6 Categories of Sleep Disorders

Image Courtesy - .dealpharmarx.com

Catching sufficient sleep every day / night, is important for the physical and emotional well being of our body. Sleep is not about resting our body or taking a break from whatever we are doing, but sleep plays a vital part in helping our body to recover from the daily toll on our bodies, after our day’s activities. It also helps us recover from illnesses and injury. Insufficient sleep over a span of time is an indication of diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and depression.
If a person is stricken with a sleep disorder then this affects the person’s ability to get sufficient restful sleep during the night. 

Causes for Sleep Disorders 

According to the statistics put together after a 7 year research, about 70% of the population in India, are affected by sleep related problems. Some of the sleep disruptions may be because of changes occurring due to biological processes in the body, like aging or diseases that are associated with pain or mental health ailments, such as anxiety and depression.  

When the circadian rhythm in our biological clocks is disturbed because of working late shifts or because of jet lag, it scrambles the sleep cycle or if in the habit of taking long naps during the day, then this once again disrupts the sleep cycle. 

Types of Sleep Disorders

There are 6 different categories of sleep disorders.  

Insomnias - this condition occurs when, you experience daytime fatigue, the morning after your night of sleep, when you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. An occasional night of disturbed sleep or staying up too late does not mean that you have insomnia. However, at least 30-35% of older adults complain of this disorder and in many cases insomnia occurs in age groups where there is stress, medical and mental health problems. 

Hypersomnia – this is a group of sleep related disorders. A person with hypersomnia is prone to excessive sleeping and will fall asleep anywhere and anytime, which could endanger the person having such a disorder. 

• Narcolepsy is a form of hypersomnia where the patient has a lifelong sleeping disorder. In this disorder, sudden potential for sudden attacks of the need to sleep will affect and impact the patient’s life.
• Kleine- Levin Syndrome is an episode or series of sleep patterns where the patient will experience sleepiness and will sleep for durations. The duration of sleep may occur anywhere from 2 days to a week and it can occur several times in a year.
• Idiopathic Insomnia – the cause for this type of insomnia is still unknown. It causes the patient to sleep anywhere from 12 to 14 hours in a day and involves a daily period of an uncontrollable need to sleep.
• Long sleepers who sleep longer than those in their age group need their daily dose of 10 to 12 hours of sleep. This actually is a good quality of sleep. But when a long sleeper does not get adequate amount of sleep they tend to be sleepy which impacts the quality of their life. 

Sleep Movement Disorder – Restless legs syndrome, Periodic limb movement, Leg cramps while sleeping and sleep rhythm movement are all conditions that cause sleep disorder. 

Circadian Rhythm – occurs when there is a disturbance in the regular sleep-wake patterns of an individual. For example travelers who have jet lag, or individuals working late night shifts.

Parasomnias involves a group of experiences or events occurring as the person is falling asleep, or during sleep or while waking up. The individual may appear to be knowingly doing whatever they are doing, but in reality have no memory or realization that they are actually involved in the act. For example a sleepwalker will be still sleeping but may be walking around, but will wake up elsewhere not knowing how they got there. 

This article has just touched the tip of the iceberg with reference to sleep disorders. There is much more to this than meets the eye. There will be more articles on this disorder from our neuro specialists, with frequent updates. So tune into our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of the medical developments at Kauvery Hospital. 

Subscribe To Our Health Newsletter!

Read More

How to keep your baby safe at home

Image Courtesy - huffpost.com

Safety of the Baby - Your Top Priority!
The littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts….

When it comes to your precious baby, safety always takes the first position. So it is imperative that we plan ahead and take precautionary measures to keep this bundle of joy happy, healthy and above all safe! Here are some pointers that will help you to simplify this vital task of addressing your baby’s safety.

• Time to install a playpen: Once the baby moves out of the warmth of the mother’s arms, the next safest place will be a play pen. It’s a great way to keep your baby off danger zone while you are busy in the kitchen, checking your mail, unpacking a shopping bag, popping to the loo or taking a shower. The play pen should be sufficiently padded to avoid contact with sharp edges

• Keeping the tiny fingers safe: The house should be scanned for potential hazards from the baby’s level of reach. All the electrical sockets need to be covered, multipurpose latches to be fixed, door slam guards to be attached and corner protectors to be placed in every corner.

• Carbon Monoxide detector to be installed: Fumes have no colour or odour and we need a detector to alert us on any kind of gas leaks. Carbon monoxide affects babies and children more quickly than adults. So it is essential to have a detector at home.

• Smoke Alarm: Every floor of your house may require a smoke alarm and ensure that the batteries are always charged.

• Safety gate for the stairs: It’s advisable to keep the stairs nice and clear to avoid tripping and falling and a stair gate can be used to avoid nasty tumbles when your little one tries to explore greater heights!

• No guessing when it comes to Temperature:  Maintain an optimum temperature of 16-20 degree Celsius in your baby’s nursery so she/he doesn’t get too cold or hot. A room thermometer will be of great help and don’t forget to pick up one for the bath tub too. When you run your baby’s bath ensure that you run cold water first and then add hot water gradually to be on the safe side.

• Hazardous materials out of reach: Our little explorers go on a biting spree…where they tend to taste everything that comes their way.  So medicines and cleaning products should be kept out of reach and under lock and key. The kitchen and bathroom cupboards and drawers should be latched always.

• Safe Sleep habits: Mortality rate of babies are seen high especially when babies are asleep. Crib safety is very important. Avoid pillows or blankets that might choke the baby during sleep. Bare is best.

• Never place a baby on a sofa, waterbed, soft mattresses or other soft surfaces to sleep as it could increase risk. 

Remember -Never to leave your baby unattended. With more mobility of the baby comes more responsibility from your end. Keep Safe always!


Visit Our Website.

Read More

Guide to parents of autistic children

It’s not easy to raise a child. Especially so, in this current day and age. This post is mainly for parents who have discovered that their child is Autistic.

Image Courtesy - huffingtonpost.com

Autism is a condition and not a disease and as a parent, you need to give your child all the support that is required. Autistic children have difficulties in communicating or interacting with others. No parent is ready to accept the fact that his child is autistic and often gets frightened not knowing what to do next. Autism, unlike many other conditions, is not something that your child can “grow out of”. There are many techniques to help the child learn skills to cope up with this condition. 

What Do You Need To Do As Parents?

• Try to start the treatment the moment you suspect some problem with your child. Don’t wait for him/her to grow out of it (nevertheless, do not be paranoid about every small thing your kid does or doesn’t do). Seek a Specialist’s advice as soon as possible.

• Learn all there is to know about Autism and the difficulties your child might face while growing up.

• Try to understand what your child wants. Although it might be very difficult never get irritated with your kid and end up expressing anger by scolding. Always be calm with the child.
• Do not give up hope on your child and jump to conclusions as to how your child’s life is going to be.

Connecting With Your Child.

Autistic children will have a hard time adapting to different environments and they may tend to behave differently at different places. The best thing that you can do to help out is to try and make your child have a consistent behaviour at all places. These kids will learn more when they have an organized schedule that involves various activities.
Kids love to be praised and rewarded with something they love. A small gesture like giving a piece of candy or applauding when your child does something correctly can go a long way in boosting the morale. Positive reinforcement is what your child needs to boost the confidence level. Make your child feel extra special. 

Understanding Your Child.

You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your child. Try to understand why your child is behaving in a particular way without getting impatient. Know the skills your child possesses and try to incorporate new skills in the daily routine one step at a time.
Finally, remember that whatever treatment your child undergoes, your support is paramount for success. Your child should feel comfortable around you and should trust you enough to rely on you completely. 

Identify A Special School

Your child needs a specialist to identify his or her levels of disability. Some autistic children need part-time rehabilitation for some particular disability but can still cope in a mainstream school. Some autistic children may not be able to cope up in mainstream schools because they need special personalized care. Find a good special school with different activities for your child and interact regularly with the instructors and take their guidance and assistance.
Remember these children do not have any disease. They just see the world in a different way. 

Visit Our Website.

Read More

Paediatric Cardiac Surgery

Dr. Prashanth Shah, Paediatric Cardiologist, Kauvery Hospital talks about the various types of cardiac complications in children. 80 to 90% of patients lead a normal life after surgery. The timing of surgery and good teamwork is important. There is an option of minimally invasive cardiac surgery so that no apparent scars are visible. In Kauvery we have performed more than 2000 complex surgeries successfully. Frequent cold and cough, low weight gain and bluish colour of tongue are symptoms to look for in babies with cardiac problems. 

Read More

My child is 7 and wets his bed. Should I be worried?

Image Courtesy - webmd.com

Some children are slow to train their bladder and take up to 5 years to have dry nights. But bed wetting incidents in children over the age of 5 need the doctor’s help. It may be due to emotional stress or genetic factors or infections or just a small bladder. Whatever it is this can be treated. 

Treatment options include Bladder training, Medicines and Moisture alarms (where alarm bells will sound when the bed starts getting wet. It helps the child to wake up to use the bathroom) 

Some useful steps for parents to help the bedwetting child: 

a. Make sure the child drinks enough water during the day so that he does not drink too much in the evening to make up. 

b. Bladder Training: Delay the child by 10 to 15 minutes to use the restroom, so that the bladder learns to control. 

c. Avoid giving the child cola or caffeine especially at nights

d. Encourage the habit of emptying bladder before going to bed

e. Bedwetting is not the child’s fault. So avoid scolding or blaming the child. 


Visit Our Website.

Read More

Uranus - Bottom Clinic at Kauvery Hospital

Don’t just sit around in Pain. Get to the Bottom of it.

Do you suffer from? Painful defecation | Constipation | Bleeding per anus | Mass per anus | Pus discharge at anus | Rectal prolapse | Fecal incontinence | Perineal itching

Trust experienced Proctologists at Kauvery to correctly diagnose and treat your rectal health issues. If you have symptoms like rectal itching, pain, bleeding or any other unusual symptoms, don’t waste precious time waiting. Uranus - Bottom clinic offers treatment for a wide variety of health problems like piles, fissures, fistulas, tumours.

Dr. Jyothi Basu, Senior Proctologist at Kauvery Hospital, talks about various treatments available at Kauvery's Bottom Clinic "Uranus".

Read More

Has your child been vaccinated yet?

Vaccines are a godsend to mankind. Diseases that killed multitudes of people can now be prevented by a few harmless dosages of vaccines.

Image Courtesy - www.nature.com

What are vaccines?

Vaccines consist of weakened or dead antigens (microbes) that cause a particular disease that is introduced into the body. These trigger a small immune response and when the disease affects the body next time, the body will fight it without any difficulty.

Vaccinating your baby

Vaccinating your child is a process that goes on till your child is about 15 years old. Vaccinations need to be given at periodic intervals, some varying between a few months and some between few years because the antibodies require time to get used to the new antigens introduced into the body.

Certain vaccines are introduced immediately after your baby is born because eliminating devastating diseases like polio at the earliest is best for your child.

Why is vaccination important?

Although all of the epidemics like polio, diphtheria, and measles have been eradicated, a few cases have been found to have the above-mentioned diseases, and if your child isn’t vaccinated, the infectious agent is bound to attack and cause disastrous effects on your child’s body. Some diseases that killed thousands of children have been eliminated completely and others are close to extinction due to safe and effective vaccines.

Vaccinating your child can save huge medical expenses in the future. The government provides vaccination for polio and other diseases that are available free of any charge in many places. Doing this, will save many lives and save a lot of money because we all know that “prevention is better than cure”. 

Vaccinating your child is not only for his/her betterment but for the betterment of the family, neighbors and the community as a whole. If your child gets a contagious disease, chances are that the whole neighborhood contracts the disease. This would create a local outbreak that might cause more damage than one might usually imagine.

If a major outbreak occurs, the economy of the city or state would drop in large numbers (now you wouldn’t want to be the cause of that, would you?). The advantage of vaccination would also be economic benefits because the country would be saving up on imported medicines to treat the outbreak, thereby spending the saved money on things necessary for the country’s development.

Vaccination Schedule

To be fully resistant to certain diseases, children should be given all doses of the recommended vaccines at the correct intervals. A schedule is followed for vaccinating the kids and the pediatrician should be consulted regularly.

The schedule should be followed strictly and it is the parents’ duty to ensure that their child gets vaccinated at correct intervals of time. Failure to follow up on multiple dosages of a particular vaccine would render the initial steps fruitless.

So now that you know the importance of vaccines, it is imperative that your baby gets vaccinated starting from birth. Vaccinate your baby to enjoy healthy days ahead.

Visit Our Website.

Read More