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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Skin rejuvenation mantras
Particle in the eye may lead to vision loss
Ginger: The universal medicine
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Skin rejuvenation mantras The desire to maintain or restore a youthful appearance has become a significant concern for many people in today’s world. Evidently, “wrinkles” are considered one of the major obstacles in this arena. Cetaneous wrinkles, defined as furrows or ridges on the skin surface, appear to be multifactorial in etiology and occur as a consequence of intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Aging is a process that occurs in all organs but is most visible in the skin. The skin may very well reflect or act as an outward sign of processes occurring in the internal organs. Let us discuss some recent skin rejuvenation procedures. Fat graft
Isolated fat cells when re-injected as droplets survive in living tissue. It is now believed that fat is a rich source of stem cells and this stem cell component acts as a natural rejuvenant. Fat grafted under the skin helps erase the creases and wrinkles and thus is a procedure most sought after for the hands, neck and face. The fat is also used to augment breasts and even buttocks, and the procedure may have to be repeated every year or so to maintain the desired shape. The added or double benefit of fat grafting is the reduced contour of the donor site. Thus, “robbing Peter to pay Paul” helps sculpt the outline better and that too in a single surgical exercise. Fractional laser
Fractional laser treatment helps to restore skin and return it to its original beautiful glow. Each fractional laser treatment targets between 20 and 25 per cent of the skin’s surface, leaving the remaining 75-80 per cent available to heal the treated areas quickly and thoroughly. Since this treatment is so precise, it is effective in delicate skin areas like the neck, chest and hands. Simply put, fractional treatment promotes skin’s own healing process resulting in natural rejuvenation that removes years from the appearance. Radiofrequency
As we age, the collagen in our skin breaks down resulting in wrinkles, creepiness and even sagging skin. Non-ablative radiofrequency procedures righten and renew the skin’s collagen deep down, through all the three skin layers. This advanced technique safely heats the deeper layer of the skin, stimulating the existing collagen and promoting new collagen growth. The result is the skin that looks and feels noticeably smoother and tighter. Injectables
The very fact that our faces are so expressive leads to expression lines, which become wrinkles past 30. Since we continue ignoring them they take the form of deeper static lines, that become permanent on our face. The treatment of expression lines in botox, which when injected softens the facial expression. It has dramatic result in treating crow’s feet at the outer corners of the eyes and frown lines between the eyebrows. This makes the two vertical lines between the brows, often referred to as ‘11’, to temporarily diminish for a smoother appearance. The treatment of static lines, which are due to volume loss, lies in the injection of fillers. These are injected below the outer skin layer especially for the correction of perioral lines and nasolabial folds (lines around mouth and nose). Skin rejuvenation has now assumed worldwide importance. The writer is Chief Dermatologist, Mohan Dai Oswal Multispeciality & Cancer Hospital,
Ludhiana. Chewing food 40 times secret of shedding the pounds LONDON: A new study has suggested that chewing each mouthful of food for longer might help you lose weight, and also reduce the amount of calories consumed during a meal. The study showed that volunteers who chewed each mouthful 40 times ate 12 per cent less food than those who chewed just 15 times. It is thought that chewing for a long time checks over-eating as the brain is given more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. It also apparently lowers the levels of ghrelin, a hormone that controls hunger by circulating in the digestive system. Researchers at Harbin Medical University in China carried out a couple of experiments on 16 slim men and 14 obese men in their late teens or twenties. — ANI |
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Particle in the eye may lead to vision loss Ramasra reported to the eye doctor exactly one month after he got a particle in the eye while working on a grinder. For one month the only treatment he gave to himself was rubbing the eye or trying to get the particle removed from his fellow workers. He went to the doctor only when most of the vision was lost from the affected eye. At this stage the doctor was as helpless as the patient, since the cornea of the eye had turned totally opaque. Dust, plant matter, sand and other particles can easily enter the eye, especially in windy conditions. This is more likely in this country where a large population is working either in the agricultural sector or in the unorganized sector like construction work. Even industrial workers are not adequately protected. In many cases, natural tears are sufficient to wash small particles out of the eye. When the particle is embedded or when a large particle enters the eye, it is essential to remove it from the eye to prevent potentially serious eye damage. If you cannot remove the particle or the pain and redness persist after removing a particle from your eye, you should seek early professional help. It would be pertinent to note that the particle in the eye and other forms of eye injuries in the farm/unorganised sector result a large percentage of blindness, which is preventable. However, the country is not well equipped to provide surgical cure to most of these hapless victims when the cornea becomes opaque. In India where most of the population is exposed to the risk of eye injury, wearing eye protective glasses can be mandated as a part of the National Rural Health Mission How to remove the particle? Blink your eye to trigger tear production. Do not rub your eye, as doing so can cause the particle to rub against the inside of your eye, causing more pain and damage. Wash your hands before attempting to remove a foreign body to prevent introducing bacteria. Lift the upper eyelid and splash tap water against the affected eye to flush out the particle on the cornea or trapped under your upper eyelid. Use a wet cotton swab to remove a visible, floating particle from your eye. Hold open your upper or lower eyelid, depending on the location of the particle, and then gently touch the end of the cotton swab to the piece of debris. It should stick to the cotton swab for easy removal. Seek urgent medical attention if you are unable to flush the particle out of your eye or remove it with a cotton swab. Trying to remove a particle with soiled hands or dirty linen or when you cannot see it or it is embedded in the cornea can cause damage and hence in most cases it would be safer to take the patient to an eye specialist. Hazards on the farm
Farmers working on farmland actually face great risks—exposure to chemicals, infections, allergens, dust, flying objects and even farm equipment. Any one of these danger sources can lead to an eye injury by accident. The farm equipment can generate soil, rocks, as well as foreign objects into the air. These particles in the air are dangerous for a bystander or the farmer who operates them. An eye injury caused by these hazards can be devastating. Best protection is afforded when goggles are worn with face shields. To ensure a proper fit, some safety glasses now have adjustable frames. The temple bars can be adjusted to achieve the best fit for both safety and comfort. A separate set of eye protection glasses are necessary for workers in the industrial, agricultural and construction sectors. Eye protection devices must be properly maintained. Scratched and dirty devices reduce vision, may cause glare and may contribute to accidents. The writer is a Chandigarh-based eye specialist. Email drrkumar16@gmail.com |
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Ginger: The universal medicine The medicinal use of ginger denotes the utilisation of the rhizome of its plant, scientifically known as Zingiber officinale, adrak in its fresh form and shunthi, sonth or nagar when dried. It has been described as pungent and bitter in taste and light, unctuous and hot in effect. According to Ayurvedic beliefs, ginger pacifies vata and kapha but aggravates pitta in the body. Its chemical analysis shows the presence of a yellowish coloured volatile oil, and a non-volatile substance called gingerol as its active principle besides resins, starch and other contents. Ancient Ayurvedic texts have described raw ginger as an acrid, carminative, digestive and thermogenic agent whereas its dried form has been additionally cited to be possessing stomachic, expectorant, anthelmintic, rubefacient (counter-irritant if applied on the outer skin), anti-rheumatic, cardiac stimulant, aphrodisiac and anti-oxidant properties. Ginger has also been described as one of the best ama-pachak , meaning a substance helping to nullify toxins produced in the body due to improper digestion. Due to its anti-vata effect the use of ginger has been indicated in rheumatoid arthritis, chronic backache, inflammations, minor respiratory infections and cough and cold. As a digestive aid no other herb seems to be a match to ginger, as it helps the digestion from the beginning till the end. Wide-ranging, acute and chronic problems of the digestive tract such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea, dysentery and colitis are known to be relieved by the judicious use of ginger. Apart from the ancient textual knowledge and the modern clinical studies on ginger, this herb has also been traditionally relied upon as a household remedy for a number of ailments. Ginger not only helps setting right an upset stomach and controls flatulence, it is also considered to be the best medicine to handle mucous diarrhoea. Taking before meals a few thin fresh slices of it by sprinkling a little rock salt acts as a very good carminative and digestive aid. Ginger is known to incite delayed menstruation, relieve menstrual cramps and lessen the intensity of migraine. The use of the famous panchkol churna and vaishvanar churna , which contain ginger along with other ingredients, is the first step, according to ayurveda, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in its flare-up phase. Due to its diaphoretic properties, it brings heat into the body, increases perspiration and stimulates the circulatory system. The use of ginger tea is a common household remedy in conditions like sore throat, chest congestion and cough and cold. There are various classic ayurvedic preparations in which ginger is used as chief ingredient. To name a few, trikatu churna vyoshadi ghrit and churna and saubhagya shunthi pak are the foremost medicines used for a wide variety of health problems. The dose of fresh juice of ginger varies from two to five ml and of its dried powder from one to two gm in a day. However, patients suffering from gallstones, severe acidity and ulcers are advised to consult the physician before using ginger as a single drug. The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior ayurvedic physician and Guru at the Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth. E mail –
ayu@live.in. |
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Health Notes LONDON: A scientific research has suggested that social isolation, in the long term, is as damaging as a 15-a-day cigarette habit or being an alcoholic. Many other studies have found that those with a poor social network are at increased risk of dementia and high blood pressure. The studies reason that the genes we need to fight off serious viral infections seem to be less active in the lonely than in the rest of the population, and that loneliness may cause cancer or heart disease. “Feeling alone and unloved can also make it harder to sleep and even speed the progression of dementia. When time takes its toll on the body, loneliness steepens that slope of descent,” the Daily Mail quoted Chicago-based psychologist John Cacioppo, who has studied the phenomenon, as saying. His work found that loneliness raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol and can push blood pressure up into the danger zone for heart attacks and strokes. — ANI Why poor people age faster than their better-off counterparts
WASHINGTON: A new Scottish study has found that poor people age faster than their well-to-do counterparts because they have shorter telomeres. Telomeres are the cap-like molecular structures on the tips of the chromosomes that scientists say are closely linked to biological age. “We know that people who are born with shorter telomeres than normal also have a shorter lifespan,” CBS News quoted Dr. Maria Blasco of the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid as telling The Independent. She created a 700-dollar test that supposedly predicts aging by measuring telomeres. In the new study, which took 10 years, researchers from the University of Glasgow compared telomere length in 382 local residents. — ANI Replace salt with seaweed granules to prevent strokes, early death
LONDON: Scientists have claimed that high blood pressure, strokes and early deaths could be prevented by replacing salt with seaweed granules in bread and processed foods. The granules deliver a strong flavour but are low in salt, which is blamed for thousands of early deaths every year. It also contains a vast array of vital micronutrients, while consumption is said to make consumers feel full, which means it could be useful in reducing obesity levels. The study by the government-funded Food Innovation Project discovered that consumers find it almost impossible to tell when seaweed granules replaced salt in baked goods. The granules are healthier because their sodium level is just 3.5 per cent compared with the 40 per cent in salt used by the food industry. — ANI |
As life expectancy has increased and “baby boomers” have begun to enter middle age, interest has increased in slowing the aging process. There are two main processes of skin aging, intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic aging reflects the genetic background of an individual and results from the passage of time. It is inevitable and thus beyond voluntary control. Extrinsic aging is engendered by external factors such as smoking, excessive use of alcohol, poor nutrition and sun exposure. Since this aging is not inevitable, it can be reduced with effort in many cases. That is why this is often referred to as premature skin aging.
Used globally not only as a culinary item but also as a medicine, ginger is one of the foremost herbs to be acquainted with. Reports of using ginger derivatives by Western scientists to counter certain unsavoury gastrointestinal effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients have evoked a renewed interest about its medicinal benefits. Acharya Charak, the ancient theorist of Ayurveda, was prophetic in calling ginger as ‘vishwa bheshjam’ — universal medicine.