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Some Health Quaries & Answers

My wifw eats bricks

Q: When my wife and I visited the Taj Mahal we bought a souvenir, a replica of the Taj made of chalk. It disappeared a few days after we returned. My wife finally confessed to having eaten the whole thing! Then I discovered that she has also been eating uncooked rice and occasionally red bricks too from the housing construction next door. I realise she needs help. Should I go to a psychiatrist?

A: Your wife has “pica”, a craving to eat things not normally considered food. People eat clay, chalk, mud and brick. Pica is an uncontrollable habit, so you’ll have to watch her for some time as she might resort to hiding the fact that she’s still eating non-food items. The urge is uncontrollable even though she knows it is wrong. It is often due to mineral deficiency. It is not a psychiatric problem. Consult a physician. She probably needs antihelminthics (de-worming), and supplements of iron, calcium and zinc.

Doggy pain..

Q: I take my Labrador for a walk in the mornings. He is exuberant, poorly trained and pulls on his leash. Of late I have noticed that my right hand tingles while holding the leash and that this sensation also wakes me up at night. The fingers are often stiff in the morning.

A: Your regular walk probably keeps you fit and provides you with the required amount of exercise. However, if the dog’s personality is as described, you need to take some precautions to prevent injury. Keep the dog on a short leash — holding it firmly at the distance of about one and a half feet, even if the leash is longer. Wear wrist guards and elbow guards. This will prevent injury due to sudden pulls and tugs.

The symptoms you describe sound like “carpal tunnel syndrome” where one of the nerves to the hand is trapped in the ligaments and bones at the wrist. It may have occurred due to injury while controlling the dog. It is better to see an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in hand injuries.

Measles rash?

Q: My one-year-old son developed fever and the doctor prescribed amoxicillin. After three days of he developed red rashes all over the body. My mother says it is measles but he is immunised.

A: Measles immunisation is given at the age of nine months. At that time antibodies, transferred from the mother through the placenta, are present but waning. If there is a high level of maternal antibodies, the vaccine may not produce a satisfactory response. This is the reason for a booster, which is given as the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine at 15 months. Once this is also given the immunity is almost 100 per cent.

All rashes are not due to measles. Other viral infections can also lead to rashes. Amoxicillin causes non-specific red rashes in some people. Allergies can also cause rashes, in which case there will be associated itching.

Ulcer baby…..

Q: My baby is 10 months old and has developed severe ulcers in the mouth. My doctor says it is due to herpes infection. I always thought that herpes was a sexually transmitted disease.

A: Herpes is the name given to a group of viruses. Different viruses from this group can cause various diseases like chicken pox, ulcers in the mouth or herpes progenitalis. These ulcers are painful. So the baby may find it difficult to swallow. The doctor will usually prescribe some local treatment and antiviral medication.

Although this infection occurs in a large number of children, it is less common in those who are not bottle fed or given pacifiers.

Chikungunya

Q: I had a chikungunya infection about six months ago but my ankles still hurt. I find locomotion difficult as there are sudden attacks of excruciating pain.

A: Unfortunately a chikungunya infection has a long lasting impact in some people. The joint pain either persists or keeps flaring up unexpectedly intermittently for as long as two years. When there is pain apply a capsaicin-containing ointment locally, then place ice on the joint as a cold compress, alternate it with heat from a hot water bottle, have physiotherapy and use analgesics for pain relief.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Some Health Quaries & Answers

Ouch, my back hurts! …..

Q: I am a 45-year-old woman, plump, though not fat, and I have a severe backache. The pain is quite bad at times. I find it difficult to stand and walk, and have developed a waddling gait. The orthopaedic surgeon says I have “spondylolisthesis”. What can I do?

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A: Spondylolisthesis is a condition where one of the vertebrae (bones of the backbone) slips in relation to the one below. This causes it to press on the nerves. There is pain and weakness of the muscles, causing the symptoms you have mentioned. It occurs, to some degree, in 30-40 per cent of women by the time they are 65 years old. Many have no symptoms at all, whereas others have the problems you have mentioned.

Initially, you can try to bring down your weight so that your BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height in metre squared) is 23. You can also go for physiotherapy, and wear a lumbar support belt when the pain is severe. If these simple solutions do not work in 6-8 months, and the pain is still severe, you may need corrective surgery.

Slow mother

Q: My mother is affected by “hypothyroid” and has become clumsy and slow. She also has swollen legs. The doctor has not given any tonics and, I feel, is not treating her properly.

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A: The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone and this is essential for the cells in the body to function properly. Iodine is essential for the formation of this hormone. Many places in India are deficient in iodine. Because of this, the government began marketing iodised salt for cooking.

Treatment for hypothyroidism consists of tablets that replace the hormone. They are to be taken once a day on an empty stomach. The dose is gradually increased at fortnightly or monthly intervals till the patient becomes normal. Your doctor is on the right track. Your mother is being given specific medication and not a lot of unnecessary tonics.

Allergic sinuses

Q: I have been advised surgery for allergic sinusitis but want to try medication first. Please help.

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A: If you are sure the diagnosis is “allergic sinusitis”, you could

• use a steroid nasal spray twice a day;

• take a non-sedating antihistamine at night;

• take steam inhalations twice a day;

• avoid cigarette smoke;

• stop using room freshen-ers and vaporising mosquito repellents;

• walk or jog 40 minutes a day.

Give this a three-month trial. If this does not work, opt for the surgery suggested.

Are we infertile?

Q: We have a 5-year-old daughter. We have stopped used condoms for the last four months. But my wife has not become pregnant. Can we take ayurvedic medication for vigour, health and fertility advised in the media?

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A: It is advisable to try frequent unprotected intercourse for at least a year before you opt for medical opinion, medication and intervention. After all, you had no problem in conceiving the first child!

If your wife still does not conceive, it is better for both of you to go for medical evaluation. This way, you will know if, over the years, either of you has developed a health problem that’s interfering with fertility.

Hip replacement

Q: My mother is 70 years old. She finds walking painful as she has osteoarthritis of her right hip. The doctor here has advised replacement surgery. Will she be able to tolerate it at this age? She also has diabetes and high blood pressure.

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A: Life expectancies are increasing and your mother can easily expect to live for another 14-15 years. Doing so with continuous pain may be difficult. The diabetes and hypertension can and should be controlled with medication. Today anaesthesia is very specialised and the old, young, ill and infirm are all able to safely undergo surgery. The benefits of being able to walk without pain are immeasurable. Remember, the queen mother in England had successful hip replacement surgery at the age of 95. She finally died of other causes at 101.

Young and high on BP

Q: My brother is 21 years old and his blood pressure is 180/100. It is not coming down with medicine. Can we try naturopathy?

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A: High blood pressure occurs without any identifiable cause in 95 per cent of the cases. In the remaining five per cent a correctable disease process, like disease or abnormalities of the kidney, tumours of the kidney or adrenals, heart disease or abnormalities of the blood vessels can be found. Since your brother is very young, he must be investigated for a correctable cause of hypertension. If nothing is found, you can consider other treatment options.
Fruit diet

Q: I am a diabetic on medication. Can I eat only fruits twice a week?

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A: Your medication must have been adjusted as per your diet, activity and consequent blood sugar levels. A sudden alteration in any of these would cause the sugars to spiral out of control unless the medication is also adjusted on that day.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Some Health Quaries & Answers

 

Hole in my ear:
Q: I developed a hole in my eardrum and I think it is due to prolonged use of the mobile phone. I cannot manage without my phone.

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CLICK & SEE

A:
The hole (perforation) in the ear drum is unlikely to have been caused by the use of a mobile phone. Usually it develops as a result of an ear infection (otitis media), an injury with a sharp object or a sudden loud sound near the ear. It needs to be evaluated. You should consult an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon.

It may heal and close with antibiotics and the use of ear drops. A long-standing non-healing perforation may require an operation called a tympanoplasty.

In any case, why not use the speaker phones option?

Tingling feet :
Q: My 72 years old father, is a diabetic, whose blood sugar is well controlled by oral medications. He has a lot of discomfort in his lower legs and feet. He had consulted a neurologist and after certain tests was found to have neuropathy. Although he was given vitamin combinations he has had no relief.

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CLICK & SEE

A: Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder that can occur as a complication of diabetes usually if there is poor blood sugar control. It can cause problems with the sensation in the feet. The symptoms are numbness, pain, or tingling in the feet or lower legs. There may be difficulty in walking and balance.

The first step is to bring blood sugar levels under control. You could purchase a glucometer and check the sugar level regularly at home. Make sure he always wears well fitting shoes. Walking regularly, taking warm baths, or using elastic stockings may help relieve leg pain. Analgesics, low doses of antidepressants, and some anticonvulsant medication can be prescribed, in addition to vitamins, in severely affected individuals.

Potty tot
Q: I have a son who is three and half years old. He has been suffering from acute constipation for the last one year. He passes hard stool, with pain. Sometimes small amounts are passed 10-12 times a day. He eats well and his diet includes 1,000ml of milk, which I give in a bottle at night.

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A: The quantity of milk that you are giving is far in excess of what he requires. He needs only 400ml of milk a day at the very most. It can be split into two 200ml feeds, in the morning and evening, not at night. At three and a half years he is far beyond the stage of feeding bottles. Encourage bowel movement in the morning by making him sit in the toilet at a fixed time even if he does not feel the urge.

If the constipation persists a further evaluation with a paediatrician can be done to rule out thyroid deficiency or bowel malfunctions.

Worried about AIDs
Q: Does a married couple need to have sex with a condom? I want to prevent HIV infection in myself and my wife. I am worried about AIDS.

A: If either party has had prior sexual encounters, it is better to use a condom until you check for HIV and hepatitis B. It is better to check again after six months when the window period for HIV infection is over. If you go to a Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre, the tests are free.

Married people need to use condoms as a contraceptive device if they wish to prevent pregnancy, or if one of the parties is HIV or HbAg positive (hepatitis B).

Seeking perfect eyesight :
Q: I want perfect eyesight. What diet should I eat and what can I do?

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A: Green leafy vegetables like spinach, beetroot, carrot and drumsticks help eyesight because of their vitamin and antioxidant content. Overcooking destroys heat sensitive labile beneficial vitamins of the B group. Steaming or microwave cooking vegetables or eating them raw is, therefore, better. Eating two raw tomatoes a day will give you all the vitamins you need.

There are eye exercises in yoga which, done regularly, help to maintain and improve your eyesight.

More children
Q: I am 41 and my wife is 35. We have an eight-year-old daughter. We decided to try for a son. Despite our best attempts over the last one year, we failed. Although my wife’s periods are irregular, no tests have been done. We have received all kinds of tablets from various doctors. Now we read that some of them have potentially dangerous side effects.

A: All medicines have some side effects even if they are aryuvedic, homeopathic or herbal. The tablets used to induce ovulation can be dangerous if given for too many cycles in improper doses.

Before proceeding consider the following:

• You already have a healthy daughter.

• Do you really want another child?

•Test yourself — do a semen analysis

• Do an ultrasound for your wife to see why the periods are irregular.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Some Health Quaries & Answers

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help?………

Q: Whenever I take any antibiotics or painkillers I develop severe gastric irritation, with belching, burning and pain. Can I take antacids to prevent this?

A: Painkillers usually belong to the “aspirin” family, or are paracetamol or are NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents). All of them can cause gastric irritation to varying degrees. The same is true of some antibiotics also. Using an antacid decreases the availability of the medication as many of them interact with the antacid in the stomach. Instead, you can add omeprazole, pantoprazole or ranitidine to the prescription. You can speak to your physician for specific advice and dosage schedules.

Try smiling :-

Q: At 50 years of age I find I have a sad and depressed look as I have bags on the cheek and my whole face sags. It affects my mood when I look in the mirror.

CLICK & SEE

A: Sagging of the skin (jowls) occurs owing to the loss of subcutaneous elastic tissue with age. The skin is not held taut. Gravity then causes the cheeks to sag. You have to be very conscious of this.

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Instead of developing a grumpy expression, try smiling. This will pull up your cheek muscles and the skin overlying them.

You can also apply oil every morning and massage your cheeks upwards. This will give you slow improvement. If nothing works, and you are really mentally affected by this, several plastic surgery techniques are available. Alternatively, you can always try Botox.

Grandma’s bladder :-

 

Q: My 82-year-old grandmother suffers from recurrent urinary tract infections. Cultures of the urine repeatedly grow significant numbers of bacteria. The doctors advised an ultrasound (USG) and it indicated significant residual urine — around 190cc. What can we do?

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A: Residual urine means that her bladder is not emptying properly. Urine is left behind in significant amounts after she has passed urine. This occurs because of a weakness of the pelvic muscles as a result of previous childbirth, age and the loss of protective female hormones after menopause. Urine is a good culture medium for bacteria to gain a foothold and thrive. As long as this problem persists and urine remains in the bladder, infections will recur. You also need to check if she has any additional risk factors like diabetes.

Appropriate antibiotic treatment has to be given in the correct dosage for the recommended schedule for the infection to clear. Sometimes a small night dose of antibiotic has to be continued prophylactically for a few months. Ask your grandmother to lean backwards instead of forwards while passing urine. That will help to empty the bladder more. In addition, yoga or Keegle’s exercises can be done to strengthen the pelvic muscles.

Exercise, please:-

Q: I have been a naturopath and yoga teacher for 30 years. Many diseases, infirmities, injuries and the effects of ageing can be delayed or prevented by practising this scientific ancient exercise form. Recovery from illness is also faster. I find most of my patients very resistant to the idea of exercise. They have a thousand irrelevant excuses to put off to “tomorrow” a schedule to start being physically active. Needless to say, tomorrow never comes!

A: People are looking for a “quick fix ”, an instant solution or a miracle drug that’ll cure all their ailments with the least effort. Unfortunately the body has to be maintained and nurtured like any other piece of functioning ageing machinery.

Studies show that 60 minutes of aerobic activity and 10 minutes of stretching will go a long way in maintaining health. For those who cannot spare that amount of time at one stretch, it can be split into 10 or 20 minute segments. The eventual benefits are immeasurable.

On the pill for 15 years :-

Q: I am 45 years old and have been on an oral contraceptive pill (OCP) for 15 years. How will I know if I have reached menopause? After all, the pill produces withdrawal bleeding every month.

A: When you actually reach menopause there will be no withdrawal bleeding after the tablets are stopped. If this occurs for three months you have probably reached menopause. It is safer to continue the pills for a year more. If you stop the pill you should use some other form of contraception like condoms for a year.

Excruciating pain :-

Q: I was pregnant a year ago. On scan the baby was found to have Down’s syndrome. I underwent a termination of the pregnancy. Now I have lower abdominal pain all the time. Sometimes it is so severe that I have to double up. What can I do?

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A: Since this pain has appeared after the abortion, you could take an ultrasound of the pelvis and do a urine examination. This will help to determine if there is an infection or any other reason for the pain. Armed with these reports you could go to a gynaecologist for specific advice and treatment.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Some Health Quaries & Answers

Q: I have terrible dreams every night when I feel I am falling over a mountain or am locked in a box. I don’t feel refreshed when I wake up. I am also drowsy all day.

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A: No one knows exactly why people dream, where dreams originate, what they mean or what the purpose of dreaming is for the body or the mind. But we do know that dreams are strongly associated with REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This can be picked up by an EEG (electroencephalogram) which records electrical signals in the brain. REM shows up as typical wave patterns. During an average lifespan, a human being spends about six years’ time dreaming. This works out to almost two hours each night. Most dreams last for only 5-20 minutes.

One way to sleep well is to go for a 45-minute walk half an hour after dinner, and then drink a cup of warm milk before going to bed.

I suspect cancer :
Q: My father has been taking aryuvedic medicine for his arthritis. He has developed black patches on his skin and tongue. I am afraid it is cancer.

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A: Cancer of the tongue is more likely to appear as a painless white patch or a nodule. Black patches on the skin and tongue are probably due to consumption of metals like silver, gold, mercury and lead which are present in Aryuvedic medications. These metals are not eliminated from the body. The concentration builds up and they get deposited in the bones and muscles. It is advisable to stop the medications and see an allopathic physician. If necessary, have a biopsy done to rule out cancer.

That unrelieved feeling:
Q: I have problem moving my bowels. I never manage to finish the business before leaving for work. The whole day I feel the “urge” but cannot evacuate as I do not use the office toilet, which is unhygienic.

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A: Constipation, especially long standing, can be due to improper diet lacking in sufficient fibre and fluids. It may also be due to a disease process like thyroid malfunction or a block in the intestine. In your case the former seems more likely as you have suffered for years and your health does not seem to have deteriorated in any way.

If there is no disease process (ascertained by a medical evaluation), try increasing water intake to three litres a day and eating 4-6 helpings of fruit and vegetables. If this does not work, you can try 2tsp isabgol husk in a glass of water at night to increase the bulk in your food. Walking for 45 minutes a day and doing abdominal exercises will help tone your muscles. This in turn will help regulate your bowels. Also try getting up earlier so that you can spend time in the toilet without tension and anxiety.

Otitis media
Q: My five-year-old daughter has enlarged adenoids (I don’t know what that is) and because of that (according to the paediatrician) she has frequent attacks of middle ear infection. She has been advised pneumococcal vaccine. Is it necessary?

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A: Adenoids are paired structures situated at the back of the throat, close to the opening of the middle ear into the throat. With bacterial and viral infections they can also get enlarged, the condition being called otitis media. They can block the opening of the middle ear and cause unequal pressures, build up of secretions and ear ache, eventually leading to infections.

Two common bacterial organisms causing ear infection are the H. influenza and pneumococcus. Immunisation against H. influenza is given with DPT/HepB at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age as part of the recommended extended immunisation schedule. Prevanar (against pneumococcus) can be given at the same time. If this is missed, Pneumo 23 can be given after the age of two years. The vaccines are safe.

Vaporising mosquito repellents can lead to allergic swelling of the adenoids. Use of a feeding bottle while sleeping, particularly at night, compounds the problem. These two factors should be removed, otherwise the infections will self perpetuate despite immunisation.

High BP at youth
Q: I am 26 years old and have hypertension, which is well controlled. I also have anxiety. I am on medications which I want to discontinue.

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A: You are too young to have hypertension. This needs to be evaluated as there are several correctable diseases that cause secondary hypertension. Continue the medications at present and try to consult an endocrinologist or nephrologist to evaluate the hypertension and hopefully find a cause. Meanwhile, to reduce anxiety, try jogging for 40 minutes a day and practise meditation or yoga regularly.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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