Discussions Editorial Forum Music Poetry Bollywood Contributors Guest_Book
Editorial Music & Art Short story Carnatic Music Humour Culture
Health & Fitness Bedtime Story Four Book Reviews Punjab Round-Up Poetry Prev Issue Next Issue
Monday, Nov 12 2001
Health Nuggets
By- Saroj Kumari

Saroj Kumari is an accounts consultant. She keeps keen interest in fitness and health information. She puts in an effort to collects information for her own benefit and for her family and friends.

Excuse Me! -- Excessive gas most of the time? Here are some useful tips to Avoid Excess Gas:

According to Oct issue of Mayo health clinic diet changes could help and try to avoid the following foods one at a time to see if the gas subsides.

  • Dairy products -- Lactose, a sugar in dairy foods, is a common cause of gas. If you are sensitive to lactose, you may be able to tolerate yogurt and aged cheeses.
  • Certain vegetables -- Dried beans and peas, cabbage, radishes, onions, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli contain certain carbohydrates that can produce gas.
  • Excessive fruit sugars -- Prunes, apples, raisins and bananas, as well as prune, apple and grape juices, can be bothersome.
  • Excessive fiber intake -- Decrease your intake of bran and other high-fiber foods. Slowly add them back to see how much you can tolerate.
  • Sorbitol and mannitol -- These sweeteners are found in some sugar-free products.
  • High-fat foods -- Fatty meats, fried foods, some sauces and gravies can cause gas.
  • Carbonated and sparkling beverages -- Avoid these beverages. And eat slower to avoid swallowing air.

Who Says Sleepless Nights Have to be Part of Aging?

I had always heard my grandmother complain she just could not sleep throught the nights. Sleep patterns do change with age, but they don't have to disrupt your life according the latest medical reports!

Between age 50 and 60, you may notice that your sleep is less restful than it used to be. That's because more sleep time is in light-sleep stages. That means less time in restorative, deep-sleep stages, and you are more easily awakened. Or, there could be a medical condition interfering with sleep. Some sleep-related disorders become more common with age.

But don't assume you'll toss and turn forever. Most sleep difficulties are treatable and addressing them often leads to a better night's sleep. While a night or two of poor sleep isn't cause for concern, chronic sleeplessness can affect your physical and mental health. Discuss sleep problems with your doctor if:

* Your inability to sleep affects daytime functioning.

* You have disruptive snoring or irregular breathing.

* You feel your sleep problems may be related to depression or anxiety.

* You depend on sleeping pills to get to sleep.

* It has been a month since you have been able to sleep soundly or fall asleep when you wanted.

* You generally feel anxious, and it's associated with sleep deprivation.

* You routinely feel sleepy at times when you need to be alert, such as when you are driving.

Ways To Retain Your Beautiful Face by Eating Healthy

Need another reason to eat healthy? Fruits and vegetables may help save your skin.

A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and using olive oil every day may help keep wrinkles away.

Researchers studied more than 400 people age 70 or older living in Australia, Sweden or Greece. They wanted to determine the effect of eating patterns on the aging of skin. They found that whether they were fair-skinned or dark-skinned, people who ate a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts and multigrain breads, but skipped the butter, red meat and sugary goodies, were less susceptible to wrinkling. Researchers speculate that antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C and E, which are plentiful in protective foods, may help save your skin from environmental damage.

Controlling an Overactive Bladder

Do you find yourself always looking for the nearest bathroom wherever you go? Many of my women friends are a nervous wreck at picnics! They plan their schedule around a frequent need to urinate. If you visit the bathroom several times during the night, you may have an overactive bladder, according to Women's Health Source.

Overactive bladder is one of the 10 most common chronic conditions in the US. It affects people of all ages, but it's more common in women with the gender gap narrowing with age. The exact number of cases is impossible to count since many go unreported. Overactive bladder is not necessarily an unavoidable sign of aging, so be sure to report symptoms to your physician. If you think you have overactive bladder, here is what you need to know:

  • Overactive bladder affects people of all ages and both genders. It can take a toll on almost every part of your life, including your social life, relationships, career, recreation, sex life and psychological well-being. For some people, symptoms are so bad that they quit working or stop going out altogether.
  • Overactive bladder is caused when the muscle that operates the bladder contracts while the bladder is filling, leading to a tremendous urge to urinate which results in frequent trips to the bathroom and, sometimes, incontinence.
  • Other conditions can mimic overactive bladder, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder cancers or neurological problems, so it is important to have a doctor evaluate your symptoms. Evaluation usually includes a physical exam, keeping a diary for several days of how often you urinate and a urinalysis. If you do have an overactive bladder, the treatment will depend on the cause. More serious cases can require medication or, rarely, surgery.
  • You don't have to be a prisoner to your bladder. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms so you can resolve this irritating and potentially embarrassing condition.

Prolonged Laryngitis Needs Medical Attention

Laryngitis occurs when your vocal cords are swollen or inflamed and can't vibrate normally. Generally, we try to clear up laryngitis with home remedies such as drinking plenty of fluids, sucking on lozenges or hard candies or honey and lemon juice and resting our voice.

But prolonged hoarseness can signal vocal cord changes other than inflammation that can be more serious, according to the latest research by medical professonals.

Causes could be ulcers that develop on the vocal cord cartilage, small swellings that occur under the mucous membranes or nodules (similar to calluses) that develop in the mucous membrane. Treatments include rest, medication, surgery or voice retraining.

Another possible cause is cancer. Hoarseness is the only early sign of vocal cord cancer. Caught early, vocal cord cancer generally can be successfully treated with surgery or radiation. If you have hoarseness that doesn't improve after two weeks, contact your doctor.

Painful Toe Could be Gout

Your big toe is red hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the blanket makes you wince in pain. The cause could be gout, a joint disorder characterized by acute inflammation, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Gout is often associated with excessive consumption of rich food like anchovies, sardines and liver, but it can strike at any time and for no apparent reason. It often affects the big toe, but other joints can be affected, too. Gout is more likely to affect men than women, especially men ages 40 and 50. Women are more susceptible after menopause.

If you experience sudden joint pain, contact your doctor. Gout that's untreated may result in increased pain and joint damage. Medications are available both to treat gout symptoms and to help prevent its recurrence.

Piercing Upper Ears Poses Risks

Your child or grandchild wants to -- again -- pierce his or her upper ear. Is it safe?

It's generally not a good idea, according to a latest medical report of Mayo Clinic. That's because an infection in the upper ear can quickly lead to cartilage damage and serious, permanent deformity of the ear.

Cartilage establishes the shape of your outer ear, but cartilage doesn't have its own blood supply. Instead, it's kept alive by absorbing nutrients from a special tissue lining that covers it. Inflammation and infection of that lining can peel off the nourishing layer, destroying cartilage.

Its most imporatnt to note that antibiotics are often ineffective to treat infection because there's no blood to deliver the medication to cartilage. (The ear lobe does have a blood supply and generally responds to antibiotics.) If the cartilage becomes infected, it's generally necessary to surgically remove the infected portion! So being a tough mom on this one will go a long way in your daughter's and grand daughter's ear health!

Information Source Mayo Clinic

View and Post comment on this article

The contents of the article are Copyright © of the author and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the author.