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Use synthetic colours cautiously on Holi Menopausal zone: Urinary problems are preventable Handling the troubling sciatica nerve Health Notes
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Use synthetic colours cautiously on Holi Holi is a festival of colours, no doubt, but what if the colours leave their frightful signs. “Skin pigmentation, rashes and eczema are some of the after-effects of the use of synthetic colours thanks to the use of synthetic raisins, PPT and lead in them. One should always be on alert while playing Holi because if an accident happens it can ruin the spirit of that day. Also, one should always remember to use some important precautions so that no one you know or love gets hurt unknowingly. The chemicals used in Holi colours consist of synthetic dyes and, in many cases, mica dust too that can cause major skin allergies. Did you know that your favourite green colour contains copper sulphate? Were you aware that silver colour contains aluminium bromide, not to mention lead oxide which is so much in use in black colour? Non-synthetic or herbal colours are safe and more environment-friendly since they’re prepared from natural extracts of flowers and vegetables. Earlier, natural colours made from flowers, leaves and seasonal herbs were used. But over the years, due to industrialisation and commercialisation, these natural colours have been replaced by synthetic colours. The synthetic colours contain toxic and poisonous chemicals. Often, they also contain heavy metals, acids, alkalis, powdered glass, asbestos, chalk paste, etc. The black paste has lead oxide, green has copper sulphate, and red has mercury sulphate. The shimmering given to these colours is by mica and powdered glass, which are meant for industrial use. These colours are used by Holi revellers, without any thought to their harmful effects on the skin. Such chemicals can wreak havoc on skin and hair, in the form of allergy, irritants, rashes, infection and much more. The symptoms may vary from mild irritation in the form of itching or dryness, which can in turn lead to more irritation and itching, rashes or allergic dermatitis. There can be severe itching and burning sensation, redness, and in some cases, even skin burns. Micronutrients in these chemicals, when absorbed, can lead to skin cancer. The hair damage can be in the form of itching, redness, dryness and scalp infections. The delayed effects could be loss of hair, thinning of hair, coarse, thin and lustreless hair texture, etc. One should be extra careful for children, especially infants, as they have a very sensitive skin. Caution is also essential for pregnant women as chemicals get absorbed in the skin and can affect the normal course of pregnancy. It is ironical that while the whole year we take good care of our skin and appearance, on Holi we joyfully damage it with toxic colours. So, this Holi let’s say no to these harmful colours, and instead use natural colours made from flowers, leaves and herbs. These may cost you more than the synthetic colours, but they ensure good health, skin and safety.
Play safe
DO’s
Dental caps are a good idea to protect your teeth from staining. Sunglasses go a long way in keeping your eyes safe from the harmful chemicals of the colours. Wear full-sleeved t-shirt or shirts that cover your arms fully. Socks will be a good idea too. Always put some amount of barrier cream on face and body. Apply thick coating of paint on your nails, both in fingers and toes, so that they remain protected. Granted that it is almost impossible to save you face from attack of colours, so while being attacked, keep eyes and lips tightly closed or one can apply good amount of oily body lotion or oil to the body so that it does not become dry after taking bath this procedure will help you to wash off colours easily later on. If you are travelling, keep the car windows tightly shut. Better still; avoid travelling on Holi Use a hat, cap or anything like that to protect your hair from being coloured with hard-to rinse dyes. While washing off the colour, use lukewarm water and keep your eyes and lips tightly closed.
Don’ts
Discourage your children to play Holi with eggs, mud or gutter water. Never turn a blind eye to such unclean ways of celebration. Avoid use of colours that have flakes of mica. Use only powdered colour and water. Keep a big bucket of water handy for your children so that they do not resort to gutter water and other unclean sources. The writer is a dermatologist & dermato-laser surgeon, National Skin Hospital, Mansa Devi Complex. E-mail: drvikas.nscindia@gmail.com |
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Menopausal zone: Urinary problems are preventable Urinary problems are common in women in the menopausal zone, and prevalence is expected to increase as the population ages. It is estimated that 50 to 60 per cent of women in the menopausal zone report at least one or both of the two common problems — urinary tract infection (UTI) and incontinence or inability to control discharge of urine. Due to failing vitality of the genital tissues, women become prone to injury and infection. Many menopausal women don’t even realise that they have a UTI because the infections are often symptomless. However, poor health may be the outcome if it continues untreated. What is urinary incontinence? Incontinence is a subject most women are reluctant to talk about — even with their doctors. As a result, they suffer physically, emotionally — and needlessly. It entails leakage of urine out of the body when the abdominal muscles contract — sneezing, laughing, or even standing up from a seated position. It is due to either weakness of muscles of the pelvis or due to muscle defect in the sphincter of urethra. This can occur due to injury during childbirth. Women with urge incontinence cannot hold their urine long enough to get to the toilet in time. But it is more often found in people who have diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. People with overactive bladder feel the intense need to urinate and are unable to hold back the urine. Some situations trigger urge incontinence, including turning a key in the door, washing dishes, or hearing running water. Urge incontinence may also be triggered by drinking too much water or drinking coffee, tea or alcohol. Why do infections occur? After menopause, the acidity of urine drops, allowing bacteria to flourish. The number of lactobacilli in the urinary tract will also drop. Lactobacilli are protective organisms that help to stop harmful bacteria. Decrease in natural lubricants in the genital area is conducive to local injury during coitus, and growth of infections. Diagnosis of infection of the urinary bladder (acute cystitis) is usually based on symptoms e.g. burning or pain during urination, frequency, urgency and pain above the genital area. Although urine culture is the gold standard to diagnose UTI, it is seldom required in uncomplicated infections. Microscopic urinalysis to detect pus cells often facilitates diagnosis. Urine culture is required for patients with recurrent infections. It is necessary to detect other abnormalities such as urethral diverticulum, infected stone, cystocele, papillary necrosis and pyelonephritis. Patients with complicated UTIs often require intensive antibiotic therapy, including long-term prophylaxis, post-coital treatment. How to prevent UTI and leaking urine One can avoid urinary tract infections by following some preventative measures: Drink lots of water. Water will flush out your system, preventing the growth of bacteria. Urinate when you have to. Ignoring the call of nature can cause your bladder to stretch and weaken. This can prevent the complete emptying of your bladder, leading to infection. Urinate after sex. Any bacteria that were transmitted during intercourse will be washed away. Wipe from the front to the back. This will prevent bacteria from your rectum being passed to your urethra. Avoid wearing tight clothing, bathing suits, or nylon panties for extended periods. They can trap moisture and cause bacteria to collect. Don’t use moisturisers, douches or heavily perfumed soaps around your urethra. This can cause irritation and may trap bacteria. Although it may not be possible to avoid leaking urine altogether, you can lower the chances. The writer is a senior gynaecologist based in
Chandigarh. drkumar232@hotmail.com |
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Handling the troubling sciatica nerve Sciatica is nothing if you have never suffered from it. But ask anyone who has been through it and the look on his face will tell you how severely disabling the pain can be. In the true sense, sciatica is not a disease in itself but a symptom of a disease. Sciatica is a term given to the pain, numbness of tingling that afflicts the lower back and lower limbs all along the course of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts from the back and goes down to the foot via the hip and back part of the thigh and then the calf muscle.
It controls the muscles of the back of the knee and the lower leg and is responsible for the sensation in the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg and the sole of the foot. The pain usually follows the course of the nerve, but sometimes it may be confined to one particular region like the hip and the thigh. Numbness and creeping and crawling like ants may also be felt. Some patients may feel the pain as a burning sensation. The muscles of the lower limb can also weaken. The pain is aggravated by any motion like bending forwards, straightening the leg while sitting down or touching one’s feet while standing. Causes: The causes of sciatica may lie in the spine itself. It may be caused by a slipped disk or a pelvic injury or an injury to the spine or a tumour in the spine. In most cases, the cause is likely to be a slipped disk.
Do’s and don’t’s
Do not bend forwards. While lifting an object off the floor, sit down by bending your knees, pick up the object close to the body and get up. In severe pain, take bed rest for a few days. Warm fomentation may be of help at this time. Once the acute phase has blown over, resume normal daily activities as soon as possible. Do not lift heavy objects. Wear shoes with flat soles and soft cushions inside. High heels put abnormally high pressure on the lower back. Sit and stand straight. Do not stoop. Keep the spine straight at all times. Use a firm mattress for
sleeping. Homoeopathy is able to give quick relief and can lead to complete cure of this problem. As mentioned earlier, one has to take care of one’s posture and other things that can aggravate the problem. The writer is a Mohali-based homoeopath. Email:
drharshsharma@gmail.com
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Health Notes WASHINGTON: Your mind can save your life, according to Deepak Chopra, the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. When it comes to treating cancer, it's not only about getting the best treatment, but having the right attitude. According to the American Cancer Society, emotions and feelings are an important part of coping with a cancer diagnosis, CBS News reported. And Chopra asserted that positive mentality helps, but it's more than that. According to him, patients have to have a clear idea about where they stand, what the data is, where they want to go, their mission for health and well-being. “You have to be quiet in the mind. Instead of being positive all the time, a quiet mind is more helpful. What we call homeostasis. When the mind is quiet, your body is quiet and when your body is quiet, it accelerates and then things like that self-repair,” he explained.
— ANI Eat lunch at 3 pm to lose weight!
WASHINGTON: People lost 25 per cent less weight if they ate lunch after 3 pm, a new study has found. The study followed 420 Spanish people in a weight-loss programme, Fox News reported. However, the study doesn't mean that you should eat earlier — in fact, you might want to do the opposite. The Spanish are known for making a late lunch the biggest meal of the day, so the study's authors couldn't say that the findings would apply in the US. That said, other new research does show that when you eat — not what you eat — can turn on your body's fat-fighting genes. Until Mr. Thomas Edison lit our evenings, we rose with the sun, worked, ate, played, and slept. That's what your hormonal cycle is designed for. Now, our schedules are more like eat-work-eat-work-eat-sleep.
— ANI Perfect diet fetish dangerous
WASHINGTON: Orthorexia is a relatively new term for a disorder where a person becomes obsessed with the "perfect diet," the cleanliness of food and eating on a highly regulated regime. Recent studies were unable to determine who can fall into the orthorexic trap, but it seems women are a high-risk group, Fox News reported. Orthorexics can be under pressure to stay fit and young while experiencing life stress on an intense, long-lasting level. Not managing the pressure may lead them to cope in drastic ways, feeling they have to walk the tightrope between looking good and meeting the demands of a hectic lifestyle. Can healthy eating actually harm your health?
— ANI
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So, you’re all set for the Holi bash. But enjoy Holi with certain caution. Give a thought to the chemicals used in Holi colours. Knowledge of what damage it can cause and how you can play a safe Holi with colours will help.