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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Obesity in pregnancy is risky
Lasik safer than contact lenses
Ayurveda & you
Health Notes
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Obesity in pregnancy is risky The prevalence of obesity is rising in developing countries, making pre-pregnancy overweight one of the most common high-risk situations for the health of the mother and her baby. About one-third pregnant women are obese. Even being moderately overweight is a risk factor during pregnancy and can lead to diabetes and hypertension. Maternal overweight can be the cause for caesarean deliveries and a higher incidence of anaesthetic and postoperative complications. Birth defects are more frequent in infants of obese mothers than in infants of normal-weight mothers. Maternal obesity increases prenatal mortality. Long-term complications include worsening of maternal obesity and development of obesity in the infant. The average cost of hospitalisation is higher for overweight mothers, and infants of such mothers require admission to neonatal intensive care units more often. Overall precaution against overeating, preconception counselling, careful management, tight monitoring of weight gain, and long-term follow-up may minimise social and economic consequences of pregnancies in overweight women. Depending upon your BMI, you can find out if you are at risk for obesity. BMI is usually indexed as follows:
If you are obese, you are at an increased risk of the following pregnancy complications:
That “eating for two” is a myth. Only a balanced diet is indicated. Women who are skinny before pregnancy are supposed to gain 25 to 35 pounds, but the overweight should gain only 15 to 25 pounds, and the obese just 15 pounds. Similarly, the intake of proteins in excess of 25 per cent of the total calories and an emphasis on non-vegetarian food can be harmful If you are obese, consider losing weight through proper diet and exercise before becoming pregnant. Even minimal weight loss can help reduce the risk of developing complications. You should not try to lose weight during pregnancy. The writer is a senior gynaecologist based in Chandigarh.
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Lasik safer than contact lenses “Doctor, am I fit for LASIK surgery? Is it safe?” So many queries crop up in the mind if one plans for refractive surgery to get rid of glasses. Contact lenses (CL) were the only option for the patients who wanted to get rid of glasses. Over the years, there is improvement in the quality of lenses as they evolved from rigid contact lenses to soft contact lenses and new disposable lenses. But the main concern is their hygiene. Any lack of hygiene usually leads to one or other complication in the eyes of a CL wearer. Meticulous maintenance of hygiene is required at all times while using contact lenses. There is always a chance of infection if you don’t wash your hands when in hurry or use CL in spite of red eyes even for some time. With the availability of newer antibiotics and better facilities, infections can be taken care of in a better way. Still there is always a risk of ulcer developing, leaving behind permanent white spots or opacities on the cornea. This leads to a drop in visual acquity. A study recently published by Dr Dello Russo and Dr Walter Mathers states that chances of such visual loss because of infection in contact lens users is one in 2000. Patients must remember that contact lenses are like a foreign body in your eye, running the risk of an unpreventable infection. A Lancet study showed that people who wear daily contact lenses run the risk of one in 100 of developing a bacterial keratitis, an infection that can lead to a loss of vision. Patients who abuse contacts by wearing them overnight or improperly caring for their lenses have an even larger risk. LASIK surgery has evolved into one good option for patients interested in getting independence from their glasses. Latest LASIK machines provide a personalised correction for all refractive errors. Surgical techniques have become safer with the availability of better keratomes. Newer machines with iris recognition will fire the laser only after the iris pattern matches, which is as specific as our thumb impression. Also these machines are able to align themselves if there are small eye movements during the procedure. Thus, the laser treatment is more customised and personalised now. The surgical and post-surgical management has improved with better understanding of the healing process. Any complication in surgery is now correctable and usually does not lead to a drop in vision more than two lines on the visual acquity chart. The risk of laser vision correction has been diminishing as technologies continue to evolve. The above mentioned study, published recently in the Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2006 edition, by Dr Dello Russo and Dr Walter Mathers says: “Sight threatening infections from contact lens use occur in 1 in 2,000 contact lens wearers, whereas the study confirms that only one in 10,000 patients risk significant vision loss due to complications from LASIK, making LASIK the safest elective procedure being performed today.” Recently, a large study of more than 32,000 U.S. armed forces members who had an eye laser surgery found no vision loss greater than two lines in 18,000 procedures performed over 10 years ago. This proves the efficacy and safety of LASIK. The surgeons who use the safest and most advanced lasers and who utilise sophisticated screening technologies provide an unprecedented level of safety. LASIK, which years ago did have risks, has gone through diligent work which has lowered the risk and rendered LASIK safe as compared to contact lenses. LASIK today has stood the test of time and is a safe option for the people interested in getting rid of their glasses. The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. Email: msachdev@bol.net.in
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Ayurveda & you A very famous herb used in the Indian system of medicine, ashwagandha (botanically — withania somnifera) has been described as a tonic and a rejuvenating agent. It is the dried root of the plant which constitutes the main drug, but leaves and seeds of ashwagandha also have their therapeutic value. Its middle-sized shrub, though nowadays grown commercially, is found in abundance in the Indian subcontinent. Modern health scientists have found ashwagandha a proven anti-stress medicine. As an immune-modulator, anti-oxidant and a hormone precursor, it tends to improve important body functions. Starting from nervous and psychiatric ailments, ashwagandha is an acclaimed herb to treat conditions like arthritis, emaciation, impotency, senile debility, sleep disorders and many auto-immune diseases. The famous ayurveda text, Bhava Prakash Nighantu, has described it as “ati shukrala” — potent spermetogenic. Ayurvedic physicians prescribe ashwagandha in a number of health problems. Since it is mildly sedative and hypnotic in action, ashwagandha effectively controls stress-related anxiety and insomnia. For this purpose one to two gm of its powder is given two times a day. In geriatric problems like nervous weakness, chronic fatigue, parkinsonism, forgetfulness, depression and irritability of the temperament the same amount of ashwagandha can be administered for a longer period. As a tonic also ashwagandha is a very good medicine. It strengthens the immune system, improves blood circulation and increases the energy and concentration level. In arthritic conditions, ashwagandha helps to reduce pain and inflammation and is a good support to halt bony degeneration. In cervical spondylitis and low backache, use of ashwagandha enhances the effect of basic treatment. Similarly, in menopausal syndrome and problems arising out of male mid-life crisis, medically known as andropause, ashwagandha overcomes symptoms of tiredness and exhaustion and improves stamina. For underweight children, giving a half gm of ashwagandha powder mixed with a little butter helps to improve growth and strengthens overall metabolism. An equal amount of another herb, widhara, powdered with the ashwagandha root makes the famous ashwagandha churna, a well-known medicine to treat male sexual insufficiency. Though the use of ashwagandha is generally safe, a few unsavoury symptoms like nausea, skin rashes and drowsiness are reported in rare cases. It is better to start using ashwagandha in lower dosage and then increase gradually and to avoid dependence, it should also be tapered with gradually. The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior ayurvedic consultant.
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Health Notes Acupuncture can ease arthritis pain in just three months LONDON: A new study by researchers at University Medical Centre, Berlin, has shown that acupuncture can help ease the pain of arthritis. Published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism, the study also found that the traditional Chinese therapy improves patients’ quality of life too. Normally, patients of arthritis are prescribed anti-inflammation drugs to reduce pain and stiffness, but the latest study suggests that acupuncture should also be considered as a way to reduce such sufferings. Acupuncture has been practised in China for thousands of years and is based on the belief that energy moves in a smooth balanced way through the body. This energy is made up of equal and opposite qualities, that is Yin and Yang, imbalance of which may lead to illness. The theory is that inserting fine needles into the channels of energy can restore the natural balance, and stimulate the body’s own healing response.
— ANI
Coil as effective as the pill sans side-effects LONDON: Women who want to use oral contraceptives, but are scared of its long-term health complications, may now resort to a more effective alternative. Anneli Pouta at the University of Oulu, Finland, studied 2814 women, all aged 31, taking the combined pill, those taking no hormonal contraceptive, and those fitted with an intrauterine device (IUD) that releases small doses of progesterone into the womb. Pouta found that women on the combined pill had higher blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin levels as compared to those who were not. But women fitted with IUDs, which are more than 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy, had none of these problems.
— ANI
LONDON: In a breakthrough research Scottish scientists have invented a light emitting “sticking plaster” for treating skin cancer. The high-tech patch is operated by a pocket-sized battery and could allow patients to receive treatment at home or at a GP surgery instead of undergoing lengthy hospital visits. Current skin cancer treatment can involve surgical removal of lesions, with associated scarring and risk of infection. The latest technology is an adaptation of photodynamic therapy treatment (PDT) already available to skin cancer patients. During PDT, the affected area of skin is covered with a light- sensitive anti-cancer cream, which is activated by controlled exposure to a light source.
— ANI |
