Body Basics

8/6/2019 Body Basics

1/20

Stop that

snore!Snoring is an irritant, adjustyour lifestyle to get better and

soundless sleep!

It is traditionally believed that snoring indicates

sound sleep, but it is now proven that it is sound

but no sleep. When we fall asleep, muscles in the

upper airway relax and this causes the breathing

passage to become narrow. As air tries to pass

through the narrowed upper airways, they vibrate,

making the sound of snoring. When it worsens,

these passages get blocked -- often hundreds of

time every night. This is obstructive sleep apnoea

(OSA). OSA is most commonly seen in middle-aged

BodylBASICS

heart attack and paralysis.

How to control i t

You can control it by making lifestyle changes.

I Losjng weight

I Exercising regularly


2/20

The cholesterol oy'

cs

myth!CORBIS

Don't ignore high cholesterol,

it can be dangerous in young

adults too!

Cholesterol is an important sub-type of fat. It is required for thefunctioning of all the vital organ sys-

tems and various body metabolisms

related to macro and micro-ele-

ments. Cholesterol and other lipidsub-fractions are important for hu-

man beings and they cannot be cut

down to the lowest limit of zero in

the diet as well as in the blood lev-

els of an individual

creatitis.

Causes Strong ge-

netic/family

history of heart disease

Associated diabetes mellitus, hy-pertension

Bad eating habits

Excess alcohol consumption

Overweight (lowers HDL-high-

d i li i d i

(derive only 30 per cent ca

from fat) Eat more fibre-containing fo

Consume fresh fruits.

Intake of more fluids or wate

Avoid consumption of b

products deep fried items hig


3/20

StOp that BodyjBASICS

coughDon't let that cough becomelife-threatening, boost your immunity!W

hooping cough, also calledpertussis, is an acute, highly

communicable infection of the respi-

ratory tract caused by Bordetella

pertussis bacteria. During coughing,

the infected patients spread the

virus through droplets.

SymptomsThe disease runs a lengthy course of

six to eight weeks. Initially, it may have

flu-like symptoms, eg, cold and fever,

followed by bouts of severe and pro-

longed cough This is usually followed

the intestine through the skin neargroin) and bursting of lung (pneu-

mothorax). It can also lead to pneu-

monia and flare up the old tubercu-

losis infection due to decreased im-

munity. The brain can also get in-

volved, leading to convulsions.

is also significant loss of weigh

to complete lack of appetite.

PreventionStrict isolation is desirable fo

four to five days after startin

antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics s

also be given to close family

bers.

The triple vaccination, DTP -theria, tetanus and pertussis.

doses at monthly interval in

year of life; and two booster

at 1-1/2 years and five years o

can prevent whooping cough

great extent.

I The newer vaccines are safehave less reaction like pain and

TreatmentGeneral measures include pro

adequate nutrition, hydratio

avoiding factors aggravating


4/20

Get rid of puffy BodylBASICS

Pamper your eyes, as stress canmake them puffy!

Protection of eyes and their main-

tena nce should be given utmost

impo rta nce by all of us. Acc ord ing to

a recent research, about 22 per cent

people suffer from puffy eyes be-

cause of stress. They are the indica-

tors of our health condition. Puffy

eyes usually make people look more

tired and aged.

Causes

Lack of sleep, excessive crying, lots of

sodium or salt intake, emotional or phys-

ical stress, build-up of toxins and wastes

Difficulty or inability to open or close

the eyes due to swelling.

Prevention

S l e e p w e l l i Give your eyes the much-

needed rest. Sleep deprivation makes

them work overtime and causes bags un-

derneath. This is because all the fats and

fluids settle down and accumulate in the

area. As the skin underneath the eyes is

very thin and fragile, the extra fluid be-

comes more prominent.

P a m p e r y o u r e y e s i Apply cucumber

slices or cool tea bags to your eyes on a

and vegetables in your diet alon

plenty of water to get all the vi

and minerals. Decrease your salt i

Q u i t s m o k i n g Smoking is b

your health and can also cause und

circles and puffiness.

Avoid rubbing your eyes R

on the eyes and eye contours may

the tiny capillaries underneath th

and lead to more dark circles and

ness.

Take care of eyes while you

Before going to bed, dampen a so

eyes!


5/20

MIemory is an impor-tant aspect of life. Itcan be immediate (eg, re-

calling phone numbers

immediately), short-term

(recalling events over a

few days or months) and

long-term (recalling

events of the past).

Cognition, on the other

hand, encompasses a whole

lot of advanced brain func-

tions, including language ca-

pabilities, behaviour, judge-

ment and visual processing.

Simply put, memory is just an

important subset of cognition.

C A U S E S

I Memory is stored in differentparts of the cerebral hemi-

spheres, most critically involving

a region called the hippocam-

pus. Memory can be impaired if

h i d f h

Forgettina BodylBASIC

somethingSolve crosswords and take vitaminsupplements to keep your memory going0 CORBIS IMAGES

amine B12 (common in patients on p

vegetarian diets), are some of the ot

reversible causes of memory impairme

SYMPTOMS

Inability to remember things like wh

one put objects, remember names

people, phone numbers and messa

given to them are a few early sympto

of short-term memory impairment. Loterm memory impairment can pres

with inability to recall past events.

PREVENTION

I Avoid factors that impair memory,

l di i l d d b


6/20

Beat the " ^ b a s i c s

depression blues!Depression can becomea serious illness, don' tlet negative thoughts

get you down

Everyone occasional ly feelsblue or sad, but thesefeel ings are usual ly f leet ing

an d pass wit hin a co upl e of

days. When a person has adepress ive d isorder , i t

inte rfer es wi th dai ly l i fe,

n o r m a l f u n c t i o n i n g , a n d

ca use s pain for both the

person with the disorder and


7/20

Body| BASICS

Heal thatback pain!B

ack pain is the second most

common problem that bringspeople into the doctor's office. The

problem is increasing rapidly. At

different stages of our lives, back

pain acquires serious dimensions

and can be crippling.

Causes

Many spinal conditions cause back

pain, but muscle sprain can be a

cause too. The common spinal caus-

es of back pain are: changes in var-

ious parts of the spine with ageing,

Back pain can be

crippling, but

rest, good postureand exercise can

bring relief

aspirin or paracetamol can provide

relief. No other medication shouldbe taken without the doctor's ad-

vice.

Prevention

Maintain a good posture during

sitting, walking, working and

sleeping.

Exercise regularly

Stop smoking

When should one see a doc-

tor?

If pain persists beyond a few


8/20

Mend that

hea r t

Body| BASICS

Keep the stress away! Emotional tra

can trigger heart break syndrome

A broken heart syndrome is a tem-porary heart condition causeddue to extreme and sudden emotion-

al trauma. People may have sudden

chest pain or think they're having a

heart attack. These symptoms may be

a result of the heart's reaction to a

surge of stress hormones. In broken

heart syndrome, a part of your heart

temporarily enlarges, a condition

call ed cardiomyopathy. Ninety per

cent of the cases occur in women.Causes

It is caused by a surge in adrenaline

and other hormones in the aftermath

of a stressful situation, caused by a

est), feelings of loneliness, feelings of

hopelessness and despair, loss of self-

respect and/or self-esteem, medical or

psychological illness (for example, de-

pression), suicidal thoughts.

toms. Also, the doctor will wa

know if you've experienced any

stresses recently.

I Doctors usually order a chest

of your heart to see if your heart

larged or has a shape change

typical of broken heart syndrom

I The doctor may also ord

echocardiogram.

I Coronary angiography shows

mal coronary arteries.

CureUsually requires about a week

cover. There are no standard

ment guidelines. At first, it's tr

similar to a heart attack until t


9/20

Satfl U!Protect yourself from the cold

this season, as influenza can weaken

your immunity

Body BASICSOCORBIS

Influenza is a highly infectious respiratory disease.

It is caused by the 'influenza' virus. Several types

and two sub-types of type A (HINI and H3N2) and

type B circulate in the air. Influenza is transmitted

through the air by a person suffering from flu,

coughing or sneezeing, creating droplets contain-

ing the virus.The virus can remain alive for over 24

hours. Complications from influenza can kill and it

is estimated that tens of thousands of people die in

v a c c i n a t e d

against the

virus. This is

an annual

vaccine as

the protec-

tion/immuni-

ty developed

by vaccina-

tion no


10/20

Don't ignore

thyroid!Thyroid can play havoc with your health, but timely treatment can be helpful

BodylBASICS

The thyroid gland is situated infront of the neck and is quite vis-

ible when enlarged, especially during

swallowing. It is an endocrine gland,

discharging a secretion called thyrox-

in directly into the blood stream. Thy-

roid hormone regulates cellular me-

tabolism throughout the body, it

stokes the fire of metabolic furnaces

located in each cell.

Symptoms

The symptom is goitre ie enlarge-

timation of thyroid hormone con-centration (T3, T4,TSH) in the blood.

A low T3, T4 and high TSH confirms

the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. At

times, in many thyroid diseases, a

sonography and radioactive scan of

thyroid are required.Thyroid nodules

occasionally require a fine needle

aspiration biopsy. The procedure is

safe and virtually painless.

The most important preventive

measure has been iodination of salt.

O CORBIS IMAGES


11/20

Body| BASICSGet

sound sleep!Lack of sleep can playsystem. Sleep well for

Insomnia is about not gettingenough proper sleep. It includes

frequent or extended awakening in

the middle of sleep or sleep being

delayed at night or shortened in

the morning with early awakening,

affecting the total duration of

night sleep.

C OMMON FEATURES

Anxiety or feeling agitated before

sleep, feeling unrested after sleep,

sleepiness and lethargy throughout

havoc on your immune

overall wellbeing

and alcohol 4-6 hours before sleep. Get up and go to bed at the same

time everyday as it helps your sleep

cycle remain in rhythm.

Adjust the temperature, light and

noise levels to your needs.

ESTABLISH AN OPTIMAL SLEEP PATTERN

Go to bed only when you are

'sleepy tired'.

Do not watch TV, work, study or eat

in bed.

If you are not asleep within 20 min-

cle grou ps arms, neck, sh oul

face and eyes, stomach and back

legs.

Don't worry about inability to s

O CORBIS IMAGES


12/20

Straighten your

squintFrequent eye turns can be anuisance. Treat your squint on time!

BodylBASICS MARCUS LUND/CULTURA

Squint or strabismus is cross-eyes. It

is defined as a condition in which

the eyes deviate (turn) when looking

at a particular object. Eye doctors gen-

erally look for the presence of a stra-

bismus when looking at: distance (20

feet or more); near (16 inches for an

adult and 13 inches for a child); later-

al and vertical directions (up, down,

left, or right).

When the eye turn occurs all the

time, it is called constant strabismus.

When it occurs only some time it is

dally in children. However, it is also

known to occur in adults. It is seen

in three-five per cent of normal pop-

ulation. It can occur due to a variety

of causes, such as hereditary, muscle

weakness, poor vision, or any dis-

ease occurring within the eye, such

as cataract in children.

When should one suspect it?

I The most important sign is when

eyes are not positioned straight.

When a child turns his face or tilts

head to see in a particular direction.

How does squint corre

help?

Straightens the eyes (cosmetic

stores vision, preserves binocu

(To use both eyes simultaneou

Treatment

I Orthoptics: It is a medical ter

the eye muscle training prog

Orthoptics treat muscle pro

only in regard to strength and i

ally done using a special ma

called the synaptophore. Custo

ly all squint patients especially


13/20

Keeping kidneys

healthy!Make sure your kidneys are in good shape,ignorance might lead to a chronic kidney dis

Body|BASICS

Chronic kidney disease is a progressive

loss in kidney functions over a period

of months or years. The symptoms of

worsening kidney function are non-spe-

cific and might include feeling generally

unwell and experiencing a reduced ap-

petite. Often, it is diagno sed whil e screen-

ing of people known to be at risk for kid-

ney problems. It is identified by a blood

test called serum creatinine.

SYMPTOMS

Polyuria (passing more urine), nocturia

(passing more urine during night), puffiness

in the face and feet, persistent aches and

pains in the joints, high blood pressure,

shortness of breath on mild exertion, fatigue

due to anemia.

RISK FACTORS

Diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, kid-

ney stones, past history of inflammation in

the functional unit of the kidney, hereditary

polycystic kidney disease.

ffi CORBIS IMAGES

on a regular basis. | Keep your body fit. Have

a fixed routine of physical activities that you

like Brufen, Voveran, Nimulid, etc.

depressing thoughts and stress. It de

the immunity levels and well-being

person.

Diet : | Avoid high intake of prote

and supplements. Foods like eggs, c

fish, paneer, milk products are mus

for a balanced nutrition. | Potassium

be restricted in diet. It is present

amount in fruits, nuts and green veg

Potassium can be removed from the

bles by leeching. | Use low sodium

food while cooking. | Avoid cakes, p

h


14/20

Do you have an

'athletic heart'?Excessive exercise can put you at risk ofathletic heart syndrome. Protect the heart from

stress of strenuous physical training

R

egular moderate exercise is of

paramount importance to good health

for prevention of heart attacks, strokes,

for better management of diabetes,

hypertension, osteoporosis, sexual

performances but the flip side of

excessive exercise training is athletic heart

syndrome (AHS).

Causes

AHS occurs due to hypertrophy of the heartmuscle. Typically, it is described as in-

creased heart muscle mass, increased

chamber dimensions and wall thickness.

Generally, AHS is a far more efficient heart

than a normal heart. It is accompanied by

Body|BASICS

not be a cause of concern to any em

ment. After cessation of athletic ac

most heart-related changes will regr

normal, over a period of months.

Facts

Athletic heart syndrome is no

common.

Abnormal ECG and abnormal ech

diography in an athlete should ale

about AHS.

Employmentriage and day-t

life are abso

not a problem

AHS.

High-level at

should have a

odic check for

If detected the training

gramme can

modified.

After stopp

high-level activ

i !


15/20

push the panic button!

Hypochond riasi s is an anxiety dis-

order. The patient is preoccu-

pied with various bodily symptoms,

which he believes are an indicator of

a serious disease.

Symptoms

I Hypochondriacs have symptoms in

various parts of the body, such as

the gastrointestinal tract, cardiac

symptoms like chest pain, breath-

lessness and palpitations, giddiness,

aches and pains, weakness, sexual

difficulties, etc.

I The patient goes to many doctors,

Extreme anxiety can

trigger hypochondriasis,but there's no need to

to nutritional deficiencies.

I Many patients believe that they

Treatment

The first step is the recognition o

Don't panic! Body|BASICS THINKSTOCK I

h


16/20

Beat the B o d y bask s

depression blues!Depression can becomea serious illness, don' tlet negative thoughts

get you down

Everyone occasionally feels

blue or sad, but these

feelings are usually fleeting

and pass within a couple of

days. When a person has a

depressive disorder, itinterferes with daily life,

normal functioning, and

causes pain for both the

person with the disorder and

T h o

as;c:s


17/20

Treat that o > as;c:s

endometriosis painDon' t ignorepainful periods, getting early treatment can prevent infertiT he lining ofthe womb which is shed every month in the formof a menstrual period is called endometrium. The abnormalgrowth of cells (endometrial cells), similar to those that form the

inside of the uterus, but in a location outside of the uterus, is calledendometriosis .When similar lining is found around

other organs, most commonly ovaries, the con-

dition is also called endometriosis.

Symptoms

Painful periods It generally presents with

pain in the lower abdomen, which can be

worse during periods. There can be backache t

and also pain tracking down the legs.Pain dur- '

ing intercourse and pain while moving bowels, es-

pecially during periods.

Causes

* Women who have been detected to have endometrios

have annual ultrasound to detect the presence of any ova

They should have a blood test in the early part of the m

cycle to detect their ovarian reserve, because many womendometriosis are known to have a diminished ovarian

- Surgical treatment should be initiated in women with t

endometriotic cyst.

Treatment* Medications to control pain.

Medications to stop the endometriosis f

ting worse.

The condition can be controlled by surg

lowed by hormonal treatment. Keyhole

is now considered as a benchmark.

vantages ofkeyhole surgery are be


18/20

Bo< BASICS

carpal syndrome?

THINK STOCK PHOTOS

rV r n e l is anarrow pas-

sageway in the

wrist on thesame side as

the palm.

When the wrist

Using the computer for prolongedperiods can damage the nerves

arpal tun- Poor grip while holding objects

Who's at risk?

People working on laptop and

puter for long hours without break.

Driving for long hours. Obese people.

Patients suffering from hypothyro

and diabetes.

h


19/20

Stop those

seizures!

Body BASICS

Don't ignore convulsive

bodily movements, as it' s

critical to cure epilepsy!

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which

clusters of nerve cells or neurons in

the brain become abnormal. Neurons

normally generate electrochemical

impulses that act on other neurons,

glands and muscles to produce humanthoughts, feelings and action.

Epilepsy is a treatable brain disorder.

Anyone can get epilepsy. One person in

every hundred has epilepsy. It takes many

forms such as convulsive movements of

the limbs and face with loss of

consciousness or short lapses of attention

or abrupt jerks of the whole body orsimple drop attacks or brief episodes of

abnormal behaviour.

Causes

Epilepsy is a disorder with many possible

causes Anything that disturbs the normal

and/or when we eat pork that is not well

cooked and/or when we ingest vegetables

that are not washed. Vegetables gather

this parasite when they are grown in

contaminated soil,

i Heed the doctor's advice regardingappropriate antenatal care and safe

delivery. When there is lack of oxygen to

the brain, it results in scar tissue which

can cause seizures. For various reasons

this can happen to the child when in the

mother's womb, during birth and

after. Such

complicationscan be

prevented if

the mother

has

d t

adequate management during preg

and adequate birthing facilities sho

emergencies occur.

If you see someone having convulsion...

Dosi Keep calm. Help the patient lie do

Remove glasses if any and loosen t

clothing (ties, top collar button),

i Turn the patient on to the side so

saliva collects in throat,

i Remove hard objects around wh

hurt the patient.

i Keep something soft under the he

Don'ts

i Don't crowd around the patient. A

free circulation of air.

i Don't force anything between the

CORBIS IMAGES

not more than 60 ml per d

ff h


20/20

Heal w i t hfood therapy!

Beat the blues with soy, build bones with potatoesand have lean meats for a healthy heart.

Nona Walia tells you how to eat right for health

FEELING low? Indulge in food ther -

apy. Crackling bones? Hit the fridge

rather t han the medicine box. Food

therapy is emerging as the latest

prevention ag ainst multiple lifestyle dis-

eases. Experts believe it's better to pop an

apple, rather tha n popping the pill.

Eat well and feel good

A healthy diet has

shown experts that food

could be the answer to

combat diseases. Foods

can be therapeutic and

also make you feel good.

Says Dr Shikha S harma,

dietician, "Eat well not

just for basic nutrition but to heal. Af-

ter a lot of suffering, people realise it's

better to eat well than pop in medi-

cines. Food science introduces us to

foods that heal rather than just pro-

vide basic vitamins. Increase your in-

take of yellow and orange vegetablesto prevent infertility. Leafy vegetables

are good for eyesight and detox the liv-

er. If you want to avoid depression, just

eat lots of seeds, nuts and watermel-

ons for a better nervous system. Salads

make the digestion stronger as they

have enzymes."

Get your dose of Vitamin D

A dose of sunlight along

with almonds will benefit

those who want a baby.

Says gynaecologist Dr

Shivani Sachdev Gour,

"Eat to beat infertility

which is on the rise and

have foods rich in i ron like

apples and radish. A study done at Har -

vard revealed women with high iron in-

take in their diet were more fertile. It's es-

sential for menopausal women to take vi-

tamins D and E, which are found in avo-

cadoes, tomatoes, hazelnuts. Women can

get vitamin D from butter and eggs too ."

Beat the blues with Omega 3

Don't brood if you're feel-

ing low. Beat the blues by

eating right, as certain

foods can help cut the

chances of depression.

Says Ishi Khosla, diet ex-pert, "Make sure you're

having enough Omega 3

fats from mustard oil, wheat, lobia, flax

seeds, methl seeds, soybean and green

leafy vegetables." Even oily fish can be

good to beat the blues. "Wholegrains are

important, everything from oats to

wholewheat bread to barley are great

sources of slow-release energy that will

prevent your blood sugar from nosediv-

ing," addsDr Sharma.

Beat brittle bones by drinking milkThere's truth in grand-

ma's tips, drink lots of

mill? as a child. Be willing

to transform your rela-

tionship with food. Dr

Sanjay Sarup, orthopedic

says, 'Stock up your calci-

um in your childhood and

teenage years. Diet remains impor tant to

bones in adulthood. Magnesium found

in nuts, lentils and potatoes helps in

building bones. Red beans, fish, seafood,

ragi, dates, fenugreek leaves, and lotus

stem are rich in calcium. Eat lots of yo-

ghurt andpaneer and make sure you have

your daily intake of nuts. If you' re aller-

gic to milk, just eat almonds, beans, broc-

coli, cauliflower, radish, spinach. "Olive oil for a safe heartDon't consume too much salt, warns car-

diologist Dr Umesh Gupta. He points to a

research by scientists at Lund University

in Sweden, who found that a varied diet

of foods containing antioxidants, whole-

grains and fatty acids could bring blood

pressure down by nearly

one-tenth. "Avoid fatty

red meats. Lean meats

like chicken and fish are

good for the heart. Fish

like salmon and tuna pre-

vent clot formation. Olive

oil is good for the heart.

Fruits and vegetables with high fibre, es-

pecially oats, reduce cholesterol. Apples

reduce inflammation and formation of

blood clots. In a study at Harvard of

menopausal women, those who had al-

monds and walnuts every week reduced

their chances of having a heart attack by

3 5 per cent. There are studies that say red

wine is good, but that doesn't mean you

take three glasses. Then it's a double-

edged sword."

Herbs help blood pressure

Dr Ishi Khosla agr ees, "To lower your

blood pressure, limit salt

intake. Squeeze lemoninstead of salt in the

food. Avoid cold cut

meats as they have too

much salt. Reduce total

fat intake to not more

than 3-4 teaspoons a

day. If you drink, limit alcohol intake to

caffeine to not more than

tea /coffee. Include herbs,

herbal t eas, and vegetable

nettle (bichoo booti), lauki j

ber, garlic, green coriande

as they have diuretic effec

urine formation and cont

sure. Include soya, nuts, f

tard seeds, flaxseeds, fenu

(methi) in the diet."

Eat right to beat cance

tality. We should have

abundance while making

Eat foods high in dietary f

found in wheat bran. Havi

fruits and vegetables also

in the body. Foods that ar

anti-cancer are garlic, tu

tea, red wine, whey, wheroot, pine bark, aloe vera

some varieties of mushr

soy products and flax seed

So, change the way

feel better!

TIMES nona.wa

| Good food

| effect on th

the mind, b

Nutritiona

. in achiev

* healt h. Ad

! Sharma , "

li organs and

junk diet increases the ju

ies. Don't ea t pickles as it c

pipe cancer."

Garlic helps prevent ca

Simple dican preven

the 12 m

cancers. Fo

cancer c an

ventive and

cologist Dr
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Body Basics

Documents

Transcript of Body Basics