Health
Travel in COVID times: Guide for Pregnant women
Traveling is tough in COVID times. It’s even more difficult if you are pregnant.
Becoming a mother is profound. In COVID times, it just got more tricky. With restrictions lifting everywhere, everyone has the “travel bug “calling out to them. This COVID 19 travel guide ,will help everyone but a few specifics are for moms-to-be.
Keeping healthy and happy both need work. Being cooped up indoors is taking its toll on all of us. If you have travel planned or some emergency requires you to travel, this post will help you.
Have a budget, plan where you want to go,this is important for safety.
The questions this post will answer
First up, talk to your Obstetrician before making any travel decision. Every pregnancy is different, and you are unique. Your doctor knows best about your condition. Second-trimester(14-28 weeks) travel to a nearby location or a short weekend staycation is something you can plan if it’s a change of scenery that you are looking for. Go for an antenatal checkup before planning a trip; that way, you can take the doctor’s opinion and have peace of mind too.
First trimester travel is risky since most micarriage happen during that time.
Third-trimester travel is often uncomfortable when backaches, bathroom breaks, risk of Deep vein thrombosis, and preterm labor all adding to the worry. Any trip more than four hours long can be a problem, during pregnancy, even at the best of times.
When is travel strictly avoided?
It depends on the medical condition of the mom-to-be. But the following are common medical reasons for avoiding travel.
- When there’s a risk of miscarriage
- Twin/multiple pregnancies
- History of vaginal bleeding
- Cervical incompetence
- Placental problems
- Preeclampsia in this or previous pregnancy
- High blood pressure during last or present pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes in this or previous pregnancy, history of preterm labor in a previous pregnancy, or history of ectopic pregnancy in a previous pregnancy
- Precious pregnancy
What should you avoid while traveling?
While unnecessary travel is not recommended for anyone, it is even more important for pregnant women and kids.
- Avoid unplanned trips
- Avoid trips with very small kids who can’t wear masks.
- Avoid international travel
- Avoid long-distance journeys(longer than four hours) even in India.
- Stay away from crowded places.
- Avoid travel if you have any history of complications in a previous pregnancy or any risk factors in the current one.
Wherever you go, the market, shopping mall, your relative’s home, or a staycation, remember to wear a mask (N95 will be best ), wash your hands, use a sanitizer, and maintain social distance.
The Where
Sea beach, mountains, or the forests anywhere in India, you will be spoilt for choice. The only real limitation is how much you can search and plan.Sea beach: Mandarmoni, Puri, Goa, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry.
A few tips for the second option include Darjeeling, Kurseong. Kalimpong, Dharamshala, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Shimla, Nainital, Manali, Pahalgam.
What kind of hotel?
The best-case scenario is a weekend rental home at the seaside. Fresh air good food and exercise, all in one place.Holiday rentals with housekeeping options and a kitchenette will be perfect for a few days by the beach. If Holiday homes are steep or not available, look for boutique hotels in offbeat locations.
Tea gardens have quaint resorts ,which give luxury experiences and personalized service.Since these places don’t have many rooms,crowds are uncommon.
The Tumsong resort in Darjeeling or the Cedar Inn Hotel is both lovely properties. Divine Hima in Dharamshala, Ri Kynjai at Shillong and The Polo hotel at Cherrapunji, The Dona Sylvia Novotel at Goa, The Grand Dragon at Leh Ladakh, or the Taj Visakhapatnam are all properties that take excellent care of their guests.
Look for rooms that do not share ventilatory systems and have separate A/C or heating units. Centralized heating, air conditioning system is best avoided.
Precautions to take while traveling in COVID times
- While traveling in trains, keep your mask on. You will have to carry your own bedding too.
- Avoid touching heavy use structures, doorknobs, window panes without spraying a surface sanitizer. You can also use a disinfectant wipe to touch them or clean them.
- Wash your hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating.
- Ingesting sanitizer, which stays on your hands with every meal, is terrible. When you smear your hands with sanitizer, let the hand dry for at least twenty seconds for it to be effective.
- While traveling, don’t touch your face, mouth, eyes.
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
But how will you eat while traveling and at hotels?
Now while traveling, carrying quick snacks works best due to the current situation. In any case, avoid crowds while taking off your mask for eating.
In hotels, order room service or eat at outdoor restaurants, poolside, and terrace where tables are kept six to 10 feet apart. Avoid sitting in air-conditioned indoor dining areas.
I prefer standing while eating outdoors. That way, I can increase the distance from other people quickly. Sounds strange writing this down, but we live in unique times.
Having a small kitchenette in the room can be a big help if you have special dietary needs. Try to avoid street food as travelers’ diarrhea can be a problem. In any case, don’t take over the counter drugs for any problem as that may affect the unborn child. Avoid overly spicy, salty, oily food as it can aggravate morning sickness and cause bloating. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and the right type of protein. Don’t forget to take your supplements.
What you must carry while traveling?
- Must carry several masks
- Gloves
- Sanitizer
- Antiseptic wipes
- Soap
- Snacks water
- Your Antenatal medical records and supplements
- Your health insurance and your Doctor’s number on speed dial
Takeaway:
You have to remember 5 things-
- Talk to you your doctor before you plan your travel.
- Wear your mask.
- Practice good hand hygiene
- Maintain social distancing.
- In case you face any trouble, go to the nearest Government Medical facility.
Sharing is good Karma!
Making of an Army of Leprosy Warriors and (Flipchart) Their Great New Weapon
Making of an Army of Leprosy Warriors and Their Great New Weapon.
Hansen’s disease or leprosy is a curable infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. India still accounts for more than half of all new cases of leprosy in the world. But for the past two years, the decreasing number of new adult and pediatric patients have given us fresh hope.
What is crucial in this fight to lower the disease burden is early diagnosis and timely treatment with multidrug therapy. In fact, India is running the most extensive leprosy eradication program in the world. But challenges remain because of the low rates of self-reporting, low levels of awareness, and lack of knowledge.
Now, this war against leprosy is getting an army of leprosy warriors which is getting strengthened by a new weapon of mass awareness and early detection. But first, let us understand what this army is fighting against!
Symptoms of Leprosy
The first step is to know the symptoms. Common symptoms of Leprosy (Source CDC) are –
- Single or multiple whitish/pale patches involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Single or multiple nodules involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Numbness of the affected regions of skin
- Eye problems (if left untreated, can even cause blindness)
- Ulcers on soles of feet
- Blocked feeling in the nose
- Enlarged nerves (commonly around elbows, knees, and ankle)
- Muscle weakness (can lead to paralysis if not treated)
- They spread, become larger, affecting nerves, wasting muscles, causing crippling disabilities if left untreated.
How does Leprosy spread?
It spreads through droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close contact with untreated patients. Mycobacterium leprae multiplies slowly. The incubation period is five years. That means after exposure, the disease may occur even five years later.
How to fight the stigma?
Awareness around leprosy is the biggest battle to win – widespread societal awareness and acknowledgment that leprosy is just like any other bacterial infection which is completely curable, along with eradication of superstitions around leprosy – will go a long way in fighting the stigma. Knowing the symptoms, self-reporting, getting diagnosed and an understanding that timely treatment will help in complete recovery will further help in eradicating the stigma around leprosy.
A ray of hope is there – The Government of India and the Sasakawa Health Foundation are doing great work in spreading awareness, education, supporting rehabilitation, and helping fight leprosy. SHF helps in awareness, giving access to education and financial support for self-reliance to leprosy-affected persons and their families.
The weapon – Flipchart and the help it can provide in mass awareness and early detection
Flipchart is a pictorial aid for the early detection of leprosy. It is in the form of a booklet which makes for easier understanding due to its pictorial and storytelling style. The Flipchart is being distributed to community health workers (ASHA workers),
Flipchart will help ASHA workers spread awareness about the early symptoms of leprosy. With Flipchart, these leprosy warriors have an effective tool in their fight against Hansen’s disease. This army of Flipchart-wielding ASHA workers has the potential to do what we need to win this war against leprosy – mass awareness and assisted early detection.
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
The many ways a Flipchart for Leprosy will help the army of Leprosy Warriors – The ASHA workers
· Showing the pictures, ASHA worker can explain the early stages of the disease.
· How it appears at first to different people
· How to get help
· Where to get help
· She can talk about free medicine available at hospitals.
· What happens if you don’t get treated on time and in the right way.
· When it has the right visuals, then things get more comfortable to explain.
· There is less chance of misunderstanding or miscommunication.
· There is also less fear and much less discrimination.
· The ASHA workers will be more confident, reading the text while showing the pictures.
An example of How Flipchart wielding ASHA worker can help – The story of Renu’s brother
When Renu’s brother Raju first noticed a white patch on his forearm, he ignored it.
He also did not shout at Renu when she slapped hard on his forearm while playing.
This got Renu worried. She had seen Meena di, the ASHA worker in their village, showing a colorful book with pictures similar to the patch on Raju’s forearm. She discussed it with her mother and then decided to call Meena di home for advice.
Seeing the patch on Raju’s forearm, Meena di gently pinched it and asked a few questions. She then advised them to visit Dr. Natesh at the village PHC the next morning.
Dr. Natesh performed a few tests and confirmed that Raju had contracted leprosy, and he would need to take medicine, which will be given free of cost, for six months to get fully cured. Everyone was relieved and thanked Meena di profusely.
But Meena di was thinking about how Renu had seen her Flipchart and taken note of it. When she discussed this with her supervisor, s/he decided to give flipcharts to all ASHA workers working in the area.
Takeaways
The burden of leprosy can only be reduced by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Awareness at the community level, using the Flipchart will help in fighting Hansen’s disease. A picture speaks a thousand words. Please share this blog post and help. Help us in the fight against this disease.
Sharing is good Karma!
Getting the #covidvaccine
It all started on 23rd January a day after my birthday. I got several messages requesting me to attend Malda Medical College, for my vaccine shot on the 25th of January.
I checked rechecked and sat thinking.
I couldn’t believe,it was finally vaccine time.
Exactly one year before I had started writing about Corona virus and now the vaccine has arrived.
I also got a call from the DM office telling me about the scheduled vaccination.I managed to crack some terrible vaccine jokes to my husband, friends ,my mom and friends.
Friends already vaccinated called to share their experiences.
I am a preventive medicine fan.I have taken most recommended and elective vaccines I needed.So this was much awaited .
Morning of twenty fifth January 2021 arrived bright and early.
Housework,online school,homework,clinic work- done.
Self pep talk -done.
I took my PAN card(that was given as identification proof in the form I filled up),took the Aadhar card just in case.
It was time to get the vaccine shot.
My sister in law came to play with the little one ,while hubby went along.The vaccine picture has to be taken right?
The process was very well organized and implemented with zero hassle.They checked my name and PAN card in three different places,offering sanitizers at every stop.I was given a small token ,a few questions asked and then it happened.
Vaccine shot taken.My expression will tell you what was going on in my mind,rather than any words!The vaccine definitely needed a photo moment.My husband doesn’t believe in staged photos and the mask is a keeper!
After thirty minutes of sitting in the observation room we left the hospital feeling light hearted.I felt fine .
Dr.Abhijit Misra (that’s my husband) ,got the vaccine next on 27th January.
What kind of vaccine side effects are possible?
- Milf fever
- Headache/heaviness of head
- Dizziness
- Injection site pain,swelling
- Red rash
I received the Covishield Vaccine.
What is the Covishield vaccine?
Its a recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein vaccine.It is Produced in genetically modified human embryonic kidney cells.
Sharing this to let you know .Will update my experiences on the blog when I get the second dose.Stay strong because the Indian Government cares ❤.
Update April 2021
The vaccine is great. Hubby and I got both doses in January -February. Doing fine.
My mom got it last month. Doing fine.
In-laws took it: All well.
My friends who are doctors have taken it.
The Indian vaccine drive is being done very nicely.
Concern: studies about duration of protection
When I attended a conference about Sputnik V I learned this .
Sharing is good Karma!
Regular Sleep Healthy Future
Regular sleep and healthy future?
Is it that simple.Yes it is.Sleep is the crucial ingredient for good health.2021 World Sleep day (that’s on March 19th) message is just that .
Regular Sleep=Healthy future
When Does Your Family Sleep?
I was thinking of my sleep routine. In fact my family’s sleep routine. After my daughter’s first six months she has been a sleep-on-time and wake-up-on-time-baby.
When my friends ask me how we manage that-
Simple answer is we stopped watching TV.Well almost.
The second super tip is to go to bed at the same time every day. Habits are small actions, repeated every day.
Quiet time-Busy creative days,playing and learning helps.But remember to have atleast thirty minutes of quiet time before bedtime.Read them a story or make them read one.Old favorites work well here.
Work as a team when it comes to a sleep routine.That way its not an uphill battle every day.
But do we all go to bed on time ?
It wasn’t like this always. In fact, until 2018 October, twenty-four-hour on-call, and night duties were the norm. I chose to be a doctor, but twelve years of sleep deficit had taken a toll on my health.
I was reactive, cranky,barely coping and on top of that my husband got transferred.It was decision time.
We started our private practice by saying goodbye to the medical teaching career.
Two years down the line,I feel calmer ,more relaxed,look better(I think) and feel more in control.
Lack of sleep routine can destroy physical health, mental health, and life. It’s by having a routine and sticking to it as far as possible that we rebuild our life. Thats why while writing about sleep and its connection to mental health I have to share about the mental health #CauseAchatter that Blogchatter is having this year.
SMART tips to Sleep better Everyday
Say NO to caffeine after 5pm.
Dinner latest by 8pm.This also prevents reflux.
No afternoon napping,if you have trouble sleeping at night.But ten minute power siesta could work.
No news or random television after 9pm .
A forty minutes evening walk.A ten minutes one if there’s no time!
We finish majority kitchen work finish up by 9pm.
No fights before bedtime.Preferably no fights. Always hug and makeup before going to sleep.
Keep adult conversations and adult time in mind while setting routines.
A little flexibility is good.But don’t break rules everyday.
Living in a small town. The last one was one thing I never thought I would do. I almost made my husband sign a paper to that effect. But now my friends and family worry I have developed a tap root system in my Mango town.
What can I say?
There are many roads to illumination and peace. But sleeping well at night is definitely a very good first step.
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
Sharing is good Karma!
Truths About Chewing Tobacco That No One Tells You!
Tobacco chewing kills, just like smoking tobacco does. But for some reason, many people start chewing tobacco when they want to stop smoking!
A few days back, a patient came to me with a complaint of chronic foreign body sensation in the throat and a rough patch over the back of the tongue. I started asking questions from my medical detective questionnaire and got my first clue. He revealed he was smoking eight to ten cigarettes per day, with occasional alcohol intake.
Digging deeper, he revealed that he even tried a highly advertised brand of chewing tobacco at the suggestion of a friend. It was after this experiment that his tongue problem started!
“Hmm..” was all I could say.
Addiction to history is always crucial. Because it helps to understand the complaint better. It also helps in making the treatment personalized. The results will depend on compliance and on leaving those addictions for good.
In India, tobacco causes cases of head and neck cancer and lung cancer. The gruesome pictures on the packs of cigarettes seem to have little effect on those addicted. So this post is for those of you who still care to stay healthy.
Table of contents
Which tobacco products cause addictions and tobacco-related cancers?
Short answer all of them.They are
- Gutka,
- zarda,
- khaini,
- cigarettes,
- bidi, hookah are all dangerous and have no upsides.
They are also known as chew, snuff, spit tobacco, tobacco plug, chewing tobacco, etc.
Which components in smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco products cause cancer?
Smokeless tobacco products have more than 30 carcinogens. They contain tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines, nitrite, nitrate, and heavy metals (nickel, cadmium, and chromium). But additives keep changing and can be more or less addictive depending on brand and region.
Are smokeless tobacco products dangerous?
Yes, since chewing tobacco and snuff both contain nicotine and other carcinogenic elements, they are dangerous, habit-forming, and maybe even more addictive than smoking. All the health risks of smoking in general plus the high risk of oral, pharyngeal, head -neck cancers, tooth decay, systemic effects are present. Nicotine addiction is real, and so are the dangers.
Addictions have a vital genetic component. It also has a significant environmental component. This means you must be aware that substance abuse will make you more susceptible to addictions if a parent is using. You can fight that by being aware and knowing the dangers. Peer pressure can lead to the other factor being responsible for addictions. That’s where you need to choose your company with care. People who use justify the use.
But since this is all something you already know, I will share some research data with you.
Important Facts about Tobacco-related cancers in India:
- One out of two youngsters who smoke and continues smoking throughout their life will end up with tobacco-related cancer.
- The risk is higher in males.
- Out of all cancer cases, almost 45% is tobacco-related in males and 20% in females.
- Among all Tobacco-related cancers, the mouth, esophagus, lung, hypopharynx are the leading sites for both males and females.
- In Northeastern India, both males and females have a higher risk of tobacco-related cancers. This has a direct correlation to tobacco abuse.
- Most chewing tobacco products have a greater risk of oral and oesophageal cancers.
- India contributes to one-third of all global cases of oral cancer. Tobacco use(both smoking and smokeless), betel-quid chewing, alcohol, poor oral hygiene, sustained viral infections(like HPV) all increase the risk of oral cancer. The chances are synergistic in some cases and not merely additive.
How to stop chewing tobacco?
You have the power to stop this. You can prevent tobacco-related cancers only by not using tobacco products. This is the best way and is primary prevention.
If you are using, you can stop now. Then you can blog about it. I am forever telling my patients to stop using tobacco. Through this blog, I am doing the same. Maybe it will make a difference, and someone will stop using it. But if you really want to see first-hand what happens to those who use and continue using, a trip to any of the Cancer hospital review clinics will give you an idea.
No number of medicines or surgery can undo the harm you do to yourself when you abuse tobacco.
If you are smart, you will save your health and your money. Your contribution to this world is essential. God gives you one life, and this is your chance to make a difference. Imagine the money you could save not using addictive substances and future health care savings?
Nicotine patches and other nicotine replacement therapies can help but should be started under medical supervision. In case you want deaddiction advice, consult a registered Psychiatrist for professional deaddiction help. Your life matters, you matter.
Bottomline: All tobacco products are dangerous.
I have already written about oral cancers give it a read.
References
Featured post
How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!
