GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

You're familiar with that feeling when you're on the verge of becoming ill. You feel worn out, like something is wrong, and you're colder than usual. And at that point, you start to wonder just what is happening. Is it the cold, the flu, or the RSV? Or might it just be allergies?

When you first start to get sick, it can be hard to tell the difference between these illnesses. Surprisingly, they have identical symptoms. Find out in the following article what might be causing your flu-like symptoms and when you should visit a doctor.

What are the symptoms of flu?

● Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea

● Muscle aches and pains

● Sore throat, running nose, or cough

● Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

● Fever

What other conditions are like the flu?

1. Cold:
Most people have experienced many episodes of the common cold. A wide variety of viruses brings it on. Symptoms of a cold include a running or stuffy nose, a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, headaches or body aches, and fever. Since there is no way to tell if you have a cold, most treatments are meant to ease the symptoms.

2. COVID:
The symptoms of COVID and the flu sometimes coincide. In its early stage, COVID symptoms are more like those of a cold than of the flu. Breathing difficulties and loss of taste or smell are two symptoms that are more prevalent with COVID.

3. Pneumonia:
Both viruses and bacteria can cause pneumonia. Cough, fever, shortness of breath, and exhaustion are the primary signs of pneumonia. It's also crucial to remember that pneumonia can develop from the flu, COVID, or a simple cold. This is only sometimes the case, though. Finding out if you have pneumonia requires a chest X-ray.

4. Bronchitis:
A lower respiratory infection or inflammation is referred to as "bronchitis." It is caused by a virus that affects the lungs, but the symptoms can last even after the infection is gone. It may be caused by persistent inflammation. Your symptoms and other medical issues typically determine your course of treatment. Steroids and inhalers are helpful for some people.

5. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV):
RSV is a widespread virus that manifests as flu-like symptoms. In grownups, it frequently resembles and feels like the common cold. But it can hurt the lungs and cause breathing problems in young children, especially those under 6 months old. Infants with RSV have fast breathing and apparent behavioural abnormalities. They could have difficulties in eating or seem more worn out than usual. A hospital stay may be necessary for oxygen and constant monitoring during treatment.

When should you go to the doctor if you're experiencing flu-like symptoms?

● People with severe lung or heart diseases

● Very young children

● Older adults over 65

● Women who are pregnant or within two weeks of birth

● People with neurologic abnormalities, such as a history of seizures

If you experience any of the following, get medical care right away:

● Dizziness

● Pressure in the chest or stomach

● Extreme muscle tenderness

● Dehydration and inability to retain food

● Difficulty breathing or fast breathing

● No improvement in symptoms after 3 to 5 days

A healthcare professional can test you for many diseases you might have and ensure you get the right treatments. Mainly due to change in seasons, flu-like symptoms are frequent. It could be hard to tell the difference between the flu and other diseases like COVID, the common cold, or strep throat. If you have the flu but aren't sure, see your doctor for a check-up.

You can speak with your physician about receiving a flu shot if you fall into one of the high-risk categories. Your medical bills, pharmaceutical charges, hospitalisation costs, and other expenses are all covered by health insurance. Health insurance in India is now more than just a choice—it's necessary to get the best medical care without worrying about how it will affect your finances.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

It's the new year, and one resolution that we all commonly try to make is to keep our homes organised and well-maintained. A well-organised home is the key to an organised and healthy you. Good home organising ideas with the proper implementation strategy can give you the perfect home without spending a bomb on it.

Do you also have a new year resolution of organising your home well? Here are a few interesting ways you can achieve it this new year.

1. Take one room at a time:
Organising your entire home can be an uphill and time-consuming task. You will get confused about how and where to start and what changes to incorporate. Start with organising your home by taking small steps. Start from one room at a time. You can focus better and devote time to individual rooms separately. This will make the entire home organising task less daunting and easily manageable.

2. Hanging spaces:
Create multiple hanging spaces in all your rooms, galleries, and sitting areas. You should have appropriate space to hang your jackets, blazers and other clothes so that you do not have to put them here and there on the bed, side table or the floor! This will make your rooms clutter-free and look neat and clean. You can put a peg board and hang your hats, caps, shirts, t-shirts, etc., on it. This will look nice and organised, and you will be easily able to locate all your stuff too.
Hanging spaces in the kitchen can be very useful as well. Paste iron hooks behind the main kitchen door and cabinet doors. You can hang the dusting cloth, small pans, spare packets, etc., on them and not store or litter them in the open. They will stay behind the doors and not be visible to all.

3. Learn to donate:
Each of us has the habit of stocking up multiple useless things we don't need and creating clutter in our wardrobes and even out in the open. For example, you might have stacked up dresses from the past that do not fit you anymore. Since you have limited storage space, you keep putting the new clothes you buy on those same shelves. The clothes start tumbling out of your closet every time you open them.
Learn to let go and donate! Your old clothes will not get bigger on their own, nor will they shrink. Donate the extra clothes to the needy in an orphanage or an old-age home. It will feel great to help, and your wardrobe will be lighter and more organised.

4. Go green:
You may buy indoor plants in fancy, beautiful pots and use them as decorative pieces around your house. They will provide fresh air while making your house green and beautiful. You can also hang a few pots in the stairway and outside the main entrance to give a great look.

5. Proper marking:
A key to being organised is keeping everything labelled and properly marked. You can start with the kitchen and put labels on each storage container. This will make it easy to figure out what is inside each container, and the items will not get mixed up.
You can also label items such as photo albums to instantly know when these photographs were taken, even after several years. Use labels for marking important files and documents, first aid kits, etc., so you can easily find them when needed.

Start with one thing at a time, and you will enjoy organising your house this new year. Even if you do little at first, do it with full dedication and focus. This will ensure that your efforts do not go waste and that your home looks the best.

Another important way to get organised this new year is by opting for home insurance India policy. It protects your house and all your valuable possessions from damages caused by fire, theft, earthquake, etc. Choose the best home insurance India and protect your valuable asset from mishaps.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Children give purpose to a family. As they carry their family's legacy, their development is always of utmost priority around the house. Parents focus on saving up for their children's education, health, marriage and fulfilling their other needs and demands. They try their best to give their children more than what was provided to them.

It is said that a child reflects the culture that is practised in the family. They imitate what they see at home. Their cognitive abilities start developing in the early stages of life. So, it is essential to engage them in various activities which stimulate their body and mind. These practices will help them utilise their time fruitfully and give them a wide range of things to explore.

Wondering how to keep your child engaged? In this blog, we will discuss a couple of activities to promote your child's early development.

1. Get your kids into musical:
Music creatively stimulates your child's brain. It helps them understand and capture different tones, rhythms and sounds. You can help them learn nursery rhymes, numbers, alphabets, etc., through music. This can shape their cognitive abilities.
The tunes will help them remember things easily. Having a fun, musical experience makes things exciting and lighthearted.

2. Lots of pictures:
You can put up many pictures in your child's room. Having visuals around will stimulate their brain. Associate the images with words, for example, a family tree. Discuss the pictures and the terms frequently. This will help them identify and relate the words to images and vice-versa. It's a fun learning technique that many experts prescribe.

3. Colours and textures:
Humans respond to colours and textures. Toddlers' brains are more receptive to sensory stimulation, including touch, vision and taste. These sensations help them understand their surroundings. You can use bold letters and dark markers to help them understand patterns, notes, etc.
Parents can use textured materials for decor and furnish their child's room with their favourite learning and playtime materials. For example- you can use cotton balls, sandpapers, beans, etc.

4. Play:
"All work and no play make Jack a dull boy" is a saying we've all heard. Physical movement holds as much importance as mental development does. Engage your children in outdoor activities to help them get familiar with the environment and observe the things around them. This further allows them to recognise certain situations and people when interacting outdoors.

5. Organization:
Arrangement and organisation help your kids understand the importance of cleanliness. At the same time, it trains their mind and builds organisational skills, which will prove to be helpful for them in the future. You can start by helping them understand how to place their toys, small clothing items, activities' kits, etc.
Spend time with your children and make labels for different drawers and bins. And then develop their habit to place their stuff in the assigned places. This is how you can smartly introduce discipline in your child's behaviour.

Other activities to promote your child's early development include planning a scavenger hunt, measuring their growth, numbering the days of the week and months, etc. These activities create an enjoyable learning experience and make your kids excited about future learning. Activities and hobbies help foster and strengthen the bond between parents and their children and make the interaction hesitation-free, exciting and full of love and care.

As parents, you will always be worried about your children's health. You take many measures to ensure they stay safe. And to make sure that they remain unharmed during unprecedented circumstances, it would be beneficial to purchase personal accident insurance online.

This will allow your children to focus only on learning, imbibe new experiences, and be playful without any worries of being hurt. Don't let any hurdle hinder the path to your child's development.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Sensitivity is a common existing dental issue faced by most people. Research states that one out of every eight adults experiences severe discomfort due to sensitive teeth. A person can experience severe pain during eating, drinking, brushing etc. Sensitivity can be caused by worn-out tooth enamel, cavity, chipped tooth, gum disease etc. The pain can be mild to sometimes highly severe depending on the level of advancement of the sensitivity.

This article will discuss a few home remedies to help tackle sensitive teeth problems.

1. Desensitizing toothpaste:
These kinds of toothpaste contain multiple compounds that help protect nerve endings. Sensitivity is primarily a result of open nerve endings that come directly in contact with irritants causing pain and irritation. Prominent among these compounds is potassium nitrate. It decreases the flow of fluid from tubules by clogging them. This blocks the brain from receiving pain signals from open nerve endings and protects them from extreme cold or hot sensations.

2. Salt rinse:
Salt helps reduce inflammation. To reduce the sensitivity, gargle using salt and water twice every day. Take about ½ tsp of salt in a glass of lukewarm water and mix well. Swish the solution for half a minute and spit out it. Regular use of saltwater gargle can do wonders for you.

3. Hydrogen peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic and disinfectant. Doctors usually use it to sterilise wounds and cuts to prevent infection. Using this as a mouthwash in diluted form can heal gums and avoid inflammation.
Add equal portions of water and hydrogen peroxide. Swish the solution like you would with an ordinary mouthwash. Spit it out and rinse your mouth with clean water.

4. Turmeric:
Our ancestors used turmeric for years as a natural antibacterial and antiseptic formula. The curcumin in turmeric aids in healing any kind of wound. You can mix turmeric, honey and salt and apply it to your gum and give them a proper massage. Use this twice every day for better results.

5. Green tea:
Apart from weight loss, green tea has been associated with other health benefits as well. It is rich in antioxidants and also has many anti-inflammatory properties. Using green tea without sugar as a mouthwash can strengthen your teeth and reduce inflammation. Even drinking green tea regularly can do the job for you.

These are a few things that you can do to reduce sensitivity. However, make sure to take care of your teeth before the onset of any such ailments. Avoiding sugar, brushing your teeth twice a day and regular flossing are things you can follow to ensure better oral health.

Dental problems are often latent and only show up in the form of pain, bad breath or swelling. By the time one experiences these symptoms, their oral hygiene has already been severely affected. Hence, you should not skip regular dental check-ups.

Dental treatments are mainly done over a few months and can take anywhere between 4 to 15 sittings with your dentist. This can prove to be expensive depending on your doctor and your location, which is why it is a wise choice to invest in affordable health insurance plans to safeguard yourself against such expenses. Check the options that offer the best benefits for a decent premium.

Click HERE to know more about affordable health insurance plans.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.