Treatment and Remedies for Back Pain

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Do you use your laptop/computer every day? Do you also forget to maintain a proper posture whilst using them? Then your lower back is at a risk of constant strain which will cause you great discomfort in the near future. 

WHY DO YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK?

Your back is one of the most important parts of your body. All your daily activities can be accomplished effectively only if you have a strong and healthy back. If your spinal cord is damaged or sprained, the slightest movement will cause you a great amount of pain.

CAUSES OF BACK PAIN:

• Incorrect posture.
• Improper lifting of heavy weights.
• Lack of Vitamin D.
• Irregular Exercise.
• Fractures in the hip or legs etc. can cause excruciating lower back pain.

As a side note, a recent survey in India showed that 69% of Indians are found to be Vitamin D deficient and a further 15% are found to be Vitamin D insufficient. This puts us under the radar for severe back pain in the long run.Vitamin D supplements are encouraged to be implemented in a diet by practiced professionals for maintaining a stronger back.

TREATMENT AND REMEDIES:

Lower back pain can be due to two reasons 1) Muscle pull or a sprain and 2) Weak and brittle spinal cord. For a muscle pull or a sprain, the following is recommended:

REST:

Taking a break from your strenuous daily activities can soothe your back pain and bring your spine back to normal functioning. This can also be accompanied by massaging your back with proper guidance from a certified physiotherapist. Doing this will help relieve lower back pain.

HEAT AND ICE PACKS:

Generally, heat is used for chronic pain and Ice pack is used for acute pain. Both provide considerable relief. 

EXERCISE:

Exercising your back every day is the best way to keep fit and avoid any complications. These exercises can vary from simple stretching to more hardcore weightlifting to strengthen your back. The exercises will vary based on your age and fitness. For people with a body mass index above 25, starting your exercise with stretching is recommended. Those of you who are already fit can use weights to strengthen your back. These kinds of exercises need supervision in the beginning. 

STRENGTHENING YOUR BRITTLE BACK:

If you suffer from osteoporosis, spondylitis or any forms of fracture in your back, you are strongly recommended to seek a Doctor’s help. After proper medical treatment and rest, increasing your Vitamin D intake will aid in strengthening your bones. Taking Calcium supplements will also aid in your recovery. During this recovery period, straining your back with weights is not advised. 

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Most kinds of Mental Illness is treatable

Depression and Anxiety are very common much more than heart disease. But mental health is highly neglected. Biochemical abnormalities in the brain can cause mental disorders. It's important that these disorders are found early. There should be no stigma associated with mental health. All these disorders are treatable. It's a myth that medications induce sleep and have to be taken lifelong.

Dr. Yamini Kannappan DPM, DNB Psychiatry
Consultant Psychiatrist, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai

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Advanced Diabetic Care Centre Launched at Kauvery

Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet launched its Advanced Diabetic Care Centre on Aug 19 at The Music Academy, Alwarpet. Tamil scholar and orator Sukisivam inaugurated the centre and also launched the advanced annual diabetes management programme. Several services to diabetic patients including an annual comprehensive diabetic package, quarterly consultations with diabetologists and quarterly assessment of the blood glucose levels (HbA1C) are offered under this programme.;

It is an exclusive center that offers the most advanced annual diabetes management program encompassing various departments and addressing multiple problems faced by diabetics.

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Simple Steps to avoid Constipation

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Constipation is a common term used these days, which implies difficult bowel movement or less frequent expulsion of digestive wastes than normal. At some point of life, almost all of us would have experienced this condition and it may not be usually a serious problem. However, it will be of great relief to get our system back on track. Prolonged constipation may be a symptom or a cause for various other major health issues, so it is advisable not to take constipation light! 

What indicates constipation?

The normal duration of bowel movement varies from person to person. It could range from thrice a day to once or twice a week. Retention of waste for more than three days would lead to hardening of stools and more difficult to expel. Here are the signs that can clearly indicate constipation

• Less frequent bowel movement than normal
• Straining or having trouble in bowel movement
• Small pellets or hardening of stools
• A sense of incomplete bowel movement
• Abdominal pain accompanied by swollen abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting

What causes Constipation?

The most important reason could be the kind of food intake. One needs to keep vigilance over what goes into the alimentary canal. Diet poor in fiber and water content, excessive intake of dairy products, sedentary lifestyle, intake of antacids with aluminum or calcium, change in regular diet patterns or activities, long distance travelling, overuse of laxatives, eating disorders, colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, use of narcotics, antidepressants, iron pills or tonic, hypothyroidism, and stress could trigger off constipation.

A delay in bowel movements for more than two weeks calls for an immediate diagnosis, which may include, a blood test to check on hormonal levels, Barium test, and colonoscopy to look for blockages in the colon.

Getting Rid of Constipation:

Simple steps given below could be of great help in keeping constipation at bay.

• Intake of warm fluids early in the morning on an empty stomach.

• Including an apple everyday in the diet. The fiber in the apple is similar to Sorbitol, which clings to the intestinal water creating larger and softer stools.

• Consumption of dried Apricots which will promote regular bowel movements.

• A concoction of few figs boiled in a glass of milk taken before bed time will work wonders to ease the bowels.

• Consuming 100 ml of spinach juice with equal quantity of water twice a day proves to be an effective cleansing method to cure stubborn cases of constipation.

• Including fruits such as orange, papaya, pineapple and prunes in the diet everyday will act as natural laxatives. However, prunes can be used minimally if you have trouble with kidneys or gall bladder since it is rich in oxalates.

• Brussel sprouts and Zucchini support the formation of soft and bulkier stools enabling quick and comfortable elimination thus preventing colon cancer.

• The addition of legumes (lentils and beans) in the diet would be a rich source of magnesium and fiber which can magically cut down on constipation.

• A good intake of water and a regular exercise regime should be the easiest and best source of relief from constipation.

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Effect of Technology on Children

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Remember the days when you were around 10 and you would run around the yard for hours with your friends playing some game or some sport, sweat and go back indoors for a cold refreshment? Happy healthy days, indeed. The kids these days prefer using their phones or tabs, downloading pictures and apps rather than going out.

THE PROBLEM WITH TODAY’S WORLD:

As the world progresses towards new technological developments, life has become simpler and has made us more comfortable, but these advancements also come with a great price. Technology today has brought out negative effects in children. These effects are alarming and cause major disturbances to the normal growth of children. Scientific studies on children who use only their devices every day rather than outdoor play have brought out results that are very disturbing.

ATTENTION SPAN:

When you were young, and when owning a TV was uncommon, time was devoted to reading and playing outside, which required more attention, memory capacity, and imagination. With the advent of modern technologies that promote visual stimuli, the areas of the brain meant for memory and attention are not used very often, which leads to severe lack of attention and the inability to store things in your brain for a long time (a theorem perhaps). For a growing child this presents a big problem and leads to severe defects in his attention span and the ability to remember things. Technology conditions the brain to pay attention in a very different way. When you are viewing a web page, an ad might pop up and cause you to get distracted very often.

SENSORY AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS:

When children prefer to stay indoors, they begin to live a very sedentary life. They lack any form of physical exercise and tend to become obese. The rate of obese kids has increased to 41 million worldwide in the last few years. Children who are obese tend to suffer from diabetes at a very early age. The overall psychology and behavior of children tend to change and they begin to suffer from many disorders like autism, ADHD, coordination disorder, sleep disorders, anxiety etc. On the whole, children are becoming very unhealthy due to overuse of technology.

A FINE BALANCE:

Tech products are not all that bad. For example, Research shows that kids who play video games or watch a few television shows tend to show improved visual-spatial skills, try to find out one particular object among a cluster of objects very quickly. Kids who surf the internet very often try to find the quickest way to answer any problem. Their critical thinking capabilities and problem-solving skills improve. 

But  these results are from kids who balance their time between technology and outdoor activities. 

We all know that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Work out a fine balance of time between technology-driven activities and other activities. Get the best of both worlds. 

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The different stages of Heart Failure

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Congestive heart failure is a condition where the heart does not pump blood to the body as well as it should. The changing environment and a busy life have led to the increase in the number of congestive heart failure cases over the last few years. This condition is mainly caused due to the fluid buildup in the legs, arms, feet or lungs.

WHAT CAUSES THIS CONDITION?
• If the arteries that supply blood to the heart get diseased, the blood supply gets reduced or completely cut off, this causes heart failure.

• A heart attack can result in heart failure because a part of the muscle may stop functioning properly.

• Alcohol or drug abuse can also lead to heart failure.

• Diabetes, hypertension, congested lungs etc. can cause this disorder.

DIAGNOSIS:
The next stage is the diagnosis of this disease, which involves a complete physical examination with a series of blood tests that check for anaemia, cholesterol levels etc. B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) blood test is another test that checks for the peptide that increases in levels when a heart failure develops or worsens. X-Rays are also taken to check for the abnormal size of the heart. These are just a few tests of the many tests done for a complete examination.

UNDERSTANDING THE STATE OF YOUR HEART:

There are 4 stages of heart failure starting from A to D. It is a progressive condition that can worsen over time. Depending on the stage, you need to make necessary changes in your lifestyle.

STAGE A: This is a pre-heart failure stage where people are at a high risk of developing the disease, like people with high blood pressure, alcohol, and drug abuse. These individuals are advised to quit alcohol intake or smoking, implement dietary changes and lower the blood pressure.

STAGE B: This stage includes individuals with a prior heart attack, cardiomyopathy, valve disorders. Treatment from stage A still continues and apart from that, surgery for coronary artery repair is recommended along with additional drugs.

STAGE C: In this stage, people experience shortness of breath, the inability to exercise regularly, fatigue etc. Stage A treatment still continues. A pacemaker may be implanted and the heart could be monitored along with the weight. Sodium intake should be reduced and the drugs that worsen the condition should be discontinued.

STAGE D: This is the terminal stage and treatments from the above 3 stages are implemented and a heart transplant is required at the earliest.

TREATING YOURSELF:

Although a medical professional’s guidance is highly recommended, there are a few things that you can do by yourself to help maintain your heart in a good condition. These include things like lowering your sodium intake i.e. lowering your salt intake, quit smoking, doing mild cardio exercises regularly, and following a stress-free life.  A healthy heart is the key to a happy life. So stay healthy and enjoy a happy life.

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Causes of Blood Flow Obstruction in your body

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Our body is made up of a big complex network of fibers where blood flows, carrying oxygen to different parts of the body, starting from large arteries to small capillaries. Our life depends on the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Without the proper functioning of blood vessels, sustenance of life would be impossible.

PLACES WHERE  BLOOD FLOW CAN GET OBSTRUCTED:

In contrary to popular belief, the heart is not the only region where blood flow can get obstructed. It can happen in any part of the body including the brain. These obstructions are known as a thrombus. Particles like cholesterol and plaque get deposited in a certain region and cause resistance to blood flow. Blood flow obstruction can cause various complications based on the area they are present.

SYMPTOMS OF AN OBSTRUCTION:

· A heart blockage can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness.

· Blocks in the legs are difficult to identify because they do not show many symptoms, although, a person with blocks in the legs might experience fatigue and get tired very easily and leg cramps occasionally.

· Blocks in the Kidneys are quite painful in the later stage as they cause severe pain in the lower back and the urine colour might change. Complete blockage of both kidneys leads to the stoppage of urine formation and complete kidney shut down.

The blood needs to travel quickly carrying oxyhemoglobin to the organs and deoxyhemoglobin back to the lungs. This should happen every time during inspiration and expiration and all this happens in a fraction of a second. If the blood flow is obstructed, the body functions get impaired.

CAUSES OF BLOOD FLOW OBSTRUCTION:

· Generally, the blood flow is obstructed due to external factors like calcium deposition, plaque formation or the presence of dead cells that precipitate near the walls. All these are credited to improper diet and lack of exercise.

· In certain cases, the blood vessels might get enlarged due to blood disorders, causing more resistance to flow. This does not require the presence of any external factors, and mild blood thinners may be used to make the blood flow more smooth.

TREATMENT FOR THE PROBLEM:

As always, a healthy diet and regular exercise can help you go a long way in prevention of these blocks. If the blocks become too large and block the entire artery or vein, then a bypass surgery will be crucial for proper functioning of the body. Certain drugs and blood thinners may also be used to remove the external depositions and make the blood flow easier respectively. Smoking is also a major cause for blocks in the system, so obviously if you quit smoking, the overall health of your organs will improve. Apart from this, moderating alcohol intake will also help you out.

Be responsible and live a strong and healthy life. 

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