When to see a neurologist for headaches

Do I need to see a neurologist for my headache? This is a frequent question by many patients. Certainly, your family doctor is a right starting point for your headache trouble. However, for migraines, chronic headaches, and troubling symptoms, one may need to seek the help of a neurologist. An average headache does not require a visit to the doctor. Headaches are complicated, with several probable causes and treatments. In general, you need to enlist a neurologist if a headache disrupts your life. After visiting the family doctor, he might refer you to a neurologist for evaluating and treating your conditions. Remember, this does not mean that you have a major problem. Don’t get panic. Visiting a neurologist and getting your illness treated as early as possible is important. 

Headaches are associated with neck pain, sleep disorders, etc. Due to this complex association, primary doctors, in general, refer a patient to the specialists in the fields of musculoskeletal disorders, headache, and sleep. A neurologist is an expert in evaluating and treating such wide array of diseases.

A neurologist is an expert who can help differentiate a migraine from a tension-type headache. Remember, one-size-fits-all fashion does not work here in case of a headache. A headache neurologist can evaluate and recommend a comprehensive approach with medication and non-medication therapies to treat your conditions. 

Sinus headaches, migraine, rebound, tension-type headaches, cluster, autonomic cephalalgias, cervicogenic, need an expert neurologist. Sleep as well as the sleeping position is an important factor in stimulating headaches. It is better to look for a multidisciplinary headache center, with a qualified sleep disorders center, that will be capable of handling and treating complicated headache syndromes. You can find the best neurologist in Bangalore through internet easily.  

A neurologist will examine your condition in detail, and jot down your medical history. Through this examination, the expert will try to find out underlying medical issues that might be causing or complicating the problem and will suggest the treatment accordingly. 

In general, for non-severe headaches, you can see your family doctor, but if you notice some unusual symptoms or even when the recommended treatments are not working well, then it is time to visit a specialist in neurology who evaluates and treats disorders of the nervous system.

You need specialized medical attention for your headache if

• Your age is more than 50, and you have a new type of headache suddenly or chronic headaches.
• You have a headache along with vomiting, nausea, confusion, dizziness, blurry vision, loss of consciousness, or weakness.
• You notice a headache with loss of control of part of your body, vision or speech
• You suffer headaches more than two times a week.
• You find headaches are getting worse with time and no use of recommended treatment by family doctor/primary care doctor.
• You notice a severe and sudden headache as well as stiff neck and fever.
• You have a history of HIV/AIDS and find a new headache. 
• Your headache is making it difficult for you to perform your daily routine.

Seeking for correct aid at the right time is of prime importance. If you notice any of above-mentioned symptoms or any unusual symptoms, then do visit a neurologist without wasting time.

Technology Can Help Child Development

Does your 2-year old seem to love the TV remote even without understanding the concept of television shows? Maybe your child grabs your smartphone at every opportunity. That’s because children have an affinity to technology. In the last few years, companies have launched a range of kids tablets, websites and smartphone apps that have been designed especially for children of different age groups. With these tools at hand, children are increasingly seen using tablets, gaming consoles, laptops and phones.

Most parents wonder how much exposure to technology their children should have and whether screen time would impact their normal development. Technology can be extremely bad or exceptionally good depending on how it is used, says a report by the US National Association for the Education of Young Children. Technology is not harmful, it is the unregulated use of technology that is the cause for concern.

While technology can help during the various stages of child development, it should not completely replace human interaction or physical activity.

The Essentials of Proper Child Development

Broadly speaking, there are four critical elements that contribute towards a child’s overall development:

• Human Interaction: This helps in a child’s social and emotional development. Children who grow up in a loving environment are seen to be more secure.
• Parents who are encouraging and motivating have kids with higher self-esteem and confidence.
• Nutrition: A well-balanced diet is essential to the various stages of child development. Parents often include a fortified milk powder like Enfagrow A+ in their children’s regular diet to ensure they receive the essential nutrients and macronutrients for proper development.
• Physical Activity: This plays a significant role not only in the physical, but also the social development of a child.
• Mental Stimulus: Technology can provide this through what is known as scaffolding, which is very important in the various stages of child development of cognitive skills, says an article in Education.com

How Technology Can Help Child Development

Experts say that technology meant for children should be interactive. So, it’s a good idea to replace their television watching time with something like a kids tablet. Such a device can help in the following ways:

1. Improves Language Skills: These are apps that read out stories, helps learn and trace out the alphabets and increases vocabulary.
2. Improves Hand-eye Coordination: When there are moving objects on a screen that children need to touch or shift, hand-eye coordination is enhanced.
3. Promotes School Readiness: Games motivate children to learn and also encourage them to follow instructions.
4. Increases the Capacity for Visual Attention: Children need to pay more attention to complete tasks in learning games.
5. Enhances Social Skills: Through interaction with different elements (such as children or animals) in a game, social skills are honed.
6. Increases Motivation to Complete Tasks: Apps usually have an applause and/or a virtual reward at the end of each tasks, which encourages children to complete them.
7. Hones Problem Solving Skills: Games based on solving problems or making decisions can significantly boost cognitive development.

Technology also encourages the spirit of exploring, increases exposure to diverse information and help a child develop more dynamic spatial skills.

5 ways to reduce joint pain

We present simple ways to reduce the misery and pain of aching joints, all in the comfort of your home.

Joint pain is a reality for many people today. It can either be rheumatoid (i.e. affecting the soft tissues around joints, thus leading to bone loss) or arthritic (loss of cartilage leading to friction between bones) in nature. But unless the condition is a chronic one or brought on by injury, it is possible to relieve joint pain with simple home remedies.

Try these 5 ways to reduce joint pain:

1. Ginger and turmeric tea. Ginger is known to reduce inflammation and turmeric eliminates infection internally. Thus, a ginger and turmeric tea is a potent brew against joint pain and associated inflammation. The tea must be steeped for a few minutes and made using fresh ginger pieces and powdered turmeric. Have it twice a day till the pain dissipates.
2. Olive or coconut oil. Many ancient cultures used olive oil in a range of medications, but its greatest applications came in pain relief. Extra virgin olive oil comprises of oleocanthal substances (i.e. enzymes that inhibit inflammation) that are found in cold pressed olive oil only. Applying extra virgin olive oil on the site of the pain and gently massaging in circular strokes helps relieve the pain at the joint. Meanwhile, you can warm up coconut oil in a vat of hot water and add a camphor tablet to it. The oil soaks through to the painful joint to provide lubrication.
3. Soak in Epsom salt. Epsom salt soaks are recommended for sportspersons and athletes who are involved in high impact activity. Magnesium sulphate, an anti-inflammatory substance, is the main component of Epsom salt. Add two teaspoons to half a bucket of warm water and soak the painful joint in it till the water becomes cool. Do this every day if you suffer from painful ankles and toes. It has excellent benefits for those suffering from Plantar Fasciitis, sprains and spasms.
4. Take magnesium tablets. Magnesium helps relax the muscles and takes away pressure from painful joints. Unfortunately, our bodies do not manufacture this substance, so it must be ingested via tablets. Taking a magnesium tablet every day relieves joint stiffness and pain, as well as relaxes the muscles. Jointly, these effects promote sleep as well. However, it is advisable to take these tablets on doctor’s orders only.
5. Use a pain relief cream. Often, joint pains are indicative of exhaustion and overwork. It is the body’s way of telling us to kick back and rest for a while. You can relieve your aching joints by using the best joint pain relief cream in the market. It gets to work at once, going to the source of the inflammation and alleviating pain and stress. The best joint pain relief creams today are non-sticky and extremely effective in reducing joint and muscle pain.