Archive for January, 2010

High Blood Pressure

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Blood Pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it refers to High Blood Pressure. This may damage the body in many ways. High Blood Pressure as such has no symptoms all the while it may lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and many other health problems.

On an average every one out of three suffers from high blood pressure. That is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you’re feeling fine. Blood pressure numbers include systolic and diastolic pressures. The former is the pressure while the heart pumps blood and the later is the pressure while the heart is at rest.

You will most often see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.). 120/80 mmHg, is the normal pressure found in the adult.

Causes for High Blood Pressure:

Generally Blood Pressure tends to rise with age but there are some other conditions which may lead to increase the blood Pressure.

  • Chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, and sleep arena may lead to increase in Blood Pressure
  • Blood Pressure may increase in women if they use birth control pills
  • Obese people tend to have High Blood Pressure.(HBP)
  • Long lasting stress will lead to HBP.
  • A family history of HBP raises your risk for the condition.
  • Unhealthy Life style habits will lead to HBP. It includes  eating too much of Sodium, drinking alcohol,  no physical exercise, smoking etc

Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure:

High Blood Pressure as such has no symptoms and signs and it can remain in the body fro longer period with out the individual knowing it and all the while damaging different organs of the body. How ever rarely there is a head ache problem due to High Blood Pressure. So it is always advisable to have your pressure checked regularly.

Effects of High Blood Pressure:

High blood pressure has its main effects on the Nervous system, the Kidneys and the Eyes.

The nervous system: headache, dizziness, stroke, vertigo, tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Kidneys: hypertension can lead to kidney failure.

Eyes: long-standing high blood pressure can lead to defects of vision, bleeding in the retina of the eye, and eventually blindness.

Treatment of High Blood Pressure:

  • Relief of stress brings down the high blood pressure to a considerable level.
  • Intake of a balanced diet, helps  to control the High Blood Pressure
  • Regular exercise is very helpful in reducing the High Blood Pressure.
  • Many drugs and medicines are available in the market which can help you in controlling the high pressure. But these must be taken on the advice of the doctors.

Some herbs help to control the Blood Pressure:

  • Garlic: Garlic is a wonder drug for heart. When people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks, their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced
  • Hawthorn: The herb hawthorn is often used by traditional herbal practitioners for high blood pressure.
  • Arjuna: Bark of Arjuna tree has been found to be rich in Co-enzyme Q-10 which is highly prescribed in cardiology departments now a days to prevent heart problems

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10 simple ways to keep your teeth healthy

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Tooth is the most essential part of our body but at the same time it is the most neglected part. No one is aware of the dangerous diseases which can spread by tooth infection. Moreover toothache is a nightmare for those who have experienced it. Once the toothache starts it will continue to a never ending vicious and expensive circle as one problem leads to other and you have to visit dentists many times. As per the proverb “prevention is better than cure”,  it is advisable to maintain oral hygiene since childhood. It is very simple and easy and requires dedication of few minutes from your daily routine. Here are some points which will surely help you to maintain your teeth healthy.

1)  Brushing twice Brushing is very important for keeping teeth clean. It helps in removing the food debris and keep teeth clean. You should brush your teeth twice daily- first after breakfast and then in night before going to bed or after dinner..

2)  Brushing properly there are various brushing techniques which one can use in a normal routine. Easiest and best way is to use of vertical strokes with toothbrush and brushing all the surfaces of tooth adequately. Use of tongue cleaner is also recommended for cleaning the tongue surface.

For effective brushing you should place pea sized dab of toothpaste on top half of the toothbrush and disperse it properly between the bristles. Do not use harsh strokes. Instead use soft smooth strokes in vertical direction. Ideal brushing time is 2-3 minutes.

Different brushing techniques are as follows-:

a)      FONES TECHNIQUE – It is the easiest technique used for brushing. In this method the bristles are placed perpendicular to tooth surface and circular movements are given. But it does not clean the interproximal(contact) areas and it is recommended for kids only .

b)      BASS TECHNIQUE – In this method bristles are placed at an angle of 45* to the tooth surface facing towards gingiva (gums) and short back and forth strokes are given.

c)      CHARTER’S TECHNIQUE – In this method bristles are placed at an angle of 45* but facing towards tooth and small circular motion is given. It is very effective in cleaning interproximal(contact) areas.

d)      STILLMAN TECHNIQUE – In this method bristles are placed obliquely to tooth surface with half on tooth and other half on gingival(gum) and gentle back and forth motion is given.

Harmful effects of improper brushing:-

a)      Tooth abrasion – it is mechanical loss of tooth. The enamel layer of tooth is removed leading to exposure of underlying dentin which is very sensitive.

b)      Gingival recession – it can be defined as migration of gingiva( gums) in apical direction i.e. towards the root tip which leads to exposure of root that is covered by cementum which is also very sensitive. It also leads to increased plaque accumulation and later on bone loss which further cause tooth mobility.

3)      Food habits – You should avoid sticky food like chocolates, candies, etc. Instead of it more of roughage should be taken which helps in removing the adherent debris to tooth surface. Soft refined food gets adhered to the tooth which is not easily removed and it progresses to caries.

4)      Smoking and tobacco chewing - Smoking, chewing tobacco etc is very harmful for teeth. It increases plaque accumulation which further leads to caries. It also causes staining of teeth and bad odor. It can also lead to dangerous cancerous diseases.

5)      Mouth rinses- Rinsing mouth even with simple water after every meal is must to remove adhered food in fissures and grooves of teeth.

You should use mouth washes regularly along with brushing.

Method to use – Some mouthwashes are required to be diluted before use while some are used as such. Prescribed amount of mouthwash is taken and swished thoroughly in mouth for 1-2 minutes and then spit out.

Content –Most of the mouthwashes consists of chlorohexidine. It is an excellent antibacterial agent which kills the bacteria present in oral cavity. It is used in concentration of 0.2% and is effective against wide range of bacteriae. But it should not be used immediately after brushing or after having tea or coffee as it causes staining of teeth.  Another commonly used agent in mouthwashes is sodium fluoride. It is available in concentration of 0.2% for weekly use and in concentration of 0.05% for daily use. It prevents caries and also helps in remineralization of tooth structure. Listerine is also widely used as mouthwash. It helps in making oral cavity free of microbes and keeps teeth healthy.

6)      Flossing It is most effective method to clean inter dental areas i.e. area between two adjacent teeth. Dental floss is like a thread which is used to clean those areas not easily cleaned by toothbrush. It is available in various forms.

Method of flossing About 45 cms long dental floss is taken and wound around middle finger of each hand and the last three fingers are folded in such a way that about 5 cms of floss is held between the index fingers of both hands when they are moved apart. Now the floss is moved along the interdental areas from top towards the gingiva (gums) along with back and forth motion.

7)      Avoid aerated drinks like coke, soda etc. as it causes erosion of enamel layer of tooth. These contain acid which erodes the enamel leading to sensitivity and discoloration of teeth.

8)        Regular visit to dentist you should visit your dentist regularly. After every 2 months for routine check up to stop any progress of caries at early stage.

9)      Scaling should be done every 6 months. In this process all the debris or plaque accumulated on tooth surface is removed. It is of two types:-

a)      hand scaling

b)      ultrasonic scaling

10)  Knowledge of inheritable developmental dental diseases There are certain disorders which are transferred through genes. These disorders present as malformed or discolored teeth. They occur due to defective enamel or dentine formation. Some common disorders are Amelogenesis Imfercta (improper enamel formation) and Dentinogenesis Imfercta (improper dentine formation). In these disorders teeth are more prone to caries or attrition. So proper treatment is required.

Fluorosis is also a dental related disorder which occurs due to high fluoride intake. It causes defective enamel formation which creates white chalky patches on tooth surface.  These teeth are caries resistant but are not esthetically good. So should be treated with cosmetically pleasing techniques.

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Tennis Elbow

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Tennis Elbow otherwise called as lateral epicondylitis is a common injury found among the sports persons but is nowadays detected in common persons too! Though the main reason for the cause of tennis elbow is not known it is commonly thought that it is due to the minute tear of tendons which connect the fore arm muscle to the arm bone at the elbow joint. Specific inflammation is rarely present in the tendon but there is an increase in pain receptors in the area making the region extremely tender.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow:

  • Pain about 1-2 cm down from bony area at the outside of the elbow
  • Pain when lifting objects
  • Pain radiating down the forearm
  • Weakness in the wrist with difficulty doing simple tasks like shaking hands.
  • Difficulty extending the forearm fully.

Who may be affected by Tennis Elbow?

  • People who work with their hands are at greater risk of developing tennis elbow. Jobs that may lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, painters, gardeners, and carpenters.
  • Sports participants, especially racquet sport players, are prone to developing tennis elbow. About a third of regular tennis players experience tennis elbow at some point in their careers. In addition to racquet sports, tennis elbow is seen in golfers, fencers, and other sports participants.
  • As per the data, any one between the age group of 35 -65 may be affected by Tennis Elbow. It generally occurs in the dominant arm in about 75 percent of patients

Relief of Tennis Elbow:

The best way to get relief from the tennis elbow is to stop doing any thing that irritates the arm. Given here are some treatments to Tennis Elbow:

  • Reduce the inflation by applying ice pack to the affected area.
  • A simple exercise of arm stretching will help to lengthen the fore arm muscle fibers and reduce the tension on the tendon.—With palm facing down try to raise the arm till it is straight to your shoulders. Hold it for a minute. Slowly bring it by the side of the body, palms facing down. Then repeat the same with palm facing up. Care should be taken so as you do not extra stretch your muscle.
  • Straps can be placed 1-2 inches below the elbow to give support to the tendon and reduce the stress.
  • In the case of severe damage cortisone injections could be needed and in extreme cases surgery may be the only recourse (less than 3% of patients require surgery). If the damage is this serious professional advice should be sought.

Home and herb remedies for Tennis Elbow:

  • Apply ice packs over the elbow for 15-20 minutes.
  • Alternative heat packs and ice packs can comfort the patient to a large extent.
  • Warm and baked potatoes can be applied as pack to reduce the pain
  • Zostrix, a derivative of hot pepper can be wrapped around the elbow to reduce the sensation of pain
  • Intake of Omega, a fatty acid generally found in fishes can relieve the pain
  • The fluids extracted from the seeds of Celery if taken with hot water will prove beneficial

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SPROUTS-A SUPER NUTRIENT

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Sprouts are defined as “the transitional stage between seed and plant”.  They are the germinated seeds of grains or legumes having acquired the preserving property  and growing life of a particular plant. Sprouts should be made from organically   grown seeds because they not only minimize the chance of infection but also  rule out the possibility of consumption of chemical additives.

Sprouts are natural , fresh and completely living food made of some of the edible seeds. As the amount and availability of various nutrients of the seed   increase after sprouting , they become an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. The nutrients contained in the sprout can be said to be equivalent to that of mother’s milk. Apart from their great dietary value they are easily palatable, light and easily digestible. During the process of sprouting the stored inactive nutrients are converted into nutritional super fuel bursting with vitamins, minerals and plant enzymes (proteins into amino acid, fats into fatty acid and starch into simple sugar}.

Every seed can be sprouted, but for dietary purposes seeds like  green gram(moong) brown gram(moth) soybean, sunflower, fenugreek

(methi),lobia and wheat ,black gram are used. Sprouts of green and brown gram have very good protein value .Sprouts of all the grams in general enhance vigor and vitality.

Sprouts and diseases:

Fenugreek sprouts are slightly bitter in taste but make a good adjunct for persons suffering from chronic back ache, excessive urination, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.

Soyabean, black bean and peanuts contains red clover which has genistein – an anticancer compound.

Since sprouts are a good source of fiber, they cleanse our body and remove constipation.They are also a good source of cholorophyll which in turn has anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties.

Many of the serious health disorders like heart disease , hypertension, lipid anomalies and diabetes are directly related with our faulty food habits. Modern life especially of big cities has become so synonymous with wrong food habits and all types of acidic , spicy and junk foods have been included in our daily diet .Sprouts   can be a good and healthy substitute for a oily and heavy breakfast or fried evening snacks. Sprouts also helps in restoring the colour to graying hair and keep you looking young.

How to make sprouts:

The  whole grains should be washed thoroughly in clean water after removing the broken pieces .Then they should be put in a container with double amount of water. After soaking for over night the seeds should be again washed and kept in a wet clean cotton cloth In summer the moisture of the cloth should be maintained by sprinkling cold water several times. Next day small sprouts may come out. Generally sprouts appear early in summer than winter. They should be washed thoroughly before eating. Keeping the sprouts for a long time is not advisable. Stale, stinking and dull sprouts should not be consumed.

Though we can consume any amount of  fresh sprouts , it is imperative to start with a small quantity. They should be chewed properly.

We can enhance the taste of the sprouts by adding some onion, tomato, lemon juice, coriander and mint leaves . The taste and digestibility of the sprouts will increase by doing so.

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Role of water in our Health

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

About two third of human body consists of water. Brain tissues consist of 85%of water. Even the teeth, which are considered the most solid organ of our body, consist of 10% of water. Bones consist of 14% of water.
Kelly Barton says, “Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital” Drinking clean water of 10 glasses per day reduces the risk of many diseases. Clean water flowing through the body carries off toxins and waste material. Several loads of dirty clothes couldn’t be washed in the same load of water. Similarly toxins and waste materials in the body couldn’t be excreted if the body doesn’t get appropriate amount of water.
Water helps to keep your muscles and skin toned, assists in weight loss, transports oxygen and nutrients to cells, eliminates toxins and waste from the body, regulates body temperature. It helps to reduce water retention by stimulating the kidney.

It is recommended that overweight person should add one glass of water to their daily requirement for every twenty-five pounds of extra weight they posses. Since water has no calories, it acts as a suppressant and helps the body to burn the stored fat. Thus it plays a significant role in weight loss.

It is a golden remedy for getting rid of pimples. It enhances   the glow and shine of the face .It acts as a natural facial for ladies and girls.Thus it is a boon to us free of cost
Water reduces acidity in the body. In case of anxieties such as fear, anger, shock, and also in case of an accident and unconsciousness water is very helpful.

In times of fasting also it plays a vital role.   Our body has no food to digest during fasting. So during this period it helps to remove away all the settled waste materials easily.

During hiccups, heaviness in stomach, and acidity drinking lukewarm water is beneficial. In case of diarrhea and cholera boiled and cooled water should be drunk.
How and when to drink water:

  • Drinking water sip by sip is very beneficial.
  • We should not drink water while standing up. It may cause gastric problem and pain in the knees and other joints.
  • If we drink water half to one hour after our meals, it strengthens our body.
  • If we drink water (lukewarm) in between the meals it acts as nectar.
  • If we drink water at once after the meals it acts as poison.
  • Early in the morning without getting down from the bed, we should drink at least two glasses of water kept in the copper vessel. Slowly and steadily the quantity of water should be increased to four glasses. Nothing should be taken in at least for half an hour. By doing so , you can get rid of piles, constipation , obesity , backache , and diseases connected with stomach , intestine, kidney, eye and ear.
  • If we have sunstroke we should drink cold water and in case of cold we should drink hot water
  • We should drink at least one glass of water in every 3 hours.

Deficiency of water in our body:

It may cause diseases such as muscles cramps, fatigue, constipation, kidney stones urinary tract infection and dehydration. The signals of dehydration are headache, head burn, irritability, depression low backache stomachache, water retention and dryness of mouth. Dryness of the mouth is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration.

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BREAST FEEDING

Friday, January 8th, 2010

When the mother feeds the baby with the milk produced by her body through the breast, it is called as breast feeding.  Now is this breast feeding important is the next question which arises and many wrong notions  that have been developed with regards to breast feeding.

Benefits of Breast feeding to the Mothers:

Many young mothers do not want to breast feed their babies so as they don’t disfigure themselves.  But this is extremely wrong. Actually it so happens that your body is shaped by breast feeding which has been disfigured due to pregnancy. Here are the other benefits for the mothers.

  • Mothers who breast feed their babies have less risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Breast feeding diabetic mothers need less insulin
  • Hormones released during breast feed increase the bonding between the baby and the mother.
  • Breast feeding the babies immediately after delivery results in quick contracting of the uterus and result in less blood loss.

Benefits to the Baby:

Breast Feeding is not only beneficial to the mother but also to your child in the following ways:

  • It contains all the necessary nutrients needed by the baby:

It is the complete food required by the baby. All the proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamins and minerals which a baby needs to grow is present in the breast milk that too in the required proportion. So you need not worry about the balanced diet

  • The baby can digest it easily:

As the breast milk is easily digestible it will lead to less stomach upset. Even the stools which are passed by the babies who are breast fed are less smelly when compared to those who are not breast fed. It is soft too. All this will help in building the body of the baby.

  • It is the main source of providing the required immunity for the baby:

Breast milk helps the baby to fight against the diseases like diarrhea, common cold, other common illness. A non-breastfed baby is 15 times more likely to get diarrhea and 3 times more likely to get respiratory problem. If babies are fed with animal milk they are more likely to get allergies. It is because along with the milk the immunities are transferred from the mother to the baby.

  • It is readily available for the baby and that too at the right temperature!

No preparation is required for the breast milk. You can provide it any where at anyplace and at any time. No head ache of boiling the milk and cooling the same. There is no tension of boiling the bottles or cleaning them!

More over if you breast feed your child you make him feel secured as your love flows at the maximum height at the time of breast feeding. You will also be able to pass on love, affection and warmth to your baby. It is also a common practice found among the mothers who breast feed their children that they keep on talking to their baby which will in turn increase the vocabulary of the babies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Some herbs which helps in increasing the breast milk :

  • Shatavari. A popular herb in India and China, it has gained attention in North America recently. Shatavari is generally used to improve women’s reproductive health, but it has been shown to increase lactation as well sometimes with extraordinary results.
  • Goat’s Rue. Also called French Lilac or Holy Hay, this herb is being used by moms hoping to increase their milk supplies. It is especially recommended for moms who are breastfeeding after reduction surgery since it has been reputed to build and repair breast tissue as well as increase milk production.

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Simple steps to prevent Wrinkle

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

The issue of wrinkles is a common feature with increase in age among the humans. Only those who are not sanctified with astonishing genes do not face these problems. There are some basic reasons for the occurrence of wrinkles can be stated as follows:

  1. The skin becomes dry  and scaly as time passes
  2. It is caused by the loss of subcutaneous fat and water in the epidermal layers of the skin and exposure to the sun over many years.
  3. The elasticity of the skin decreases and the glands produce less sebum .
  4. The inability of the body to make the essential chemicals needed for a healthy and glowing skin.

There are a very many other causes due to which wrinkles develop very fast. Smoking is one the main reason due to which we can face the wrinkle issue. It gives harm to lower as well as upper lip skin. It gives a very bad effect near to your eyes. Those people who take tensions also face this issue. There are some reasons like heredity which are not in our control and these factors give the wrinkles to our body.

As is seen the parts which are exposed to sun the maximum, like the backside of our hand and face maximum are affected the most.

Can you avoid wrinkles?

When we now know the reasons for the occurrence of wrinkles we also want to know if they can be avoided. Although we cannot completely avoid wrinkling we can delay it and keep it to the minimum by doing some simple things.

  • Never bathe with hot water. Use warm water instead.
  • Always use oil based soap.
  • After bathing, avoid the use of dusting powder. Instead apply an emollient lotion

How to treat Wrinkles?

You can use an anti-aging cream which is found in the market in plenty. But the best ones are those which are prescribed by the dermatologists and those which suit your skin. But the simplest thing is to accept it as a fact and enjoy aging. However you can follow the following simple steps to delay or sometimes even avoid Wrinkling.

  • Put an end to smoking and drinking as research has linked smoking to the formation of wrinkling below the eyes and around the mouth.
  • Keep off fried and fast foods as much as possible and include more vegetables and fruits which are anti oxidants and are known to bolster skin cells and tissues to withstand the biological aging process.

Home remedies for wrinkling:

  • Apply egg whites to the skin under eyes to reduce wrinkles.
  • Empty the contents of 3 Vitamin E tablets into a small bowl. Add to this 2 tablespoonful simple yogurt, 1/2 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Apply this mixture on the face with the use of a cotton ball. Remain it on for 10 minutes and wash.
  • Make a mixture of 1/4 cup comfrey infusion, 1/4 cup witch hazel and 10 drops of patchouli essential oil. Apply on the affected areas.
  • Massage coconut oil softly on the wrinkled skin at bed time.
  • Apply a paste of grounded turmeric and sugarcane juice to delay wrinkling.
  • Massage the core of pineapple on the face and rinse after 10-15 minutes.

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