What is stomach flu?
Stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis is a highly contagious medical condition and its symptoms are watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.
This illness is caused by coming in contact with an infected person. While viruses are the primary drivers of this medical condition, stomach flu is also caused by certain types of bacteria.
The sickness lasts for not more than 10 days but the initial few days can be very painful for the patient particularly if she happens to be a young child.
Treatment
Staying hydrated: Staying hydrated is one of the most important and effective treatments for stomach flu. Water retention is critical in this illness. We pass away more water than we ingest so having ample water is crucial in cases of viral gastroenteritis. However, do not restrict the fluid intake to water. Give your child water laced with electrolytes. These substances restore the balance of salts and electrolytes in the human body. You can get these electrolytes at the local drug store. Do not give milk to your child in this medical condition as it will make her condition worse. Some sports drinks contain a lot of sugar. This is ok if the patient is an adult but do not give them to children.If you have an infant who has stomach flu, then consider breast feeding to relieve it from this illness. Consult your doctor in such a situation.
Introducing food gradually: Once your child has started taking fluids, now is the time to introduce her to foods that are light and easy to digest. Rice, toast, bananas, bread, potatoes, yogurt, crackers etc. are good for her. Once she has started taking these foods, you can consider adding meat and cooked vegetables to her diet.Avoid giving fatty and spicy foods to your child, they will make her stomach flu worse.
Avoid over the counter drugs: Many parents are troubled by seeing their kids suffer because of stomach flu. Resist the temptation of giving drugs to your child in such situations. Stick to bland foods and fluids. Over-the-counter drugs may harm the body in the long run. For example, Ibuprofen may make the stomach flu even worse. Research has demonstrated that acetaminophen can cause liver problems. Anti-diarrhea drugs may cause the illness to last longer and in cases of young children having stomach flu, these medicines can be extremely dangerous.
However, if your child is running temperature, then you may give her acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring the fever down.
When do I see the doctor?
In most cases, this illness goes away after a few days. But you must consult a doctor if the following symptoms persist in your child.
• Little or no urination
• Having a dry mouth
• No tears while crying
• Temperature more than 102 F
• If the soft spot on the top of your baby’s skull is sunken
• Blood in the stool
Stomach flu can be treated by having lots of fluids and light food. Consult a doctor if your baby is showing signs of dehydration even after a few days.
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3 popular dishwashers to consider buying
Read moreDishwashers have been an essential appliance in most households for decades. And over the years, they have become more energy efficient and technologically advanced. However, there are many options on the market from different brands, making it hard to choose. Keeping this in mind, we have picked the three most affordable and efficient models you can consider. We have also listed the features to give you an idea of what you expect from the product.
Frigidaire FFID2426TS
Frigidaire is one of the country’s go-to brands for budget-friendly appliances. This 24-inch dishwasher is ENERGY STAR® certified, built to offer four dedicated clean cycles. The basic model comes with a capacity for 14 place settings, includes the OrbitClean® spray arm wash system, and operates quietly at a silence rating of 54dBa. In addition, this Frigidaire dishwasher consists of a stainless-steel food crusher that removes any food particles and prevents them from clogging the drain spaces.The Frigidaire FFID2426TS dishwasher is easy to operate with Ready-Select® pre-programmed controls and DishSense™ technology. The latter automatically adjusts the cleaning cycle and locks the controls once operations are underway. Other features to enhance efficiency include a delayed start, self-cleaning filter, hot wash, and child lock. At $779, Frigidaire FFID2426TS is the most affordable, compact, user-friendly, and functional dishwasher you can buy in the built-under systems segment.
Bosch 300 series
Bosch is a name that is synonymous with kitchen appliances, especially dishwashers. The 300 series is designed to include a third rack to enhance loading and cleaning capacity. It also features Bosch’s RackMatic™ technology for the upper adjustable rack with nine distinct positions and three unique height settings. It is possible to shuffle around oddly-shaped utensils with this unique feature.The 300 series is a built-under dishwasher that comes with multiple cycle settings. You can even adjust the 24-hour delay start timer and use the dishwasher during off-peak hours in areas that suffer from water scarcity. Bosch claims their dishwashers are the quietest machines in the segment that do a thorough job. At just $899, Bosch 300 series is one of the more affordable options to go for this year.
Miele G7556
Miele is one of the top picks among the high-end dishwashers with abundant features for a reasonable price tag. You can shop for their built-under, semi-integrated, and fully integrated models depending on daily use, kitchen size, layout, and also budget. Miele’s G7556 comes fully loaded with the SCVi AutoDos system that takes care of your essential dispensing needs. You get a 3D MultiFlex Tray that has adjustments to fit all types of utensils and cutlery. An LED light illuminates the interior to make loading easy. Further, Miele’s innovative design makes it convenient to open and close the tray.The key highlights of the G7556 are the multi-language control dashboard and smart synchronization with an app for monitoring the appliance. At $2,499, the Miele G7556 is one of the best fully integrated dishwashers with automatic dispensing systems trending on the market.
It is advisable to compare brands and products based on specific features as most offer more or less the same technology. Some patented innovations in the dishwashers we have listed here set them apart from many others on the market. Also, your budget will further help filter the top picks and choose the best.
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Psoriasis – Types, causes and popular treatments
Read moreCharacterized by a rapid build-up of cells, psoriasis is an autoimmune condition and is usually chronic in nature. Due to the rapid build-up of cells, the surface of the skin becomes red, scaly and inflamed.
If the condition is too severe, the surface of the skin may even crack and bleed.
Skin Psoriasis usually develops on the joints such as your elbows and knees. However, it does develop in other areas of your body like the hands, feet, neck, scalp, mouth, face and genitals.Different types of Psoriasis
The five most common types of skin psoriasis are as follows:Plaque psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis. It results in inflamed, red patches all over the skin. Most of these patches are covered with silver-white scales or plaques. Plaque psoriasis is usually found around the elbows, knees, and scalp.Guttate psoriasis
Guttate psoriasis usually affects children more than adults. It is usually characterized by pink spots and is commonly found around the torso, arms, and legs. The pink spots are not as thick and raised like plaque psoriasis.Pustular psoriasis
Pustular psoriasis is usually found more commonly among adults. In this condition, you will find white, pus-filled blisters and red, inflamed skin. It is usually found on the hands and feet.Inverse psoriasis
Inverse psoriasis is characterized by bright areas of inflamed, red, shiny skin, which develop under the armpits or breasts, the groin and around the genitals.Erythrodermic psoriasis
Erythrodermic psoriasis usually covers large areas of the body and is not as common as the other types of skin psoriasis. People with this condition almost look sunburned.What causes skin Psoriasis?
One of the most common causes of skin psoriasis is your genes. If you have a family history of the disease, then you are more prone to end up with the same.
Another causal factor of skin psoriasis is a weak immune system. Since the immune system is supposed to protect the body from disease, people with skin psoriasis do not have a very strong immune system.Some of the other causes of skin psoriasis are:
- Stress
Skin injury like cuts, scrapes, burns - Skin infections
- Medications
Skin Psoriasis: Treatment
For a mild form of this condition, skin psoriasis treatment includes topical treatments like the application of certain creams, lotions or sprays. Injections can be used to treat this psoriasis too.When the case is more severe, skin psoriasis treatment includes a larger area of skin, so topical treatments will not be very effective. In such cases, ultraviolet light treatments and systemic treatments that include total body treatments in addition to tablets and injections.In spite of the many skin psoriasis treatments that are available, this skin disorder is not entirely curable and can occur every once in awhile. However, with proper care of your skin and good medication and treatment, skin psoriasis can be managed effectively.
- Stress