INFERTILITY

Infertility – difficulty in conceiving a pregnancy. A couple is said to have infertility if the women is not able to conceive for a year without using any birth control methods. 15- 20% of couples will not conceive despite a year of trying. However, this does not mean that these couples won’t conceive later on. Some experts and physicians believe that a time period of 2 years without conception is a better indicator for infertility and they should seek assistance.

Sterility- When an individual has no chance to conceive even with treatment (for example: a female does not ovulate or has two blocked fallopian tubes).

 

WHEN IS THE WOMAN MOST FERTILE??

• A women most fertile period is during ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs on day 11 through day 21 of woman’s cycle.

There are many questions which arise in couples mind when they discover that one of the partner or both are infertile and cannot conceive. Some of them are:

1. 1.       Is infertility a male or a female problem?

–          In early days people used to believe that only females are responsible for a couple being infertile. But recent studies show that it is equally seen both in females and males. 40% of males and 40% of females are seen to be infertile. Other 10% both the partners are infertile and rest of the 10% no cause is known even after testing. So it is always important to test man and woman rather than just blaming one of the partners. No matter what the cause is, these treatments require the active participation of both the partners.

–           

1. 2.       Is secondary infertility more common than primary?

–          Yes, secondary infertility means if a couple gets a baby for the first time there is a possibility that they face difficulty conceiving the second time. The reason could be infection, damage to the reproductive organs while giving birth to the first child. Sometimes the aging process also is to be blamed at when it comes to second baby though they dint face any trouble in their first baby. Secondary infertility is much more common than primary infertility. Overall, treatment in females with secondary infertility is to work much better than primary infertility.

 

CAUSES OF INFERTILITY:

1 FEMALE INFERTILITY: It involves conditions like:

• Endometriosis (uterine lining which is shed every month grows outside the uterus and forms major cause of infertility in woman.

Symptoms: painful menstrual periods, irregular or heavy bleeding, repeated miscarriages. Solution: laparoscopic surgeries and assisted conception treatment

• Ovulation problems:

Symptoms: absent or irregular bleeding and excessively heavy or light bleeding.

Solution: ovulation stimulating drugs

• Poor egg quality:

No symptoms

 Solution: surrogacy

• Polycystic ovary syndrome:

Symptoms: irregular menstrual periods, excessive hair growth, weight gain

 Solution: ovulation stimulating drugs

• Female tube blockages:

No symptoms

Solution: laparoscopic surgeries or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

 

1. 2.       MALE INFERTILITY: It involves conditions like:

 

•   Male tube blockages: caused by Sexually Transmitted Diseases and cause infection like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, varicocele (varicose veins in the testicles), any obstruction in the vas deferens (the tubes that transport fertile sperm).

Solution: Surgery to repair varicocele

• Sperm problems: Low or no sperm count, poor motility of sperm, abnormal shaped sperm cell

Solution: Fertility drugs, artificial insemination

• Sperm allergy: about 10% of infertile men and women have immune reactions to sperm which cause them to produce antibodies that kills the sperm cells. In men, this is most commonly seen after vasectomy (removal of vas deferens).

Solution: Sperm washing and intrauterine insemination and assisted contraception methods.

 

1. 3.       UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY:

 

Some experts believe that being overweight, underweight, exercising excessively and also environmental toxins are responsible for an unexplained infertility but no direct links have been confirmed.

Solution: Fertility drugs and IVF

 

1. 4.       COMBINATION INFERTILITY:

 

Both male and female infertility and when one of the partners is more infertile than the other.

 

 

HOW COMMON IS INFERTILITY???

• Infertility is a growing issue for many couples. It affects around 10% of the American couples of childbearing age.
• The current increase in infertility might be the result of women choosing to delay in starting a family
• The increase of STD’s such as Chlamydia can lead to female tube blockages preventing pregnancy to occur.

 

WHAT INCREASES A MAN’S RISK OF INFERTILITY??

A man’s sperm can be changed by his overall lifestyle. Some things that may actually reduce or affect the sperm count.

1. Heavy alcohol use
2. Drugs
3. Excessive smoking
4. Age
5. Environment toxins like pesticides and even lead
6. Health problems like kidney diseases, mumps
7. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy for cancer.

WHAT INCREASES A WOMAN’S RISK OF INFERTILITY??

1. Age
2. Smoking
3. Excessive alcohol use
4. Stress
5. Poor diet
6. Being overweight or underweight
7. Sexually transmitted infections
8. Athletic training
9. Hormonal problems like polycystic ovary syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency.

WHEN SHOULD ONE SEEK DOCTOR??

–          Lots of pain during your menstrual period or intercourse

–          Abnormal menstrual cycle ( less than 21 days or more than 35 days from the first day of one cycle to the first day of the next)

–          Troubled by acne, excessive facial hair growth and weight gain

–          Have had fallopian tube infection

–          Have had surgery of reproductive organs

–          Have had more than one miscarriage

–          Your partner has an abnormal sperm analysis

TREATMENT:

–          Fertility treatments can increase the likelihood of getting pregnant

–          Treatments would include lifestyle changes, supplements, medications, surgery, or assisted reproduction

–          Many treatments come under assisted reproduction like Invitrofertilization (IVF), Gameteintrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and Zygote intrafallopian tube transfer (ZIFT). All these procedures involve harvesting a number of eggs in the hope of fertilizing 1 egg, and then insert the fertilized egg into the uterus.

I would elaborate on the treatments as my next topic….

 

 

 

 

 

ANEMIA- STOP FOLLOWING ME!!!!!

Most of the population in this world believes that vegetarians are among the anemic ones. So I would like to correct my friends that it’s not about being a vegetarian or non vegetarian but its about the diet one follows. A vegetarian person equally takes those nutrients like cheese, milk, spinach, soya but the only difference is that they don’t eat meat. It’s always better to take precautions when it becomes to illness, so as vegetarians have higher susceptibility for developing anemia then they should improve their diet and if required additional supplements.

Anemia- a much known blood condition especially among females. Anemia is basically decrease in number of red blood cells (RBC’s) or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is a protein (metalloprotein) found inside RBC’s that contains iron and transports oxygen.  Normally hemoglobin (found inside RBC’s) carries oxygen from the lungs to the capillaries but in the case of anemia hemoglobin lacks oxygen (hypoxia) in organs. Since all human cells are dependent on oxygen for survival, varying degrees of anemia can have different clinical consequences. The most common symptom of anemia like fatigue occurs because the organs don’t receive enough oxygen to function.

Anemia is the most common blood condition in the U.S. Approximately 3.5 million Americans are affected with it. Women and people with chronic diseases are at greater risk of anemia.

 

CAUSES OF ANEMIA: Broadly classified into three groups

1. Anemia caused by blood loss: usually after a chronic (long term) bleeding. The patient gradually loses blood which means loss of RBC’s and hemoglobin. It can also occur with acute bleeding. Most common examples of chronic bleeding are:

–          Stomach ulcers ( break or discontinuity in the skin)

–          Hemorrhoids / piles

–          Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)

–          Some medications like NSAID’s ( pain killers) taken over long period of time

–          Childbirth

–          Menorrhagia ( heavy periods in case of women) have a higher risk of developing anemia

–          Surgery

–          Trauma

–          Blood donations

 

1. Anemia caused by faulty or decreased RBC production: RBC’s lifespan is usually 120 days and then breaks down and is removed by spleen. Some conditions cause RBC’s to die too early. When this happens the bone marrow has to make more RBC’s than normal. If bone marrow fails in doing so caused by their early deaths, then the RBC count will start to fall leading RBC destruction (hemolysis). Following can cause hemolysis.

–      Immune reactions

–      Infections

–      Some medications

–      Poisons

 

1. Anemia caused by destruction of RBC’s: In this type of anemia either body doesn’t produce enough RBC’s or they may not work properly. Examples are:

–          Sickle cell anemia- An inherited disorder which makes the red cells crescent shaped.

–          Iron deficiency anemia- lack of iron is generally due to poor diet, blood loss or inability to absorb sufficient iron from blood. This type of anemia is most common in females of all age group (teenage girls, pregnant women).

–          Vitamin B12 deficiency- caused by poor diet. Seen mainly in old age women who don’t take sufficient vitamin B12, Vitamin C, folate, protein and red meat.

–          Bone marrow problems: like leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis

–          Some conditions like HIV,Crohn’s diseases and also malaria

 

SYMTOMS:

      Some common ones:

–          Fatigue (tiredness) a physical state

–          Lethargy (feeling of laziness, apathy) a mental state

–          Malaise

–          Dyspnea- shortness of breath

–          Poor concentration

–          Palpitations- irregular heart breathing

–          Sensitivity to cold temperatures

    Some rare ones but can occur:

–          Tinnitus (ringing in ears)

–          Sense of taste is effected

–          Headache

–          Dry and flaky nails

–          Ulcers in the corner of mouth

–          Pallor ( very pale looking)

–          Restless leg syndrome- more common among patients with iron deficiency anemia

 

DIAGNOSIS:

Your doctor will do the following:

–          Take your medical history

–          Perform physical examination

–          Blood tests: These will not only confirm the diagnosis of anemia but also give the underlying cause to it. Blood tests would include:

• Full blood count (FBC)
• Blood iron level and serum ferritin level
• Vitamin B12 and Folic acid level
• Special blood tests to detect rare causes of anemia

 

TREATMENT:

1. With iron deficiency anemia your doctor would recommend you to increase iron rich food in your diet and also start you on iron supplements which contains the ferrous form of iron which is easily absorbed by your body. While taking iron be cautious at certain times like:

–          Always consult your doctor before starting iron supplements. Because Iron overload can cause vomiting, diarrhea, headache fatigue, irritability and joint problems

–          Iron poisoning is the commonest poisoning seen in children so always to be kept away from children

–          Taking iron supplements along with food will prevent side effects like constipation, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain.

–          Remember iron tablets change your stool color blackish brown.

1. Treat the underlying cause
2. With Vitamin B12 deficiency you should take enough supplements which contain Vitamin B12 like meat, liver, kidney, fish, milk, cheese, eggs. And if the deficiency is very much severe than vitamin b12 injections would help.

 

HOW TO PREVENT BEING ANEMIC???

–          If you are a vegetarian meet your doctor for a proper diet and also additional supplements to be considered

–          Ask your doctor if you should take vitamin C. Vitamin C makes your stomach more acidic and increases the absorption of iron

–          Decrease consumption of caffeinated products as these decrease the absorption of iron

–          Select iron fortified cereals and breads

 

 

 

 

 

Phobias – Lets Face IT!!!!!

Do you avoid taking a ride in elevators or highway roads?? Are you scared to go in public?? If you are suffering from any irrational fear because of an object or situation then you are probably suffering from phobia. Phobia is a kind of anxiety disorder in which the sufferer dreads of a situation, living creature, place or a thing. For some people even thinking of their phobia is immensely distressing.

A phobia develops when a person continuously avoids facing their object of fear. It is more serious than a simple fear. There are many kinds of phobias. But some phobias make an individual’s life difficult like agoraphobia (scared of public and going in social) and few phobias which don’t affect a individuals life like phobia of snakes. This phobia won’t do any harm to their daily life.

Sometimes the word phobia is mistaken as discrimination or prejudice rather than fear. Like homophobia, it is not an uncontrollable fear of homosexuals but a discrimination against them. Many old age people don’t like teenagers and youth which are called as ephebiphobia.

NORMAL FEAR AND PHOBIA?? IS IT ANY DIFFERENT??

It is a very natural to experience fear in dangerous dark situations. Fear is a human adaptive response activating the automatic flight or fight response.

  But with the phobias the whole thing is very much exaggerated. Like it is very normal to be afraid of a snarling Doberman but it is irrational to be afraid of a friendly cute poodle if you experiencing a dog phobia.

HOW COMMON ARE PHOBIAS???

In Industrial nations, phobias are the most common anxiety disorder. Over 50 million people in the US and 10 million people in the UK are thought to live with a phobia. They can affect people of any age, sex and socio economic status.

A much higher percentages of females suffer from phobia compared to males

Simple phobias generally start in early childhood and fade away by teens. Complex phobias generally start later on.

 

CAUSE OF PHOBIA:

Simple phobia usually develops in early childhood like 4 and 8 years of age. In few cases it might be due to an experience early in life. The trigger must be an unpleasant fearful experience which over the time developed into claustrophobia.

If one of the parents is phobic about any object then his kid is more likely to be phobic because they are learned fears from parents and it is not genetically inherited.

 

 COMMON TYPES OF PHOBIAS: Simple and Complex phobia

      These are the types of simple phobias:

1. Animal phobias: this includes fear of snakes (opidiophobia), fear of dogs (cynophobia), and fear of birds (ornithophobia).
2. Natural environment phobias: this includes fear of heights, fear of water, fear of dark and fear of storms
3. Situational phobias (triggered by a specific situation): this includes fear of flying, fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of tunnels, fear of driving
4. Blood Injection Injury phobia: This includes fear of blood, fear of injection, and fear of an injury.

Complex phobias:

These affect patients in a much more severe way compared to the simple phobias. Those who suffer from for example agoraphobia may have many other associated phobias as well like monophobia (fear of being left alone) or claustrophobia (fear of being trapped).

 

SOCIAL PHOBIA AND FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING:

Social phobia also called as social anxiety disorder is a fear of social situations. This makes a person very self conscious of themselves and it is experienced by people who are afraid of humiliating themselves in front of others. Anxiety can be of how you look, how you present and how you talk with others.

This kind of phobia makes it difficult for the person to talk or present themselves in a huge crowd. Other fears associated with social phobia are taking exams, mingling with strangers, drinking in public and to be called on in class.

AGORAPHOBIA (fear of open spaces):

Basically it is a fear of an open space but now it is understood as a complication of panic attacks. These people try to avoid crowded places like shopping malls, conferences, gathering which makes a difficult escape.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIA:

 

Typically the more you run away from fear, the more fearful you will tend to be. Your fear will also be higher if getting away is difficult.

Physical signs and symptoms of Phobia:

–          Difficulty breathing (breathlessness)

–          Pounding heart (palpitations)

–          Chest pain or tightness (angina)

–          Trembling or shaking

–          Feeling dizzy

–          Sweating

–          Hot or cold flashes

Emotional signs and symptoms of Phobia:

–          Feeling of anxiety

–          Fear of losing control or going crazy

–          Feeling like you are going to die

–          Feeling an intense need of help

 

WHEN TO CONSIDER TREATMENT??

–          It causes intense and disabling fear, anxiety and panic

–          You recognize that your fear is unreasonable and excessive

–          You avoid many situations and places because of phobia

–          You have had the phobia for more than 6 months

–          Your avoidance might cause significant distress in your daily life.

TIPS FOR PHOBIA TREATMENT:

TIP 1: Face your fears, one step at a time

TIP 2: Learn relaxation techniques like simple deep breathing exercises

TIP 3: Challenge negative thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)- real or exaggerated????

Waking up every month with a cranky, depressed mood for nothing in particular. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of emotional symptoms with or without physical symptoms related to a women’s menstrual cycle. The specific emotional symptoms vary from woman to woman. There are variety of symptoms but the three most common ones are irritability, tension and dysphoria   (unhappiness). Other emotional and non specific symptoms include insomnia, stress, anxiety, headache, fatigue, mood swings, increased emotional sensitivity and changes in libido (sex drive).

Women also experience physical symptoms like bloating, abdominal cramps, constipation, tenderness of breasts, cyclic acne and muscle pain. No matter how disruptive the pain is it cannot be considered PMS until and unless it is associated with emotional symptoms. These symptoms are not necessarily to change in every cycle. Sometimes these symptoms don’t take part at all and many a times all of them take part.

Under typical definitions these symptoms usually occur within 10 days period prior to menses and must not be present for at least 1 week between the onset of menses and ovulation. Getting uncomfortable with these symptoms is not going to help you in any way.  It affects your normal routine and the people around you.” Indulging in comfort foods like gooey chocolate, bars, gulping down coffee/tea, skipping meals because of feeling bloated is certainly not going to help.” Says Dr. Loveleena Nadir, Sr. Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Fortis La Femme.

Risk factors:

–          High caffeine intake

–          Stress may precipitate condition

–          Increasing age

–          History of depression

–          Family history

Top 5 cures for PMS:

1. Magnesium: It is a great element of choice to be added during these symptoms as it contains serotonin. Serotonin which in simple terms mean a mood balancer of the brain. It is a brain chemical which plays role in mood fluctuation and sensitivity. Magnesium reduces bloating and breast tenderness.

Foods rich in magnesium: Brown rice, lentils, whole grain bread, spinach, beans, cashews

 

1. Vitamin B: cure your crankiness and satisfy your food cravings by increasing vitamin B supplement.

Foods rich in Vitamin B: Stay happy by munching a handful of nuts, bananas, chicken breast, sweet potato, whole grains and beans

 

1. Healthy fat> unhealthy fat: Try cutting down on unhealthy fat atleast 2 weeks prior to your menses.

Foods rich in healthy fat: Pumpkin seeds, salmon, walnuts, tuna

1. Potassium: A must for mood swings

Foods rich in potassium: Fresh fruit salads including oranges and apples.

 

1. Increase your fluid/ water intake: Water is drained out of body in the way of sweat and urine hence it’s important to drink water at this time more than the usual quantity. Alternatively you can switch over lemonade or coconut water for more potassium.

 ADVICE:

• Avoid skipping meals during periods
• Avoid taking medications like pain killers instead go for the above nutrients to be included in your diet.

 

DO MEN GET PMS??

Yes, it is real just that in males it is known with a different name. It’s called as irritable male syndrome (IMS). Dr Aimee Aube luck of the University of Derby, who carried out the study, said: “We asked 50 men and 50 women lots of questions about symptoms normally associated with PMS and we found men actually scored higher than women in everything apart from water retention.” The men admitted to feeling antisocial, irritable, suffering poor concentration, and depression, lack of arousal, hot flushes, headache, and back pain. The researchers feel the pain threshold is different for males and females but just that females don’t give it much of an attention.

• It is a topic of discussion as some believe that men do get PMS and some believe they don’t. PMS basically occurs in females due to imbalance of female hormones prior to 1 or 2 weeks of their menses. But these hormonal imbalances don’t take in males at an early age but it does take place at a old age as ageing leads to decrease in testosterone level.
• Males experience mood swings and irritability due to the poor diet which is full of refined sugar and unhealthy fats, too much alcohol and caffeine, and not enough fiber, minerals and vitamins. This is similarly seen in females as well.
• Some other factors which affect men’s moods are social stresses including work and financial pressures and the emotional suppression.

As with the strong evidence above I feel men do suffer from IMS though it’s not proved but researchers have done their part and made it evident that men do suffer from mood swings in a larger way.

WHAT CAN A GUY DO ABOUT IRRITIBILITY AND MOOD SWINGS??

–          Blood sugar balance food plan

–          Regular exercise

–          Plenty of fruits and vegetables

–          Proper micronutrients

–          Healthy emotional balance

SOFT DRINKS- ARE THEY REALLY SOFT???

Soft drink is a beverage that typically contains water, sweetener (sugar, sugar syrup, high fructose com sugar, fruit juice) and a flavoring agent. No matter what your taste is these drinks come in variety like full calories, low calories, and no calories, caffeinated and caffeinated free drinks.

Amount of calories varies in every soft drink depending on the amount of sweetener added. Soft drinks get their fizz from the carbon dioxide added under pressure into the drink. They are called soft drink in comparison to the hard drink (alcohol). Soft drinks may also supply some amount of phosphorous and potassium.

 

SIDE EFFECTS OF DRINKING FIZZY DRINKS:

–          Increases risk of developing diabetes mellitus 2

–          Increased risk of osteoporosis as phosphorous deplete

–          Increased risk of developing heart disease due to the fructose content

–          Increased risk of developing asthma and eczema

–          Increased risk of developing kidney stones

–          Increased risk of obesity

–          Dissolved tooth enamel

FACTS: NOT KNOWN:-

1. Fizzy drinks should always be taken with straw as drinking it directly can cause tooth decay more easily.
2. Never brush soon after you drink any of the fizzy drink as it can cause more damage to teeth.
3. Do not have milk and then cola or vice versa as it destroys the calcium absorption of milk.

 

IS DIET COLA BETTER?

Women who are often on dieting assume that its better to have diet cola than a regular soft drink as the diet cola would contain less calories and less chance of developing diabetes mellitus type 2. But that assumption seems to be wrong after the research done on 65,000 french women who were all middle aged or old. It showed women who drank diet cola drank more of them than who drank normal soft drink. Not only that, but researchers also found that those who drank diet cola were more at a risk of developing diabetes than those drinking normal cola.

SIDE EFFECTS NOT KNOWN BY CONSUMERS:

–          These drinks causes cancer as it contains caramel sweeteners

–          They contain phosphates a weak acid that gives colas a tangy flavor and improves their shelf life. It can lead to kidney and heart problems, muscle loss, osteoporosis and one study suggest that it could lead to accelerated ageing.

–  It’s not just the soda that’s causing the problems but also the cans. Cans are made up of an epoxy resin called bisphenol A to keep the acids reacting from the metal. BPA is known to interfere with hormones to cause infertility, obesity, diabetes and other forms of cancers.

–  Some drinks like Mountain Dew contain brominated vegetable oil – a toxic flame retardant – to keep the artificial flavor from separating from the rest of the liquid. This hazardous ingredient can cause bromide poisoning and its symptoms are skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders.

– Most sodas contain caffeine which causes certain cancers, breast lumps, irregular heart beat and high blood pressure.

MYTHS:

1. Soda drinks are recommended for stomach burns: False, these drinks would satisfy you in the beginning for few seconds and after some time it causes more irritation due to the acid content in it

 

CONCLUSION:

There is no strong evidence suggesting that occasionally having fizzy drinks can be harmful and there is no reason to avoid them.

Carbonated drinks are harmful for health if taken in large quantities or on everyday basis and they don’t bring any vitamins or minerals to the diet.

Don’t miss out on other drinks like milk for calcium and juices for vitamins as they are essential for your body to stay fir.

Carbonated drinks should be your second option.

 

 

EAT MORE, STRESS LESS!!!!!

Can anyone ever think that chocolates can even be healthy???

Many of us believe mainly parents that eating chocolates is a sin. But is it really?? Chocolates have been blamed by teenagers for causing acne and old people for causing cavities. Many of us have berated it is being fattening and without nutrition. But ironically, chocolates have been used in many things including as an antidepressant.

    Chocolate has become one of the most popular sweetened products from the seed of the tropical theobroma cocoa tree. The seeds of cocoa tree are extremely bitter so they need to be fermented. After fermentation the beans are dried then cleaned and then roasted and the shell is removed to make cocoa nibs.

Types of chocolates:

1. Baking (unsweetened) chocolate: contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in variable proportions
2. Sweet chocolate: contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter and fats like sugar
3. Milk chocolate: contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder

Cocoa solids contain alkaloids such as theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine. These alkaloids have physiological effects on our body.

Theobromine is known to be used as a vasodilator (blood vessel widener), diuretic (increased urine production) and heart stimulant. The American journal of clinical nutrition notes that use of theobromine for vascular diseases including atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries in the heart which leads to heart attack), angina pectoris ( chest pain due to inadequate blood supply to heart) and hypertension (blood pressure) should be considered in future.

 

FINDINGS:

–          From a study in 1988 published in the British medical journal The Lancet reported that men who ate chocolate and candy lived a year longer than people who did not.

–          Holland’s National Institute of Public Health and Environment examined the chemical compounds in a range of food and discovered that chocolate contains a high percentage of catechins, which protect against a heart diseases and cancer.

–          Dark chocolate contains 53.5 milligrams of catechins per 100 milligrams while white chocolate contains 15.9.

–          A cup of black tea contains 13.9 milligrams of catechins. Therefore having cup of tea and a cookie is not only enjoyable but healthy as well.

 

The University of Osaka in Japan confirmed that chocolate helps in the prevention of plaque formation and dental caries. (Chocolates contain flavinoids and antioxidants which can prevent low density lipoproteins from creating plaque and clogging your arteries)

–          Researchers in Scotland and Italy say dark chocolate has much better antioxidant properties than white chocolate.

 

HEALTH FACTS:

There are plenty of benefits by eating dark chocolate;

–          It’s good for your heart: eating a small bit of dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of blood pressure and blocked arteries

–          It’s good for your brain as it contains phenythylamine which encourages the brain to release endorphins, and improve the mood

–          Dark chocolate can protect against type 2 diabetes. It has a low glycemic index so it won’t dramatically increase blood sugar levels. The flavinoids it contains also help to reduce insulin resistance

–          Dark chocolate also contains high concentration of potassium, copper, magnesium and iron which help protect against stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease and iron deficiency.

DISADVANTAGES OF EATING CHOCOLATES;

–          Dark chocolate is high in calories both in fat and sugar

–          It contains theobromine, sugar and caffeine which results in mood elevation

–          It also contains vasoactive amines which leads to migraine headaches

–          Dilates the vessels of the brain

–          Chocolates are not to be avoided especially in those who have recurring and active herpes infection as it contains high quantity of arginine which is necessary in replication of the virus herpes.

ADVANTAGES OF EATING DARK CHOCOLATE DURING PREGNANCY:

–          Dark chocolate can help prevent pre eclampsia ( blood pressure)

–          Aids in proper blood pressure regulation

–          Chocolate makes happy babies

–          Contains antioxidants so as to boost up the immunity and prevent from cancers

–          Can prevent heart disease

–          Can help pregnant women manage weight and reduce cholesterol levels

–          Relives stress.

 

ACOORDING TO A RICH STUDY, TAKING UP OVER 1.6 OUNCES OF DARK CHOCOLATE DAILY PROVES TO BE HEALTHY FOR YOUR BODY.

 

FEW QUICK TIPS FOR CONTACT LENS WEARERS

Wearing spectacles at parties is sometimes embarrassing and make you feel inferior so one has an option to give yourself original look by wearing contact lenses. Contacts don’t detract from your natural appearance; people can very well see your beautiful eyes. There are few things which a contact lens wearer should keep in mind.

 

DO’S:

–          Visit your eye doctor yearly basis

–          Wash and dry  your hands with a mild soap prior handling your lenses

–          Rub, rinse and store lenses in the recommended solution after every time you wear

–          Always apply the same lens first to avoid mixing them up

–          Apply your lenses before applying make up

–          Remove your lenses before removing the make up

–          Always close your eyes if hair spray or any spray is being used

–          Replace your lens case at least in 3 months

–          Throw the lens cleaner solution once expired

–          Wear only the lenses specified by your doctor

–          Stick strictly to the recommended time period and frequency of removal of lenses

–          Discard lens and solution before its expired

–          Have a pair of spectacles for  you when you need to remove lens

 

DONT’S:

–          Use tap water, or any other water for cleaning your lenses

–          Wet your lens with saliva

–          Apply lens if it’s dirty or damaged

–          Put lens on the eyes if it falls on the floor without cleaning and storing the lenses again

–          Sleep with your lenses on at any time of the day

–          Wear lens while swimming or taking shower unless wearing goggles

–          Use any eyes drop without advice from your contact lens practitioner

–          Share contact lenses with any one

 

SNORING (zzzzzzZZZZZZZ) – CAN IT BE DEADLY???

Snoring is a harsh sound which occurs when there is an obstruction during sleep. It occurs when air flows through the nasal and relaxed throat tissues, causing the tissues to vibrate as u breathe, which causes this annoying sound. Sometimes snoring can be a health hazard and also can ruin your personal life.

Snoring can lead to insomnia, day time fatigue, weakness, irritability and major health problems.

NOT ALL SNORING ARE THE SAME!!!!

Get to the bottom of snoring and its causes; remedies as all snoring are not the same. Know your sleep pattern, level of snoring and then you will know how you can make your sleep deeper and quieter. There are many causes to it. Snoring not only irritates the other person but also brings down relationships to an end which is very devasting and heart breaking.

HOW COMMON IS SNORING?

Snoring is becoming very common because of obesity. It occurs more likely in men. Studies estimate that 45% of men and 30% of women snore on a regular basis.

 

CAUSES:

–          Age: middle aged and beyond as your throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.

–          Built: men have narrower air passages than women so they are more prone to snore. Cleft palate, narrow throat, enlarged adenoids are some of the hereditary causes of snoring

–          Blocked airways

–          Obesity

–          Alcohol, smoking and medications like sleeping pills

–          Sleep posture: sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.

LEVELS OF SNORING:

LEVEL 1: mild resistance to airflow in the upper ways which leads to snoring but with no disturbance in sleep

LEVEL 2: resistance to airflow increases, there may be transient arousal from sleep that typically won’t be lack of oxygen (hypoxia). This is called the upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS)

LEVEL 3: resistance increases even further and ventilator support are not sufficient enough to keep the level of oxygen stable. Oxygen level goes down (hypoxia), as a result there is sleep arousal many a times and it is called obstructed sleep apnea- hypo apnea syndrome.

HOW YOU SNORE MAY REVEAL WHY YOU SNORE???

–          Closed mouth snoring may indicate a problem with your tongue

–          Open mouth snoring may indicate problem in throat tissues

–          Snoring while sleeping on your back – mild lifestyle changes or sleeping pattern

–          Snoring while sleeping in all postures – requires visit to doctor and proper treatment.

 

STAGE OF SLEEP AND SNORING:

Sleep has 6 stages but in general there are 2 stages- REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non rapid eye movement). Snoring can occur in all stages of sleep but mainly occurs in REM sleep due to the loss of muscle tone during this stage.

During REM sleep brain sends signal to all the muscles except the respiratory (breathing) muscles to relax. However, tongue, palate and throat can collapse when relaxed. This can cause the airway to worsen the snoring.

 SLEEPING POSITION AND SNORING:

Snoring also goes with the way you sleep. If you sleep on your back which most of us do gravity pulls on all the tissues of the body except the pharynx tissues which are relatively soft. Therefore, when we lie down gravity pulls out palate, tonsils and tongue backwards which narrows the airway and cause turbulence in airflow vibration and snoring. So if your partner has a habit of snoring gently remind him (for example: a gentle thrust of the elbow to ribs or a tickle) to roll on to his or her side. These way tissues are no longer pulled and snoring lessens.

WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?

Apnea means suspension of external breathing. It is of two types: central apnea, obstructive apnea. Central apnea means brain fails to send the signal which causes breathing when you asleep. Obstructive apnea is the more common which occurs when throat muscles relax too much during sleep causing the airway to collapse.

Symptoms:

–          Morning dry mouth, sore throat and headaches

–          Exhaustion

–          Insomnia

–          Inattentive behavior during the day

–          Fatigue

–          Snoring

–          Awakening abruptly and experiencing shortness of breath

 

Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea:

–          Obesity

–          Gender: men are more likely to suffer from this than women

–          Narrow airway

–          Genetics

–          Drug or alcohol use

–          Congestion

–          Smoking

–          Advanced age

Obstructive sleep apnea is commoner in the United States due to increasing level of obesity which leads to apnea. Obesity causes an increase in weight which is placed on the lungs or airway which may cause it to collapse during the night. And the above mentioned causes contribute to this apnea.

 

Risk factors of central sleep apnea:

–          Stroke

–          Brain tumor

–          Advanced age

–          Heart problems

–          Gender: M>F

Central sleep apnea is caused by brain malfunction. Normally, brain send the signal to the body for breathing but sometimes brain fails to send these signals as in the cases of stroke, so in such people central sleep apnea is very common.

 

SLEEP APNEA TREATMENTS:

Everyone wants to go for the more intensive and hard core ones. And people forget the ones which are easier and simpler like:

–          Reduce the risk factors such as keep a check on your weight; avoid drinking alcohol, cut down on smoking and avoid sleeping pills as it may cause the throat and tongue muscles to relax and fall back which leads to obstruction..

–          These changes in your lifestyle will take good amount of time so until then undergo other level of treatments as well.

–          These treatments are also for individuals in whom the risk factors can’t be prevented. Other treatments like using a machine CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). CPAP works in the manner of changing the air pressure in nose, mouth and airway according the individuals requirement. It keeps your airway open during sleep. CPAP machine works by the user fitting a mask over the nose and mouth. There are many variations on this machine like EPAP                     (expiratory positive airway pressure) and BPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure).

–          On the more extreme end of treatment is surgery which helps people suffering from apnea. These include removing the tissues of throat, reposition the jaw.

NON SURGICAL TREATMENTS OF SNORING:

1. Behavioral changes:

Weight loss, changing sleep positions, avoiding alcohol, smoking cessation and changing medication which causes snoring

1. Dental devices:

Snoring occurs due to the obstruction of airflow due to narrowing of the throat. This narrowing can make the tongue fall back and lead to apnea. So to prevent this, there are some dental pieces called as mouth piece which people put before going to sleep in their mouth. They must be worn every night to work, can also cause or exacerbate temporal mandibular joint problems, can cause excessive salivation.

1. Nasal devices and medications:

-For people with narrow nasal passages these nasal devices can be used.

– Nasal saline irrigation sprays to clean and moisturize the nasal environment irritants like dust, pollen.

– Nasal steroids and decongestants: steroid spray decrease the inflammation in the nose and decongestants shrink the blood vessels in the turbinates. Both these ways can prevent you from snoring. A steroid does have few side effects compared to nasal saline which has no side effect.

 

BEDTIME REMEDIES TO HELP TO STOP SNORING:

1. Clear nasal passages
2. Keep bedroom air moist with a humidifier. Dry air irritates the membrane and the lining of nasal membrane
3. Reposition: keeping your head elevated to 4 inches prevent your tongue from falling back and leading to snoring. There are special pillows and devices especially designed for snoring.
4. Avoid caffeine and heavy meal within 2 hours of bedtime
5. Sleep on your side: avoid sleeping on your back and make it a habit of sleeping on the side you comfortable with.

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR WHEN SNORING???

–          You snore loudly and heavily

–          You stop breathing, gasp or choke during sleep

–          Sleeping at inappropriate times like during the day, while having a meal or chatting with some one

 

BE AWARE!!!!!

–          Of your eating habits so as not to be obese

–          Cut down on your alcohol level

–          Cessation of smoking

–          Visit a doctor as soon as your partner complains of your loud snores and when you are awakened from your sleep just because of snoring.

FASTING – IS IT HEALTHY????

Fasting basically means abstinence from food and drinks for short or long period of time. There are many different types of fast, some people abstain from food and drinks for 1 or more days and some fast partially by having 1 meal a day and water. I have been asked by my friend to write on this topic as I fast a lot. And he feels that it is unhealthy for a person’s health.

TYPES OF FASTING:

RELIGIOUS FASTING:

–          Fasting religiously is active all over the globe. People during fasting ask god to forgive for their mistakes they have committed in past and maintain fast for few days. Some religions ask followers to fast in order to control their desires, will power and also understand the suffering of poverty.

–          People fast in all religions like Buddhists, Catholics, Eastern orthodox, Jews, Mormons, Muslims and Hindus.

FASTING FOR MEDICAL REASONS:

–          One has to fast for medical reasons like: to check blood sugar level, cholesterol screening and also overnight fasting for most surgeries.

–          Fasting in medicine has a purpose as eating before breakfast for example will interfere for the test until your food is not digested completely. Because cholesterol and other blood tests check your fat level in the body so if you eat food before getting tested, more fats will be added in your body and that will produce misleading results.

–          Fasting is most common before surgeries which involve anesthesia. If a person eats before the surgery there are chances of a person vomiting during the surgery and inhale their stomach contents which can be deadly. This practice of overnight fasting might get outdated soon as the researchers are finding that regurgitation during surgery is way too rare. Moreover, fasting can have adverse effects like headaches, dizziness and dehydration in some people.

–          During fasting the body looks out for the stored energy in your body and compensates the body’s requirements with the stored energy. But one should avoid fasting for long period as that can damage your heart which is a muscle and also your liver and kidneys which can decrease in size if you don’t consume protein.

–          Some medical procedures that require fasting:

–          Blood check

–          Cholesterol level

–          Glucose testing

–          Surgery with full anesthesia

–          Diabetes screening

FASTING FOR WEIGHT LOSS:

People assume that fasting will help in losing weight, but is it healthy? There are many opinions drawn by people on this topic. Many think fasting is the best way to lose weight but it is not healthy. To lose weight in a healthy way one should cut down on the calories and not starve. Generally if people fast sporadically, a few days here and few days there don’t really lose weight and put the weight back after few days. Thus, fasting and losing weight can only be temporary and not in long term. It has also been proved that long fasting can be fatal for the body, can lead to drop in blood sugar levels and that can in turn lead to headache, dizziness, nausea. After the fast is over, your hormones might drive you to eat more and that can cause binge eating.

HUNGER STRIKE:

Political leaders believe in having hunger strikes for making their statements heard and approved. Hunger strike is a non violent way to ask people on agreeing on one’s terms. For example, Mohandas karamchand Gandhi a famous Indian leader used fasting to protest a British proposal for Indian constitution.

Another example of  famous hunger strike- the 40 hour famine- an annual event in Australia, in which millions of people participate to fast in order to donate to various children’s charities. This has been publicized all over the world and been successful all throughout because of great number of participants involved.

LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT A HEALTHY WAY TO FAST:

1. Be accountable: keep some one acknowledged about your fast, can be anyone your friend or any family member because if you are not fasting in a healthy way, they can definitely guide you in a better way or convince you not to fast if you are not fit enough to fast.
2. Prepare much in advance: majority of people have this wrong thought or belief of overeating before fasting as they think it might make the fasts easier. But this act will completely work in a opposite manner by making them more uncomfortable and stomach upset. So please don’t do it.

Instead, cut down on meat and dairy products, fried food, fizzy drinks and consumption of coffee, black tea should be reduced few days before you attain your fast. And one day before the fast get into a habit of eating fruits and vegetables. So altogether this will make you fit to fast in a healthy way.

FASTING EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY:

During fasting, body eliminates toxins but at the same time it can cause a lot of discomfort. It can make you feel dizzy, headaches can happen.

But if you have prepared yourself well in advance these discomfort able symptoms can reduce. It’s known that fasting eliminates toxins but for that to happen you need to drink sufficient water and not over drink it. Drink 4 -5 quarts of water per day. As water flushes out toxins and it flushes out many minerals and vitamins also. And that leads to muscle cramps, irregular heart beat and fatigue.

BREAK THE FAST PROPERLY:

The way you end the fast is very important. Mostly one day before the fast gets over, people gets up on deciding which restaurant to go and which fast food to hog. But that is wrong. One should always keep in mind that after fasting you should come back to your normal diet gradually. Like 1 day you should be on fruits which contains more acid, second day vegetables in addition to fruits with little dressing, third day little grains and protein rich food. By fourth day you should eat your normal diet.

PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN’T FAST?

–          Infants and children

–          Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers

–          People suffering from diabetes and cancer

–          Elderly

GREEN TEA- A REFRESHING BEVERAGE!

I love green tea! Not for the love of the taste- no way but it keeps my weight in check. Green tea has increasingly become demanding all over the world because of its immensely powerful health benefits.

Green tea is made by briefly steaming the harvested leaves making them soft and pliable and preventing them from fermenting or changing color. After steaming, the leaves are rolled and then dried with hot air until they are crisp. The resulting greenish yellow tea has a green, slightly astringent flavor close to the taste of the fresh leaf.

It’s been used as medicine in china for thousands of years. Green tea in comparison to other different teas does not undergo the process of fermentation. This is the main reason that makes it so healthy full of antioxidants and polyphenols.

Here’s a list of benefits of drinking green tea:

1. Weight loss: green tea increases metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea intensify level fat oxidation of the food and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
2. Diabetes: green tea apparently helps in lowering sugar levels after food intake in people suffering from diabetes.
3. Heart disease: it helps in keeping the blood vessels relaxed to better withstand the blood pressure and also helps prevent formation of blood clots.
4. Prevent cancer: Helps in killing the cancer cells without damaging the normal tissues of body
5. Cholesterol: It reduces HDL (bad cholesterol) and increases LDL (good cholesterol).
6. Alzheimer and Parkinson’s: helps to delay the deterioration of all types of dementia’s in old age which includes Alzheimer and Parkinson disease
7. Tooth decay: Tea catechins- a strong antioxidant which destroys bacteria and virus in order to prevent throat infections and tooth decay.
8. Blood pressure: regular consumption of green tea helps to maintain the normal blood pressure level
9. Depression: theanine an amino acid present in tea leaves helps to give a soothing and tranquilizing effect and can be a great benefit to tea drinkers
10. Skin care: green tea also helps with wrinkles and signs of ageing.
11. Arthritis: it can help prevent rheumatoid arthritis as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys the cartilage.
12. Helps to build stronger bones
13. Asthma: theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscle which supports the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma

HOW MUCH OF GREEN TEA?

Green tea is definitely healthy but drinking anything in excess is not necessary. Drinking 2 cups per day is sufficient for an individual. There has been a debate of drinking 10 cups, some people say 5 cups. But depending on the brand, 2 – 3 cups of green tea per day (for a total of 240 – 320 mg polyphenols) or 100-750 mg per day of standardized green tea extract is recommended.

VARIETIES OF TEA:

There are three types of tea: green, black and oolong. The only major difference is in the way they are processed. Green tea does not undergo the process of fermentation so that makes it the most beneficial. It contains highest concentration of powerful antioxidants and polyphenols.

WHAT IS AN ANTIOXIDANT?

Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the affects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules when your body breaks down food or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

• Green tea is much higher in antioxidants than regular tea. It has 30 mg of caffeine per serving. It has a lighter taste than regular tea
• Green tea is healthier and not processed by fermentation
• Oolong tea gets partially fermented and often an additional shaking step that release additional flavours. These two qualities give distinct flowery and tasty flavors. It has somewhat more caffeine and less antioxidant than green tea.
• Black tea is completely fermented which blackens the leaves and causes the formation of caffeine and tannins. Highest level of caffeine and least antioxidants.

PRECAUTIONS:

*People who drink large amount of green tea for long periods of time may experience insomnia, irritability, heart palpitations and dizziness.

*Caffeine overdose can cause vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and loss of appetite.

*If you are drinking a lot of tea and start to vomit and have abdominal spasms then you probably suffering from caffeine poisoning. So immediately lower the intake of caffeine and seek advice from your doctor.