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Heart patients: Need to take more precautions during summer
High blood pressure: How to beat the invisible killer
Walking: Effective aerobic activity in hot weather Health Notes
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Heart patients: Need to take more precautions during summer The high heat conditions and humidity of the current difficult days of summer are uncomfortable for most of us, but for those with heart conditions, these can be dangerous — even deadly. It’s easy for heart disease patients to experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke doing simple, everyday activities. So it is important to be extra- careful during extreme heat.
Recognise danger signs
Knowing the signs of heat-related illness and what to do can help save a life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies two types — heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is a milder heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and an excessive loss of water and salt through sweat. Warning signs include the following: Heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headaches, and fainting. Anyone with heart problems or high blood pressure experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention and cooling down by taking a cold shower immediately. Heat stroke, the most severe heat-related illness, occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. Temperatures may rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Warning signs
If you see any of these signs, have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you start cooling the victim by getting him to a shady area and immersing him in cold water.
Keep your heart cool in summer
The best advice for avoiding heat stress is to keep as cool as possible. So, if you are up in years or have a loved one who faces a special risk from heat stress, this information may help you avoid problems:
Take the heat seriously, pay attention to the danger signs and call your doctor at the first sign of trouble. Taking the proper precautions during hot weather can significantly reduce a heart patient’s chances of suffering from any heat-related illness. The writer is Head of Cardio-Vascular & Thoracic Surgery, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. He was earlier with the Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi and the St Vincents Hospital in Australia. |
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High blood pressure: How to beat the invisible killer High blood pressure is common, mostly symptomless, and potentially lethal. Known as the silent killer, it is a direct cause of more than 100,000 strokes each year (two-thirds of the total). It also increases the risk of heart disease, kidney problems and blindness. A quarter of adults have high blood pressure, and among those over 60 the proportion rises to half. But many people don’t know they have it. An estimated 18 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women with high blood pressure are not receiving treatment that could protect them from an early death. High blood pressure is not just a problem for older people. Blood pressure can rise at any age. One in 10 men aged 25-34 years have high blood pressure compared with approximately two in five men aged 35-44 years, according to the Blood Pressure Association. Fewer women are affected at a young age, but one in 10 women in their twenties are affected. What is high blood pressure? As the heart pumps the blood around the body it exerts pressure on the artery walls. If you have high blood pressure, it means your heart is having to work harder to pump the blood. This can weaken the heart or damage the artery walls, resulting in a blockage or a rupture of the walls (haemorrhage). High blood pressure is defined as a sustained pressure of 140/90mm Hg or over. What does that mean? Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (Hg). Two measures are used, to record the maximum and minimum pressures during a single beat of the heart. The first figure – 140 – is called the systolic pressure, which is the maximum pressure as the heart contracts, pumping the blood round the body. The second figure – 90 – is the diastolic pressure, or the minimum pressure as the heart relaxes while the ventricles (chambers) of the heart fill with blood before it pumps again. What is normal blood pressure? A consistent reading below 120/80mm Hg is regarded as ideal. Any reading in the range 90/60 to 140/90 would be considered good in most people. However, a blood pressure level of 135 over 85 (135/85) may be “normal”, but someone with this reading is twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as someone with a reading of 115 over 75 (115/75). As a general rule, the lower your blood pressure the better, though it should not be so low that you experience symptoms such as passing out when you stand up because the heart is having difficulty pumping blood to your brain. What causes high blood pressure? In most cases there is no single cause. But lifestyle plays a part. Poor diet, lack of exercise, being overweight, drinking to excess and stress all increase the likelihood of high blood pressure. Many people can lower their blood pressure by tackling these issues. For example, too much salt increases blood pressure, so it is best to eat as little as possible. Some people may be able to avoid taking blood pressure-lowering drugs by cutting down on salt. But genetics, too, plays a part – high blood pressure runs in families. People from Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities are at greater risk – and blood pressure rises with age. What happens when high blood pressure is diagnosed? Your doctor will first explore if there are changes you can make to your lifestyle that might reduce the pressure. The most important are keeping to a healthy weight, eating more fruit and vegetables, cutting down on salt, taking more exercise and drinking less alcohol. You could also try yoga or meditation to reduce stress. If these fail, or if your lifestyle is already healthy, then your doctor may recommend drug treatment. What about side effects of taking drugs? There are very safe drugs that have been used for decades – so long that they are out of patent (and hence relatively cheap for the NHS). The commonest side effect of ACE inhibitors is a dry cough. If this becomes bothersome, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), which works in a similar way but appears to lack the side effect may be prescribed. Calcium channel blockers can cause swollen ankles. Diuretics, which are sometimes called water tablets, are also widely prescribed for blood pressure. They act on the kidneys to increase the amount of salt and water that they extract from the blood, increasing the amount of urine. Too much salt can cause extra fluid to build up in the blood vessels, raising blood pressure. — The Independent
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Walking: Effective aerobic activity in hot weather Walking is an excellent aerobic exercise for the maintenance of health and fitness. This activity also protects the joints as it exerts minimal strain on the body in movement. As it doesn’t entail a complicated technique, it is a perfect regime for all, including individuals showing signs of wear and tear of joints of lower limbs/spine, etc. The benefits of walking are:
One should keep in mind the complications of walking during extreme heat conditions. Cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are to name a few. This is further complicated by humidity which aggravates sweating. The following symptoms should be kept in mind prior to walking for long durations during extreme heat conditions.
Treatment
The writer runs a pain management clinic in Chandigarh.
E-mail-chadha_r2003@yahoo.co.in
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Health Notes WASHINGTON: Drinking tea can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study. "Our results indicate that drinking more than four cups a day of black, green or herbal tea may reduce ovarian cancer risk by almost 30 per cent," said lead researcher Dr Christina Nagle from Queensland Institute of Medical Research. Nagle said that despite previous animal studies suggesting that tea can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells, the results of human studies have been inconsistent. "However, our findings support the idea that the antioxidants in tea may be beneficial against cancer in humans," he added. "Green tea is thought to be the healthiest kind of tea. Although the results of our study did not show a stronger effect for green tea, combining all of the evidence worldwide suggests that drinking one or more cups of green tea per day may reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer by 40 per cent. However, this needs to be confirmed through further research," Nagle said.— ANI
Gene linked to birth defects identified
LONDON: An international team of scientists has identified a gene linked to birth defects. The work, co-led by geneticists at the University of Leeds, together with colleagues from institutes and universities in Paris, Rome and San Diego, has appeared in the journal Nature Genetics. The findings should allow couples at the risk of conceiving babies with the profoundly disabling Meckel-Gruber and Joubert syndromes to be identified beforehand through genetic screening. The research, which demonstrates how the disease gene stops cells' finger-like antennae or 'cilia' from detecting and relaying information, may ultimately lead to treatments for more common related disorders such as spina bifida and polycystic kidney disease. — ANI
Breast cancer vaccine to be tested on humans
LONDON: Scientists in the US have offered new hope to millions of women suffering from breast cancer — by developing a new vaccine that has the potential to cut the disease by 70 per cent. The jab will be tested on humans next year. It works by boosting the immune system, which attacks a protein called alpha-lactalbumin that occurs in most breast cancers. By destroying every trace of it, the tumours don't develop and the existing ones are shrunk by up to half. — ANI
How acupuncture eases pain
LONDON: Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have offered new insights into how acupuncture alleviates pain. The researchers identified the molecule adenosine as a central player in parlaying some of the effects of acupuncture in the body. Building on that knowledge, scientists were able to triple the beneficial effects of acupuncture in mice by adding a medication approved to treat leukemia in people. — ANI
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Dr Harinder Singh Bedi
WASHINGTON: Drinking tea can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study. "Our results indicate that drinking more than four cups a day of black, green or herbal tea may reduce ovarian cancer risk by almost 30 per cent," said lead researcher Dr Christina Nagle from Queensland Institute of Medical Research. Nagle said that despite previous animal studies suggesting that tea can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells, the results of human studies have been inconsistent. "However, our findings support the idea that the antioxidants in tea may be beneficial against cancer in humans," he added.
