Living And Dealing With Costochondritis

Dealing with pain from an inflammation is something which I have been experiencing for the very first time. 

More than the pain the reason of my concern was the condition which isn't much known even in the medical world.

A not so recent visit to my Gynaecologist made me familiar to a condition called "Costochondritis," an inflammation in the joints between the cartilage that joins the sternum (breastbone) and the ribs, causing tenderness to the ribs.

A condition that can last for few weeks or months and keeps coming and going all by itself.

Generally it is believed that costochondritis affects young people of any age group however females are more prone to it than men.

But after I have experienced it, I think it will be incorrect to say that only young adults suffer from costochondritis.

So how do one identify that he/she is suffering from costochondritis?

Know The Signs and Symptoms

It is very difficult to identify the symptoms of costochondritis. In my case, I ignored my condition thinking to be some temporary pain in the left side of my chest.

It was only after the pain started increasing I felt the need to visit the expert.

The symptoms which are considered to be of costochondritis includes:

• Pain on the left side of the breastbone.
• Tenderness of your ribs (if pressed can cause severe pain, this has happened to me).
• One experiences a sharp, pressure-like and aching pain.
• It might worsen if you are coughing or breathing deeply.
• Movement and some kind of physical activities can aggravate the pain.
• Severe chest pain when lying on bed.
• Lower and upper back pain.
• Neck pain.

For me as a freelance writer, the very thought of putting my work to a halt as per the expert's advise was something I could never do.

Hence I have been extra careful about the movement of my left arm.

Therefore, whenever you experience pain in your chest please seek expert attention in order to rule-out any life threatening ailment.

What Can Cause Costochondritis?

It is very difficult to figure out the causes of costochondritis. The pain comes suddenly and goes by itself.

So bit scary, except that I am taking precaution of my own self to reduce the pain.

Since little is known about this condition I did a bit of my research on its causes after it was confirmed. It is almost  seven to eight months that I have been suffering from costochondritis.

The above mentioned symptoms are being experienced by me. The probabilities for this condition can be any of the following:

• Heavy lifting
• A chest surgery or repeated trauma to the chest
• Stress
• Wearing a bra
• Heavy exercise
• A viral chest infection

Several MRIs and X-ray and visits to an expert had gotten me the confirmation.

However that didn't deter me from seeking alternative ways to deal with my condition of costochondritis.

Positive Approach To Ease Costochondritis Pain

After getting the final node, my next thought was how to get rid of it. Medically there isn't any cure for it except to pop up few pain killers to ease the pain or follow some light exercises advised by a health expert.

AS such the most crucial part of my healing process was to follow the experts golden word, "Rest your left arm as much as you can."

Other than that the following were some alternate remedies recommended to me:

• Pain killer in case of severe pain.
• Hot water bath.
• Warm compress when experiencing pain.
• Gentle stretches.
• Maintaining a good posture.
• Walking.
• Application of pain relief cream (I am using a herbal one, with Arnica).

Remember without self-care you cannot follow a normal and healthy lifestyle. Having a positive approach towards the healing process is vital for dealing with any ailment.

Apart from that maintain a healthy lifestyle, follow the experts advices. These are the only way to dealing with costochondritis.

Have you or any loved one of yours ever experienced the pain of costochondritis? Why not share some pain management tips with everyone here.

Image Courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5 Benefits of Garbh Sanskar or Fetal Education

A post after a long time. Took a break from my healthcare tips blog and got a little busy with my new food blog www.pushpitascorner.blogspot.com You got me right. I love cooking.

I shall continue writing and posting here too for you all. To start with, I have this post on Garbh Sanskar or Fetal Education and 5 of its benefits.

In Indian culture especially in Hinduism a child's education begins from the time a fetus is formed in the womb. This foetal education is called as Garbh (fetus in womb) Sanskar (educating the mind) in Sanskrit.

Conception is the first step in a woman's life towards Motherhood. The 9 months journey from the initial stage of conception starts the mother-child bonding which is very crucial. 

Since ancient times it has been known that an unborn child in the womb adopts to external as well as internal stimuli and the behaviour of its mother and starts learning. 

One of the well-known story is the story of Abhimanyu from the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian Sanskrit epic, which tells how he learnt the art of entering a Chakravyuha (a special war technique) while he was still in his mother Subhadra's womb as she was listening to Lord Krishna about the technique of the war formation.

However, we Indians aren't the only ones who believe in "foetal education", there are other cultures too that believes in the concept of Garbh Sanskar or Fetal education.

In the West it's believed that listening to certain genre of music such as Mozart has a positive effect on the unborn child. The Koreans too believe that fetal education starts from within the mother's womb.

Thus it is very essential to transfer positive thoughts and energies to the child through a pregnant woman. Positive thoughts and attitude promote well-being of both mother and the baby throughout the phase of pregnancy.

Garbh Sanskar or Fetal Education has various benefits. Today through this article I am going to share 5 benefits of Garbh Sanskar with you all. I am sure it will be a helpful piece of information for those of you who are experiencing the journey towards Motherhood.

1. Strong Mother-Child Bonding: Garbh Sanskar isn't only about educating a baby in its mother's womb, it also develops a strong bond between the mother and the baby. This has a major impact on the mother's physical well being through positive thinking and attitude.

2. An Active, Alert and Confident Child: Experts suggest practice of Garbh Sanskar through, listening to music, talking to a baby inside the womb, reading educative books to help make a baby active at birth, to be more alert and confident, for better sleeping habits, better at breastfeeding and bond better with parents.

3. Minimizes Complications During Child Birth: Garbh Sanskar gives importance to physical checkup, blood checkup, sonography and medicines. A pregnant woman should be careful during the 1st Trimester (Formative Stage) and 3rd Trimester (Last Stage) of her pregnancy.

4. Increases the Confidence of the Mother During Pregnancy: A first time expecting mother should be well versed with Garbh Sanskar and should know everything related to obstetrics, anatomy, embryology, fetal development, maternal-fetal physiology and factors associated with it. This will enable her to deal with any fear dwelling in her mind and make her a confident woman ready for labor.

5. Hereditary Disorder Free baby: Meditation, yoga, pranayam, relaxation and stress relieving methods, diet, spiritual techniques for the benefit of fetal development to ensure a hereditary disorder free baby through Garbh Sanskar. 

So, now you must have known that Garbh Sanskar is a holistic way of pregnancy care. Scientific researches have found its relevance and importance in the development of  an unborn child.

Some experts believes that fetal education is not accurate. Ultimately what should matter is the mental and physical development of the baby, good health of the mother before and post delivery as well.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

6 Food That Can Be Harmful for Your Skin With Excessive Intake

Ever heard the saying “You are what you eat”? Are you among those who prefer wearing anti-aging creams, skin nourishment creams, applying face pack rather than including a healthy diet? Remember! What goes inside your body plays an important role in keeping your skin healthy apart from your topical skin care regime. Eating the right food has a positive impact on your skin and including the wrong ones in your diet can have a negative impact on your skin.

Apart from alcohol, coffee, junk food, aerated drinks and artificially sweetened juices there are other food whose excessive intake or consumption can be harmful for your skin and can cause damage to your skin. Eager to know their names?. Then check out the list of 6 such food and the reason why too much of these food are harmful for your skin.

1. Salt: Too much of salt is bad and harmful to your heart, this is a well known fact. Are you aware of the fact that excessive salt can cause puffiness of eyes and facial bloating as well? If no, then it is time to reduce the salt intake.

2. Agave: Considered as a good alternative to sugar, this sweet syrup extracted from several types of agave plants has more fructose than fructose level in corn syrup. Fructose metabolized by your liver not only turns into fat but also breaks down collagen more efficiently than your regular table sugar. Thus avoid its excessive intake or consumption. Also experts said that switching to agave from regular sugar might make crow’s feet more prominent (image for crow's feet below).

3. Dairy: Another food which is harmful for your skin is dairy product. Not willing to accept this fact? Then get to know this piece of information. Over consumption or excessive intake of dairy products may increase acne and also cause increase in sebum (a substance that can cause clogged pore in many people). Dairy product can also form mucus in the body, which can cause inflammation of your skin and attract bacteria.

4. Margarine: Fats are essential for maintaining a healthy skin. But do you know this? Not all fats are good for your skin. Trans fats found in margarine very often may block hydration. According to a study in the” Journal of the American College of Nutrition”, higher intake of margarine causes more of skin wrinkling. This makes margarine a harmful food for your skin with its excessive intake.

5. Shellfish: Excessive intake of iodine rich food such as crab, shrimp, and lobster can also lead to the problem of acne. However, consumption of such food in normal level may not be a problem and will do no harm to your skin. Eating shellfish frequently and excessively is bad and harmful.

6. Rice Cakes: Once considered as the best way to reduce excessive body fat by health conscious women, it is now known that rice cakes can cause an increase to the blood sugar level in your body, which can also speed up wrinkle formation. Your body converts the simple carbohydrates present in the rice cakes to glucose like it does to sugar. Once metabolized, they stick to wrinkle-fighting protein like collagen and damage them, thus excessive intake of rice cakes too are harmful and bad for your skin.

After reading this post you might conclude that eating anything is harmful and more than that excessive intake of anything is bad for your skin, but the secret to a healthy and beautiful skin is to eat fresh and healthy food, and follow a balanced diet. Please feel free to share information on other unhealthy food that are harmful to your skin and over consumption of which should be avoided apart from the 6 food listed above. You can share your knowledge in the comment section below. Until my next post. Keep well!

5 Causes of Your Back Pain

I have had experienced my back pain several months after an accidental fall (few years back, I slipped off and fell down the stairs). My condition ended up to a slipped or herniated disc due to my ignorance and my casual outlook towards it. I have never imagined that it will get so severe.

Diagnosis and proper treatment for a back pain is quite complex and difficult to catch. The factors contributing to a back pain is endless. It is possible that treatment may vary from person to person for the similar condition.

The idea behind this post is to enlighten individuals going through this condition to identify the possible reasons behind their back pain. Accordingly, one can follow the tips that have been mentioned in my first post or seek expert advice depending upon the severity of pain.

Causes of a Back Pain

Following are some common as well as rare causes of a back pain:

1.Injuries Due to Accidents or Fractures: Spinal injuries which cause sprain (tearing of ligaments supporting the spine) due to improper twisting and inappropriate way of lifting objects from the ground or fractures (due to bone related diseases such as osteoporosis which makes the bones weak and fragile).

2. Mechanical Complications: Dislocation of inter-vertebral discs (breakdown due to growing age). Wearing down of facet joints (large joints inter connecting vertebrae). Other mechanical complications causing a back pain are spasms, herniated discs, muscle tension, sitting postures etc.

3. Medical Complications: like various forms of arthritis (osteo or rheumatoid arthritis), spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) related to the spines, spinal stenosis (a condition of the spinal column that narrows it and exerts pressure on our spinal cord and nerves). Kidney stone, endometriosis (development of uterine tissue in places outside the uterus), fibromyalgia (a condition which causes fatigue and muscle pain), obesity and even pregnancy.

4. Certain Infections and Tumours:  Some tumours and infections related to the vertebrae can cause a back pain, although they are very rare. Osteomyelitis (a rare but chronic condition of the bones caused either by infection in the blood spreading to the bones or through open injuries, fractures or surgeries), chronic conditions likes diabetes might lead to this condition. Tumors which originated in the back due to cancer that got spread from other parts of the body.

5. Stress: The above mentioned are the physical causes. The one vital fact one should know is that stress (emotional) plays a major role to determine how intense the pain is and how long it can last. Stress makes the pain more severe and at times unbearable for the sufferer. Depression and anxiety if ignored and untreated can make the pain worse.

Insomnia (lack of quality sleep) also contributes to a back pain. Hope this post was helpful for you to know about the causes for a back pain. If I have missed out any other causes then do share them. Until then wait for my next post. Enjoy your weekend! Keep well!