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Common Health Problems with Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention

 Change! It can be a good or a bad thing. I know that I have been off the charts lately but I am back to writing blogs and am going to start writing blogs about medicine and biology too! It is a sudden interest spark in me and I am excited about this, so let's move forward.

 

Common health problems such as an Allergy, cold, flu, fever etc are easily treatable but can turn out to be dangerous if not treated in time. Here are some common health problems with symptoms, causes, treatment. I am also going to tell you how to prevent them from happening. Let's Start!

 

Allergies

Allergies are a common response to any allergen which can be in your food, through air etc.

Causes:  Some common allergens are foods such as nuts, eggs, milk etc. It can also be spread through air by pollen which is dust allergy. Some allergies may happen due to direct contact with an insect such as a mosquito. Sometimes if you have an allergy because the weather is too hot and you are sweating and you scratch there, and then scratch at another place, you can get an allergy there too. Sometimes these are just because of weather change. 

Symptoms: Allergies caused through air contain symptoms such as Runny nose, eye irritation, stuffy nose, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy throat etc. Allergies caused through food contain symptoms such as Skin rashes, Gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, excessing gas), Itchiness, difficulty breathing, swelling on the face, Fainting or lightheadedness etc.

Treatment: While medications may help, you should make some changes to your lifestyle too, like keeping your surroundings clean and avoiding contact with the allergen or in case of food, avoid eating it.

Prevention: For pollen allergies, you should avoid to go out when pollen counts are high and keep your windows shut. For food ones, you just gotta watch what you eat.

 

Cold and Flu

Cold and Influenza (flu) are the most common illnesses among children.

Causes: Both of these illnesses are related to your nose, throat and lungs. They are caused by viruses and often are caused because of hand-to-hand contact.

Symptoms: Flu symptoms include Fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit), Headache, Intense pain and fatigue, Cough etc. Cold symptoms include Runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough etc.

Treatment: Seek medical attention if: 

·      A fever of 103 degrees fahrenheit or more (could indicate a serious infection)

·      Cough continues to exist with a significant fever (could trigger pneumonia)

 

·      Sore throat especially if runny nose does not happen (could indicate a strep infection)

 

·      Any cold lasting more than 10 days

 

Here are tips on how to cure a cold at home-

·      Drink lots of fluids.

·      Avoid going out and get more rest than usual.

·      You can drink or eat something cold in a cold, it does not make your cold worse.

·      Eat a well-balanced diet.

·      Avoid taking antibiotics unless prescribed. 

·       Gargle with warm salt-water for sore throat and use nasal sprays for runny nose.

 

Prevention: Wash your hands often. Get regular exercise and eat well. Follow good sleep habits. 

 

 

Headaches

Headaches can be normal if they are occasional but regularly-occuring headaches can be bad. There are 3 types of headaches-Tension-type, Migraine and Cluster headaches. Cluster headaches target 1 specific area of the head, especially the eye. While, migraines and tension-type headaches are more widely common.

 

Causes: Emotional and Physical stress.

·       Fatigue. 

·       Irregular sleep habits. 

·       Skipping meals, Caffeine use, Certain foods such as red wine, chocolate, pickled foods, nuts, aged cheeses etc.

·       Menstruation.

·        Alcohol.

·        Some medicines.

·       Changes in weather, altitude or time zone. 

 

Symptoms: Migraines include: Felt on 1 or more sides of the brain.

·       Lasts several hours.

·       Begins with intense pain on 1 side and then spreads. 

·       light and noise make the headache worse while sleep tends to improve it.

Tension-type headaches include: A feeling of squeezing or pressure

·       Lasts from 30 minutes to days

·       Constant, dull ache.

 Treatment: 

  • Ice pack held over the forehead
  • Hot shower to relax tense neck and shoulder muscles
  • Sleep, or at least resting in a dark room
  • Taking breaks from stressful situations

Prevention: Exercising regularly, sleeping well enough, Eating a nice diet, Improving your posture etc.

 

That was it for the first medical blog, lemme know if you liked it. I feel like it is a nice change and I will still be consistent with my Physics blogs. At least I did something good for you because now you know what to do if any of these symptoms hit you.

 

By,

Deeparsh Bhanot

 

 

 

 

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