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• Causes and Symptoms of Allergy Cough

  An allergic cough involves bronchi inflammation. This inflammation is mainly caused either by any allergen or by something you are allergic to. Most of the times, airway irritants like dust, mold, and pollen can trigger the allergy cough symptoms. This coughing caused by the allergy can not only last for quite a long time but also keep recurring.

  When allergic bronchitis lasts longer than almost three months, it is often known as chronic bronchitis. Along with the emphysema, this chronic bronchitis is also a part of the COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). However, patients may sometimes confuse this allergic reaction with the common cold. Without diagnosing the proper reasons behind the coughing, the right treatment is not possible. Hence, whenever you are experiencing a recurring cough that lasts for a long time, get an appointment with a healthcare professional for the best results. Here is a list of some of the causes behind this allergic cough along with some common allergy cough symptoms.

  Causes for coughing from allergies

  • Usually, the coughing from allergies is caused by the overactive immune system that responds excessively to some specific substances to which the body becomes exposed! When your body mistakes the harmless substances for the harmful ones, it initiates the defense system of the body to ward off those substances resulting in the release of histamine, a chemical that is responsible for coughing, runny nose, nasal passage swelling, and sneezing. As a result, you start to experience the symptoms of having a cold without even catching a cold.
  • If your family already has a history of allergies, you are most likely to develop this allergic cough. According to various medical study reports, if one of the parents has the allergy, there is a 33% chance that the children will have an allergy too. When both the parents are allergic, the chances increase to almost 70%.
  • Many external factors can also influence an allergic cough. Chemical fumes, air pollution, dust, and pollen are some of the other common causes of an allergic cough.
  • Another medical fact is that your body can react differently to different allergens. For instance, it can flag down a few allergens successfully and can defend itself. On the other hand, it can fall prey to some other allergens.

  According to medical professionals, when allergic bronchitis lasts longer than three months, it is usually known as chronic bronchitis. Now, various medical research reports have reflected the fact that the most common cause of this chronic cough is cigarette smoking. The smoke is usually filled with a range of dangerous chemicals. Every time you breathe in the cigarette smoke, the airway lining gets irritated and makes the lungs produce excessive mucus.

  Key symptoms of coughing from allergies
  Though sometimes it is common for patients to mistake the allergy cough symptoms with the common cold, there are differences. The main symptoms of coughing from allergies include

  • A long-lasting cough (for days to months) as long as the allergic substances (allergens) are present.
  • Unlike the common cold, the allergic cough can occur in any season.
  • The coughing from allergies can start suddenly as soon as the patient is exposed to the specific allergens. This is the reason why many people feel like sneezing and coughing while cleaning dust!
  • Other allergy cough symptoms include watery and itchy eyes, sore throat, and a runny nose. However, if you are having body aches and fever along with the aforementioned symptoms, then you might be suffering from a common cold. Usually, the common cold does not last more than 14 days. In case you are still suffering from cold, then there is a chance of having allergies.
  • If you are having an allergic cough, you can suffer from middle ear infections and sinus as well. Though these two are not the direct symptoms, the swelling in the nasal passageways makes the sinuses highly sensitive, enhancing the chances of a sinus infection.

  Usually, with time, the allergy cough symptoms can go away. Many people who are affected by allergies have reported that once they reach middle age, all these symptoms start to become quite less common even if they are exposed to different allergens. The main reason behind it is the immune system weakening along with its inability to produce a strong reaction as before.

  Sometimes, people do not pay much attention to this allergic cough thinking that it will go away with time. Also, some take medications without consulting a doctor, which is not advisable. Untreated allergic cough can develop into asthma problems. Hence, even if you are experiencing mild allergy cough symptoms, it is advisable to get medical attention to avoid further complications.

• Symptoms and management options for GEP-NETs

  Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, commonly known as GEP-NETs, are cancerous tumors that develop in the pancreas or other digestive areas, such as the small intestine, rectum, stomach, appendix, or colon. These tumors generally grow in the hormone-producing neuroendocrine cells. Like most other cancers, GEP-NETs are hard to detect in their initial stages. If undetected for a long time, the tumors can turn malignant and spread to other parts of a person’s body.

  Symptoms
  Healthcare and oncology experts identify this health condition by the following symptoms:

  Diarrhea
  People with GEP-NETs frequently have secretory diarrhea, meaning they defecate large-volume stools. The frequent passage of stools causes bleeding, fever, dramatic muscle loss, a lack of sleep, and severe pain in the lower abdominal area. Abdominal pain is usually caused due to the blockages brought about in a person’s intestines.

  Headaches
  While headaches are not the most common symptom, many patients experience them. As specified earlier, GEP-NETs tend to affect one’s hormonal glands. In many cases, this causes unregulated hormone production, which constricts blood vessels in and around the head and other areas. This constriction, in turn, causes headaches.

  Vomiting
  The tumors affect the digestive system’s ability to function normally. Hence, patients commonly experience nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, and vomiting.

  Fatigue
  Besides the digestive system, most cancers affect blood circulation. Since blood is the primary oxygen carrier to all body parts, patients feel tired more often with improper circulation. One may feel exhausted even after performing simple tasks, such as walking a few steps or climbing some stairs.

  Treatment options
  Doctors recommend treatments to stop the spread of cancerous cells to other body parts or inhibit the hormone production symptoms. Surgery may also be suggested to remove the tumor. Some useful treatment alternatives are:

  Cryoablation
  In this procedure, doctors insert a thin needle called a cryoprobe into the skin to destroy the cancer cells by freezing them. It tends to stop rapid and aggressive cell growth in patients.

  Radiofrequency ablation
  This treatment is like cryoablation, but instead of cold temperature, radiofrequency ablation uses high-voltage radio waves to kill cancer cells.

  Tumor debulking
  In this treatment, doctors surgically remove the parts of a tumor that produce excessive amounts of hormones.

  Foods to eat
  Healthy food habits can help prevent the development of neuroendocrine tumors or reduce the severity of the symptoms. Healthcare experts recommend patients eat small meals every two hours or so for nourishment instead of a few large meals.

  Choosing the right foods is also essential. Doctors recommend high-protein foods like meat, soya, eggs, beans, legumes, and tofu. Full-fat milk and smoothies rich in fats are also suitable for GEP-NET patients. In addition, one should consider antioxidant-rich foods like broccoli, spinach, and kale to address the internal inflammation caused by cancer.

  It is advisable to consult a healthcare professional before making drastic changes to the daily meals or eating schedules.

• 6 Tips to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally

  The amount of processed food and junk food consumed today has led to an unprecedented rise in the number of diabetic cases and cases of high blood pressure in the country. While enjoying a little sugar and spice in your lives is not forbidden, you must prioritize your health first. Maintaining a healthy diet can go a long way in ensuring that you do not have to depend on medications and tablets all your life. Excessive intake of processed food and salty food items leads to high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The regular blood pressure range for adults is more than 90 over 60 mmHg and less than 120 over 80mmHg. If your blood pressure is anywhere above that, you probably have high blood pressure. You must take steps to reduce your blood pressure before it is too late. Avoid eating salty food items, and you should be good to go. There are several other blood pressure remedies you can adopt to improve your overall health. Here are some tips that will help you lower your blood pressure naturally.

  Remedies for high blood pressure
  Here are some of the best blood pressure remedies.

  • Lose weight: Being overweight is often associated with a rise in blood pressure. Thus, one can lower their blood pressure by losing weight. To put it into perspective, for every kilogram of body weight one cuts, their blood pressure lowers by 1mmHg. Moreover, carrying too much weight around the waist area puts individuals at a higher risk of blood pressure. Men with a waist measuring more than 40 inches, and women with waist measurements of 35 inches and above face a higher risk of blood pressure problems.
  • Exercise: Regular exercise can help one overcome high blood pressure naturally. Exercising for 30 minutes a day, or for at least 150 minutes a week can lower one’s blood pressure by up to 8mmHg. However, you must keep up the habit of regular exercise. If you stop exercising, your blood pressure may rise again. If your blood pressure is above the normal levels, exercise can help to bring it back to the regular levels. Thus, exercising is one of the best remedies for high blood pressure.
  • Healthy diet: Maintaining a healthy diet can go a long way in reducing your blood pressure. The DASH diet is the best diet plan to follow if you have high blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It involves eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Avoid eating food items loaded with cholesterol and saturated fat, and you should be good to go. Try maintaining a diary that records the food items that you eat. You can also consider consuming potassium-rich food items. Potassium helps to lessen the effects that sodium has on the blood.
  • Cut down on salt: It is essential that you limit the amount of salt that you add to your food. Try to avoid eating processed food and junk food as these items have high quantities of salt in them. Having 1500 mg of salt per day is more than enough. So, ensure that you stick to this limit. It is in your best interest to cut down on salt.
  • Quit smoking: While it is quite easy to say this, it is tough to follow through with this remedy for high blood pressure. One should avoid smoking as much as possible as it contributes to high blood pressure. Look for substitutes to cigarettes such as nicotine patches. You can also pop a candy when you feel like smoking or try to divert your mind to something else.
  • Avoid alcohol: While drinking a couple of servings of alcohol on a daily basis is healthy, drinking too much of it can have a negative impact on your health. It leads to a host of diseases, including high blood pressure. If you are suffering from high blood pressure, you must avoid drinking alcohol altogether. Try to drink healthier drinks like fresh juice or milk.

  Practice a healthy diet and the remedies mentioned above to avoid high blood pressure problems. Having high blood pressure can lead to several severe complications, and you must limit your salt intake today. You may suffer from weakness and fatigue if you work too much, and you will not be able to visit high altitude places as it may lead to a further rise in your blood pressure. To avoid a life of preventive measures, cut down on your intake of processed food and salty food items beforehand. Thus, you can prevent the onset of high blood pressure by following the remedies mentioned above, and live a long and stress-free life.

• Here’s How You Can Lower Your A1C Levels

  A1C level is a measurement used to indicate your blood sugar levels. It is vital to have your blood tested regularly to determine your A1C levels and check if you have diabetes. Even if you don’t have diabetes, you should try to keep your blood sugar levels in control.

  What is A1C level?
  When sugar enters the bloodstream, it attaches itself to a protein called hemoglobin that is present in your red blood cells. This sugar-bound protein is known as glycated hemoglobin. The higher the amount of such hemoglobin in your blood, the higher your blood sugar levels will be.

  A1C tests are conducted to gauge your blood sugar levels over the past three months, to get an idea of your sugar level fluctuations. Hemoglobin cells live for about three to four months, so A1C levels give a good picture of your glucose level in the bloodstream for that period.

  What is the optimal A1C level?
  A1C levels are referred to in percentages. For a nondiabetic patient, the A1C level should preferably be less than 5.7%. Anything between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates prediabetes. An A1C level of 6.5% and above means that the patient has diabetes. For a person with diabetes, the target is to bring the A1C level below 7%.

  With lower A1C levels, one can keep a check on the progression of diabetes as well as its associated complications in control. Eye diseases, kidney, nerve, and cardiovascular diseases are the risks associated with diabetes. By putting in some effort to manage your blood sugar level, you can reduce the risk of diabetes.

  Monitoring and managing blood sugar levels
  One needs to get their A1C tests tested every three months to accurately track their blood glucose levels. Follow the doctor’s prescriptions and instructions carefully. Be active and exercise for at least 30 minutes each day, to lower your A1C levels. Take your medicines on schedule, and stick to a sugar-free diet as much as possible.

  Follow a healthy diet plan, and eat small portions every two to three hours. Spread your carbohydrate intake over all your meals, and don’t consume too much of it in one meal.

  Physical activity
  Go for a walk each morning. Plan your workouts. If your weight is over your ideal goal, you should set targets to drop a few pounds. You can take yoga and meditation classes to keep fit and avoid stress. Keep yourself active, at home and work.

  When you have diabetes, you must not choose any drastic weight loss plans, like fasting. Consult your doctor and dietician and draw up a diet that will help you lose weight gradually. Your workout routine and meal plans should not put you in danger of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar level.

  Food selection for lower A1C levels
  Select foods that have a low glycemic index (GI). The GI indicates how fast or slow the food is digested to release the glucose present in it.

  Avoid processed foods, polished grains, and refined sugars. These have a high glycemic index and cause a sharp increase in sugar levels. Stick to whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and berries.

  Vegetables and legumes
  A study in Japan conducted on a group of 417 men showed that consuming one cup of assorted vegetables and a half cup of green vegetables helped lower A1C levels significantly. Another controlled study demonstrated the benefits of consuming legumes.

  These foods are rich in fiber, and they also contain a lot of proteins. Proteins are vital nutrients, and they take a long time to digest.

  Fiber is not easy to digest, and it takes a long time to pass through your digestive system. Soluble fiber binds with liquid in your intestines and slows down the digestion process. Thus, soluble fiber helps the body absorb nutrients effectively, and keeps you satiated for a long time.

  High fiber food also provides other benefits. Bacteria in the digestive system ferment the fiber, which helps in the production of a gut hormone called GLP-1. This hormone helps increase insulin production, which is helpful in controlling blood sugar levels.

  Berries
  Berries have a low glycemic index. They are rich in fiber and full of vitamins and antioxidants. They also contain vital minerals like manganese. Berries are good to eat and can satisfy your cravings for sweets without causing your sugar levels to shoot up.

  Brown rice
  White rice is a polished grain, and in the process of polishing, it loses most of its nutrients and all its fiber content. Brown rice, on the other hand, is coarsely ground which means that it still retains fiber content and a lot of nutrients.

  Kale
  Kale is a fiber-rich food, and it also has a low glycemic index (GI). Like all other leafy vegetables, it is high in several vitamins and minerals that keep your body healthy. So, diabetic patients should not just include kale, but also a lot of other leafy vegetables in their diet.

  Eggs
  Eggs are rich in saturated fats. They are also one of the best sources of protein, and a protein-rich diet can help in managing glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

  Nuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds
  All these have high fiber content, a low GI, and are also a source of many essential nutrients. Flax seeds are especially useful in diabetes management. A study demonstrated how lignans, a plant compound found in large amounts in flax seeds, can help lower A1C levels. Grind flax seeds and consume them so that they are easy to digest.

  Garlic, turmeric, and cinnamon
  These foods, apart from adding rich flavor to any dish, can also control sugar levels in the body. So, the next time you got out, you can eat a dish spiced up with these ingredients without any guilt.

  To lower your A1C levels, you need to manage your diabetes according to the advice given by your doctor.

  There are many ways to manage your blood sugar levels. Exercise, staying active, taking your medicines on time, and sticking to a good diet, can help you lower your A1C levels, thus ensuring that you lead a normal and healthy life.