The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose, the sinuses, and the pharynx. The pharynx has a large number of lymph gland distributed around, the important ones being the adenoids and the tonsils. The diseases encountered in this are viral or bacterial infections. These lymph glands do a very efficient job of arresting bacteria and viruses and get inflamed. Nose is the first organ the incoming air encounters. The hair in the nose filters out gross impurities. When there are overwhelming loads a large volume of mucus is produced to wash them out. This is the usual harmless common cold. Sinusitis. The air then enters the maxillary sinuses, frontal sinuses and the sigmoid sinuses where air gets warmed up, humidified and filtered of the fine particulate, bacterial and viral impurities. When there is overwhelming viral or bacterial load, the sinuses get inflamed and causes the often bothersome sinusitis. In severe cases, one needs to resort to antibiotics or even surgical intervention. Pharyngitis is the inflammation of the lymphatic glands there. The important ones are adenoids and tonsils. Severe cases one has to undergo their surgical removal. The lower respiratory tract diseases are diseases affecting the organs below the level of the larynx. These are basically the diseases of the larynx, laryngitis, the bronchi, bronchitis, the alveoli, and the lung. Emphysema is the collapse of the alveoli. Chronic irritation of the bronchioles causes restriction of air and secretion of mucus. Coughing, an attempt to clear the airways follows. Heavy cough results in considerable pressure in the alveoli which can rupture its thin walls. This leads to two important consequences. The direct is a loss of gas transfer area resulting in oxygen starvation in the body. The loss of elastic fibers impedes the spring back of the lungs to expel the air. The treatment consists of removing the sources of irritant, promoting the removal of the bronchial secretions and use of antibiotic to prevent infections. Patients are retrained to breathe in ways that maximize expiration. Asthma is the periodic contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchi restricting air movement. In many of the cases, this is in response to some allergen. The treatment in such cases is to find out the exact allergen and avoid their inhalation or desensitizing the individual to them. Administration of vasodilators helps dilate the bronchi. An expectorant helps clear the mucus.

People with heart problems need to plan their meals after referring to cholesterol levels chart. Those who have high cholesterol should choose food items that help in lowering the cholesterol content in the body. Making certain changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol levels and improve the heart’s health by reducing the amount of fats flowing through your bloodstream. Focus on foods that lower LDL and increase HDL for better results. Different foods that help in this process are: Oats: Having a bowl of oatmeal or oat-based cereal is good for lowering the LDL content within the body. The quantity of oats that one needs daily can be determined after comparing your cholesterol levels with the cholesterol levels chart. Oats must be consumed because it is rich in fiber and burns extra fats deposited in the arteries. Whole grain meals: Whole grains or barley can help in lowering the risks of heart diseases, especially the soluble fibers that dissolve in the blood fast and works faster to burn out the fats effectively. You can decide your intake after understanding what each range of cholesterol signifies in the cholesterol levels chart. Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts and other nuts are very good for the heart. They lower the LDL levels within the body with just two ounces of daily intake. They even have a lot of additional nutrients like protein, calcium and vitamin E that help the body to remain fit and healthy. Vegetable oils: If your cholesterol is on the higher end according to the cholesterol levels chart, then your daily oil intake must be restricted. Doctors usually recommend using sunflower oil, canola, etc., for cooking purposes as these oils are relatively harmless and help in reducing LDL. Soybeans: Eating soybeans and foods made from the same like tofu and soy milk act towards the lowering of LDL, which in turn lowers the total cholesterol in the body. Consumption of about 20gms of soy protein in a day lowers LDL up to 6%. By keeping a regular check on your cholesterol levels, you can switch to healthy diet-routine, filled with fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, whenever you feel the need. Ensuring a healthy diet is the key to reducing the risk of heart diseases.

Cats are very adorable and can be the perfect roommate if you live alone; however, the former Egyptian Gods are quite picky when it comes to their food. Your feline friend needs more than just cuddles and pampering; it needs the perfect, scrumptious food that appeals to its taste buds and takes into account its nutritional needs. The best dry cat food is the one that doesn’t have any by-products or fillers such as wheat and corn, and lastly, no artificial flavors since these are detrimental to your cat’s health. So, here are some of the best dry cat food brands in the market that play a major role in improving your cat’s health.

• Orijen Cat & Kitten Dry Cat Food If you wish to give your beloved cat the best of everything, then ensure that you opt for Orijen Cat & Kitten Dry Cat Food since it has been rated as one of the best dry cat food. Almost 2/3^rd of the meat in the cat food is fresh, i.e., refrigerated without preservatives, or is raw, i.e., flash-frozen without preservatives. It contains the perfect blend of proteins, carbohydrates, and micronutrients that play a major role in allowing your cat to maintain a healthy weight.
• Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free Dry Cat Food This grain-free dry cat food has the key ingredients that make it one of the best dry cat food brands; it contains probiotics and prebiotics, essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, fatty acids, and necessary proteins and carbohydrates. This is the best dry cat food for cats that suffer from health conditions like diabetes.
• Taste of the Wild Cats need real animal protein to stay healthy, and the right kind of cat food ensures that they stay strong and beautiful. This dry cat food contains real animal protein such as trout, salmon, chicken, and venison, and gives your pet the right mix of amino acids. Moreover, this dry cat food is highly digestible and contains low GI-carbohydrates such as raspberries, peas, and blueberries.
• Fromm FourStar Cat Food Gamebird This unique blend contains duck, turkey, quail, and even pheasant meat, which is not used in most cat food. The result is that the cats have shinier, healthier coats, and they shed less. In addition to this, this dry cat food is known to improve your cat’s digestion, which means lesser instances of digestion-related problems.

The 15-year fixed mortgage rate, as the name suggests, is a fixed rate of interest on repayment that stays uniform for a tenure of 15 years. It is a good option for people who have a good credit score and a stable income. One of the main reasons to opt for a 15-year fixed mortgage rate is the amount that goes out of your account monthly. Since it stretches over a period of 15 years, it does not add up to large sums of money that go out of your pocket every month. In addition, the changing condition of the market won’t affect your rate since it is fixed and you may easily put it as a significant expense in your monthly budget. Also, when you compare it to a 30-year period, the interest rates are lower, thereby making it an excellent choice for people who want to repay their loans off faster by saving more money on repayment. Different mortgage lenders offer different 15-year fixed mortgage rates. The rates change as per the performance of the market. Keep checking the official websites to get the decided rates for that day. Following are the most recent rates offered by three top lenders:

• Quicken Loans The interest rate for a 15-year fixed mortgage is 4.125% while the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 4.577%. The rates are one of the best in the market and take in consideration parameters such as single-family, primary residence, possession of an escrow account, and a credit score of 740.

• Wells Fargo Wells Fargo is a trusted lender and in order to avail of the best 15-year fixed mortgage rates of 4.250% (interest rate) and 4.808% (APR), you need to have a good credit score. For 15-year fixed rates of jumbo loans, the interest rate is 4.375% and the APR is 4.412%. The mortgage rates are dependent upon your current financial situation and the condition of the market. Hence, it is advisable to call the agent to get the best rates.

• JP Morgan Chase The 15-year fixed mortgage rates offered by Chase are 4% and the APR is 4.149%, which is quite low as compared to the other lenders. These rates are not available in every state and are drawn out keeping in mind parameters such as single family residence, down payment of 20%, excellent credit score, purchase loan and conforming loan amounts between $200,000 to $249,999.

There are so many different types of TV screens and TV brands with different names in technology being pumped into the market every day. Right from the black and white chunky TVs to the all-new flexible TVs these days. So, what is the difference in the technology used in these TVs? Let’s take a walk through all the various technologies of TV screens and evolution of the ‘TV’ in simple non-complicated English - CRT : Remember those old chunky televisions which a ‘must have’ till the early 2000s? Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) is a technical name for those types of TVs and computer monitors. The chunky box is huge because it contains a screen and a projector gun. Images are created on the screen when electrons are fired through the projector gun onto the viewing screen which in turn energizes the particles on the screen. With the technological advancements, the demand for these types of TVs and computer monitors have been falling drastically since early 2000’s when the smaller LCD screens were introduced into the markets. LCD: Cathode Ray Tube televisions started getting replaced in the early 2000’s with ‘Liquid Crystal Display’ (LCD) televisions. The LCD television panel is created by using different segments in which each block is filled with liquid crystals. When the electrical current is increased or decreased, the transparency, clarity and color of these blocks changes. Since LCD screen crystals cannot product their own light, the panel is fitted with external light sources like fluorescent bulbs which help in creating the images on the screen. With further improvement in picture quality with the use of technology, LCD quickly started getting replaced with the LED. Samsung televisions had popular variants with the LCD feature. LED: The full form of LED is ‘Light Emitting Diodes’. Basically, the LED is a better and improved version of the old LCD technology so it is not entirely a brand-new format of television. While LED screens use the same format as those in LCD screens, the only difference is the florescent bulbs are replaced by an array of LEDs which are lit up. This allows the TVs to be far more efficient and allows them to be narrower which saves space.There are a lot of good brands out there like Samsung televisions which provide various sizes of LED televisions. Plasma: Plasma TV screens consist of a mixture of different gases that are stored between 2 sheets of glass. During the manufacturing process of the television, these gases are injected and then sealed in the ‘plasma’ form. This is basically where the Plasma TV gets its name from. When connected to an electricity source, the electricity causes the gases to react which illuminates the pixels all over the screen. Plasma TVs are generally more expensive than LCD and LED televisions and are of much more superior quality as well. This also results in the high prices of these TVs. Plasma Samsung televisions, due to the high costs and the format, perform better when they are 40-inches screens or larger. OLED: OLED is latest form of screen technology. OLED has nothing similar to LED even though its name might suggest otherwise. The full form of OLED is ‘Organic Light Emitting Diode’. It is made using organic materials such as carbon which creates the light when connected to electricity. LED and LCD screens require a backlight for illumination while an OLED doesn’t require that. This helps in producing extremely thin and flexible TV sets. Since individual areas on the OLED screen light up directly, the contrast, clarity and colors and way better on this screen. It processes images faster and create deeper more crisp images with regards to contrast. These make OLED screens super expensive.

Despite the widespread availability of internet-supported devices and online streaming entertainment option, the concept of television has not died. A lot of people still prefer getting their entertainment and news from cable television plans. There are a number of plans and offers for cable television in the market. The plans can be contractual or non-contractual in nature. Owing to the higher number of options, it becomes difficult to choose one. Keep in mind some of the following important factors when shopping for cable bundles or packages. Features of the plans A very important thing to consider and check is whether the TV package you are looking at has all the features you need an ample number of channels. Find out the specialty offerings of each channel and whether they suit your needs. Although comparing the packages of different brands may be difficult you may want to find out about any premium content and add-ons that are offered. Customer service Do a background check about how well the specific cable television provider is in the area of customer service. You can read reviews online or speak to people who are using the services of the cable television service provider. Sometimes issues such as billing discrepancies and interrupted services may be a problem and a good customer support team’s role in such situations is really high. So look for TV packages or TV bundles from brands that offer reliable customer service. Cost Compare the cost of the various packages. These package cost should not just include the price for the channels but also other costs like installation charges, DVR charges, and any other additional charges. Sometimes cable television packages may not include these charges often misleading the customers into thinking that these prices are comprehensive. When buying any cable television package, make sure that the company provides you a DVR that is able to keep up with the changing technological trends and upgrades. This will save the time and money of replacing the DVR every now and then when an upgrade or change happens in the setup. Some of the popular cable television brands you can explore include Spectrum TV, DirecTV, AT&T, Verizon, and DISH. Some of these plans can be bundled with Wi-Fi plans. And the companies offer discounts for customers who opt for such TV bundles.