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 Shall I give my baby rotavirus vaccination?

Rotavirus vaccination is included in Indian Immunization schedule. So it is safe to give it to your child. The recommended age for the vaccination is 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. It is contraindicated in cases where the child has allergic reaction to rotavirus vaccine, has intussuception or sever combined immunodeficiency.

Q can inhale not exhale,cough only during night feeling lack of energy

The symptom you have descrirbed may be due to pathologies related with respiratory system and the organ involved is trachea, lung or diaphragm. It may be due to an infection with bacteria or virus and it may acute or chronic. You require physical examination by a consultant to rule out the cause. A diet lacking certain nutrients can also contribute to a chronic cough. If your body has deficiency of iron, swelling and irritation in the back of your throat could be a symptom, which can lead to coughing at night. The condition is also associated with weakness many times. An iron supplement may be all you need in this case.

Q My 11 years old girl used to get sick 5-6 times a year, most probably its flu or cold or sore throat with a high fever although she is a swimmer, she swims 2-3 kilos daily, shall I think about reducing her swimming or how can I improve immunity?

I would recommend that she should continue swimming because it will help her to build immunity. Ask her to avoid swimming on the days when she is ill. Apart from this make sure she has a well balanced diet, adequate hydration and regular sleep for 7-9 hours. Also if the incidence of her falling ill has started after she started to swim than you should consider changing the place where she swims and see if there is any difference in her frequency of falling ill.

Q Can exercise trigger headache?

Yes. Exercise being a universal pathway of well being can trigger one of the common health problem-headache. Sometimes the type of activity youre doing or the way youre doing it can lessen the healing effects of exercise. Vigorous exercise is seen to cause headaches usually. This is because in exercise the blood vessels in brain becomes inflamed, these stretches the nerves within and sends shock waves causing pain. Such headaches are known as primary exertional headaches. Exertional headaches usually result in pulsating pain that lasts from five minutes to 48 hours.

Q I had a unprotected sex with my partner, wanted to know if she is pregnant

Unprotected sex always carries with it the risk of pregnancy. If your partner misses her period, get her tested by a urine pregnancy kit available at chemists.

Q What are the common sources of irritant contact dermatitis?

Irritant contact dermatitis is common type of contact dermatitis. It occurs when your skin is damaged by an irritant. Common sources are: chemical solvents like alcohol, turpentine, neat oils, cosmetics or skin products, deodorants, harsh soaps, detergents, cement.

Q Hi, My son is 5 years old. About a year ago he had adenoidectomy and insertion of grommet in his ear for ear infection. Now one of the grommet is coming out and he is complaining of ear pain. Can you advise if he needs repeat surgery?

If the grommet is coming out and he is complaining of ear pain, there is need of reinsertion of grommet. My advise to you is revisit your ENT surgeon, who have operated your son. Because he is in a better position to advise you and do further management.

Q Is chlamydia only caught through sexual contact?

Chlamydia is sexually transmitted disease. And it can pass from one person to other through vaginal, anal and oral sex. However it can be transmitted to the children by their mothers at the time of birth. The disease can remain insignificant for many years in women having the infection in cervical area.

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.