• Keep the person home and allow rest. This will help recover more quickly

The doctor, who says she receives 50 new cases a week at her clinics in Juhu and Colaba, says pain in the orofacial region (face, mouth, nose, ears, eyes, neck, and head) is usually the result of a problem somewhere far from it. Dr Khatri-Panjabi says, "Patients often complain of chronic headaches at the top of the head along with stiffness at the base of the skull that radiates to the tips of the fingers. Often, this is wrongly attributed to stress."



4 facial pains and what they could point to


A. Symptom: Deep, dull headache
Condition: Neck muscle spasms
Caused by: Whiplash (neck injury), poor posture and long hours at computer, physical stress

How does a spasm in the neck muscle play out as a headache, like in Gurnani's case? Medically termed as myofascial pain, this is common and characterised by discrete tender areas or trigger points. The spasm may occur in the centre of the neck muscle but it can play itself out at any point along the length and width of the muscle, like the top of the head. Therefore, a muscle spasm in the neck can show up as a debilitating headache, says Dr Khatri-Panjabi, founder of the Center for Orofacial Pain. "These deep, dull headaches are often referred to as cervical headaches and more commonly as 'tension headaches'. But the tension does not refer to psychological stress but actual tensile forces acting on the muscle, she clarifies.


B. Symptom: Ache at base of skull, neck and face
Condition: Rounded shoulders (slouching)
Caused by: Poor sleeping posture (wrong pillow) and over-exercising upper body at the gym

The shoulder and the head share muscles that pass through the neck. Physiotherapist Poonam Bajaj explains: "The internally rotated (forward rotated) shoulders increase the compression on the collar bone and the attached muscles. There is a shortening of the pectoral (chest) and scapular (shoulder blade) muscles. As the head and neck are brought forward, the patient is forced to extend the back of the neck to keep the eyes horizontal, resulting in overactivity of the muscles at the base of the skull." When these muscles are tightened, the head and shoulders are pulled forward leading to Forward Head Posture and rounded or slouching shoulders. The constant effort to bring the head back into its normal position is what causes pain at the base of the skull, neck and face.


C. Symptom: Electric shock-like pain in cheeks, near nose and jaw
Condition: Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)
Caused by: Blood vessel pressing on a nerve inside the skull, multiple sclerosis

This nerve disorder got famous when Salman Khan was diagnosed with it in 2011. It's an impingement on a nerve branch in the spinal cord or brain stem that shows up as sharp, shooting, burning pain around the nose and above the lips. Neuro-surgeon Dr Keki Turel, says, "The trigeminal nerve has three divisions that subserve sensations over 1) forehead, 2) cheeks, and 3) lower jaw. Though predominantly a sensory nerve, it also has a motor division that supplies the muscles that aid chewing. The nerve enters the brain stem in the trigeminal nucleus and from there it has projections higher up in the brain." All nerves are covered by a sheet called myelin, which works like an insulation around a wire, preventing leakage of current. The trigeminal nerve is myelinated, except in the last few millimeters where it enters the brain stem — here it remains naked, and ultrasensitive. It is this unmyelinated area where throbbing of a blood vessel makes it excitable, resulting in severe pain. This intermittent pain is triggered by even the slightest external stimulation — touch, brushing teeth, chewing, or even a draft of wind. "The pain is so severe, it can drive a person to contemplate suicide, says Dr Turel.


D. Symptom: Ache in temples, ear pain, facial soreness, limited range of motion of mouth, clicking and joint noise
Condition: Jaw disorder
Caused by: Grinding of teeth in sleep, cradling phone between neck and shoulder, biting nails, clenching teeth during a task that requires focus

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) or the jaw joint is located in front of both ears and connects the lower jaw with the skull. The TMJ along with the muscles of mastication allow you to chew, yawn, shout, whistle, talk and sing. "Considering it is the most used joint in the body, a TMJ dysfunction can be severely debilitating," says Dr Khatri-Panjabi. "TMJ disorders can be felt as tooth pain even in the absence of dental pathology and can contribute to snoring and sleep apnoea," she adds.

In a warning to those who sleep with their devices next to them, researchers have found two women who were affected by transient smartphone “blindness” - a condition where they went blind in one eye after gazing at smartphones in the dark. (Pinterest)

Before you decide to treat high levels of blood sugar, you must find out the main reasons as to why there has been a spike. A few of the main causes are eating heavy food items, not getting enough physical exercise, not taking proper medication for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and having to cope with stress and sickness.

To bring down high blood sugar levels, insulin needs to be taken. If you are the type who requires insulin during meal time, you will have to take correct doses of insulin in order to lower your blood glucose. Decision needs to be taken on when to inject it and how many times to inject. For this, you have to take the help of a health care professional.
View Photos One of the best methods of lowering your levels of blood sugar is through physical exercise. During exercise, the blood concentration of insulin drops to counter the insulin-like effect of muscle contraction, in order to maintain a constant blood glucose level. This helps to ensure that there is less of it circulating in the blood stream during and even after the physical exercise. 

View Photos Exercising is important in lowering blood glucose regardless of the type of diabetes mellitus you might be suffering from. Various research has shown that this could be important in the treatment of problems like retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney and heart ailments. 

For this, you have to consult your doctor and make necessary changes to your exercise regime. While exercise is a natural way of lowering blood sugar levels, you must make sure to make it a part of your daily habit and not just a way of getting fast results. 

View Photos Another way of lowering blood sugar is by taking control of your diet. Whenever you consume food items that are high in fibre, it will be easy to help keep your levels of blood sugar in a steady position. You should make sure that you consume between 25 and 30 grams of fibre every day. Get these from fresh food, seasonal fruits and vegetables and unprocessed food items. 

Getting proper sleep is essential to control blood sugar levels. Whenever you do not sleep well, the body becomes inefficient in using insulin. You should make sure that you get seven to nine hours of sleep each day.

 View Photos It is necessary for you to get certain tests done in order to assist you or your physician to determine if the control of blood glucose is as targeted. In case you are using a home metre to do the test, check if there are any patterns in those results. This is important in determining whether you have adjusted well to your medicine or diet or to both

Do you swear by sleeping in your underwear?

Many of us forgo our thick pyjamas for boxers or briefs during hot summer nights, but it turns out that wearing your undies in bed may be doing you more harm than good, or so say the experts.

They believe that it is much better to sleep naked at night to let your skin breathe and to avoid infection.

Dr Alyssa Dweck, who works in the field of gynecology for several hospitals and health centres in New York state, has recently spoken about her concerns.

“I often tell my patients to sleep without underwear” the co-author of V is for Vagina, told Shape.

"If [the area] is constantly covered - especially by a fabric that’s not moisture-wicking or absorbent - moisture collects, creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria or yeast."

She believes that sleeping in your underwear could lead to severe chafing, irritation and skin infections, without you even releasing that your sleepwear may be the cause.

The problem can become particularly acute for women suffering hot flushes at night during the menopause.

Dr Dweck said that those who say they must wear their briefs at night should opt for a loose-fitting cotton pair.

She added: ‘If there’s ever a time to break out the granny panties, this would be it,’

The problem, however, can have more serious consequences for men.

Dr Brian Steixner, Director of the Institute for Men’s Health at Jersey Urology Group in the US, says that men who choose to sleep in boxers can compromise the quality of their sperm as their genitals become too warm during the night.

He said: "Your nether regions need to be just the right temperature in order to optimise sperm production."

He added: "More bacteria makes for a higher likelihood that any chafed or irritated skin down there becomes infected."

Fertility aside, there are added benefits to sleeping in the nude too as cooling down the body can help lower blood pressure.

As well as avoiding nasty skin ailments, sleeping naked with a partner is also thought to improve your sex life.

57 percent of nude sleepers reported being happier with their relationship, compared to just 48 percent of clothed snoozers.

The key is believed to be in the skin-on-skin contact, which triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin - the neurotransmitter that helps you feel those good feelings about your significant other.

This can help you to feel better connected to your partner, and - yes - more interested in sex.

But If that doesn't swing it for you? Just think of all the time and money you’ll save on a reduced washing pile.