- Transient Ischaemic Attack(TIA)
TIA is a kind of stroke and it happens when when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily interrupted. There is a possibility that you may suffer from TIA if you face symptoms like numbness in arms or legs, disturbance in speech, some vision loss lasting for few minutes or less than 24 hrs. Seek medical help immediately.

- Stroke
If some kind of numbness is felt on one side of body, confusion, headache, vomiting, nausea then it could be a stroke and you need to rush to a hospital within an hour to treat and minimize damage.

- Encephalitis, Meningitis or Brain Tumor
If you are experiencing headache accompanied by a stiff neck or sensitivity to light or sound and nausea for over a day then it could be a brain tumor and you need to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.

- Brain Tumor
If you are experiencing severe and sudden headaches or numbness and tingling in limbs or loss of peripheral vision then it could be a brain tumor and you need to consult a neurologist as soon as possible.

- Migraine
If you are experiencing nausea, vomiting, seeing flashing lights, difficulty in tolerating light, exhaustion, headache on one side that can last from 4 to 72 hours then it could be a migraine which need medication. Keep a watch for couple of days and seek medical help.

- Tension Headache
If you are experiencing headache like a tight band is tied around the head and it throbs in time to your pulse. It could also result in vomiting then it could be a tension headache and it needs pain killers and stress busters. Self medication can help.

A headache is a pain felt by a person in the head or upper neck. A headache is also known as cephalalgia. In 2007, the international headache society classified headache as primary headache, secondary headache, cranial neuralgias or facial headache. The most common is tension headache which comes under primary headache. Tension headache is due to stress, anxiety, depression, bad posture etc. Headache can be cured through various medicines available in the market but it can also be cured through some natural remedies. These natural remedies are highle effective, inexpensive and have no side effect on human body.

Check your diet: Every body reacts differently to different foods or the ingredients in the food item. Check your diet and see whether any food item reacts negatively with your body.

Exercise regularly: Its not easy to do during the times of headache but it a good remedy because it increases blood circulation and allows more oxygen to reach the brain. It should be done even when you are not suffering from headache.

Prevent dehydration: Dehydration is also a cause of headache so prevent yourself from it and drink lots of water. Many a times, the headache we feel goes away when we drink enough water.

Take supplements: Take supplement which have both magnesium and calcium in it and if you are not taking supplement then drink orange juice.

Massage: A deep massage relievs you from stress and tension which are the main causes of headache so massage done on face an head is a fast remedial treatment for headache.

Using home products:

• Apple: Remove upper rind and the inner hard portion of ripe apple. Take this with salt on empty stomach for about a week.
• Lemon: Squeeze lemon and mix this juice in a cup of tea and this should be taken by the patient.
• Heena: Heena gives a cooling effect when a person is suffering from headache due to the heat of the sun.
• Cinnamon:  It provides a relief when a head ache is caused by exposure to cold air. Make a paste of this spice and mix with apply and then apply on the temples and forehead.
• Ice: Apply ice pack to the affected area and try placing it on your temples, forehead and back of your neck.

Hot foot bath: Fill the bucket or tub with hot water at the temperature of around 40 to 45 degree C . The patient should dip his foot  in this hot water for around 15 to 20 mins for about 3 to 4 weeks.

Yogasanas: Various yogic kriyas like jalneti and kunjal, pranayamas, asanas and shavasanas are helpful in treating headache.

Small nap: A small nap is very helpful in tension headache. If a person is suffering from tension headache he must go to sleep for few hours.

Pressure points: Apply pressure for 2 minutes to the area where the bones of  index figure and thumb meets. The area is bit fleshy. This is a very good remedy for treating head ache but is underrated.

THE ALEXANDER METHOD
The hands-on Alexander technique focuses on unlearning detrimental patterns of movement. It is not a set of exercises, but a conscious change in mindset that supports better physical movement. Its basic principles emphasize balance, ease, lightness and flow to counteract rigidity, stress and tension. Other purpose of the Alexander method is to restore overall expansiveness to the body. Alexander method is most often used for improved coordination and balance, pain relief and improvement of conditions caused by chronic misalignment, such as muscle tension and pain in the lower back and neck.
During a typical session, the practitioner uses a hands-on approach to guide you. You may lie on the table while the practitioner gently guides your limbs. During your daily activities, the practitioner can give you verbal suggestions like “the back lengthens and widens” or “head forward and up” to help you shed harmful movement habits.

SPINAL MANIPULATION
During spinal manipulation, the practitioner applies a controlled amount of force to a spinal joint, moving it outside of its usual range of motion. Alternatively, a rhythmic force is applied to improve joint motion in the neck, spine and pelvis. The practitioner may use a special table to better help perform adjustments. Evidences show that spinal manipulation can help to cure low back pain, tension headaches and neck pain.
Spinal manipulation is generally considered safe though it is not for everyone. Common side effects are discomfort in the treated area, headache and tiredness. Generally, though these problems clear up within one or two days. Spinal manipulation is most often used for lower back pain, other pain conditions, overall well-being.

CAUSES OF COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

- Energy respond differently to characters on computer screen as compared to printed characters.
- The characters on a computer screen neither have contrast or sharp edges. These characters have their brightness. maximally at the center and decrease in intensity towards their edges. It makes it difficult for eyes to maintain focus and remain fixed onto the images.
- The continuous flexing of the eyes focusing mechanism leads to fatigue and a burning, irritable, tired-eyes feeling that is so common after sitting long hours at computer.

PREVENTION OF COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME

- Wear proper glasses that will allow you to work comfortably and productively.
- Use proper lighting by eliminating harsh, distracting, exterior light that cause eye strain by closing drapes, shades or blinds. Reduce interior lighting by using fewer light bulbs or fluorescent tubes.
- Minimize glare.
- The computer display screen should be upgraded. New LCD screens are easier on the eyes. Select screen refresh rate of at least 75 Hertz. Maintain the highest resolution possible.
- The display settings should be set so the brightness of screen is about same as work environment.
- The text size should be three times the size of the smallest text you can read from a normal viewing position.
- Do not stare and work at a stretch at the computer. Blink often to avoid dryness and irritation. Tears coating the eye evaporate more rapidly during long non-blinking phases.
- Relax your eyes.
- Modify your workstation. If you need to look back and forth between a printed page and computer screen, it can cause eye strain.
- Stretching is necessary in between the work to prevent neck, back, and shoulder pain.
- Take a 10-min break every hour to stand up, move about and stretch.

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND MENTAL TENSION

A large number of physical changes take place when a person is under stress. All these changes take place in a split second under the direction of the nervous system.
- Brain and nervous system becomes intensely active.
- Pupils of the eye dilate.
- Digestion slows down.
- Muscles are tensed.
- Heart starts pumping blood harder and faster.
- Blood pressure increases.
- Breathing becomes faster.
- Some hormones are released into the system along with glucose from liver.
- Sweating starts.
Stress in its earlier and reversible stages leads to :
- Poor sleep.
- Bad temper.
- Continual grumbling.
- Domestic conflict.
- Repeated minor sickness.
- Accident proneness.
- Frustration.
- Increase in alcoholic intake.

CAUSES OF STRESS AND MENTAL TENSION

– External factors include loud noises, blinding lights, heat or cold, X-rays, radiation drugs, chemicals, bacterial and various toxic substances, pain and inadequate nutrition.
- Internal factors include hate, envy, fear or jealousy.

REMEDIES FOR STRESS AND MENTAL TENSION

- SAGE : tea prepared from the leaves of sage should be given. The tea is prepared by pouring a cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of dried sage leaves. The water should be covered and infused for several minutes. Strain it and drink.
- HOLY BASIL : It is considered as an anti-stress agent. even healthy persons should chew twelve leaves of basil twice a day, morning and evening, for preventing stress.
- NUTRIENTS : Vitamins A and B, minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium reduces the feeling of irritability and anxiety. Vitamin A is found in green and yellow vegetables. Vitamin B can be found in cashew nuts, green leafy vegetables, yeast, sprouts and bananas. An element of vitamin B complex, pantothenic acid, is especially important in preventing stress.
Potassium deficiency is associated with breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia and low blood sugar. This mineral is essential for healthy hearty muscles. Nuts and whole grains are good sources.

Calcium is a natural sedative. Deficiencies can cause fatigue, nervousness and tension. Dairy products, eggs, almonds and soya beans are rich sources.

Magnesium is known as nature’s tranquillizer and is associated with the prevention of heart attacks. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, seeds, dates and prunes.

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

- Lifestyle of the patient needs to be changed.
- Optimum diet should be taken.
- Regular exercise and adequate rest.
- Foods like caffeine and many soft drinks, salt, sugar, cigarettes and alcohol should be avoided.

SYMPTOMS OF TONSILLITIS

The main symptoms of tonsillitis are:
- Sore throat.
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Pain in various parts of the body.
- Difficulty in sallowing.
- Weakness.
- Tonsil appear inflamed and red when the mouth is wide open.
- Sometimes, spots of pus exude from them.
- The tonsorial lymph glands which lie just behind the angle of the jaw are tender and enlarged.
- Pain in the ear.

CAUSES OF TONSILLITIS

- Toxic condition of the system which is brought to a head by a sudden lowering of vitality, resulting from exposure and sudden chill.
- Tonsils become enlarged and inflamed when the toxins cannot be got rid of through the normal channels of elimination such as bowels, kidneys, and skin.
- A throat affliction of this kind is also associated with and is the result of chronic constipation,when toxins are re-absorbed into the bloodstream.

REMEDIES FOR TONSILLITIS

- Vegetable Juices : Juices of carrot, beet and cucumber, taken individually or in combination are beneficial.
- Milk : A glass of pure boiled milk, mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder and pepper powder should be taken for three nights.
- Lime : A fresh lime squeezed in a glass of warm water with four tsp of honey and a quarter tsp of common salt should be sipped slowly in such cases.
- Fenugreek Seeds : A gargle made from fenugreek seeds is very effective. To make such a gargle, two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds should be allowed to simmer for half an hour in a litre of water and then set aside to cool. The entire quantity should be used the same day as a soothing gargle.

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

Foods that should be avoided are cold drinks and aerated drinks, spicy food, curds, buttermilk, fried food, ice-cream, hard and crunchy food articles, strong coffee, tea and alcohol and one should avoid smoking.
The best diet to begin with, the patient should fast for three to five days by which time the serious symptoms should subside.
After the acute symptoms of tonsillitis are over, the patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for next three or four days.
Gradually, the patient can embark upon a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

NOTE:
Daily dry fiction and a hip bath, as well as breathing and other exercises should all form part of daily health regimen. The bowels should be cleaned everyday. A cold pack should be applied to the throat at two-hourly intervals during the day.

Positive Effects of Caffeine

- Caffeine enhances mental alertness and concentration.
- Caffeine can help improve athletic performance by temporarily increasing muscle strength and endurance.
- Caffeine increases the flow of urine and the production of digestive acids.
- Caffeine relaxes smooth muscles.
- Caffeine improves the mood.
- Research tells that people who drink coffee or consume caffeine regularly have a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
- Moderate intake of caffeine lowers the risk of developing colon cancer, cirrhosis, gallstone formation, preventing cavities, preventing Cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells, prevents headache, asthma and foul moods.

Negative Effects of Caffeine

- It can include indigestion, constipation, insomnia, temporary rapid heartbeat, or shaky hands.
- Too much caffeine include mood swings, trouble sleeping, raised blood pressure, digestion complications, central nervous system disorders.
- It affects the length and quality of an individual’s sleep patterns.
- It causes a jittery feeling with shaking hands and wobbliness in the legs while also heightening chances of palpitations.
- Abrupt withdrawal can cause headaches, drowsiness, irritability, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
- Serious effects include delirium and collapse, can usually be resolved with hospitalization.
- Caffeine when taken at night can cause insomnia.
- Caffeine is also a common culprit in many tinnitus sufferers.
- Caffeine may cause breast tenderness.

Decaffeinated coffee

Coffee naturally contains the active supplement caffeine. Some people that do not handle caffeine so well. This decaffeinated coffee lacks the stimulating power of caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee is not entirely caffeine-free.

Decaffeination process

The de-caffeination processes are performed on the green coffee beans when the coffee is being produced and treated in the industrial plants. Decaffeination is done in a controlled environment of temperature and pressure for a fixed time. The stages in caffeine extraction procedure involves swelling the green coffee beans with water or steam, extracting the caffeine from the beans, steam stripping to remove all solvent residues from the beans, drying the decaffeinated coffee beans back to their normal moisture content.

To make coffee caffeine free, methods used are:
- Water-carbon method : This process uses water (H2O) as a solvent.
- Dichloromethane process : This method employs dichloromethane (DCM) as a solvent and has been developed to suit the requirements of the out of home industry.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms :

- Cravings to smoke : Cravings for a cigarette are frequent and intense within the first two to three days after stopping. The cravings become less frequent over the next four or five days, but they may increase again and persist for many weeks. Deep breathing and immediate activity will help distract you from your craving. The worst of the cravings usually end within a couple of weeks after breaking free.
- Irritable, cranky : When the nicotine level declines, your body begins to sense the loss. This can cause tension and be symptomatic of the grief process. Deep breathing and exercise will help relieve irritability.
- Insomnia : Your sleeping patterns may be affected once you stop smoking. Difficulties in sleeping will occur due to the absence of nicotine in the brain. Furthermore, lack of sleep will affect your moods in the daytime and also leave you feeling tired and drained.
- Inability to Concentrate : Take regular short breaks from what you are doing, try to eat healthy energizing foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, drink lots of water to keep the brain hydrated, exercise or keep active and get plenty of fresh air.
- Headache : Half an aspirin should do the trick, but beforehand try to relieve the tension by carrying out a few deep breathing exercises, drinking a glass of water, taking a relaxing bath, going for a gentle walk in the fresh air or lying down for 15 minutes or so. As a last resort take the aspirin.
- Cough : Drinking water and sucking boiled sweets may help to ease the cough, loosen the mucus in your lungs, keep your throat moist and flush the toxins out of your system.
- Tiredness : To boost your energy levels, avoid sugary and processed foods, drink lots of water, snack on seeds, nuts or dried fruit, go for a short but brisk walk if you are feeling tired, take a break from what you are doing and relax and make sure that you eat a good healthy breakfast, which will keep you going at least through the morning.
- Sore throat : A small number of people who stop smoking are affected by chemical changes in their mouths and may suffer minor problems including blisters, sores, and inflammation.
- Constipation, gas, stomach pain : Try to eat fiber-rich foods and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables; prunes are good, drink 8 glasses of water a day and carry out some gentle exercise to stimulate your bowels. Some say that eating chocolate helps too.
- Tightness in the chest : This happens because your body is getting more fresh air than usual. The extra air fills the lungs and makes them feel tighter. This symptom should last for only a day or two after stopping. See your doctor if it persists.
- Tingling sensations : After giving up smoking, your circulation will improve, as more of your smaller blood vessels will open up allowing more oxygen to flow through you body.
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Sore tongue and/or gums
- Postnasal drip