Gastroenteritis, popularly termed as stomach flu, is an inflammation of the stomach and the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a ruthless mix of symptoms. The most common cause of stomach flu are viral infections; however, it can also be caused due to bacterial or parasitic infections and food-borne illnesses. The symptoms of stomach flu usually last up to 14 days. The condition is a highly contagious one that spreads through an oral-fecal route. The most common symptoms of stomach flu are as follows:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cramping in the abdomen
• Low-grade fever
• Chills
• Muscle aches

Here are some tips to treat the symptoms of the stomach flu: Drink Lots of Fluids When affected by stomach flu, your body loses essential bodily fluids through vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating. Therefore, it is important to consume these fluids to regulate the body’s water levels and stay hydrated. The best fluids to consume when suffering from the symptoms of stomach flu are as follows:

• Clear liquids such as water
• Ginger and peppermint tea to relieve nausea
• Energy drinks that assist in electrolyte replacement
• OTC preparations

Additionally, make sure to avoid highly caffeinated drinks such as coffee or black tea. These can muddle with your sleeping patterns and further upset your stomach. Follow the BRAT diet Most of the times, people with stomach flu do not feel like eating. But when they do, it’s best to start with a BRAT diet. BRAT is the acronym for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These four foods are easy to digest and a rich source of carbohydrates. They will replenish the vital nutrients in your body and give you the needed energy to function. On the other hand, it is advisable to avoid dairy products, fibrous foods, and anything that is greasy or spicy as it will further complicate stomach distresses. Try Acupressure Acupressure is a great technique that helps in alleviating nausea and other symptoms of an upset stomach. You can locate the pressure point P-6 by measuring the width of three fingers, starting from the bottom of your hand palm. Massage the area with your thumb for 2-3 minutes to experience relief. Medicate with Caution Several people take to medicines for curing the symptoms of the stomach flu. However, it is important to note that stomach flu cannot always be cured with medications, and taking antibiotics will not help if the condition is caused due to a viral infection. Certain medications can be taken for stomach flu unless you suffer from a liver disease. They relive aches and fever and is less likely to upset your stomach. You can also take over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications to ease symptoms that are usually associated with stomach flu, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Hardwood floors have become a rage these days, but carpets will never go out of style for most households, as they introduce a sense of comfort and elegance in a space. To maintain this interior charm, carpet cleaning is essential, so that the dirt and dust are always at bay. It will also help you to evade specific kinds of health problems. Although cleaning carpet is not an easy task, especially when you got kids around. In such situations, carpet cleaning services are your best bet. Which carpet cleaning service to choose? Carpet cleaning services not only ensure clean carpets but with the right cleaning agents they prevent any wear and tear to the material. Based on the services chosen, these services save time, effort and money as well.  There are two primary types of cleaning services mentioned below. Understanding your choices will help you make the best pick. So consider the type of your carpets, budget, time constraints and other additional preferences before making a final call.

• Dry carpet cleaning services Also known as low moisture cleaning service, it is suitable for materials that should not be soaked in water and also for people who need a carpet cleaned quickly. This involves the encapsulation method, where in the dirt, bugs, spills and microbial matter gets encapsulated. A dry foam is worked into the fibers of the carpet and once cleaned, the carpets are vacuumed after drying for a couple of hours.
• Steam extraction cleaning services This is suitable for carpets that have been highly used and even soiled. Controlled pressure, gentle effective cleaning agents and hot water is used in this method. This type of carpet cleaning services removes bacteria and dirt that is deeply rooted. This method is the most recommended by carpet manufacturers.

You can also find many carpet cleaning services that use eco-friendly methods. This could be especially useful if you happen to have any kind allergies.

The human body, though vulnerable, is quite capable of protecting itself. The nature that nurtures us has elements in it that are known to cause damage, which can be short-term or can last a lifetime. The body's immune system is credited with protecting the body from outside agents, and this ensures that we don't fall prey to diseases that aim at disrupting our body's functioning. However, trouble surfaces when the very immune system that is supposed to protect the body, starts attacking it from the inside. The immune system begins attacking the healthy cells instead of the bacteria and viruses, and this affects the functioning of the body's organs. The autoimmune diseases that arise due to the malfunctioning immune system can affect any part of the body and result in the deterioration of the same. Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, rheumatism, thyroid diseases, etc. are examples of common autoimmune diseases. However, some autoimmune diseases are rare, and the damage they cause is quite grave as well. Here are some rare autoimmune diseases that can cause severe pain if left untreated.

• Grave's disease- One of the most severe autoimmune diseases that can affect people is Grave's disease. When the immune system produces antibodies, which activate the TSH receptors, and this, in turn, leads to an overproduction of the thyroid hormone. This results in hyperthyroidism, and the symptoms of Grave's disease are- rapid heart rate, weakness, brittle hair, weight loss. Extreme measures like surgery or removal of the thyroid gland can treat this autoimmune disease.
• Addison's disease- Addison's disease is one of the rarest autoimmune diseases and affects 1 in 1,00,000. The body maintains its balance by using hormones to send signals to the different parts and commands it to perform its functions. When the adrenal gland, which secretes hormones necessary to sustain a healthy life, are affected, they don't produce the required amount of hormones. Since it controls the bodily functions, the body's absorption of carbohydrates, proteins, blood pressure, the cardiovascular function goes haywire.
• Granulomatosis- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis or Wegener's granulomatosis, is a rare autoimmune disease that occurs due to the inflammation of the blood vessels. This results in a lot of collateral damage in the form of damage to the kidneys and respiratory tract. This condition is triggered when the immune system is affected by some virus that prompts it to attack the blood vessels. It becomes fatal when left untreated.
• Giant Cell Myocarditis- Giant Cell Myocarditis is one of the fatal autoimmune diseases known to humankind. In certain cases, this condition has resulted in immediate death as well. This condition is characterized by the inflammation of the heart muscle due to the influx of giant inflammatory cells, which destroys the cells in the heart muscle.

A party is an occasion when we would like our home to look its best even as we serve our guests with the best love and care possible. Starting from the cutlery to the crockery and even the linen, there is no effort that we spare when we are entertaining people at home. The knives that we use at a dinner party and even those that we use when we are preparing meals and ingredients for stellar dinner table presentation form an important part of how we entertain. Cutco is one of the best-known names when it comes to knives and shears. This brand has been known for its combination of great looks and wonderful engineering when it comes to shears, hunting knives, cheese knives, dinner table knives, cooking and chopping knives and much more. So here is a great guide for you to follow when it comes to the various elements of your party, including the smallest details like the knives on your table! • Decide on the kind of party you are planning to have: This is the first and crucial step that you would have to go through in order to throw a good party. Depending on the occasion, decide on how formal or casual you want to go. A holiday party with the entire family would be a semi-formal affair where everyone would want to sit down together. So the crockery, cutlery, and linen should be laid out well in advance so that no one needs to get up from the table to fetch things at the last minute. This would also include various kinds of knives for paring the meat and other, more delicate ones for spreading cheese and butter which would go with each place setting. Also, a summer barbecue party would be a more fun-filled affair where you can arrange all the essentials on one station and ask the guests to help themselves as they go along. • Crockery and Cutlery: You will have to prepare for this aspect once you have decided on what kind of party you are throwing. Remember to have the best in terms of forks, spoons, and knives with all kinds of sizes like the ones available at brands like Cutco. You should remember to match the cutlery with the kind of food that you are serving. For example, a wine and cheese do should typically have a cheese knife set for the guests to use. • Linen: The linen is the next aspect that you would have to take seriously. You should ensure that there are various kinds of napkins depending on the kind of party that you are throwing. This should also match the time of the day. Bright cocktail napkins for a fun evening cocktail party and soothing lace napkins for a tea party are the typical combination rules that you should follow. Throw on tablecloths to layer the space and also ensure that every piece is well-ironed and laid out in symmetry.

Simple home improvement works can be exciting and daunting at the same time. While the tasks may seem like a lot of fun to get down on, one must possess the right power tools that can make the same possible. Every home must include certain power tools that are essential to perform the numerous renovations or repair works. Moreover, there are a hundred jobs around the house that must be tackled, and roping in a professional every time can be expensive. Power tools enable you to get these works done quickly and with efficiency. While it may be tempting to pick up all the power tools that you spot at the hardware store, stay away from buying those that you might never need. Here are the top four power tools that are a must addition to the toolbox in your home. Power drill - The most essential component to add to your toolbox includes the power drill. Power drills allow for drilling into any surface, from plaster to concrete to wood and even bricks. While cordless drills can perform all the task just as well, power drills are much more efficient. Although the versatility of cordless drills is much appreciated, the corded variants are found to offer better performance as they are powered. Jigsaw - A jigsaw is a tool that enables one to cut through wood while attaining curved or circular patterns. There are different models available in jigsaws. It is preferable to opt for a model that offers an easy change of blades and can be handled well. The tool can be used by experienced persons as well as beginners with much ease after some practice. Rotary tool - A rotary tool is great to bring home as it can conveniently cut, grind, and even sand to the finest degree. It makes a lot of household jobs easier. The rotary tool that comes with a plethora of accessories and attachments work best. Orbital sander - An orbital sander is essential when working with wood. While a sanding block will suffice for smaller jobs, this power tool is great to work on large wood surfaces. The different brands offer orbital sanders with various features and variable speeds. The above-listed tools are quite handy and can be used by beginners too, albeit with a little practice.

Needing to have a drink or two every day is termed as alcoholism or alcohol dependency. This is a serious condition that if left untreated, can be fatal. The first step to treating alcoholism is for the person to realize and accept, he or she has a problem that is beyond their control. Many people try and treat themselves but doing so is extremely difficult and in some cases can have serious side effects as well. For this reason, an alcoholic must join an alcohol detox program at the nearest alcohol rehab center. Most alcohol rehab centers offer many different types of alcohol detox programs. Residential rehab programs: In such programs, the person must commit to staying in the rehab center for anywhere between one month to a year. Initially, contact with family members may be limited but once the person has detoxed and is in the later stages of his treatment, they may be allowed more contact with people outside the facility and may even be allowed to go out. Partial hospitalization treatment: People who want to take part in such alcohol detox programs must visit the hospital or clinic for four to eight hours on a daily basis for three months. This form of treatment works ideally for people with a supportive family and safe home environment. However, this form of treatment does not suit everyone as it is easy to relapse with. Outpatient programs: Working people may not be able to take a lot of time off to be part of an inpatient program and neither can they take off every day to attend partial hospitalization treatment. In such cases, they may participate in outpatient programs run by hospitals and health clinics. Such alcohol rehab center have their own rules for attendance with many of them operating in the evening and on weekends to accommodate schedules. Intensive outpatient programs: If a person has high level of self-control and is truly motivated to quit alcohol, he or she can participate in an intensive outpatient program. These programs run from two months to a year and require the participants to dedicate nine up to twenty hours for treatment every week. To be part of such programs, it is essential for the person to have loving and supportive family and friends. Once a person is admitted to any of the above programs, he is assessed to ascertain the level of dependency and general health. A plan is then formulated to help him overcome this dependency and deal with factors triggering the intake of alcohol. In some cases, medication may also be used to help counter the withdrawal symptoms. Doctors, counselors and psychologists will then work with the person during one on one and group therapy sessions to learn new skills and ways of dealing with their problems. Patients who are part of an inpatient program are often advised to participate in an outpatient program once their detox is over to help avoid a relapse.