’s no medication proven to cure the common cold. Sometimes, however, nasal decongestant or antihistamine medicines may help a runny nose and sneezing. Some pain relievers can ease discomfort associated with a headache or sore throat, as well, and certain cough suppressant medications could help control short-term coughing.

It’s important to find what works for you. Carefully read product labels and only take medications as directed. Speak with your HCP if you have any concerns about specific drugs. Also reach out to your HCP if your cold symptoms don’t improve or worsen after three to five days.

Roughly boil 500 ml water with 15-20 tulsi leaves, ginger 1" finely chopped or grated, 2 black peppercorns crushed. Once water starts boiling, simmer for 3-4 minutes. Strain it, divide it into roughly 3 parts - 1) drink at once as hot as possible, 1) heat and drink in the afternoon and 3rd heat and drink at night. If the heaviness still persists, repeat it the next day. Sure to get relief.

At the very 1st symptom of heading for cold/ fever, peel and cut a medium size red onion roughly. Keep it in a small cup near you for a week. You'll not get a cold nor  fever.

If you apply daily little mustard oil in your nostrils and rub little oil under your foot, you'll not catch a cold was told by a friend, which they said it is sure to escape from suffering from cold.

Good luck to all to be safe from cold and fever this winter.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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7 Ways to Get Rid of Diarrhea Fast, According to Doctors

In a perfect world, everyone's poops would pop out resembling a smooth, soft sausage and snake around the toilet bowl (you know, according to the famous Bristol Stool Chart).

But the world isn't perfect—and neither are your poops. Of course, you already knew that; a quick look in the toilet on any given day and you can see a variety of shapes, colors, and consistencies—the most undesirable of which? Diarrhea.

Yes, when your poop looks more liquid than solid, it could be for a number of reasons, like bacteria growing in your gut or something you ate the night before just not agreeing with you. That, unfortunately, makes it hard to diagnose.

“Diarrhea can often be challenging to even define,” Amir Masoud, MD, a gastroenterologist at Yale Medicine, tells Health. “Some people regard a change in stool consistency to mean that they have diarrhea when the actual medical diagnosis depends on the frequency of stool.” (According to the US National Library of Medicine, you have diarrhea if you have loose stools three or more times in one day.)

Dr. Masoud points out that most cases of loose stool are self-limiting and that they stop spontaneously. However, others can point to an infection or inflammation. “Worrisome causes should always be considered and ruled out but are usually accompanied by other alarming features,” he adds. The most common of these is blood in the stool. Other associated symptoms to look out for are fevers/chills, abdominal pain, tenesmus (aka, the constant feeling like you have to go poop), mucous in stool, or weight loss. In the case of infections, most are viral—and even most bacterial cases resolve without the need for treatment.

But if nothing else seems off and you think you just have a bad case of diarrhea, there are a few treatments—both medication and home remedies—that may help stop the flow. Here, gastroenterologists weigh in on their favorite ways to stop diarrhea—fast.

1. Try some over-the-counter medications.

If you are suffering from run-of-the-mill diarrhea and there are no obvious concerning findings or complaints, you might want to try heading to the drug store for some over-the-counter relief. “Some simple strategies can help reduce the discomfort associated with loose stool or diarrhea,” says Dr. Masoud.

He suggests over the counter remedies such as pink bismuth (Pepto Bismol) and medications such as loperamide (Imodium). “They may useful in reducing the frequency of stool and may relieve cramping,” he says.

2. Follow the BRAT diet...

Remember mom’s remedy for all your childhood tummy aches? The BRAT diet—an acronym standing for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast —is an old dietary go-to that has sustained the test of time. “Dietary strategies are aimed at bowel rest and therefore following a bland diet can be helpful,” says Dr. Masoud.

3. ...Or at least skip dairy and fried foods for a while.

If you aren’t willing go hardcore BRAT, staying away from dairy—except probiotic-rich yogurt—and heavy fatty foods is almost always a useful strategy, offer Dr. Masoud.

4. Drink your water.

One of the most important tactics with diarrhea is making hydration a priority, points out Rachel Franklin, MD, Medical Director, OU Physicians Family Medicine, in Oklahoma; that's because having diarrhea can be extremely dehydrating.

Consume as much fluid as you can, but avoid dehydrating beverages with sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or prunes—all of which can have a laxative effect and make your bathroom habits worse.

5. Gulp down a sports drink

Most people think of Gatorade as a sports beverage, as it replenishes electrolytes after a workout, helping restore hydration. It works the same way when you have diarrhea. “If the volume and frequency of watery stool is significant, steps must be taken to avoid dehydration,” Dr. Masoud explains. “The most important thing to remember is that with fluid losses also come electrolyte depletion.”

6. Snack on saltines.

In addition to drinking a sports drink, Dr. Masoud suggests munching on a mildly salty crackers. “Saltines are a good choice given the low residue and salt content,” he says. Of course, he warns that if you have high blood pressure or on a salt restricted diet, you should do this in moderation.

7. Consider a probiotic or other good bacteria.

Since diarrhea often involves a whole lot of bad bacteria in your gut, replacing it with good bacteria can be beneficial, according to Dr. Masoud. “Some probiotics have been shown to be helpful in certain cases with the two most studied being lactobacillus and saccharomyces boulardii,” he says.

But it's not just drugstore probiotics—adding good bacteria and probiotic rich foods like yogurt and sauerkraut can also help inspire balance in your sour stomach.

Still, if your symptoms are severe (i.e., more than five or six watery bowel movements a day, and last more than two days), Dr. Masoud urges you to call your physician ASAP. Any cases with blood in stool or fever should be evaluated without delay.“In general it is important to never minimize or brush off symptoms," he says. "It's never a bad idea to contact your primary care physician for direction if you develop a change in your bowel habits."

The best diet is simple home cooked food, which isn't too spicy or oily. Have plenty of yogurt or as buttermilk with rice.Recently we found one of the best remedy for this is- in leftover rice, mash it well, add enough water to cover it and a little more. keep it covered overnight. Next morning, add little salt and yogurt/ buttermilk, so you can easily drink it along with the rice. This not cools your stomach, but also very good for brain functions, as discovered recently by scientists ! Since we started this for hubby, his stomach problem got solved and now both of us are having it religiously each morning before breakfast, just a big cupful each !

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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4 Unexpected Habits That Affect Your Blood Pressure

The American Heart Association recently published a an article listing some surprising lifestyle choices that can raise one’s blood pressure (BP). Selected foods, the supplements you take and how calm you are around your doctor can all potentially affect your blood pressure, and this isn’t even a full list. For more information on the topic, continue reading.

Hypertension is a known as “the silent killer” among medical professionals. It got the infamous nickname because high blood pressure is a primary or contributing cause of numerous serious medical emergencies, as well as over 7.5 million deaths worldwide every year (this is about 12.8% of the total of all disease-related deaths).

As a contributing factor, hypertension significantly increases the risk of stroke, chronic heart failure and heart attack. The risk of all of these serious heart conditions can be significantly lowered with early and continuous BP management.

Over the past few years, the guidelines for hypertension have been modified, and any BP reading over 130/80 is considered to be hypertension.

Habits Leading to Hypertension 
This is how hypertension is classified:

If your systolic blood pressure (the higher number) is between 130-139 and the diastolic one (the lower number) is from 80 to 89, then you have Stage 1 hypertension.
 
Stage 2 hypertension is diagnosed when the systolic measurement is above 140, and the diastolic one is over 90.
 
Any measurement over 180/120 is considered a medical emergency if it is accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pain. In these cases it is mandatory to go to the nearest emergency room and seek medical attention, as the risk of stroke and heart attack is extremely high.

The most important thing to remember is that managing blood pressure is, luckily, an achievable task, and most patients suffering from hypertension can prevent the adverse effects of the disease, if caught early.

Apart from taking medication, a few lifestyle choices can also help manage your blood pressure. Here are some of the major habits that can affect the accuracy of a BP reading and increase your blood pressure. We also wrote previously about some methods of lowering blood pressure.

Habits Leading to Hypertension Foods and Supplements
What we ingest into our bodies influences our health, and some foods, herbs and supplements have been known for increasing blood pressure. Here are the most common ones.

Ingredients found in herb and nutritional supplements, including, but not limited to licorice and valerian root, can raise one’s blood pressure. Bring a bottle of your supplement of choice to your doctor and let him scan the ingredients list for substances that can potentially raise blood pressure.

Some foods can interact with specific medications and hike up your blood pressure, too. A group of antidepressants called monoamine-oxidase inhibitors in combination with tyramine-rich foods, for example, have that specific effect. These foods include aged cheeses, smoked and cured meats and fermented foods (such as soy sauce, kimchi, olives, etc.).

Drinks 
The major culprits are coffee and alcohol, but other drinks containing high levels of caffeine, such as green tea extract and matcha can also be dangerous, as all of the above-mentioned drinks give you an adrenaline boost.

Adrenaline, in turn, raises the systolic blood pressure and heart rate, but decreases the diastolic blood pressure. That's why some people can feel their heart pounding after drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks. Needless to say, this can be dangerous to people whose blood pressure is already too high and especially those at risk of a heart attack.
 
Habits Leading to Hypertension drink
That being said, in most cases, the effect is very dose dependent, and most people won't even notice an adverse effect after drinking a cup of coffee or a drink. For most people with hypertension, it is still acceptable to drink coffee and even some alcohol. Doctors suggest to limit your intake of coffee and alcohol in the following manner:

    Limit caffeine to less than 300 milligrams (mg) a day (2-3 cups of coffee), in a day
    Drink no more than 1 drink if you’re a woman, and no more than 2 if you’re a man.
 
Unreliable Blood Pressure Readings
Some people may end up with unnecessary or inadequate doses of blood pressure medications because of a phenomenon called “white coat hypertension”.

These are the patients who get nervous when they’re at the doctor’s office, which, once again, makes their bodies secret adrenaline and raises their blood pressure. This results in an inaccurate reading and possible a misdiagnosis.

Habits Leading to Hypertension unreliable readings

To avoid this, doctors often suggest measuring your blood pressure at home, possibly even several times, in different positions and at different times of the day. Record the measurements and bring them to your doctor.
How to measure blood pressure at home:
1. Make sure you’re using a reliable device.
2. Prepare for a measurement by emptying your bladder and not smoking or drinking coffee 30 minutes before the reading.
3. For the most accurate reading, take your blood pressure twice: once after sitting down a few minutes before the reading, and another time after standing up for a few minutes. BP measurements while standing are especially beneficial for those who experience dizziness, as a standing position can raise the blood pressure in some cases.
Over-the-counter (OCT) Medications and Birth Control

Few people know that certain OTC medications can spike up your blood pressure.
 
Habits Leading to Hypertension Over-the-counter (OCT) Medications and Birth Control
Some of these include anti-inflammatory medications, such as naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil). Several decongestant medications used for a stuffy nose can also raise blood pressure. A safer option for pain relief would be drugs containing acetaminophen (Tylenol), which don’t usually affect blood pressure.

Prescription medications are also known to increase blood pressure. Such drugs include:

    birth control pills
    immunosuppressants
    steroids
    drugs used to treat cancer and mental illness.

Never stop taking prescription medications without consulting a doctor because it can be life-threatening. Rather, share your concerns with your doctor and they will likely replace your prescription medications with a safer alternative.

In fact, this is exactly why we provide all of this information: for you to get the best treatment and to communicate with your healthcare provider in a comprehensive and intelligent manner.

Disclaimer! All the content in this article is provided for information purposes only, don’t discontinue or start taking any medications without a proper diagnosis by a professional.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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source -H/T: healthline