HEALTH

Be careful! The weather is deceptive
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — The biting cold winter is changing hands with mildly pleasant spring. Afternoons are warmer but the mornings, evenings and nights are still cold. It is also the time of the year which can be most deceptive health wise. This, at times, leads people to misunderstand the vagaries of the weather and take chances.

Senior physicians from the Department of Internal Medicine, PGI, based on the number and type of patients they are getting in the OPDs and emergency caution people to be more careful, wear warm and avoid exposure to sudden changes in temperature.

As per information available PGI usually gets a higher number of patients with problems related to BP disorders in the winters.

According to a senior physician, this is the time of the year when many patients with the high BP could suffer a heart attack or a stroke. Interestingly, contrary to popular beliefs, a morning walk without proper precautions may not always be so good for the health. Doctors say that for someone inadequately clothed and suffering from high blood pressure, a morning walk can be an invitation to a possible heart attack. The doctors attribute the cause to the time period between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the winters, which, they say, is particularly crucial for people suffering from blood pressure disorders.

Whenever the atmospheric temperature is low, body tries to compensate by causing sympathetic outflow of blood. This, in turn, causes constriction of blood vessels, thereby increasing the blood pressure of the person. If a person is already suffering from high BP, any further rise, increases the possibility of a heart attack or a stroke.

Physicians advise the high risk group to be extra careful by keeping adequately warm during the winters, especially if they are fond of taking their mandatary morning walks. Besides, the doctors also advise proper monitoring of blood pressure and taking drugs, under guided medical supervision, to counter the problem.

Incidentally, the beginning of February is not considered to be the season for the usual infections like diahorrea and dysentry. This time of the year is considered as a healthy season when even the OPD attendance in the hospitals reduces by 20 percent. According to physicians, allergy problems for asthma patients in particular will rise, two to three weeks from now, towards the end of this month. This is when incidences of bronchial asthma and naso-bronchial allergy will increase in the city. Doctors advise parents with children having asthma problems to keep medicines and inhalers handy.

What the physicians are experiencing these days are chest infections related to the cold weather. The weather is not as chilly as December but cold enough for all to continue taking usual precautions.

Herbs and Health
Therapeutic uses of ginger

Ginger, commonly used as a household herb in India right from Vedic times, has many therapeutic uses. Some are:

* It acts as an excellent painkiller. Ginger ointment made by crushing dry ginger with water on a grinding stone when applied to forehead (in case of headache) gives relief. A few drops of juice poured in ears give relief from earache and massage on gums gives relief from toothache.

* It is a good remedy for cough and cold. For this 10 gm of ginger should be cut into small pieces or crushed. Then it is boiled in water (small quantity say one cup), ½ teaspoon of sugar is added. It should be taken hot. Ginger tea is made by adding few pieces of it in boiled water before adding tea leaves; it is effective remedy for cold and associated general fever. Extracted juice of ginger mixed with honey is to be taken 3 to 4 times a day for cough relief.

* Dry or fresh ginger is very useful in diarrhoea. Piece of dry ginger should be powered along with crystals of rock-salt. Quarter of a teaspoon of it may be taken with a small piece of gur.

* Chewing a piece of ginger after meals regularly not only helps in dyspepsia but also is very useful in colic, vomiting, spasms and other painful infections of stomach and bowels, not accompanied by fever. By chewing its pieces excess saliva, diastase enzyme and volatile enzyme are produced which help in treating such infections.

If persons have indigestion caused by fatty or fried or non-vegetarian food, half a teaspoon of ginger juice mixed with one teaspoon each with fresh lime and mint juices with one tablespoon of honey, make effective medicine, which is to be taken thrice a day. The mixture is also effective in jaundice, piles and morning sickness.

* A piece of fresh ginger may be boiled in a cup of water for about 5-7 minutes; little sugar may be added. The mixture is to be taken thrice after meals for painful or irregular menstruation, cold bath or cold winds are to be avoided.

* Fresh ginger juice (one teaspoon) mixed with a cup of fenugreek mixture and honey to taste makes excellent expectorant in cases of asthma and reduces fever in influenza and also in tuberculosis of lungs. The fenugreek mixture is made by mixing one teaspoon fenugreek seeds in a cup full of water. The mixture is to be taken twice a day.

* A mixture is to be made by adding half teaspoon each of powder of ginger, pepper and cloves. It can be taken with honey or tea. The mixture is antipyretic and effective in reducing fever accompanying bronchitis. It also orders and sets the metabolism of patient. — Bharti Parsoon

ADMINISTRATION

Private vehicles banned in UT Sectt
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — Keeping in view the rise in threat perception, the UT Administration has banned the entry of all private vehicles in the UT Secretariat building in Sector 9. Further more, the order issued yesterday states that any employee working in another wing of the Administration would not be allowed to visit the Secretariat without the permission of their respective heads of the departments.

Employees posted in the Secretariat would be allowed entry only on the basis of identity cards. Even for the vehicles of employees stickers are being issued and no vehicles would be allowed without stickers. For visitors, a new parking is being constructed at the rear of the building and entry would be on the basis of entry passes.

Vehicles of local MP’s and municipal councillors would be exempt from this rule, the order said. On holidays no visitor would be allowed. Sources said since the Punjab Governor, Lieut Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd) in his capacity of UT Administrator sits in the Secretariat the security risk had to be taken into account.

Land to be acquired for more southern sectors
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Feb 2 — The Punjab Government today issued on official gazette notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, for acquiring over 1,250 acre of land for five new sectors, located in the southern part of the town. Earlier, the government had decided to issue the notification by February 7.

The Land Acquisition Collector has already been directed to prepare the land acquisition award by March 15 and declare the compensation amount to be paid to land-owners through public meetings within a month thereof. An official of the PUDA said two gurdwaras and the Sohana eye hospital had been exempted from the acquisition. Other structures like school buildings, booths and houses — included in the notification — would be readjusted or relocated at the time of announcement of wards.

He said the rates recommended by the District Price Fixation Committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, had been accepted for the compensation package being given to the land owners, which apart from the basic price would include, 30 per cent amount as solatium and an interest component @ 12 per cent per annum from date of issuing of the notification under Section 4 (February 21, 2000) till the date of actual disbursement. The PUDA has entered into a financial tie-up with HUDCO and different banks to finance the acquisition. The remaining amount of the compensation would be funded out of internal accruals and the amount of successful allottees.

The District Price Fixation Committee has recommended a compensation between Rs 10 lakh per acre and Rs 7 lakh per acre, varying on the type of the land.