Stuttering

Stuttering is a disturbance in the normal speech pattern, and is characterized by repetitions of words, syllables or speech sounds and sometimes the inability to start a particular word. Stuttering generally starts when the child is 3-4 years old, and the child has a normal speech development prior to the onset of stuttering. It can be pretty traumatic for the affected person, and in fact, I had a friend who even attmpted suicide due to the stress.

The causes of stuttering may be broadly considered under three categories: developmental stuttering, neurogenic stuttering and psychogenic stuttering. It is also a well-known fact that some cases of stuttering may be hereditary. However, no gene for stuttering has been found yet.

Developmental stuttering is the most common form, and occurs in children who are in the speech and language developmental phase. The child usually outgrows this kind of stuttering. Neurogenic stuttering occurs due to damage to the central nervous system and may the sequelae of stoke, head trauma, extra-pyramidal disorders, tumors, dementia, and medications prescribed for depression and asthma. Psychogenic stuttering is an acquired speech disorder in adults with psychopathology like mental illness and mental stress.

Although there is no cure for stuttering, it is generally believed that the treatment for stuttering should begin in the pre-school years. There are many treatment options available but currently, only the Lidcombe programme has undergone phase I and II clinical trials. This is a behavioral treatment programme, specifically for children in the pre-school age (less than 6 years).


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The power of Soya

Soybean can truly be considered as a complete food. It contains protein, omega-3 fatty acids,and isoflavones.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that soy lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as raises the level of HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of arrhythmia and/or sudden death. It also reduces the stickiness of platelets, thereby lowering the risk of a heart attack. Soy protein has also been shown to increase the blood levels of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels.

Soy isoflavones could help prevent hip fractures in postmenopausal women. In menopausal women, isoflavones, reduce menopausal symptoms.

The protein and fiber in soybeans can help to control blood sugar level and prevent spikes of rise in sugar levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

High-fiber soybeans and sphingolipid may be able to help reduce the risk of colon cancer as well as some other cancers, including breast cancer, and phytoestrogen in soybeans can prevent lung cancer.

Home remedies for Diabetes

Home remedies are ideal for those with just a marginal rise in blood sugar, and who have been advised diet control. For others, it is best to follow the prescription of your doctor.

*1-2teaspoons of sprouted fenugreek powder (available in market)in a glass of water, 15 mins before B'fast, lunch and dinner,
*Juice of 1-2 bitter gourd (made upto 300 ml of water) taken 100 ml after b'fast, lunch and dinner.
*Powdered cinnamon (1/4-1/2 teaspoon) with black tea.
*High fiber diet (plenty of vegetables, fruits, salads, whole wheat bread etc.)
*AVOID sugar, soft drinks, sweets, fast food, fruits like mangoes and bananas)
*Nutritional supplements like amino acid supplements daily once.
*Instead of artificial sweeteners, you could try natural and healthy sweeteners like stevia

*Last, but not the least, and most importantly, exercise (this could be aerobics, weight training or both). Toning your body with weights help to build muscle and a well-toned body burns more fat. It's also important to regularly keep track of your sugar level with a glucometer.




You can read here about some new advances like inhalable insulin.





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Food pesticides

There is a raging controversy in India about the presence of pesticides in Pepsi and Coke. All being said and done, one should realize that even most of the vegetables, fruit and cereals that we consume are grossly contaminated. For instance, fish is likely to contain a large number of pollutants like mercury. Most of those shiny apples, tomatoes and mangoes are polished to give it that bright and colorful look. Some precautions that you can follow are:

* Wash fruits thoroughly under running water and later with mild soap.
* Do not eat vegetables like carrot raw; peel the skin throughly.
* All vegetables, grains etc should be throughly washed.
* The best bet is to grow your own vegetables! If this is not possible, try organic food. Organic vegetables, fruits etc are grown without pesticides or fertilizers. They are however, more expensive, but a small price to pay for a truly healthy diet. Don't you think so?

The health benefits of massage therapy

Massage helps in blood circulation, stimulates the nerves, which control the blood vessels, and aids in the relaxation of tense muscles and tight connective tissues, which could have a constricting effect. Although massage can be done with just simple massage oil, the use of essential oils, as in aromatherapy, has an additional benefit.

Essential oils are the pure volatile portion of aromatic plant products, normally extracted by distillation and encompass more than sixty kinds of herbal oils. Aromatherapy is the use of such essential oils for therapeutic or medical purposes. In addition to being used to ease aches, pains and injuries, aromatherapy also acts on the central nervous system, thereby decreasing anxiety and depression, reducing stress, inducing sedation, and restoring both physical and emotional well-being. Aromatherapy massage can also be beneficial to the immune system. Eight primary research studies on the effect of aromatherapy massage on anxiety in cancer patients revealed that seven of the studies showed a significant decrease in anxiety after aromatherapy massage.

Massage is also widely employed in Ayurveda. Special oils are used for this purpose. In ayurveda, specific types of massage (uzhichal and pizhichal) are used for different kinds of pains and other medical conditions or just as an energy booster.

Stevia

Stevia is a natural plant, which contains an active molecule called stevioside. Some studies have reported that when administered twice daily, stevioside demonstrated glucose lowering effects in diabetic rat models.

In addition, stevia has no calories, lowers blood pressure and inhibits fat absorption. It is said to be much sweeter than sugar and is available in both powder and liquid form. Further studies of this agent for the treatment of diabetes are underway.

Artificial Pancreas
Inhalable insulin

Symptoms of food allergy

Food allergy is a condition wherein an individual who is sensitive to certain types of food, develops symptoms after eating that particular food. This reaction (IgE reaction) is most commonly associated with cow’s milk (in infants), shellfish, wheat, eggs, nuts, chocolate, certain types of sea-food (prawns) etc.

The acute symptoms include swelling of the lips, itching of the skin (urticaria), asthma or rarely anaphylactic shock and death. Sometimes, the symptoms may be delayed (delayed hypersensitivity) and include: joint pain, fatigue, and altered sensory perception.

If you suspect anyone suffering of food allergy, rush him immediately to emergency.

Steroid-based lung inhalers for asthma patients

Common inhaled steroids include: budesonide, fluticasone, flunisolide, triamcinolone and beclomethasone. There are four groups of inhaler devices:
1. Pressurized MDIs (Metered Dose Inhalers)-the most common device.
2. Inhalers with spacer devices –for children and very old people with incoordination.
3. Dry powder inhalers- each dose contains the medicine in a powder form that has to be sucked in. It is not suitable for children under 5-6 years.
4. Nebulisers- a nebuliser generates an aerosol vapor of the medicine. It is used mainly in hospitals for those with severe attacks of asthma when large doses are required.

Steroid-based lung inhalers reduce the need for oral corticosteroids. Some guidelines recommend steroid-based lung inhalers to be started in any patient whose asthma is not controlled by inhaled bronchodilators. If asthma is not controlled by the standard dose, then it may be increased two-fold or more. The majority of currently available steroid-based lung inhalers require 2-4 weeks of treatment to produce relief. Simultaneously, oral corticosteroids can also be started for faster resolution. The improvements can be maintained d with an inhaler after oral treatment is stopped. One of the most common complication of steroid inhalers is the development of thrush.

Tips for improving indoor air quality to prevent allergies

*Keep your house clean and free of dust.
*Control allergens (pollen from outside, dust mites, pet dander, mold, and mildew).
*Increase ventilation. Use exhaust fans when cooking, showering, and using the dishwasher.
*Maintain a comfortable temperature and low humidity.
*Do not allow smoking in the house.
*Keep your house clean and free of dust.
*Use trigger sprays instead of aerosols.
*Improve air filtration.
*Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom to remove moisture and indoor pollutants.
*Monitor the temperature and humidity in the home. Air-conditioning often helps. Clean the filters regularly.
*Use a dehumidifier to keep the level of moisture at 35-50%. This helps to reduce mold, dust mites, and cockroaches.
*Avoid smoke and combustion products.
*Keep the house clean.
*Inspect the air ducts in your house.

Controlling dust mite exposure for allergy sufferers

To control dust mites, you have to hit them where it hurts the most, i.e., deprive them of their food! They basically survive on dead skin cells. These may originate from people inhabiting the house and from pets in the house. Therefore, your mattress and pillows must be encased in tight covers. This prevents the dead cells from entering in and also prevent dust mite residue to escape from the bedding. Ban pets (especially the furry ones) from entering your house, and especially the bedroom. Kill the existing mites- by washing bedding in water at 120-130 F. Destroy their habitat- by removing carpets or clean carpets by steaming at least once a year. Dust and vacuum regularly- a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter) vacuum is the best. Reduce humidity levels- air conditioners and dehumidifier’s lowers the relative humidity to 50 % or below. Dust mites die because they can't absorb moisture from the air.