Winter Season and Guava benefits ...

The winter season brings many things to eat and drink as healthy foods. This season is considered very good for sightseeing as well as for food. Foodies eagerly wait for the cold season. Many such fruits and vegetables are available in winter, the consumption of which gives great benefits to our health. Guava is one of these seasonal fruits, and by consuming it we get countless benefits. Some of the benefits of eating Guava are as follows:

1. The risk of diabetes is less: The risk of diabetes and managing it well becomes a common task for everyone. In such a situation, consuming guava will be very beneficial. By eating guava, the blood sugar level is shown under control in many patients, which also reduces the risk of diabetes.

[Guava Fruit in whole and cutting views]

2. Strong Immunity: As soon as the winter season comes, our immunity becomes very weak. In such a situation, if you include guava in your diet, it will prove to be very helpful in strengthening your immune system. Apart from this, vitamin C present in guava is also very effective in boosting metabolism.

3. Controlling Blood Pressure: Blood pressure even in young youth becomes common due to their lifestyle and the foodstyle. Apart from that, the young generations are facing high competition in their career settlement. In such a situation, eating guava may help to get rid of the problem of increasing blood pressure.

4. Prevention of piles and constipation: People are often seen to have problems with constipation, which can later turn into piles. In such a situation, eating guava rich in fiber gives a lot of relief from the problem of constipation, which can also prevent piles later.

5. Improve digestive system: Eating guava helps in getting rid of many digestive problems. Actually, there are many problems found associated with the digestive system like heartburn, vomiting, nausea, etc. In such a situation, guava will prove to be very helpful in getting relief from it.

Disclaimer: The advice and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

In comparison to men why do women live under so much stress ?

Compared to men, women are more worried, they get angry or tearful quickly, know why it is so? Dr. Sanjay Garg, Senior Psychologist at Fortis Hospital, Kolkata explains some of the main reasons why women are often upset and short-tempered -

1. The first important reason is that family people have more expectations from women; however, even an active woman has a limit to performing work. In routine life, monotonous work like kitchen, caring for children, husbands, and In-laws, etc also affects women's health and mood.

[Woman with upset mood]

2. Can't even get enough sleep - Women need more sleep than men, but they often don't get enough. They have to wake up at a regular time in the morning to attend to household chores, whereas men generally make up for it by sleeping till late in the morning. On top of that if the wife is working then there is no chance to sleep even in the afternoon. It is an authentic scientific fact that a person can suffer from anxiety, stress, or depression due to lack of sleep. And in such a situation, if the husband tightens some kind of taunt or someone disturbs him, then it is natural for the wife (woman) to lose her temper.

3. Psychological causes of stress - Research conducted by Lantern, a web programming company, found that women are 11 percent more stressed and 16 percent more anxious than men. Family psychologist Amy Shoffner said in a report that the reason for the high-stress level in women is their attitude towards things or problems. Women do not move away from the person or thing that is causing them stress. They go into the depth of problems and get entangled in them again and again, which increases their stress level. Whereas men believe in 'fight or flight'. Another reason why stress is high in women is that they are perfectionists and also remember things for a long time. She does not forget anything easily and remains engrossed in her thoughts day and night. They are neither able to forgive themselves nor the person giving tension quickly. For example, if the child is late in taking the child to school, then the man will become normal after repenting for five minutes, but the woman remains in tension for at least 24 hours considering herself fault.

4. Women don't get attention - The (woman) wife wants the husband to take care of her and ask her to take care of herself. But this does not happen. Husbands are often busy with their own work or do not notice any problems of the wife, then she starts living under stress. If the husband does not pay attention to her stress, then she starts expressing her feelings openly and expresses anger. Whereas, the husband does not respond to her anger by keeping silent because his mind is hot at the moment. From a psychological point of view, this condition is called 'polarization'. Under this, the husband sticks to his thinking and the wife stick to her thinking.

5. Biological reasons also responsible- York Medical College Professor Dr. Paul J. Roche explains that hormone fluctuations are much greater in women than in men. Due to this, there is a problem of depression in them. Women are more involved in personal relationships, That's why they get frustrated and worried when there is even a slight disturbance in them. She takes care of everyone, so she also expects the same behavior, which is rarely possible.

6. More effects of sad syndrome- According to scientists, women get affected by SAD syndrome i.e. Seasonal Affective Disorder at least four times more than men. In fact, some people feel a change in mood when the weather changes. At such times, they feel depressed and energylessness and want to sleep for the maximum time, which is not possible for women. Sometimes the symptoms of this disease become very serious.

7. Things to be considered- From the psychological point of view, if it is certain that women are always under more stress, then there is a need to deal with this situation. Women should try themselves and men should also help. The biggest help that can be given to women is that men should not judge them by the yardstick of their attitude and attitude. Don't tell them 'be like me, don't take tension'.

How much minimum sleep is necessary for a healthy personality...

In research, it was observed that sleeping less than 5 hours every night is dangerous. if the age is more than 50 years then there will be serious diseases, and the risk of death is up to 25%. If the age is over 50 years, getting 5 hours or less of sleep every night can be dangerous.

According to experts, anyone may be at risk of at least two serious diseases. This claim has been made in new research published in the Journal of PLOS Medicine. In this research, about 8,000 UK government employees had been included. They had not had any chronic i.e. long-lasting disease till the age of 50 years.

Scientists asked them to give information about their sleep and health for the next 25 years every 4 to 5 years. People whose sleep was tracked at age 50 had a 30% increased risk of chronic diseases if they slept 5 hours or less.

[Good sleep to stay healthy]

These were compared to people who slept 7 hours a night. At the same time, this risk increased to 32% in 60 years and 40% in 70 years. The risk of death from not getting enough sleep was also found to be 25%. Risk of these diseases due to less sleep.

According to research, people who sleep less than 5 hours at night are at risk of diabetes, many types of cancer, heart disease, heart stroke, heart failure, lung disease, kidney disease, liver disease, depression, forgetfulness, and Parkinson's. There is a risk of diseases, arthritis, and many mental disorders.

The growing problem in rich countries: Dr. Severin Sebia, the lead author of the research and research associate at the UCL Institute of Epidemiology, says "The trend of having many serious diseases simultaneously is seen to be increasing in high-income countries. More than half of the elderly here have at least two chronic diseases. This is a big challenge for health services, hospitals, and the entire health system".

How much sleep is necessary? According to Dr. Sebia, as people age, their sleep cycles also change. If you want to avoid chronic and serious diseases, it is necessary to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. More or less sleep than this is harmful to your health. To sleep well, the room should be dark, quiet, and at the right temperature. Do not eat anything heavy before sleeping and keep all electronic devices away from you.

Have a good sleep to stay healthy.

Computer chips and Ganoderma lucidum Mushrooms - New research

 कई इलेक्ट्रॉनिक डिवाइस में लगने वाली कंप्यूटर चिप्स और बैटरीज में ऐसा प्लास्टिक इस्तेमाल होता है, जिसे रिसाइकिल नहीं किया जा सकता। मगर अब वैज्ञानिकों ने इस प्लास्टिक को बायोडिग्रेडेबल मटेरियल से बदलने का तरीका ढूंढ लिया है। 

साइंस एडवांसेज जर्नल में प्रकाशित एक नई रिसर्च में ऑस्ट्रिया की जोहैनस केप्लर यूनिवर्सिटी के वैज्ञानिकों ने मशरूम की स्किन से इलेक्ट्रॉनिक सबस्ट्रेट बनाया है। सर्किट की बेस लेयर को सबस्ट्रेट कहते हैं। यह इलेक्ट्रिसिटी ट्रांसफर करने वाले मेटल्स को ठंडा और इंसुलेट करता है। 

गैनोडर्मा लूसीडम मशरूम एक प्रकार की फंगस है, जो यूरोप और पूर्वी एशिया के सड़ते हुए पेड़ों पर उगती है। स्टडी में शामिल रिसर्चर्स डोरिस डैनिंगर और रोलैंड प्रकनर ने पाया कि ये मशरूम अपने सुरक्षित विकास के लिए जड़ जैसे नेटवर्क माइसेलियम से बनी त्वचा बना लेता है।

[Image : Ganoderma lucidum Mushrooms stock]

वैज्ञानिकों ने प्लास्टिक की जगह इसी त्वचा को सुखाकर इस्तेमाल करना चाहा।रिसर्च में मशरूम की त्वचा को निकालकर सुखाया गया। रिसर्चर्स ने देखा कि यह लचीली और अच्छी इंसुलेटर है। यह इलेक्ट्रिकल सर्किट में भी अच्छे से काम करती है और आसानी से 200 डिग्री सेल्सियस तापमान सह लेती है। वैज्ञानिकों ने बताया कि कंप्यूटर चिप्स को बनाने में उन पेड़ों के मशरूम काम आएंगे, जो पूरी तरह बेकार चले जाते हैं। फिलहाल इससे बने सर्किट ऐसे इलेक्ट्रॉनिक डिवाइस में लगाए जा सकेंगे, जो ज्यादा समय नहीं चलते। इनमें वियरेबल सेंसर और रेडियो टैग शामिल हैं। मशरूम स्किन के कारण इन्हें रिसाइकिल भी किया जा सकेगा।

Warts and Ayurveda - simple to manage and treat.

In the modern system of medicine, warts are defined as small, fleshy, or hard bumps on the skin or mucous membranes caused by human papillomavirus. Warts are caused by various strains of human papillomaviruses. 

[Wart in the index finger of a hand]

Different strains may cause warts in different parts of the body. Warts can be spread from one location on the body to another or from person to person by contact with the wart. 

Symptoms: The main symptom is a fleshy, painless growth on the skin. Common areas affected include the hands, feet, and genitals. 

Treatment: It may include topical medication and removal through medical procedures. 

However, in terms of Ayurveda, a wart is formed when Vayu and Kapha combine on the skin. When Vayu predominates, pain and roughness develop. With Pitta's dominance, they look blackish-red. If Kapha is in predominance, they look greasy, knotty, or the same color as the skin. Kapha creates soft skin and Pitta causes hard skin. They combine when following incompatible therapies for instance ingesting milk and salt together, and cause warts.

Therapies - Externally lemon juice or tea tree oil is applied to warts daily for several weeks till it cures. 

Have a healthy life. 

Insanity (Unmada) - causes, symptoms, therapies and recdovery - Best Ayurvedic treatment

"उन्माद का दूसरा नाम है दीवानापन या पागलपन I इसे ही मेडिकल भाषा में इनसैनिटी (Insanity) कहा जाता है I लगभग सभी मनुष्यों में उन्माद तो होता ही है किन्तु जब यह हद से गुज़र जाये तो उसे पागलपन की संज्ञा दे दी जाती है I उदाहरण जैसे जवानी का उन्माद, उन्मादी कवि इत्यादिI " 

The definition of insanity is having a serious mental illness or being extremely foolish. An example of insanity is a personality disorder. An example of insanity is jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Severe mental illness or derangement. 

Maharishi Charak defines insanity as " the perversion of the mind. intellect, consciousness, knowledge, memory, desire, manners, behavior, and conduct."

Five types of Insanity exist: Vayu, Pitta, Kapha, Tridosa, and externally caused insanity. It is the main disease of Vayu doshas. The main cause of insanity, as we will see, results from personal misdeeds. When any of the three doshas cause insanity, symptoms quickly develop in persons with certain conditions. These characteristics include timidness, an agitated or lethargic mind, or an imbalance of physical doshas. Other conditions include following an unwholesome diet or lifestyle when other health concerns are present, or if the mind is constantly afflicted by emotions (e.g. fear, anger, greed, etc.) 

Symptoms- General symptoms include, impatience, fickleness, unsteady vision, a sensation of a vacuum in the heart, and loss of peace, memory, and intellect. 

Therapies- There are many therapies to treat insanity have been prescribed depending upon the condition of the disease and behavior of the patients however, some of the general therapies are done by Herbs,  musk and frankincense, chanting mantras (Aum Namah Shivaya), wearing talismans and jewelry, performing auspicious rites, religious sacrifices, taking vows, oblations, fulfilling religious duties, atonement, fasting, receiving blessings, obeisance, and pilgrimages. Following wholesome foods and lifestyle is also necessary. Ghee may be eaten as often as desired. One should sleep in a draft-free room. One popular recipe in Ayurveda is as follows- 

Brahmi Ghee (4 days worth): Brahmi - 50 g; Shankh pushpi - 50 g., Aswagandha - 50 g., Jatamanshi - 50 g, Ghee - 100 g. Now make a paste from the herbs and roll it into a ball, biol the ghee and add the paste and cook for 1/2 hour, and then filter. 

Doses:  1 tsp 2 times daily (May be used for any mental disorders) 

Sign of recovery: When one's clarity and sense of normalcy reappear, it is a sign that the symptoms are removed. 

I Hope, this article surely will help to cure many of the persons who suffer from insanity. Thank you.    

''Have wonderful health always''

इस नयी बीमारी का नाम बताया "स्क्रब टायफ़स"

 रहस्यमयी बुखार 'स्क्रब टायफ़स' 

विगत एक माह से उत्तरप्रदेश एक रहस्यमयी बुखार के संकट से जूझ रहा है. ये बुखार इतना वायरल है कि शायद ही उत्तरप्रदेश का कोई ऐसा घर हो जिसमें एक रोगी पीड़ित न निकले. लोग जूझ रहे हैं. ठीक भी हो रहे हैं. कुछ रोग की अज्ञानता में कोलैप्स भी कर जा रहे हैं. प्रदेश एक अघोषित पेन्डेमिक से गुज़र रहा है.

इस बुखार का रहस्य ये है कि सारे लक्षण डेंगू, चिकनगुनिया व मलेरिया से मिलते जुलते हैं पर जब टेस्ट कराइये तो सब निगेटिव आता है. क्योंकि बीमारी के लक्षण भले ही मिलते हों पर बीमारी अलग है.

विडंबना ये है कि बहुत से डॉक्टर भी वायरल मान कर उसका ट्रीटमेंट दे रहे हैं या डेंगू का ट्रीटमेंट दे रहे हैं. उनको भी रोग के विषय में नहीं मालूम.

(ये मैं इस आधार पर कह रही हूँ कि मेरे बेटे और मेरे पति, दोनों के बुखार को डेंगू समझ कर ट्रीटमेंट दिया गया. और दोनों ही सुप्रसिद्ध डॉक्टर्स के द्वारा दिया गया.)

जब 12 नवंबर को मुझे मुझमें लक्षण दिखे तो मुझे मेरे फैमिली डॉक्टर को दिखाया गया. उन्होंने मुझे इस नयी बीमारी का नाम बताया "स्क्रब टायफ़स"

फिर मैंने इस बीमारी के विषय में रिसर्च की और मुझे लगा कि इसको सबसे शेयर करना चाहिये क्योंकि मेरे कुछ बहुत ही अजीज़ लोगों की मृत्यु का समाचार मिल चुका है मुझे.

स्क्रब टायफ़स के संक्रमण का कारण:-

▪️थ्रोम्बोसाइटोपेनिक माइट्स या chigger नामक कीड़े की लार में orientia tsutsugamushi नामक बैक्टीरिया होता है, जो स्क्रब टायफ़स का कारण है. इसी के काटने से ये फैलता है. इन कीड़ों को सामान्य भाषा में कुटकी या पिस्सू कहते हैं. इनकी साइज़ 0.2 mm होती है.

▪️संक्रमण का incubation period 6 से 20 दिन का होता है. अर्थात कीड़े के काटने के 6 से 20 दिन के अंदर लक्षण दिखना शुरू होते हैं.

स्क्रब टायफ़स के लक्षण:-

(इसके लक्षण डेंगू, चिकनगुनिया और मलेरिया सभी के मिले जुले लक्षण हैं)

▪️ठण्ड दे कर तेज़ बुखार आना

▪️बुखार का फिक्स हो जाना, सामान्य पैरासिटामोल से भी उसका न उतरना

▪️शरीर के सभी जोड़ों में असहनीय दर्द व अकड़न होना

▪️मांसपेशियों में असहनीय पीड़ा व अकड़न

▪️तेज़ सिर दर्द होना

▪️शरीर पर लाल रैशेज़ होना

▪️रक्त में प्लेटलेट्स का तेज़ी से गिरना

▪️मनोदशा में बदलाव, भ्रम की स्थिति (कई बार कोमा भी)

खतरा:-

Timely पहचान व उपचार न मिलने पर

▪️मल्टी ऑर्गन फेलियर

▪️कंजेस्टिव हार्ट फेलियर

▪️सरकुलेटरी कोलैप्स

मृत्युदर:-

सही इलाज न मिलने पर 30 से 35% की मृत्युदर तथा 53% केस में मल्टी ऑर्गन डिसफंक्शनल सिंड्रोम की पूरी सम्भावना

कैसे पता लगाएं:-

Scrub antibody - Igm Elisa नामक ब्लड टेस्ट से इस रोग का पता लगता है. (सब डेंगू NS1 टेस्ट करवाते हैं और वो निगेटिव आता है.)

निदान:-

जिस प्रकार डेंगू का कोई स्पेसिफिक ट्रीटमेंट नहीं है वैसे ही स्क्रब टायफ़स का भी अपना कोई इलाज नहीं है.

▪️अगर समय पर पहचान हो जाए तो doxycycline नामक एंटीबायोटिक दे कर डॉक्टर स्थिति को नियंत्रित कर लेते हैं.

▪️पेशेंट को नॉर्मल पैरासिटामोल टैबलेट उसके शरीर की आवश्यकता के अनुसार दी जाती है.

▪️ बुखार तेज़ होने पर शरीर को स्पंज करने की सलाह दी जाती है.

▪️शरीर में तरलता का स्तर मेन्टेन रखने के लिए पर्याप्त मात्रा में पानी, ORS, फलों के रस, नारियल पानी, सूप, दाल आदि के सेवन की सलाह दी जाती है.

▪️लाल रैशेज़ होने पर कैलामाइन युक्त लोशन लगाएं.

▪️रेग्युलर प्लेटलेट्स की जाँच अवश्यक है क्योंकि खतरा तब ही होता है जब रक्त में प्लेटलेट्स 50k से नीचे पहुँच जाती हैं.

▪️आवश्यकता होने पर तुरंत मरीज़ को हॉस्पिटल में एडमिट करना उचित है.

बचाव:-

▪️स्क्रब टायफ़स से बचाव की कोई भी वैक्सीन अब तक उपलब्ध नहीं है.

▪️संक्रमित कीड़ों से बचने के लिए फुल ट्रॉउज़र, शर्ट, मोज़े व जूते पहन कर ही बाहर निकलें.

▪️शरीर के खुले अंगों पर ओडोमॉस का प्रयोग करें.

▪️घर के आस पास, नाली, कूड़े के ढेर, झाड़ियों, घास फूस आदि की भली प्रकार सफाई करवाएं. कीटनाशकों का छिड़काव करवाएं.

▪️अपने एरिया की म्युनिसिपालिटी को सूचित कर फॉग मशीन का संचरण करवाएं.

नोट:-

▪️स्क्रब टायफ़स एक रोगी से दूसरे रोगी में नहीं फैलता. सिर्फ और सिर्फ चिगर नामक कीड़े के काटने पर ही व्यक्ति इससे संक्रमित हो सकता है.

✒️दिव्या मिश्रा राय

(कृपया इस जानकारी को आगे बढ़ाने में मेरा सहयोग करें. क्या मालूम किसके काम आ जाए और किसी की जान बच जाए)

This article is included because of the  desire of Author as she requested to forward in public to make helath awareness. Need not to be panic.Many advance life care technologies already in medical field but request you all not to take self medication. Consult your doctor first and follow their opinion. Every thing will be alright. 

A unique technique to identify and authenticate genuine material used in preparation of AYUSH medicines -Part 1

 

AYUSH is an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy, and are the six Indian systems of medicine prevalent and practiced in India and some of the neighboring Asian countries with very few exceptions in some of the developed countries. Among the above six Indian Systems, Ayurveda and Siddha got popularity due to highly effective responses during Covid - 19 period. Ayurveda System of medicine has been practicing in all over India since ancient times, However, Siddha is very popular in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of our Country. 

AYUSH treatment refers to alternative medical systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. Trusted by thousands of people around the world, these traditional health and wellness treatments are cost-effective and have negligible side effects. ISM&H was renamed as the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy, or the Department of AYUSH. The department was made into an official ministry by the   Government of India in 2014. 

This technique has been adopted for a long back but not getting fully effective because of the shortage of experts in this field. Nowadays no one is ready to study, Pure Botany or Applied Botany as the main subject. As we know that many alkaloids are being used in the preparation of allopathic medicines are yielded from plants only. Due to a lack of knowledge of identification, the quality of the medicines and ingredients used to prepare them is always in doubt.   In today's blog, I will tell to how to identify the chicory root without using any laboratory instrument and just from the naked eye.

This technique is called "Macroscopical Identicifacation of plant". It is very useful, especially in the Pharmaceutical Industries where the demand for material is more but no time to spend on identification also, production needs quick decision to get clear the material so as to take in production. Let's start with identification by using PowerPoint slides- It is self-explanatory slides to solve all queries if any doubts please approach me at pdd100@gmail.com

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Hope that you may get the idea to identify the chicory root as there are many materials available in the market to replace the genuinity. It has been seen that the mature dried and chopped reddish is also being mixed and sold in place of chicory. In this situation, we may check with organoleptic characters, especially with smell and taste, and get easily identified. 

Please follow this blog, I will bring some more identification in the next blog. Please visit my blog to read regularly.

NCERT conducts mental health survey on children and observed that 81% of children suferred with anxiety due to fear of their study, exam and result

In the study, it was observed that 73% of children from class 6th to 12th in the country were found satisfied with school life. At the same time, there were 33% of children felt pressure most of the time. 

According to the NCERT Mental Health Survey report released on Tuesday, 29% of students lack focus, while 43% do not have the mood to study and never like studying. The emphasis was made to conduct online classes during and after the corona pandemic. 

[Feeling sleepy while studying]

The survey also revealed that 51% of the children faced difficulties in understanding the content in the online medium. At the same time, 28% hesitated to ask questions. Approx. 3.79 lakh students from 36 states and union territories participated in the survey. 

Most of the study reveals that the main reasons for students get worried about their studies, exams, and results. 81% of the children surveyed consider studies, exams, and results as the biggest stress. The survey shows that in general, most children expressed happiness and satisfaction with school life. At the same time, there has been a decline in the mental health of most school students in middle school. 

The survey had been done on Teacher's day. The survey was launched along with several initiatives taken by the central government during the Shikshak Parv. This is the first survey conducted by the Center to assess the mental health of students in the country since the Corona pandemic. Shikshak Parv is being celebrated to honor teachers and implement National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Burning sensation when urinating and UTI, more common in woman during rainy season

Urinary Tract infections or UTI’s are common bacterial infections of the urinary tract. They occur for various reasons but primarily due to being sexually active, menopause, or lack of hydration. 

A woman suffering from UTIs

It has been proved that women are at a greater risk than men due to the female anatomy (the urethra in a woman is shorter than in men, which means the bacteria have to travel a shorter distance from the rectum). 

Symptoms-  It includes a strong, persistent need to urinate, a burning sensation when urinating, and urine that appears cloudy and is strong in smell. The important thing to note here is that a UTI can be present in the bladder, kidneys, or urethra. If a person is suffering from back pain, a fever, or chills accompanied by nausea and vomiting, these are serious signs and may mean that the individual has a kidney infection. For these symptoms, it is necessary to go to the doctor or ER promptly. One interesting point to note is that elderly patients often show symptoms of confusion, restlessness, and agitation as opposed to the symptoms mentioned above. 

So, how do we prevent these pesky bacteria? It is very simple to avoid urinary tract infections so, 

• Stay hydrated.
• Drink plenty of fluids 
• Drink plenty of water. 
• Cranberry juice can help, but don't overdo it.  
• Empty your bladder after sexual intercourse. 
• Do not use douches! They can be irritating to the flora in your urethra thus causing an imbalance. 
• Make sure to wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from spreading. 

Note, that the aforesaid advice is for UTIs in adults. 

In children, UTI's are always complicated and require medical attention with the care of a physician. however, in adults UTI’s can be treated with oral antibiotics. Typically, a physician will perform a culture of the bacteria to determine which antibiotic to be given to the individual. Usually, a patient needs an oral antibiotic for three to seven days depending on the culture and antibiotic. However, recurrent UTI’s might require a stronger and longer course. Please do not try to treat with any antibiotic you have at home. It may not even work for the type of bacteria that has caused your UTI. 

Keep in mind to drink plenty of fluids when you have a UTI to help flush out the bacteria. Most importantly, do not stop taking your antibiotic as soon as you feel better. Complete your course because some bacteria may still be lingering. All in all, UTI’s can be easy to treat, depending on the bacteria and various other factors, particularly age. So, stay hydrated and practice good hygiene to prevent these unwanted infections. 

Hope you find this information useful to take routine care of your health.  

Stay healthy, stay safe...

Excess Iron in brain can develop many diseases – A new study.

Iron overload, usually caused by the genetic condition hereditary hemochromatosis, can cause a wide number of health issues, but this study sheds light on its impact on the brain. 

Research has been conducted by the researchers based on the studied data gathered by the UK Biobank to see if hereditary hemochromatosis and the subsequent iron overload had an impact on the brain. In the study, it was observed that some people with two copies of the HFE gene mutation, meaning they would have hereditary hemochromatosis, had iron buildup in the brain.  While studying the iron deposition seen in the brain's motor circuits. The researchers concluded that the iron buildup in the brain was linked to a higher risk of developing movement disorders.

According to a new study, the iron buildup in the brain may have a higher risk of developing movement disorders like Parkinson's disease But interestingly, the increased risk for movement disorders was only present in males. However, this isn't too surprising, as the iron buildup in males will almost always be more severe due to the lack of mensuration.

These findings hold implications for the further extent of how hereditary hemochromatosis and iron overload can impact the body and how they can lead to movement disorders. But even more importantly, the importance of the findings for medical purposes is especially notable because they can be applied immediately - after all, the safe and approved treatments for iron overload already exist.  

Usually overloading iron in the brain is caused by the genetic condition hereditary hemochromatosis, and develops a wide number of health issues. The findings of this study were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal JAMA Neurology. Before explaining hereditary haemochromatosis, it's important to understand the role of iron in the human body. 

Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs to function, and it is especially prevalent in the human blood. This, in turn, is why the level of iron in the body must be balanced and controlled. The exact amount of iron needed in the body can vary, but it usually tends to be just 4-5 grams of iron, with 2.5 being used to bring oxygen into the blood and the rest being used in cells throughout the body, especially the liver, spleen and bone marrow - the former of which is where the primary iron reserve storage. 

Much research has already been conducted on what happens when iron levels in the body are too low, which is known as iron deficiency, something that is generally more common among those who menstruate due to the loss of blood. 

Further, there is also a significant amount of research that has been done on how to compensate for this, which can be done in the form of iron supplements or making sure one's diet contains a necessary amount of iron. Indeed, food is the main source of iron. But less well-known, especially among the general public, is that it is also possible for the body to have too much iron, which is known as iron overload or hemochromatosis. This can happen in a few days, such as repeated blood transfusions, too much dietary iron, or too many iron supplements. But hereditary hemochromatosis is the most well-known means for this to happen. This condition is genetic and is linked to a specific gene, the HFE gene, and is most common among those of Celtic descent. Both parents would need to have the gene for it to manifest as the condition, similar to other genetic conditions like Tay-Sachs disease. 

Hereditary hemochromatosis essentially causes the body to absorb far too much iron from food, increasing the amount of iron in the body. Unlike iron deficiencies, which can be solved by simply having more iron, iron overloads are harder to solve because humans don't actually have a way to release the excess iron outside of menstruation and pregnancy. In fact, the ability of menstruation and pregnancy to release excess iron from the body is why symptoms appear in people who menstruate much later than in others, really only appearing after menopause. 

However, according to the study, symptoms tend to appear late across the board, with males on average only showing symptoms after the age of 40 and females after the age of 60. When undergoing iron overload, the iron will accumulate in the body, often in the liver, skin, heart, thyroid, pituitary gland, and more. This, in turn, is linked to numerous other symptoms and diseases. These include, but are not limited to: 

·                     Joint and abdominal pain

·                     Liver cirrhosis

·                     Liver cancer

·                     Arthritis

·                     Diabetes

·                     Severe fatigue and weakness

·                     The skin turning bronze or gray color

·                     Abdominal pain

·                     Lack of sex drive

·                     Liver failure

·                     Heart failure

·                     Erectile dysfunction and sexual impotence

·                     Memory fog 

Considering how many of these conditions can be life-threatening, treating hereditary hemochromatosis is very important. 

Treatment-  Blood donation under consultancy with your doctor is the best treatment as any iron overload can simply be prevented by getting phlebotomy (essentially bloodletting, just safely getting rid of blood in comparable amounts to a blood donation) on a regular periodic basis - sometimes just a couple of times a year. Apart from that medications also exist, and diets used to limit iron intake can help as well.

Long COVID Symptoms makes many changes like hair loss, low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, etc in the body – a study report

A study reveals that the long Covid Symptoms make many changes in the body. It includes hair loss and reduced libido. Other symptoms included chest pain, fever, bowel incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and limb swelling. About 2 million people in the UK have persistent symptoms after COVID infection, termed long COVID. They commonly reported long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue and shortness of breath, which have a significant effect on people's daily activities, quality of life, and capacity to work. But long COVID symptoms are much broader than this. In a new study published in the journal, Nature Medicine  62 symptoms have been identified as associated with long COVID.  

Much of the initial work undertaken to understand long COVID has been among people who were hospitalized, but most people infected with COVID have been managed in primary care, therefore, it is known relatively little about long COVID in people with typically milder initial infections. In the study, it has been analyzed electronic primary care records from more than 450,000 people in England with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID, and 1.9 million people with no prior history of COVID, from January 2020 to April 2021.  Both groups were matched very closely in terms of their demographic, social, and clinical characteristics, then, scientists assessed the relative differences in the reporting of 115 symptoms to GPs. For those who had COVID, they measured this at least 12 weeks after they were infected. 

They found that people who had been diagnosed with COVID were significantly more likely to report 62 symptoms, only 20 of which are included in the World Health Organization's clinical case definition for long COVID. Some of these symptoms were expected, like loss of sense of smell, shortness of breath, and fatigue. But some of the symptoms that they found to be strongly associated with COVID beyond 12 weeks were surprising and less well known, such as hair loss and reduced libido. Other symptoms included chest pain, fever, bowel incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and limb swelling. 

These differences in symptoms reported between the infected and uninfected groups remained even after we accounted for age, sex, ethnic group, socioeconomic status, body mass index, smoking status, the presence of more than 80 health conditions, and past reporting of the same symptom. 

They also found that younger age, female sex, belonging to certain ethnic minority groups, lower socioeconomic status, smoking, obesity, and a wide range of health conditions were all associated with a higher risk of reporting persistent symptoms more than 12 weeks after COVID infection.

 Stay healthy, stay safe...

Are you Underweight? Know some healthy ways to gain body weight.

 On health grounds, it is mandatory to maintain a healthy weight. Both underweight and overweight can give adverse effects on the body and may prone to acquire many malnutrition or more nutritional disorders to the body. 

Being overweight can cause obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and other health conditions and all of these conditions can damage different vital and important internal organs of the body and that can be fatal. On the other hand, if you are underweight, you might face issues such as low blood pressure, anemia, and low immunity among other tiredness, severe muscular pain, and other health conditions. It is, therefore, important that you maintain a healthy weight so that you don’t have health complications. 

Some people thought, that gaining weight is very difficult, however, on the practice ground, it is observed that gaining weight is too easy in comparison to reducing weight.  

Anyway, some people are interested to gain a little weight to look, not like a very thin personality. It is, however, important that you gain weight in a healthy manner and not just include all sorts of food in your diet to gain weight.

[Are you underweight? check regularly]

One more point I would like to add is that the genetic factors are also involved in making the body fatty or slim, although the genetic impact will not give more value if you are determined to maintain yourself healthy, it is seen in many cases that some people diet is very less in comparison to other but have more body weight whereas some are eating more but no gain of the body weight observed. There are many medical terminologies involving these conditions like imbalancing of hormonal secretion from respective glands like pancreatic glands. The pituitary gland, thyroid glands, etc, and to maintain the hormonal balances in the body or make the good function of the respective glad to work well with the appropriate amount of secretion of hormones, health screening followed by doctors consultation is very important. However, I will suggest a few ways that will help you to add some pounds if you are underweight. 

1. Add simple carbohydrates to your diet: If you want to add some extra pounds to your diet, it is recommended that you add a bit of carb to your diet and that could be some potatoes or a bit of rice that could help you add some extra kilos. 

2. Add smoothies and shakes to your diet: Smoothies and shakes have calories in them and consuming them can add to your weight. Also, they have good nutrients in them which is again a healthy option. 

3. Exercise: This might sound weird but yes, exercising is important for weight loss as well. When you exercise, you stop the accumulation of fat and work on muscle building which eventually helps in weight gain. 

4. Get good sleep: When you get good sleep, it helps to improve your metabolism and also helps in muscle gain which eventually adds to the weight.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness program or making any changes to your diet.

 

Eating disorders in children and preventive meausres

Eating disorders are more common in young children and can be seen in any age group. Eating disorders mean problems with the way a child eats. It can be stressful for the parents to deal with the child having an eating disorder as it can impact them mentally and physically children with eating disorders tend to experience adverse effects on nearly every organ in the body thus, timely treatment is key to helping children with eating disorders. 

[Image showing Eating disorders]

According to Dr. Vrushali Bichkar, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Motherhood Hospital in Pune's Lullanagar, there are many types of eating disorders that have been seen in children; however, the common and main eating disorders are under  

1. Anorexia Nervosa - This is an eating disorder wherein the weight of the child is below average for their age and height. Children with anorexia have a fear of getting fat or gaining weight. They tend to have a distorted body image, calling themselves “fat” even when very thin. Those with this issue tend to have mental health problems like mood disorders, depression, or anxiety disorders. Symptoms-  Bluish discoloration of the fingers due to a lack of oxygen, hair fall, fatigue, insomnia, fainting, and the absence of menstruation in teenage girls.

2. Bulimia Nervosa - Here, a child engages in episodes of bingeing during which he or she eats too much food and then purges, or tries to get rid of the extra calories. This means self-induced vomiting or excessive exercise, such as running on a treadmill for hours. Those suffering from it have anxiety and self-injurious behaviors. Symptoms-  Stained teeth, calluses on the backs of the hands or knuckles from self-induced vomiting, frequent weight fluctuations, and an irregular menstrual cycle.

3. Restrictive food intake disorder - If a child has this disorder then he/she is unable to or refuses to eat certain foods based on texture, color, taste, temperature, or even the aroma. Symptoms- The child may have weight loss problems, inadequate growth, and nutritional deficiencies. Here, a child may consume only a very narrow range of foods and refuse even those foods if they appear new or different.

4. Binge eating disorder - Having a binge eating disorder means the children will eat large amounts of food but do not attempt to get rid of calories once the food is consumed. Such children can be obese or overweight. 

Symptoms- They tend to have trouble coping with anger, sadness, worry, and stress. They will always feel guilty for eating a lot and not exercising. Causes: According to Dr. Vrushali Bichkar, genetics, stress and pre-existing psychiatric disorders can make a child prone to having an eating disorder. 

Treatment: “Psychotherapy, nutrition education, medical monitoring, and medications in some cases can help children with eating disorders,” suggested Dr. Vrushali Bichkar. 

Preventive measure - Dr. Vrushali Bichkar advised, “As parents, you need to speak to your child about unhealthy eating habits, encourage the child to eat healthy foods, maintain an optimum weight, exercise daily, sleep well and stay stress-free. Try to help your child to build a healthy body image, do not body shame the child. Do not diet around the child as he/she will feel that it is alright to skip healthy foods or even starve. So, make sure that your child gets all the essential nutrients from the diet.”

Make your children healthy and stay safe...

 

Pregnancy and skin care

Expecting a child and prepping to welcome a baby into this world is the most delightful feeling. However, pregnancy brings along tons of inconveniences. Pregnancy changes your entire lifestyle, including the skin-care products that you use. While the pregnancy glow is not news to many, not every woman experiences that due to hormonal changes some pregnant women struggle with blemishes and acne during pregnancy, leading to taking extra care of their skin. This is because the ingredients of the products get absorbed into your body and might harm the unborn child.  

[Pregnancy and skin care]

    

Dry skin is normal during pregnancy as the unborn child consumes water from whatever you eat or drink. Hence, it is crucial to stay hydrated as well as keep your skin moisturized all the time. Products containing shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, peptides, and hyaluronic acid can be helpful in such a scenario. Once your skin is moisturized properly, its elasticity increases, which automatically helps with the stretch marks.        

Some of the common but important issues are listed below and to combat that skin problems during pregnancy are also given-:

Anti-aging or wrinkles- For common issues like anti-aging and wrinkles, you can rely on antioxidants and Vitamin C works like magic in such scenarios. Apart from safely enhancing your skin’s vitality, it protects it from any further damage and maintains collagen. Apart from Vitamin C, some of the pregnancy-safe antioxidants are Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Green tea, and Vitamin B3.

Sun protection- The importance of sunscreen can’t be stressed enough. However, it is crucial to use mineral-based sunscreen with SPF 50 and above. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are two components included in mineral-based sunscreen. 

Acne and hyperpigmentation- It is safe to avoid glycolic acid from your routine when you are pregnant, women struggling with acne and hyperpigmentation can use it in small quantities, which isn’t harmful. However, it is advisable to once consult an expert before using it.

Stay healthy, stay safe...