Health solutions
Cow milk Pros and cons:This can scare you
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 ย green tea.Iย still have ย my cup ย of midmorning coffee and the ginger chai on weekends.
Cows milk pros:
1 cup milk has ;
Eight grams of protein12 grams of carbohydratesย
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 ย can beat with the skimmed variety.
But the milk protein itself has a few of its own issues .
It’s a grey zone.
It is digested ย quickly .Absorption occurs fast and cause rapid ย increase in plasma amino acids .
This causes faster release of insulin .ย
This is dangerous .
Hyperglycemia ย and hyperinsulinaemia are both factors of insulin resistance.
This ย insulinotropicย role of milk products ย is a cause of concern for health.
What is Insulin?
Insulinย is a peptide hormone secreted by the ฮฒ cellsย pancreatic islets of Langerhansย
What does Insulin ย do for you ?
It maintains normal blood glucose levels.
It helps in ย cellular glucose uptake, regulating carbohydrate metabolism .ย
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 ?ย
- Diabetesย
- Obesity
Problems with obesityย
- Coronary heart disease
- Hypertension
- Stroke,ย
- Certain types of cancer
- non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
- gallbladder disease
- dyslipidaemia
- Osteoarthritis and gout,ย
- Pulmonary diseases, including sleep apnoea
Otherย scary factsย about milk include ย issues ย with prostatic and ovarian cancer.
- High dairy levels in diet is ย a risk factor for multiple sclerosisย
- 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 ย of the day ,diet is supposed to be balanced.
See what works for you .
Day 19 NaBloPoMo .
Linking this up withย 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;80:1246โ53.[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;132:2174โ82.[PubMed]
ย 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;80:1246โ53.[PubMed]
4) ย ย von Post-Skagegรฅrd M, Vessby B, Karlstrรถm B. Glucose and insulin responses in healthy women after intake of composite meals containing ย cod-, milk-, and soy protein. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60:949โ54. [PubMed]
5)Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic.ย Report of a WHO consultation.
World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser.ย 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253.
6)Insulin and Insulin Resistance
7)Childhood obesity :The control is in your hand(part 3)ย
8)Childhood obesity healthy eating habits
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Hoarseness ,Home care tips to try before visiting the doctor
Season ย 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!ย
You can ย suddenly have hoarseness ,sore throat ,Allergic Rhinitis.
ย
ย You may ย find your voice lost, after a bout of shouting over the music at the party.
ย
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.
ย
When should you gargle ?
When you have throat pain and no hoarseness.
ย
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
ย
Hoarseness :Home care tips before you visit the doctor
What can ย you do to help your voice?
ย
*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 ย steam inhalationย 3 to 4 times a day through mouth. Be careful while taking Steam.Don’t burn yourself.
ย
*Have soft warm food.
*Take ย multivitamin tablets for a few days.
*Chicken soup if you are non vegetarian can be included in your meals.
*Avoid spicy oily food.
Related Ultimate Nutrition tips to fight cold
*Fruits and veggies are a mustย too.
All this together ย will help you get better.But the first two are most important.
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When you should consider visiting a doctor?
- Difficulty breathing or swallowingย
- 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.
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Disclaimer :This is meant as health information and should not be confused for professional advice.
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Club foot : What Parents must know
ย What is Clubfoot?
ย Clubfoot is the most common musculoskeletal birth defect.
ย 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 theย foot.The foot is ย excessively turned inwards.It’s also known as talipes equino varus.
ย What ย Causes it?
ย May be positional.It is more common than the congenital type .Can be corrected with gentle dorsiflexion.Your doctor will show you the manoeuvres.
ย
ย Can there be other problems?
ย
It’s a birth defect of unknown etiology
ย May be ย isolated.
Orย Associated with spina bifida , cerebral palsy,Arthrogryposis ย multiplex congenita.
Meningomyelocele
ย
ย What risk factors can Mother have?
- Oligohydramnios
- Teratogenic agents
- Uterus constriction rings
ย 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.
50%cases may be bilateral.
Almost 1.2 babies in every 1000 may be affected.
ย
How to make the child have a better life?
The best practicesย nowadaysย involve the ponsetiย method.
ย
This involves:
*Series of manipulation
*Series of casting
*Percutaneousย Achilles tenotomy
*Bracing.
These if done properly can help 98% of babies with club foot.
ย The Casting has the most obvious visible effect on the deformity.
ย But bracing has to be done long-term by parents at home at night.
ย Needs patience and parents motivation and sincerity.
Lack of adequate bracing can causeย high relapse rate due to inadequateย bracing.
ย Bracing lasts for 4 to 5 years.Has to be done every night.Properly done bracing for the right amount of timeย is most crucial for long-term success.
ย
ย What problems ย occur, if not corrected ?
- ย Restricted mobility and difficulty walking.
- One and a half-size smaller shoe size.
- Poor self-imageArthritis.
- Poorly developed calf muscles
ย 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 ย .
What do you think ?
Comment below to let me know.
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Delhi pollution:Vertical gardens ,vertical forests may be a solutionย
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.
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?
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 ย 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 challengeย ย 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
Car air purifier: Why I want it
Say no to plastic water bottles
Environmental pollution awareness and strict action
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Ear discharge : When should you visit the ER
Ear discharge is often a private problem. Few want to discuss it. It’s also easy to ignore since you don’t see the condition inside your ear. It’s an easily treatable and preventable condition.
In this post, I will tell you
- All your options with ear discharge.
- When you should definitely visit the ER.
- What are your options to get treated
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of contents
What are the causes of ear discharge?
Ear discharge occurs when secretions occur due to infections in various parts of the ear.
*Otitis externa : Infection involving external ear.
Furuncle/boil
Otomycosis:fungal infection
Acute otitis media
Pus gets trapped behind the eardrum and the pressure may cause the drum to rupture and pus mixed with blood gets released. This generally occurs after an untreated cold for a period of 5 to 7 days. Accompanied by fever and earache. Rupture of the eardrum occurs with a decrease in pain and pus with bloody discharge.
Chronic otitis media
When ear infection causes persistent discharge for more than 12 weeks. This often presents with ear drum perforation, ear discharge, and reduced hearing.
*Otitis media with effusion
Generally allergic rhinitis, adenoid tissues, and Tonsillitis may cause this. In this case, a sticky discharge occurs.
*CSF Otorrhea
Following head injury, if the junction between your ear and brain is breached the brain fluid may leak.
Potentially serious condition with a risk of meningitis.
Types of ear discharge:
Watery: CSF Fluid covering the brain. You may think water is coming out of your ear.
*Mucoid: Middle ear goblet cells are the source . Indicates ear drum perforation. This is sticky like the goo which comes out of your nose when you have a cold. It’s a white discharge from the ear.
*Pus: Otitis externa/furuncle/infected fungal infection, squamous type of Chronic otitis media.
Pus+mucus: Infected mucus, indicates ear drum perforation.Chronic otitis media mucosal type when there occurs ear drum perforation.
Blood coming out of the ear has to be managed by an ear doctor.
*Pus+blood: squamous type of Chronic otitis media potentially serious and needs urgent management.
*Pus+mucus+blood.:Chronic otitis media mucosal type with granulation
potentially serious and needs urgent management.
What are the important investigations you should do?
*Otoendoscopy: Aย chance for you to Visualize the inside of your own ear and see the problem.
*Pure tone audiometry: PTA. Helps to assess diminished hearing which can occur due to ear discharge.
*Tympanometry:ย Eardrum problems like a thinned drum, and the perforated drum is diagnosed ย You can also detect fluid behind an intact drum.
*HRCT temporal bone: This is computed tomography of your ear bone and helps detect, how far the disease has progressed.
What are the options for treatment for discharging the ear?ย
Treatmentย may be:
*Surgical:Chronic Otitis media squamous type( having cholesteatoma and granulations)
*Medical: Acute otitis media, Otomycosis, furuncle of the ear.
*Surgical+Medical: Chronic otitis media
What are the other complaints associated with ear discharge?
*Swellingย behind the ear: post-aural abscess
*Partial or complete loss of hearing
Ear ache: more common in acute otitis media, ear furuncle, and fungal ear infection.Less common in chronic otitis media. If earache occurs in Chronic otitis media it’s considered a dangerous sign.
READ more about Earache
*Ringing sound in the ear: Tinnitus
*Acute and chronic mastoiditis Infection and inflammation of the Mastoid bone.
*Post aural fistula: Opening in the skin behind the ear connecting with the Mastoid bone.(This occurs in Chronic otitis media eroding the bone .)
*Accompanying signs such as fever and headache often indicate the potential involvement of the brain.
Meningitis, Brain abscess, and other intracranial complications.
*Facial palsy: Disease can cause involvement of the facial nerve.Deviation of mouth, difficulty closing eye, the problem with chewing, eating, blowing, and puffing.
Treatment depends on the exact cause
Often ear discharge is a symptom ignored for a long. Avoidance of the problem will put you at risk of serious complications including, permanent hearing loss. Like a friend of mine, who after ignoring repeated bouts of airplane ear developed chronic otitis media and persistent ear discharge.
When should you visit the ER, with ear discharge?
- Ear pain not decreasing
- Profuse bleeding from the ear
- Slap injury /sharp injury to the ear
- High-grade fever with ear discharge and headache
- Ear discharge with dizziness nausea and vomiting
- Sudden hearing loss with ear discharge
- Facial deviation with ear discharge
- Swelling behind the ear with ear discharge
These are all danger signs and need immediate intervention.
Is ear discharge not stopping?This is what you must know.
Where can you get help?
In India, all Government Medical colleges have a good ENT setup.Plus it’s free
In Delhi:
AIIMS
Safdarjung Hospital
Maulana Azad Medical College
GTB Hospital and Medical College
Kolkata
Calcutta Medical College
NRS Medical College
SSKM Medical College
CNMC
R.G.Kar Medical college
Ear discharge in children needs early treatment to prevent long-term sequelae and irreversible damage.
Private medical colleges with excellent Ear surgery in Kolkata
What other queries do you have about ear discharge? Let me know in the comments below.
Shishumangal Hospital and Vivekananda Medical college
Disclaimer: This health info is meant for educational purposes only and should not be confused as professional medical advice.
