|
|
|
|
| HEALTH & FITNESS |
|
|
|
Benefits of
selecting proper shoes Beware of
premature menopause Vertigo: Exercises
for improving balance Health
Notes
|
|
Benefits of selecting proper shoes The
small appendage at the end of our body that we call the foot is actually more important than we realise; this is the foundation on which we stand. Our feet bear the whole body weight (which at times could be immense) and stabilise the body as we run, twist or dance. Even the simple act of walking may be a huge strain. Many of us do not know that we walk about one lakh miles in a lifetime, and all the weight is borne by our feet! So, we must know that wearing a proper pair of shoes is the kindest thing we can do for our feet! Let’s start by shoe wear selection; specialists recommend certain things that a prospective shoe buyer should understand. I was recently in Prague, where some of us got together to evaluate different problems of the shod foot. Certain foot problems have now been clearly identified to be unique to societies wearing “fashionable” or incorrect shoes as “barefoot” societies do NOT suffer from these problems! Firstly, we must realise that the shoe size is important, and may vary among different brands. The standard sizing systems for shoes is based on averages, and no size will be absolutely accurate for you. Additionally, minute changes in size may be seen with different types of leather or synthetic substances also. So, never select shoes by the size marked inside. Instead, try them on and see how you feel, especially while standing. Secondly, all of us have one foot that is slightly larger than the other. When you measure your feet, measure them both by trying on both shoes. Please understand that with unequal foot size, you must comfortably fit the larger foot, even if the second shoe feels too large on the other foot. An innersole or heel pad can be added to the larger shoe to tighten the fit, but a tight shoe will be a problem you cannot correct. Since our feet expand sideways when we stand and walk, try on shoes during standing and walking for proper size. There should be about 1 cm width between your longest toe and the end of your shoe; and always try on shoes with socks. Another important point is to go shoe shopping in the evening; during the day our feet swell due to activities and gravity, and if the shoes fit in the evening, they will never feel too tight. After choosing the right shoes make sure that you walk with the shoes on for at least five minutes before purchasing them. Make sure that the ball of your foot fits comfortably in the widest part of the shoe. Also, there should be some comfortable “wiggle” room for your toes. Your heel should fit comfortably into the shoe, with little or no slippage. You should not purchase shoes that feel too tight, expecting them to “stretch” to fit. Although there will be some moulding with the passage of time, most materials, including leather, do not stretch enough to make a difference, and you may end up with uncomfortable shoes. Certain societies (like the Chinese, for example) give a lot of emphasis on small foot size, which is done with a complex system of binding and taping, especially in the growing feet of girls. This highlights the fact that a growing foot is mouldable, and has the potential to deform! Hence the sizing of children’s shoes is doubly important; not only should you leave some room for growth when you buy them, you should also ensure that they are somewhat loosely fitted in the first place. Although somewhat cumbersome, shoes with laces, which allow adjustments, are perhaps the best for children during their growth years. Never buy your child a shoe that looks good; looks are only for parents’ benefit! I am always told by women that I have something against them wearing high-heeled shoes! That is a false statement, as I enjoy the aesthetic aspects just like all the other guys. However, medically speaking, I have to dissuade these women, albeit with a heavy heart. Many studies have proved beyond doubt that high heels and a tight toe box significantly contribute to forefoot deformities, which, once established, can be corrected by surgery! If women must wear high heels, they should not be stilettos; the heel should not be more than two inches high. If the wearing of these cannot be avoided, try not to stand in them for too long! So, where do we stand today? In shod societies, evolving shoe-wear has actually made walking comfortable. Patients with heel pain, knee arthritis and back problems are definitely benefited by soft insoles or air cells in shoes. Some shoes shaped like a foot have been designed with separate compartments for different toes, but these are at experimental stages and are focused on athletes only. The writer is Head, Orthopaedics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department, PGI, Chandigarh. Email drdhillon@gmail.com |
|
Beware of premature menopause The
average age for the onset of "natural" menopause in India is 47 years. However, because of defective genetics, tuberculosis of the genital tract, exposure to chemotherapy or radiation, autoimmune disorders or medical/surgical procedures, some women go through menopause before the age of 40. Menopause before this age is known as "premature" menopause. The age of the onset can be as early as teenage years. Unfortunately, a large percentage of women are now suffering from premature menopause and most of them do not come to the gynaecologist for treatment. Women in premature menopause experience lowered estrogen levels as the ovaries stop most of their production of this hormone. Low levels of estrogen can lead to changes in a woman's overall health and may increase the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. The other health risks associated with the loss of estrogen include increased chances for colon, periodontal (gum) disease and tooth loss, dry eyes and cataract formation. In addition to dealing with hot flashes, mood swings and other symptoms that accompany menopause, many women have to cope several emotional concerns. Symptoms Common symptoms are the same as in natural menopause — periods that are heavier or lighter than usual, hot flashes (a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over the upper body), irregular or missed periods, vaginal dryness (the vagina may also become thinner and less flexible), bladder irritability and worsening of the loss of bladder control (incontinence), emotional changes (irritability, mood swings, mild depression), dry skin, eyes or mouth, sleeplessness and decreased sex drive. Women who experience early menopause are more at the risk of depression, low self-esteem, negative body image and a poor quality of life. An Indian study revealed that the percentage of young menopausal women was the highest in Andhra Pradesh at 31.4 per cent; Bihar (21.7 per cent) and Karnataka (20.2 per cent) were no better. Kerala (11.6 per cent) was a tad better while West Bengal (12.8 per cent) and Rajasthan (13.1 per cent) were just a rung lower. Overall, the percentage of women hit by premature menopause is marginally lower in urban areas (16.1 per cent) as against rural areas (18.3 per cent). Among the illiterate women, a substantive 20 per cent of them suffer from premature menopause as against 11.1 per cent of educated women. All of this establishes the fact that women from the lower economic strata are more vulnerable to prematuremenopause than their more privileged counterparts. A recent study, reported from Chandigarh, also showed the incidence to be around 18 per cent. "The changing dynamics of the Indian family, the increased stress on women to be financially independent and the whittling down of the joint family have all put tremendous physical, emotional and mental strain on our women," observed a gynaecologist in New Delhi. "These pressures, coupled with the lack of proper nutrition and education about health play havoc with female hormones, resulting in a skewed menstrual pattern," experts added. Osteoporosis (loss of calcium in bones causing bone fragility) is often not diagnosed till a bone fracture actually occurs. So, it is advisable for menopausal women to be in regular touch with their doctors." Treatment 1. Psychological counselling and support groups may help the woman come to terms with her experience. 2. The main therapy is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). And new research shows that there are few risks involved in long-term estrogen therapy in these age groups, and when started soon after menopause until the age of 60. Women with an early menopause, especially if surgically induced, may need to have a higher dose of estrogen to control their vasomotor symptoms. 3. Experts from alternative medicine recommend ayurveda, flower remedies, aromatherapy and yoga. 4. Natural food and herbs may be of help according to some naturopaths. The writer is a Chandigarh-based senior gynaecologist. |
|
Vertigo: Exercises for improving balance Vertigo
is a common complaint encountered by physicians during their day-to-day practice. Dizziness or giddiness is the feeling of light headedness/confusion/fainting associated with the loss of balance. Vertigo is also a feeling of dizziness where there is a feeling of whirling/spinning on motion. This is usually associated with the fear of falling. At times this could be alarming as it induces fear, loss of confidence and lack of independence. Vertigo/dizziness could thus turn out to be a leading cause for cases of injuries, especially hip fracture, in people over 65 years of age. Diagnosis of vertigo can be made from the duration of the attack.
l Vertigo lasting seconds suggests that the person concerned has benign positional vertigo. If it continues for minutes then the conclusion can be drawn that it is a case of transient cerebrovascular is
chemia. Dizziness occurs due to decreased blood flow to the brain, causing light-headedness. Poor blood circulation can be blamed as narrowing of arteries occurring in individuals suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or high blood fat levels. Vertigo occurs due to a problem in the vestibular system in the ear. This leads to headache with nausea, vomiting and anxiety of falling with the movement of the head or the eyes. The conditions affecting the vestibular system and causing vertigo indicate Meniere’s disease. There is usually swelling in the inner ear leading to an attack of spinning/whirling on motion and losing of balance. Vertigo may last from 20 minutes to around two hours or longer. There may be associated temporary hearing loss, feeling of fullness and tinnitus or ringing in the affected ear. Benign positional vertigo: There is sudden feeling of spinning while the head is rotated/moved when the person is in bed. Pressure builds up in the inner ear due to the blockage of the flow of liquid. The culprit could be a small stone of calcium carbonate crystals in the semi-circular canal of the inner ear. In this particular condition the person experiences spinning with or without nausea on moving the head. Positional vertigo usually does not last more than a minute. This situation is in no way dangerous. Treatment is usually conservative. Repositioning manoeuvre provides immediate relief but this can only be performed by an expert as it entails movement of the head in different positions in order to effectively treat patients suffering from positional vertigo instantly. Home remedy: Sit straight up in your bed and then move to a side in a lying position with the head angled upwards. Return to the sitting position. Repeat this on the other side. This should be performed three times per day for two to three weeks. Home exercise programme Exercises should always be initiated slowly while sitting. As dizziness decreases, these could be taken up in a standing position. Sitting position 1. Eye exercises should be first slow, then quickly — up and down; side to side. 2. Head exercise — head movements in the forward/backward sideways direction at first slowly and then quickly. 3. Rotate your head, shoulders and trunk with the eyes opened, then closed. Walking Walk seven steps, stop abruptly,wait for 10 seconds and repeat for a distance of 20 feet. Walk seven steps then, pivot and walk back. Walk and turn head from the right to the left for about 25 feet. Treatment in all cases of vertigo/dizziness, irrespective of the cause, should be initiated at the earliest. If not done so, an individual can develop a fear psychosis as he/she is unable to pursue daily chores, loses self-confidence and may also suffer from depression. The writer was earlier associated with the Indian cricket team as a doctor and physiotherapist.
|
|
Health Notes Washington: Cholesterol-lowering medications may help in fighting heart disease, but this class of drugs may worsen asthma control, a new study has suggested. For preliminary research, Safa Nsouli and his team from of Danville Asthma and Allergy Clinic, Calif, compared 20 patients with asthma taking prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication or statins, to 20 patients with asthma who did not take the drugs. They found that the patients taking statins had more airway inflammatory obstruction at three, six and 12 months as compared to those not on statins. “The research showed patients taking statins more frequently used their rescue medication, had increased nighttime awakenings and had increased asthma symptoms throughout the day,” Nsouli said.
— ANI Green tea may provide novel treatment for Alzheimer’s
London: Green tea and red laser light can act as a powerful duo in obliterating Alzheimer’s plaques, a new study has revealed. The research team at the University of Ulm in Germany, including Andrei Sommer and colleagues, revealed that the light makes it feasible for the green-tea extract to work on the plaques. The researchers had earlier used red light with a wavelength of 670 nanometres to transfer cancer drugs into cells. During the process they found that the laser light pushes water out of the cells and when the laser is switched off, the cells ‘suck in’ water and any other molecules, including drugs, from their surroundings.
— ANI Human brains are wired for cooperative activity
Washington: The brain was built for cooperative activity, be it dancing on a television show, constructing skyscrapers or working in an office, a new study has found. Researchers at the John Hopkins University took to the cloud forests of Ecuador, on the slopes of the active Antisana Volcano, to study the plain-tailed wrens. These chubby-breasted rust-and-gray birds are famous for their unusual duets sung by one male and one female that take an ABCD form, with the male singing the A and C phrases and the female singing B and D. They captured some of the wrens and monitored activity in the area of their brains that control singing and found that instead of responding most to its own singing voice, the wrens reacted more strongly to the duet songs.
— ANI |
Dr
M.S. Dhillon
