Month: February 2014

The Odd Ways Pregnancy Can Cause Vision Problems

Pregnancy can cause vision problems in sometimes unexpected ways, as two new medical reports show.

In one report, a 25-year-old first-time mother experienced blurred vision and flashes of light in both eyes when she was 36 weeks into her pregnancy.

An eye exam showed she had damage to the back of her eye, including swelling of the optic nerve. Another test showed the woman also had extremely high blood pressure, and a urine sample revealed she had abnormally high levels of protein in her urine.

Doctors determined that her eye problems were caused by severe preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy involving high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine, according to the case reported by the researchers, from Mohammed V University in Morocco

The only cure for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby, and the woman underwent a prompt Caesarean section. She had a baby boy, who, despite his low birth weight, appeared to be healthy. Three months later, the woman’s vision was back to normal, the researchers said.
Source: Yahoo news

Drops Are Best Treatment for Ear Tube-Related Dripping

For children with ear tubes, topical antibiotic drops treat the leaky discharge caused by an ear infection much more effectively than oral antibiotics or observation, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

Each year, roughly 670,000 children in the United States have tiny plastic tubes placed in the eardrum in one of the most common surgeries of childhood. If the ear gets infected afterward, clear or bloody discharge can drip out, and a foul smell may be noticeable. This condition of drippy ears, which may or may not be painful, is known as tympanostomy tube otorrhea. In a 2013 study, 67 percent of children who had ear tubes put in experienced one or more episodes of otorrhea in the year after the procedure.

Smaller trials with different designs have found that ear drops are more effective than systemic antibiotics for this common problem. But the new study is the first to include a no-treatment, wait-and-see group, and provides the best evidence to date for the superiority of ear drops for children with tubes.

“This is a big study, very high quality and very rigorous. It’s more of a definitive study,” said Dr. Richard M. Rosenfeld, chairman of otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, who was not involved in the research. Putting drops into the ear canal, he said, is akin to “dropping a Scud missile on the bacteria.”

There are two benefits, he said. “It resolves the otorrhea more effectively and faster than oral medicine,” he said. “More importantly, you avoid the problem of resistant germs, which is a major, major problem.”

In the new study, 230 children ages 1 to 10 with acute tube discharge were randomly assigned to three groups: some got ear drops, some got oral antibiotics, and some were simply observed.

At two weeks, 5 percent of the children treated with drops still had discharge from an infection, compared with 44 percent of those treated with oral antibiotics and 55 percent of those who were only observed.

The study suggests that drippy ears in children with tubes might take two weeks or longer to resolve without treatment — a long time if the child has trouble sleeping or cannot participate in activities.

“No previous study assessed the actual need to treat these children,” said Dr. Thijs M.A. van Dongen, the lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands.

In a six-month follow-up, the study found that children who were not treated for the first two weeks had a median total of 18 days of discharge, compared with five days for those who got ear drops, and 13.5 days for those given oral antibiotics.

“It’s better to start treatment quickly after onset of symptoms,” Dr. van Dongen said. “They improve more quickly, and they have less recurrence in following months.”

But Dr. Rosenfeld said it was not clear that all children with tube otorrhea should promptly start ear drops. Watching and waiting is an option, he said, if the drainage is not profuse and causes no discomfort, and the child still sleeps and acts normally. Drops can be expensive, and if used excessively they can cause hard-to-treat yeast overgrowth.

Last July, practice guidelines issued by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery strongly recommended that clinicians prescribe only topical antibiotic ear drops for children with uncomplicated cases of tube discharge.

But some pediatricians and family physicians still routinely prescribe systemic antibiotics for these cases. Among otolaryngologists, the new guidelines are “fairly well accepted,” said Dr. Joseph E. Kerschner, a professor of otolaryngology and the dean of the medical school at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. “Still, there’s evidence that not all physicians have gotten the message.”

A 2013 survey found that 54 percent of emergency-medicine physicians used oral antibiotics to treat an ear infection in a child with ear tubes, compared with just 9 percent of ear, nose and throat doctors, almost all of whom used topical antibiotics.

Most children do not see ear, nose and throat specialists first, said Dr. Seth R. Schwartz, an otolaryngologist and the director of the Listen for Life Center at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, so “it’s important that all physicians who treat children with this condition are aware.”

The bottom line is that “oral antibiotics don’t work well” in these cases, he said, and they may cause stomach upset or diarrhea.

In an uncomplicated case of tube discharge, Dr. Kerschner advised parents to say to pediatricians, “’Hey, my kid has a draining ear, how about using topical antibiotics instead of oral antibiotics?’ The child will get better faster and more reliably.”

In children without ear tubes who get an ear infection, drops are not effective as they cannot get behind the ear drum. For those children, oral antibiotics are a common treatment. Lately, Dr. Schwartz said, “there’s a higher recognition that you can treat with observation initially with close follow-up.”

Source: New York Times

 

5 Facial scrubs you can make in your kitchen!

Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder but it weighs heavy on the pocket! Given that cosmetic store shelves are lined with pricey products, one often wonders if basic skincare is on its way to becoming a privilege of the elite. Apart from the hefty price tag, one can never really be sure if the ingredients in the products won’t react on your skin.

The solution is simple, opt for homemade beauty products! Why bother buying when you can whip up everything from scrubs, creams to packs using stuff readily available in your kitchen cabinet.

Before we begin, it’s important to remember that exfoliation is a must-do in your beauty regime. Scrubbing helps achieve a smoother, even-toned complexion, making it radiant because we are sloughing off dead skin from our faces and making way for the production of new live, tissue. Use these homemade scrubs according to your skin type on a weekly basis to put your fresh face forward!

Chickpea and Rice

Yeah! You heard right, our humble dal and chawal can make for some awesome homemade scrubs. Rice is rich in Vitamin B complex so capitalize on the benefits by making a scrub of rice flour mixed with curd. The fine granules of rice flour remove dead skin with ease and curd enriches the skin with Vitamin C. Chickpea powder mixed with half a tablespoon of turmeric powder, a couple of rose water drops and milk is another nourishing scrub.

Oatmeal

Scrub made from oatmeal is perfect to give sensitive skin a stunning glow. You can use it with a teaspoon of water, or add it to a little warm milk for dry skin. If you are game for something a little more complex, mix 1 cup oatmeal with 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, 2 tbsp regular milk and the whites of one egg till it’s of spreadable consistency. Scrub in circular motions and rinse with lukewarm water for a gorgeous moisturized complexion.

Strawberry

This is one yummy scrub you will be tempted to put in your mouth rather than on your face! The mashed granules of strawberries are great for exfoliation. Start by de-stemming the strawberries and chopping them into small pieces and then mashing up the fruit to a pulp. Mix this with 1 tablespoon of milk and some oatmeal powder to get a thick consistency. You can also swap milk with honey, lemon juice or your favourite essential oil to get a healthy glow.

Salt & Lime

These two ingredients create an excellent homemade exfoliator for oily skin! This is a wonderful combination for an incredibly soft smooth skin. The lemon juice will get rid of the oil while the salt will slough off any unwanted dead skin. Try it, ladies, it really works wonders!

Coffee

A coffee scrub works as an excellent defense against facial cellulite, thanks to the overabundance of antioxidents it contains. Mix the coffee with 1/2 cup baking cocoa, 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup honey to create a paste and apply to the face. Ground the beans or opt for the lot used to make filter coffee for maximum effect.
Remember, exfoliation should be done gently with a light touch to avoid injury to your skin!

Source: the med guru

Heart surgeons in Toronto perform bypass on Twitter

Twitter followers saw photos, learned about bypasses in real time, but ethical questions remain

Surgeons at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre brought Twitter followers into their operating room today while performing a coronary artery bypass graft on a 57-year-old man to raise awareness about heart issues.

The hospital’s social media team tweeted facts, photos and videos of the coronary artery bypass graft, also known as CABG, on Thursday. They are also provided information about preventing heart disease by quitting smoking, exercising and eating better.

Bypass surgery is done to improve blood flow to the heart, typically after arteries have become blocked with plaque due to coronary artery disease. Surgeons remove a healthy blood vessel — often from the leg —and attach it to the blocked artery.

Sunnybrook likened it to a “road detour” around blocked arteries, with the aim of increasing blood flow to the heart.

The hospital has said the patient has given permission and referred to him by his first name, Lou.

At noon, the hospital said the grafts were complete, the heart had resumed beating successfully and Lou was off bypass. A video showed surgeons placing chest tubes to prevent blood from putting pressure on the heart during recovery. At 1 p.m., they closed his chest to complete the surgery successfully — a birthday gift for him.

Earlier, Lou was connected to a bypass, or “heart-lung,” machine to keep oxygenated blood pumping through his body during the procedure, hospital tweets said.

A surgical photo showed a radial artery harvested from his left arm, one of the patient’s two bypass grafts.

“Obviously we can’t bring the public into the operating room, so it’s nice to be able to broadcast what we do,” Dr. Gideon Cohen, Sunnybrook’s chief of cardiac surgery, said in a post-surgery interview with CBC News. “This is an engaging way of keeping the public informed.”

On Twitter, the surgical team was asked about what they feel like during the four hours at the operating table, where they listened to music on a radio.

“You don’t notice it at the time of the operation, but when you get home you feel pretty wiped,” Cohen said. “So it’s probably that kind of subconscious stress that gets to you at the end of the day.”

Source: cbc

AIIMS doctors devise new technique for complex spine surgery

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Doctors at AIIMS have devised a new technique for complex spine surgery involving the joint at the upper part of the neck that supports and articulates with the head.

“The procedure called ‘distraction, compression, extension and reduction (DCER)’ removes the compression over the spinal cord and also reduces the deformity through a single surgery performed only from the back of the neck,” said Prof P Sarat Chandra (Dept of Neurosurgery) who conceptualised the innovative surgery.

The surgery normally is arduous, requires two separate procedures performed at the same sitting or in two different sittings and is a full day job, explained Chandra.

It first involves drilling out the piece of bone compressing the spinal cord (operated through the mouth) followed by a second procedure performed from behind the nape of neck resulting in stabilising the head and neck using rod and screws.

Surgery in this area is quite complex, technically demanding and requires intensive training. However, this procedure reduces the time of surgery by 50 per cent and has also been shown to reduce the rate of complications and hospital stay significantly.

The complication involving this area (called technically as atlanto-axial dislocation and basilar invagination) results in the uppermost portion of the neck slipping from its articulation with the base of the Lead causing compression of the spinal cord.

If untreated, the patient develops weakness of all limbs, becomes incontinent, bed-ridden and finally succumbs to the disease, said Chandra.

“The technique currently does not require any special instrumentation and utilises the existing instruments to perform a 2-axis motion which reduces the deformity,” stated Prof BS Sharma (Dept of Neurosurgery) who also has been part of the study.

The concept of the technique is connection based on the law of levers, first described by Archimedes, Prof P Sarat Chandra said.

He further added that the technique will be of immense use for our patients as it does not require any additional cost, reduces the hospital stay and also the complication rate thus benefiting the patients and the hospital in the long run.

The initial results of this procedure has been published in various prestigious international and national journals and has been also presented in various conferences.

Source: Business standard

Flu hits young, middle aged people hard this year

The flu is hitting young and middle aged people in the United States particularly hard this season, as a tough flu strain re-emerged and too few people were vaccinated, health authorities said Thursday.

More than 60 percent of all severe flu cases this season in the United States were in people 18-64 years old — or about double the usual rate, they said.

Typically, people at risk for flu complications include pregnant women, the elderly, children and people with compromised immune systems.

The main flu circulating this season is H1N1, otherwise known as the “swine flu” that caused a pandemic four years ago.

“It is back this year, and it is hitting younger people hard,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Tom Frieden.

“One of the reasons,” he said, “is that the vaccination rate for young adults, 18-64, is too low.”

Only a third of all people in that age group were vaccinated as of November, compared to nearly two-thirds of children and elderly people, he said.

“That is one of the reasons we are seeing a much higher proportion of hospitalizations and death among 18-64 year olds than we generally see.”

People with underlying health conditions such as obesity, asthma, lung disease and diabetes are particularly vulnerable to dangerous bouts of the flu, leading to pneumonia and possibly death.

Although experts do not have a tally of US deaths yet this season, early indications suggest that there have been more deaths than normal in the 18-64 age group.

Over the previous three flu seasons, people age 18-64 represented only about 35 percent of all flu hospitalizations.

Last year the predominant flu type was H3N2, which accounted for fewer hospitalizations among middle aged people.

Getting vaccinated lowered the risk of having to see a doctor by about 60 percent for people of all ages, the CDC added.

“Vaccination is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself against the flu,” Frieden said.

The flu is expected to continue to make people sick for the next several weeks across the United States.

The CDC recommends that all people over the age of six months get a flu vaccine each year.

Source: Yahoo news

Meditation can reduce stress disorder in ten days

The researchers tested 11 participants after 10-days and 30-days TM practice. After just 10-days, PTSD symptoms dropped almost 30 per cent.

For people suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), here comes a good news: Transcendental Meditation ™ technique can significantly reduce the stress disorder in flat 10 days.

In experiments on Congolese war refugees living in Ugandan camps, researchers found these fascinating results.

“An earlier study found a similar result after 30 days where 90 per cent of TM participants dropped to a non-symptomatic level. But we were surprised to see such a significant reduction with this group after just 10 days,” said lead author Colonel Brian Rees from US Army Reserve Medical Corps.

The researchers tested 11 participants after 10-days and 30-days TM practice. After just 10-days, PTSD symptoms dropped almost 30 per cent.

“What makes this study interesting is when we tested them in the 90 days before they began the TM technique, their PTSD scores kept going up,” said co-author Fred Travis, director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management situated in Iowa, US.

“The Transcendental Meditation technique is increasingly being seen as a viable treatment by the US military,” added Rees.

According to the researchers, during this particular meditation technique, one experiences a deep state of restful alertness.

Repeated experience of this state for 20 minutes twice a day cultures the nervous system to maintain settled mental and physical functioning the rest of the day.

This helps minimise disturbing thoughts, sleep difficulties and other adverse PTSD symptoms, said the study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Source; khaleej times

7 easy tips to get rid of constipation

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Constipation is an ailment that almost all of us have come across at some point or the other. ‘Pooping problem’ is a topic that one hardly likes to discuss.

Constipation basically refers to irritable bowel movements and is a common cause of painful defecation and can aggravate if not taken seriously.

However, there is nothing to feel embarrassed about. Here are a few simple homes remedies to ameliorate the irritation:

Lemon: Lemon is one remedy which most of the doctors recommend. Drinking a glass of warm water with lemon and a pinch of salt in it in the morning not only acts as a cleansing agent for the intestines, but also helps in smooth passage of stool.

Fiber: Consuming food rich in fiber can actually work wonders. So, it is advisable to start one’s day with food that has high quantity of fiber like dried beans, prunes, figs etc. as fiber rich food acts like a sponge thereby preventing crams and stomach bloating.

Raisins: Raisins are also high in fibre and help a lot in aiding digestion and relieving constipation.

Triphala powder: It acts as a great laxative. Just add one teaspoon of triphala powder in lukewarm water and a little honey and drink it just after you wake up empty stomach in the morning. It will work wonders.

Oranges: They are packed with Vitamin C and just one orange can supply 116.2% of the daily value of Vitamin C which provides instant relief from constipation.

Water: It flushes out all the toxins from the body and also provides fluidity for the flow of blood. It is advisable to to have at least 8 glasses of water for a smooth bowel movement.

Never ignore nature’s call: Yes, last but certainly not the least, one should never ignore a nature’s call as it is like inviting trouble for future.

Source: Zee news

 

Take folic acid before pregnancy to prevent birth defects

Folic Acid is An Important Vitamin

Folic acid is a vitamin found in many foods and multivitamin supplements. It’s especially important for women who could become pregnant because folic acid can help prevent birth defects.

Begin Each Day with Folic Acid

There are three ways women can get enough folic acid. They can choose to:

Take a vitamin supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, or
Eat a fortified breakfast cereal daily which contains 100% of the recommended daily anount of folic acid (400 micrograms).
In addition, increase consumption of foods fortified with folic acid (e.g., “enriched” cereal, bread, rice, pasta and other grain products) in addition to consuming food folate from a varied diet (e.g., orange juice and green vegetables).
Folic Acid is Good for All Ages

No matter what your age, foods rich in folic acid are good for you.

Even young girls should try to get enough folic acid every day. That way, when you’re older and planning to become a mother, folic acid will already be a part of your diet.

Folic Acid Can Help Prevent Birth Defects

All women need folic acid because it works best for you and your baby early in the first month of pregnancy, a time when you may not even know you’re pregnant. Continued use of folic acid after the first month of pregnancy, and throughout your life, ensures the future good health of you and your family.

Folic acid can reduce certain birth defects of the brain and spinal cord by more than 70 percent. These birth defects are called neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs happen when the spinal cord fails to close properly.

The most common neural tube defect is spina bifida. This occurs when part of the baby’s spinal cord remains outside the body. The baby may have paralyzed legs and, later, may develop bladder and bowel control problems. The most serious neural tube defect is anencephaly. The baby is born without part of its skull and brain, and eventually dies.

Folic acid also may help lower your chances of getting heart disease and some types of cancers. It may help protect you from having a stroke, as well.

Who Needs Extra Folic Acid?

All women need folic acid, especially women who have had babies with NTDs and want to become pregnant again. If you have had a baby with an NTD, talk with your doctor before planning your next pregnancy. He or she may prescribe a vitamin that contains a higher dose (4 mg) of folic acid.

Getting Folic Acid from Vitamins

Taking a daily multivitamin that has 0.4 mg of folic acid is another way of getting the recommended amount.

However, avoid taking more than one multivitamin per day. Too much of the other vitamins, especially vitamin A, could cause serious health problems.

Don’t be Confused by Labels

Read food and vitamin labels carefully to be sure you’re getting enough folic acid. On the labels, folic acid is also called “folate.” The amount of folic acid or folate in a vitamin or food may be given as either 400 micrograms or 0.4 mg. They are the same amounts.

Foods With Folic Acid

  • Enriched Breads and Grains
  • Fortified Cereals
  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Beans and Peas
  • Protein Foods

Source: health.ny

 

Top 5 Reasons Why You Get a Headache

Having a headache is no fun. We have all been there. A small twinge can soon turn into a headache, that can be mildly irritating to excruciatingly painful. But what are some of the main causes of headaches? This article will explore some of the reasons why headaches occur.

#1 Lack of sleep

You can normally tell that if you have had insufficient sleep that a headache will start. I know that is how it usually is with me. I can almost guarantee that if I have not had a proper night’s rest, I will wake up and throughout the day, a headache will form. The solution is simple. Just try to get to bed a little earlier and get plenty of sleep so that a headache does not form in the first place.

#2 Dehydration

By the time you find out that you are dehydrated, you will already be quite dehydrated. One of the signs of this is the onset of a headache. So if you have dry gums, smarting eyes and you know you have not been drinking enough water, you are also likely to develop a headache. If you get a headache as the result of dehydration, it will be a more intense headache, and harder to just shake off. Drink water throughout the day. Even if you have already developed a headache, drink plenty of water with the painkillers and continue to do so. It will help the medication kick in quicker and the headache should soon subside.

#3 Eye strain

How long has it been since your last eye examination? If you wear glasses or contact lenses, your eyesight may have changed and you may require a new prescription. One of the first signs you will get is a headache, as your eyes strain to see what is before you.

#4 Stress or anxiety

Do you worry about a lot of things that are going on in your life? Do you find it hard to cope with anxiety? These are both reasons why many people have a headache. A tension headache will often occur after the muscles around the shoulders and neck become tense. It is not pleasant to have to deal with a headache on top of stress and anxiety as well. Try to relax the shoulders and neck and deal with the issues that are causing you so much stress and anxiety. Do not keep it all bottled up. It will only increase stress levels.

#5 Medical reasons

Concussions and side effects from prescription medications are another reason why a person may develop a headache. See your doctor if you feel that you cannot cope with the headaches and ask about changing to another medication that will not leave you with bad side effects. A concussion is not a condition that can be dealt with straightaway. It may take some time to overcome it. A persistent headache may indicate a more serious underlying cause. Again, consult your doctor and be specific about the kind of pain you feel and how long it has been going on. The doctor will then be more able to treat you properly.

It is not possible to avoid all headaches. But you can help to lessen the effects of a headahce by taking the appropriate action. Some headaches seem to just appear for no apparent reason and with no warning. Make sure that when you do feel a headache developing that you have a reliable form of painkiller on hand to deal with the pain quickly. Try to lie down and close your eyes for a few minutes until you feel the pain lessen. Headaches are a nuisance, but they need not take over your life.

Source: Yahoo voices