BEAT DEPRESSION NOW, EVERY TIME

Depression is a very serious medical illness that involves brain. It usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30, and is much more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a child. Symptoms may include:

- Sadness

- Loss of interest in activities that was interesting earlier

- Change in weight

- Difficulty in sleeping or over

sleeping

- Energy loss

- Feelings of worthlessness

- Thoughts of death or suicide

There are a variety of causes for depression that include genetic, environmental, psychological and biochemical factors.

GET RID OF IT NOW!

Depression should never be taken nonchalantly. Seemingly simple at the onset, it can cause serious behavioural disorders in later life. It is possible that the patient might get into sexual promiscuity, alcohol & substance abuse and contemplate suicide or harm others.

Below are a few small – but big – ways to beat depression every time.

DEPRESSION IS TRANSIENT: Firmly resolve in your mind that depression, like all other things, is a transient phenomena. It’s like a bubble, a rainbow, a puddle or a cloud in the sky – that does not last long. It never does and it never will.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE LABEL “I HAVE DEPRESSION”: A lot of people will kick up a fuss about this comment. Be clear, depression is an illness. There are real doctors and effective treatments! But, telling yourself “I have depression” really makes things WORSE.

LEARN THE VALUE OF HUMAN CONTACT: There are two lessons that help you when you have depression. 1) Knowing people love you makes a difference 2) Being with other people helps. If you are depressed you have to get out and be around people. Science shows that having human contact helps depression.

GET OUT IN THE SUN AND RUN: Sunlight and exercise. Mix these two together and you have the best recipe for a better mental state. Scientists are also now spouting the benefits of these two things. So, forget plastic people, televisions, including the gym and its stale air – get out in the sunlight and start jogging/walking. Take your pet or your friend and hit the dirt while the sun is shining on your skin and face.

There are effective treatments for DEPRESSION, including antidepressants and talk therapy. Most people do by using both.

SPENDING SLEEPLESS NIGHTS TO SLEEP?

Most people bring their stress to the bed — exactly the place it does not belong. “That’s not a healthy good night’s sleep,” says sleep experts. People with insomnia caused by stress have trouble staying asleep or falling asleep; a few find their sleep un-refreshing.

Find below some tips for dealing with sleep problems.

When you can’t fall asleep

If you find it difficult to fall asleep, the longer you lie awake in bed, the more aggravated you get. You may soon find yourself ‘dreading your bed,’ seeing it as a combat zone rather than a refuge. To fall asleep more easily, try these tips:

• Close the doors on your tomorrow’s plans or plan it early. Planning your next day well before bedtime can help you ease it out of your brain.
• If you still can’t sleep after 20 minutes in the bed, go to another room and try.
• Develop a pre-sleep ritual like a long bath or a fresh fruit juice or herbal tea.
• Avoid stimulating your mind and body by working, eating, or watching TV in the bed.

When you can’t stay asleep

If you can sleep easily but have trouble staying asleep or getting restful sleep, an underlying medical condition could be the culprit. Examples include:

- Acid reflux

- Chronic pain

- Sleep apnea

- Hormonal changes due to menopause

If this is the case, you cannot sleep comfortably through the night unless the problem is treated by an expert general physician or a specialist,

If you are an adult, do not sleep for eight hours, you may sleep for six hours — and that is more than enough.

WEIGHT GAIN OF JUST 0.6 KG A YEAR RAISES YOUR RISK FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - ESPECIALLY IN YOUNG WOMEN

New studies show that weight gain of just 0.6 kg per year makes you vulnerable makes you vulnerable to high blood pressure especially in young women. If young people (18-year to 20-year-old) continue to gain weight a year and think it doesn’t matter; they are misleading themselves and increasin

g their risk of heart disease.

According to a study conducted at Illinois, US, people with changes in Body Mass Index (height to weight ratio) and body weight over one year experienced changes in blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

One-year changes in body weight were associated with increased blood pressure for both men and women. In the 25% who had a weight gain of 5% or more, that gain was associated with higher BP. The changes were more significant for women than for men.

The good news is that the reverse is also true. Women who lost 5% of their body weight saw reductions in their blood pressure.

Weight gain and small increases in blood pressure cannot be ignored in this age group.

Smoking habits among Indians – reasons, effects

Tobacco in any form is life threatening and is considered health hazard. Smoking is a major method of consumption of tobacco.

Smoking has become a well established lifestyle-related foible during the past few years, which accounts for a majority of cancer cases and heart attacks in India. Cigarette smoking became a fad as often smoking is extensively publicized indirectly in films and film personalities are seen smoking in different styles that attracts and leaves a strong influence on the youth.

Stopping smoking even in middle age before having cancer or some other serious ailments avoids most of the later excess risk of death from tobacco. The benefits of stopping at earlier ages are even greater. Once smoking is given up, the risk of heart attacks are normalized to that of a non-smoker in 3 years.

The increasing number of college goers and women smokers in India –causes, effects.

Young college-going youth is fond of smoking. Youth pick up this habit to attract the attention of society. They release stress and feel happy while smoking. Smoking at a young age usually begins for psychosocial reasons such as: Parental smoking, Curiosity, Peer pressure, Rebelliousness, Assertion of independence. One major encouragement for smoking in among youth (including women) is group conformity.  Many factors lead to increase in women smoking. Smoking dulls the appetite and is seen as an easy and convenient way of following diet plan to help reduce weight. Once smoking becomes regular the pharmacological properties of nicotine are a major influence on persistence of the habit.

A shallow knowledge of the health risks is not enough to convince youth to not smoke. Cigarette smokers have lower level of lung function than those persons who have never smoked. Smoking reduces the rate of lung growth. Smoking hurts young person’s physical fitness in terms of performance, even amongst young people trained in competitive athletics. Young smokers suffer from breathlessness almost produce phlegm more than two times as often and three times as often as youth that do not smoke..

Smoking creates health problems among women, especially reproductive health. Smoking not only affects health of eggs produced adversely; it can compromise the health of a pregnant women and the foetus. This hold good for passive smokers as well. Tobacco consumers are more vulnerable to disease especially cancer and particularly lung cancer.

Measures to curb smoking

Enforcing stringent measures to try and curb tobacco use by the government. Many smokers in India are ignorant of the health risks that smoking poses. Therefore, steps should be taken to educate mostly the poor and uneducated Indians about the risks associated with smoking. Ban smoking in public private work places.

Ways to kick smoking – solutions.

SMOKING CESSATION

There are different strategies to enable smoking cessation. Programmes that use several modes of repeated counseling and interventions are the most efficient for the initial and long term cessation.

  Interventions include individualized counseling telephone counseling and group therapy. Self help materials such as pamphlets, cassettes, and videos work best as adjuvant to clinicians advice. The use of pulmonary fn testing and carbon monoxide testing give feed back regarding quitting rate.

Benefits of smoking cessation

1. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease
2. Reversal of increased tendency towards clotting of blood.
3. decreased risk of  LBW baby in women
4. Improved taste and appetite.

 Long term benefits include decrease in mortality and morbidity.

Social interventions that can be instituted to help curb smoking.

1. increased tobacco taxes
2. mass media tobacco education
3. counter advertising campaigns
4. business and work place indoor smoking bans
5. Phone quit lines and internet counseling resources and health care providers.
6. www.quitnet .com www.surgeongeneral.govt/tobacco

Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation:

1. Nicotine polarilux gums
2. Nicotine lozenges
3. Nicotine transdermal patch       
4. Nicotine inhaler
5. Nicotine nasal spray
6. Bupropion 150 mg OD (Zyban)
7. Clonidine
8. Nortriptylline
9. Varenicline (Alpha 4)3 (Beta 2)2 receptor partial agonist
10. Rimonaband (B1 receptor antagonist)
11. Nicotine vaccines and antibodies to nicotine

Nicotine replacement and other medications are given to help the patients quit smoking but it is primarily the patients will to quit that is of foremost importance.

Smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of death in our country.

A smoker can improve his/ her health and lengthen his/ her life by quitting it along with other lifestyle changes like diet, exercise or stress management?

Given the catastrophic health hazards caused due to smoking, any smoker who has ever tried quitting knows it is easier said than done.

Taking help from various therapies can help smokers leave the habit and avoid relapse of the addiction.

The therapies include

1. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
2. Hypnosis/ Alternative Therapies
3. Counseling and Behavioural Therapy
4. Support Therapy
5. A Holistic Approach
6. Yoga and meditation

- By Dr D.Raghotham Reddy, MD (Pulmonologist),Yashoda hospitals

 Young Doctors Camp 2012

                                                            

I am 14yr, just passed out of 9^th and have secured good marks throughout my academics. Becoming a “Doctor” is a well defined, distinct career choice for me or just an option. I am still not in that frame of mind to decide about my career. It has always been my parents – who have been deciding everything for me. My parents decided to send me for this camp. – Is these the only reason that drove parents and kids to be a part of this YOUNG DOCTORS CAMP 2012 or is it more beyond that…..

At this nascent stage of age when a ninth standard pass out student is given a chance, an experience to restore for a lifetime, which can actually helps him/her to determine and make his/her goal distinct. A chance which will not only allow him/her to live his/her dream for 4 days but also to reassure in their mind that this Dr. title is the only thing they aspire to and want to achieve in their life.

Yashoda Hospital has always believed in developing the talent for tomorrow. We strongly believe that if you enjoy what you do, you will excel at your work. Vital decisions, like career choice, cannot be made in vacuum. The more informed the decision, the higher the chance of success.  Therefore, yashoda Hospital created an invaluable opportunity to have your students work together with the best doctors in town in a superior hospital environment. It will enable them to gain a deeper understanding of the profession and make the right career choice. A well understood career always helps a person to well prepare themselves for the pros and corn of that profession and an individual works for achieving that skill set required for that career.

Hands-on experience to help you make an informed career decision – made Spandana Timiraju to come all the way from Banglore to attend this camp, Arbaaz from Karimnagar were coming everyday from his home town to be a part of this camp.

All the 91 participants of this camp made an effort to not to miss a single day and attend all the 4 days sessions where they were exposed to operation theatre, Out-Patient Department, Diagnostic centre, In-patient wards, department like: biomedical, physiotherapy, dietetics, maintenance, the classroom session on CPR techniques, Learning and lectures from prominent doctors, Lunch with Key Doctors, Facility Tour of Cancer institute, Cath lab, Emergency, Critical care units etc.

An induction session on first day – wearing apron as a doctor to getting certificate for completion of this 4 day camp was among rarest experience that these participants could have availed it. All the hard work, sleepless night to achieve this distinguish profession – “Doctor” though begin from this and its definitely a long journey but this YOUNG DOCTORS CAMP 2012 will always be a special experience to be cherished.

Having these participants in the all the three units of Yashoda Hospitals was a rejuvenating experience for all the healthcare professionals associated with this Young Doctors Camp 2012. Their morale of doing good work and getting appreciated for what they do raises because of the presence of these participants. 

Be Smart, Stay Hydrated & Enjoy This Summer

With temperatures shooting up everyday, this summer is likely to witness a large number of summer-related diseases. As it’s time for vacations, most of us are likely to spend more time outdoors, thus increasing our exposure to suns rays and hotter temperatures. Heat related ailments can really be harmful if not addressed immediately. Appropriate precautions should be taken to protect ourselves and family from these ailments. 

Children, the elderly, and those working outdoors are to be extra careful during summer as they are most vulnerable to the heat. Most common heat-related diseases that effect people during this season include dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramp, skin diseases, heat (or sun) strokes and water-borne diseases like diarrhea.

It is imperative to take proper safety measures when you develop muscle cramps in the legs or get fatigued and feel weak after staying out in the sun. These are first symptoms of heat cramps and heat exhaustion. Dehydration, heat stroke and diarrhea are major diseases of concern this summer.

Dehydration

Dehydration, loss of fluids, water and electrolytes in the body, is a major problem in this season. It increases the risk of heat stroke. Every day we lose body fluid through sweating, excretion, breathing and tears. These body fluids can generally be replaced by drinking water, juices and consuming foods that have water. Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, light-headedness, dry skin, fatigue, less-frequent urination, dizziness, muscle cramping and dry mouth. Children may also experience irritability, dry mouth & tongue, lack of vigour & energy, less or no frequent urination (for over 3 hours), depressed cheeks, abdomen or eyes, high fever and skin that does not flatten when pinched.

Precautions:

If detected early, dehydration can be cured at home under a doctor’s care. Serious cases of dehydration should be treated as medical emergencies and hospitalization may be needed.

§              Drink plenty of fluids during exposure to heat and sun (more fluids than your body loses)

§              If possible, avoid outdoor activities in hot sun (between 1:00PM to 4:00PM)

§              Use adequate protection like caps, umbrellas, masks, etc. if you are outdoors in hot sun

§              Consume fresh fruit juices to help maintain electrolyte balance

§              Consumption of boiled and cooled water is mandatory for infants, young children and the elderly

Heat stroke (sun stroke)

Heat stroke (or sun stroke) occurs due to overexposure to sun and/or extremely high temperatures. The ailment is the most severe form of heat illness and can be fatal if timely medical attention is not given. Heat stroke can lead to permanent damage of internal organs or results in death as well. Not sweating enough to lower the body temperature is the primary symptom of heat stroke. The condition can develop quickly and needs immediate medical attention.

Human body produces heat, which is dissipated generally through sweating. However, under certain circumstances such as high humidity, severe heat, or vigorous physical activities in the sun our system might not dissipate heat quickly. This causes our body temperature to rise to a dangerous level. Dehydration can cause heat stroke if a person cannot sweat enough to cool his body.

Heat stroke symptoms may include headache, dizziness, high body temperature, dry, flushed and hot skin without sweat, confusion or disorientation, fatigue or sluggishness, rapid heart beat, seizure and hallucinations. If someone is stricken with heat stroke, move the person indoors, remove clothes, apply ice packs to groin and armpits, apply cool water and fan to stimulate sweat and call for medical assistance immediately.

To prevent heat stroke follow the precautions for dehydrations

Diarrhea

Diarrhea, another common disease associated with summers, is passing loose and watery stools three or more times a day. It is generally not harmful, but can be dangerous or signal more serious complications if persists beyond two. Diarrhea lasting more than two days may be a sign of a more serious problem.

In summers, Diarrhea generally occurs due to food poisoning, a health hazard faced due to consumption of contaminated food. Summer season is characterized by high heat as well as humidity that are considered as main factors for high contamination of food with bacteria, since bacteria thrive in these conditions.

Precautions

Many cases of diarrhea are spread from person-to-person.

§              People caring for sick adults or children should wash their hands carefully after changing diapers, or helping an individual use bathroom

§              Children should be instructed to wash their hands frequently, especially after using the bathroom

Practice safe food-handling (always wash hands before and after handling food)

§              Cook food completely to the right temperature and store it in clean containers

§              Raw fruits and vegetables consumed should be rinsed thoroughly in clean water

§              Children should not be allowed to have snacks or other eatables from outside. Give them more fluids to flush out any toxins in their body

§              Spicy foods have the tendency to get spoilt easily due to the onion garlic contents. So they have to be handled carefully

§              Do not consume foods from street vendors

§              Use utmost caution when traveling, especially to other states or countries

Take these general precautions to enjoy this summer.

·        Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing (avoid black colour clothes in summer)

·        Wear hats, sunglasses and use umbrella to protect from sun

·        Take regular water breaks while you are outdoors

·        Limit exposure to sun on hot or humid days

Be safe, be smart, stay hydrated and enjoy your summer!

Tell me why we yawn?

Yawing can be contagious. Just thinking and reading about yawing makes us yawn. It may surprise us but, apart from babies, kids, teenagers, adults; even some birds, reptiles and most mammals also yawn.

However, the reason why we yawn is a bit of a mystery, though many people presume that humans yawn because our bodies are trying to take in more oxygen and get rid of extra carbon dioxide. There is also very little research about yawning because it is not a problem for most people.

Did you know these facts on yawning?

• The earliest occurrence of yawn happens in humans at about 11 weeks after conception (i.e., before the baby is born)
• Average duration of a yawn is approximately 6 seconds
• A part of the brain that plays an important role in yawning is the hypothalamus ( Research shows that some neurotransmitters and neuro-peptides increase yawning if injected into hypothalamus of animals)
• Yawns become contagious to people between first and second years of life

For most who believe, human yawn because they need more oxygen and try to get rid of extra carbon dioxide, the theory makes some sense. According to this hypothesis, when people are tired or bored, they breathe more slowly and as breathing slow down, less oxygen makes it to the lungs. This builds up carbon dioxide in the blood, a message is sent to the brain, which signals back to the lungs to take a deep breath,” and a yawn is produced.

Did you know? You yawn when you are bored. Scientists confirmed this observation by comparing the number of yawns in some students ( in their late teens) who watched interesting music videos to the number of yawns in students who watched an uninteresting TV programme. As expected, people who watched uninteresting TV programme yawned more ( 5-6 yawns in half hour) than those who watched interesting videos (3-4 yawns in half hour).

Yawning and stretching increase blood pressure and heart rate and also flex muscles and joints. Evidence that yawning and stretching may be related comes from the observation that if you try to stifle or prevent a yawn by clenching your jaws shut, the yawn is somewhat “unsatisfying”. For some reason, the stretching of jaw and face muscles is necessary for a good yawn.

It is possible that yawns are contagious because at one time in evolutionary history, the yawn served to coordinate the social behavior of a group of animals. When one member of the group yawned to signal an event, all the other members of the group also yawned. Yawns may still be contagious these days because of a leftover response (a “vestigial” response) that is not used anymore. None of this has been proven true and yawns are still one of the mysteries of the mind.                                          

 Do preventive health check-ups help?

Health check-ups are essential for the early detection of diseases and conditions that cause disability and death. The lifestyle and stress of modern living can have an adverse impact on our health by predisposing us to silent killers such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancers. Therefore, health check-ups are vital as they detect diseases, which do not produce early warning signs.

                                                                                                                           

Yashoda Wellness is Yashoda Hospital’s initiative to help you take charge of your health and prevent any potential health risks. Early detection allows diagnosis and management of illnesses to be done in a proper and timely manner. With this, your health and wellness are enhanced to enable you to achieve your lifestyle aspirations.

Why Yashoda Hospital?

• Yashoda championed the concept of preventive health screenings and check-ups since it is always at the forefront providing advanced healthcare services to over 5,00,000 patients every year
• Yashoda has taken special care while designing these preventive health check-up packages. Each package is designed to meet specific requirements of every lifestyle and age group.
• Personalised attention from our dedicated team of healthcare professionals

Yashoda Wellness Delivers Value

• Evaluation of medical history                                  
• Physical check-up by a doctor                                                                      
• An comprehensive set of tests
• Complete Report of tests for future reference

                                                                                                                                   

You will receive a detailed individualized medical report. This will be reviewed during a consultation with your doctor, who will explain and provide you with suitable recommendations based on your health profile.

For more information visit: www.yashodahospitals.com