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Alcohol dependence: a fast emerging problem
Sciatica should be taken seriously
Ayurveda & You
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Alcohol dependence: a fast emerging problem
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. Used earlier by tribals, today its consumption has gained acceptance both in the rural and urban areas. Punjab and Haryana continue to be the top consumers of alcohol in the country. Regular and heavy users of alcohol fall prey to a vicious pattern of addictive behaviour, a stage of alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Alcohol dependence is considered a chronic relapsing disease that is often progressive and, if untreated, eventually turns fatal. Alcohol use is often influenced by personal, social and family factors, but the tendency for alcohol dependence often runs in families. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics than the children of non-alcoholics.
Alcohol dependence and medical illnesses
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. Initially, one feels that alcohol helps you to uplift your mood and appears as a stimulant. It lowers your emotions and affects your thoughts, actions and judgments. It impairs speech and coordination. Regular alcohol use can cause a number of medical complications: Liver
disorder: A regular drinker can have fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and finally cirrhosis. Common signs and symptoms are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, swelling of feet, abdominal swelling (because of the collection of fluid) or oedema of the whole body, blood in the vomitus or stools. Alcoholic cirrhosis is an irreversible and non-treatable condition. Gastro-intestinal
problems: Alcohol can cause gastritis and impair the system of absorption of vitamins, particularly folic acid and thiamin and other essential nutrients. The pancreas, an insulin-producing organ, is often damaged by alcohol, thus leading to diabetes in alcoholics. Diabetes complications: Alcohol can cause the release of insulin and precipitate the release of glucose from the liver and can lead to hypoglycemia. It can prove fatal for those diabetics who are on insulin. It is important to remember that their alcohol is a form of sugar. Sexual
problems: In men, it can cause a decrease in libido and sexual dysfunctions. Cardiovascular
effects: Regular drinking can increase one's blood pressure and damage one's heart. It also increases the risk of strokes and heart failure. Bone
loss: Alcohol delays new bone formation and increases one's proneness to fractures and bone thinning. Risk of
cancer: Alcoholics are at a higher risk of developing cancer of the stomach, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. Psychiatric complications: Alcohol-dependent individuals are known to suffer from alcoholic hallucinations, memory loss, dementia, pathological jealousy, severe depression, episodes of excitement and confusional state. Alcohol is an important factor causing road accidents, domestic violence, poor work and scholastic performance, suicides, sexual assaults, rapes, murders and many other law and order problems. Common myths about alcohol dependence: *
I can stop taking alcohol anytime. * My friends drink more than me and they are still healthy. *
I am not an alcoholic since I am taking every responsibility. *
Many females feel that their love will help their alcoholic friends or spouses to give up the habit.
Denial in alcohol dependence:
Most alcohol abusers and alcoholics deny they have any kind of problem. In majority of the cases, they have to be persuaded to seek medical help. They turn blind to the problems caused by alcohol. They tend to blame their parents, children, spouses, employers, colleagues, friends or employees for their alcohol habits. They underestimate their drinking habits and never take it seriously. It is important to remember that social or moderate use of alcohol is quite common, but alcohol abuse or dependence is a serious problem. Regular use of alcohol affects our thinking, perception and coordination capacity. The writer is a Ludhiana-based psychiatrist. Email: happymind@rediffmail.com
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Sciatica should be taken seriously
Sciatica a term commonly used for pain radiation along the path of the sciatic nerve in the leg. It is, in fact, not a disorder but a symptom of numerous problems involving the nerve. Sciatica is a widespread condition affecting a great number of individuals wherein a disc encroaching on the root nerve placing pressure on the nerve. Prolapsed disc is a common source of low back pain, especially in the lower back vertebrae. Most of the cases have a prolapsed disc at the L4-L5 or L5-S1 level. Acute disc herniation is often a source of agonising and debilitating low back pain with or without radiation in the leg. The common causes of sciatica: *
Lumbar disc prolapse — Sudden/improper bending to pick up some object. *
Degenerated disc disease — Wear and tear with age. As age advances, the discs become dry, brittle and flat. The result is disc herniation, pressing on a nerve root, causing pain and numbness in the back, leg or both. *
Lumbar spinal stenosis — It commonly occurs in old people wherein one or more areas of the spinal canal gets narrowed, exerting pressure on the spinal cord. Afflicted individuals complain of pain and numbness while standing or walking, etc. *
Spondylisis — It often results when one vertebra slips slightly forward over another vertebra. This displaced vertebra may pinch the sciatic nerve. *
Piriformis syndrome — Piriformis muscle is located in hip and placed directly above the sciatic nerve. Prolonged sitting and fall on the hips can lead to muscle spasm, exerting pressure on the sciatic nerve. *Trauma due to accident, fall or blow to the spine can compress the cord/ nerve root leading to pain. Symptoms *
Pain starting in the lower back and buttocks radiating to the back of the thigh, the lower leg or foot. *Loss of movement, numbness and weakness in the affected leg. *
In chronic cases, pain may gradually become localised in the lower back and buttock area. *
Prolonged sitting, standing and walking may aggravate pain. Lying down is usually the most comfortable position. Treatment includes short periods of bed rest and medication in the form of analgesics. The rationale behind bed rest is to reduce the inter-disc pressure and minimise the nerve root irritation. It is ideal for such patients to lie down on the back with the lower half of the body slightly elevated with a pillow under the knees or lying on the side with the knees bent. There are certain manipulations that help in decreasing pain immediately. Lumbar traction can also be applied as it relaxes the muscles of the back and increases the inter-vertebral space. Physiotherapy plays a vital role in the treatment of the affliction. When pain decreases, a rehabilitation programme which comprises exercises to improve the posture and flexibility and strengthen the muscles supporting the back is mandatory. Initially low-impact exercises such as walking and using a stationary bicycle help to stay active. Regular exercises for the muscles of the abdomen and the lower back are of utmost importance for a proper posture and alignment. Surgery is recommended when the compressed nerve causes significant weakness, bowel or bladder incontinence, or pain/ numbness gets progressively worse in spite of treatment. The key to successful treatment is to remain active, avoid activities that aggravate pain and undertake a coordinated and proper rehabilitation programme for permanent relief. The writer runs a pain management clinic in
Chandigarh.
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Ayurveda & You
Ancient ayurvedic masters while describing various diseases affecting mankind had given due attention to the occurrence of different types of undesirable growth in the human body. Depending on the origin and cytology, such growth has been named differently. Though “arbuda” and “granthi” are the common words applied to benign growths, their uterine versions or fibroids have been described as “mansarbuda” and “raktarbuda” by the ancient masters. Occurring to almost 30 per cent of women during their child-bearing years, fibroid is the commonest benign tumour of the uterus. These can grow singularly or in clusters and in sizes varying from less than an inch to eight or 10 inches within the walls of the uterus or attached to its inner lining. The aetiology of fibroids still remains unclear, and nobody for sure knows what causes them. Overweight and obese women are slightly at a higher risk of getting fibroids than women who are of slender built. Most of the times fibroids remain undetected till they cause some other problem related to their size and location in the uterus. Heavy periods or intermittent bleeding which may lead to anaemic conditions is the most common complaint associated with fibroids. Apart from the feeling of fullness in the pelvic area, some large fibroids can cause discomfort and bloating like conditions in the abdomen. By putting pressure on the urinary bladder or the rectum as the case may be, urinary inconsistency or constipation can also result. Low-backache pain during coitus and increased unease during periods are some of the other important symptoms of uterine fibroids. Though fibroids are benign tumours and they hardly turn cancerous, their complications relating to pregnancy and the development of the foetus are worth mentioning. Most of the women with fibroids have normal pregnancy and delivery but the situation can also result in infertility in around 30 per cent cases. Complications like abortion, pre-term labour and cases of intrauterine growth retardation are also reported in fibroid-related pregnancy. Asymptomatic fibroids and those causing minor symptoms do not require any treatment. In many cases fibroids are known to regress on their own after menopause or otherwise. Fibroids with moderate or severe symptoms may require surgery. Depending on the positioning of the fibroid, its sort and size, the surgeon can decide the type of procedure where fibroids are removed or treated without taking out healthy tissues of the uterus, or the uterus is totally removed (hysterectomy). Ayurveda as such directs to treat the fibroids according to their symptoms. The decoction of the bark of the famous plant Kanchnar (Bauhinia variegata) and Ashoka (Saraca indica) are the foremost herbs to treat intrauterine growths and dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Many of the classic formulations like Kanchnar Guggul, Ashokarishta, Pushyanuga Churna, Vridhivadhika Vati, Lokanath Rasa and Amrutbhallatak Avleh show promising results if given in the cases of small and early formation of fibroids. Lifestyle-related modifications, pranayama and certain yoga procedures like Suryanamskar, Dhanurasana, Vajrasana, Kamarchakrasana and Shalabhasana are also recommended to patients suffering from fibroids. The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior Ayurvedic consultant. E mail: yourhealth@rediffmail.com
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Health Notes Now the World Cancer Research Fund has warned that this could lead to an increased risk of them developing cancer in later life. "The fact that only a fifth of children are getting enough fruit and vegetables is a concern because it is important that we encourage children to get into healthy habits as early in life as possible," the Daily Express quoted Nathalie Winn, nutritionist for the WCRF, as saying. "This is because scientific research shows that eating a plant-based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and pulses probably reduces the risk of a number of types of cancer later in life," Winn added.—
ANI
Phone therapy 'as good as face-to-face consultations'
Washington: Telephone consultation can be as effective as face-to-face discussion in the treatment of clinical depression, a new study suggests. Experts from Brigham Young University conducted a trial run, which included 30 people newly diagnosed with major depression. Instead of eight scheduled visits to the clinic, the participants covered the same material during a series of phone calls with the therapist. The length of calls ranged from 21 to 52 minutes. The patients did not receive antidepressant medication. After six months, it was noted that 42 per cent of participants had recovered from depression. For comparison, similar therapy conducted in person has a 50 per cent recovery rate. —
ANI
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Alcohol consumption is a major health problem in most parts of the world. It is responsible for 3.2 per cent of deaths and 4 per cent of the disability-adjusted life years. Alcohol dependence is known to reduce one's life expectancy by 10 years.
London: Children must eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of cancer in later life, a charity has said. The latest published Health Survey for England (HSE) for 2008 suggested that four in five children are not eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.