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.

How to find the best neurologist?

Do you have medical symptoms that pertain to the nervous system, brain or spinal cord? Or does someone from your family or friends is suffering from nerve pain? Or has your doctor referred you or someone you love to a neurologist? If the answer to anyone of above question is yes, then you need to see a good neurologist. 

A neurologist is a specialist medical doctor who treats patients who are experiencing challenges with their nervous system, brain or spinal cord. People experiencing nerve pain or problems in sleep habits or behavior are advised to make an appointment with a good neurologist to diagnose the condition correctly. When it comes to visiting a neurologist, the first step is to choose a good neurologist. With so many options available, your search for a neurologist might be a real daunting task. Here are some tips that will assist you in this task:

Determine your needs: determining your needs is a major step to finding a good neurologist. Remember, every person is different and hence, the problems are. So, finding out a doctor who specializes in treating particular kind of disease, is very essential. Referrals are another good option to know a neurologist. Recommendations from your close friends or families can help you make an informed decision. 

Research: With so many neurology doctors available, it might be difficult for you to find the best one for your treatment. However, by investing a little time in research, you can make a well-informed decision. With the advent of the internet, it is now easy to find out the options. Many websites offer listings with reviews and ratings. If you live in Bangalore, you just need to look for the best neurologist in Bangalore, and you will get all the details about the best options available. Nowadays, search engines are flooded with lots of information. You can easily find every type of information using search engines. You can also read reviews to find about the credentials of a particular neurologist specialist. Furthermore, various blog sites also offer information in this regards. Online health forums are also another great way to simplify your search task. Online platforms where people discuss their specific conditions can be an excellent way to find answers to several doubts. You might get great help from such forums. 

Once you shortlist the doctors, you need to cross check a few details.  Verify the credentials before relying on any option. Board certification is one of the most crucial aspects to keep in mind while choosing a neurologist. The certifications specify that the particular doctor has the essential knowledge, training, skills and experience to treat a medical condition and provide healthcare in neurology. Further, a physician must have a license to practice medicine in a particular state of India. Moreover, make sure that the neurologist has no history of disciplinary actions or any malpractice claims. 

Once you narrow the choices, using above criteria, you can further talk to patients of that particular doctor to make sure about his medical performance and skills. This will help you choose a good neurologist to treat your condition.

4 things to do in order to avoid pain in your back

We put our backs under tremendous pressure, often unknowingly. Here are four habits to adopt for better back health.

A painful back has become the bane of modern life. Even young children who spend hours at their study desk are susceptible to it, as is everybody else. However, a niggling back pain is not always the result of an injury – it could just be the result of wrong everyday behaviours. 

Consider these four ways to prevent back pain:

1. Have a good posture. The number one reason for back pain is an incorrect posture. Those sitting for long hours hunched over their computer tend to curve their backs, and hence their spine. In fact, long hours of sitting with the shoulders down can freeze the spine in an unnatural position, and the paining begins. Soon, it develops into a chronic condition. Meanwhile, many people also do not maintain the correct posture when they walk or stand – the shoulders must be back, chest out and spine straight.
2. Sit in a chair with a back rest. Every workplace offers seating to its employees, but not all chairs are ergonomically designed to provide back support. Most chairs have a straight back, which is not useful if one is sitting down for long periods of time. Instead, the back must have a curvature that mimics the alignment of the spine. Also, having a good chair to sit in encourages people to remain seated. Instead, one must walk about periodically, stretch the back and legs, and even do seated neck and shoulder exercises so that the back doesn’t ‘freeze’.
3. Sleep on the side. Sleeping on the back has many disadvantages, the primary one being that tremendous pressure is exerted on the spine in this position. Instead, lie down on your side on a suitably supportive mattress. The pillow must be supported by a firm pillow such that the neck is not lowered below the shoulders. If you are in the habit of sleeping on your belly, place a pillow underneath to support the spine.
4. Get enough exercise. The muscles are meant to receive regular activity, and not getting enough exercise is detrimental to back health. 30 minutes of cardio (walking, jogging, sprinting, skipping, rowing or cycling) is enough to stimulate the back muscles and increase blood flow to tired tissues. Meanwhile, you can lift moderate to heavy weights or do dead lifts to strengthen the back. Another good side effect of regular exercise is that one sleeps better at night.

You can avoid back pain altogether with the above tips, but it helps to have a back pain cream such as Moov, which is a back pain specialist. Moov back pain cream is used by housewives, athletes, sportspersons, officegoers and everyone else who is vulnerable to back pain.

5 FAQs About Milk for Children

As a child grows older, the need for nutrition increases. However, it’s important to remember not to overserve a child, since the portions they can comfortably consume may be almost half of an adult portion. Moreover, studies have shown that young children naturally know how much to eat, says a report published by Virginia State University. Therefore, it is important to pack in as much nutrition in a small portion. Milk is among those foods that can provide ample nutrition even in smaller servings. Here are five important frequently-asked-questions regarding milk for toddlers.

Q1: Is Milk Important for My Child?

The simple answer is yes. Milk is high in calcium, which is very important for your toddler’s growing bones and teeth. Calcium is more easily taken into the body from milk than from vegetables. Milk is also the primary source of protein, vitamins (especially Vitamin A present in milk fat and B).

Q2: How Much Milk Should I Give My Child?

Even though your child has begun to eat more solid foods, milk is essential. However, more than 500ml of milk per day can make toddlers feel too full to eat well at meal times. In order to ensure that your toddler has enough nutrition with a limited quantity of milk, you could try a fortified nutrition powder like Enfagrow A+ which can be mixed with water since it already has milk solids and is also enriched with DHA and other nutrients essential for children between 2 to 6 years.

Q3: What Type of Milk is Best for My Child?

Once your toddler is more than 2 years old, it is not recommended to give full cream milk, which has 4% fat. This is because full cream milk would make toddlers feel too full. So, it would be better to shift to reduced-fat milk, which only has 1-2% fat. However, ensure that the milk you give your child has been pasteurized and homogenized, which kills germs.

Q4: How Important is Calcium for My Child?

Calcium is very important for growing children, since it is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Since your child’s body is growing rapidly, it is essential to ensure there is sufficient calcium in the diet. Children between the ages of 1 to 3 years need about 500mgs of calcium per day, while children between the ages of 4 to 8 years need about 700mgs per day. You could offer your toddler milk and milk products (like yoghurt, cheese, etc.) or opt for a fortified milk powder.

Q5: My Child is an Older Toddler, is Milk Enough for Nutrition?

While milk is essential, it is certainly not enough. Your child needs proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. However, maintaining a balanced diet may be difficult because your toddler has a limited appetite. So, it is a good idea to include a fortified milk powder that is rich in nutrients and is a good source of DHA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that is an important constituent of the brain and the retina, according to a report by the US National Institute of Health.

References:

http://www.milk.co.uk/page.aspx?intPageID=134

 As per ICMR, Indian RDA for both these age groups is 600 mg per day

http://conditions.health.qld.gov.au/HealthCondition/media/pdf/8/78/233/calcium-for-children-v1

5 Things to do to Protect Yourself from Disease-Causing Viruses

Viruses are tiny organisms that may result in mild to severe illnesses in humans and animals. These may vary from the simple ones that cause cold and flu to life-threatening ones like HIV/AIDS. These viruses do not have the chemical structure to survive on their own and thus seek host cells to survive. For this, they enter our bodies through the nose, mouth or skin breaks, and in case our immune system is weak, we get infected by them. Let’s find out about the five things that can help us in illness prevention.

Precautions to Prevent Virus Infections and Illnesses

Different types of viruses impact different cells in our body like a flu or cold virus targets cells lining the respiratory or digestive tracts, while the HIV or Human Immuno Deficiency virus attacks the T-cells or the white blood cells that fight infections. The best way to prevent our bodies from falling prey to various types of viruses is to make our immune system stronger so that our body cells do not allow these viruses to grow and affect our normal functioning. How is this possible? Here are certain tips:

1.      Maintain a Healthy Routine: This means you need to have adequate sleep of 6-8 hours each night. Rest helps our body recover and repair itself. Also, exercise regularly to keep your body fit and active.

2.      Eat a Healthy Diet: Apart from sleep, you need to take care of your diet. Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet to enhance your immunity and make you strong enough to ward off the negative impacts of various viruses. You should exclude sugary or processed foods from your diet, as they can suppress the immune system. Instead, eat a diet rich in colourful foods to ensure you’re getting antioxidants.

3.      Maintain Good Hygiene: One of the best options to avoid catching any viruses is maintaining hygiene. Since your hands are the main carriers of germs, make it a habit to wash them often, especially after using the rest room, working on your laptop and before and after having food. Use an antibacterial hand wash, such as Dettol Antibacterial Skincare Liquid Hand Wash, to ensure that the maximum number of germs are killed.

4.      Clean Surfaces: Keep your work area clean and prevent dust and other particles from settling down on your laptop or phone or any other place in your home and office. Disinfect your home and office spaces regularly with a disinfectant liquid like Dettol Surface Cleaner.

5.      Access to Sunlight: Proper sunlight is a must for every home as the sun rays have the power to kill a lot of germs. Sunlight also provides our body with the highly essential Vitamin D that strengthens our immune system and allows us to fight diseases.

You can ensure illness prevention for yourself and your family with a little attention to disinfection and cleaning. So, get ready to take charge of your lives and prevent yourself from falling prey to common viruses.