Top Health Tips on Managing Vertigo & Dizziness

Ashwagandha is one of the most powerful Ayurvedic herbs and is commonly known as the Indian ginseng. Ashwagandha can be loosely translated to mean the strength of ten horses . It can be used to treat a number of diseases, relieve stress and fatigue, helps heal injuries and may also be used as an aphrodisiac and can help prevent male infertility.

Ashwagandha helps rejuvenate the body: This herb not only calms a person down, but also restores the balance of their body. Hence, it is also known as rayasana or a herb that rejuvenates. Ashwagandha stimulates the immune system and boosts the production of white blood cells thereby, elevating levels of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. The effects of this herb on a person s nervous system and endocrine system can also harmonise the body, mind and spirit.
It increases positivity: Stress and anxiety can lead to negative thinking and ultimately to depression. By fighting stress Ashwagandha helps negate these problems and instead boosts positive thinking. It may also be used to treat depression itself.
It helps regenerate nerve cells: Along with diseases such as asthmatic bronchitis, emphysema and gynaecological disorders, Ashwagandha can also be used to treat neuro-degenerative diseases such as Parkinson s disease or Alzheimer s. It helps regenerate nerve cells and dendrite growth and even improves communication between nerve cells. This stimulates the body s ability to heal any damage to the nervous system.
It enhances memory and treats insomnia: Ashwagandha is one of the best Ayurvedic remedies to treat insomnia. It not only helps you fall asleep faster but can also improve your sleep quality. A restful sleep increases a person s ability to concentrate and prevents drowsiness through the day. Ashwagandha also increases the levels of acetylcholine in the brain. This has a direct effect on boosting memory and elevating brain functioning and intelligence. Ashwagandha also increases the production of nitric oxide that helps regulate blood flow and blood pressure thus elevating the brain s oxygen levels.
It boosts libido: Ashwagandha helps optimise the functioning of the thyroid and adrenal glands and helps deal with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Similarly, this Ayurvedic herb also benefits the adrenal glands and thus influences the overall mental and physical health of a person. The functioning of the thyroid and adrenal glands have a direct effect on a person s sexual health and libido. Thus by enhancing the functioning of these glands, Ashwagandha improves sexual health and boosts libido. The nitric oxide produced by Ashwagandha also helps improve fertility.

You know how it feels when you are in the middle of an important presentation or a meeting and just can't keep your eyes open. You will often come across people who feel sleepy and drowsy throughout the day. Have you ever wondered why do you feel sleepy all the time? There must be some factors or health conditions that trigger this drowsiness. The condition is a serious matter that requires a thorough investigation.

What causes the drowsiness throughout the day?

Sleep deprivation: One of the major and obvious reasons for feeling sleepy throughout the day can be a lack of sound sleep at night. The trigger could be insomnia or sleep apnea. You wake up feeling tired, sleepy and exhausted throughout the day.
Depression: Depression, stress (personal as well as professional), anxiety can leave you physically as well as mentally exhausted. As a result, throughout the day you will feel tired and sleepy.
Chronic Fatigue: This is a condition that can affect people even without them realizing it. A person with chronic fatigue will feel lethargic all the time. In addition to this, there will be muscular and joint ache, headache, lack of concentration. What is even worse, the exact trigger for this condition is not known.
You can also feel sleepy all the time due to certain disorders and medical conditions such as

Anemia: Anemia, often resulting from an iron or vitamin deficiency can leave you feeling tired. In anemia, the RBCs will be present in reduced amount. The RBC's are responsible for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the cells and tissues of the body. In the case of anemia, your hemoglobin level will be low causing weakness and drowsiness.
Diabetes: The harmful effects of diabetes are not new. In diabetes, especially type-2, the body is unable to use the glucose (the concentration shoots up in the blood). In the absence of glucose which is the major source of energy, you will feel sleepy and exhausted.
Thyroid problems: For your body to function properly, the thyroid hormones should be present in the recommended amount. Any deviation from the normal range can wreak havoc. In the case of the thyroid hormones produced below the normal range, medically termed as Hypothyroidism, the overall metabolic processes in the body slow down. As a result, you end up feeling drowsy and fatigued.
In some cases, dehydration and lack of physical activities can also make you sleepy all day.

How to deal with the situation?

Lethargy and drowsiness can be effectively managed if you know the underlying factors responsible for the condition. In addition to the medical assistance and treatments,
Follow a healthy sleep routine (Sleep early and wake up early). Make sure you sleep for 6-8 hours daily.
Keep your body well hydrated. Drink water and fluids at short intervals.
Maintain a healthy body weight.
Avoid getting over stressed. Meditate and exercise regularly without fail.
Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Blood pressure is basically what happens when the blood exerts force against the walls of the blood vessels. This force matches the cardiac output and also, the resistance experienced from the walls of the blood vessels a process that produces blood pressure. Hypertension is a condition that occurs when this pressure rises above the normal which is anything over 140 over 90 mHg. The symptoms of this condition will include hot flashes, dizzy spells, fatigue, accelerated heartbeat and other debilitating conditions. Sex is also an area that gets affected by hypertension.

Let us find out the causes and treatment for the same.

Hypertension and male sexuality: A chronic patient of hypertension will go through a depletion of the lining that flanks the blood vessels, which in turn, limits the flow of blood. This also means that there is less blood flowing towards the penis and surrounding areas that get activated during sexual intercourse. This makes it difficult for many hypertensive men to achieve and retain an erection for long enough to enjoy sexual activity. This problem is most commonly known as erectile dysfunction. Also, these blood pressure problems can have an effect on ejaculation which leads to lack of sexual satisfaction. Many drugs prescribed for such patients may also lead to this problem as a side effect, which causes further fear and anxiety for the patient.

Hypertension and female sexuality: While the effect of high blood pressure on a woman s sexuality is not as conclusive as its effect on male sexuality, it is a medically proven fact that decreased blood flow due to high blood pressure will also lead to a reduction in the blood flow to the vaginal area. This can lead to many problems including vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, lack of arousal, difficulty in achieving an orgasm and relationship as well as anxiety issues.

Treatment: For women, better lubrication for better arousal is one of the key factors. For men, the use of safe medication as far as hypertension is concerned, is crucial. Medicines like sildenafil and tadafil as well as vardenafil are not known to interfere with the blood pressure medication. Yet, it is important to contact the doctor before having any medication.

Therapy: Better responses can be garnered by building intimacy, an area that a sex therapist or sexologist can help you with. With the help of proper therapy, the patient can learn to relax and enjoy the act with lots of foreplay and experiences that will help in building closeness like taking a warm bath together and other such activities. Promoting overall health can also help in improving your sex life if you are a patient of hypertension.

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." - famous quote by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often known as 'the father of medicine'. He used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions.

Garlic is low in calories and high in nutrients, containing vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, manganese and selenium. It contains a compound known as allicin, which has been proved to prevent blood clotting, lower cholesterol levels, and found to have antibacterial properties. This very spice is a natural immunity booster that helps the body fight infections.

From consuming raw garlic cloves to adding them for flavors, every application of this spice comes with a host of health benefits. And, sipping a cup of garlic tea every morning is known to work wonders on your body.

Benefits of Garlic Tea

Keeps Heart Healthy: LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) is a bad cholesterol and is known to spell doom for the heart as it triggers Arteriosclerosis. Daily consumption of garlic tea can help lower down the LDL levels significantly, keeping the heart healthy and disease-free.
Boosts Immunity: Garlic, scientific name Allium sativum, contains the active compound Allicin. Allicin comes packed with antibacterial and antifungal properties and is known to strengthen the immune system significantly. Thus, a cup of garlic tea can help shield the body from various harmful infections and pathogens.
Aids Weight Loss: Garlic tea stimulates the metabolism, which can increase passive fat burning and aid weight loss efforts, while also partially suppressing the appetite.
Improves Respiratory System: If cold, cough, chest or sinus congestion and related complications are giving you sleepless night, a cup of garlic tea is all that you need to keep all these problems at bay.
Slows Down The Skin-aging Process: Skin aging can be quite frustrating. But not anymore. Laden with antioxidants, vitamin A, C, B1, and B2, garlic tea protects the skin from the oxidative damage triggered by the free radicals, thereby slowing down the skin-aging process considerably.
Anti-Cancer Properties: Research suggests that garlic has anti-carcinogenic properties. Thus, drinking a cup of garlic tea early in the morning (on empty stomach) can work wonders to prevent different types of cancer.
Keeps Your Liver Healthy: Drink a cup of garlic tea daily and your liver will thank you for long. Garlic contains Allicin and Selenium, both of which play a pivotal role in keeping the liver healthy.
Regulates Blood Pressure: Many people with a high blood pressure have benefited immensely from drinking garlic tea.
Things To Be Taken Care Of:

For maximum benefits and to ensure that the activity of Allicin remains intact, always chop the garlic cloves and wait for at least 10 minutes before heating it.
Though it is extremely beneficial, an excess of garlic consumption may give rise to complications such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, dizziness, to name a few. So, make sure to consume it in moderate amount.
Preparing Your Cup Of Health:

The preparation of garlic tea is no herculean task. In fact, it is much easier than finding a coffee shop that offers it on the menu.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of lemon juice
Method of preparation

Step 1 Put the finely chopped cloves into the water and bring it to boil.

Step 2 Turn off the heat and add honey & lemon to the tea, stir it well.

Your garlic tea is ready to be served. If you are taking any medications, talk to our experts & get a consultation before increasing your garlic consumption.

All of us undoubtedly experience the hasty pace of life. There are invariable pressures at work and home which load us up with fear and worries, but when this anxiety becomes a disruptive force in our life and begins to dominate our behavior, and starts interfering with work, school, family life it calls for treatment. Anxiety is an emotional turmoil that may incorporate many different feelings and symptoms.

Adults are not the only ones who get stressed out, children are also vulnerable to stress. Some children experience anxiety and may struggle to amend to new situations such as school and friendships, may feel unusually insecure or have intense fear of the dark, insects, animals or other creatures.

Causes of Anxiety Neurosis:

The reason why it occur is very difficult. It is illunderstood also. Socio-economic reason is also precipitating factor - like loss of job, continues target or goals in jobs which are increasing everyday pressure.

Heredity.

Imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain.

Emotional trauma.

Lifestyle choices.

Alcohol, caffeine and certain drugs.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder (neurosis):

Unnecessary, unrealistic and uncontrollable worry about everyday things.

Shortness of breath.

Increased heartbeat.

Trembling and dizziness.

Headaches.

Fatigue.

Muscle stiffness.

Restlessness.

Sleep disturbances.

Mood changes.

Diarrhea.

Feeling of hopelessness and Pessimism.

Sexual impotence.

Homoeopathic Treatment:

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat anxiety but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved homeopathy medicines are available for treatment of anxiety disorders that can be selected on the basis of cause, condition, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person.

If you do not want to opt for allopathic medicines or go into immediate counselling to relieve yourself of anxiety disorders, then the best option for you at hand would be to try and follow homoeopathy. Homeopathy is often seen as an alternate form of medicine and does not have any side effects as such. Thus, it is often preferred by many people.

Anxiety should not be left to accumulate in the body. Thus, it is necessary to treat it as soon as possible with whichever means that would suit your body. Homeopathy is just one form of treatment. It is advised if the results are not as you desire, then you should opt for a medical practitioner who might be able to help you further.

It is not uncommon for us to feel sleepy at work every once in a while. You need to get an important assignment done, but all that you want to do is curl up and take a nap. We all have our days of drowsiness. But when it becomes a daily habit and begins to interfere with productivity, it is a cause for concern. Chronic fatigue and drowsiness can almost always be traced back to underlying medical conditions, such as low blood sugar levels or depression. There are many simple remedies for this issue that you can resort to, if you wish to kick off your work days with a bang.

Here are a few tips for those days when you just can t seem to make it through work:

Meditate: A few minutes of meditation before work in the morning can effectively make you more alert and engaged for the rest of the day. The point of meditation is not only to bring calmness and relaxation into your life but also to make you more mindful and active. Be sure to be sitting upright and breathing properly while you meditate.
Eat right: Having poor eating habits could be making you drowsy at work. It is important that you eat just the right quantity of food for every meal because overeating will surely make you sleepy and lethargic. Avoid oily and rich foods and eat just as much as you need.
Sleep well: Your night time sleeping habits are probably at the root of your day time drowsiness. Staying up late or not getting undisturbed sleep can leave you feeling agonizingly exhausted at work. It is of utmost importance that you get enough sleep every night.
Peppermint it: Peppermint is a natural stimulant and will surely leave you feeling fresh in the morning. Brush your teeth with peppermint toothpaste and sip on a cup of peppermint tea in the morning to knock the drowsiness right out of yourself.
Move around: When you feel sleepy, your first impulse is to take a nap. But often the solution to that problem is to engage in physical activity. Pace around and do some stretching exercises in the morning to get your blood circulating and you will be amazed at how refreshed you feel.
Follow these simple methods and in no time, your productivity levels at work will shoot right up.

Have you tried a host of conventional therapies, taken numerous medications, consulted the best physicians - but a cure still seems elusive?

If you are looking for a faster and completely natural method of healing from these balance disorders, Ayurveda is your best option.

What is Tinnitus?
The word tinnitus is a latin derivative meaning to ring . In this condition, the person suffers from a disparity of sound in both ears without any external noise present, like hissing, roaring clicking, whistling and others.The ringing can be sporadic or continuous and the volume ranges from minute to blooming to clamourous.

Tinnitus has also been associated with-

Sensorineural hearing loss in people with a vata dominant type of body
Pulsatile tinnitus or rhythmic pulsing, a thumping sound that coordinates with the heartbeat.
Globally, 50 million, which is 10-18% of the total population, suffer from tinnitus.

What is Vertigo?
Vertigo is characterized by a feeling of sudden rush in the head which leads to swaying or spinning. This makes it difficult to stand in an upright position. Ayurveda calls it brahma .

Causes-
Ayurveda states that vertigo is an outcome of pitta and vatta dosha .

When these doshas becomes overactive, it imbalances the entire functioning system and causes irritating sensations like ringing in the ears.
Vestibular imbalance in the inner portion of the ear is another reason causing vertigo
When adequate oxygen flow to the ear is disrupted, it also causes abnormal ringing in the ears
Treatment-
Panchakarma is a five (pancha) therapy (karma) which makes use of complete ayurvedic techniques in detoxification and body-mind healing. It eliminates diseases from their roots by examining individual needs like the body constitution, pitta dosha, age, digestive fire, and other factors. It is a proven therapy to restore the optimal health of the body, vitality and inner balance.

This rejuvenating program believes in two major treatment methods- shodhana and shamana . Shodhana is cleansing of the body and Shamana refers to treatment with medications.

1. Panchakarma to treat Tinnitus

Nasya or errhine medications- Nose drop oils like vacha calms and balance the prana vayu. The oil is warmed, put in one nostril and it flows out of the other. This removes excess vata from the head and the neck area.
Abhyanga is of two types- Shiroabhyanga is a head massage and padabhyanga is a foot massage. In padabhyanga the soles of the feet are rubbed with warm sesame oil which calms the prana vayu. The oil penetrates deep into the skin, relaxes the body, nourishes every starved cell and removes excess waste products. It propels arterial and lymphatic circulation.
Karnapoorna or ear drops are used to relax the vata in the ears. Approximately ten drops of sesame oil is applied and allowed to stay for five-ten minutes. The ear is cleaned and the process is repeated for the other ear.
Kawala and Gandush is the gargling of specific medicated oils or kawath (liquid). It provides strength to the nerves of the ears and appeases the vata gandush.
2. Panchakarma to treat Vertigo
The science of Ayurveda does not state vertigo as a chronic disease. Rather it is a disorder of the nervous system. The vitiated pitta is responsible for causing the spinning sensation. This is where the Ayurvedic method of Panchakarma benefits the human body by balancing the pitta and purifying it. The healing techniques include-

Abhyanga or regular oil massaging
Swedana or treatment by applying herbal steam
Lymphatic massage
Basti or medicated enemas
Nasya or administering oils through the nostrils

Genophobia or coitophobia is the irrational psychological fear of intercourse. It is a type of a phobia and people suffering from it fill all or most of the criteria of specific phobia according to the ICD (The International Statistical Classification of Diseases). Genophobic people may be terrified of sexual intercourse or all acts involving sex. It is different from erotophobia in the sense erotophobia is the irrational fear of sexuality and not the act in itself.

Causes
1. The causes of genophobia may be attributed to different experiences and origins according to different psychological perspectives. According to the psychoanalytic perspective, genophobia may be caused by the rigid or extremely religious upbringing, which affected the development of ego, making the individual fear all acts that are sexual because it causes moral anxiety and a severe clash of the superego (ethical portion of one's personality)and i'd (primitive component of one's personality).

2. According to the learning perspective, genophobia may develop due to an unpleasant sexual experience such as rape or molestation. Rape Trauma Syndrome leads the survivor to relive the trauma several times and develop apprehension. They may begin to fear sex eventually by relating it to the unpleasant experience, eventually leading to genophobia. It may also be caused if the individual observes sexual acts that are traumatizing in nature, in media or otherwise.

3. It may also result from severe performance anxiety, especially for those who lack sexual experience and have abstained from sex for a prolonged period of time. There is also a chance that other phobias, such as the fear of diseases, especially STDs, may lead to a fear of sexual acts. Some people might relate sexual intercourse with acquiring diseases, thus leading to the development of genophobia.

Symptoms
Symptoms of genophobia include the fear of sexual intercourse and all acts within, breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, feeling sick and fear of losing control. All these symptoms take place in the context of sexual acts.

Treatment
Genophobia is treated like all other phobias. Therapeutic technique such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (a conversation centric therapy that focuses on how thoughts and beliefs can affect one's actions) is widely used in the treatment of genophobia along with medications. The therapeutic technique varies from patient to patient. For instance, the therapeutic technique used for a rape survivor would be completely different from that which is used for an individual with a fear of STDs. With proper treatment, genophobia is curable, eventually allowing the individual to have a particularly healthy sex life.

Exams are really tough times for most students irrespective of the level of their preparation. It is natural to get anxious before and during the exam time. Anxiety is a natural state in which people are either uneasy or fearful, depending on the situation that is making them anxious.

Generally, students suffer from anxiety and fear when exam time approaches:

Forms of ailment: Depending on the medical studies conducted throughout the world, anxiety is divided into the following types:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder usually feel nervous and anxious. They even experience fear in conducting routine tasks and worry a lot about the same. Students suffering from this anxiety tend to worry a lot during exam time even after knowing that they are fully prepared to take the exam. Usually, the sufferers here are unable to control their worrying.
Phobias: Phobia refers to the feeling of excessive fear for any particular thing or object or action. Phobia clearly interferes with the normal functioning of the individual and causes the sudden flow of adrenaline through his or her body. People suffering from any kind of phobia tend to avoid the cause or reason for their fear. Students mostly suffer from social phobias when it comes to exams and their performance.
Panic Disorder: Panic Disorders are characterized by quick and intense fear. People suffering from this kind of anxiety disorder are prone to experience panic attacks - the situation that involves periods of intense fear and discomfort along with rapid heartbeat, nausea, shortness of breath and dizziness. Panic Disorder causes its sufferers to develop the anxiety of having panic attacks which further increases the problem.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: People suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder usually feel compelled to act in a certain way which doesn't appear normal to others. The kind of obsessions people feel due to this ailment include checking if a door is locked repeatedly or washing hands again and again, and so on.
Students usually suffer from generic anxiety disorders before and during the exam. An apt amount of anxiety leads to great results as it makes the person serious about his or her goals and focus on the same.

Symptoms:
Anxiety is something that everyone suffers from at one or the other point in their life. The levels of suffering can be different from person to person. The major symptoms of anxiety are listed below:

Shortness of breath
Dizziness and unsteadiness
Trembling or shaking
Heart palpitations
Choking
Sweating
Numbness
Hot flushes or chills
Fear of going out of control
Nausea and abdominal distress
Solution:
Homoeopathy provides amazing treatment in the form of drugs for anxiety and phobia. There are multiple drugs in Homoeopathy for treating anxiety, some of which are listed below. Students can go for any of them and get rid of the exam fear so that they can perform well in their exams:

Aconitum Napellus
Arsenicum Album
Argentum Nitricum
Gelsemium
Ignatia Amara
Lycopodium

Vertigo refers to dizziness, or spells of dizziness, or rotational dizziness, which can be short term or long term. It is a general symptom for a variety of conditions of the brain, inner ear, sensory nerve pathway, and other sensitive organs. Vertigo has the capability of hampering the day to day functioning of the person. Furthermore, due to these reasons, it has the potential to cause anxiety and depression.

Types of Vertigo & Diagnosis:

Vertigo can be categorized into two major types based on the underlying cause:

1. Peripheral Vertigo: It is said to occur if it is related to the problems of the inner ear, such as its inflammation or an infection in its tiny parts or displacement of tiny particles present in the inner ears.

2. Central Vertigo: It is said to occur if it is related to the problems of the brain (the Central Nervous System) or the sensory nerve pathways.

Vertigo can be diagnosed by physical examination, assessing the medical history followed by undergoing a CT scan or an MRI, as required.

Treatment:

It is important to essentially understand the root cause of the condition and then treat that accordingly for best results.

1. A bacterial infection can be addressed through antibiotics.

2. Nausea and motion sickness can be reduced by using anti-emetics and antihistamines.

3. Sometimes, for patients with intractable Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), surgery is performed to block the area triggering Vertigo.

4. Exercises can also help in managing the milder symptoms of Vertigo without visiting to the doctor for the same.

5. Most of the time, in case of BPPV, physiotherapy is the recommended treatment.

6. Certain lifestyle changes and precautions can be adopted to avoid conditions that trigger Vertigo.

7. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy goes a long way in managing Vertigo.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) for Managing Vertigo:

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, abbreviated as VRT, is a program based on exercise that promotes the retraining of the Central Nervous System and repositioning of the free flowing particles in the fluid present in the inner ear. This helps in treating the condition of the inner ear for managing Vertigo. Its application is based on scientific research and evidence. The major goal of this type of treatment is to let the brain establish coordination again with the inner ear, with eye, and with the proprioceptive system for processing information.

The proprioceptive system consists of the sensory receptors which respond to pressure and stretch. Hence, VRT is effective in improving the diminishing quality of life due to Vestibular Disorders like Vertigo, by addressing both, the primary as well as secondary consequences of the condition. Over a period of time, when the patient becomes sufficiently trained under professional guidance, VRT can then be carried out at home at prescribed intervals based on the specific requirement.

Methods for VRT-

Depending on the clinical examination, the three major methods of exercise for Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy can be prescribed, as described below:

1. Habituation exercises are prescribed for those patients who experience dizziness by movement and by visual stimulation.

2. Gaze Stabilization exercises are prescribed for those patients who experience uncontrolled eye movements leading to unclear vision.

3. Balance Training exercises are prescribed for improving steadfastness, to prevent falling, and to restore balance during performing activities like bending, standing and turning, reaching, walking, and running for helping patients return to their daily lives confidently.

Take Away:

Vertigo is the vestibular condition of dizziness that can be managed through methods like Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy for re-training the brain to coordinate with the affected organs. It helps in restoring the quality of life. VRT is mainly practiced through habituation exercises, gaze stabilization exercises, and balance training exercises.