Managing worry and anxiety
by Dr N.N. Wig
It is human nature to worry. All of us worry from time to time. Some worry more, some less. Medically speaking, worry refers to a series of painful or unpleasant thoughts, which occur again and again.

Proper posture can reduce back problems
by Dr Ravinder Chadha
As an individual spends quite a few hours in the bed almost everyday, maintaining a good posture during sleep becomes extremely important. A proper posture allows the muscles, ligaments and other structures in the spine to relax completely.

New treatment for baldness
by David Adam
A US research team has discovered stem cells that can regenerate hair growth, raising the hope that new treatments for baldness could be as little as five years away. When the cells are transplanted into skin they spontaneously grow into hair follicles which produce hair.

Nicotine can prevent neuro-degenerative diseases
Washington: Though the health risks of tobacco are well known, several studies have shown that people with a history of cigarette smoking have lower rates of neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Ayurveda & you
Positive attitude promotes healthy ageing
by Dr R. Vatsyayan
“Jeevem sharadah shatam….” — this famous Vedic prayer beseeches the blessings of the Almighty to live to see one hundred spring seasons. It goes further to invoke that let all our organs, body and mind remain healthy till the full span of life.

Managing worry and anxiety
by Dr N.N. Wig

It is human nature to worry. All of us worry from time to time. Some worry more, some less. Medically speaking, worry refers to a series of painful or unpleasant thoughts, which occur again and again. When we are confronted with a crisis, like an impending examination or an interview for an important job, it is very common for all of us to keep thinking about it and to work out strategies to cope with the situation. Thus, worry by itself is not a disease but to some extent it is quite normal happening.

People in general do not go to a doctor for worrying. However, in some cases worrying becomes abnormal when it is excessive or produces bodily symptoms like poor eating or sleeping, or interferes with day-to-day work. Worry at times may also indicate a more deeper mental disorder like anxiety, depression or other more serious mental illnesses.

An anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is a medical condition in which there are multiple physical (bodily) and psychological symptoms. Psychologically, anxiety is a state of generalised tension and nervousness, and repeated worries about minor things. It is accompanied by a number of bodily symptoms like palpitation (rapid heart beating or pounding of heart), trembling of hands, sweating, dryness of the mouth, a feeling of heaviness or pain over the chest, an unpleasant feeling in the pit of the stomach, described by patients as “sinking of the heart” (or in Punjabi — “Hol painda hey”). The symptoms may further include frequent urination or stomach upset, loose motions or “gas” in stomach, etc. It may also accompany additional symptoms of headaches, disturbed sleep, difficulty in concentration, etc.

A quick look at these symptoms will confirm to anybody that it is a description of a state of fear or what happens to most of us when we are faced with a danger or a life-threatening situation, like when caught in a fire or in a bad traffic accident, etc. In such a situation, we all get very tense, nervous, fearful and there will be many bodily sensations like rapid breathing, heart-beating, tremors, etc. The difference is that while fear is a natural reaction to danger, anxiety is either without any obvious reason or it is a very exaggerated or prolonged reaction to an imaginary threat or a routine life event. Psychologists suggest that while in fear, the cause is outside and obvious; in anxiety, it is inside the mind and often subconscious.

Nowadays, psychiatrists further divide anxiety into two types. One is a state of prolonged anxiety, which is medically called GENERALISED ANXIETY DISORDER, while the other one is a condition of recurrent episodes of acute anxiety called PANIC DISORDER.

Generalised anxiety disorder is a very common medical condition for which people seek medical help. The complaint is usually a tension-related physical symptom like headache, chest pain, lack of sleep or any other physical symptom. It is usually accompanied by mental tension (in Hindi “ghabrahat”). A history taken by a doctor quickly reveals the pattern of anxiety both at physical and psychological levels. Almost always a patient has gone through many needless and costly medical investigations before a proper diagnosis is made.

Acute panic disorder, on the other hand, is a more dramatic event. It is almost always sudden, unexplained attack of acute unbearable anxiety which may last only a few minutes or up to half an hour or so. All the symptoms of acute anxiety like the pounding of heart, pain in the chest, dizziness, coldness of hands and feet, intense fear (ghabrahat) point to a condition as if the patient is going to die or collapse. The patient recovers after some time, but feels weak and exhausted. The patient as well as the onlookers first think of a heart attack. The patient is often rushed to a hospital emergency. Electrocardiogram and other heart investigations are routinely done, but are always negative. As these panic episodes are recurrent in nature, the patient often gets repeated attacks which can be quite troublesome in some cases.

(To be concluded)

— The writer is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, PGI, Chandigarh.

Proper posture can reduce back problems
by Dr Ravinder Chadha

As an individual spends quite a few hours in the bed almost everyday, maintaining a good posture during sleep becomes extremely important. A proper posture allows the muscles, ligaments and other structures in the spine to relax completely.

Patients suffering from low back pain are always in a fix regarding the choice of their bed/mattress. They always ask their doctor regarding the posture they should adopt while lying on the bed. Their inquisitiveness is genuine as most of the time a correct posture can reduce their discomfort and help in the healing process.

Sleeping on a wrong mattress can increase back pain and cause sleeplessness. Sleeping on a right mattress can contribute to proper rest and a person wakes up refreshed. There are no hard and fast rules regarding the position of sleeping, but there are certain positions which are most suited to the spine:

• The best sleeping position is to lie on the back with knees flexed. This position decreases the stress on the spine. Alternatively, a small pillow can be placed in the back of the knees to relax the spine.

• People who prefer to sleep on their sides can place a pillow between their knees to reduce the load on the spine.

• People who like to sleep on their stomach can place a pillow beneath the stomach and hip to reduce the load on the spine.

— The writer is a former doctor/physio of the Indian cricket team.

New treatment for baldness
by David Adam

A US research team has discovered stem cells that can regenerate hair growth, raising the hope that new treatments for baldness could be as little as five years away.

When the cells are transplanted into skin they spontaneously grow into hair follicles which produce hair. The research was conducted in mice, but the scientists say it takes us one step closer to finding cures for hair loss in people.

"I think this or something like it will be available in the next five to 10 years," said George Cotsarelis, a dermatologist at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine who led the research.

The stem cells are found in the existing hair follicles. "We could isolate the cells from hairs remaining on the back of your scalp, grow them in culture and then reconstitute new hair follicles," Prof Cotsarelis said.

Although stem cells potentially capable of turning into numerous types of tissue have already been isolated from human skin, those believed to form hair follicles have proved more elusive. No one has yet extracted hair follicle stem cells from the human scalp: a vital stage if treatments using them are to follow.

"We've confirmed that similar genetic markers in the mouse are in the same place in the human, so that's the first step," Prof Cotsarelis said.

His team used cell labelling techniques to isolate the mice cells and prove they can develop into all the mature cell types of the hair follicle. It then mixed the stem cells with others taken from the surrounding skin and transplanted them into other mice, triggering new follicle and hair growth. — The Guardian

Nicotine can prevent neuro-degenerative diseases

Washington: Though the health risks of tobacco are well known, several studies have shown that people with a history of cigarette smoking have lower rates of neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the explanations for nicotine’s neuro-protective effects continue to be debated.

Now, a team of neuroscientists at the University of South Florida College of Medicine presents new evidence of an anti-inflammatory mechanism in the brain by which nicotine may protect against nerve cell death. Their study was published in the Journal of Neurochemistry.

In laboratory experiments, the researchers demonstrated that nicotine inhibits activation of brain immune cells known as microglia. Chronic microglial activation is a sign of brain inflammation that is a key step in nerve cell death. The researchers also identified the specific site, the alpha-7 acetylcholine receptor subtype, to which nicotine binds to block microglial activation.

“We propose that nicotine’s ability to prevent overactivation of microglia may be additional mechanism underlying nicotine’s neuroprotective properties in the brain,” said USF neuroscientist R. Douglas Shytle, lead author of the study. — ANI

Ayurveda & you
Positive attitude promotes healthy ageing
by Dr R. Vatsyayan

“Jeevem sharadah shatam….” — this famous Vedic prayer beseeches the blessings of the Almighty to live to see one hundred spring seasons. It goes further to invoke that let all our organs, body and mind remain healthy till the full span of life. In fact, good health and longevity have been so interlinked in the Indian ethos that all other desires have been considered to be secondary to these two.

Though old age has been equated with wisdom and experience and accorded universal respect, it is surprising to see that the very thought of growing old and the inevitable difficulties usually associated with ageing depress most people. On the other hand, we find that most people at the helm of affairs — whether politicians, CEOs or prominent personalities in the field of art and culture — are well over 60 years of age. It seems that the truth regarding old age is more subjective, and hopefully a person can shape his life and time with his attitude.

Centuries ago ayurvedic scholars had pointed out that our mental proclivity affects physical health. Certain personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can also influence how well a person can live. As a healthy lifestyle is necessary for dynamic old age, the other related issues like diet, exercise, leisure and time management of the elderly are also influenced by their negative or positive approach towards life.

In the present times also, gerontologists use psychological factors to predict longevity. There is no denying that excessive worry, job dissatisfaction, lack of work routine, financial burdens, bad temperament and a feeling of helplessness to change oneself accelerate ageing and shorten the lifespan. To the contrary, certain positive aspects like proper daily routine, financial security or living within means, job satisfaction, feeling of personal happiness and the ability to make adjustments in the family coupled with the capacity to enjoy leisure time with satisfying hobbies and close friends are known to keep old persons in a fine mode.

Positive attitude offers numerous health benefits to the elderly. Besides lowering the risk of getting serious diseases, it is believed that an optimist old person faces fewer problems with work or other daily activities because of good emotional health. Positive thinking helps him to handle the restrictions of age efficiently. As a result, he is more peaceful, happier and calmer than many others of age. Such people handle stress in a better way and are generally more acceptable to friends and relatives.

While physical health is necessary to enjoy the growing years, one also needs to remain positively active and mentally alert in this phase of life. To work or not after getting superannuation is a matter of personal choice. Some people decide to lead a quiet life whereas others want to be actively engaged in work, depending upon their experience and circumstances. Old age is no bar to enjoy and find satisfaction in life and also in being a useful citizen.

Acharya Charaka, while describing the optimistic attitude as an essential component of good health, has cautioned a person against falling prey to any type of negativism in life. The sage categorically says that diseases do not afflict a person who is endowed with the excellence of thoughts, speech and action. He says that a person who adopts independent thinking with knowledge and the observance of a just and positive attitude towards all worldly matters and who resorts to a wholesome regimen doesn’t fall ill. Though this prescription applies to every stage in life, it is more so when one attains the status of an elderly person.

— The writer is a Ludhiana-based Ayurvedic physician.