Tips on Skin Care for all Ages.

Daily skin care regimen is a must for women of all ages 

You may never have thought of it as an organ, but yes, our skin is the largest organ of our body. It protects us from environmental factors, controls body temperature and helps the body to eliminate toxins. It also reacts to extreme temperatures, sunlight and pollution. Every individual’s skin reflects his or her inner health. So if you are affected by stress, poor nutrition, lack of sleep or are on severe medication, it will also be reflected on your skin. Since, at times, it becomes impossible to score a perfect 10 in this regards, it becomes essential for us to look after our skin and provide it some pampering for a flawless look. Issues related to the health and appearance of skin tissue should always be a priority. As a result, daily skin care rituals contain essential steps, which shouldn’t be ignored at any age. A proper skin care regimen, which is based on gentle cleansing and the application of sunscreen, helps to keep you looking young and healthy. 

Dermatologists recommend compliance with several correct maintenance steps of skin tissue to avoid the appearance of skin diseases and for much desired young skin. Cleaning the skin is probably the most important action of the day, especially now, when the level of pollution in large cities is increasing. Skin can be badly affected by pollutants, which can lead to irritation, eczema and other eruptive diseases. By cleansing, you remove the dead skin cells on the skin’s surface and with them, the dust and impurities that lead to dilated pores. There are a variety of products for cleaning your skin – special face cleanser, creams or gels. These products act differently on different skin types, so it is advisable to consult a skin care therapist. The therapist will help you to choose the best customised skin care regimen. Cleaning the skin must become a habit, especially if make-up is applied on a daily basis, as these products can cause additional skin ailments. The following is the basic skin care regime that every individual should follow for A daily skin care regimen is a must for women of all ages Cleanse, tone, moisturise healthier skin: 

1. Cleansing, Toning, Exfoliation 

It is a must to cleanse your skin twice in a day, once in the morning and once at night. An ideal choice is to use cleansers specifically catering to your skin type – normal, dry, oily or a combination. Skin cleansing is done in three steps. First, clean the skin of makeup and dirt; second, rinse with warm water; and third, apply a refreshing lotion (tonic). It is important to maintain the PH balance of your skin and to protect the cell membrane. Cosmetic products for skin cleaning are divided according to ingredients and texture: milk or gel cleanser, and medicated or dermo-cosmetic cleanser that suit each skin type or condition. Cleaning products can be used on both the face and around the eyes. The next important step is exfoliation. Exfoliation is the process by which the skin is thoroughly cleansed and dead skin cells are removed. Many of us do not understand and do not know the benefits of this process. The most important benefits of exfoliation are: a smoother and brighter looking skin, acceleration of skin regeneration, reduction in fine lines, prevention of formation of pimples and blackheads. Depending on the skin type, experts recommend individuals to perform the task of exfoliation one to three times in a week. Also, it is best to seek advice on the type of product you should use to complement your skin type or you may worsen your skin condition and a longer treatment will be required to recover the health and balance of your skin.

Remove make-up 

This is one step that is unavoidable. No matter how tired you are when you come back from a party, take off the make-up without fail. Make-up is supposed to make you look and feel beautiful. But if you leave it on overnight, it is going to have the opposite effect; the reason being that while we are sleeping, the skin secretes sebum, which acts as a moisturiser. Also, during sleep, the sebum released removes dead skin cells and toxins from our body. If you sleep with makeup on, these pores get clogged and a layer of sebum is formed under the skin, which later develops into acne. 

Avoid aggression on skin

 In the ritual of daily skin care, it is easy to fall on to unhealthy skin care habits. Of these, the most dangerous are: Long hot baths: Hot water removes natural oils protecting the skin, which is why shorter showers with warm water are advised. Using harsh soaps: Soaps or cleaning products with harsher ingredients produce a drying effect, which not only deprives the skin of its protective oils and moisture, but also leads to irritation. Aggressive towelling: After wash, the skin requires gentle swabbing with a towel. A fabric surface that has aggressive friction can damage skin tissue, which may be invisible at the moment, but has long-term consequences.

2. Treatment For basic care like moisturising, if you know what your skin type is, choose products accordingly. But if you need to treat various problems like acne, loose skin, blemishes, dark spots, etc, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist first before buying a product. Such treatments provide targeted action and so it is best to take expert directions for its usage or application. The products may have a creamy texture, come in the form of fluids, gel or serum

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3. Moisturising protection Moisturisers restore a normal hydration level of the skin and gives skin firmness and elasticity. They are easily applied, easily absorbed into the skin, forming a thin non -greasy film on the skin’s surface and can be used as a make-up base and as treatment products. Moisturisers too come in different textures depending on skin type – creamy, fluid, gel and serum. Many moisturising products advertise that they come with built-in sunscreen protection. However, it is prudent to check their labels in detail. Grab a product only if it has SPF 30 or more so that it can protect you against both UVA (which can cause cancer) and UVB rays. Even when it comes to moisturisers, there are different products for different body parts. You will get a day and a night moisturiser, which perform different functions; a moisturiser for the entire body; different lotions for your hands and feet, and different gels for the eye. 

The skin around the eyes is very sensitive and thin and therefore requires extra care. Eye creams should be applied around the eyes in specific circular motions. They have certain actions: they moisturise, prevent fine lines and dark circles, reduce existing lines, and soothe the eyes. The most important step in skin care is protection against UV radiation. UVA and UVB rays are the most aggressive environmental factors that cause illness in the dermis and give an early appearance of premature aging. An unprotected skin exposed to UV rays can cause premature wrinkles, unsightly skin pigmentation and skin cancer. 

Finally, if you follow these essential steps in your dayto-day skin care regimen, you will notice that the effects of harmful factors are visibly diminished. Listen to your skin: it will say “I’m hungry” and “I’m thirsty”. So, provide it with a nourishing cream and enough water and fluids for hydration.

Urinary incontinence in women &the impact of lifestyle on bladder health.

Urinary incontinence in women &the impact of lifestyle on bladder health

 Urinary incontinence or urination is a common problem approximately 50 to 80% females suffer from it and any age this increases with age and is two times more common in females most patients are shy to discuss this problem with there physician though it can effect the quality of life here we will discuss the common form of urinary incontinence or the leakage and how they can be helped.

Urinary incontinence is accidental release if urine due to stress on the bladder or during the strong urge to pass urine.

Types of urinary incontinence 

Stress incontinence- urine leakage association with increase in intra - abdominal pressure while coughing, laughing ,sneezing, climbing stairs, or other physical stress on the abdominal cavity .

 

 

Urge incontinence - it is the leakage of the urine accompanied or immediately preceded by an urge to pass urine. 

Mixed- ethereal there are both above factor are present.

Functional - as seen in urinary tract infection ,psychotic , disorder reduced mobility and delirium. 

There are various causes for the urinary incontinence and the commonest are pregnancy, childbirth , abdominal tumors like uterine myomas, uterine  prolapse or the looseness of the vaginal walls, obesity, infection, diseases like diabetes and certain medications.

Diagnosis of the conditions and the cause can be done by a physician. An examination will confirms the diagnosis and the severity of the conditions, depending upon which the treatment is designed for the patients. The treatment can be both surgical some medication and by physiotherapy. Your doctor will advice the best strategy suitable for your conditions. 

A modification of the lifestyle and diet changes can help as well.

 Urinary incontinence-  Impact of behavior and lifestyle on bladder health.

Cigarette smoking - this has a direct relegation to bladder cancer. 

Caffeine- food and beverages containing caffeine have been reported to be risk factors for urgency, frequency and urgency incontinence. The changes were more when more than 450mg/ day of caffeine was consumed. 

Alcohol- Alcohol can promote urgency and frequency interfering with the bladder signal regulation micturition and causes dieresis.  

Bladder irritants- Carbonated drinks , diet sodas 

 

 

Foods to be avoided to  improve bladder health 

* bread and cereals with preservatives 

* prepared salad dressings 

* prepared soup - canned and packaged, bouillon cubes 

* processed meat- hot dog / salami says ages 

* cheese - most type 

* all citrus fruits 

* Artificial sweeners and additives.

*Sauces- red paprika/MSG/hot curry powder/hydrolysed protein/chilli powder.

 

 

 

source by DR. Jaimala Shukla.

Heart Attack-Keep tabs on your heart

 










Heart attack or acute myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death in general population


Heart attack occurs because of complete or near complete block of one of the blood vessels supplying the heart. This happens as the blood vessels in the heart are progressively blocked by deposition of fat inside its wall over time and formation of blood clot at this place suddenly.

Typically one in two men and one in three women at the age of 40 yrs have the risk of developing coronary heart disease. To make matters worse there is a growing trend of more young people affected by this dreaded disease. First and foremost is to know whether you are at risk. This can be found out by answering a few simple questions like what is your age, gender, smoking etc.

Following are risk factors for developing heart disease.

>       Smoking
>       Hypertension
>       Diabetes
>       Dyslipidemia (Raised bad cholesterol and reduced good cholesterol)
>       Abdominal obesity
>       Psycho social factors (stress, anxiety & depression)
>       Male sex
>       Family history of heart disease
>       Increasing age

To simply put, the more of the above points you say yes, the more likely you can develop heart disease.

Fortunately apart from a few things like age, gender and family history, all other risk factors can be modified effectively. So one can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 90 per cent.

Below is the check list you have to do.

1. Stop smoking. Smoking is a definite NO as for your heart is concerned.
2. Exercise. Do brisk walking for 30-60 minutes, 4-6 times a week
3. Weight loss. If you are overweight, take steps to lose weight by diet control and regular exercise. Importantly lose weight judiciously. Don’t starve.
4. Healthy diet
5. Hypertension control. If you are hypertensive, it should be controlled adequately. Restrict salt in your diet.
6. Diabetes - If you are diabetic, strict control of blood sugar is essential. If you are non-diabetic and has risk factors to develop diabetes or over the age of 45 years check your fasting blood sugar.
7. Check your blood cholesterol. Consult your doctor if it is abnormal.
8. Avoid stress. Socialise. Be cheerful.
9. If you are at risk of developing heart disease, go for a regular check up with your doctor.

source Dr Rajan Maruthanayagam
Interventionional Cardioligist 

Hearing Loss in children

Hearing Loss :Early identification of hearing loss important

Whilst most of the newborn babies look and indeed are normal at birth, there are certain metabolic, cardiac, urological, eye and ear diseases which may not be apparent at birth.


Sometimes such disorders may not be detectable by physical checkup of baby, but may present later in life from neonatal age through infancy and childhood till adolescence, explains Dr Jai Kumar Motwani, Specialist Pediatrician, Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah.

New born screening tests include a group of blood tests where a few drops of blood from newborn’s heel are taken on a filter paper and sent to laboratory for analysis. There are roughly 48 different diseases for which metabolic screening can be done. Also most important is hearing screening in newborn and during infancy.

It is estimated that 1-2 babies out of 1,000 are born with a hearing loss in one or both ears. Early identification of mild/moderate hearing loss is of paramount importance for overall development of child specially language development which is dependent upon input signals.
Even mild hearing loss which may go unnoticed by parents and family physician/pediatrician may have greater impact on scholastic performances in future. Such children are more likely to perform below their grade level, more likely to drop out of school, fail to earn higher degrees as compared to normal peer group.

Usually this screening is done within first week of life and in case of any dubious results may be repeated in another week.

Those babies who don’t pass the screening tests are sent to audiologists for detailed evaluation and further management. However even if a baby passes the initial screening, audiological monitoring should be done every six months for three years because certain conditions may not produce immediate hearing loss.

It is important to have child checked if following conditions are present

>      Family member has hearing loss
>      Preterm baby admitted in NICU  and requiring ventilator etc, high levels of neonatal jaundice
>      Infections coming from mother when baby is in utero.
>      Certain chromosomal syndromes or some neurodegenerative disorders  identified by pediatrician at  birth or thereafter
>      Meningitis, head injury, mumps
>      Recurrent middle ear infections
>      Any delay in development noted by parent/pediatrician specially delay in speech, language, or any child responding to loud sounds only.
>      Exposure to loud noises (noise  pollution)

  There are two methods by which new born hearing screening is done — otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and automated auditory brain stem responses (AABR). Both the methods are inexpensive and easy to carry out without any inconvenience to babies.



By Dr Jai Kumar Motwani
Specialist Pediatrician.














 

Stilettos High on fashion , low on Health

Stilettos; high on fashion, low on health

The tick-tack of high heels usually spells high-end fashion! But do you know that wearing stilettos on a regular basis entails health hazards? Experts say slipped disc, knee arthritis and plantar fasciitis (a painful inflammation on the sole of the foot) are common problems faced by women who wear them on regular basis.

Capital-based Rajeev K. Sharma, a senior consultant orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, sees around 25 patients in a month for orthopaedic problems due to high heels.

“There are numerous ailments, but the common ones include disc prolapsed (slipped disc), knee arthritis and plantar fasciitis (a painful inflammation on the sole of the foot),” Sharma told IANS.

Age is no bar when it comes to high-heels-related health hazards.

If women as old as 50 visit Sharma for the same problem, his clients list also has young girls in the 20-30 age-group.

Neeraj Mehta, fitness expert and director of GFFI Fitness Academy, has clients aged between 22 and 32 who have fallen prey to such ailments. Each month around five to six women consult him.

Satnam Singh Chhabra, head, department of neuro spine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, also said that mostly young and middle-aged women consult him for such problems.

“When we walk or run, a lot of effort is made by the knee for proper movement. Imagine wearing a shoe with pointed heels and walking uncomfortably every day! The walking style will become your habit but damage will be done to the cartilage in the knee,” said Sharma.

Before the problem aggravates, the body gives out warnings.

”There are several symptoms such as pain in the toes, mid-foot, heel, ankle, knee, hip and back. Sometimes, people also start having headaches,” Chhabra said.

He suggests fit and comfort should be given priority while selecting footwear.

“Your shoes should be properly fitted. Try to relax by wearing comfortable running shoes while going to distant places,” said Chhabra.

The problem can be tackled by going in for a diet that helps improve blood circulation.

“The diet should be healthy and plant-centred so that it can help in proper blood circulation and tissues can feel relaxed,” he said.

Exercises, too, help.

Mehta said: “If they are standing or sitting with heels on, they can do a lot of stretches for their foot like dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, eversion and inversion,” he said.

Chhabra said women can avoid back pain, slipped disc and more by sticking to heels not higher than 1.5 inches, while Sharma feels wedge heels can be helpful.

Source kt

Bariatric surgery is a measure of last resort

Bariatric surgery

Obesity is considered one of the major health issues due to associated co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, joint pain, back pain, infertility and many psychological and emotional disturbances.


The first step in overcoming obesity, should be diet under professional guidance accompanied by exercise. But when these measures fail, bariatric or obesity surgery is the answer.

“Obesity epidemic is becoming more and more evident and the health costs associated with it are growing enormously sending alarming flags to health authorities world wide. According to the UAE ministry of health, 44 per cent of UAE nationals will be obese eby 2015.”

Obesity surgery evolved dramatically during the last decade and is safe in experienced hands. In Saudi Arabia, 7,000 bariatric surgery procedures were done in 2012 while 4,000 were done in 2012 in Kuwait.

There are many surgical options — adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass and gastric placation. All of these surgeries are laparoscopic or keyhole surgeries.

Adjustable gastric banding is a simple procedure but has a high failure rate after 5 years. The inflatable band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to create a smaller stomach pouch. This slows and limits the amount of food that can be consumed at one time,

In sleeve gastrectomy, the surgeon reduces 75 per cent of the stomach and removes it leaving a small stomach that gives the patient early satiety feeling.

Gastric placation is technically difficult but has the best long term results. The surgeon cuts through upper part of stomach to create a small pouch which takes only minimum amount of food and connects it the small bowel.

Obesity surgery requires a dedicated team of an experienced surgeon, endocrinologist, dietitian and psychologist to evaluate the patient and to decide if he is going to benefit from surgery.

Most co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, joint pain and sleep apnea can be cured by obesity surgery. Patients can return to social life and be more active in professional and personal environments.

Bariatric surgery is not a magic solution to a very complicated problem like obesity but it is one of the best solutions available when conservative measures fail.

source kt by Dr Hussam Al Trabulsi- Specialist Surgeon

Micheal Douglas says oral sex causes cancer

Weird science? Douglas gets candid on what he thinks is the cause of his stage four throat cancer oral sex with your someone who is bipolar. Not that his drinking and smoking didn’t have something to do with the actor’s disease, but he swears oral sex and throat cancer are linked together.


A sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer

Apparently it’s true if you already have the human papillomavirus you are at risk. He dying to please his wife?

Studies show without a doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer. Mheash Kumar, a consultant head and neck surgeon in London, in a recent paper from a John Hopkins study shows that 57% of patients with oral cancers were also HPV-16 positive, especially in men.

In patients who had mouth tumors and HPV-16 strain are three times as likely to have had oral sex as those who didn’t.

Should you avoid having oral sex

The human papilloma virus is associated with genital warts as well as cervix cancer or anus cancer and now mouth cancer.

Oral cancer has thought to be caused by smoking, chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol.

Douglas says the best cure for it is oral sex

Science isn’t backing that claim up. Kumar said, “That just doesn’t make sense.” One thing for sure Micheal Douglas likes his oral sex.

source http://www.examiner.com/article/micheal-douglas-says-oral-sex-causes-cancer