If someone you know is having a stroke first call the ambulance preferably one with emergency equipment in the ambulance, or ask someone to take you to the nearest hospital, which has Intensive Cardiac Care Unit. Make sure before you go there, that a bed is available in ICU. After that, call your family doctor and tell him/her that you are shifting the patient to the hospital and he/she should meet you there. (more…)

To prevent Stroke, you have to control calorie intake and the diets, which are rich in cholesterol and saturated fats, such as oils, dairy products, egg yolks, meat, fish,  coconut, simple sugars, alcohol, salts etc and eating more of wholesome foods, like whole vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, breakfast cereals, lentils, chickpeas, asparagus, spinach and most beans. (more…)

Remember time is your greatest ally if this disease were to strike you. The more the lapse of time the greater chances of the brain cells being permanently damaged.

The treatment of stroke – a condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die, depends on where the stroke occurred in your brain, and on whether it is ischemic or haemorrhagic. This can be detected by an MRI, CT imaging or an angiography. Clot-busters are the first line of treatment for strokes caused by the blockage of cerebral (of the brain) arteries, and are most effective if used within 3 hours of onset of a stroke. Beside this, anti-hypertensive, platelet-inhibiting, aspirin and anticoagulants are used. After this a surgery for opening the carotid artery is usually carried out. In haemorrhagic stroke, a diuretic (drug to flush out the fluid) is also used. Surgery is rarely carried out except when there is an aneurysm (dilatation of the artery).

Please do not waste time, and take the patient to the near-by well equipped hospital at the earliest, for you will give them a fair chance to survive. In-time medical help and rehabilitation is the saving grace. Rehabilitation depends on the extent of damage, patient’s outlook to life & motivation, empowerment & skills of the rehabilitating team, and support from friends & family.

To Be Continued…

Alarming milestones of Alzheimer’s disease are – immediate memory loss, difficulty in performing known tasks, inability to comprehend and speak a language, confusion regarding time and place, misplacing things, poor judgement of time and space, inability to think abstract things, inconsistent changes in mood and behaviour, unkempt and a changed personality and loss of zeal and drive. (more…)

The Unite Nations has marked this day as an International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking to raise awareness of the major threat that illicit drugs pose to the society.

This day is symbolized with launching of various campaigns to like public rallies and mass media exhibits to curb this global problem. According to the statistics, nearly 200 people globally are using illicit drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates and sedative hypnotics (more…)

Non-medication based treatments of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception are – (more…)

Other Treatment include – Rest, Exercises – especially swimming, walking, cycling and light weight training, Applying local heat before and cold packs after exercises, Balanced Nutrition and Diet Control, Physical and occupational therapy, Mechanical support devices such as splints, canes, walkers, and braces. (more…)

Causes of OA

Causes of Primary Osteoarthritis

• Aging: With aging, the water content of the cartilage increases, and the protein make-up of cartilage degenerates
• Repetitive use of the worn joints over the years can irritate and inflame the cartilage, causing joint pain and swelling
• Inflammation of the cartilage which stimulates new bone outgrowths (spurs, also referred to as osteophytes) to form around the joints
• Hereditary (genetic) basis

Causes of Secondary Osteoarthritis

• It is caused by another disease or condition. They include obesity, repeated trauma, surgeries of the joints, abnormal joints at birth, gout, diabetes and other hormonal disorders.

• It is observed that obesity (risk factor of OA next only to aging) causes osteoarthritis by increasing the mechanical stress on the cartilage.
• It is also observed that crystal deposits in the cartilage can cause cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis.
• Some are born with abnormally formed joints (congenital abnormalities) that are vulnerable to mechanical wear, causing early degeneration and loss of joint cartilage.
• Hormonal disorders, such as diabetes and growth hormone disorders, are also associated with early cartilage wear and secondary osteoarthritis.

To Be Continued…

Treatment of OA: The goal of treatment is to reduce joint pain and inflammation while improving and maintaining joint function. First line of treatment involves weight reduction and avoiding activities that exert excessive stress on the joint cartilages. (more…)

The other treatment of this nonmalignant (noncancerous) enlargement of the prostate gland in older men are – Surgical procedures may be used to treat BPH, in cases who have not responded satisfactorily to medication or those who have very severe problems, such as a complete inability to urinate. (more…)