Irregularity in Menstruation, Irritability - Menopause or Metamorphosis? - Irregular Menstruation

Menopause or Metamorphosis is the one natural state every women must face in her life. Women should have the courage and confidence to face this state as the accompanying symptoms cause a setback in her mind and health. More than 75 percent of women complain of menopause blues. Women attain menopause at an average age of 51 years. Menopause has been medically defined as "absence of menses" at a stretch for 12 months. In certain cases menstruation stops or ceases abruptly and in some it may slowly taper off.

There are lot of reasons why this is happening in women. The effects of menopause and the ways in which one should face this are well explained.

Click here to know in detail about menopause or metamorphosis

Developmental Stages in Infants - Pregnancy Tips

Mothers often end up discussing their pregnancy and child development experiences with those expecting their first child. Sometimes, they also share their experiences with other experienced mothers.

These discussions could bring out pleasant or unpleasant feelings and poor listeners may also get influenced with what they listen and get into comparisons amongst themselves and their babies.

Click here for more information on CHILD GROWTH STAGES

Yoga for Improved Nervous System - Eka Pada Bakaasan

Though there are different asanas that would fetch you different results, a balancing posture called Bakaasan, a variation of Eka Pada Asan, is very effective for the improved functioning of the nervous system. It also helps in strengthening arms, wrists and improves the balance of the body. It makes the joints and the lower back more flexible.

This one-legged Bakaasan has to begin with a standing posture. Then slowly bend the trunk and reach out for the feet with both the hands. One can fix the gaze either on the tip of the nose or the foot. A perfect balance has to be achieved by stretching the right leg back until it is straight. This position can be easily maintained for three to five minutes by controlling the breath. The practice can be alternated between the two legs. The breath has to be normal in the final position. This would ensure a proper balance also.

People with high blood pressure, heart diseases or cerebral thrombosis should not do this. Repetition of this asan twice or thrice will ensure better results.

Courtesy: Indian Express, Health Supplement

Diet Control during Medication - Healthy Tips for Diabetics

Medication may not work properly if your diet exceeds what is recommended or either by consuming too many calories or too much carbohydrate, sugar and starch.

When a patient knows that he has diabetes and when the doctyor prescribes a diet plan, he will usually have lot a of doubts. Though a detailed instruction is given, he may sometimes overlook some points or forget some of the things told.

While I am having medicine for diabetes, why should I follow a special diet?

Your medication will not work properly if you exceed your recommended diet either by consuming too many calories or too much carbohydrate, sugar and starch. You will have to do without some of your favourite foods high in sugar and starch permanently.

Does this mean I should totally avoid sugar?

You should totally avoid table sugar or foods with sugar on their surface. But you will be able to eat a certain amount of sugar containing foods as part of your regular diet. Diet is planned so that the total amount of sugar in the acceptable foods, such as potatoes, bread, fruit, cereals and milk is distributed fairly and evenly throughout the day; and does not exceed a certain required amount. This depends upon your weight and your overall body need.

To control my diet accurately must I weigh everything I eat?

No you can usually estimate how much of each type of food you are eating. But it’s a good idea to weigh your full day diet from time to time just to check the accuracy of your estimates; as far as you can stick to it. Some degree of variation can’t be avoided especially during festival seasons, holidays and wedding time. However, keep in mind that you can’t over eat at any time.

Should I eat a set amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal? Can I have snacks? What if I skip a meal?

Yes. Include the amount of fat, protein and carbohydrate, doctor has recommended in every meal if possible. You will stay healthier if each meal is balanced. Avoid skipping meals. You can have snacks in moderation such as salt biscuits and orange pieces.

How long must I stay on my diet? Will the diet always remain the same?

You will have to make the diet a permanent part of your living, but adjust it as factors such as your weight and physical activity will influence this.

Courtesy: Indian Express

Misleading Advertisements - Say No to AD Treatment

Advertisements of medicines can be very misleading. Nothing works as good as consulting a doctor and getting a prescription.

There is a person who had undergone sufferings after taking medicines advertised for piles without consulting a doctor. He is not alone. There are many who have gone through similar ordeals. Here, I would like to alert readers on the dangerous aspects of advertisements of medicines. The public should not become victims to such advertisements.

In this electronic age, it is impossible for any one to avoid advertisements. They influence us in one-way or the other. The advertisers design and project products in the most attractive way to influence viewers. All promotional advertisements are meant to sell their products. Misleading and unethical advertisement of medicines can be dangerous. No modern medicine is absolutely safe. Every medicine is associated with some risk or the other (side effects of medicine). The common man does not have full knowledge of the risk involved in using the medicine. The advertisers always project the benefits and not the side-effects. The risks, even if projected, are written in such small letters that they are not readable.

Advertisements of medicines and diseases are regulated by the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act. The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules also specify diseases and ailments for which no prevention or cure is available and hence cannot be advertised.

Direct-to-consumer advertisement of counter medicines may be informative. Such advertisements are permitted in other countires also. But taking India’s literacy and awareness level into consideration, such advertisements can be misleading to many as they do not often delve into details like the dosage, precautions to be taken, and adverse reactions.

For example, an asthmatic or pepticulcer patient may develop severe problems like precipitation or gastric bleeding if aspirin, a pain relief agent, is taken. Alcoholics may further damage their liver if they continue to take Paracetamol, a pain and fever reducing medicine.

Advertising prescription drugs to consumers is neither ethical nor legal. These medicines are permitted to be sold only if a doctor’s prescription is produced.

Consumers should be watchful of such advertisements. What the consumers need is information to make a better choice. They need to know both benefits and risk involved in the use of drug treatment and non-drug treatment options, in addition to cost.

Courtesy: Indian Express

Related Articles: Safety Measures on e-Medicine - Know your medicine

Breath Control - Tips to Cure Asthma

Asthma and other breath related diseases are often caused by wrong breathing habits. Patients can overcome such diseases using pranayama, which is an ancient yogic practice to cure most of the health issues by breathing technics in specific postures.

Breathing is the only major source over which every human being has some conscious control. Other important operations like the heart-beat or digestion are beyond the control. Diseases like asthma are often caused by wrong breathing habits and other factors like diet. Such diseases can be overcomed by successfully using the methods of breath control, pranayama and posture. Experts have shown that the irregular breathing done at nght during sleep causes many heart diseases.

The theory of asanas and prayamas offer clues for getting good, restful sleep for delaying the onset of fatigue so that one can work productively over longer period of time. All the breathing methods mentioned here can be done by men and women.

Pranayama or breath control

Select a clean, airy and well-ventilated place. Do not eat or drink before a lapse of 15-20 minutes. Lie on the ground completely at ease with legs and hands separated with palms open. Use a thin pillow for head if needed. This posture relaxes the body and allows prana to be easily absorbed and distributed. Inhaling should be smooth and without jerks. Always inhale when energy is required by raising arms from chest level above shoulders, lifting weights, etc.

Always exhale when energy is required for the performance of the action. Duration of each pranayama or asana is indicated by the total number of rounds’ each round is made of one inhalation and one exhalation.

Vajrasana

It is the basic posture for pranayama. It is widely taught that vajrasana promotes good digestion. In terms of meridian theory, the medial and lateral areas of the leg below the knee touch the floors and thus gets stimulated. It also stimulates the mooladhara charka. The upper – half of the body in Vajrasana exerts weight on urinary bladder and kidney meridians, running on the lack of the leg and inside.

Abdominal or Diaphragm Breathing

Sit any comfortable cross-legged posture with legs below hips. It is called sukha asana. Here the abdomen and diaphragm move in a complementary way. During inhalation, the diaphragm which is shaped like an inverted cup contracts downwards and abdomen expands. During exhalation the diaphragm moves up and the abdomen contracts.

Mudra or Finger Positions

Chin Mudra: The index finger touches the thumb, others are separate and open.

Chin-maya Mudra: Same as chinmudra with the finers pressing the palm.

Adi Mudra: The thumb enclosed in the fist.

For more Tips for Good health

Courtesy: Indian Express

Dental Care - Smile Consciousness - A definite need

A smile is basically an effect created due to the interplay between the muscles of the face, teeth, supporting gums and emotions from the brain. It is a unique human quality that has the power to express a myriad of emotions. Each smile is said to be a characteristic to an individual, defining his or her personality.

Often we come across individuals who say they are not bothered about how their teeth look and are only concerened about the function and longevity. Well, it is impressive to see someone who is totally comfortable with himself and holds the thought that beauty is only superficial and based on vanity. But unfortunately this thought does not hold good. Aesthetics and function are well integrated into each other and are inseparable. A beautiful smile is an indication of proper and healthy function, which ultimately leads to longevity of the dentition.

In today’s world where the emphasis on beauty is growing rather than diminishing, more and more people from all walks of life are increasingly becoming aware of their smile. Whether this awareness is for personal improvement or stems from the belief that appearnances influence professional success, the number of people who are becoming smile conscious is growing. Recent research has indicated that presentable people are by far more confident and successful. Looking good makes these people feel good.

Children and teenagers are especially sensitive about unattractive teeth. When the teeth are discolored, decayed, missing, crooked etc., there is often a conscious effort to avoid smiling and a tendency to try to “cover up” their teeth. Correction of these types of dental problems can produce quite a dramatic change in one’s personality.

The impact of a smile lift can be readily seen in the new found happiness and increase in self esteem. There is often a metamorphosis in the overall appearance and improved social interactions of the person. Well shaped teeth with a pleasant smile are said to be a conficence booster and a lifestyle stimulator.

So what constitutes an unacceptable smile (unhealthy) or an acceptable smile? Broken, decayed, mal-aligned, missing teeth with spongy bleeding gums, compounded with bad breath all contribute to an unhealthy smile. The converse is true for an acceptable smile.

It is very important to understand that each of these problems are interrelated. For example, if you have malaligned teeth or spacing between teeth, the most common problem would be increased food retention, which cannot be easily removed because of inaccessibility. These areas then become potential pockets for bacterial growth, ultimately leading to tooth decay, irritation of the supporting gums and bad breath. The proper approach for treating this would be to correct the underlying cause – malaligned teeth.

Treatment options for a smile lift can vary from low cost simple procedures such as tooth cleaning, whitening, space colosures, tooth clored fillings to extensive procedures involving multi – disciplinary approach combining restorative dentistry, orthodontics and dental implants etc. smile analysis with color correction and alteration of teeth is the state – of –art for dentistry in the new millennium.

The benefit of positive psychological effects seen in a patient, after improving his or her smile make conservative aesthetic dentistry extremely gratifying for a dentist. It represents a whole new dimenision of dental treatment options for the patients.

In today’s world with knowledge and technology unfolding at every moment, mankind has been made available a plethora of options. So it stands to reason that man recognize these advancements and opportunities and make the best use of them.

Finally to stress the importance of a healthy smile always keep in mind that: A smile is the lightining system of the face Cooling system of the head Heating system of the heart and booting system of the mind”.

Courtesy: Indian Express