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Smoking a leading cause of preventable death The
pimples problem of teenagers Is acupuncture a research-proven treatment?
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Smoking a leading cause of preventable death The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80 per cent of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and-middle-income countries. So, how come people especially youngsters, are still lighting up? The answer, in a word, is addiction. Some teens , especially girls, start smoking because they think it may help keep their weight down. The illnesses that smoking can cause, like lung diseases or cancer, do lead to weight loss, but that's not a very good way for people to fit into their clothes! The consequences of smoking may seem very far off to many teens, but long-term health problems aren't the only hazard of smoking. Nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can affect a person's body quickly, which means that teen smokers experience many of these problems:
All forms of tobacco — cigarettes, pipes, cigars and smokeless tobacco — are hazardous. It doesn't help to substitute products that seem like they're better for you than regular cigarettes — such as filter or low-tar cigarettes. Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for heart disease in people below 40 years of age. Three out of 4 young victims of heart attacks are smokers. Though men are more adversely affected by smoking, the risk of heart disease increases 10-fold in women taking birth control (oral contraceptive) pills. The risk is further accentuated when the smoker has other major risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes mellitus or a family history of heart disease.
The link between second-hand smoke and disease is well known, and the connection to cardiovascular-related disability and death is clear. Non-smokers living with smokers have about a 25 to 30 per cent increase in risk of heart disease and are also more likely to suffer a stroke. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and has a negative health impact on people at all stages of life. It harms unborn babies, infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors alike. The writer is Head of the Department of Cardio-Vascular, Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, and was earlier at the St Vincents Hospital in Sydney.
E mail: drhsbedicmc @gmail.com
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The
pimples problem of teenagers Acne or pimples, as called in the
common parlance, is a common problem that affects youngesters and
rather teenagers more than any other age group. In fact, it is the
biggest fear among the teenagers as it tends to spoil their looks and
their self-esteem suffers. Acne causes the facial skin to become rough
and the texture or smoothness of the skin is lost. There may be pus, formation in the eruptions and they may pain also. At times the pimples leave scars which dont fade away easily. Since this tends to happen more commonly during the growing age, the teenagers find it difficult to cope up with this trouble as at this time, the need to look good is also inherent in them. It has often been seen that the sufferers lose confidence and even tend to withdraw from their friends’ circle. Due to this reason, a lot of efforts are made to rectify the situation and they end up spending a lot of money on cosmetic creams which promise magical result in their advertisements, most of which are just a waste of time, effort and money. This is, in short, the common story of all youngsters who get pimples in their youth. Causes Multiple factors are at play when it comes to causing acne. In the growing age, there are a lot of hormonal changes that occur in the human body and they are the most prominent cause of acne. Another factor that tends to aggravate this trouble is the underlying stress. The stress may be related to studies or career or personal issues but it has an aggravating effect all the same. Sometimes the cosmetics and the so-called wonder cure creams are themselves the culprits. Though increased secretion of sebum is one common feature in patients having acne, it is in itself not the causative factor. Many people have dry skin and they still have acne. Diet plays a major part in the aggravation of acne. Junk food and other fried foodstuff, which have become the staple food of the youngsters are not healthy for the body and increase the production of sebum. Though acne is not hereditary, it has been observed that children whose parents had suffered from acne are more likely to have it. Sometimes hair care products or cosmetics can also add to the problem, as they may increase the oil content on the already oily skin. This causes the pollutants to stick to the skin and clog the pores causing infection. Do’s and don’ts It is advisable to take a lot of water daily. Eating fruits and vegetables helps in controlling acne. Junk food and fried food food should be restricted as much as possible. Picking the pimples and scraping the skin hard by towels should be avoided. Washing the face with plain water helps to remove the dirt and sweat from the skin. Homoeopathic treatment Any treatment that does not recognise all the causative factors is unlikely to be successful in treating this annoying and stubborn disorder. Homoeopathy gives due importance to the psychological and other internal disorders and, no wonder, it gives better results. The writer is a Mohali-based homoeopathic practitioner. Email: drharshsharma @gmail.com
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Is acupuncture a research-proven treatment? Washington: Researchers have presented opposing viewpoints regarding the use of acupuncture for pain relief.
Writing in the June issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), Dr Shu-Ming Wang of University of California-Irvine and colleagues stated, “Clinical trials support the efficacy of acupuncture in reducing postoperative nausea and vomiting and postoperative pain.” But David Colquhoun of University College London and Dr Steven P. Novella of Yale University School of Medicine take a different view, concluding, “The benefits of acupuncture are likely nonexistent, or at best are too small and too transient to be of any clinical significance.” Both groups of authors evaluate the research literature on acupuncture for management of three problems commonly seen in anaesthesia practice, for which current drug treatments aren`t completely effective: post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), post-operative pain, and chronic pain conditions. Acupuncture studies pose unique challenges, especially in terms of selecting inactive “placebo” comparison treatments. While acknowledging these difficulties, Dr Wang and co-authors note that many studies have reported benefits of acupuncture. In their view, the evidence is strongest for acupuncture`s effectiveness in preventing PONV. One recent research summary, including data on nearly 4,900 patients, concluded that treatment directed at one specific “acupoint” is as effective as conventional drug treatments in preventing PONV, with only minor side effects. — ANI
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4 lifestyle changes could protect heart, reduce death risk Washington: A large, multi-centre study has added more evidence in support of regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, keeping a normal weight and, most importantly, not smoking. The study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that adopting those four lifestyle behaviours protected against coronary heart disease as well as the early buildup of calcium deposits in heart arteries, and reduced the chance of death from all causes by 80 per cent over an eight-year period. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to find a protective association between low-risk lifestyle factors and early signs of vascular disease, coronary heart disease and death, in a single longitudinal evaluation,” said Haitham Ahmed, the lead author who is an internal medicine resident with the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins.
— ANI Vinegar test lowers cervical cancer deaths Washington: A simple vinegar test slashed cervical cancer death rates by 31 per cent in a remarkable study of 150,000 women in the slums of India, where the disease is the leading cancer killer of women. The study results were reported at a cancer conference in Chicago, Fox News reported. Vinegar swabbed onto the cervix can cause abnormal cells to change colour, a warning sign that further testing is needed. Cancer experts hope that the vinegar test could be used in many poor countries that cannot afford Pap tests and that it could save 73,000 lives worldwide each year.
— ANI How to protect your kids’ eyes from too much sun exposure Washington: Before sending their kids outside to play most parents covered them with sunscreen to protect their skin from too much of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. But they should also do something to protect their children’s eyes, says an expert. “There is a lot of research that shows the harmful effects of too much sunlight for a child’s eyes. Sunlight over-exposure can lead to aging of the lens and retina damage,” said James McDonnell, medical director of pediatric ophthalmology at Loyola University Health System and professor of ophthalmology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. McDonnell suggests that if a child is going to be in the sun for 20 minutes or longer sunglasses are essential.
— ANI New treatment could cut down insulin injections for diabetics London: Researchers have done path-breaking research, which can help people suffering from diabetes to postpone or decrease their need for insulin injections. Michel Pairet, head of pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim's non-clinical research and development, said this treatment could be a cure if it is linked with early diagnosis and treatment. Early trials have shown promising results in strengthening the beta cells in the pancreas, which secrete insulin to control high levels of glucose in the blood, the Daily Express reported. Stem cells are used to protect and regenerate beta cells, which normally are damaged by high sugar diets in the process.
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