Tips to ensure a healthy pregnancy

Tips to ensure a healthy pregnancy
health

A very important part of family and pregnancy planning is prenatal care. This stage during your pregnancy is the time when you must take special care of yourself so you and the baby remain healthy. This includes regular visits to your doctor. The doctor will perform physical exams and will also prescribe certain tests to monitor the baby’s health regularly.

Medical care during pregnancy

It is of utmost importance to visit your doctor regularly during pregnancy. This will ensure that you will always be aware of the baby’s progress as well as your health. You will also have the chance to ask the doctor regarding any doubts you may have. The doctor can educate you better about pregnancy, which is the first step towards taking care of your health. During your first visit to the doctor, a physical test will be done to determine if there are any risk factors that may affect your pregnancy. The doctor will also give you an idea about the delivery date.

They will ask you about your medical history and any medicine that you may be taking. The medical history of your family members will also be checked. This is because your family and pregnancy are related. Your family’s medical history or a particular illness within your family can affect the newborn too. During the first physical exam, the doctor will check your weight and blood pressure, lungs, heart, and breasts. They will also conduct pelvic exams. Certain medical tests will be performed too. These include complete blood count (CBC), RPR, rubella, HBsAg, urinalysis, and HIV screening. These tests will determine if you have any medical conditions like anemia, syphilis, hepatitis B, bladder infections, kidney disease, or anything else. Treatment steps will be taken based on the test results.

What you can do at home

To ensure a healthy family and pregnancy, only medical care is not enough. You will have to make some lifestyle changes at home as well. The fetus can be affected by your habits like drinking, smoking, or substance abuse. Hence, you will need to stop these the moment you become pregnant. Certain medicines can be harmful to the baby. Your doctor will tell you which ones you should stop taking. Another thing that you must do is to adapt to a healthy diet. Both your baby and you will require all the nutrients to remain healthy and develop properly.

You must also regularly exercise to ensure that your baby and you are in the best of health. There are certain physical activities that are more effective during pregnancy. However, it is vital that you don’t go overboard with these exercises. Following the instructions of your doctor is very important.

Lastly, any vitamins in high doses and specific herbal supplements can be harmful to the fetus. Make sure to avoid them completely, along with medicines with harmful side-effects, cleaning agents, and pesticides. Only by following these instructions carefully and listening to your doctor, you can make sure that your baby’s health is not compromised.

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Home remedies and treatment options for mouth and teeth problems

Home remedies and treatment options for mouth and teeth problems

The human body has many essential body parts, and one of the most crucial parts of the body is the mouth. It entails a lot of different functions such as: Take in food as well as drinks Breathe in the air around It helps with kick-starting the process of digestion as the teeth chew the food you eat Helps in speaking and singing Since there are many different mouth and teeth problems, here are some of the most common home remedies you can adopt to cure them. Home remedies for toothache There are many home remedies that you can adopt to get rid of toothache: Saltwater rinse To use a saltwater rinse, we recommend you mix half a teaspoon of salt into a warm water glass and use it as mouthwash regularly. Cold compress Applying a cold compress to the area of a toothache can help in reducing the pain. When you apply a cold compress, the blood vessels of that particular area are constricted. Hence, it is highly advisable to go for it. Hydrogen peroxide rinse A hydrogen peroxide rinse also helps in relieving pain as well as inflammation. It not only kills bacteria but also reduces plaque and then starts healing bleeding gums. Garlic Garlic has been used for medicinal properties since time immemorial. It not only kills harmful bacteria but can also help in relieving pain. To use this remedy, you crush a garlic clove and then use it to create a paste to the affected area. Peppermint tea bags Peppermint tea can be used for numbing pain and then for soothing sensitive gums. To do this particular, allow an old used tea bag to cool down before you apply it to the affected area. Some other remedies that you can use as remedies include the following:
4 tips to manage the symptoms of menopause

4 tips to manage the symptoms of menopause

Menopause is diagnosed when a woman doesn’t menstruate for 12 months at a stretch, and it is the end of a woman’s fertility and menstrual cycles. Natural menopause occurs when the ovaries start showing signs of reduced production of the hormones progesterone and estrogen. On the other hand, induced menopause is often a result of the surgical removal of the ovaries to treat a medical condition or the ovaries getting damaged due to the consumption of certain medications or exposure to harmful radiation. Menopause can lead to pain and discomfort, along with several other symptoms, but following some simple tips can help women reduce the discomfort and pain associated with menopause: Maintain a stable weight Women tend to gain weight during menopause due to the hormonal changes that their bodies undergo, and it can also happen due to aging, genetics, or lifestyle choices. Weight gain or the accumulating fat content in the body makes women susceptible to developing heart diseases and other conditions like diabetes. The increased weight also aggravates the symptoms of menopause and increases the risk of joint conditions like osteoporosis. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce the symptoms and protects the body against several harmful diseases. Avoid the consumption of trigger foods Trigger foods are the foods that cause the urge to eat more and can lead to an increase in the symptoms of menopause. These include mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats. The most common trigger foods include alcoholic beverages, caffeinated drinks, junk food, fried food, and baked goods like brownies, donuts, pastry, and cookies. Also, women need to be mentally aware of the foods that are worsening their symptoms and stay away from them. Follow a regular workout schedule Regular exercise is a must among women during the onset of menopause to help manage the symptoms effectively.
Foods one should eat to maintain kidneys and liver health

Foods one should eat to maintain kidneys and liver health

The human body has a system of multiple inter-related processes. The kidneys and liver are crucial organs, as these cleanse your body of toxins. Any disorder or infection in these organs may interfere with the other bodily processes. One needs to be aware of certain remedies and foods that help keep these organs in peak shape. For the kidney Here are three home remedies and foods that may be beneficial to treat kidney infections: Drink water and cranberry juice If one wants relief from kidney infections, it is vital to flush out harmful bacteria. Drinking six to eight glasses of water daily is helpful. Additionally, malic, quinic, and citric acids found in cranberry juice are also beneficial to relieve infections in the urinary tract. Apply warm and moist heat To soothe irritated nerves and reduce pain, using a warm water bottle or heating pad to the affected areas is beneficial. One must cover the heated bottle with a cloth to avoid burns. Apply the heat compress for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink green tea Green tea extract is known to have an antibacterial effect on bacterial strains that cause urinary tract infections. Consuming green tea may be beneficial to alleviate the discomfort caused due to kidney infections. While these remedies may be beneficial, it is essential to seek expert guidance to help relieve pain due to severe symptoms. Moreover, giving the body adequate rest is also helpful and results in relief from the discomfort. For the liver Fatty liver disease may be caused due to excess alcohol consumption. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may occur if someone is obese or suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, or cholesterol. Lifestyle and diet changes are essential to seek relief from this condition. Here are three home treatments and foods that may be beneficial for the liver:
Improving your mental health at home

Improving your mental health at home

While your physical well-being is important, keeping your mind healthy is a must. If you are suffering from anxiety, stress, or any other brain disorder, it will reflect in your physical health too. People who are suffering from poor mental health exhibit symptoms like hypertension, an abnormal increase in the rate of the heartbeat, or a sharp pain in the chest. You must make an effort to enhance your mental health on a daily basis. Home activities for improving mental health Exercise Apart from keeping your body fit, exercise helps in improving your mental health too. It is a very effective way to let go of nervousness and all the anxiety that has accumulated in your body as a bundle of negative energy. You do not have to indulge in rigorous exercise. Doing some simple exercises at home should work as a good stress-buster. Yoga, pilates, cycling, or swimming, pick an exercise of your choice and make it a point to do a bit of it every day. The trick lies in being regular and disciplined with whatever you choose to do. Meditation Most people lead such busy lives that they find it difficult to even stop for a moment to catch their breath. The kind of lifestyle we lead does not give us enough time to pause, look within, and introspect. Thus, it is very important to carve out some time from your busy schedule and meditate for a while every day. It is, perhaps, the most important relaxation technique known to mankind and one which helps you cleanse your mind off all the accumulating stress, anxiety, and other forms of negativity. Meditation is also recommended for people who are suffering from mood swings. Start writing Writing is a great way to reduce anxiety and stress. You might not think yourself to be very good with words, but every human being feels the need to express himself or herself in one way or the other.
Multiple sclerosis – what are the treatment options

Multiple sclerosis – what are the treatment options

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a kind of condition in which the immune system does not respond as it should. It gets directed against the working of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS entails optic nerves, spinal cord, and the brain. It is meant to work in tandem with the immune system. However, when MS occurs, it fails to do so. Let’s take a look at some of the treatment options for multiple sclerosis. Treatment for multiple sclerosis Depending on the type, here are the common treatments for multiple sclerosis:   There is no particular cause for multiple sclerosis. As a result, the treatment focuses on recovering fast after an attack rather than getting to the root. Here are the common measures:  Corticosteroids, such as intravenous methylprednisolone and oral prednisone Plasmapheresis   Modifying progress To deal with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, ocrelizumab is usually recommended. It is the only FDA-approved disease-modifying therapy available. For particular types of multiple sclerosis, where it keeps recurring, the doctor may use different treatments, depending on the intensity of the condition. Some of the common treatments for these include:  Beta interferons Glatiramer acetate Fingolimod Dimethyl Fumarate Teriflunomide Siponimod Some of the other treatments for the signs and symptoms of MS include:  Physical therapy Muscle relaxants Medicines used to reduce tiredness Medicines to help increase walking speed Home remedies for multiple sclerosis There are plenty of other treatments available to help relieve the symptoms and deal with problems related to multiple sclerosis. Consume the following: Vitamin A Vitamin A has proven to show results in delaying macular degeneration associated with age. It also consists of antioxidants, which can be helpful people with multiple sclerosis.  Vitamin B-1 Vitamin B-1 is also known as thiamin. It helps in the proper functioning of the brain and is also essential for nerve, muscle, heart function, and metabolism.
Treatment options and home remedies for gout

Treatment options and home remedies for gout

Uric acid crystals result in gout. It is an inflammatory condition that usually affects men as a type of arthritis. It causes severe joint pain around the knees, feet, and ankles. However, there are certain measures that one can take for gout treatment. We will discuss these as well as home remedies in this article. Types of medications Some medicines may be prescribed to the patient on a regular basis; these can help to alleviate the symptoms of this condition: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications These medications are known to reduce the duration of the attack. If one takes them within the first twenty-four hours, then it really helps. They are usually prescribed to reduce the inflammation and relieve the pain. Corticosteroids These types of medications are usually administered orally or may even be injected into the body. They not only help in the reduction of the swelling but can also combat inflammation. In some cases, the doctor may also inject a hormone known as an adrenocorticotropic hormone to help the body produce corticosteroids naturally. The doctor may also give a combination of both at different times to help with alleviating the symptoms. Colchicine Colchicine is derived from a plant, which has been used to reduce the symptoms of gout for over 2,000 years. It helps to reduce pain and swelling. However, this may come with a specific side effect such as abdominal cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. Reducing uric acid levels The most ideal way to treat gout is by controlling uric acid levels in the body. Once they are controlled, the chances of a gout attack reduce considerably. The following medications can be consumed for reducing uric acid levels: Probenecid Allopurinol Lesinurad Febuxostat Pegloticase In most cases, the doctor will wait until the most recent gout attack before he goes on to prescribe a dosage of the aforementioned medications.