Most aches and pains are rarely a big deal. But there are a few critical symptoms that you should have checked out as soon as possible. See your doctor if you have any of these things.

Weakness in Your Arms and Legs
If you get numb or weak in your leg, arm, or face, it could be a sign of a stroke. It's especially important if it's on one side of your body or if it comes on without warning.

You could also be having a stroke if you feel dizzy, can't keep your balance, or find it hard to walk. You may also have a sudden bad headache, can't see well, or have problems talking or understanding.

Don't wait to see if symptoms stop. Get emergency help right away, because every moment counts. If you get a drug to break up the clot within 4.5 hours after symptoms start, you'll lower your chances of long-term problems.

If you have heart-related issues like high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation, pay close attention to these symptoms. If you have these conditions, you’re more likely to have a stroke.

Chest Pain
We've all felt chest pain in some form, whether it's a dull throb or a sharp stab. Because it can be a sign of a serious problem, it's important to get medical help right away. Chest pain or pressure can be a sign of a heart attack or heart disease, especially if it happens when you’re active.

People who've had heart-related pain describe it as a burning, full, or tight feeling in the chest. It's sometimes a searing sensation in one or both arms that can move up into the neck, jaw, and shoulders. The discomfort can last for more than a few minutes, get worse when you're active, go away, and then come back.


Often, chest pain doesn't have anything to do with your heart. It could be due to things like heartburn or other digestive issues.

Don't try to tough it out or wait for it to go away. See a doctor right away if you have new or unexplained pain in your chest.

Tenderness and Pain in the Back of Your Lower Leg
This can be a sign of a blood clot in your leg. It's called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It can happen when you have a condition that affects how your blood clots. You can also get one if you’ve been sitting or confined to bed for a long time. Pregnancy, using birth control pills, smoking, and being overweight also can make it more likely.

If you have a clot, you might feel pain or tenderness. The area might be swollen. Your skin might feel warm, or it could look red.

It isn’t uncommon to be sore after exercise, but get medical help if you notice swelling, warmth, and redness. DVT can be serious. Blood clots in your legs can break off, travel through your bloodstream, and block blood flow to your lungs. Doctors call this a pulmonary embolism, and it can be deadly.

Blood in Your Urine
There are several reasons you might see blood when you pee.

If you have kidney stones, blood can make your urine pink or reddish. These small crystals that form in your urine can cause a lot of pain in your side or your back.

Your doctor may take a CT scan or do an ultrasound to see them. Some kidney stones will pass on their own, but the wait can be painful. You might need a procedure to break up larger ones.

If you see blood in your urine, have to pee more often, or have a burning sensation when you go, you may have a urinary tract infection in your bladder or kidney. Get help right away. This condition can lead to kidney damage and more serious problems.

Blood in your urine can sometimes also be a sign of other illnesses, including bladder or kidney cancer.


Wheezing
If you hear a whistling sound when you breathe, see your doctor right away. Wheezing could be a sign of asthma, a lung disease, a severe allergic reaction, or exposure to chemicals. It could also signal pneumonia or bronchitis.

Treatment depends on the cause. You might need oxygen to help you breathe. If asthma’s to blame, an inhaler could be part of your treatment plan to stop flare-ups. No matter what’s behind your wheezing, you can get short-term relief from sitting in a shower where the air is moist, or using a vaporizer.

Suicidal Thoughts
If you feel hopeless, like there's no way to solve your problems, reach out for help right away. It can make you feel better to talk to a trained counselor.

Call 911 or a suicide hotline number. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255). It's free and available 24 hours a day. It's private, so you can feel comfortable talking about how you feel.

You can also walk into an emergency room or walk-in clinic and ask for help. A doctor or counselor can refer you to a professional who can help.

One of the major pitfalls of modern professional as well as personal life is stress. With obesity and bad diet, stress completes the unholy trinity of the three pronged problems which contributes to many modern lifestyle related disorders. Even if you control obesity and diet through lifestyle changes, stress is inherent in our everyday life and mostly is not in your control.

However, Ayurveda has some great methods through, which you can limit or minimize stress and limits its effect on your mind, body and soul.

Ayurveda - The holistic approach to stress
Ayurveda has been around for thousands of years and is thus, a great tool to fight or reduce many of the physical and mental ailments that afflict you. Ayurveda’s approach at busting stress is thus, very well rounded. These methods help keep your mind still to reduce stress and also reduce the ill effects of stress on your body. Some of the elements of this holistic diet are mentioned below:

1. Change your diet: Stress creates craving for unhealthy food, which is either very spicy or has a lot of processed sugar or fat. It is a temporary fix, which is again required when the next bout of stress hits, resulting in a pattern akin to addiction. One of the first steps is to break the cycle by changing eating habits. Stress occurs as a reaction to adversities in the world and rather than food aggravating the vata, pitta and kapha doshas, it should pacify and balance them. Whole and healthy food is what you need in such a case and it can comprise of

Soups

Root vegetables

Stews

Simple foods such as rice or roti

Green vegetables among others

2. Drink herbs in form of beverages to reduce stress: There are many forms of Ayurvedic herbs, which can help combat stress. One natural response among many people when stressed is to consume coffee or tea in large quantities, which may actually aggravate the problem. Try drinking Ayurvedic herbs as tea, which have been specially formulated to combat stress and correct the unbalanced doshas within the body.

3. Try Aromatherapy: Incense sticks and other specially formulated aroma candles can be used to create a relaxing atmosphere in your home where you can sit and meditate while the pleasant aromas and the herbs within them can lower your stress level and act as a release point.

4. Abhyanga: This is a form of self-massage with the help of specially medicated herbal Ayurvedic oils. It helps the body by relaxing the muscles, lubricating connective tissues and also improving circulation. Abhyanga reduces stress within the body and keeps you calm and relaxed. This will help you to reduce stress and also handle it better on a daily basis.

5. Pranayama, yoga and exercise: One of the most effective tools to combat stress and improve your physiological condition is through yoga and pranayama. Pranayama in particular is one of the most effective methods to regulate multiple functions of the body and to ensure your mind stays still and calm. Certain yoga poses can also be emphasized on to ensure better stress relief. Also ensure that you diligently follow your exercise routine daily as it is proven to be one of the most effective ways of combatting stress.

6. Herbs: Certain herbs can be used as medications, which can restore the balance of doshas. Sometimes, stress is caused due to internal problems rather than incitement from the outside world. Some of the herbs that can be used in medicated combinations in such cases are triphala, ashwagandha and brahmi. However, it is best to consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner who can prescribe tailor made medications for you.

Five horrible things you do to your hair everyday

Hair today, gone tomorrow. That might be your condition if you are not taking care of your hair properly. There are a lot of things you do almost daily that are adversely impacting your hair health. You might not even be aware of the damage you are doing to your tresses by indulging these activities. Read on to find out about the 5 worst things you do to your hair on a daily basis.

1. Excessive hair brushing: Here’s why brushing your hair excessively is bad for your hair: it causes breakage and strips your hair of its natural nourishing oils. To avoid this, try limiting the use of your hair brush to about just two times in a day. Brushing right after you wake up is a good idea, as it helps in distributing the oils produced by your scalp down your hair shaft, which act as a natural conditioner for your hair.

2. Tying your hair in a ponytail everyday: If you tie your hair in a ponytail everyday then chances are you are applying consistent pressure to on the same hair shafts, resulting in brittle and weaker hair. In fact, doing so continuously can even retard hair growth. Try to leave it open as much as you can, but if you absolutely must tie a pony tail, then tie a loose one. Maybe even use booby pins to keep your hair in place instead of scrunchies. Alternating between high and low ponytails helps too.

3. Using a pre-used hairbrush: Your hairbrush contains a lot of germs, which can severely damage your hair. Using an unclean brush is one of the main reasons of damage hair, as these brushes contain dirt gathered from your hair which you’re giving back to your hair by using. It’s best to clean it once in a while to maintain proper hair health. The same holds true for other styling agents such as combs, curlers, rollers, straighteners etc.

4. Delaying a hair cut: Most of us are guilty of this crime. What with your jam-packed schedule and work overload, you often ignore that much needed trip to the salon. Prolonging a haircut is never a good idea as it can lead to a bad case of split ends, which can result in hair that tangles a lot and causes hair fall. Regular trimming sessions, once every 6 weeks, are a must.

5. Shampooing in excess: Some of you prefer your scalp to be squeaky clean every single day, believing that daily dust and pollution require you to indulge in this unhealthy habit. Well, it’s best to stop right now as you’re harming your hair by shampooing daily. Daily shampoos can completely strip your hair of its natural oils, causing your scalp to become dry, leaving your hair with a dry, messy and rough feel. However. Delaying hair wash is not good either. It is best to shampoo whenever your hair feels greasy and dirty.

Avoid doing these to your hair, and let your tresses breathe so that they look healthy and shine with a natural glow.

Experiencing menstrual cramps for a few days every month is quite common for every woman. These cramps are commonly accompanied with pain. Menstrual cramps are referred to as dysmenorrhea. This is not a very serious health condition, but still the cramps can cause you pain and distress. You can manage the pain caused by menstrual cramps by making some simple changes and starting some practices. They are as follows:

Dietary Changes: You have to make several dietary modifications to manage menstrual cramps. Reduce fat from your daily diet and consume more vegetables. A low-fat diet helps in reducing the levels of inflammation in your body. These changes will successfully help you to reduce the severity of menstrual cramps. You have to adopt a well-balanced diet.

Medicines: Several painkillers which fall under the non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory groups are prescribed to relieve pain caused by the cramps. These medicines lower the production of prostaglandin that causes menstrual cramps. Inflammation and pain are relieved.

Consume Green Tea: There are certain green teas, which relieve menstrual cramps. Herbal tea has been used since medieval ages for this purpose. Cramp bark is an effective tea used for this reason. Peppermint oil tea is also considered good.


Fish Oil Supplements and Vitamin B1: Fish oil supplements and vitamin B1 help in naturally treating menstrual cramps. You will get quick and long-lasting relief by consuming these.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture can be utilised to treat menstrual cramps. The nervous system gets relaxed, which increases the flow of blood to the internal body organs. Acupuncture assures effective pain relief.

Massage Therapy: You can undergo massage therapy using certain essential oils. This provides great pain relief and is beneficial for menstrual cramps.

Heating Pads: Heating pads provide efficient relief to menstrual cramps. Topically applied heat is also considered to be effective and pain relief is obtained in a short period of time.

Boosting Endorphins: A boost in the endorphins improves your mood and gives relief from menstrual cramps. Endorphins are released when you work out or have an orgasm. Aerobic exercises and stretching techniques should be carried out regularly.

Boosting Magnesium: Boosting the amount of magnesium in your diet helps in relieving pain from menstrual cramps. You can consume food items rich in magnesium or magnesium supplements.

Menstrual cramps usually do not require hospitalisation and you can self-treat it using simple remedies. However, if the pain experienced due to cramps is very severe and does not go away, you must consult a doctor.

Menstrual disorders are caused by a variety of factors and affect every woman in a different manner. In most cases, it manifests itself in the form of fluctuations in menstrual flow and irregularity in the monthly cycle. Certain disorders are not too severe and can be easily alleviated. Others are more complicated and require the immediate attention of a gynecologist.

As mentioned, there are different specific causes of different kinds of disorders resulting from a range of factors such as hormone levels, functioning of the central nervous system, health of the uterus, etc.

Some of the most common causes of menstrual disorders are as follows:

1. Hormonal imbalance: Fluctuating hormone levels in the body have a direct impact on the menstrual cycle. These fluctuations can be caused by dysfunction in the pituitary gland, thyroid gland or adrenal gland. It can also be a result of malfunction in either or both ovaries and the secretion of hormones originating there.

2. Anatomic problems: One fourth menstrual disorders are caused by problems of the anatomy. These include various gynecological issues like the presence of uterine fibroids and polyps, reduced uterine contractile strength, adenomyosis (intrusion of uterine tissue into the muscular wall of the uterus), a uterus with an excessively large surface area, and endometrial cancer.

3. Clotting irregularities: Abnormality in clotting is a cause of heavy menstrual bleeding in women. It leads to exceeding blood loss from minor cuts and gashes and makes one easily prone to bruising. This may also include medical conditions such as thrombocytopenia (platelet dysfunction) and Von Willebrand disease.

4. Medications and supplements: There is a wide range of medications and nutritional or hormonal supplements which often cause menstrual disorders in women and lead to fluctuations in the menstrual cycle. These include medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, estrogen pills, Vitamin E supplements etc.

5. Miscellaneous factors: These are comparatively rare and require a greater degree of medical attention. It includes conditions such as cervical cancer, ovarian tumors, liver and kidney diseases, uterine infections, extreme psychological stress, obesity, etc. Incidents such as miscarriages and unsuspected pregnancies are also known to cause abnormal menstrual bleeding.