Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Eating Right

Today's youth do not have a proper meal due to various reasons like lack of time, flair for junk food. But most of them do not realize that junk food has not nutritional benefits. Junk food is high in calories. Though they satisfy the craving need it does not haveany nutritional value. It is also not good to undertake anykind of strenuous activity after a meal as this will direct the body's energy and reduce digestion ability.

These days the market has meal supplements which on consumption provides enough nutrition that is equal to a balanced meal. These powers should be mixed with a glass of milk or water as adviced by the physician and should be had at meal times.

Youngsters should resort to eating fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts instead of junk food. A bowl of fresh fruit salad with nuts provides a complete range of vitamins, minerals and proteins required. The fiber content in the food makes the stomach feel full. The fruits should be consumed fresh and not cut and stocked.

During summer one can supplement the meals with cool milk shakes with a dash of fresh fruits or cream. Breakfast can be made simple with cereals or a bowl of salad with sprouts. The water content in the fruits helps retain mositure in the body and also cools the system. Soups with lots of vegetables can also supplements dinner.

Small packs of fruits and vegetables can be taken along with so that there can be no excuses for junk food or skipping meals.

What is OCD? (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder and not a neurotic disorder and is curable. There is no cause to why a person is suffering because of OCD. There could be several reasons to this kind of disorder.

The reasons for example could be like trying hard to be a perfectionist and so striving for leanliness even when things around are clean. These Behavioural patterns become obsessive and in turn become compulsions.

This is a psychological disorder. However, there are genetic tendencies and environmental factors that lead to the disorder. OCD is controllable. Those under the clutch of OCD are branded eccentrics, senseless and crazy. There are various treatments to cure OCD. Combined with drugs a psychotherapy called Combined Congnitive Behaviour Therapy. The treatment involves relaxation, orientation and replacing of the obsessive thoughts. Doctors say that around 80% of the patients get cured with the above said medication.

Some cases do need a surgical correction. This surgery is called "Stereo Tactic Surgery". Parents and friends of the patients play a vital role in identifying any changes in the behaviour. Once any change is observed it is necessary to be treated. More than treatment support from family and friends help the patient to recover soon.

Skin Disorders and Diabetes

Diabetic patients commonly suffer from various skin disorders. Some skin conditions are specific to diabetes while some occur in individuals without diabetes also.

For Example, a skin condition called 'Acanthosis Nigiricans', which is a dark pigmentation around the neck. The person affected by this should be screened often for diabetes. Many times the skin disorders that occur could be symptom for diabetes. Certain fungal infections of the mucous membranes, genitalia and nails are more common in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. Women are prone to such infections more than men. The inflammation of private parts caused by fungus is more common in diabetes. These kind of infections need prolonged treatment.

It is proven that poorly controlled diabetes are prone to many bacterial infections. The unique skin condition to diabetes is carbuncle. It is a bacterial infection of the upper back which when left untreated may spread and may require a surgical correction. Foot care is critical for diabetic patients. Any minor infection should not go unattended. A close watch should be kept on the foot for any discoloration, crack formation or inflammation.

Other common skin infections are itching of the body. Skin dryness is also noticed among diabetic patients. Leucoderma is more common among diabetic patients. It is always advisable to consult a physician for trating any kind of skin disorders at the initial stage.

Cataract Surgery- Advancement

The most most commonly occuring vision defect in older population is cataract. This is mainly a surgical treatment. The recent advancements in surgical procedures has made it more acceptable. The advanced procedures are painless and bloodless.

Recently the new advancement in cataract surgery has occured known as 'Micro Pulse Phaco' or 'Cold Phaco'. We saw earlier that the procedure of Phacoemulsification is like a combination of hand held mixer vaccum machine. When we use a mixer for grinding a hard substance and when it is used for a long time it gets heated up. The same thing happens in Cataract surgery too.