The Posh Syndrome

It's hard to imagine Posh Spice got a cyst scare as she strikes a cucumber cool pose here. The condition is on the rise as more and more women hit the fast lane and take to stress as a way of life. The problem hasn't spared even Nicole Kidman or closer home Sapna Bhavnani, author and celebrity hairdresser. If you're a woman, irrespective of whether or not you're in your child-bearing years, you could be at risk of an ovarian cyst. Dr Kiran Coelho, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Lilavati Hospital and Research Center, runs you through different types of cysts and the symptoms to watch out for.

What are cysts?
Ovarian cysts are essentially closed fluid-filled sacs that develop on one or both ovaries. A sac or follicle forms on the surface of a woman's ovary during ovulation. This sac holds a maturing egg and dissolves away when the egg is released during the monthly menstrual cycle. Sometimes, however, the egg is not released and the sac gets enlarged and a cyst develops.

But, if you've just been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, don't press the panic button and assume that all cysts are malignant and life-threatening. In most cases, ovarian cysts are completely benign.

Symptoms
One may be a cyst carrier and manifest no symptoms whatsoever. However, in most cases, the woman will suffer from irregular periods. In some cases, women may experience discomfort in the abdominal area with a bloated feeling and may even land up putting on weight around this area, which most women assume is simply a paunch and as a result go on a strict diet.

Cysts may often be accompanied by problems such as frequent stomach upsets. In rare cases, a cyst goes undetected till torsion occurs (where the cyst ends up twisting) or where a cyst bursts; there is usually sharp and often unbearable pain, which may be accompanied by vomiting – medical emergencies which warrant surgery.

How are they detected?
If you're experiencing any of the above symptoms and would like to rule out the possibility of a cyst, it is important to get an ultrasound done. A mineral oil gel is smeared on the abdomen and the probe of the ultrasound machine is moved over the skin of the abdomen area. With the help of high frequency sound waves, the doctor can get a view of your insides.

Types of cysts
While cysts form solely due to hormonal imbalance, there are can be several types of cyst formations. A few common cysts are described as follows:

Follicular cyst A follicular cyst forms when the follicle (sac) grows larger than normal and does not rupture to release the egg. The result is often a delayed period which is what prompts women to seek medical aid. The good news is, a follicular cyst usually dissolves away without any treatment. However, in some cases the doctor may prescribe oral medication and keep the patient under simple observation over a few days or months.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) This syndrome plagues Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice as well as one out of every five women worldwide. In PCOS, a hormonal imbalance results in the egg ripening partially, yet it doesn't rupture. And this process is repeated over several months. As a result, multiple (poly) unruptured follicles are formed within the ovary.

The disease is characterised by symptoms that every woman dreads – acne, hirsutism (excess hair growth), tendency towards weight gain, etc. However, not all women with PCOS exhibit these symptoms. No surgery is required for PCOS. The woman is merely expected to get regular ultrasound and in some cases is also advised to go on birth control pills, which help regulate the hormones.. Contrary to what many women continue to believe, oral birth control pills will not make conception difficult when you decide to go off the pill. Nor will it lead to any hormonal imbalances.

Endometriosis This condition has earned a strange nick name – Chocolate cyst! This type of cyst is created when the lining of the uterus is also present in the ovaries and therefore during menstruation, bleeding occurs on the outside and is also accompanied with internal bleeding. Over time, this internal bleeding turns brown and chocolate coloured.

If the cyst is detected after it has fully formed, the only treatment option available is a surgery known as Laparoscopy. A key-hole surgery, here the cyst is drained away by making only two to three tiny incisions that leave barely-there scars low in the abdomen. For few women, the pain caused by the cyst during menstruation is excruciating. In most cases, however, the pain is managed with medication (and many other lucky women may experience no pain at all).

Dermoid Cysts This type of cyst is semi-solid. It contains bodily fluid, as well as the various layers of the body such as skin, teeth and hair. Most often benign, the only treatment option for a dermoid cyst is a laparoscopic surgery.
 
While cysts are less likely to form in women who have reached menopause, the chances of malignancy are higher in this group. Hence, women in this age group are advised to undergo certain cancer marker tests (CA 125).  

How often should one visit a gynaecologist?
Sexually active women need to visit a gynaecologist and get a routine check-up, which includes an ultrasound, clinical exam and pap-smear, at least once every year. Sexually inactive women are usually advised only an annual ultrasound.

 

tiPs to relieve tensiOn

here's the next best thing to do. Fool your body into thinking you're feeling great

* First, we're going to slowly ease that tension out of the body. Sit on a chair with legs crossed. Pretend that your ankle is a pen and use it to write the alphabet. Repeat with the other ankle.

* Next, place your thumbs at the edge of your eyebrows, on each side of our head. Slide them up, stopping at the corner of the head, almost into the hairline. Press the thumbs into each side of the forehead; hold for a few seconds and then release. Repeat five times. By doing this, you release emotional stress because these pressure points a re linked to the emotional centre of the brain.

* Eat an orange. The vitamin C helps detoxify the body. Chewing on a handful of roasted cashew nuts can also be a good upper. Nuts contain magnesium and essential fatty acids that help boost moods.

* Change the breathing. Lie on your back, with the fingertips of one hand nesting between the breastbone and the solar plexus. Place the other hand on the belly. Taking deep breath through your nose push out your stomach as you inhale, thus filling your lungs. Hold for a few seconds and then slowly exhale. As oxygen replenishes your brain, use your fingertips to lightly stimulate the calming areas of your body and you'll feel more relaxed.

* The brain believes in the images it receives. So creative visualisation can quickly top up your happiness levels. Imagine the sun sending heat and light to your arms and legs. Soak in that sensation and feel the joy slowly seeping in.

 

 

Indian herb can help the diabetic!

NEW YORK: An extract of coccinia indica , a perennial herb that grows abundantly in India, may help people with mild type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, the results of a new study suggest.

In the journal Diabetes Care , researchers note that while coccinia indica , also known as coccinia cordifolia , has been widely used in traditional treatments of diabetes, carefully controlled studies have not been done.

To examine the effects of this herb on blood sugar levels, the India-based researchers randomly assigned 60 adults with the newly detected type 2 diabetes to receive coccinia extract or placebo.

The subjects were between 35 and 60 years old and were being treated with diet and lifestyle modification only.

According to Dr. Rebecca Kuriyan, from the Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research in Bangalore, and colleagues, there were significant differences in blood sugar favouring Coccinia extract over placebo after 90 days of treatment.

Fasting blood sugar levels at 90 days in people taking the coccinia extract fell by an impressive 16 per cent, while fasting blood sugar levels rose slightly in the placebo takers.

Likewise, patients in the coccinia extract group had an 18 per cent decrease in post-meal blood sugar levels at the study's end, whereas the placebo group experienced a small increase in post-meal blood sugar levels.

This study suggests that coccinia extract has a potential blood sugar lowering action in patients with mild diabetes. Kuriyan and colleagues note however that additional studies are needed to identify the mechanisms involved.

Sweet Poison

Have you ever thought why 'outside' food tastes so much better than home food? You may be following the same recipe for a particular dish you ordered at the restaurant or that dip you picked off the rack at the supermarket, but somehow you can never match the taste! Well, that's because you don't store MSG in your kitchen cabinets. MSG what, you ask? Read on to know more about this invisible factor creeping into our bodies through the food we eat, like a silent parasite that preys on you without your slightest knowledge!

MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate is a 'flavour enhancer'. It tricks the brain into thinking it is getting something tasty. It is not a preservative and it has no nutritional value. It does nothing to food, but it does affect the person using it.

In fact, some of the common ailments we experience today can largely be connected to ingesting MSG, a chemical commonly used in many food products we eat. Regular occurrence of headaches/migraines, lethargy, anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, insomnia, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, runny nose/sneezing, extreme dryness of the mouth and flushing that cannot otherwise be put down to a concrete cause, can all be attributed to MSG.

Understanding MSG

MSG is a fine white crystal substance that looks like salt. It is used as a flavour-enhancer in many foods, especially in pre-made soups, broth, bouillon, natural chicken flavouring, sauces, dressings, and processed foods.

It is called an 'excitotoxin' or 'neurotoxin' by leading neuroscientists because of its degenerative effects on the brain and nervous system. Neurons are over stimulated to the point of exhaustion and cell death. MSG first goes to the brain through membranes in the mouth and throat, and also enters the blood stream as MSG laden foods are digested.

The problem with MSG is that some people experience adverse reactions within an hour after they taste it.

Research findings

A 1995 FDA-commissioned report acknowledged that an unknown percentage of the population may react to monosodium glutamate and develop 'monosodium glutamate symptom complex', a condition characterized by one or more of the following symptoms:

•  Burning sensation/numbness in the back of the neck, forearms and chest
•  Tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms
•  Facial pressure or tightness
•  Chest pain
•  Headache
•  Nausea
•  Rapid heartbeat
•  Drowsiness
•  Weakness
•  Sweating

A 2002 report from researchers at Hirosaki University in Japan found rats fed on diets very high in glutamate (up to 20%) suffered eye damage. Lead researcher Hiroshi Ohguro said the findings might explain why, in eastern Asia, there is a high rate of normal-tension glaucoma.

Effects of MSG

Besides the above mentioned effects, the following show MSG's dire health consequences:  

• •   Obesity is one of the most consistent effects of excitotoxin exposure and is a growing problem that knows no age or sex boundaries. MSG triggers an insulin/adrenalin/fat storage/food craving response. This depletes serotonin levels which trigger headaches, depression, fatigue, and leads to more food cravings.

• •   Asthma, which was on the decline until the mid-eighties, now shows a 100% increase in the death rate among children and seniors. Incidence has increased 600% in the last 10 years. The FDA recognizes that 'uncontrollable asthma' can be caused by MSG.

• •   MSG is a known 'mutagen' (mutates fetuses) and causes significant damage to intellectual development, growth patterns, reproduction and gonadal functions.

• •   Lab studies show devastating effects on brain development including dyslexia, autism, schizophrenia, violent episodes, panic attacks, seizures, depression and even cerebral palsy! Humans are five times more sensitive to MSG than other mammals.

Avoiding MSG

1  Ask the servers at restaurants to have the chef omit MSG from your meal.

2  Avoid these food additives, which always contain MSG: hydrolysed vegetable protein, hydrolysed protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein and hydrolysed oat flour.

3  The following additives frequently contain MSG: Malt extract, malt flavouring, natural flavouring, natural chicken flavouring, seasoning and spices.

4  Be wary of these additives, which may contain MSG: enzymes, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate and whey protein isolate.

5  Contact the distributors of foods containing the above additives to see whether they contain MSG.

Effect on children

Thousands of packaged foods, ginger pastes, garlic pastes, dips, curry paste, chili sauces, pickles, packaged soups, stock cubes, packaged snacks like chips, crackers, etc., including many so-called health foods contain MSG in considerable amounts. Packaged foods designed for children tend to be especially high in MSG.

MSG has been shown to cause lesions on the brain, especially in children. These lesions cause cognitive, endocrinological and emotional abnormalities. In children excess glutamate affects the growth cones on neurons. MSG could seriously affect cognitive skills in children and cause learning difficulties. It also causes anxiety and hyperactivity leading to ADH.

The MSG myth 

It is a myth that MSG is restricted only to Chinese cuisine. MSG is frequently used in all kinds of restaurants, even Indian joints. In fact, down south, some restaurants have been asked to add it to sambars just to add a different texture to it! Restaurants are notorious for using it, out of habit and lack of knowledge about it. The processed food industry, however, is using it with full knowledge of its making and effects.

So, whenever you can, read your labels and be aware!

 

Six Amazing Uses For Tea Tree Oil

An informative article I read about the goodness of Tea Tree Oil. A word of caution, before any direct application, please check with the specialist in the shop first. Not all tea tree oils in the market are suitable for direct application.

Pure tea tree oil has many invaluable uses around the home that are a welcome solution to common household situations.

1. Antiseptic and Fungicide. Tea tree oil is well known to be a natural antiseptic and fungicide. It can be used on minor cuts and abrasions and is useful for many types of skin conditions including cold sores, athletes feet, head lice, and nail infections, just to name a few.

2. Mold Growth Control. Tea tree oil is a natural cleaner because of its solvent properties and is useful in controlling mold growth. Mold is a health hazard and can invade homes, particularly in areas that are often damp due to high humidity or water damage.

3. Consumer Products. Today tea tree oil can be found in many consumer products like shampoos, hair conditioners, soaps, cosmetics, toothpastes, and even toothpicks!

4. Cleaning Solution. Wash floors and kitchen cabinets with a mix of a few drops of tea tree oil into any cleaning solution. It is advisable that the room be well ventilated, (open windows), whenever you use household chemicals, regardless if you use tea tree oil. The addition of tea tree oil to cleaning solutions can improve the cleaning power of the solution, and it adds a wonderful aromatic scent that gives the washed area that “just cleaned” smell.

5. Insect Repellent. Another benefit to using tea tree oil to wash kitchen floors is that it makes an excellent insect repellent. To keep those unwanted pests away, also wipe down kitchen counters with a tea tree solution and you’ll see positive results! Enjoy the outdoors more by warding off insects from bothering you. Add 10-20 drops of tea tree oil to citronella. Great for camping and hiking!

6. Laundry. Ever experience washing damp towels that were left too long on the floor and still had that funky mildew smell after they came out of the dryer? You could try several washes to remove the smell or you can add a few drops of tea tree oil to your wash. Towels will come out of the dryer smelling better than new!

This amazing oil is distilled from a bush that grows in Australia. Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree plant has the best properties out of 100 possible species in the world. Australia also seems to have the optimum conditions for growing tea tree plants, including soil and weather. These special conditions allow tea tree plants to develop the desired constituents. Good quality tea tree oil should meet the requirements mandated by the Australian government. The oil actually has a viscosity more similar to water rather than oil. It should be bottled in a brown bottle so that ultraviolet light does not degrade the product.

Pure tea tree oil is a natural solvent that will dissolve plastic cups. However, when you mix a few drops in a water solution its solvent properties become greatly reduced and in most cases become a non-issue. If you plan on using your tea tree oil solution on fabric or fibers it is advisable to apply it to a test area first. This should be an inconspicuous spot to rule out potential problems like color fastness.

The amazing thing about tea tree oil is that you only need a little bit or just a few drops for each application. A 2-ounce bottle can last months. Always keep a bottle or two in the house along with a handbook on using tea tree oil. You’ll soon find many valuable uses and solutions and wonder how you ever got along without it!

Many butts and If

Your smoking is injurious to my health. Dad, please do not fill the room with this dirty air, it suffocates me. Please, give me a room to breathe," have you ever felt your child's agony when you light up that poison stick and smoke in pleasure?

How often have you heard the silence of your one-year-old? "Yes, I do care doctor, because I smoke outside in the balcony when my child is in the bedroom. I avoid smoking in front of my kids." This is the usual explanation I get from my well educated patients. We smoke outside, agreed; but how many of us wash our hands and clean our teeth before we hold our little children?

We all work in smoke-free offices, and have learnt to go out and smoke. Fortunately, the government has also taken disciplinary actions for "smoking in public places", which has further led to an awakening among smokers to be cautious in public places and workplaces while lighting up their stick. The government, however, cannot touch situations prevailing at homes, which needs to be addressed seriously.

What is second hand smoking?

First of all, we need to understand what is passive smoking? Passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a mixture of exhaled mainstream smoke (smoke exhaled by smokers); and side stream smoke (smoke generated from a passively lit cigarette); as well as contaminants that diffuse through the cigarette paper and cigarette end between puffs. ETS contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds, and is even more carcinogenic than active smoking. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified ETS as a Class A (known human) carcinogen, along with asbestos, arsenic, benzene and radon gas. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has concluded that secondhand smoke is an occupational carcinogen. Second hand smoke is a major source of indoor air pollution.

Immediate effects of passive smoke

Some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea. Adults with asthma can experience a significant decline in lung function when exposed, while new cases of asthma may be induced in children whose parents smoke. Just 30 minutes exposure is enough to reduce coronary blood flow.

Passive smoking and adults

Breathing secondhand smoke for even a short time can have immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of a heart attack. Non-smokers, who are exposed to passive smoking in the home, have a 25 per cent increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. A major review by the Government-appointed Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) concluded that passive smoking is a cause of lung cancer and ischemic heart disease in adult non-smokers.

Passive smoking and children

It is alarming to know that nearly 700 million children worldwide live in the home of a smoker. Infants of mothers who smoke have five times the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They also suffer from reduced birth weight and reduced lung functioning. Passive smoking increases the risk of bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiolitis and is a risk factor for new cases of asthma in children. Passive smoking is also associated with middle ear infection in children as well as possible cardiovascular impairment and behavioural problems. A US study found deficits in reading and reasoning skills among children even at low levels of smoke exposure.

Quit smoking

The single best way for giving you and your family a smoke-free environment is to quit smoking. Quitting requires planning, and a strong intention. There are effective support systems to help you in your quitting process. A Structured Tobacco Cessation Clinic can help you in your treatment of tobacco dependence. Intervention needs to combine intensive psychotherapeutic interventions, along with pharmacotherapy to reduce withdrawals. Nicotine replacement therapy and pharmacotherapy is also available to make the quitting process easier. A new drug such as Varenicline, is promising greater success in managing the cravings or withdrawals effectively.

 

Powerful Story about Stress Relief Strategy: THE CLUB 99 ................

Some time ago, there lived a King.This king should have been contented with his life, given all the riches and luxuries he had. However, this was not the case! The King always found himself wondering why he just never seemed content with his life.

 

Sure, he had the attention of everyone wherever he went, attended fancy dinners and parties, but somehow, he still felt something was lacking and he couldn't put his finger on it.

 

One day, the King had woken up earlier than usual to stroll around his palace. He entered his huge living room and came to a stop when he heard someone happily singing away... following this singing... he saw that one of the servants was singing and had a very contented look on his face.

This fascinated the King and he summoned this man to his chambers.

 

The man entered the King's chambers as ordered. The King asked why he was so happy?

 

To this the man replied: "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but I make enough of a living to keep my wife and children happy. We don't need too much, a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummy. My wife and children are my inspiration, they are content with whatever little I bring home. I am happy because my family is happy."

 

Hearing this, the King dismissed the servant and summoned his Personal Assistant to his chambers.

 

The King related his personal anguish about his feelings and then related the story of the servant to his Personal Assistant, hoping that somehow, he will be able to come up with some reasoning that here was a King who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers and yet was not contented, whereas, his servant, having so little was extremely contented.

 

The Personal Assistant listened attentively and came to a conclusion. He said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.

 

To which the Assistant replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, you will have to do the following... place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep, you will then understand what The 99 Club is."

That very same evening, the King arranged for 99 Gold coins to be placed in a bag at the servant's doorstep. Although he was slightly hesitant and he thought he should have put 100 Gold coins into the bag, but since his assistant had advised him to put 99 that is what he did.

 

The servant was just stepping out of his house when he saw a bag at his doorstep. Wondering about its contents, he took it into his house and opened the bag. When he opened the bag, he let out a great big shout of joy...Gold Coins... so many of them. He could hardly believe it. He called his wife to show her the coins.

 

He then took the bag to a table and emptied it out and began to count the coins. Doing so, he realized that there were 99 coins and he thought it was an odd number so he counted again, and again and again only to come to the same conclusion... 99 Gold Coins.

 

He began to wonder, what could have happened to that last 1 coin? For no one would leave 99 coins. He began to search his entire house, looked around his backyard for hours, not wanting to lose out on that one coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to make up for that 1 Gold coin to make his entire collection an even 100 Gold Coins.

 

He got up the next morning, in an extremely horrible mood, shouting at the children and his wife for his delay, not realizing that he had spent most of the night conjuring ways of working hard so that he had enough money to buy himself that gold coin. He went to work as usual - but not in his usual best mood, singing happily - as he grumpily did his daily errands.

Seeing the man's attitude change so drastically, the King was puzzled. He promptly summoned his assistant to his chambers. The King related his thoughts about the servant and once again, his assistant listened. The King could not believe that the servant who until yesterday had been singing away and was happy and content with his life had taken a sudden change of attitude, even though he should have been happier after receiving the gold coins.

To this the assistant replied "Ah! But your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club." He explained: "The 99 Club is just a name given to those people who have everything but yet are never contented, therefore they are always working hard and striving for that extra 1 to round it out to 100!

We have so much to be thankful for and we can live with very little in our lives, but the minute we are given something bigger and better, we want even more!

 

Lesson to learn from this Story:

 

We are not the same happy contented person we used to be, we want more and more and by wanting more and more we don't realize the price we pay for it.

 

We lose our sleep, our happiness; we hurt the people around us just as a price to pay for our growing needs and desires.

 

That is what joining The 99 Club is all about."

 

Hearing this the King decided that from that day onwards, he was going to start appreciating all the little things in life.

 

Striving for more is always good, but let's not strive so hard and for so much that we loses all those near and dear to our hearts, we shouldn't compromise our happiness for moments of luxuries!

Tips to relieve tension

Here's the next best thing to do. Fool your body into thinking you're feeling great

 * First, we're going to slowly ease that tension out of the body.

 

Sit on a chair with legs crossed. Pretend that your ankle is a pen and use it to write the alphabet.

 

Repeat with the other ankle.

* Next, place your thumbs at the edge of your eyebrows, on each side of our head. Slide them up, stopping at the corner of the head, almost into the hairline. Press the thumbs into each side of the forehead; hold for a few seconds and then release. Repeat five times.

 

By doing this, you release emotional stress because these pressure points a re linked to the emotional centre of the brain.

* Eat an orange. The vitamin C helps detoxify the body. Chewing on a handful of roasted cashew nuts can also be a good upper. Nuts contain magnesium and essential fatty acids that help boost moods.

* Change the breathing. Lie on your back, with the fingertips of one hand nesting between the breastbone and the solar plexus. Place the other hand on the belly. Taking deep breath through your nose push out your stomach as you inhale, thus filling your lungs.

 

Hold for a few seconds and then slowly exhale. As oxygen replenishes your brain, use your fingertips to lightly stimulate the calming areas of your body and you'll feel more relaxed.

* The brain believes in the images it receives.

 

So creative visualisation can quickly top up your happiness levels.

 

Imagine the sun sending heat and light to your arms and legs.

Soak in that sensation and feel the joy slowly seeping in.

 

ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. Like other depressants, in small doses alcohol slows heart rate and respiration, decreases muscular coordination and energy, dulls the senses, and lowers inhibitions—resulting in feelings of relaxation and greater sociability. Large amounts of alcohol can result in depression of the various body systems, resulting in coma or death. The immediate physical effects of alcohol depend on the amount and frequency of drinking, while the mental and emotional effects are influenced by the mood of the drinker and the setting in which drinking takes place.

Two physical effects resulting from prolonged, heavy alcohol use include tolerance and withdrawal. Alcohol tolerance refers to the need for increased amounts of alcohol to achieve the same level of intoxication. For example, five or six drinks may be needed to achieve the same effects produced by one or two drinks when the individual first began drinking. Alcohol withdrawal, on the other hand, refers to a number of physical and psychological reactions an individual experiences when significantly reducing or stopping prolonged heavy drinking. Symptoms of withdrawal include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and hand tremors.

An interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors come into play in the development of drinking behaviors and problems. For example, some individuals may be genetically predisposed to alcohol problems, but whether or not they actually experience negative alcohol consequences will also depend upon their immediate social and physical surroundings, such as family drinking patterns and alcohol availability, as well as their drinking habits.

ALCOHOL USE AND MISUSE

Most people who drink alcohol do so without negative consequences. Others may actually obtain a health benefit from its use. Some, however, drink in ways that place themselves or others at risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems. While no pattern of alcohol use is without risk, certain drinking patterns may help reduce risk significantly.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, define moderate drinking as no more than two standard drinks per day for men, and no more than one per day for women and people sixty-five years of age and older. A standard drink is 0.5 ounces of alcohol, equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. These guidelines suggest that moderate or low alcohol use is linked to a reduced risk for the occurrence of negative alcohol consequences. For others, however, abstaining from all alcohol consumption is the safest thing to do. Groups who should avoid all alcohol use include pregnant women, children and adolescents, those planning to drive or participate in other activities requiring alertness, people who cannot maintain moderate alcohol use, and those who are using over-the-counter or prescription medicines that interact with alcohol.

Another way to understand drinking problems is to examine definitions of alcohol misuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines alcohol misuse as alcohol use that places people at risk for problems, including "at-risk use," "clinical alcohol abuse," and "dependence." At-risk alcohol use is the consumption of alcohol in a way that is not consistent with legal or medical guidelines, and it is likely to present risks of acute or chronic health or social problems for the user or others. Examples include underage drinking; drinking by individuals with a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking; or drinking if one has a medical condition that could be worsened by drinking, such as a stomach ulcer or liver disease. Clinical alcohol abuse is a more serious type of misuse that results in one or more recurrent, adverse consequences, such as failure to fulfill important obligations or the repeated use of alcohol in physically dangerous situations. Alcohol dependence is the most severe type of alcohol misuse and involves a chronic disorder characterized by three or more symptoms within a twelve-month period. These symptoms include alcohol tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control, and continued use despite knowledge of having a physical or psychological problem.

Negative consequences resulting from alcohol use are estimated to affect more than 10 percent of the U.S. population, with many of these individuals going undetected. A number of brief screening tools are available to help detect possible alcohol problems. One of the most widely used among these is the four-item CAGE questionnaire, which derives its name from the following four self-administrated questions:

1. Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?
2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
3. Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye-opener)?

Answering "yes" to as few as one or two items on the CAGE questionnaire may indicate a drinking problem.

 

Home Remedies for HYSTERIA

HYSTERIA

 

 

Hysteria is a mental disorder arising from intense anxiety. It is characterised by lack of control over acts and emotions, and by sudden seizures of unconsciousness with emotional outbursts. It is often the result of repressed conflicts within the person. This disease appears in both sexes, but it is far more common in young women between fourteen and twenty five years of age.

 

Symptoms of Hysteria

Heaviness in the limbs, cramps

The symptoms of hysteria are heaviness in the limbs, severe cramps, a strong feeling of ascending abdominal constriction, continual sighings, difficulty in breathing, constriction in the chest, palpitations, feeling of a foreign body lodged in the throat, swelling of the neck and of the jugular veins, suffocation, headache, clenched teeth, and generalized and voluntary tensing of muscles of locomotion.

Wild painful cries, loss of consciousness

In severe cases, additional symptoms are noticeable; these may include wild and painful cries, incomplete loss of consciousness, an enormously swollen neck, violent and tumultuous heartbeats, involuntary locomotor muscle contraction, frightening generalized convulsions, and violent movement.

Weakness, emotional instability

The physical symptoms include a weakness of the will, a craving for love and sympathy, and a tendency towards emotional instability. Hysterical trances may last for days or weeks. A patient in a trance may appear to be in a deep sleep, but the muscles are not usually relaxed

Causes of Hysteria

Stress

The most common causes of hysteria are sexual repression, perverted habits of thought, and idleness. Heredity plays an important part in its causation. A nervous family background and faulty emotional training when young are predisposing causes. The emotional situations may be mental, strain, stress, fear, worry, depression, traumatism, masturbation, and prolonged sickness.

 

Home Remedies for Hysteria

Hysteria treatment using Jambul

The jambul fruit is considered an effective home remedy for hysteria. Three kilograms of this fruit and a handful of salt should be put in a jug filled with water.The jug should be kept in the sun for a week. A women suffering from hysteria should take 300 gm of these fruits on an empty stomach, and drink a cup of water from the jug. The day she starts this treatment, 3 Kg more of these fruits, mixed with a handful of salt, should be kept in another jug filled with water, so that when the contents of the first jug are finished, the contents of the other will be ready for use. This treatment should be continued for two weeks.

Hysteria treatment using Honey

Honey is regarded as another effective remedy for hysteria. It is advisable to take one tablespoon of honey daily

Hysteria treatment using Bottle Gourd

Bottle gourd is useful as an external application in hysteria. Macerated fresh pulp of this vegetable should be applied over the head of the patient in the treatment of this disease.

Hysteria treatment using Lettuce

Lettuce is considered valuable in this disease. A cup of fresh juice of lettuce, mixed with a teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla) juice, should be given every day in the morning for a month, as a medicine in the treatment of hysteria.

Hysteria treatment using Rauwolfia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rauwolfia

 

The herb rauwolfia is very useful for hysteria. One gram of the powdered root should be administered with one cup of milk in the morning as well as in the evening. Treatment should be continued till a complete cure has been obtained.

Hysteria treatment using Asafoetida

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

 

Asafoetida has also proved beneficial in the treatment of this disease. Smelling this gum prevents hysterical attacks. If taken orally, the daily dosage should be from 0.5 to 1.0 gm. An emulsion made up of 2 gm of the gum with 120 ml of water is a valuable enema in hysteria, when the patient resists taking the gum orally.

 

Diet for Hysteria

All-fruit diet

In most cases of hysteria, it is desirable for patients to start the treatment by adopting an all-fruit diet for several days, taking three meals a day of juicy fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes, grapefruit, papayas, and pineapples.

Exclusive milk diet

This may be followed by an exclusive milk diet for about a month. The milk diet will help to build better blood and nourish the nerves. If the full milk diet is not convenient, a diet of milk and fruits may be adopted. The patient may, thereafter, gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Avoid tea, coffee, alcohol etc.

The patient should avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, tobacco, white sugar and white flour, and products made from them.

 

Other Hysteria Remedies

Self control and occupying the mind

The patient should be taught self-control and educated in the right habits of thinking. Her mind must be drawn away from herself by some means. Proper sex education should be provided and a married patient should be taught to enjoy a normal sexual relationship.

Exercise and outdoor games

Exercise and outdoor games are also important. They take the mind away from self and induce cheerfulness.

Yogasanas

Yogasanas which are useful in hysteria are bhujangasana, shalabhasana, matsyasana, dhanurasana, halasana, paschimottanasana, yogamudra, and shavasana. Weak patients, who are not able to do much active exercise, may be given a massage three or four times a week.

 

Egg Donation & Surrogacy

Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant for the purpose of gestating and giving birth to a child for others to raise. She may be the child's  genetic mother the more traditional form of surrogacy), or she may be implanted with someone else's fertilized egg (gestational surrogacy).

 

Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction. In some cases it is the only available option for a couple who wish to have a child that is biologically related to them.

 

In traditional surrogacy the surrogate is pregnant with her own biological child, but this child was conceived with the intention of relinquishing the child to be raised by others; often by the biological father and possibly his partner, either male or female.

 

In gestational surrogacy the surrogate is pregnant via embryo transfer with a child of which she is not the biological mother. She may have made an arrangement to relinquish it to the biological mother or father to raise, or to a parent who is themselves unrelated to the child (e. g. because the child was conceived using egg donation and/or sperm donation).

 

Altruistic surrogacy is a situation where the surrogate is not receiving financial reward for her pregnancy or the relinquishment of the child (sometimes with the exception of medical expenses associated with the pregnancy or birth) Compare with commercial surrogacy which is a type of surrogacy in which the surrogate is being paid for her pregnancy and the relinquishment of the child. It is typically combined with gestational surrocacy).

 

A surrogate mother or birth mother is the woman who is pregnant with the child. The word surrogate, from Latin subrŏgare (to substitute), means appointed to act in the place of.^] The commissioning parents are the individual or persons who intend to rear the child after its birth.

 

There is a tendency now to limit the term 'surrogacy' to only mean 'gestational surrogacy

 

Gestational Surrogacy (In Vitro Fertilization)

The Intended Parents creates embryos that are transferred to the surrogate mother, and the surrogate mother gestates the child but maintains no genetic link.  The eggs can be provided by either the Intended Mother or by an egg donor.  The client family then petitions the court to change the birth certificate; this modified birth certificate reflects the correct parentage of the child.

 

 

Traditional Surrogacy (Artificial Insemination)

The surrogate mother donates her egg.  The partner or a donor provides the sperm that is used to fertilize the egg inside the womb and creates a child.  The surrogate mother gestates the embryo and has a genetic link to the child.  The client family then petitions the court to change the birth certificate; this modified birth certificate reflects the correct parentage of the child.

 

Center vs. Independent

You may be thinking of finding a surrogate or egg donor on your own, or you may have already located one.  This may seem to be an inexpensive way to solve your problems; however, selecting a surrogate mother or donor on your own may be risky!  There are many issues to consider and steps to be taken to ensure a successful outcome.  Remember, you are asking a surrogate mother or egg donor to become involved in one of the most important events in your life -- the creation of your child!  If you still choose to locate your surrogate or egg donor independently, our program also offers an assistance option to help you pursue your own independent surrogate parenting relationship while providing the same safeguards and professional guidance that our center provides through our other egg donation and surrogacy programs.

 

 

AYURVEDIC TIPS : TAKING CARE OF EYES

AYURVEDIC TIPS : TAKING CARE OF EYES

 

Although we use our eyes everyday, we rarely pay attention to them until there is some serious problem. You can maintain perfect eyesight for most of your life by following some simple remedies.

An Important Aspect of Health
If you were asked, "Do you take care of your eyes once a week or at least once a month?", the most common reply would probably be in the negative. The eyes are considered to tbe the most important organ in ourt body and yet, people neglect to care for them.

Although we use our eyes everyday, we rarely pay attention until there is some serious problem. Ayurveda advises to take care of health while in a healthy state. You can maintain perfect eyesight for most part of your life by following some simple remedies.

• Every morning after waking up, fill your mouth with water, close the eyes and sprinkle water on them about 10-15 times. Be sure, as Ayurveda advises, to wake up before sunrise. Do not use hot water to wash the eyes.
• Do not wash the eyes or face when the body is sweating, especially after hard physical exercise or after being exposed to heat and sun.
• Do not stare continuously, specially while looking at long distance objects. Blinking or giving rest to the eyes is good. Do not look at the objects in bright sunlight for a long time. Avoid reading, writing or working with eyes in improper light, or when the light is not sufficient. Take a break and give rest to the eyes if you feel heaviness or tiredness in the eyes.
• Staying up late in the night and sleeping after sunrise is harmful for the eyes. In case of staying up late, drink a cup of water after each hour or half hour.
• Protect your eyes from dust, smoke, strong sunlight and strong wind. Avoid staying long in such conditions. In case you have to stay, blink often and massage the closed eyes gently with your palms.
• Try to maintain regular and clean bowel movements. Constipation weakens the eyesight. In addition; too much anxiety, mental stress, grief, anger and worry are harmful for the eyes.
• Regular eye exercise maintains perfect eyesight. One simple method of exercise is moving the eyeball - right and left; upwards and downwards and rotating it in the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.
• Another simple way of protecting of eyes is through 'palming'. Rub the palms of both hands for about 30 seconds, close the eyes and gently place the warm palms over the eyes.
• Eating cabbage and carrots is very beneficial for the eyes. These should be eaten raw. It is all right to drink cabbage and carrot juice mixed together or separately.
• If Triphala (an Ayurvedic preparation) is available, you can wash the eyes with 'Triphala water'. Put a teaspoonful of Triphala powder in a glass of water, and let it stay overnight. Strain the water and wash the eyes with it.
• Putting one drop of honey in each eye once a week is also beneficial to the eyes. It causes a bit of irritation, but cleans the eyes.

Try these remedies and keep your eyes healthy and beautiful. These remedies can be used by everyone, including those having weak eyesight. Through these methods, one can even improve one's weak eyesight and maybe even give up the use of spectacles forever.

 

Sight-Seeing

Childhood Eye Diseases

Refractive error

Reduced visual acuity can occur at any age. However, with increasing addiction to television and game-boys, it often strikes earlier and lots of children currently seem to suffer from myopia (short-sightedness) or hypermetropia (long-sightedness).

Treatment

Prescription glasses offer an easy solution to the problem. However, parents must ensure that their kids actually use those glasses (despite being referred to in school as 'double battery, zero power!'). Regular eye examinations are a must.

Amblyopia

A condition that usually occurs at birth, Amblyopia is popularly referred to as Lazy Eye. It's a condition where one eye is normal while the other has a refractive error (or is just plain lazy!). The condition may offer no symptoms but in some cases the child may have a deviation of one eye or a squint.

Treatment

While the condition cannot be cured, its progress can be arrested by the use of occlusion glasses that force the lazy eye into action. Treatment also includes contact lenses, prescription glasses and eye exercises.

Dry Eyes Syndrome

Tears actually serve a purpose, apart from emotional blackmail! Tears bathe the eyes and wash away dust particles and thereby protect from infections.

In Dry Eye Syndrome, there is decreased production of fluids from the tear glands. A chemical imbalance in the substances that make up the tear film also leads to dry eyes. Adults aged 40 or older are most likely to experience dry eyes. The symptoms include irritation and discomfort, scratching and burning sensation in the eyes as well as blurred vision.

Treatment

While dry eye syndrome is an ongoing condition, the accompanying symptoms can be managed with the help of artificial tears created by using eye-drops.

Glaucoma

The silent thief, as it is rightly referred to, this condition stealthily creeps up on you and slyly robs you of your vision. Scientifically speaking, glaucoma is the result of damage to the optic nerve accompanied by abnormally high pressure inside the eyeball. The only symptom that Glaucoma sometimes offers is blind spots in your side (peripheral) vision.

Treatment

Fortunately, medical advances have made it easier to diagnose and treat glaucoma. Treatment options range from eye-drops to surgery in extreme cases. If detected and treated early, glaucoma need not cause even moderate vision loss.

Eye Injury

Mumbaikars will recognise this immediately. Eye injury is common in the weeks leading up to Holi, thanks to errant revellers hurling balloons at commuters in a local train. The eye is one of the most delicate organs of the body and can be injured all too easily.

Eye trauma can result from cuts, scratches, penetration, debris, light, chemicals, and blunt forces. Untreated trauma may cause further injury and lead to loss of vision. It is vital to receive immediate medical treatment for the ailment. Depending on the cause, eye trauma can cause a variety of symptoms such as pain, redness, bleeding, eyelid swelling, sensitivity to light, headaches, loss of vision, etc.

First Aid and Treatment

In case of burns from explosions, flames and other hot objects, do not try to remove the debris from the eyes. In case of chemical burns, however, immediately flush the eye with water. If you've suffered trauma from blunt objects do not apply ice over the eyes. Remember, that all but the most trivial eye trauma needs immediate first aid and emergency medical treatment.

Cataract

If you're an older adult and your world appears hazy, it's time to get checked for a cataract, which is one of the most oft heard of eye diseases in the elderly. It occurs when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy so that it can no longer focus the real-world images.

Cataract Surgery Procedure

The only way to remove a cataract is to surgically remove the cloudy lens itself. An outpatient procedure, cataract removal is a painless surgery that requires only a small incision through which the lens is removed and absolutely no stitches are required. In 95 per cent of the cases an artificial lens is implanted into the eye during surgery which improves vision, without having to rely on glasses.

 Are you suffering from computer vision syndrome?

Our eyes react differently to characters on the screen than they do to printed matter. We generally don't have a problem focusing on most printed material as it consists of dense black characters with well-defined edges. Such contrast is lacking in computer generated characters and makes focussing rather difficult on the eyes. To compensate for this, our eyes strain to maintain focus and involuntarily shift into a mode known as RPA or Resting Point of Accommodation. This phenomenon is called the Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS.

The best way to combat CVS would be to limit time spent on the computer. While that's not a viable option for many, here are some tips to help you beat CVS.

• Ensure proper lighting such as slightly dim lighting for computer work and no glare whatsoever.

• Visit an ophthalmologist who can prescribe you computer vision glasses.

• Every 30 minutes take your eyes off the screen and look at something really far away like at a tree out the window in order to relax your strained optical muscles.

 

 

Fainting may be an alert for heart problems

Fainting is often dismissed as a sign of temporary weakness, but it could be an important symptom indicating an acute heart problem, warn doctors.

"Fainting may or may not have a serious medical rationale, but it might just hurt the person and in such a case it is advisable for patients to seek immediate diagnosis by a doctor," said Ashok Seth, chairperson and chief cardiologist at Max Healthcare.

"The failure of the electrical system of the heart as well as the blockage of the arteries may be some reasons behind fainting. And for those who may have suffered heart problems previously, fainting can also cause complications that may even lead to death," Seth told IANS.

According to doctors, almost one in 10 people who are brought to the hospital suffer from a cardiac problem.

Umesh Gupta, senior cardiologist at Gurgaon's Umkal Hospital, explained further: "Irregular or rapid heartbeats can trigger syncope (the medical term for fainting). It can also signify inflammation of a heart muscle that affects the pumping of the heart and weakens it. So, the body reacts to the decreased blood flow to the brain by fainting."

According to experts, while people suffering from chest pain, shortness of breath, blurred vision and slurring of speech must seek medical help; so must those who suffer from frequent bouts of unconsciousness.

As a precaution, doctors suggest that heart patients must take immediate medical help if they feel drowsy and faint.

Of course, fainting is also common amongst schoolchildren who collapse during morning assembly or during a particularly frenetic exercise drill. Would such children also suffer from heart problems?

No, say doctors.

According to Seth, such fainting is regular. However, it might have a serious underlying cause and should be brought to the notice of a doctor.

 

DON'T BLINK & MISS THIS

 Eye Infections  

Think eye infections and 'sore eyes' or 'Conjunctivitis' immediately comes to mind. One of the most common infections in our city, it seems to have thousands of victims in its grip, particularly in the beginning of summer (which is now!) and towards the end of the monsoons. Conjunctivitis can be either bacterial or viral and symptoms include redness of the eyes which may or may not be accompanied by itching.

Treatment
Contrary to popular belief, home remedies aren't the most viable way to treat this problem. Under the supervision of a doctor, antibiotics and steroids (in some cases), may be prescribed.

 Corneal Diseases

The term encompasses several conditions. However, one of the most common diseases of this nature is corneal opacity. Here, vision is compromised as the cornea becomes opaque following injury. Injury in most cases could come in the form of minute dust particles or infections that get aggravated due to self-medication. 

Treatment
The use of eye-drops alone could alleviate this problem altogether. However, in extreme cases surgery may be required. 


 Retinal Detachment

If you were sleeping when your eighth standard science teacher was introducing you to the human eye, here's how it works: light first enters the cornea and is projected onto the retina (the light-sensitive tissue that lies against the inside back wall of your eye). The retina in turn sends messages via the optic nerve to your brain, where it is interpreted.

The retina gets its supply of oxygen and nutrients from a thin layer of blood vessels called the choroid, which lie directly beneath the retina. A retinal detachment occurs when the retina gets separated from the choroid. This condition is more likely to occur in near sighted individuals, those who have undergone a cataract removal procedure, people with a family history of detachment or those with other retinal degenerative conditions.

Symptoms
• The sudden appearance of many floaters in your field of vision that look like spots, hair or strings that seem to float before your eyes
• Sudden flashes of light in one or both eyes
• A shadow or curtain over a portion of your visual field
• A sudden blurring of vision.

Treatment
Surgery is the only effective therapy for a retinal tear, hole or detachment. If treated before the central part of the retina (macula) detaches, you'll probably retain much of your vision. If left untreated, it can cause permanent loss of vision in the affected eye.

 Diabetic retinopathy

If you've got diabetes, always be on the guard for this condition that affects both eyes at once. Diabetic retinopathy results from damage to the blood vessels of the retina and can strike just about anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, the higher is your risk factor.

Early diabetic retinopathy may be symptomless. As the disease progresses symptoms include:

• Spots floating in your line of vision
• Dark streaks or a red film  that blocks vision
• Poor night vision
• Blurred vision or vision loss

Treatment
Start by controlling your blood sugar levels and scheduling yearly eye exams.  If detected early you may need only laser to correct your vision. But in advanced cases, surgery may your best option.

 Age-related macular degeneration

In this chronic condition, the tissue of the macula (the part of the retina responsible for central vision) deteriorates. 

Symptoms

• The need for increasingly bright illumination when reading or doing close work

• Increasing difficulty adapting to low levels of illumination, such as when entering a dimly lit restaurant

•  Increasing blurriness of printed words

• A decrease in the intensity or brightness of colours

• Difficulty recognising faces

• Gradual increase in the haziness of your overall vision

• Blurred or blind spot in the centre of your visual field combined with a profound drop in your central vision acuity

• Visual distortions, such as straight lines appearing wavy or crooked, a doorway or street sign that seems out of whack, or objects appearing smaller or farther away than they should.

Treatment
Treatment options largely aim at stopping the progress of the disease. The damage already caused by macular degeneration can't be reversed. The sooner it is detected, the better your chances of preserving what's left of your central vision.  In some cases anti-oxidants may be prescribed and in other cases outpatient procedures can be performed.