Six Body Signs You Shouldn't Ignore - Part 2

Dizziness : Your world goes round every time you stand up. If you think there is something wrong with you then dizziness is just the signal. When the blood supply to the brain is limited or a change in blood pressure is noticed, it results in light headedness. Dehydration can also make your blood pressure drop and make you dizzy.

Doc’s Tip : keep yourself hydrated and have a liquid diet or foods with high water content. Should the faint feeling occur each time you get up or you lose consciousness, see your doctor. It may be due to drop in heaemoglobin and in rare circumstances; it can be a heart problem.

Lumps in breasts : Lately, you have felt several small movable lumps in your breasts. These are nothing but a common and benign condition where your breast tissue retains fluids. The changes are more noticeable in the pre-period week, when hormonal changes cause swelling throughout your body. 

Doc’s Tip : Cut back on caffeine heavy foods like coffee, tea and aerated drinks, which causes you to retain fluid and makes the lumps more pronounced. It’s better to avoid salty foods, since they also promote fluid retention.

Floaters in your eyes : There are dark specks, spots and wormlike lines that are perennially in your field of vision. Though harmless, floaters are annoying and there are ways to prevent them through proper diet

Doc’s Tip : While there is no real way to stop the formation of floaters (that is confirmed) the safest way to cure floaters is to ignore them. There are many ways to strengthen one's eyes which will in turn lessen the creation of new floaters. Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetable is necessary. However, consult a doctor if they turn out to be painful.

Concluded

Six Body Signs You Shouldn't Ignore - Part 1

There is more hair in your comb than on your head. Your new denims can’t stay buttoned up for long and irritating dust particles float in your eyes. You panic thinking that some dreaded disease has hit you and search the Internet for a quick fix. The search results in ten different diseases and you are not sure which one is more severe. Sounds familiar? Relax. With the help of health experts, we list few unknown symptoms (and solutions) which may strike women.

Rebound headaches : Like heartache, rebound headaches refuse to go. They keep coming back even after you have popped in a few painkillers. Well don’t blame the headache, the culprit here is the pill. Overuse of medication makes the body resistant to its effects. When they don’t work as well, people take stronger doses of the medication. This continues to desensitize the body, triggering yet another rebound headache.

Doc’s Tip : Ride out the rebound headache by avoiding painkillers as much as you can. Never take any painkiller for longer than two consecutive days. Always consult a doctor if the symptoms persist.

Bloating : It is not that time of the month and you feel bloated. Well blame your drinking habits then.Alcohol dehydrates your body and as little as two glasses is risky. When you drink too much, your kidneys go on a panic mode and start conserving water leading to water retention. Even coffee and tea can cause problems if had in excess.

Doc’s tip : Drink at least a glass of water every two hours, which will get your kidneys functioning regularly again. Stay away from salty and sodium-rich processed foods, which will cause you to hold in water longer. The bloating will subside in two days.

Delayed or no Periods : You are not pregnant and still you have skipped your chums twice in a row. You should panic though not much. There can be quite a few reasons and the most common culprit is stress. Stress hinders ovulation and the hormonal changes in your body can wreck havoc on your menstrual system. If there is a delay of eight to ten days, there is nothing to worry about.

Doc’s Tip : Cut back stress by eating a balanced meal and include some form of exercise and yoga to bring your cycle back on track. It is best to visit your gynac for a proper check-up.

To Be Continued ....

Take Steps Everyday To Live A Safe & Healthy Life !! - Part 3

Read food labels. See how much fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, protein, and other ingredients are in the product. Note what the serving size is to make sure you don't eat more calories than you think you are getting. 

Check your skin and body regularly for lumps, rashes, sores, discolorations, limitations, and other changes. Do check during and after bathing.

Take note of other changes such as those related to urine or bowel habits, thirst, hunger, fatigue, discharge, vision and weight. if you find or experience anything suspicious, see your doctor.

Keep track of your numbers for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and more. These numbers can provide a glimpse of your heath status and risk for certain diseases and conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and more.

Be sure to ask your doctor what tests you need and how often. if your numbers are too high or too low, he / she can make recommendations to help you to get them to a healthier range.

To Be Continued....

Tips to Stay cool in Hot Summer... - Part 2

Useful tips to beat the Heat.. Continued

3)   Diet : Eat cool

Take electrol twice a day. Mix it with coconut water, khus sharbat or lemonade. This will replenish minerals lost due to excessive sweating.

Have more succulent veggies that rehydrate bottle gourd, turai, pumpkin, lotus stem and the like.

Avoid heavy, deep fried stuff. They contain transfatty acids that aggravate acidity.

Adopt different cooking techniques steaming, grilling, baking and roasting. These don't need too much spices.

Use spices in moderation. If possible avoid jaiphal, cinnamon, cloves as they generate heat.

Avoid coffee as cocoa activates sweat glands further leading to dehydration.

Have poha, porridge, fruits or idli for breakfast instead of dosas and parathas. Khichdi with multi-grain dal, chaas and green chutney is a good option for lunch and dinner.

4)   Clothing : Drape right

The obvious choice of fabric for summer has to be natural ones such as cotton, linen and its derivatives such as mul, voile, or bamboo fabric.

These fabrics are woven in patterns that allow air flow. They absorb perspiration rather than cause it. Fine yarns, such as mul, dyed using natural dyes are even better for the skin.

For the evening, wear mixed fabrics 60 per cent cotton and 40 per cent silk for comfort and sheen.

Open designs allow air circulation.

5)   Beauty : Keep it fresh

Kokum sharbat is the best way to beat prickly heat from the inside.

To remove a tan, powder masoor daal and soak it in milk for an hour or half. Massage it over your body and let dry. Rub it off in circular motions. This bleaches and exfoliates your skin. 

Rice powder does the same wash and dry rice, then powder it. Soak in water for half an hour and rub over yourself. Let it dry and then rub off.

To get rid of a lice infestation, powder naphthalene balls and mix with coconut or any hair oil till it dissolves completely. Divide hair into sections and apply this tip to root. Tie up your hair and cover with a white cloth for three 3 to 4 hours. Some irritation is expected. Be careful not to touch your hair and then touch your mouth or eyes. Shampoo it off.

Put papaya pieces through a mixer and massage the pulp into your hair, section wise. Rinse after two hours to get shiny, smooth hair.

After eating a mango, massage your face with the seed for 10 minutes. The pulp will tighten, clean and moisturise your skin. Wash after 15-20 minutes.

To control over active sebaceous glands, steam your face and gently remove blackheads using a steel remover. Apply a mask of Multani mitti plus besan and turmeric, mixed with honey and rose-water. Let it dry and wash off.

Warning :

The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

Concluded

Tips to Stay cool in Hot Summer... - Part 1

Useful tips to beat the Heat..

It's official. Experts say, the temperatures recorded last weekend  have been the highest in five years. The mercury may show no sign of dipping, but you can arm yourself with some of these very useful tips and tricks to brave the heat :

1)   Fitness : A hot workout 

Avoid dark colors while working out as they absorb heat. Wear apparel that's breathable. Give track pants a miss, wear shorts instead. Stop tying your sweat shirts around your hip, you are just trapping heat.

While Exercising, your feet sweat, so avoid wearing synthetic socks.Powder the feet with a prickly heat powder and ensure you dry your shoes after exercise.

Have a glass of water before you start as it takes time for fluids to get absorbed into the system. Ideally, you need 100 ml of water every 20 minutes of exercise.

210-220 celcius is the best temperature at which you should exercise.

Best time to get your body moving is before 8 am or just after sunset. Never exercise mid-morning when you experience the maximum effect of the sun's UV rays.

If you are working out outdoors, try and pace the intensity. 

E.g. if 20 minutes of cardio burns 400 calories, space it out to over 30 or more minutes and do not do it intensely.

Avoid steam and sauna as your normal body temperature is 370 degree C and a sauna will work adversely. 

2)   Health : Grasp ailments 

Headaches and migraines get precipitated by heat. Avoid walking in the sun or wear a hat. Avoid fermented foods  and citrus fruits.

Those who do not sweat a lot are prone to heat-related exhaustion manifested in fatigue, light-headedness, etc. At an extreme level, it leads to a heat stroke or you may be paralysed or unconscious.

Skin allergies like psoriasis too get aggravated because of dehydration.

The body is composed of 60-65 per cent water, distributed 2/3rd in the cells and 1/3rd outside them. When the body is dehydrated, the organs complain through aches and pains. At its worst, dehydration can lead to renal failure and unconsciousness.

Excess sun causes nose bleeds because of excess pressure of heat on the nostrils. Boils and sun burn are also common. 

The best way to counter them is drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and smoking. Have instant energy boosters such as honey, electrolytes or glucose.

Maintain immunity with fruits such as papaya and pineapple.

To Be Continued......

Is Your Heart telling U Something ?

SILENT HEART ATTACKS

A heart attack (myocardinal infarction) occurs when a section of the heart muscle dies due to a sudden blood clot blockage in the coronary artery. This blockage restricts the blood and oxygen supply to the heart, causing chest pain, problems breathing, and possible permanent injury. 

Silent heart attacks are similar; the only difference is that the person doesn't feel it. This is attributed to possible nerve damage (neuropathy) around the heart due to chronic diseases or narrowing of the coronary arteries, which impedes blood flow to the heart. people who are at high risk for heart attack are also in danger of suffering a silent heart attack.

SYMPTOMS :

A silent heart attack can cause symptoms after the attack. Feeling increased fatigue after normal activities is a sign of heart damage from a silent heart attack. 

Shortness of breath and sleep disturbances, persistent feeling of indigestion, burping, gaseous-bloating of stomach with no background history of gastric disorder are also signs that person had a silent heart attack.

Some people only find out when they come in for their casual / anual health check up. Their ECG and other tests justifiably might reveal an evidence for a heart attack, which they feel they have never suffered from.

Source :  Dr.Vijay Surase for TOI