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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Beware of skin allergies in rainy season Why women are more prone to knee arthritis
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Beware of skin allergies in rainy season Skin allergies can appear on any body part at any age. Even many new-born babies and very elderly tend to suffer from these. Skin allergies can be of various types and severity and each has its own distinctive features and characteristics like the following:
Skin allergic reactions may localise around the eyes, mouth, hands, or sometimes all over the body. Generally, there is itching, redness in the area and, in an acute phase, oozing and vesiculation. Pain and swelling may also accompany acute eruptions. In chronic contact dermatitis, skin becomes thickened and hardened with pigmentation. There are currently about 6 million chemical agents in our immediate environment. Out of these, approximately 3000 act as allergens (agents causing allergy) to the skin. Skin allergy occurs when these allergens bind to carrier proteins in our skin and present them to the immune system of the skin and the body. Normally, the immune system acts as the body’s defence against the invading agents such as bacteria and viruses. But in the case of an allergic reaction, the immune system responds to a false alarm. Often patients and their attendants ask for the exact allergens which cause the disease to be identified so as they could avoid them and thus have full relief or prevent allergy flare-ups for life-time. For this they spend thousands and lakhs of rupees on unnecessary allergy tests. Successfully managing this complex condition requires a multi-faceted approach. Proper skin care, using medication as directed, and avoiding one’s personal triggers play a major role. A trigger is anything that irritates skin. A trigger need not be an allergen. In the rainy season, the trigger is mainly a high humidity level, uneven distribution of moisture and a poor cell turnover. The most important step that must be taken during the rainy season is cleaning and maintaining a clean skin. It is necessary that one washes one’s skin thoroughly, using a gentle face and body wash at least two times a day. Fungal infection causes havoc during the rainy season and can worsen the existing allergic lesions. Wet shoes and clothes are breeding grounds for microbes. It is better to dust an anti-fungal powder in the dry socks while going out. Wet clothing should be removed as early as possible. It is best to wear clothing that are light, skin friendly and of natural fibres like organic cotton. Besides, one should make it a point to drink a lot of boiled water to keep oneself well-hydrated in this season. Natural anti-oxidants in the form of fruits are beneficial as they scavenge the oxygen radicals. One must take fruits like guavas, papayas, pomegranates, apples and oranges in this season. The writer is Chief Consultant Dermatologist & Dermato-Laser Surgeon, National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex,
Panchkula. E-mail:
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Why women are more prone to knee arthritis The knee joint is an extremely important hinge joint which helps perform varied movements like bending, twisting, climbing and kneeling. Therefore, it is more vulnerable to injuries due to a direct blow while hitting corners of the bed/table/door, twisting during walking on an uneven surface, etc. Load on the knees increases two times of the body weight while climbing up the stairs and threefold while climbing down. Females are more prone to suffering from knee osteoarthritis after the age of 50 years due to the following reasons: Genetics does play a key role in knee arthritis. Women whose mothers suffer from knee arthritis are more likely to develop it around the same age. Women in our country have a tendency of gaining weight post-child birth (due to a combination of eating foods with a high fat content and lack of physical activity). An increase of one kilogramme of weight increases six kilogramme load on the knees. Obesity — Men become apple-shaped as the fat gets deposited around abdomen, and women become pear-shaped as the fat gets deposited around the buttocks. Wider hips with angling thigh bone put excessive pressure on the knees causing the knee cap shift sideways and rub the cartilage. This also overstretches thigh muscle quadriceps leading to pain in the upper part of the knee joint. Females have less muscle mass as compared to men and hence less muscle support to the knee joint. Women have more lax/flexible knees, making them more vulnerable to injuries. Women have smaller ligaments which support the knee joint than men and hence knees are unstable. Faulty biomechanics vis-a-vis bowleg, knock knees, etc, are more common among females. Under these conditions, the knee-cap moves towards one side rubbing against femur bone leading to pain. Women wear high-heel shoes which pushes the body weight forward, placing more stress on the knees. Cushioning of feet also changes with age, especially in females after menopause. An average foot has sufficient fat that acts as a shock absorber. With age, the fat content decreases, thereby reducing the shock absorbing capacity and placing more load on the knees. Female hormone estrogen protects the knee cartilage which allows the smooth movement of the joint by reducing inflammation. Post-menopause estrogen levels decreases considerably, increasing the risk of developing knee arthritis. Osteoporosis of the bones is more common in ladies after menopause due to reduced estrogen hormone. Arthritis patients generally complain of knee pain while sitting or getting up which is alleviated while walking. As the disease progresses, pain is felt all the time. The following precautions, if taken effectively, go a long way in reducing the load on the knee joint:
During pregnancy diet may be increased for the child but it should be balanced and nutritive. Fats should be restricted. Physical activity along with appropriate exercises should be undertaken according to the trimester of pregnancy.
TREATMENT Women suffering from knee arthritis should maintain weight, wear sports shoes and knee brace, take Glucosamine/Diacerin for cartilage repair and undertake appropriate exercises. Hyaluronic acid injections dramatically alleviate the symptoms of pain, stiffness, etc. The mechanism of action is by cushioning the knee joints and anti-inflammatory role. EXERCISES Aerobic activity — Low impact and non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises like cycling and swimming are ideal for the knees. Initiate with cycling/ walking in pool. When there is no pain on weight bearing, start walking for a short period of time. Increase the distance gradually every week till 20 minutes’ walking can be attained. It is extremely important for females to protect their knees during younger age so as to prevent knee arthritis in older age. Total knee replacement is becoming popular as most women neglect the early signs of arthritis and try to treat it with medication only. The writer is a former doctor/physiotherapist(ex), Indian cricket team.
E-mail-chadhar587@gmail.com |
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Health Notes London: Diabetes drug metformin, which is very cheap, could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer.Researchers have found that the medicine causes tumours to shrink by slowing the rate at which cancerous cells grow. If the results are confirmed in bigger trials, it raises the possibility that men could be given the cheap, readily available drug as soon as they are diagnosed, the Daily Mail reported.Metformin is widely used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes. But recent studies highlighting the drug’s effects against a variety of tumours have generated considerable excitement among cancer researchers looking for powerful new treatments. Last year, scientists discovered it could slash the risk of ovarian cancer by around 40 per cent. —
ANI
Decline in walking speed may be early sign of dementia
Washington: Three new studies have found that changes in walking patterns of the elderly are closely linked to memory loss and may actually be an early clue to dementia. One group of researchers studied the strides of a group of elderly patients at Basel Mobility Center in Switzerland. The study led by researcher Stephanie Bridenbaugh found that those participants with declines in cognition tended to walk more slowly than their memory-savvy counterparts, particularly when asked to perform a simple task — such as counting backward — while walking. “Gait analysis can simply, quickly and objectively measure walking. When problems emerge, this may provide early detection of fall risk and the earliest stages of cognitive impairment in older adults,” ABC News quoted Bridenbaugh as commenting in a news release. Other doctors not directly involved with the research agreed that it could be difficult for older patients to perform tasks while walking. “Someone with mild troubles trying to remember things, they might not be focused as much on walking,” said Dr William Hu, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University. —
ANI
Childhood ‘gut and lung’ infections may up schizophrenia risk
Washington: Australian scientists have found that gut and chest infections in early childhood appear to raise the risk of developing schizophrenia later in life, even if they do not spread to the brain. Their discovery, resulted from the study of the birth and hospital records of more than 40,000 young adults in Western Australia, radically expands links between the psychiatric disorder and physical illness. According to the study, boys who were admitted to hospital at least twice before age three with respiratory or intestinal infections were 80 per cent more likely than others to develop the disabling mental disorder by the time they were in their mid-to-late 20s, The Age reported. Previous research has shown an association between brain infections, such as meningitis, and schizophrenia, but the Curtin University study is the first to demonstrate a link with illnesses that rarely involve the central nervous system — suggesting widespread inflammation, and the body’s response to it, may be sufficient to disrupt brain development. — ANI
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The rainy season that brings pleasant relief from the dry and hot season can cause real problems to some people. It can worsen or trigger skin allergies and infections if proper skin care is not taken during the monsoon. There has always been an increase in the number of patients presenting with some degree of worsening of skin allergies during the rainy season. The magnitude of the agony associated with this disorder has become higher due to a lot of misconceptions about skin allergies.