Shingles symptoms

Symptoms of shingles appear in phases. In the first phase of symptoms, a person feels uneasiness, has fever and headache. In the second phase, there is a strong itching and pricking sensation on the skin along with mild pain. In some cases, there is extreme pain along with itching.

In a later stage, skin rashes appear on skin in various parts of the body. The parts of the body where the rashes most commonly occurs are face, eyes, hands and neck but can usually appear anywhere.

Shingles treatment

There is no cure for shingles but shingles is treated to shorten the duration and reduce pain and further complications. Shingles treatment includes the following:

• Patients are treated with Analgesics which contains calamine.
• Various antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir.

Shingles prevention

A live vaccine for VZV, marketed as Zostavax is considered to be an effective preventive medication.

Who is it at risk of getting Osteoporosis?

• People with thin frame and structure
• People having a family member with broken bone
• Women with early-menopause
• People who have taken high doses of thyroid, glucocorticoids and other immunosuppresive medications
• People having low-calcium diet
• Physically inactive people
• All smokers and alcoholics
• People who are 50 years of age or older

What are the symptoms of Osteoporosis?

• People cannot realise that they have Osteoporosis until they have broken bones
• Easily prone to fractures even from simple fall or simple actions
• Severe back pain, loss of height, stooped posture and so on
• Women tend to lose their one mass up to 20 per cent due to Osteoporosis

How to prevent Osteoporosis?

• Building bone mass during childhood and adolescence can prevent Osteoporosis
• Taking daily recommended amounts of calcium and Vitamin D
• Avoiding smoking and alcohols
• Taking an annual bone density test

Consult your doctor if you notice any symptoms and follow his suggestions. For more information on Osteoporosis, contact the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).

Acute sinusitis

Acute sinusitis is temporary sinusitis that follows a common cold or flu. It usually stops within 30 days. Acute sinusitis is often associated with a viral or bacterial infection in the upper respiratory. This infection in turn spreads to the sinuses.

The causes of acute sinusitis are bacteria, virus, fungus, nose blowing, scuba diving, medications, and diseased teeth.

When the mucosa is exposed to viruses and bacteria, the mucosal lining swells. The sinus opening is blocked due to the swelling and causes pain. the symptoms of acute sinusitis include headache, fever and postnasal drip.

It is essential to treat acute sinusitis early to prevent the infection from spreading.

Chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis occurs frequently or lasts for longer period. It is generally due to swelling caused by allergies, fungus, bacteria or virus. It is caused by allergies, asthma, temperature and humidity, narrow sinuses, defective mucous membrane, dehydration, weak immune system, hormones, stress, polyps or tumors. Constant exposure to pollen, smoke and chemicals causes inflammation of the mucosal lining of the nasal cavity.

The symptoms of chronic sinusitis are mild and include less severe headache. Nasal congestion and postnasal drip are some other symptoms. Usually there is no upper respiratory track infection and fever in chronic sinusitis.

Proper diagnosis and treatment can cure both acute and chronic sinusitis.

Common symptoms of sinusitis include:

• Stuffy head
• Running nose
• Sneezing or coughing
• Headache which is worse when bending forward
• Itchy nose and eyes
• Bad breath
• Fever, chills and frequent throat clearing
• Face and eye pain
• Pain in the roof of the mouth or teeth
• Stuffy nose
• Postnasal drip from the nose into the throat
• Earache
• Sore throat and hoarse voice
• Swelling of the eye
• Severe headache with vomiting

Sinusitis often occurs with chest congestion. Some people may have all the above symptoms, while some may have only one or two of them.

Sinusitis is a common problem that can be treated with simple treatment. Your physician has to perform diagnosis to determine the causes and appropriate treatment.

Sinuses

Sinuses are air-filled cavities inside the bones of the face. These sinuses drain into the nasal cavity and block it. Blocked sinuses do not drain properly which causes pressure and pain.

Sinuses are the spaces between the bones of the face. When air passes into the sinuses, a fluid called mucus drains into the nose. When mucus cannot drain properly, the pressure of the blocked fluid in the sinuses causes pain.

The sinuses are found in the cheekbones, between the eye sockets, in the forehead, above the eyebrows and deep in the head and at the back of the nose. Each of the sinus pairs have channels that lead to the nose. These channels are narrow and get blocked when the lining is swollen. This lining also called as mucous membrane forms the inner lining of the nose.

The symptoms of sinusitis are stuffy head and nose. Sinusitis is a temporary problem that can be cured with simple treatment.

Here is a list of questions you should ask your doctor, when you are approaching the doctor to get diabetes treatment for the first time.

1. What are the risks of diabetes?
2. What other medial problems will I face?
3. How often should I get my eyes, feet, blood pressure, lipid profile get checked?
4. How often should I get my blood sugar levels checked?
5. What should I do if my sugar levels are higher or lower than the normal levels?
6. What are the medications that I need to follow to treat diabetes?
7. What exercises should I practice for weight loss?
8. How often should exercise?
9. Are my children at higher risk of getting diabetes?
10. What diet I should follow?

Recommended: Take a print out of the above query list before you go to a diabetologist or a physician. It helps!

People with prediabetes should take good care so that they can reduce their risks when their diabetes is confirmed. They should not ignore pre-diabetes condition as they are at higher risk of health problems.

Changing life style is a good option for patients with pre diabetes. They should try reducing their weight by 10%. It is always better to have five hours of physical exercise or yoga per week. Prediabetes patients should not consume alcohol and try to reduce the sodium levels in their body.

A low-fat and fiber-rich is recommended for people with prediabetes. These patients should try to bring their cholesterol and sugar levels to normal levels. If needed, appropriate medication is suggested.

Eye diseases due to diabetes

Diabetes may lead to blurred vision, double vision, eye irritations, black spots, flashes of light, partial or complete blindness.

Diabetes leads to vision fluctuations, cataract in young age, optic nerve failure, and temporary paralysis of eye muscles, double vision and finally blindness.

Diabetes also leads to glaucoma and cataract of your eyes.

Eye care tips

Follow these simple steps to reduce risks of developing eye problems:

Get your retina checked annually: Annual dilated retina check ups are a must for any diabetic patient. The doctor will dilate your pupil to get a clear picture of your retina.

Monitor and control your blood glucose levels: Your blood sugar levels must be under control. Monitor your blood sugar levels by measuring your fasting and post-lunch blood sugar levels.

Maintain normal blood pressure: High blood sugar levels may aggravate the vision problems. So, it is absolutely necessary to maintain normal blood pressure.

Maintain healthy lifestyle: Have a balanced diet preferably rich in vitamin A. Practice regular exercises for your eyes. Smoking and consuming alcohol are a strict no. If possible, try to be a vegan.

Stages of diabetic retinopathy

Here are the three stages of diabetic retinopathy:

1. Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

In the first stage of diabetic retinopathy, the blood vessels in the retina are damaged due to diabetes and start bleeding. As a result, the retina swells and forms deposits known as exudates. This stage may not cause vision problems but may lead to future problems.

2. Macular edema

This is the second stage of diabetic retinopathy. Macula is the part of the retina that allows us to see finer details. The excess fluid and exudates start accumulating in the macula and cause macular edema. This causes vision problems.

3. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy

This the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy where the blood supply of retina is limited. Consequently, new fragile blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina which bleeds easily. This may lead to vitreous hemorrhage which in turn blocks retina and thereby the vision.

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy

Fluorescein angiography and ophthalmoscope tests detect diabetic retinopathy. Unfortunately, a diabetic patient cannot avoid diabetic retinopathy but can reduce the risks of it.

There is no known treatment for diabetic retinopathy. The only method is preventing the disease by practicing safe eye care and controlling diabetes. So, all the diabetic patients out there – beware of this disease and exercise caution! Early detection and proper care is the only remedy for diabetic retinopathy.

The baby gets most of the food from placenta. Hormones from the placenta help the baby grow. But, some hormones restrict insulin production too. This results insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels in your body. The body ceases to produce and use insulin which is needed to convert glucose into energy.

How gestational diabetes affects your baby?

Gestational diabetes occurs in the seventh month of pregnancy. The doctors conduct a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) to diagnose your blood sugar levels. If they are high, your body will need more insulin than the normal levels. If the high blood sugar levels are not controlled, high glucose passes to the baby. This will make the baby’s body to produce more insulin and stresses the baby’s pancreas.

If the baby has high glucose levels, the baby may turn fat, making your delivery (normal and caesarean) difficult. Further, high blood sugar levels in the baby may result in ‘macrosomia’ and breathing problems after birth.

How to treat gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes can be treated by taking insulin shots daily based on the sugar levels in the body. The pregnant mother needs to control her blood sugar levels by taking insulin shots. The insulin injections have to be continued until delivery. 

The treatment also involves food restrictions and regular exercise. Scheduled physical activity helps to control the blood sugar levels in a pregnant woman. Treating gestational diabetes results in safe delivery of the baby. Further, it reduces future complications for the mother and baby.

How to manage gestational diabetes after pregnancy?

After the baby is delivered, the mother has to check her blood sugar levels monthly. In most of the cases, the diabetes ceases after delivery. But, in some cases, diabetes tends to continue even years after the delivery. In this case, the mother has to get checked for type 2 diabetes and take appropriate treatment.

If the mother doesn’t treat her diabetes, her future deliveries might get complicated. Also her natural health gets disrupted. Following certain healthy lifestyle changes might help manage diabetes after pregnancy.