Q Can eating plain cornstarch be harmful?

Cornstarch is a commonly used cooking ingredient. It is safe to eat plain cornstarch. This is unlikely to cause significant health concerns.

Q My mother has recently develop big abscess in her axilla left side she is not able to even move her arm doctor says to put a cut but she is very much afraid how can I help her with home remedies

Whenever an abscess occurs, it has to be drained in order to get relief faster and in complete form. Home remedies will subside the pain, but the pus will not be completely dried with the help of home remedies. Hence it is necessary that your mother listens to her doctor.

Q Is there any reliable tips to reduce weight as I am working woman and do not find time for exercise but yes if you can suggest diet I can follow

When it comes to losing weight, good eating plan and regular exercise schedule go hand in hand. It is not possible to achieve permanent result by substituting one for another. Along with healthy eating a minimum of 150 mins of exercise in a week can make huge difference. As far as eating healthy is concerned you can make following changes in your routine. Instead of three large meals, have 5-7 small meals. Replace refined foods with whole grain foods. For example replacing white bread with brown bread. Include plenty of fresh fruits and green veggies in your meal. Avoid intake of processed foods, junk foods and sugary drink. Make sure your there is some amount of protein rich food in your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Foods such as eggs, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, curd, paneer are good source of proteins.

Q Can stress cause weigh gain? How is stress related to weight gain? How to prevent it?

Yes stress is the major cause for weight gain! People turn to food for comfort whenever they feel stressed and tend to overeat. To make it worse, often we choose junk food. So, one, we eat unnecessarily without being hungry and two, junk food means much more added calories than needed.n Over a period, the caloric imbalance leads to weight gain and eventually elevates risk of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.n Now that you know, choose healthy alternatives like an apple or roasted almonds next time you feel stressed and are tempted to eat!n Moreover, try alternate ways like going for a walk or dancing to the tunes of some soothing music. This will not only relieve stress but will give bonus benefit by burning excess calories.

Q What tips do you have for someone with Social Anxiety?

At first, being social when youre feeling anxious is challenging. As difficult or painful as it may seem initially, dont avoid situations that trigger your symptoms. By regularly facing these kinds of situations, youll continue to build and reinforce your coping skills. The following techniques can help you begin to face situations that make you nervous: Prepare for conversation. For instance, read the newspaper to identify an interesting story you can talk about. 1. Focus on personal qualities you like about yourself. 2. Practice relaxation exercises. 3. Adopt stress management techniques. 4. Set realistic goals. 5. Pay attention to how often the embarrassing situations youre afraid of actually take place. You may notice that the scenarios you fear usually dont come to pass. 6. When embarrassing situations do happen, remind yourself that your feelings will pass, and you can handle them until they do. 7. Develop coping skills- Hang out with people whom with you feel comfortable, Joining a group that offers opportunities to improve communication and public speaking skills, remind yourself that you can get through anxious moments, that your anxiety is short-lived. 8. Take good sleep and healthy diet. Psychiatric counselling and medicine helps to deal with anxiety. Finally positive thinking and building self-confidence is the key to fight against your anxiety. Be confident. All the best.

Q How often should I have an eye test?

Adults and children are normally advised to have a sight test every two years. However, in some circumstances, your ophthalmic practitioner may recommend more frequent sight tests. Such conditions include- n1) If you are wearing glassesn2) If you have diabetesn3) If are aged 40 or over and have a family history of glaucoman4) If you are aged 70 or over

Q Can you have a normal ECG but an abnormal chest X-ray ?

Yes. This can happen. As both the investigations serve different purposes. ECG is restricted to evaluate and diagnose heart conditions. It does not give an idea about other structures in your chest cavity. But a chest X-ray is more elaborated and preliminary examination to detect any problems inside thoracic cage. Most commonly chest X-ray is advised to see lung condition, but its scope does not limit there. A normally functioning heart with problems to other organs and spaces inside chest cavity can give normal ECG with an abnormal chest X-ray.

Q My 22 months old boy still has anterior fontanelle open. Is it a concern

In most cases anterior fontanelle closes between the age of 7-19 months. Delay in closure can be due to causes like premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, downs syndrome, etc. I would suggest that you get your child examined by a pediatrician to rule any abnormality.

Q Whats causing my palpitations and how can I get rid of them?

The causes for palpitations are - strong emotions such as anxiety, fear, or stress; palpitations often occur during panic attacks; caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or illegal street drugs such as cocaine; some medical conditions, including thyroid disease, a low blood sugar level, anemia, low blood pressure, fever, and dehydration; hormone changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy or menopause etc. In most cases, palpitations are found to be harmless and often go away on their own. Treatment depends on the cause of your palpitations. Some lifestyle changes like exercise and yoga and quitting smoking and alcohol help a lot.

Q How does aids kill cells in immune system?

The AIDS is caused by the virus HIV, which attacks the CD4 cell (T-cells) of the immune system. Because, CD4 cells have a specific protein for the HIV. The HIV also affects other cells like B cells and macrophages which are the main part of the immune system. Thus, limiting the action of the immunity of the affected individual. Due to decreased immunity, the individual is prone to any infection leading to further decline in the health status of the individual. In most of the cases, the individual dies due to some other infection to the AIDS patient.