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Thursday, August 21, 2014

World Mosquito Day

Today (sorry yesterday, as I am reporting one and half hour late) is world Mosquito day. World Mosquito Day, observed annually on 20 August, is a commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Ross is responsible for the annual observance, having declared shortly after his discovery that the day should be known as World Mosquito Day in the future. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine holds Mosquito Day celebrations every year, including events such as parties and exhibitions, a tradition dating back to as early as the 1930s.
Dr Ronald Ross
Here are some myths which are prevalent in the community.


  • Garlic and Marmite ward of mosquitoes.
  • Mosquitoes like sweet blood- No it is not sweet but sweat from your body. What draws mosquitoes is a cocktail of odors produced by the microbes on your skin.
  • Mosquitoes don’t  have a wardrobe preference- The mosquitoes are attracted to the heat and dark coloured clothing retain more heat than light coloured clothing, so mosquitoes prefer black or dark blue cloths.
  • Antiseptic mouthwash repels mosquitoes- No it may give you fresh minty breath but it does not put mosquitoes away.
  • Mosquitoes bite- No they don’t as they don’t have teeth; rather they suck your blood by piercing your skin through a long and sharp proboscis.
  • Mosquitoes die after feeding
  • Mosquitoes can transit HIV when it sucks blood of a healthy person, just after feeding on an AIDS patient of HIV infected person- No as HIV is digested in their stomach, so it’s broken down without being passed to a healthy person.
  • Electric bug zapper is effective on mosquitoes- No it can kill only 1% of mosquitoes or  other biting insects. So do not rely on these gadgets for killing the mosquitoes.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

TENSION HEADACHE

                                                                                            -DR. ARVIND DUBEY
Though the word ‘tension’ is a very commonly used word, it is one which cannot be easily defined.  Its literal meaning is given as ‘stretched tight’.  In common parlance the word is used for mental condition arising out of nervous strain.  Scientifically, it is defined as a state of increased motor and psychological activity, which is unpleasant.

It is generally accepted that headache and emotional stress are interconnected.  Headache is the expression of conflicting emotions and anxiety.  It may be the result of a complicated biochemical alteration.  Usually the origin of anxiety is rooted deeply in an individual’s past interpersonal conflicts.  Feeling of inadequacy, guilt, shame, helplessness, envy, loneliness or fear of abandonment, all of which may contribute to resentment or hostility towards a loved person.  Such feelings are usually repressed or rejected at conscious level, may emerge as bodily symptoms. 
Headache is the expression of conflicting emotions and anxiety (Courtesy- Wikipedia)
The severity of these headaches ranges from minimal discomfort, commonly experienced followed fixed attention, a prolonged car drive or long periods of intensive studies; to incapacitating headaches or pains that are totally disabling and thereby precluding physical activity.  Such headaches are said to be the consequence of eyestrain or concentration, but perhaps, the necessity to perform an unpleasant task or to continue an emotionally repugnant involvement may be the more likely cause.
These headaches ranges from minimal to incapacitating discomfort (Courtesy-Wikipedia)

Treatment
Treatment of tension headaches can be very frustrating.  Mild analgesics such as aspirin and paracetamol are generally preferred in treating headaches.  As is the usual practice, during self-medication, the patient keeps on increasing the dosage while the headache persists.  But contrary to the belief, the amount of drug taken, over and above its optimal dose, does not relieve the discomfort but adds to its side effects.  Self-medication should be avoided as many drugs for headaches contain caffeine, the stimulant action of which may be undesirable when a large amount of the drug is consumed.  Besides, these drugs cause gastric irritation, nausea and vomiting and even gastric ulcer and other blood coagulation disorders.
          
Anxious patients with tension headaches also use sedatives, viz. Diazepam, but these too are accompanied by problems of over dosing, psychological dependence and side effects, when taken beyond the optimal level.  However, to date, no drug is available to treat tension headaches.  Despite the uncertainties surrounding the exact relationship of psychological disturbances to headaches, certain types of psychotherapies and behavioural alterations appear to be curative in many patients.  The value of simple reassurance should never be underestimated.
          
The unconscious choice of headache as an expression of anxiety is probably governed by many factors, the most common amongst which is the concept and image of one’s body and its functions that develop early in life.  Along with the growth of the though process, the importance of the head and its function get impressed on the mind.  Headache is often one of the earliest words related to bodily ailments that children recognise when unsuspecting mothers choose headache as a physical expression of anxiety.  Thus a child begins to associate a state of anxiety with a headache.
          
Tension headaches are caused when the skeletal muscles contract about the face (top of head, neck and shoulders).  The arteries supplying blood to the above muscles contract too when they respond to generalised noxious stimuli.  This decreases the blood supply to the muscles.  Often, headaches are associated with fatigues tensions.
          
There is no fixed pattern for headaches.  It is a dull aching pain and is expressed as tightness, pressure, drawing or soreness of the head.  It is usually in both sides of the head and, more so on the back of the head.
          
Use of physical therapy for tension headaches has a long history.  Heat and massage have been used as muscle relaxants since antiquity.  Often there is a prompt relief but it is usually short lasting.  There are some techniques by which within a few weeks, the patient learns to relax his head muscles on his own will.  Biofeedback therapies are also tried but they need the help of a trained psychiatrist.
 Remember that it is just an outward symptom of an inner tension.  The real culprit is deep-seated anxiety about anything between unpleasant involvements to fear of loneliness.         
The above modalities do not treat the underlying tension that may be causing the symptom.  To alleviate the tension, the approach should be to provide the patient with the necessary understanding and insight into how he translates his anxiety into muscle tautness, which manifests as tension headache.  Change in atmosphere and stimulus, which brings about these tensions, should be tried.  Though it is very difficult to implement, yet sometimes, by minor changes, tension can be alleviated.  But this also has individual variability.  Yoga, meditation can also offer hope in this direction.

HEALTHY SKIN : INDICATOR OF YOUR PERSONALITY

-DR. ARVIND DUBEY
Skin is the largest organ of our body– it protects, regulates temperature, provides oil and transmits sensations-but, still, often, the skin is given step-motherly treatment by us!  We abuse it with neglect and rough treatment.

You are gifted with a unique covering for your body viz. skin.  When you encounter any noxious stimulus, it is the skin which faces it first. On entering a warm or cold room, it is the skin which finds it pleasant or intolerable. It is self-sufficient and can repair all wear and tear by itself provided it is healthy.  It is always with you, walking or sleeping, working or resting, all through your life.

The total skin in an adult could weigh up to 6 pounds.  It is made up of 2 main layers- Epidermis and Dermis, which in them are made up of several layers. The outer layers are hard and horny and the inner ones are soft.  The horny layer of skin, forms nails, over the fingers.

                                          Cut section of skin
On the fingertips and on the palms, parallel ridges can be seen which form patterns of fine lines.  Rows of tiny swellings or papillae are found with ends of nerves and loops of tiny blood carrying capillaries.  The size of these capillaries is controlled by the nerves, which respond to changes in temperature.

There are several glands found in the skin but the important ones are the sweat and oil secreting glands.  The sweat glands play an important role in maintaining body temperature.  The oil glands open into pits from which the hairs grow.  Oil secreted by these glands makes skin soft and keeps it from drying.

ROSY CHEEKS: NATURE’S GIFT 
Rosiness of cheeks and skin depends on the number and arrangement of the blood vessels, the thinness of outer layer of skin and the quality of blood.  A thin outer layer permits the colour of the tiny blood vessels to be seen through it. Tiny grains of brown or reddish yellow colouring material or pigment are buried in the inner layers of the epidermis.  In light coloured persons, the amount of this pigment is lesser than in the dark complexioned. Primarily, the amount of pigment in the skin is determined by heredity, though this pigment may vary greatly with exposure to sunlight.

CLEANLINESS OF THE SKIN 
Cleanliness helps to maintain a good complexion and improve personal appearance.  To be clean is not only healthy but it makes one more attractive to others.
Baths-  
  • Ordinarily one thinks of a bath only as a means to clean the skin but it provides more advantages.  It soothes the nerves and tones up the muscles or relaxes them.  By stimulating the skin, a bath speeds up the circulation of the blood.
  • Correct bathing at the right time improves health.  The water should be at or a little above body temperature.  The warm water dilates blood vessels and the blood is diverted away from the brain to skin, often making one feel comfortably sleepy.  Such a bath is best taken at bed-time.
  • A hot bath, with water above body temperature should be taken only when one is chilled.  The warmer the water used for a bath, the more necessary is the protection against chilling after the bath.  Otherwise, the bath may do more harm than good.
  • Bathing with cold- water first contracts the blood vessels in the skin; so the blood is diverted to internal organs.  It acts as a powerful tonic to the skin and makes one feel alert.  The cold bath can also train the blood vessels to respond quickly to changes in temperature.  So, healthy people who take cold baths regularly are generally more hardy and less susceptible to cold a chill than others who do not.
  • The cold bath should be followed by a reaction in which the surface blood vessels dilate again, so that the skin becomes warm and glowing.  Brisk rubbing with a dry and rough towel will help to secure this reaction.
  • A bath should not be taken within an hour after eating. During this period digestive organs need more blood .So it is unwise to disturb circulation at this time.  A bath should always precede a visit to your doctor for physical examination and follow a vigorous exercise.
  • The face and hands should be washed many times in a day and especially in the morning and evening.  Persons with oily skins should use a lot of soap and water.  When washing the face, do not neglect the back of the neck and the area behind the ears.
Use of soap
  • For those who always insist that old is gold, the soap may seem useless or even harmful for the skin.  This is not really true.  Soap is made up of oil and alkali.  The lesser the amount of alkali, the milder the soap but the lesser is the cleansing action.  A mild soap, makes enough lather on application and does not irritate the skin, can be used. 
  • Soap coming for the first time in the market from a non-reputed company should not be tried easily. Highly coloured or scented soap should be avoided because in such soaps the colours and odours are often used to mask ingredients which should not be tolerated even in laundry soap!
  • Contrary to belief, no medicine put into soap, can give it a special advantage over an ordinary mild soap of good quality.   Similarly, the benefits of glycerin, lime, lemon, lanolin, etc is questionable ; at times these may be harmful.
  • Some manufacturers claim that their soap is better for oily skin; it is at times a baseless claim.  Any soap having even a mild cleaning action (which soap always has) is able to remove that minute quality of so called, “excess oil” from the skin.
  • Due to some misconceptions, especially in the middle income group, the harder soaps containing more alkali or even laundry soaps are used to clean the hair and scalp.  This results in hair loss.  Ideally, good mild shampoos should be used.   Some mild soap used for bathing can also serve as an alternative to shampoo.
Use of bath oil
This is a greatly misunderstood topic.  Usually bath oil is applied before the bath, or sometimes mixed in the bath water.  In both the conditions, it is of no use.  It only increases the soap price and increases the lather produced by it. Bath oils are indicated only in certain dry skin conditions where it should be used just after a bath, before drying the skin.  Alternatively, a moisturizer can be used after the bath.

MASSAGE OF THE SKIN
Massaging of skin plays an important role in maintaining its youth especially after 35 years of age.  The movement of the fingers in this process should be from down upwards for the face massage.  This maintains the tone and circulation in facial muscles and prevents appearance of wrinkles.  This fact is true for the skin of arms and any other part of the body too.
 
COSMETICS AND SKIN
  • It has been estimated that during the period in which the population of our country has doubled, the sale of cosmetics has gone up 15 times.  To the public, cosmetics are artificial aids to charm.  While ordinarily, no harm should result from the moderate use of cosmetics (provided these are not cheap); no real benefit to the health of skin is derived.
  • Girls misguided by advertisements often ruin a good, clear, natural skin with the unwise use of cosmetics.  At best, the use of cosmetics can attempt to imitate the natural hues of a healthy complexion.  It must not be forgotten the shutting out the sun rays with cosmetics may actually mar the skin and therefore the complexion less healthy.
  • However, there are few ingredients which are present in cheaper or sometimes even in good quality cosmetics, can cause allergic conditions.
  • There is no substitution for the healthy hair, white teeth and clear, firm complexion which come from a proper diet, rest, exercise and optimistic mind.  A good complexion cannot be bought from a box or a bottle.

SUNLIGHT AND SKIN
Sunlight induces some kind of a chemical reaction in the skin.  .  Usually, it causes tanning of the skin but in few susceptible persons, it may lead to sunburn.  In our country, tanning is not needed.  In fact, it is difficult to avoid the darkening of the complexion especially for those who work in the sun.  A cream containing ‘SUNSCREEN’ should be used to avoid darkening of the skin.

ROLE OF GOOD DIET AND EXERCISE IN SKIN HEALTH

Good diet, good sleep and exercise can be called, “real cosmetics.”  A good protein-rich diet with added vitamins and minerals, especially of the B-complex group, keeps skin charming, lively and healthy.  Early to bed and early to rise with sound sleep of not less than 8 hours keeps wrinkled eyes away and the skin healthy.  Similarly, a routine mild exercise maintains adequate blood circulation in the skin and keeps it fresh and glowing.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

EAT RIGHT IN YOUR PREGNANCY TO GET A BRIGHT CHILD

                                                                                                                                        Dr. Arvind Dubey

Courtesy-Wikipedia
If you are a future mother, give your child a better start by taking balanced and adequate nutrition.

Proteins

Brain is nothing but protein:
The basic brain cells, connecting wires like structures (Axons), receiving ends, chemicals communicating these massages, are all proteins.  Substances that manage the growth of this all network are nothing but protein.
How much protein:
Regarding the above fact you may decide to go on high protein diet in pregnancy but there is a warning too. Avoid excessive protein in pregnancy not for brighter kids but to avoid toxemia of pregnancy. What your unborn kid’s brain need is right amounts of right protein which is around 100to 120 grams a day for a 45 to 50 kilograms women and about 200 to 250 grams for 70 kilograms woman.
Protein sources:
Animal proteins are considered as complete protein as they contain all amino acids in right amount and proportions, which is not the case with vegetable proteins.  So one has to combine two or more source of vegetable proteins to get the right amount and proportion of amino acids.  The components of this mixture are separately called complementary proteins.  Few of these mixtures are rice and beans, rice and lentils, beans and peas, bean and cornmeal or corn bread, roasted soybeans-sunflower seeds and peanuts, lentil and barley etc.  These combinations should replace the usual foods in strictly vegetarian expectant mothers.
Fat and Cholesterol
It is the interconnecting fine meshwork, which determine the potential brightness, a brain can achieve.  This all made up of fat and cholesterol. So high fat, high cholesterol diet is the answer. Surprising! Isn’t so? Repeatedly you might be advised to give away fat and cholesterol from your diet by your family physician to avoid heart disease and thickening of blood vessels.  But unborn and younger children certainly need high fat high cholesterol for their better growth.
Right amount of right fats:
Polyunsaturated fats, which are vegetable fats (expect palm and coconut oil, which are saturated ones and implicated in the onset of hardening of blood vessels) were considered good.  But recently there are evidences that under certain conditions these too may turn into harmful products.  So now monounsaturated fats, found in olive and peanut oil are consider best.  But do not take this as a license to gorge you with fatty foods. Follow the guidelines of your doctor.
Best and worst fat and cholesterol foods:
Best fat foods are the vegetable oils such as almonds, corn, safflower, soybeans and animal fats such as butter, fish liver oil etcetera.  While all other animal fats except above two are the worst fats for growing brain of your unborn child.  Similarly whole milk, eggs, dairy products meals (especially liver), fish etcetera are the good cholesterol foods but grains, pulses; vegetables are the worst foods for cholesterol.
Glucose: Instant energy for growing brain
Natural or purified sugar:
Commercially available white crystalline sugar does not contain any mineral or vitamin so it is an empty calorie food.  But in natural sources such as unprocessed fresh fruits, berries vegetables, and sugar cane sugar is always packaged with vitamins and minerals needed by body.  Saccharine and pure glucose too equals with pure crystalline sugars.
How it helps?
It helps in providing energy for the structural and hormonal changes needed for a successful pregnancy.  These too prevent a commonest complaint of “worn out feeling”, during pregnancy.
Best and worst sugar sources:
Fruits (grapes), berries, grains, vegetables, potatoes, milk and liver are the best however pure white crystalline sugars, glucose and other pure sugars and their products no doubt are source of sugar but worst ones.
Vital to vital mechanism: The Vitamins

To be very accurate these should be supplemented prior to the conception to replenish all the deficiencies adequately as most of the females who are on vegetarian diet, are deficient for these vitamins.  To compensate this, researchers recommend higher doses of these vitamins as no harmful effect of such high doses of these vitamins is seen in volunteers.

FEED THEM RIGHT TO MAKE YOUR KIDS BRIGHT PART-3 (Way to increase IQ of your child by the right food)

                                                                                                                                     Dr. Arvind Dubey
(Continued----------------)
INFANCY: BRAIN STILL HAS POTENTIAL TO GROW
Brain develops in infancy too:
Though it is true that not even a single cell is added in the brain after birth but intricate connections, which transform the virtually unrecognized brain at birth into the amazing machine, with which your child perceive the world and react to it, via talking, feeling, thinking and acting is keep on developing even later in the infancy. For this child needs fats, cholesterol, protein, natural glucose and vitamins.
Adequate breast feeding- Take off towards brightness:
.
Breast milk contains all needed amino acids in right amount and proportion for your baby. It is also rich in fats. Lactose, the sugar of the milk, easily converts into glucose and serves as energy source. This sugar absorbs slowly, so remains in the intestine of a baby and nurture those bacteria, which help in fighting off the invading harmful bacteria.  Proportion of calcium to phosphate (important for absorption of calcium via intestine) is balanced in this milk. This contains immunoglobulins, which provide immunity against various diseases. Breast-feeding not only helps babies but it helps mothers too. It improves the figure, maintains breast contour and firmness (provided these are emptied by the baby regularly and supported with adequate size bra), acts a natural contraceptive, prevents breast cancer and make both mother and child dependable to each other so strengthens the bond between them.
Courtsey-.wikipedia
And after breast feedings:
Up to the age of three years total diet can be modified in such a way that constitutionally it resembles breast milk. It means that about 50% of total need of calories comes from fat, 35 to 45% from complex carbohydrates and 8-15% from protein. Whole milk, not the skimmed milk supplies these fats. So skimmed (or toned) milk is not better for children younger then two years because at two years of age the “dendrites”   essential for setting up connections between brains cells, reach to their maximum number.
In fourth and fifth month:
This is the time when diet supplementation is needed as body stores for various elements (especially iron) start exhausting in normal children and consistency of diet needs change from total liquid to semisolids.  You can start with iron containing cereals, mixed with breast milk, milk formula or animal milk.  Traditional ‘SATTU’ mixed in milk may be a good home made recipe for these kids. Commercially available starter cereal foods (obviously you all know the names of common brands) can also serve the purpose but are no way better than home made recipes (meshed rice, meshed and thoroughly cooked dal, meshed potato, meshed ripe papaya etcetera) and rather inferior to them as these home made recipes are always available fresh and does not involve extra expenditure or preparation. Start with one or two teaspoons full of these foods daily and increase it to 2.5 to 3 table spoonfuls daily along with 6 breastfeeding in 4th month and 5-6 in 5th month, about 10-20 minutes on each breast, each time.  Formula fed babies need 5-6 ounce daily in 4th month and 8-10 ounce in 5th month.  Increase the concentration of solids in the mixture so now your baby will be on a mixture having smooth and creamy texture. There is an agreement that these foods should not be seasoned with salt, sugar, honey or vinegar etc.
From sixth to eighth month:
Now your baby’s menu contains finely meshed fruits and vegetables.  At 6th months give him meshed onion, tomatoes, asparagus and soft ripe banana but avoid cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potato, beans, honey, plain yogurt etc.  In seventh month finely minced chicken lamb, liver, pork etcetera may be a delightful experience for them.  It is a teething time, so a bit harder biscuits; toasts can be given to them to try their gums and also to reduce discomfort of teething.  Between 7th to 8th months give them small pieces of food that challenge their growing ability to pick up the things (babies learn to pick up the things in 7th month, first with their palms and later on in 8th to 9th month by thumb and fore finger.  These pieces of food also act as edible toys for your kid and these also provide stir to your child’s brain.
From eighth to tenth month:
This is the time when your child’s need of iron is at its maximum.  Feed them with iron fortified milk formula, juices, vegetables, meat, fish cheese, cooked beans, butter, and whole milk etcetera.  Egg yolk is of immense importance now, as it provides cholesterol, which a developing brain needs most. Try to avoid egg white, as your child may be allergic to it. This is the age when your child learns to drink from a cup (8th month), so give him whole milk by a cup. Give him chopped vegetable too.
From tenth to twelfth month:
During this period gradually add articles from your family menu one by one. So by the end of first year, your child will start feeding himself on your family diet completely.
And after this?

 Continue from your family menu according to your list.  Enter the kitchen; select the adequate foods, use your cooking acumen and feed your kid to brightness.  Good luck!
The End

FEED RIGHT TO MAKE YOUR KIDS BRIGHT PART-2 (Way to increase IQ of your child by the right food)

                                                                                                                                   Dr. Arvind Dubey
III. Sugars (The empty calorie food)
Some observant mothers have reported that their previously well-behaved kids suddenly start exploding with anger going in temper tantrums or irrational outbursts following sugar filled meals.  Later Alexander from American institute of biosocial research, Florida, linked the outset of learning disabilities to a high sugar diet.  When such diet was continued, nine out of ten of these learning disabled kids developed into juvenile delinquents.  But to remove sugar from the diet is neither the answer of the problem nor it is practically possible because low glucose in the blood may lead to, irritability loss of concentration & attention, faltering memory, depression, anxiety, light headedness, dizziness, sleeplessness, fatigue, exhaustion electra.  However, it may be curtailed up to a great extent because it does not provide any vitamins and minerals, besides the empty calories.  But all sugar subtitutes cannot serve the purpose because these too have empty calories.
Break your kid’s sugar habit: 
Contrary to a popular belief no baby is born with a sweat tooth.  The taste for sugar is acquired but once acquired it is very hard to break.  To ban the sugar from you kitchen may be a smart idea but around 250 gm of sugar which an average adult consume daily, does not come from the sugar they spoon into their tea or coffee but the sugar hidden in virtually all junk foods (chocolates, cold drinks ice creams and even those foods which do not taste sweet at all such as potato chips). You can gradually reduce this hidden sugar by barring these junk foods and a time may come when their foods may not have extra sugars.
IV. Anti Iron Foods
A high carbohydrate diet (75% or more of total calories obtained from carbohydrates) can cause iron deficiency so the manufacture of adequate amount of haemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying compound of blood, is not possible. This may result into learning disabilities memory loss, diminished attention span, irritability, sluggishness, fatigue, and lack of motivation etc. This iron deficiency could have significant negative implications in terms of learning and scholastic achievements in later life.
Bran, cheese, corn, eggs, millet, pulses, rice, spinach, soya beans, tea are the principal anti iron food.  As these only attack iron present in the plants, so are harmless when animal foods are a regular part of the diet.
VI. High Fiber Diet
Eating fibers containing foods in moderate amount is a healthy practice but above optimal quantities can be harmful, both physically and mentally.  Excess fiber blocks absorption of vital minerals for the brain such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.  This may lead to irritability nervousness, sleeplessness, mood swings, anxiety, depression, memory loss, decreased attention span, impaired sense perception, and learning disabilities etcetera.


Beans, berries, figs, plums, pear, apples with skin, peas, corn almonds, coconut, backed potato with skin, salad greens etc are the important high fiber foods so use right quantities of these in the diet of your kid. 
(Continued in next post--------------------)

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

FEED RIGHT TO MAKE YOUR KIDS BRIGHT PART-1 (Way to increase IQ of your child by the right food)

Dr. Arvind Dubey
Some are born bright to many more it can be fed by their caring parents.  You may be one of them but how?  By giving them right quality of balanced food, by feeding them with the foods which help their brain to achieve its atmost potential and by avoiding the food which may turn them into Jekyll and Hydes, which may make them slow learner and hyperactive.  But from where one can get these foods.  Form your own kitchen.  It has been proved that by careful feeding one can increase the IQ of his or her kid by as much as 35.  So why not come along and try, not from tomorrow but from this very moment.

DANGEROUS FOODS

Food industries have progressed relentlessly in last few years.  Consequently the food market is now full of useless junk foods such as fast foods, easy to cook food, so called two-minute foods, ready to serve foods etcetera. These processed foods are simply useless and most of the time these are harmful to the developing brain of your child.

Salicylates: 
These are the compound used in various medications such as aspirin and other fever and pain reducing drugs.  It has been observed that children who consume food containing salicylates and other additives develop a symptom complex, the hyperactivity.
Hyperactive children:
 These are the children who cannot sit still for a brief moment, have a shorter attention span than it takes to read a line of type, are often uncontrollable and have sleep problems.  They go on unstoppable verbal marathons.  They are imitated by almost everything and usually respond with aggression.  They may be so disruptive in nature that they are presumed a nuiscence every where, either it is a playground, a classroom or their home.
What salicylates do?
Salicylates sharply reduce the amounts of vitamin C, B-complex and minerals like calcium, potassium and iron in child’s brain.  Deprivation of any of these may result in hyperactivity and salicylates may cause deficiency of all of these.
Salicylate containing foods:  
These are, some fruits such as apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, grapes, oranges, peaches, plums, prunes, resins, raspberries, strawberries etc. and few vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes and their products. For detailed information regarding Salicylate content of food items click here
Stop giving your child such foods:
If you are sure on the basis of above said symptoms that your child is hyperactive then scan the items he eats and then only remove the food, which can cause it from this list and observe for the cure.  However doctors now a days recommends a diet with right amount of vitamins and minerals to compensate the loss of these vitamins by salicylate.  So it is better to consult you paediatrician after your hit and trial method of avoiding such foods fails.

Save your child’s brain by home made recipes:

Food additives too can cause hyperactivity in your child.  With the advent of junk foods these are present in almost all the food available in the market.  These substances are always mixed in food to hide some thing, which is disagreeable, foul smelling or noxious to the health.  Otherwise natural food doesn’t need any additive as they have their own natural pleasant colours and odour. So how to avoid it? Of course by home made freshly prepared recipes for your child.

II.Cerebral allergens (Foods that makes your child a slow learner)

Few of the day-to-day foods, act as allergens to brain are: soybean, bread and other backed goods, corn and corn products, grapefruit, lemons, lentils, limes, oranges peanuts, peas, potatoes, wheat germ etc.
How to recognize that slow learning is due to brain allergens:
As there may be many causes of slow learning tendency. If slow learning is accompanied by paleness, feeling under par, circles or bags under eyes, chronic stuffy nose, excessive sneezing, vague aches and pains, itching, rashes bedwetting, puffiness or bloating, wheezing etcetera it may be considered be due to cerebral allergens.  By removing the items one by one from the above list and observing the child for 8 days one can point out the possible culprit in the food.  But it is a long process.  So help of a medical allergy specialist may be taken for quick results and treatment in the form of desensitization against that particular food because the elemination diets (diets avoiding offending food elements) are not very convenient to arrange and tolerate both for the family and the kids too.
How these allergens act:
These allergens diminish the brain’s supply of certain vitamins and (Vit C, B6, Pentothenic acid) minerals (calcium, copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus,  selinium and chromium) below the levels that prevent total slow learning syndrome.  These levels are different for every particular child that’s why every child who is consuming these allergens is not affected.  A diet, capable of supplementing above said vitamins and minerals might counteract the effect of these allergens.  So help of a nutritionist may be sought.


Ref- salicylatesensitivity.com   (Continued in next post--------------------)

EARTH EATING: A HABIT OF CONCERN TO MOTHERS

-Dr. Arvind Dubey
Earth eating or eating and/or craving for abnormal edible objects in technical terms in known as ‘Pica’.  It is very commonly encountered in common day-to-day practice and everywhere remains a cause of concerns for mothers especially who are conscious of their child development to an extent. Even being a very common problem of childhood, Indian literature shows a paucity of accurate information about it, especially for non-medical masses.
Word ‘Pica’ is derived from a Latin word “Magpie” meaning a bird famous for its habit of stealing unnatural object for food commonly found inedible to general categories of birds.
Avicenna in 1000 AD brought attention of general public to this problem and presumed that probably it was due to some deficiency in diet especially Iron and also described benefit of iron preparation in treating it.  Recently this disorder had given full regards by putting it in separate category of habit disorders and by explaining accurate criteria for defining the disorder, which states “evidence of regular eating of non edible substances for at least one month.
Though this disorder has been evaluated to greater depth yet exact cause and factors responsible for it are still debatable. When child is born his world of experience uses to be very limited.  As he grows, it expands through the process of exploration.  According to concepts of psychological development, first erotic zone developed in early life is “oral one”.  So at this stage all the pleasures are associated with this zone and obtained by mouthing any thing comes in the way to child but it is supposed to be normal unto age of 18 month to 2 years.  But if this extends beyond this age and becomes a regular feature then it is to be investigated and may be considered as a health hazard.  Though this habit of eating abnormal things such as clay, mud, ash etc is also found in pregnancy but it is not supposed as health hazard because it is temporary and due to some established substantial deficiencies and increased levels of some hormones during pregnancy that ceases when the things come to the normal after pregnancy.  Though being a regular eating of these things more than 1 month it comes under boundaries to be diagnosed, as ‘Pica’ yet never needs investigation.
As such few defficiency states for certain substances blamed Widely for this disorder and important one from these was iron and some time calcium and magnesium also. People tried to treat this disorder by injectable iron preparations and results were good but probably due to fear of injections in a child.
 In some tribal areas and in some underdeveloped countries such as Rhodesia, some Portuguese tribal areas, East, North & West Africa and Congo, earth eating is a common practice.  There it is usually associated with religious and magical belief of natives.  On entering alien soil an African may eat a little of it’s soil as an act of homage.  His wife, children and even the baby must also partake in this rite.  It is also believed that if a woman eats earth before pregnancy she becomes more fertile and by continuing to eat, it increases her power of lactation.
Some social factors play vital role in development of this disorder.  Large facilities with inadequate resources to take care of that large family’s needs, uninformed parents, and inadequate child care due to family disorganization, marital disharmony, unmarried mother, working mothers etc. are the important ones.  Poverty also plays an important role in development of this habit but the factor causing it may be poor nutrition, inadequate attention to child due to ignorance, psychosocial environment or all of these.
 Psychological stresses are supposed to be the mainstay of causation.  This includes, recent arrival of new sibling or pregnant mother, maternal illness or hospitalization, hospitalization or recent illness of child himself, separation from mother father or from grand parents.  Frequent change of residence also affect child’s attitude a lot and may initiate earth eating in a previously normal child.
As it has already been stressed that oral exploration is a first mean used by child and young animals to understand the outside world.  In children these oral patterns of behaviour gradually become restricted to the feeding situation, towards the end of 1st year.  This is high time. At this stage some defect in oral fixation or disturbed behaviour or orality may lead to this disorder and so may be associated with pacifiers, thumb seeking prolonged bottle or breast-feeding.
Organic brain damage due to developmental causes, cause related to birth events such as delay in first breath etc. has also been blamed as a causative factor in development of this habit and unfortunately it form a self complete circle of events.  A mentally retarded child has greater dependency on parents. If it is not fulfilled either due to ignorance or due to aversion to child, this oral activity as an alternative for satisfaction persists.  On consumption of paint as an abnormal food object, the lead of this paint may cause further brain damage and complete the circle.
Some times loss or inevitable sharing of a loved object produces an internalized hostility, which in turn may be projected as earth eating.  General environmental situations which may also lead to this perverted eating include poor housing, houses painted by lead containing paints, children of parents, who had earth eating as a problem in their childhood and children having playmates with this perverted appetit
This problem is most prevalent in the age group of 1-3 years (on an average 2-3 years of age) and children in nuclear families.  If one child in the family having this disorder the chances of another children to have this disorder increase manifold.
Dirt eating is more common in male children, which is probably due to preferential concern of parents to male children in this part of country. Prferentially more number of male children in comparison female children is taken to the doctor for treatment of this problem.
The substances which are eaten in this habit includes dirt, mud, sand, earthen pottery, wall plaster, coal, chalk, ash, candles soap paper, agarbatties, cow dung, cement, plastic goods etc.  Among these eating dirt, mud, earthen pottery, sand and chalk are more common.
In one study conducted at various places, it was found that there are so many erroneous concepts of parents regarding causation of this habit.  These include worms, hereditary factors calcium, iron, deficiency, evil spirit, and ingestion of worms during play or some unknown causes etc.
This disorder manifests itself in many ways but anaemia, and malnutrition is the important ones but it is still doubtful that malnutrition itself is a cause or manifestation of this disorder.  Not all the children with this perverted eating habit have malnutrition though most of them manifest in this way.  Worm infestation is also a leading complaint among such children.  This in turn may lead to anaemia and malnutrition because each worm sucks around 0.2 ml of blood per day from intestine.  When children ingest wall plaster they may develop lead poisoning due to lead constituent of paint.  The children enjoy eating clay and earthen pottery may be deficient for zinc.
Most of the children with this habit have a number of associated behaviour problems.  Every child with perverted appetite should be expected to have some behaviour problem particularly if he has an aggressive nature.  Most of these behavioural problems are in the form of aggressive reactions, for example – temper tantrums, bruxism, and breath holding spells, head banging and nail biting etc. Continuous swallowing of hairs and vegetable fibers may lead to “Trichobezarre” and “Phytobezarre” respectively.  These later on may present as intestinal obstruction. Swallowing of stones and may cause intestinal perforation and even death.  Though these complications are rare now a day due to advent of modern surgery.

Treatment of such common habit is rather tedious.  Due to ignorance in its initial stage it usually never taken seriously.  As defective mothering is supposed to be a very important cause of it so manipulations here lead to abatement of this perverted eating habit.  This can be done by changing the pattern of relationship in such a way that child start feeling himself secure and an important part of family.  Due attention has to be paid to his works his hobbies and interests so he may not need an extra instrument to attract the attention of others by this habit. Environment and surrounding can be changed.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

WOMEN AFTER FORTY : SOME BONY ISSUES


                                    Dr. Arvind Dubey

Decreasing bone density is a very important and very common health hazard of  women after forty-forty five years of age. It is painful and crippling. This is called, "OSTEOPOROSIS" or "POROUS BONES" which is never considered a disease but a normal routine for women or as a discredit of being a woman, especially in rural India.

Why should you at all fear osteoporosis?

Besides a painful and crippling condition, chances of bone fractures increase considerably in osteoporosis. Even a minor fall or a vigorous hug may Cause a fractured bone which heals very slowly or some times not at all or with long term disability and accelerated death rate. It causes marked changes in posture as humped back is considered a stereotype of ageing especially in our country. Deformed skeletal framework pushes or shifts various organs result into a spectrum of difficulties ranging from constipation to breathing problems. There may be chronic low backache, restlessness, arthritis, and leg cramps etcetera.

Cause of the problem

What you are suffering today is the culmination of slow process started decades back. We usually visualize bone as a solid rigid inactive mass but in fact it is an active living tissue, constantly being recycled. Inner part of bone always breaks down and outer surface is always in the process of reformation. The delicate balance of these two processes in response to the demand of the body, which is maintained in the youth, becomes disturbed. More calcium is withdrawn from the bones than deposited and these become soft and weak. Actual cause of this misbalance is not known. It may be hormones, a genetic predisposition, nutrition, physical activity, life style factors or probably all in combination.
Bone loss wit advanced age  occurs due to changes in a woman's hormone levels.
Image Courtsey- Wikipedia
Female hormone, oestrogen, may be cited as a cause because when its production stops due to ovarian atrophy, the process enhances. In nutri­tion Calcium and vitamin D, C & E deficiencies have been blamed as even in a healthy adult deficiency of these can cause osteoporosis

Who is at risk?

Any one who is having the fo1lowing may be at the risk of developing speedy osteoporosis. Judge yourself over these 1ines­-
  • Any member of your family had or having bone disease?
  • Are you short stature and thin built?
  • Are you fair skinned?
  • Have your ovaries been removed before 45 years of age?
  • Are you childless?
  • Have you been confined to bed for a longer period?
  • Are you having diabetes, kidney or liver disease?
  • Are you having an under active thyroid?
  • Are you sedentary?
  • Do you smoke?
  • Do you diet or fast frequently?
                 If your answer for any one of the above questions is yes then you are at the risk of developing osteoporosis.

What to do?

However you may sufficiently delay it and decrease its intensity but how? Read further and follow it in your life.

Take extra calcium in your diet: Calcium is essential to bone health. The daily allowance of calcium for a woman prior to menopause is 1000 milligrams per day and after menopause is around 1,500 milligrams per day. Take plenty of dairy products, turnips, fish (especially those which are eaten with bone), dates etc. Ragi is a very good source of calcium. This can be taken into CHAPATI or in some other form. Calcium supplementation in the form of medicinal preparations may be cheap and desirable alternative to many of the women. Take about 1 to 1.5 grams of elemental calcium per day (according to your menopausal status) and at least 50,000 units of vitamin D per week. This vitamin D will help you in depositing this calcium in the bone properly. As proper ratio of calcium to phosphates affects the amount of calcium absorbed by bones. So reduce your intake of high phosphate food drastically, namely all processed or canned meat, processed cheese, instant soups, puddings, pastries and soft drinks. For adequate absorption and metabolism of calcium, you will need vitamin C and magnesium. The whole business may look to you rather confusing, so it’s better to consult your doctor for it.

Change your life style: The speed with which your bones break down depends on the way you treat your body. These are few recommendations for change in your life style­-
·       Remain active as inactivity increases bone breakdown. Even after fracture, start moving as early as permitted by your doctor.
·       Cut down intake of meat in your diet as it has been seen that heavy meat eaters have twice more chances of developing osteoporosis than vegetarians. Eat more cereals, grains, beans, vegetables, nuts etc.
·       Avoid foods containing excess fats (optimum amount of fat intake is necessary- beware of slimming courses which insist on non-fat milk). So avoid saturated fats which are solid at room temperature viz. ghee, butter, lard and some vegetable oils such as coconut or palm oil.
·       Minimize your intake of concentrated sugars which produce acidity in the blood and consequently more calcium Comes out of bones.
·       Reduce intake of foods with high phosphate concentration (see above)
·       Stop smoking and boozing as both of these reduce amount of “Oestrogen” in blood so enhances bone dissolution.
·       Limit intake of coffee and tae.

Make exercise a routine: Like muscles bones grow stronger with use. Bone density in well nourished women depends directly on how much the bone is stressed. Though exercise should be started earlier but it’s never too late. No matter how old you are, exercise can strengthen your bones. The best exercise for bone strengthening are those that put a load or stress on your bones such as jogging, aerobic dances, skipping roaps or brisk walking. Simple dancing or swimming can be a good exercise. To get full benefit exercise should be done for 20 to 30 minutes at a pace fast enough to accelerate your pulse rate moderately. While exercising, beware it should not be over­ done because if overdone the exercise may increase bone destruction at the place of its formation.

Beware of self medication: Steroids (used erroneously for increasing muscle bulk and almost always present in magic or so called “rapid cure preparations” of nonqualified quacks) intake results in severe blood loss bone loss.  So please do not go for magic pills. Drugs for acidity (antacid) which especially contain Aluminum in them, may contribute to osteoporosis, when taken regularly. The drugs for hypertension which increase amount of urine, increase bone destruction or calcium removal in urine. So when you are on above said drugs take calcium and vit. D supplementation and consult your doctor on this point too.

CAN HORMONAL THERAPY BE AN ANSWER?

Bone resorption hastens as your ovaries are nonfunctional and you do not have its hormones. So it is very likely to be concluded that these hormones, especially Oestrogen might be a protector of the bone. But it is still debatable. It has been claimed that Oestrogen though decreases bone dissolution but it does not increase bone formation, which eventually usually decreases. As therapy is withdrawn the bone loss resumes. Simultaneously it places a woman at the risk of Cancer of uterus, breast & liver, high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, diabetes etc. So this hormone replacement therapy is not a desirable alternative for women with a family history of uterine or breast cancer, diabetes, liver diseases, gall bladder stones, migraine and uterine tumors.

It does not mean that no women should take Oesrogen even if she is a high risk candidate for osteoporosis. Current researches suggest that when the Oestrogen is taken in combination with another hormone called progesterone (this combination is found in almost all the faintly planning pills); risk of the cancer is reduced. But in any case this therapy should be started and continued under strict medical supervision.

So do not long for a magic pill for your day to day aches and pains due to osteoporosis which you can take at bedtime and on next fine morning find yourself cured. You have to Change a lot in your nutrition, your life style etcetera but choose the way you can pursue life long, not that which you can tolerate as a discomfort for a short period.