The development of e-cigarettes is believed by many smokers to be nothing short of a miracle. These cigarettes are believed to be a healthier alternative to normal cigarettes, as they only give you nicotine(in some cases zero-nicotine) and no smoke or tar. The nicotine is present in form of fluids filled in these cigarettes. The battery converts the fluid into vapors. Inhaling this vapor satiates the nicotine requirement without giving you the unwanted carcinogens. This makes them safe to use. So the question that now arises is, whether they help one quit smoking normal cigarettes. The answer is yes, but with a few caveats. The range of fluids varies from 1.8% to 0% nicotine content. If you want to quit cigarettes, just reduce the content by changing the fluids gradually. In this way, you can quit cigarettes without facing the withdrawal symptoms. The problem arises when you develop a dependence on nicotine intake. Nicotine is addictive. Since they are promoted as ‘safe-cigarettes’, even youngsters are trying them. Developing a dependency on them for leisure is not good for their health. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at the pros and cons of e-cigarettes: Pros of e-cigarettes: Helps to quit smoke based cigarettes – These cigarettes were initially developed to help to quit smoke based cigarettes.

For the last 48 years, Earth Day has been celebrated every year on 22nd April across the world – to spread awareness about the need for environmental protection, and to acknowledge the fact that the atmosphere is degrading day by day and collective efforts need to be taken to save it from depletion. Air and water pollution levels are rising in many countries across the globe. The rising level of pollution is of great concern; it is not only polluting the environment but also affecting the health of every living being. Environmental pollution has many aspects and the resultant health hazards include diseases in almost all organ systems. There are numerous diseases caused by Air and Water pollution that one should be aware of in order to take preventive steps to stay health. Diseases caused by Air Pollution Due to our over-dependence on automobiles, the need for petroleum products is increasing on a daily basis, as the generation of energy adds pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide to the air. These gases convert into acids and pollute the atmosphere and the air we breathe, leading to many air-borne diseases such as: Asthma Asthma is a chronic disease in which inflammation is caused by the air passages of the human body and the person finds it difficult to breathe.

If you just made the loud reverberating “AA-CHOO” sound, it means that you have just sneezed. Sneezing, is medically known as the process of sternutation. It occurs because something is irritating or tickling inside of the nose. It is a reaction of the body to any external irritation and also the mechanism of eliminating any irritant from your nose. What makes you sneeze? There can be a number of factors that would cause you to sneeze. Generally being external, they could be bright light, pollen, dust or even your adorable pet. Physiology of sneezing The physiological process of sneezing is important to understand the reason why one should never obstruct or stifle it. Though a fairly simple body phenomenon, it is very vital and should never be restricted. Every time the inside of your nose tickles, a direct message is sent to a special part of your sneeze center. The sneeze center is a special part of your brain allocated to only regulate sneezing activity and responses. This sneeze center then sends a message to the muscles that have to work as a unit to create a sneeze. Muscles involved in sneezing: Abdominal muscles – muscles of the belly Chest muscles – front of the chest muscles Diaphragm – the muscle below the lungs that helps in breathing Vocal cord muscles – muscles that control the vocal cords Throat muscles – muscles in the back and front of the throat.

Meningitis occurs when the meninges, or membranes, around the spinal cord and brain become inflamed due to a fungal, bacterial, or most commonly, a viral infection. Meningitis is considered a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency treatment. Symptoms in the early stages typically present with worsening neck stiffness, headache, and fever. In order to diagnose meningitis, a procedure known as a spinal tap (or lumbar puncture) is necessary. To perform a lumbar puncture, your doctor will administer an anesthetic, then insert a needle between the spinal bones to extract a sample of spinal fluid. Cloudy spinal fluid, which indicate white blood cells, suggest a meningitis infection is present. Blood and urine samples are typically also taken from the patient. Meningitis can progress very quickly, so fluid samples are rushed to a lab to determine if the meningitis is fungal, bacterial, or viral in nature. Treatment options for meningitis will depend on the type of infection present: 1. Fungal meningitis Fungal meningitis (or cryptococcus) is considered the rarest form of meningitis because it typically strikes individuals with immune-suppressing health conditions (i.e., HIV, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or patients taking drugs like prednisone, which can weaken the immune system). Fungal meningitis results when fungus spreads through the blood to the spinal cord or brain.

According to medical experts, epilepsy characterizes a collection of recurring seizure disorders triggered by abnormal and sudden electrical impulses in the brain. Although recurrent seizures are a symptom of epilepsy, not all individuals who suffer from seizures have epilepsy. In fact, several underlying health conditions can cause seizures to occur—including infections of the brain (i.e., meningitis as well as sodium and blood glucose imbalances). This why the patient must experience frequent seizures for a firm epilepsy diagnosis. If epilepsy is diagnosed, several treatment options are available: 1. Epilepsy medication Most epileptic patients, roughly 70%, are able to control their seizures with medication alone, which is why medication is usually the first course of action. Doctors tend to start patients on a low dose of anti-seizure (anticonvulsant) medications, and gradually increase the dosage depending on several factors—including patient age, gender (especially if you want to get pregnant), medical history, other existing medical conditions, and seizure type. Anti-seizure drugs work to improve communication in the brain and calm brain cell activity. Keep in mind, not all patients find the right medication fit right away, and doctors will often monitor how the patient reacts to the with regular blood work and the option to alter medications as needed (i.e., seizure frequency often subsides with age).