5-step beginners guide to creating your own blog

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If you’re wondering about how to start your own blog, then look no further. This comprehensive, step by step guide will take you through every facet of creating your own blog from helping you find an idea to launching it successfully.

Step #1: The Idea

The first step in creating a blog is coming up with a theme or “idea” around which your blog will revolve. Of the zillion web pages and blogs on the internet, why should someone read yours? What makes your site so special?  You do not have to go through bulk of websites on internet to search “how to start your own blog”?

An easy way to answer this question is to identify what makes YOU special. Do your friends often ask for your recipe after coming over for dinner? Then maybe a cooking blog is the right way to go. Look no further for the “how to start your own blog” articles and utilize your skills and talent for creating one instead.

You want to know how to start your own cooking blog? Great. So how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors who probably have several thousand visitors per day? Simple, position it in a niche such as - Cooking for the Paleo Diet, Recipes for Vegans or voila you have yourself a blog in an underserved niche.

Pro Tip: In your quest to beat out the competition, don’t select a niche that has no audience.

Step #2: The Platform

This is a crucial step that will determine the direction of your blog. If you are like me and don’t like dealing with messy stuff and would just like a platform that would allow you to write quickly then consider one of the following free options

·         WordPress.com

·         BlogSpot

·         Weebly

·         Tumblr

I encourage you to look at each of these options and choose whichever one is best suited for your blog. For example, Tumblr is great for short form blogs and perfect if you want to run a photography blog. These tips will come in handy when you are looking for how to start your own blog.

Pro Tip: Choose a platform that allows you to import data from another platform. You’ll be thankful for this feature when you decide to change platforms after you’ve written hundreds of blog posts.

Step #3: Domain & Hosting

Think of a smart domain name which is easy to remember, simple and related to your blog’s theme. That is how, readers will remember you and keep visiting your blog. Find out if it’s available by visiting GoDaddy, Namecheap or similar registrars.

A cheap but comprehensive hosting plan should be next on your to-do list to start your own blog. Look for a hosting provider that has servers in your country, a 99.99% uptime and is rated well by the Better Business Bureau. You don’t want to end up in a long-term contract with a provider who causes your blog to crash during peak times.

Pro Tip: Often you can get great discounts if your domain and hosting providers are the same company.  

Step #4: Write & Publish

The most important step of all, start penning down your thoughts. When you start out, split your writing tasks in small, manageable chunks to make it easier on yourself. For instance, you can start with creating a rough draft with whatever you know about the topic and keep researching and collecting facts until you’ve fleshed it out into a full blog post.

Remember content is king. People read your blog because you have useful content, so it never pays to laze through this part. After you are done, you can style your writing using catchy quotes, bolded statements, bullets and categorization which will keep readers glued to the end.

Pro Tip: Do not hire someone else to write your content, at least until your blog has scaled. You are simply sinking money into a venture you are not sure will pay off.

Step #5: Share Share Share

Great! Now you have a bright and shiny blog with useful content for your target audience. But wait a minute. No one knows you exist. You may think you have the best idea since sliced bread but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about it. So, it is very important to share your blog articles as much as possible. So that people may come to know that you have accomplished your dream to start your own blog. No more searching of “how to start your own blog” articles.

As in real estate, the best advice for sharing your blog post is location, location, location. Sharing on your Facebook or Twitter pages is great but if you don’t have as many followers or fans, it is not going to increase your readership. Instead, try sharing it in related blogs which have similar audience profile. Your reader conversion is very high when you do targeted sharing to relevant industry websites.

Pro Tip: Create a separate Twitter and Facebook page for your blog. Privacy first!

Now that you’ve learnt about how to start your own blog, here’s one final step. Go do it! Nothing beats experience and the worst that could happen is you end up not having as many visitors as you would like. But along the way, you would have gained valuable experience. Remember, the most difficult step is the first one. Good luck and happy blogging!

Role of neuroscience in sports

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If you are wondering what Neuroscience has to do with sports training, the answer is - everything! The difference between good athletes and great ones is that great athletes know that the way to maximize their strength and potential is to train both their mind and body. This is where sports neuroscience comes in. It helps athletes understand the neurobiological effects of their training.

Sports neuroscience has exploded so much in recent years that there are now doctoral programs in top schools around the country that focus exclusively on sports neuroscience research. In this article, I will share 5 important aspects of your sports training that you can hack with a little help from neuroscience.

Understanding Your Physiology

Any sport is intrinsically a physiological activity requiring excellent motor skills, reflexes and strength depending on the type of sport you play. Physiology, unlike anatomy, differs for each athlete and involves important factors such as environmental conditions, hydration level, body composition and carb loading. Sports physiology helps athletes and coaches recognise the effects of their training regimen on their body.

Seek the help of a sports physiologist who can help you understand the physiological demands of your specific sport and help you train at your highest level. Sports physiologists will typically measure how you perform under various test conditions to study and identify your areas of improvement. Using this information, your coaches can then design a customized training program that is specifically tailor made for your body.

Holistic Lifestyle Enhancement

Elite athletes recognize that much of their success lies outside of the training room as it does inside. For example, you can hardly be expected to be a top athlete if you are on the brink of debt and faced with a huge financial burden. Similarly, over the course of years you may have developed certain habits such as waking up late or sleeping too few hours that are detrimental to your sports performance.

Holistic lifestyle enhancement allows you to recognize that it is very important to develop successful habits in all aspects of your life to augment your sport training. If your coach is not a trained performance lifestyle practitioner, seek the help of one. These experts can provide the support that is necessary to truly live a healthy lifestyle. They can also help you through financial counselling and help you identify your options after your sports career.

Consistent Analysis of Performance

Depending on the level of expertise you want to attain, it is very important to keep consistently measuring and analysing your performance. Ask your friend or coach to record your training sessions or practice games and make sure you watch them after each game. Introspection and learning are crucial mental factors that are likely to affect your performance.

If you want to learn more from your games including specific technical and tactical mistakes you are making in the game, then consider investing in an analysis software. For almost every major sport, there exists performance analysis software that can provide you with great insight about your game. The more training sessions you have and the more games you upload in the analysis software, the more data and insights you can gather. For example, one athlete recognized that he performed better on indoor tracks as opposed to outdoor fields.

Mental Training

Constant physical training can be an exhausting activity. Add to it a few losses and you are looking at a recipe for disaster. Mental training is not just important but essential for successful sports performance. Sports neuroscience ranks it among the top things to-do for athletes of all levels. Mental training provides you with the discipline necessary to consistently perform on and off the field. Sports neuroscience plays a pivotal role because it can help trainers and coaches develop mental training methods based on every athlete’s specific needs.

Performance Nutrition

The final hack is one that is most overlooked. With athletes typically averaging 5-7 meals per day to keep energy levels up, it is crucial to understand what you can and cannot eat in each of those meals. Understanding your diet involves an understanding of your environmental factors, your specific sport, energy expended and your body composition.

Each meal you eat can alter your body in a small but significant way that could ultimately be the difference between a win or a loss. If you are training 3-4 hours per day, the last thing you want is to succumb to diseases and then realize that you have botched your immune system because you have not had proper nutritious meals.

So, there you go! These are five ways to hack your sports training and improve your performance. Whether you are practicing for the Olympics or for your local league match, these hacks will surely be useful in taking your sport to the next level. Good luck!

How to make a blog: An easy guide

Blog is basically a simple website that focuses on written content that is also referred to as blog posts. It is a pretty common term nowadays and there are gazillions of blogs out there with different niches. There are news blogs, then there are cooking blogs, tech blogs and list goes on. Still the need for content and useful blogs remains the same with hundreds of blogs being made for every topic each day.

Do you make a blog too? Are you specifically passionate about a specific subject or topic or need to convey your skills and expertise to your audience? Then you should definitely make your own blog. In this post, we will tell exactly how to make a blog?

Can you make a blog?

There are some widespread misconceptions about starting your own blog. For instance, some individuals believe that you have to be an exceptional writer to start your own blog or should have some expertise in an area to make your blog. These and various other misconceptions are not true.

Tell me tell you why. Everyone can not be a skilled writer but they can have knowledge, expertise and passion about a certain topic that they want to share with the world. You may have seen various blogs with an informal and conversational style of writing but the information they convey is meaningful. Similarly, a person might not be an expert in something. Let’s say skills like poetry, cooking, pottery etc. A person may be in the initial stages of learning these skills and they are not necessarily a certified poet or chef, or a commercial high level pottery maker but still they can share whatever they learn with others through their blog. It’s always a good idea to know that how to create a blog and make money?

Reasons for making your blog

There can be several reasons for making a blog:

1)      You want to work from home

By making a blog you do not have to go outside your home to earn money. You can work from home without leaving your comfort zone. Several bloggers make lucrative amount of profits from their blogs.

2)      It is easier to work online from home

The best part about earning through blogging is the passive income you get. You just need to spend a few hours in a week to create a blog post and then generate the income through your blog. It is easier to work online from home like this right?

So without further ado let’s learn how to make a blog site

How to start Blog make money

1)      First choose a blog name

Before you learn how to start blog make money, choose a suitable name for your blog as names have an everlasting impact on your potential visitors. Look out for a genre of your blog. Is it a travel blog? A cooking blog? Or simply a platform to share musings and confessions? Choose a name accordingly.

2)      Choose a domain name extension

The .com domain is the most preferred one but you can also opt for the other domain names. Just make sure it is available.

3)      Be descriptive

It is always a good idea to give your audience an idea about who you are and what your blog is about. For instance, if this blog is sharing that how to make a blog site, you will also find other posts related to this niche.

4)      Make it online

This might sound a little technical but you need to host your blog and require blogging software. You may find various blog hosts online who will register your blog with domain name so that it becomes exclusively yours and also install a software for your blog.

5)      Customizing your blog

After a host has set up a blog online for you, just log in to your blog with the given process. Usually, its something like http://www.blog.com/wp-admin. Replace the word ‘blog’ with the actual name of your blog.

After signing in as an administrator of the blog, you can make the required changes to your blog. Change the layout and design as you wish. Choose the colour schemes of your choice and the font etc. If you are using wordpress, then blog themes might be available to customize your blog.  Just look for the appearance tab anywhere on your screen mostly on the left and click on it. You will be able to find ready-made themes there.

6)      Write a post and publish it

There must be a button named “posts”. Click on it and choose add new. Here you can add a new post with the fonts of your choice and with whole custom tailored layout that you can choose. Write a post and publish! Make sure that your first blog post is really good to create a good impression. Also make sure to remove ‘’coming soon’’ page if there is any.

7)      Advertise your blog

Social media is the best place to publicize your blog posts. Share the excerpts from your blog and share the links to promote it. Make sure to start an email marketing campaign. If the readers like your content start collecting their emails and requests to see what exactly are they expecting out of this blog.

8)      Making money

Once you have successfully published and advertised your blog, you can start making money. The easiest way to do this is to sell an advertising space. Let the advertisers of products know that a space is available on your blog to show their ads. When you will upload their ads to your site, you will get a commission each time a visitor visits your blog and click on their ad. It Is always a good idea to choose the ads according to the content of your blog to generate more clicks.

Now you know that how to create a blog and earn money. It is not difficult, just some dedication and hard work will pay off in the long run.

8 Things your feet are saying about your health

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A foot is perhaps the most overlooked part of the body and gets very little attention. Besides painting our toes now and then and plucking off that stray hair during sandal season, our feet are mostly ignored. But did you know that a foot is the perfect indicator of our overall health and provides valuable pointers that we should take note of. If you experience any of these below, make sure you consult your general practitioner immediately.

Stinky Feet

If you have improper hygiene, your feet are likely to show the first signs of it. While stinking or smelly feet may not signal anything dangerous, it is nevertheless an important indicator. If the feet continue to smell even after you have restored your hygiene (for example, by taking a bath), then it may be a sign of fungal infection such as athlete’s foot. Always wear cotton socks to prevent smelly feet and regularly wash both your shoes (yes, your shoes need to be cleaned!) and socks.

Foot Cramps

If you had recently walked or hiked long distances or worn shoes without ankle support, then it is likely that the foot cramps were caused because of that. However, if you don’t think any of that applies to you then foot cramps could be an indicator of issues with the nervous system such as vasculitis or arteritis. It could also be something as harmless as nutritional deficiency such as low calcium or magnesium. After periods of high exercise always make sure to rest your feet and give it a proper foot massage.

Yellow Toenails

Unlike common assumption, yellow toenails are not a sign of improper hygiene. Rather it is a sign of fungal infection called as Onychomycosis. Many people ignore this symptom and do not pay attention believing that it would go away in time. However, onychomycosis fungus keeps growing under the toenail and since feet are usually in cold and moist places (inside a shoe), it provides the perfect breeding ground for the fungus. In extreme cases, it has caused people to lose the entire toenail.

A sore that won’t heal

A sore that doesn’t heal is a very important indicator for diabetes mellitus. Because diabetes causes increased glucose levels, it prevents any wound from healing properly. If your sore does not go away in a few days consult a doctor immediately. A sore could also be an indicator for skin cancer.

Perpetually cold feet

While some people prefer their feet cold when sleeping, yet others have naturally cold feet. If your feet seem unusually cold, then it could be an indication of hypothyroidism. It means that your thyroid gland is secreting less thyroid hormones than necessary for proper body functioning.  You can confirm this with a simple blood test at home or by visiting the nearest doctor.

Heel Pain

While it is common in women who wear stilettos, pain in the heel could be a symptom of several issues. It could be a sign for ligament inflammation or it could be a sign that you are starting to develop varicose veins. Try wearing flat heeled and open toes shoes to see if the symptoms persist. If they do, consult a doctor right away.

A Puffy Toe

At first glance a puffy toe may seem like the result of hitting your toe against a hard surface. But if your puffy and enlarged toe does not subside within a few hours, it may be a sign of gout. Gout which is a form of arthritis is caused by the accumulation of uric acid. Monitor your toe for a few days to see if it continues to be puffy and visit a podiatrist at first opportunity.

Pitted Toenails

Pitted toenails could be an indicator of the immune condition psoriasis. In general psoriasis manifests in the skin but in rare cases, some people may find their toenails to have small holes or pits in them. It is easily treated with over the counter medication.

Great ways to spruce up your gender reveal party!

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The emotion of revealing the gender of the baby in your belly cannot be explained in words. And what better ways to make it happen that at a gender reveal party. Well, the concept is not new to folks, but what’s new is how you organize the party and what the unique ways in which you can reveal the gender. And the party becomes more exciting when no one, I mean no one in the family has a clue about what’s happening!

The best part about a gender reveal party is not just the revealing part but being surrounded by all your family and friends. Gender reveal is not just special for the soon to be parents but also for the myriad aunts, uncles and grandparents. And keep in mind, the true success of a gender reveal party is when the news finally dawns on the parents! So, whether you are a partner planning the party for your spouse or if you are a friend, relative or colleague, here are a few tips and tricks that will help spruce up the party.

Let the balloons surprise you

As common as it is, pink and blue balloons are a time-tested way to go. The individual responsible for organizing the party must know the gender of the baby and then all you need to do is place the pink or blue balloons in a box. Keep that huge box in your backyard, lawn or garden and open the box at the countdown of 3. And that’s it! The color of balloons will say it all! One cannot even express that feeling just a second before the box opens! It’s spectacular and scary at the same time!

And if you are planning this party and want to keep the gender as a surprise for you too, then all you must do is have a word with doctor who will slide an envelope to you with the gender printed inside. Just slide that envelope to your trusted friend or party organizer and everything will be taken care of!

Blue and Pink must be your food

All you need is a passion to bake, a little food coloring and a great backyard and you can create a magical gender reveal in minutes. Organize the dining table with a giant cake and other delectable food! Use a pink or blue food die to color the cake and cover it in white frosting. In the end, you will only be able to see the white frosting and not the color within.

When the soon-to-be parents cut the cake, the joy on their faces will be the perfect reward. Plus, you get to enjoy some delicious cupcakes while you’re at it!

Family Matters

Why not get the spectators involved by handing out pink or blue color t-shirts to your guests? You can either use apparel accessories like: pink or blue caps, hand bands, tattoos or just pins. If your party has kids in it, do not forget to get them some fun accessories too. But before you plan such an idea, make sure that each member in the family (especially the kids) are kept from divulging the secret. And then, when the time is right, let all the members of the party give a surprise to the would-be parents and revel in their priceless reactions.

Post it on Social Media

If you cannot gather your family around, you can still surprise them on social media. There are several ways you can post a gender reveal on social media. All you need to do is when you know the gender of your baby, fill your palm with pink or blue ink and leave a print on a plain white t-shirt and post it on social media profile. Another idea is to leave the imprint of that specific color on the belly of the would-be mother! This is an amazing way to surprise the mother as well. Best of all, you get to share the joy with your friends and family from around the world.

Baby Outfits

How about opening a present with the outfit of the baby! If it’s a girl, you might want to buy a little princess pink dress and a probably a blue suit if it’s a boy! But who will prepare this present if everyone wants to be surprised? Well, all you need to do is tell your doctor to write the gender inside an envelope and go to a baby apparel shop. Choose outfits for both genders and slide the envelope to the shop assistant! And they will take care of the rest and pack the right one inside a sealed bag.  And you get to walk away not knowing what is inside the bag.

Get Silly with Silly String

This creative idea is most enjoyed by the kids in the party. So, all you have to do is hand over the silly string spray of a specific color (pink/blue) and let the kids reveal the gender. And why only kids! Hand over silly string spray to everyone at the party and they will enjoy the revealing too.

And if you want, you can enjoy a gender reveal party with every technique listed above. You can have box of balloons in the garden. When the box opens, all your guests can spray silly string wearing pink/blue caps. And your husband can surprise you with baby t shirts. And all the fun can continue to the colored theme desserts and cupcakes in the garden.

And yes, don’t forget to record the priceless expression of the soon-to-be parents and each member in the family. You might want to use that video in future to tell your kid how special he/she was for the entire family and how everyone reacted during the surprising reveal! Gender reveal parties are a great way to enjoy time with your family and friends and revel in the bundle of joy you are soon about to have.

3 Meditation Techniques from Around the World

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In this world of technology and constant stress, meditation is a great way to relax, unwind and a chance to focus inward. Ancient civilizations around the world recognized the importance of meditation and devised several techniques that are designed to heal the mind and spirit. Whether you are feeling down or lethargic or simply want a break from all the chaos around you, try one of these meditation techniques and feel your spirits lift

The Buddhist Samatha Meditation

The word ‘Samatha’ means serenity or tranquillity and the objective of this meditation is to calm your inner self. The Buddhist meditation techniques share several similarities with other techniques from South Asian religions such as Jainism and Hinduism. These techniques are designed to help alleviate anger and improve concentration, insight and mindfulness.

For this technique, sit quietly in a room devoid of any sounds or interruptions. Make sure you do not have any cell phones, televisions or speakers on. Slowly concentrate inward on your breath and count the number of breaths you take. When you release a breath, feel the worries and tensions drain away from your body. You can also choose to meditate in front of an inanimate object such as a statue or flower pot. Concentrating on a single spot on the object allows your mind to relax and prevents excessive visual and cognitive distractions.

The Samatha meditation provides great inner peace in the short term and when performed periodically over a period allows you to achieve greater control over your thoughts and provides tranquillity in times of stress. Ultimately, the goal of Samatha is to help achieve nirvana or enlightenment. So, what are you waiting for. Grab your yoga mat and head down to quiet and peace.

New Age Hindu Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation or TM is an ancient technique from the Hindu Upanishads that was brought to the west by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1959. It is perhaps the most well-known technique in the west with several hundred researchers publishing studies that suggest TM can help with stress, anxiety and improving brain function. The TM technique involves repeating a specific mantra accompanied by rhythmic breathing.

TM teachers claim that it is an effortless technique that can be practiced by both sceptics and believers. It currently has over six million followers worldwide and has helped several soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Although transcendental meditation has several advocates, critics argue that the benefits achieved through transcendental meditation can also be achieved through other meditation techniques. Besides, since TM is taught by accredited teachers, the cost for TM may be as high as $960 making it a stressful way to relieve stress. However, if you are looking for a meditation technique that is endorsed by the likes of Hugh Jackman, then head on over to your nearest TM centre and learn how to achieve inner peace.

Inner Transformation through Taoist Meditation

Taoism or Daoism a Chinese religion that dates back to several hundred centuries; This type of meditation teaches that the power to control your mind and body exists within yourself and the best way to achieve inner peace is by harnessing this power and spirit. One of the key benefits of being able to control and unify the mind and body is to help achieve longevity.

There are several methods of performing Taoist meditation but emptiness meditation is the most commonly used technique. In this method, a person is supposed to remove all thoughts and feelings from their mind. They need to ‘forget about everything’ or empty their mind to achieve inner quiet. When this state is achieved, the spirit or the vital force within the body is able to gain back its strength and replenish it. This is one of the toughest forms of meditation for absolute beginners because a true state of emptiness is almost impossible to achieve even for experienced meditators.

So now that you have learnt some of the most commonly studied and learned meditation techniques, what are you waiting for? Go forth and conquer yourself.

Top 10 Temples in India

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The diverse and cultural epicenter of South Asia is home to several beautiful temples dedicated to various Gods and architecturally diverse. Take a look at the top 10 temples.

1. Kapaleeshwar Temple
This temple is in Myalpore in the southern province of Tamil Nadu and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Every year, there are millions of worshippers who come to Tamil Nadu to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva. This temple was built in the 7th century under the architectural presence of Dravidians. People of various faiths also visit this place to marvel at its spectacular architectural beauty. There are many rituals performed here daily between 5:30 AM to 10 PM. One of the popular festivals celebrated in this temple is Arubathimooval which is prominent in this region.
2. Shirdi Sai Baba Temple
This temple is a dedication to an Indian Saint named Sai Baba. This temple was built in the year 1952 in the memory of Sai Baba who was a popular philosopher in the region and his philosophies were popular in Hindu community. His mission was to bring all communities together and help build interfaith relations. Interestingly, this temple does not follow conventional temple architecture and is rather post-modern and modernist much to the delight of architectural buffs.

3. Sri Parthasarathy Temple
This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and is also located in Chennai. This temple was built in the 8th century by Pallavas. One can witness the coin of the temple which includes five forms of Lord Vishnu namely: Krishna, narasimha, Gajendra Varadaraja, Ranganatha and Rama. This temple is one of the oldest temples in India and oldest structure in the city. This temple features several scenes that set the backdrop of battles between the Vaishnavite and Saivite kings who warred back in the 7th and 8th centuries.

4. Marundeeswarar Temple
This temple is in Chennai and is located along the Bay of Bengal beach. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is widely believed that this temple has curing powers and people with serious illness and medical problems often visit this place in the hope that they get cured. The architectural style of this temple is traditional Dravidian form but the murals on the walls are exceptional and different from other temples. Shivratri is the most popular festival in this area witnessing millions of worshippers gathered together and the whole area is lighted with beautiful lamps.

5. Sundareswarar Temple
This temple was built in the year 1965 under the dedication of Lord Shiva. This temple is located at Kovour which is a suburb in Chennai. This temple shares an extraordinary significance of architectural beauty which is witnessed by much architecture in the country. The work ad elegance of architecture in 7th century can be witnessed in the carvings and details images on the temple walls. And thus, this temple is not only popular among the deities of Lord Shiva but also among those individuals who praise the beauty of architecture.

6. Mumbadevi Temple
Mumba Devi is one of the ancient temples in the city of Maharashtra called Mumbai. This temple was built in the year 1675 as a dedication to the Hindu Saint called Mumba. This woman was known as a symbol of worship and power in Maharashtra. In fact, the city was named Mumbai inspired by the legacy of this temple and Mumbai, a woman of power, a great mother. This temple is in the markets of steel and clothing in South of Mumbai and can be noticed from far vision as a symbol of greatness and power. Tourist visiting Mumbai acknowledge their presence in this temple to unfold chapters of the rituals and believes of the followers of this temple.

7. Siddhivinayak Temple
Well this temple does not really need an introduction to the Hindu Community. This temple is a dedication to Lord Ganesha and is in the area of Prabhadevi in Mumbai. This temple is known for its beauty and believes. Many film stars and celebrities come to worship the greatness of Lord Ganesha majorly at the time of Ganesh festival. During the festival, there is usually no place to stand still as there are visitors from around the world who come watch the festivities.

8. Babulnath Temple
Another ancient temple in Mumbai is Babulnath. This temple is a dedication to Lord Shiva and more than millions of visitors are welcomes in this temple every year. The peak time of the year is Mahashivratri where worshippers and deities from different parts of India climb up to the temple to receive blessings. This temple was known as the first temple which was built in Mumbai under the Parsi community rule. And thus, this temple is a written name in the golden book of Indian history as a place of a Parsi’s final resting.

9. Walkeshwar Temple
Also, known as Ball ganga temple, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva in Mumbai. This temple also shares an amazing tale of existence when Lord Rama created a Shiv Ling of sand while he was waiting for his brother (lakshman) to get water. This temple is attached with Banganag tank and is known as a primary tourist attraction in Mumbai. This temple shares a beautiful architectures presence and holds a great value for architects wishing to understand how the temple works.

10. Balaji Temple
This temple is located inside the premises of TTD information center in Chennai and is dedicated to the Lord Balaji. Many celebrities and film stars come to visit this temple to pray for the success of their upcoming movies or programs. This temple is a home to sculptures of Lords namely: Varaha, Sri Devi, Bhumidevi, Brahma, Charkratalwar, Sri Ramar, Andal and Shri Krishna. This temple is the richest temple in India and collects millions of funds from devotees that are then spent for charitable purposes.

What is diabetic Mononeuropathy?

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death around the globe. This disease tends to run in families and it’s so dangerous that it is one of the leading causes of many of the severe and acute disorders. One of those disorders is mononeuropathy. This term is often confused with neuropathy, although these two conditions are close enough but they are not the same. The difference is quite subtle. In neuropathy multiple nerves are damaged while in mononeuropathy only a single group of nerves gets damaged such as the olfactory nerves, sensory nerves etc.

As this condition negatively affects the group of nerves in any part of the body, targets them and damages them, the body part becomes unable to move or the result is simply loss of any of the sensations. There are various types of the mononeuropathy that differ in symptoms, severity and rarity. The most common type is carpel tunnel syndrome. It is the result of pressure on median nerve of the arm which causes muscle damage, numbness and weakness of the muscles of arms and hands. There are a few forms of cranial mononeuropathy as well that damage the nerves going out of the skull. Cranial mononeuropathy 4 can render double vision and difficulty moving your eyes.

We will not look into the causes or etiology of a common mononeuropathy because that is beyond the scope of this article. The purpose here is to highlight the complications caused by mononeuropathy caused as a result of diabetes.

Signs and symptoms to look for:

The symptoms of this condition are specific to the area that it affects but the most common ones include:

·         Loss of sensation, as not being able to see, feel, hear, taste, or smell depending on the sensory area that got affected

·         The burning and tingling sensations in the body

·         Feeling numb or lack of feeling in any body part

·         Not being able to balance or coordinate your body

·         Losing your reflexes

·         Spasms, twitches, cramps and convulsions of the muscles

·         General weakness

·         Excruciating pain

·         Muscle waste or muscle atrophy

·         Paralysis characterized by difficulty in moving your body.

How to diagnose it?

If you experience even mild symptoms of this disease and believe that you may be having it then get checked by your doctor as soon as possible. Provide complete medical history such as genetic disease running in family, if any first degree relative have any disease specially diabetes, age, gender, the first time you experienced these symptoms, If you ever had any other disease in your life, if you ever got operated and whether you had to go through a surgery. Also inform them about any medications you may be taking or even any multivitamin supplements. It’s a better idea to inform your medical care practitioner of any herbs you may be taking on the regular basis because certain herbs such as devil’s weed, cohosh and other varieties may react to the certain medications given.

After taking the history, your doctor may perform a thorough medical checkup. The tests help determine the exact cause of your condition. These tests may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, C-reactive protein, sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody panel, computed tomography (CT) scan, thyroid tests, and blood tests.

How to treat it?

Treatment of diabetic mononeuropathy may be suggested by looking at the severity of nerve damage, if the nerve damage is not severe enough and it is mild then it may get better on its own.

Treating the underlying cause:

In this case standard preventive measures for controlling diabetes will be taken as well as treating the area of nerve damage. Your doctor may recommend controlling blood sugar levels and cut down the intake of sugar.

Corticosteroids

These are used to relieve pressure and swelling that is caused by mononeuropathy. Pain relievers can also be used to provide relief from the symptoms of pain. A medicine named Gabapentin has been shown to be particularly effective in treating the diabetic mononeuropathy.

Physical therapy

It can be used to maintain the strength of the affected area of the muscle in the body. You may be asked to wear orthopedic appliances such as splints, braces and special shoes.

 Occupational therapy and well being:

Along with any mode of treatment being applied emotional, mental and occupational therapy is necessary to enhance the general well being and reduce the negative impact of the disease in day to day life. The victims of this disease need support and awareness about healthy ways to cope with this disease. The coping strategies will be effective in managing social, occupational and emotional lives of these individuals. Additionally, biofeedback and acupuncture will be the right type of complementary treatments for this debilitating disease.

What to look for?

Nerve pain can sometimes last for long period of time. If left untreated it can cause permanent nerve damage which can lead to the loss of sensation. When the feeling of touch or pain is lost a person is unable to feel anything and this may lead to the development of more serious injury because of being left untreated for a long time.

You can take care of yourself very well if you visit your health care practitioner often and get educated about early signs and warning symptoms of the disorder. This may make your outlook to be positive and long term regarding your health.

Mononeuritis Multiplex - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Definition:

Mononeuritis multiplex is an excruciating, uneven, asynchronous motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy that involves separate damage to at least two nerve areas. It is also known as multifocal neuropathy or mononeuropathy multiplex. It is a kind of Peripheral neuropathy in which multiple nerves are affected asymmetrically and multifocal, also results to cause weakness or typical numbness. Mononeuritis multiplex is abbreviated as (MNM).

Mononeuritix multiplex is an asynchronous motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy which is very painful. Numerous nerves in random areas of the body are supposed to be affected. The syndromes of Mononeuritix multiplex can be distributed bilaterally, distally and also proximally through whole of the body. Mononeuritis multiplex causes a loss of function in tissues of muscles. Mononeuritis multiplex is not only a form of damage of nerves, it is a disorder the brain and spinal cord but it is not due to single disease which means it is a group of different disease and symptoms so it is a syndrome.

For example:

A sudden loss of the ability of the foot to lift up while walking which is called as foot drop condition can be caused by Mononeuritis multiplex.

Causes:

In Mononeuritis multiplex group of distinct disorders includes following types of diseases

·         Amyloidosis  

·         Diabetes mellitus

·         Blood vessel dieases such as polyartheritis nodosa

·         Leprosy

·         Many connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus and rheumatoid arthritis

·         Blood disorders like cryoglobulinemia and hypereosinophilia

·         Paraneuplastic syndrome

·         sarcoidosis

·         direct tumors

·         vasculitus

and many other disease can the cause of the Mononeuritis multiplex  such as infection like hepatitis C , hepatitis B, acute viral hepatitis A, herpes simplex virus infection, HIV and AIDS. The damage of nerves involves the destruction of axons the most common cause of this damage is the loss of oxygen supply to such areas which causes decrease in blood flow and also causes destruction vessel walls resulting in inflammation of blood vessels.

 Symptoms:

Following are the symptoms of the Mononeuritis multiplex are as follow basically their symptoms are depended accordingly to the specific nerves which are involved in the injury and here are those symptoms.

·         Loss of sensations in one or more areas of the body resulting numbness and weakness of the muscles 

·         Paralysis in those areas where the nerves are damaged and it can be at one area or more.

·         Weakness in the affected area it also can be one or more

·         Loss of locomotion of that area from where the nerve is affected for example loses of hand movement, finger movements or leg movements.

·         Loss of the sensation in one or more affected area of the body.

·         Intense pain when try to move the affected parts of the body.

·         Tingling, burning, pain or other abnormal sensations in one or more areas of the body.

·         Loss of the bladder functioning and control.

·         Loss of the bowel control and functioning as well these all are the symptoms of the Mononeuritis multiplex syndrome.

Diagnosis:

For the diagnosis of the Mononeuritis multiplex can be suspected from a clinical history. It is really easy to detect that does the patient is suffering from Mononeuritis multiplex or not.

Typically Mononeuritis multiplex causes painful sensations, acute or sub acute motor and sensory deficits that is not limited to none nerve, it can be multifocal. Patient will normally complains to have pain in the movement of the affected muscles in an overlapping pattern. If any of the nerve is affected so initially there will be only the involvement of one of the branches of the nerve latterly it will increase like for example it the targeted affected nerve is sciatic nerve so initially its few branches will get effects and cause a specific pain due to this nerve called as “sciatica”. Or pertients without pain sensations, with proximal greater than distal weakness with purely involvement of motor reflexes so the patient is likely to have a vasculitic neuropathy this is clear cut explanation because most of the time people confuse mononeurits multiplex with this neuropathy.

Diagnosis normally involves following ways like physical examinations which includes eye examinations, neck and face examinations, pulmonary examinations and abdominal and genital inspections. If symptoms match with the symptoms of (MNM) so the syndrome will be diagnosed.

For initial examinations laboratory studies are involved like :

·         LFT’s .FBC , urine analysis blood glucose test etc.

·         chest CT scans and CXR.

·         Inflammation markers tests.

·         Auto antibodies association test with systemic vasculitis and serology for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV ad AIDS.

·         Electrediagnostic (EMG) studies

·         Muscle biopsy.

·         Peripheral nerve or nerve bio.

Later tests involves many test like skin biopsy, PET scans if CT scan results are not positive. PAT and MR angiography are also known as last diagnostic tests.

Treatment:

The treatment of mononuritis multiplex includes numbers of different surgeries plus including many heavy medications if this succeeds than doctors can proceed fatherly to the therapies like vocational therapies, physical therapies to those areas where nerves were affected in past, physiological treatments it which physiologist can help patient to think positive and restart his or her life’s routine in a normal pattern. Occupational therapies are also a good way of to treat the patient. All the medical staff is supposed to treat the illness from where that illness is come from. Doctors should feel themselves free to treat (MNM) as we all know very well that this disease it very harmful and affective for the patient as it effects the axons and neurons (which are the function cell of the brains).

Medication which should be given to the patients to relive and counter pain medicines are (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) or prescription pain medications may be needed to control pain (neuralgia).

Anticonvulsants (gabapentin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, or pregabalin) or antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, or duloxetine), may be used to reduce stabbing pains.

Also patient should be treated with proper system of hygiene’s so that the patient will not get further more infections.