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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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A close
look at vision correction solutions
Piles are curable without surgery
Keep
watch, your child may be consuming inedible substances Stem cells help repair diseased nervous system Air pollution can lead to cardiovascular diseases Children grow taller while they are asleep!
Ayurveda & you
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A close
look at vision correction solutions
The
eye has been called the most complex organ in our body. It’s amazing
that something so small can have so many working parts. But when one
considers how difficult the task of providing vision really is, it is
no wonder that it requires an organ of such complexity. However, like all machines or instruments the eye also can suffer from faults or defects, which can cause it to function inefficiently, leading to improper vision or, in some cases, even loss of vision. Today medical science has advanced with leaps and bounds in recent years, and there are vision correction options that range from simple spectacles to advanced contact lenses to laser surgeries that use space age technology! Common errors in refraction of light that cause blurred vision range from myopia (near-sightedness), hypermetropia (far-sightedness) and presbyopia to astigmatism. The various vision correction solutions to rectify refractive errors like myopia and hypermetropia are spectacles, contact lenses and refractive laser surgery. Spectacles are the traditional method of correcting refractive errors. The first spectacles were used in China more than 2000 years ago. Today spectacles come in various shapes, sizes, colours and designs. They range from round, oval, rectangular to rimless. Spectacles have three general categories of lens material — glasses, plastic and polycarbonate, which is the right spectacle for you depends on the prescription, lifestyle and the usage pattern of the wearer. One can get best advice from an eye care practitioner on the design and material to be chosen. Contact lenses are becoming increasingly popular modality of vision correction, and now a variety of lenses are available in the market to suit almost everyone. Contact lenses can be described as a prescription medical device that is manufactured from high-grade polymers. The contact lens drapes comfortably on the front surface of the eye. Like spectacles, contact lenses bend light rays so that images are properly focused on the retina to create perfect vision. Contact lenses offer various advantages over spectacles. Contacts don’t come in your way while performing any physical activity. Whether it is a game of tennis or tap dance, contact lenses don’t slip or slide and never limit you from being at your physical best. In fact, 99 per cent of the Olympic athletes attribute their improved performance to soft contact lenses. Contact lenses move with your eye allowing a natural field of vision. They have no frames to obstruct your vision. Now you can really notice someone “from the corner of your eye”. Contact lenses also move along with eye movements unlike spectacles; hence a contact lens wearer always sees through the centre of the lens at all times providing crisp and clear vision. Be it fog in winters or raindrops in monsoon, contact lenses don’t get affected by either. Contact lenses allow even those with a vision problem to wear sunglasses and protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays and at the same time help them look cool and in fashion. Broadly, contact lenses can be categorised into two basic types: soft contact lenses and rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. Soft contact lenses are made from hydrophilic polymers (water-loving plastics) that supply good amount of oxygen to the eye. They contain from 38 per cent to 78 per cent water that makes them soft and pliable. Many people enjoy the comfort of soft lenses as they are easy to adapt and fit comfortably and securely. Soft contact lenses have today become the choice for both contact lens wearers and eye care practitioners in India and abroad. Rigid gas permeable lenses do not contain water. Although they can provide good vision and oxygen to the eye, they are not as comfortable initially as soft lenses. They are very good for those having astigmatism because of corneal opacity and with cylindrical glass power. Most contact lenses are prescribed on a “daily wear” basis, which means they are worn only during waking hours and are removed before contact lens wearer goes off to sleep. However, new advanced contact lens materials have made it possible to sleep with them for up to a duration of 30 days without removal when recommended by an eye care practitioner. Purevision is the lens available in this category today in India. The replacement schedule of a contact lens refers to how often contact lenses are discarded and replaced. Soft contact lenses come in a wide variety of replacement schedules ranging from daily disposable to annual replacement. Frequent replacement of lenses or disposable wearing option is becoming increasingly popular and this also ensures comfortable, hygienic and convenient lens wear. It is always recommended to change lenses as frequently as possible. The frequency that is most popular in India is of monthly replacement. With increased number of design and materials available, today astigmatism (cylindrical correction) can be easily corrected with soft toric lenses. Similarly, presbyopes can benefit from multifocal soft contact lenses. And with the advent of multipurpose lens care solutions line ReNu that disinfect, lubricate, clean and deproteinise contact lenses, care and maintenance has become much simple and effective. Despite offering so many advantages, there are many myths in the minds of people about contact lenses — contact lens are uncomfortable; it is a problem to maintain them and these can cause infection to the eyes. The fact of the matter is that there are more than 8 lakh contact lens wearers in India. Contact lens is a safe and comfortable vision correction option that has been proved beyond doubt provided the instructions given by the eye care practitioner are followed by the wearer. Over the past few years, laser eye treatment has made an enormous difference to people with near-sight, far-sight and astigmatism. LASIK (Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis) is a highly automated, computer-controlled procedure that is safe and simple surgical
technique.
The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. email:msachdev@bol.net.in
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Piles are curable without surgery
The common people call them piles, the aristocracy
call them haemorrhoids, the French call them figs-what does it matter so
long as you can cure them? - John of Arderne, 1370
Piles are of two
types: internal and external. The causes a) Hereditary-piles
are seen in members of the same family; there must be predisposing
factors. b) Erect posture of human beings - piles are not found in
quadrupeds i.e. four-legged animals. There are exciting causes like
straining at the time of passing stools as in constipation or
over-purgation, giving rise to the varicosity of rectal veins. Piles
are usually arranged in three bunches, at 3, 7 and 11 o clock position,
considering the human anus as the dial of a watch. Each pile mass is
red/blue in colour as seen through a proctoscope - a hollow metallic
instrument passed into the rectum for seeing its interior in bright
light. Piles are of three degrees. The first degree is where the mass
is just a bulge in the rectum. The second degree is where the mass
protrudes through the anus and goes back or can be returned. The third
degree means when the protruded pile mass remains outside the anus and
does not or cannot be reduced. These three degrees deserve different
methods of treatment. What are the patients’ complaints? a)
Bleeding — haemorrhords is the name because of bleeding. Repeated
episodes of bleeding lead to anaemia. This is due to the rupture of
distended veins, piles. b) Prolapsed piles mass can be replaced. The
second degree cannot be reduced and the degree causes great
discomfort. c) Once piles remain prolapsed, a mucus discharge
emanates. d) Pain is conspicuously absent unless piles are
complicated. How to get diagnosed ? Rectal digital examination:
First and foremost, putting a gloved lubricated index finger into the
rectum. Piles cannot be felt unless thrombosed i.e. blood has clotted
inside the mass. Proctoscopy: The gold standard method is proctosacopy
when a hollow metallic instrument is passed into the rectum, and then
gradually withdrawn. The rectum is viewed through it under bright
light. Sigmoidoscopy: This should be done specially in elderly patients
to rule out cancer of the rectum. It requires no anaesthesia, as it is
painless. What complications can take place? a) Profuse
bleeding is the commonest event that alarms the patient and brings
him/her to the doctor. It is painless bleeding; (b) Ulcer formation, (c)
Thrombosis, when blood inside clots. (d) Strangulation when prolapsed
piles are gripped by anal sphincter, cutting its blood supply and
turning piles blue. (e) Ultimately it leads to gangrene or dead pile
mass. (f) Some times pus can form in the mass. How to get it treated
? Such a commonly occurring painless condition is usually neglected
by the patient for months and years till bleeding or complications force
him/her to seek treatment. First and second degree piles are curable
without surgical operation. In all cases of piles constipation must be
treated as this is the precipitating and perpetuating cause. Injection
treatment This is the commonest and safest treatment for the
first-degree and second-degree piles without complications. At a time
only two piles are injected with the drug. The whole procedure is
painless, as the area of injection is such. The patients find it
difficult to believe it till the first injection has been given. For the
first degree piles all the three masses can be injected in the first
sitting whereas in the second degree, only two masses can be injected in
one sitting. The injections are repeated after a fortnight. Thus, most
of the patients can be cured without surgery. Operative treatment It
is indicated in the following conditions: (a) Third-degree haemorrhoids
and the failure of non-operative treatments of second-degree
haemorrhoids. It is carried out under spinal anesthesia and requires
hospitalisation. It is a ligation and excision technique. All the three
pile masses are dissected up to their root, ligated and cut away from
the ligature. It takes about three weeks for the operation wound to heal
up. Thus, a condition which is curable by painless injections should not
be allowed develop on to the operation stage. The writer, a
retired Major-General, is a former Director, Medical Services, Western
Command, Chandimandir.
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Keep watch,
your child may be consuming inedible substances The boy stopped going to school regularly which made his parents consult a psychiatrist who diagnosed him to be suffering from volatile substance abuse (VSA), in which the children are hooked to harmless but inedible substances which often are manifestations of a psychiatric disorder. Alarmingly common yet grossly ignored in India is the VSA among the teenagers. While the studies in the western countries have shown that one in every six teenagers is found to try an inhalant, no specific data is available in the Indian context to comment on the situation. In a study by psychiatrists Dr S. Sharma, Dr P.K. Dalal and Dr P. Pargaonkar, the results of which were displayed at the recently concluded annual session of the National Indian Psychiatric Conference Society (ANCIPS) at the PGI, the researchers found that the volatile substance abuse has reached an alarming level mainly because of the extreme ease with which these substances like fluids, gums and inhalers are available in the market. The affordability of many of these substances is an added advantage for the children who are hooked on to them. A short duration of action leads to minimal impairment, which in turn makes it extremely difficult to detect these cases in time. “The rise of VSA among the street children is especially severe as they procure the substances from the garbage,’’ say the psychiatrists. An acute VSA can cause toxicity, which can result in the death of the person from asphyxia, arrhythmias or related overdose effects. The chronic abuse can cause neurological disorders, renal toxicity, pulmonary and cardiac disorders. “While the majority of these children leave this habit as they grow older, a minority of those still hooked on to these substances can become drug addicts later on,’’ remark the psychiatrists. The children of VSA are found to be more aggressive and disruptive. Their academic performance is also poor and social relationships are not healthy. The patients generally have chaotic families, low self-esteem, poor academic performance and personality disorders. The main hindrance in treatment, say the psychiatrists, is due to the lack of awareness about VSA. The treatment, which usually lasts up to three to 12 months, can include rehabilitation, which most of the patients do not respond to. What adds to the problem is the fact that the treatment is tailor-made for each patient and there is no uniform therapy for such patients.
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Stem cells help repair diseased nervous system
WASHINGTON: Scientists have finally coaxed human embryonic stem cells to become spinal motor neurons, critical nervous system pathways that relay messages from the brain to the rest of the body. The new study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology by scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is important because it provides critical guideposts for scientists trying to repair damaged or diseased nervous systems. Motor neurons transmit messages from the brain and spinal cord, dictating almost every movement in the body from the wiggling of a toe to the rolling of an eyeball. The new development could one day help victims of spinal-cord injuries, or pave the way for novel treatments of degenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). With healthy cells grown in the lab, scientists could, in theory, replace dying motor neurons to restore functions and alleviate the symptoms of disease or injury.
— ANI
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Air pollution can lead to cardiovascular diseases Washington: A new study published in the latest issue of Environmental Health Perspectives has revealed that long-term exposure to air pollution may lead to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a form of cardiovascular disease in which fatty deposits cause artery walls to thicken and harden. The study adds to the growing body of literature linking air pollution with cardiovascular disease and provides the first epidemiologic evidence linking atherosclerosis with exposure to fine particulate matter. The researchers evaluated 798 healthy Los Angeles-area men and women over the age of 40 who showed some signs of increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The results showed that the more polluted the air to which subjects were exposed, the thicker the inner layers of their carotid artery, which transports blood to the head and neck. The most-exposed study participants experienced about 8 per cent more artery thickening than the least-exposed participants, after accounting for such factors as diet, use of vitamin supplements and hormone-replacement drugs, physical activity, blood pressure, education, and income. — ANI
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Children
grow taller while they are asleep!
LONDON: A new study conducted by scientists at The University of Wisconsin suggests that 90 per cent of bone growth happens at night. Almost no growth occurs when the lambs are standing or moving around. Bone length was continuously measured by the sensors every 167 seconds for around three weeks. “What was really interesting was that the bones were growing only when the animals were lying down, and almost no growth occurs when the lambs are standing or moving around,” Wilsman was quoted as saying. The researchers believe that when the animal is at rest, pressure on the bones involved with growth — the growth plates — is eased, allowing them to elongate. “Growth plates may be like springs that, during standing and walking, experience compression and tension.
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Ayurveda & you Of many factors that promote beauty and enhance personal appearance, the hair are an important part of our body. It is believed that all ancient civilisations gave great importance to hair care. Even today the oriental idea of beauty has remained undiminished and the maintenance of hair is increasingly seen as a part of the individual’s personal health care agenda. Ayurveda, while classifying various body types, takes into account the tone and texture of the hair as a reflector of personality. The “vata” people have been described as having generally thin and dry hair that vary from dry to slightly oily in different areas of the head. Most of the time they appear coarse, unruly and rough in texture. Such hair often tend to crack, kink or tangle and seem to be dull and lustreless. “Vata” persons are more prone to the diseases like dryness and dandruff. If proper care is not taken, they also complain about flaky and irritable scalp. Fine, thin, ruly and straight hair are an attribute of the people who have a “pitta”-dominated personality. Their hair are of light colour and are shining, slippery and smooth in nature and require less of oil to be applied. Like other parts of their body, “pitta” people may also have small moles on their scalp and they are more likely to get either premature greying or suffer from early falling of hair leading to baldness. The “kapha” people have thick, wavy, smooth and curly hair which are lustrous and appear to be more oily. Due to their heavy hair, they often need better cleansing of the scalp. According to ayurvedic physiology the hair are the waste of “asthi dhatu”, and it is emphasised that their health starts from within the body. The type of hair, its colour, the age for its graying and retention on the head is normally inherited and depends upon the genetic make-up of a person. However, there are many other factors that influence the well-being of the hair. Their quality and quantity are adversely affected by poor diet, prolonged illness, hormonal imbalance, mental stress and strain, administration of certain medicines and deficiencies of essential constituents of the body chemistry. The scalp contains an average of about one lakh hair. Experts believe that about 30 per cent of them are renewed every three to four months. Some hair-fall is natural and normal, but as age advances the process of their re-growth slows down and one tends to get receding of the hairline. Similarly, graying of the hair is also a physiological phenomenon that happens with age. If this occurs before the age of 35 it is termed as premature graying resulting due to the vitiation of “pitta”. Though hair are not essential to life, ayurveda has laid great stress on maintaining their health. Almost all ancient texts, while discussing the onset of premature old age and the application of rejuvenation therapies, have counted the form and the loss of hair as an important symptom and their graying or falling as a major milestone in one’s life. Cosmetic apprehensions and remedies apart, one should always remember the essence of the ayurvedic approach regarding hair care that healthy hair grow only on a healthy body.
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CHANDIGARH: A student of
Class XI had been consuming ink-removing fluid for more than one and
half years till his capacity increased to consuming five bottles of
the fluid through solvent-soaked paper in a single day. He also made
three failed attempts of leave the fluid.