Health solutions

Truth about Bow legs:What you must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 9, 2018 4

The uterus is the home of a new life.As your baby grows the space inside may seem cramped.

This cramping causes the legs to be folded .

The child is born with bowing of legs ,due to folded leg position in utero.

This bowing in infants is called physiological Genu Vera.

Once they start putting pressure on them while walking ,they may straighten out .This happens by 2 to 3 years of age.

If not corrected ,then they may cause some serious problems.

What are the problems with bowing of leg?

Shortening of 1 leg
Deformity
Difficulty walking running
Higher risk of arthritis.

Persistent bowing may be due some deficiencies.

What are these deficiencies?

Rickets
Blount’s disease
Lead fluoride poisoning

First few tests which you must do:

25(OH) Vitamin D in serum

Serum free calcium level
X-ray of legs.

How will your doctor check for change?

Measurements of distance between knees while child is lying on the back.

This is monitored to see for any worsening

What is the best course of management?

Treat Rickets.
Treatment of any other underlying problem .
Braces& Orthopedic devices to keep the leg in straightened position (serious cases)
Surgery after 3 years (determined according to individual case basis)

All problems may not be solved but timely intervention can change the life of a child for ever.

Day 21 #NaBloPoMo

Protected: Protein in your breakfast :What you must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 6, 2018 12

Cow milk Pros and cons:This can scare you

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 5, 2018 11

I love milk.

Specially cold milk.

I like the milky chai and the nice cup of coffee with milk.

But to keep healthy I had switch to green tea.I still have my cup of midmorning coffee and the ginger chai on weekends.

Cows milk pros:

1 cup milk has ;

Eight grams of protein12 grams of carbohydrates

300 milligrams of calcium, which is 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance for most adults.

It’s easily available

Cheap

High quality protein.

Soya milkis in no way better.It’s the evil cousin.

The Cons of cow milk:

The main problem with milk is not just the calories .

That you can beat with the skimmed variety.

But the milk protein itself has a few of its own issues .

Cow's Milk to have or not to have is a topic of great debate..Choose after knowing your facts — Cow’s Milk to have or not to have is a topic of great debate..Choose after knowing your facts

It’s a grey zone.

It is digested quickly .Absorption occurs fast and cause rapid increase in plasma amino acids .

This causes faster release of insulin .

This is dangerous .

Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinaemia are both factors of insulin resistance.

This insulinotropic role of milk products is a cause of concern for health.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the β cells pancreatic islets of Langerhans

What does Insulin do for you ?

It maintains normal blood glucose levels.

It helps in cellular glucose uptake, regulating carbohydrate metabolism .

Helps inlipid and protein metabolism .

Insulin stimulates glucose uptake.Promotes lipogenesis while suppressing lipolysis .

Promotes cell division and growth through its mitogenic effects.

What happens when you have insulin resistance ?

Diabetes
Obesity

Problems with obesity

Coronary heart disease
Hypertension
Stroke,
Certain types of cancer
non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
gallbladder disease
dyslipidaemia
Osteoarthritis and gout,
Pulmonary diseases, including sleep apnoea

Other scary facts about milk include issues with prostatic and ovarian cancer.

High dairy levels in diet is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis
D-galactose in milk is a pro -inflammatory agent.Molecules causing inflammation are responsible for acne ,ageing and other age related disorders.
Lactose intolerance is very common.
Milk protein is a common food allergen

At the end of the day ,diet is supposed to be balanced.

See what works for you .

Day 19 NaBloPoMo .

Linking this up with Honest mum

References :

1)Nilsson M, Stenberg M, Frid AH, Holst JJ, Bjorck IME. Glycemia and insulinemia in healthy subjects after lactose-equivalent meals of milk and other food proteins: the role of plasma amino acids and incretins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80:1246–53.[PubMed]

2) Calbet JAL, MacLean DA. Plasma Glucagon and Insulin Responses Depend on the Rate of Appearance of Amino Acids after Ingestion of Different Protein Solutions in Humans. J Nutr. 2002;132:2174–82.[PubMed]

3)Nilsson M, Stenberg M, Frid AH, Holst JJ, Bjorck IME. Glycemia and insulinemia in healthy subjects after lactose-equivalent meals of milk and other food proteins: the role of plasma amino acids and incretins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80:1246–53.[PubMed]

4) von Post-Skagegård M, Vessby B, Karlström B. Glucose and insulin responses in healthy women after intake of composite meals containing cod-, milk-, and soy protein. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60:949–54. [PubMed]

5)Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation.

World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253.

6)Insulin and Insulin Resistance

7)Childhood obesity :The control is in your hand(part 3)
8)Childhood obesity healthy eating habits

Hoarseness ,Home care tips to try before visiting the doctor

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 5, 2018 28

Season changing .

The wind is turning cooler.

I love fall and winter.

Love the winter clothes,the food and the cold crisp air.Life is perfect.

Only one hitch.

This is also cold and cough season!

You can suddenly have hoarseness ,sore throat ,Allergic Rhinitis.

You may find your voice lost, after a bout of shouting over the music at the party.

Biggest myth about hoarseness?

You should gargle a lot with warm water .

Truth :

Gargling will make your vocal cords even more tired and you hoarser.

When should you gargle ?

When you have throat pain and no hoarseness.

Can you have hoarseness without a cold?

Yes you can be hoarse ,without sore throat.

Hoarseness may be due to:

Excessive smoking
Shouting
Improper use of voice
Excessive singing
Reflux

Hoarseness :Home care tips before you visit the doctor

What can you do to help your voice?

*No speaking at all over the next 36 hours.

*Use sign language, written words.The more disciplined you are about this ,better it is.

*Plain water steam inhalation 3 to 4 times a day through mouth. Be careful while taking Steam.Don’t burn yourself.

*Have soft warm food.

*Take multivitamin tablets for a few days.

*Chicken soup if you are non vegetarian can be included in your meals.

*Avoid spicy oily food.

Nutrition tips to fight cold:Eat right to feel great

Related

Ultimate Nutrition tips to fight cold

*Fruits and veggies are a must too.

All this together will help you get better.But the first two are most important.

When you should consider visiting a doctor?

Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Severe pain in throat .
If your voice has been hoarse for more than three weeks.Especially if you haven’t had a cold or the flu.
If you are coughing up blood.
If you feel a lump in your neck
If you have pain when speaking or swallowing,
Lose your voice completely for more than a few days.

Disclaimer :This is meant as health information and should not be confused for professional advice.

Club foot : What Parents must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 1, 2018 16

What is Clubfoot?

Clubfoot is the most common musculoskeletal birth defect.

It’s a condition where the babies foot is twisted in an abnormal shape and position.

This happens due to short ligaments and muscles in the foot.The foot is excessively turned inwards.It’s also known as talipes equino varus.

What Causes it?

May be positional.It is more common than the congenital type .Can be corrected with gentle dorsiflexion.Your doctor will show you the manoeuvres.

Can there be other problems?

It’s a birth defect of unknown etiology

May be isolated.

Or Associated with spina bifida , cerebral palsy,Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.

Meningomyelocele

What risk factors can Mother have?

Oligohydramnios
Teratogenic agents
Uterus constriction rings

How common is it?

It’s more common in males.
50%cases may be bilateral.
Almost 1.2 babies in every 1000 may be affected.

How to make the child have a better life?

The best practices nowadays involve the ponseti method.

This involves:

*Series of manipulation

*Series of casting

*Percutaneous Achilles tenotomy

*Bracing.

These if done properly can help 98% of babies with club foot.

The Casting has the most obvious visible effect on the deformity.

But bracing has to be done long-term by parents at home at night.

Needs patience and parents motivation and sincerity.

Lack of adequate bracing can cause high relapse rate due to inadequate bracing.

Bracing lasts for 4 to 5 years.Has to be done every night.Properly done bracing for the right amount of time is most crucial for long-term success.

What problems occur, if not corrected ?

Restricted mobility and difficulty walking.
One and a half-size smaller shoe size.
Poor self-imageArthritis.
Poorly developed calf muscles

Birth defects if treated early can be corrected.A lot depends on motivation and dedication of parents.

I believe there’s always hope .No one knows all the answers .

What do you think ?

Comment below to let me know.

Delhi pollution:Vertical gardens ,vertical forests may be a solution

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 25, 2018 27

The problem of Deli pollution and poor air quality in other cities makes vertical gardens and vertical forests part of a possible solution. But is anyone listening? Imagine a life without greenery. Imagine a black grey and smog covered sky.No plants, will mean, the world without life itself. Only plants produce oxygen. Simple truth. God alone knows why men and governments allowed this to happen. Delhi has shut the school for 3 days, to let the life-choking smog to settle.

PREMATURE DEATHS DU TO POOR QUALITY INDOOR AIR — Delhi air pollution .Do you want to look ike this ?

The shocking truth is we all knew. We knew it was going to be a gas chamber.Delhi government knows it’s on a tight rope, with respect to pollution.What did they do pre Diwali? What did the Government do after Diwali? (They did do something. Scroll down to read about the #Delhichallenge ).

A few questions :

Is the air through which the politicians, rich and famous travel pure? Does only Indian cars and vehicles pollute? Does pollution affect your body and mind?

Health effects of air pollutants .When will.we wake up? — Health effects of air pollutants. When will we wake up?

The Singapore government makes builders replace trees by the equal square footage of vertical gardens. Why can’t we do that too? Did you know vertical forests are possible with technology? I believe this lack of exposure to greenery causes a lot of our problems. We need trees, plants, and forests.

The 3 PRONGS of the Problem

1)How to stop air pollution immediately?

2)How to improve the existing air quality?

3) How to prevent further deterioration of air quality?How to stop pollution immediately?

Delhi Government has banned the use of diesel generators for some days.No burning of solid wastes . Plus crowdsourcing solutions.The #Delhi challenge by Urban Labs Innovation a project of Tata Centre of Development happened in association with University of Chicago and Delhi Government
CHAKR innovations were the winner.

They are stopping the pollutants at the source itself. This company is testing an interesting solution with surprising results. A device, when attached to the exhaust pipe of diesel engines, can help trap and remove over 72% of particulate matter. These particles will be used to make ink. That’s smart and cool.

Improving existing air quality

Air purifiers are at best short-term solutions. But a solution for immediate use if you can afford it.They can improve the quality of air indoors to some extent by removing particulate matter.But be careful while picking indoor air purifiers. Some release negative ions and ozone(not good for you indoor ) which harms you more than helps. Best air purifiers can be priced from Rupees 10000 to 75000.Clean air for super rich!

Going for cheaper solutions may leave you with a machine which does little. Another problem is a lack of standards for quality control of air purifiers. Research shows air purifiers only remove some amount of particulate matter from air.Not really very efficient. Unlike water purifiers which treat the water chemically too.

Cons of air purifiers :

It’s expensive
It has doubtful efficacy.
There are negative health effects of negative ion releasing Air purifiers.
It may be useful for small rooms but not for large areas.

Pros:

May help as short term solution.

Vertical gardens Vertical forests and green walls:

Delhi challenge also had Capacloud as a finalist.Capacloud has a solution to the pollution problem. Grow green anywhere.I have written about indoor air pollution sometime back. With their technology, you can grow green plants on exterior walls, roofs inside homes anywhere. Their molecular technology helps provide plants with nutrition and water while letting then grow. Tested to cut up to 30 % of air pollutants in the vicinity.

How to prevent further deterioration of air quality?That’s a story for another post

Wake up to the problem. Breathe the grey cloud of pollution. This is “the end of the world”. You- me – and everyone else need to work together. Or die painfully being poisoned by the black air we breathe.

What do you think you can do to make the air clean?Comment below to let me know.

Posts in this series

Plastic pollution population:Hard truths

Delhi pollution

Indoor air pollution

Indoor air

Greening the planet earth

Car air purifier: Why I want it

Lead paint and pollution

Sound pollution

Hearing and Headphones

Say no to plastic water bottles

noise-induced hearing loss

Environmental pollution awareness and strict action

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Truth about Bow legs:What you must know