FLU

(Grippe; influenza)

An influenza virus causes the flu, a very common and highly contagious respiratory infection. Some people mistakenly refer to a cold or any upper respiratory disorder as the flu. But in reality, the flu is a more severe illness than the common cold.
Not only it can lead to pneumonia, but some types of the disease are even fatal.
A bout of flu confers immunity against that particular virus strain, but because these viruses quickly change, or mutate, new strains emerge every few years. In general, however, a flu virus falls into one of three categories, Type-A, the most common, is responsible for the serious and wide spread epidemics; Type-B also causes epidemics, but with milder cases than those of Type-A; Type-C is relatively un-common, but sometimes causes outbreaks of mild flu.

Diagnostic Studies and Procedures:
Your own observations of symptoms are usually enough to tell you that you're having flu, particularly if there has been an epidemic in your area. Flu symptoms are similar to bad cold, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, running nose, cough and headache but they come on more suddenly, are more severe, and last longer. If you consult a doctor, he will do a physical examination and possibly order blood tests and a sputum culture. A chest X-Ray may also be necessary if the symptoms suggests the presence of flu and related pneumonia.

Medical Treatments:
The physician may prescribe you Amantadine if Type-A virus is involved, an anti-Parkinson's disease drug that has an anti-viral effect. Or he may prescribe an antibiotic to prevent secondary pneumonia, especially if you suffer from asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or another lung disorder.

Alternative Therapies:
Although they are unlikely to shorten the course of the flu, a number of alternative therapies may alleviate the symptoms of the illness.

Aromatherapy: Therapist recommend placing 5 drops of cinnamon oil in 1 tablespoonful of water and inhaling the scent three times a day; they also advise massages or baths using lemon, pine needle, or rosemary oil.

Homeopathy: Aconite and Nux-vomica are recommended during the early stages of flu. One dose a week of bacillinum 30 & influenzinum 30, given separately or in combination, may be advised for severe cases. Baptisia is used for headache, aching limbs, and fever and arsenicum album for chills and diarrhea.

Hydrotherapy: For the achiness of flu, take a hot shower or bath; also try soaking your feet in a basin of hot water for 20 minutes twice a day.

Self Treatment:

Bed rest while your body fights the virus, is the best medicine. If you have a fever, drink extra fluids, including fruit juice, tea, and broth, to prevent dehydration, extra fluid also help thin any lung secretions.

For a sore throat, try gagling with warm water, double strength tea, or warm salt water. Acetaminophen, aspirin, nasal sprays and decongestants may relieve minor discomfort, however do not give aspirin to anyone under the age of 18 as it may increase the risk of Reye's Syndrome.

COUGHS(Tussis)

A cough is the forcible expulsion of air from the airways to rid them of any obstructions. It is often triggered by excessive fluids in the bronchial passages; but it may also be an attempt to get rid of dust, pollen, and other pollutants in the lungs.
A fit of coughing may have been set off by food or fluid entering the wind-pipe. A regular intermittent cough could be a nervous tic or simply a manifestation of boredom.
coughing of limited duration is associated with a cold, the flu or bronchitis, while chronic coughing usually indicates an underlying condition such as asthma, an allergy, or a lung tumor. A chronic cough is also an inevitable consequence of smoking.


Diagnostic Studies & Procedures:
In general, a doctor should be consulted about a nagging cough if;

-If it is accompanied by chest pains, severe earache, or swollen neck glands.
-It lasts for more than a week.
-It is accompanied by temperature above 102F(39c)
-It produces blood or a thick and yellowish-green sputum.
-It is accompanied by wheezing and a feeling of breathlessness.

In such circumstances, a doctor will ask about other symptoms, smoking and drinking habits, and occupation, and follow up with a physical examination and chest X-Rays.
If a patient doesn't cough spontaneously, the doctor may try to induce a coughing spell. Any sputum will be examined and cultured for bacteria. Additional tests might include lung scans, pulmonary function tests, and bronchoscopy(viewing of bronchial passages through special devices)

Medical Treatments:
Treatment of any cough depends on the underlying condition. Those associated with colds or flu can be managed with self-care. I coughing interferes with sleep, a suppressant containing codeine may be prescribed for nighttime use.

Alternative Therapies:
Aromatherapy: Inhaling the steam from a strong tea made with 1 table-spoon of dried thyme, eucalyptus, chamomile, or peppermint leaves and one cup of boiling water helps to ease congestion.

Ayurveda: For a mucus-producing cough practitioners recommend a tea of 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, a pinch of clove and a pinch of cinnamon powder. To sooth a scratchy throat, they advise a gargle made with a pinch of salt and two pinches of turmeric powder in a glass of warm water.

Herbal Medicines: Eucalyptus, horehound, wild cherry, and licorice are among the many herbal remedies that have been incorporated into a standard cough medicine and lozenges to sooth a sore, scratchy throat.

Naturopathy: An onion-honey mixture is a time honored cough remedy. To prepare it, slice an onion into a deep bowl, cover the slices with honey, let the mixture steep overnight, and then strain-out the onions. Take a tea-spoon of the mixture four times a day.

Relaxation Therapies: Coughing produced by stress or by a nervous tic can eventually be eliminated by practicing yoga breathing exercises and meditation.

Self Treatment:
The only cure for a smoker's cough is to break the tobacco habit. A cough from a mild respiratory infection will disappear as the body rids itself of the virus.
A doctor may advise a non-prescription expectorant to thin mucus and make it easier to cough up. Be aware, however, that many cough medicines contain ingredients that may interact with other drugs, especially those prescribed for high blood pressure, heart diseases, and other chronic illnesses.

Other self-help measures include:
-Transform the bathroom into a home steam-room by closing the door, turning on the hot water in the shower, and inhaling the steamy air until the coughing stops.

-Drink plenty of hot liquids during the day and use a vaporizer at night.

-Suck a herbal o zinc lozenges to get rid of the tickle in your throat.

Other Causes Of Coughs:
Coughing is a symptom of allergies, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, lung cancer, and occupational lung disorders. Cough also occur in croup, laryngitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, and tuberculosis. 

ASTHMA

(Bronchial asthma, reversible hyperreactive lung disease)

Asthma is a chronic disease in which the air passages, or bronchi, overact to normally harmless substances/circumstances.
When these triggering factors enter the bronchi, the airways constrict to hinder the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
Very soon, the bronchi becomes inflamed, and the membranes lining them secrete a sticky mucus. The result is wheezing, coughing and difficulty in breathing. A severe atttack can be life threatening.

Asthma triggers vary from person to person; some of the most common are allergens such as pollen, animal dander, and house dust; irritants such as air pollution, tobacco smoke, perfumes and chemicals; aspirin and related medications; anxiety and stress; and vigorous exercise.

TREATMENTS:
Doctors approach asthma treatment with two major goals,
-to prevent attacks &
-to reverse any flare-up as quickly as possible.
Medications used in the treatment of Asthma are;

Beta 2 Agonists.
Xanthines.
Adrenocorticoids.
Cromolyn Sodium.
Leukotriene Inhibitors

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES:

Biofeedback, Hypnosis, and Visualization:
these techniques, help asthmatics gain a measure of control over breathing and other normally involuntary functions. When practiced during the early, or prodome, stages of an attack, they may even abort it.

Homeopathy:
Practioners recommend a number of substances, including,
Aconite.
Arsenicum album.
Phosphorous

if a flare-up doesn't improve within a few minutes, however, a conventional drug should be used.

Hydrotherapy:
swimming is one of the best exercise for Asthma because it improves endurance and increases lung capacity in an environment free of dust and other astha triggers. Taking a hot shower or relaxing in a warm tub of water are also beneficial; the warmth eases tensions and the moist air helps clear the lungs of mucus.

Massage:
this provide an excellent means of countering stress. Massage combined with postural drainage-----a precussive tapping of the back while the head is lower than the chest----clear mucus from the lungs.

Medication and Yoga:
these and other relaxation therapies are useful in over-coming the stress that often precipitates an asthma flare-up. They can also lessen the stress and panicky feeling that can exacerbate an attack.

Nutrition Therapy:
many foods and food additives, especially sulfites, will trigger asthma in susceptible people. A nutrition therapist can help identify such foods, and structure a balanced diet. Some suppliments, especially beta carotene, vitamin C and E, and magnesium, are touted as being beneficial for Asthma sufferers, but they should not be taken without the guidance of a doctor/nutritionist.