Nasal polyps are soft tissue growths that appear on the inside of the nose or sinuses. Once these polyps grow large in size or multiply, they start resembling a grape bunch. This leads to symptoms like blockage of the nasal passage, inflammation of the sinuses, breathing difficulty, snoring, persistent runny nose, post-nasal drips, complete or partial loss of the sense of smell and taste, facial pressure, headaches, and pain in the mouth. Chronic inflammatory reactions in the nasal passage can result in the build-up of fluids and secretions in the mucus membranes present in the nose and sinuses. These result in the growth of fluid-filled lumps, which over time, become polyps. Nasal polyps can emerge in anyone, but it is most common in middle-aged and young adults. Here are seven common causes of nasal polyps. 1. Allergies All types of allergies cause swelling of the nasal passage. Swelling narrows down the passage, making it difficult for both air and fluids to move freely. Allergies also increase mucus production in the nose, itching, sneezing, and induce a stuffy and runny nose. 2. Chronic sinus infection A chronic sinus infection leads to the accumulation of fluids in the sinuses. It is mostly near the nose, the eyes, in the cheeks, and forehead.

Did you know what you eat could directly be affecting your bones and even lead to osteoporosis: a condition where the bones get weakened and brittle? Here are some foods that aggravate osteoporosis and are harmful to your overall health in general. Salt Salt is bad for the bones. It is to be noted that Americans are consuming nearly twice as much salt on a daily basis. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans has advised that in order to lead a healthy life, one should ideally restrict their salt intake to one teaspoon, which comes to about 2,300 milligrams a day. However, most Americans consume a little over 4,000 milligrams a day! Processed meats and foods, canned “anything” like soups, vegetables, juices, baked products, and, most importantly, fast foods like pizza, tacos, french fries, and burgers are replete with salt and could directly have an impact on your bone health. Soda and cola drinks  Most carbonated soft drinks contain high amounts of phosphoric acids, which increases the excretion of calcium in the urine. This largely affects women who are already low on calcium much more than anybody else. Caffeine For every 100 milligrams of caffeine consumption, one loses about 5 milligrams of calcium.

Also called the royal disease, hemophilia is a clotting disorder that delays the stoppage of bleeding. Many complications can arise due to both external and internal bleeding. Furthermore, clotting can cause severe underlying conditions with unmanageable symptoms. Men are more likely to experience hemophilia as the defective gene is present in the X chromosome, and men have only one. The recessive disorder must be present in both X chromosomes of a woman to suffer from this disorder. There is also acquired hemophilia, which is not inherited, but rather is associated with cancer and autoimmune diseases. In children, the signs and symptoms of hemophilia typically emerge around the age of two. Given its severity, it is necessary to know the signs of this disease for timely treatment. To help you, here are six early signs of this condition. 1. Bruising Bumping on a chair, hitting the wall, or any such accident can cause bruising. It can also cause a hematoma, the building up of blood under the skin, causing swelling. Usually, bruising starts when children begin to crawl, around the age of twelve and eighteen months. 2. Easy bleeding A tendency to bleed from the nose, mouth, and gums is common, especially after brushing or having dental work done.

Most methods of birth control are 99% effective or lesser, there has been no fool-proof method discovered yet. However, not all forms are safe for every woman, and it is imperative to visit a medical professional and get an idea of what might or might not work before opting for a procedure. If you are looking for effective modes of birth control, read on to learn about them. In descending order of effectiveness, they include: Sterilization Sterilization is of two types. Doctors perform a tubal ligation on women and vasectomy on men. Tubal ligation: Effectiveness is 99% In women, the fallopian tubes carry the eggs from the ovaries into the uterus. When these tubes are blocked, cut, or tied in a surgical procedure called tubal ligation, the movement of the eggs into the uterus is interrupted. Vasectomy: Effectiveness is 99% Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure in which the tubes that carry sperm from the scrotum to the penis are sealed or cut. Since sperm does not get into semen, fertilization of the egg does not occur. Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) One of the most fool-proof methods of birth control women can opt for is long-acting reversible contraceptives or LARCs.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes; 22 of the pairs are called autosomal as they are found in both genders. The 23 rd pair determines one’s sex. Chromosomes ensure that DNA is copied accurately to each cell during cell division. However, sometimes there are some defects, such as finding the SMN1 gene in Chromosome 5. Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal disorder of Chromosome 5. There are other types of SMA that are not linked to Chromosome 5 or SMN1. Read on to know more about the different types of spinal muscular atrophy. 1. Type 1 SMA Type 1 SMA is also known as Werdnig-Hoffman disease. It is the most severe and most prevalent type. About 60% of the SMA cases are Type 1. The onset is between 0 and 6 months. The infant would find it difficult to breathe, swallow, sucking while feeding, and coughing. They would require assistance for both feeding and breathing. The SMA does not interfere with the child’s emotional or mental growth. Type 1 SMA progresses rapidly, leading to the weakening of muscles and frequent respiratory infections. The average life expectancy of kids with Type 1 SMA is two years.