REIKI and AUTISM

AUTISM

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal 

development of social and communication skills.

REIKI : Reiki is a safe, non invasive form of hands-on energy healing

Reiki is a lowcost , effective therapy which can help your child deal with the challenges of sleep troubles, relaxation, anxiety, stress, tight muscles, and in addition, empower your child to be able to self sooth, gain confidence, and self esteem

It helps children develop self-esteem, self confidence, and the social awareness skills they need…

FOR PARENTS

Reiki relieves - 

•  the high stress
• anxiety
• sleepless nights
• worry
• fear
• helps you to tackle your doubts you experience daily as a loving person in the life of a child on the autism spectrum

FOR YOUR KIDS :

Reiki relieves 

• Sleepless nights
• Irritability
• Muscle stiffness
• Mood swings
• Impulsiveness
• Aggression
• Improves self confidence 
• Gastric problems

Reiki doesn't cure autism but by alleviating some of the major issues in these very sensitive individuals, it produces an overall calming effect without drugs and without interfering with conventional or other alternative treatments

Dear parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and care givers of special needs children.

Thanks  for coming to my blog. I know you are busy, have limited time, are stressed, are looking for a solution, want to give your child the best life you can, want to be the best mother, father, grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and caregiver you can be.

 I know that your child’s anxiety over social interactions, anxiety during changes of the smallest degree are major stressors in your life, as well as his or her difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep. I know also that for some of you the biggest challenge in being a parent with a child with autism is being alone. 

Child with Autish usually say 1 thing in common.."I feel so alone…like I’m in a different time zone than others.”

Reiki can help calm the fear of these overly-anxious little beings. It is not uncommon for autistic children to begin to sleep after the first session.  Reiki is safe, natural, and can be done without even touching your child if he or she is extremely touch sensitive, stranger-shy, or hyperactive.


.

HAY FEVER

HAY FEVER or Allergic rhinitis is a collection of symptoms, mostly in the nose and eyes, which occur when you breathe in something you are allergic to, such as dust, dander, or pollen.
Hay fever involves an allergic reaction to pollen.


The pollen that cause hay fever vary from person to person and from region to region. Tiny, hard to see pollen more often cause hay fever. Examples of plants commonly responsible for hay fever include:

• Trees
• Grass
• Shrubs and weeds

The amount of pollen in the air is directly proportional to the intensity of the symptoms.

Symptoms :

1. Itching nose, eyes, throat, skin (any area)
2. Running nose
3. Sneezing
4. Tearing eyes
5. Sometimes problem with smell

Symptoms that may develop later are 

1. Nasal congestion (stuffy nose)
2. Coughing
3. Sore throat
4. Clogged ear or discharge from ear
5. Puffiness of face
6. Headache
7. Dark circles or memory problem may also occur

Q. I take my kids to the park every weekend. But I suffer from hay fever. Why do others in the same park do not suffer from hay fever with the same exposure to the pollen in the air?

Answer:  Hay fever is developed as an allergic reaction. Your genes and environment may make you more prone to allergies. Whether or not you are likely to develop allergies is often passed down through families. Stress can trigger the symptoms.

Q. Are my kids prone to hay fever?

Answer:  Your kids are more likely to have allergies if both the parents have allergies. The chances are greater if the mother has allergies. 

Q. How can I prevent the symptoms of hay fever?

Answer:  Symptoms can sometimes be prevented by avoiding known allergens. During the pollen season, people with hay fever should remain indoors in an air-conditioned atmosphere whenever possible.

• Most trees produce pollen during summer
• Grasses usually produce pollen during late spring or summer
• Ragweed and other late-blooming plants produce pollen during late summer and early autumn.

Homeopathy and Hey Fever:

            Most people nowadays know that Homeopathy is a very gentle system of medicine, which relies on the principle of 'Let likes be cured by likes'. This means a substance that would produce symptoms in a healthy person can treat those same symptoms when given in a tiny and harmless amount to a sick person

How does homeopathy work for hay fever?

In two ways -

1. Acute case taking:- This will help relieve the symptoms at once. Remedies can be given for first aid relief. for example, red onion (Allium cepa) produces a streaming nose and running eyes in a healthy person. When given to a Hayfever sufferer it will relieve these symptoms. When given in 
2. Constitutional case taking:- Considering, no two individual are the same, homeopathic medicines are designed according to each individual's nature in order  to normalize your bodies response to pollen. Homeopathy works on your own vital energy (immunity), correcting it and making you stronger to fight allergens.

Some common hay fever remedies -

Allium Cepa, Euphrasia, Arsenic Alb, Sulphur, Sabadilla and Pulsatilla.

Only a qualified Homeopathic physician can decide the dosage of every remedy prescribed , depending upon the intensity of the symptoms and patients individuality.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS...

Are you awake all night Facebooking and tweeting?

Are you having sleepless nights?

Then this one's for You!

Most of us have experienced a sleepless night at least once in our lifetimes. There are many factors that can contribute to a sleepless night; worry, stress and anxiety are common problems. Financial issues, relationships and work can all create unwanted emotions and thoughts that can affect our daily lives as well as sleep.
t's often difficult to let go of thoughts at night. Often when we are able to tackle the cause of worry or anxiety we are able to rest at night. It's important that we do tackle the cause of the problem quickly as prolonged experience of sleeplessness may become a learned habit and develop into insomnia.


INSOMNIA...is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, or having non-refreshing sleep for at least 1 month.


 Do I have Insomnia? - YES, if...

• you face difficulty falling asleep most of the nights
• you wake up several times during sleep
• you dont feeel refreshed in the morning / daytime
• you feel tired and fall asleep during daytime
• you have difficulty going back to sleep if you wake up at night

"Well, they say Stress is the main cause, but I dont have any stress.... I am a very chilled out person! Why am I suffering from sleepless night?"

Insomnia is not only because of stress (being a very common reason)

Other factors are -

• Caffeine - coffee, tea etc
• social networking sites and browsing has become a habit now-a-days causing sleepless nights.
• Alcohol
• Anxiety
• Some medications
• Disruption of normal sleep schedule such as rotating shift work or travel across time zones
• Environmental distractions, such as noise, lights, or temperature extremes
• Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes

Some medical causes may also cause insomnia :

1. Dementia
2. Depression
3. Medical conditions that can cause chronic pain, such as arthritis, neuropathy and injury
4. Medical conditions that can interfere with breathing, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis), and congestive heart failure.
5. Tobacco use

How can I overcome Insomnia? 

• Avoid alcohol before bed
• Avoid caffeine, tobacco, and other stimulants for at least eight hours before bedtime
• Avoid daytime napping
• Avoid large meals before bed
• Exercise early in the day
• Limit potential distractions than might keep you awake
• Observing a regular sleep schedule
• Preparing your bedroom to enhance sleep
• Relaxing before going to bed
• Using your bed only for sleep or sex

Some medication like sleeping pills , anti depressants etc may help you. But they cause severe addiction which may be difficult to overcome.

Other Treatments like Holistic therapies like Homeopathy, relaxing massage or a regular session of Reiki may help you overcome your stress and sleepless nights much quickly and efficiently.

Tips!.

• Do something relaxing just before bedtime (such as reading or taking a bath) so that you don't dwell on worrisome issues. 
• Watching TV or using a computer may be stimulating to some people and interfere with their ability to fall asleep.
• If you can't fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up and move to another room. Engage in a quiet activity until you feel sleepy.
• One method of preventing worries from keeping you awake is to keep a journal before going to bed. List all issues that worry you. By this method, you transfer your worries from your thoughts to paper. This leaves your mind quieter and more ready to sleep.

SWEET DREAMS...

(for online consultation & queries, Click here)

Weekend Health Tips

WEEKEND! and there comes the smile and all that excitement about it. . .

We all tend to relax – or be lax – on weekends, party and that’s what they’re for, right?
But loosening our grips on a healthy lifestyle, even just for the weekend, can sabotage our efforts to reach health and fitness goals.

Recent studies indicate that we tend to take in more calories on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The exact number varies from an average of 85 calories per weekend day to 115, and while that may not seem like much, it adds up. A pound is 3,500 calories, so 345 extra calories a week will lead to nearly a pound after 10 weeks — or an extra five pounds over a year.

week 2     week 4            week 6             week 8      week 10  

You may think, "So I eat a little more on Saturday night, I’ll exercise that off on Sunday." Sunday arrives, yet you find excuses not to exercise " Its a lazy Sunday!"

• Church starts at 9 a.m.? Then get up at 7 a.m. and walk a few miles. You rise early to workout on weekdays, why not on weekends? Or give it a twist - You can go for a mini trek, I'm sure there are loads of places around, you still need to explore...

• You can’t miss 60 Minutes talk show / the famous movie on Sunday evening? Tape it or you can always find it on the net, and hit the gym.
• Your wife wants your help in the garden? Good news – the experts deem yard work real exercise.
• Watching your kids’ baseball games all day? Stand up while you watch: standing burns more calories than sitting. Or take a walk between games.
• Or just call you friends and Go, Play! remember the out door games you played in your school days?
• Do you just not feel like working out because, after all, weekends are for relaxing? Just a few minutes of exercise is better than none. Keeping up with your exercise routine will help you reach your fitness goals that much faster, and once you get into the groove of working out, you’ll crave it. Promise!

And it doesn’t stop with fitness...
While it’s easy to drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day when you have a water bottle sitting on your desk at work, where you’re stuck for half your waking hours, weekends are different. You’re watching your kids’ soccer games or shopping or meeting friends or doing yard work or visiting the craft booths at the local art fair. Carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go just doesn’t seem feasible. Keep your eye on the prize: a healthier you. Be conscious of what you eat during the weekends, stick to your healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercising just like you do during the week. If you need to reward yourself for the hard work (or the diligence you've kept to your diet) through the week, see a movie or get a massage. DON’T get the cheesy fries appetizer or order an extra margarita – the study shows that the additional weekend calories come from fat and alcohol.

Keep your eye on the prize: a healthier you. Be conscious of what you eat during the weekends, stick to your healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercising just like you do during the week. If you need to reward yourself for the hard work (or the diligence you’ve kept to your diet) through the week, see a movie or get a massage. DON’T get the cheesy fries appetizer or order an extra margarita – the study mentioned in the third paragraph shows that the additional weekend calories come from fat and alcohol.

 On weekends, give yourself a break, but make it a healthy one.

IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

Anemia - iron deficiency

Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. There are many types of anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is a decrease in the number of red cells in the blood caused by too little iron.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men do not have enough iron in their body.

Iron is a key part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. Your body normally gets iron through diet and by recycling iron from old red blood cells. Without iron, the blood cannot carry oxygen effectively. Oxygen is needed for every cell in the body to function normally.

What causes iron deficiency?

• Blood loss
• Poor absorption of iron by the body
• Too little iron in the diet

It can also be related to lead poisoning in children. (children tend to chew the nib of the pencil which is lead causing lead poisoning)

Anemia develops slowly after the normal iron stores in the body and bone marrow have run out. In general, women have smaller stores of iron than men because they lose more through menstruation. They are at higher risk for anemia than men.

In men and postmenopausal women, anemia is usually caused by gastrointestinal bleeding due to:

• Certain types of cancer (esophagus, stomach, colon)
• Esophageal varices
• Long-term use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS)
• Peptic ulcer disease

Iron deficiency anemia may also be caused by poor absorption of iron in the diet, due to:

• Celiac disease
• Crohn's disease
• Gastric bypass surgery
• Taking antacids

Other causes of iron deficiency anemia include:

• Heavy, long, or frequent menstrual bleeding
• Not receiving enough iron in the diet (for example, if you are a strict vegetarian)

Adults at high-risk for anemia include:

• Those who use aspirin, ibuprofen, or arthritis medicines for a long time
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding who have low iron levels
• Seniors
• Women of child-bearing age

Symptoms

• Blue color to whites of the eyes
• Fatigue is very common
• Decreased appetite (especially in children)
• Iritability
• Headache
• Blue nails
• Pale skin color
• Shortness of breath
• Sore tongue
• Unusual food cravings (called pica)
• Weakness

Note: There may be no symptoms if the anemia is mild.

Signs and tests

• Fecal occult blood test
• Hematocrit and hemoglobin (red blood cell measures)
• Iron binding capacity (TIBC) in the blood
• RBC indices
• Serum ferritin
• Serum iron level

Treatment

• The cause of the iron deficiency must be found, especially in older patients who face the greatest risk for gastrointestinal cancers.
• Iron supplements (ferrous sulfate) are available. For the best iron absorption, take these supplements with an empty stomach. However, many people cannot tolerate this and may need to take the supplements with food.
• Patients who cannot tolerate iron by mouth can take it through a vein (intravenous) or by an injection into the muscle.
• Milk and antacids may interfere with the absorption of iron and should not be taken at the same time as iron supplements. Vitamin Ccan increase absorption and is essential in the production of hemoglobin.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women will need to take extra iron because their normal diet usually will not provide the required amount.
• The hematocrit should return to normal after 2 months of iron therapy. However, iron should be continued for another 6 - 12 months to replenish the body's iron stores in the bone marrow.

Iron-rich foods include:

• Eggs (yolk)
• Fish
• Legumes (peas and beans)
• Meats (liver is the highest source)
• Poultry
• Raisins
• Whole-grain bread
  Also, Green leafy vegetables, Aubergine,beetroot, dry fruits, Ragi (Indian cereal ) are the common vegetarian sources of iron.

Expectations (prognosis)

With treatment, the outcome is likely to be good. Usually, blood counts will return to normal in 2 months.Patient generally start feeling better (slightly) within 6 weeks. 

It is advised to continue the course of iron pills for 2 more months after the blood levels are back to normal. This will help body to maintain the iron reservoirs.

Complications

There are usually no complications. However, iron deficiency anemia may come back. Get regular follow-ups with your health care provider.

Children with this disorder may be more likely to get infections.

Rarely patients develop Ectopic heart beats due to anemia.

When should I call my physician/ health care provider?

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• You have symptoms of this disorder
• You notice blood in your stool

Prevention

Everyone's diet should include enough iron. Red meat, liver, and egg yolks are important sources of iron. Flour, bread, and some cereals are fortified with iron. If you aren't getting enough iron in your diet (uncommon in the United States), take iron supplements.

During periods when you need extra iron (such as pregnancy and breastfeeding), increase the amount of iron in your diet or take iron supplements.