Articles by "Health"
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
According to Dr. Pratima Thamke, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Kharghar, monsoons can be worrisome for pregnant women as, during those rainy days, bacteria tend to live on our bodies and tend to multiply at a rapid rate. Moreover, the unwanted growth of the bacteria leads to UTI.
A UTI, also known as bladder infection, can be termed as a bacterial infection that occurs in the urinary tract affecting one's kidneys, uterus, bladder, and urethra. "You will be shocked to know that pregnant women are at higher risk of suffering from UTIs in the 6th week through 24 weeks owing to the changes in the urinary tract that takes place. The uterus is located on top of the bladder. When the uterus grows, its increased weight tends to block the drainage of the urine from one's bladder, inviting a urinary tract infection during pregnancy," Dr. Pratima told IANSlife.

The symptoms of a UTI are pain and discomfort while urinating, chills, fever, sweat, tenderness of the bladder, fatigue, cramps and lower abdominal pain, blood from the urine, urge to urinate frequently and foul smell while urinating. Thus, if the UTI is left untreated then it can cause kidney infections that in turn can lead to early labor and low birth weight in the baby. Treating it at the right time can be helpful for pregnant women.

Here are a few tips from the doctor for pregnant women to keep UTIs at bay during monsoon:

Avoid holding it back: If you tend to avoid visiting the washroom for peeing then you are doing it all wrong. Many women may hold back their urine in order to finish their work or daily chores and doing so is a strict no-no. This can lead to the development of bacteria and putting you at the risk of a UTI.

Maintain good hygiene: If you happen to access a public washroom then make sure that you must follow proper hygiene measures. Wipe off the area with a tissue or water after urinating to avoid the spread of bacteria. Do not wear tight underwear. Avoid using soaps loaded with chemicals down there.

Drink a lot of water: See to it that you drink maximum water to stay hydrated and flush out toxins present in the urinary tract. Limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine that can irritate the bladder.

Stick to a well-balanced diet: Include zinc and vitamin C rich foods in the diet. Opt for strawberry, broccoli, citrus fruits, sprouts, seeds, legumes, and eggs. Say no to refined foods and sugar.

If you experience symptoms, don't ignore them and seek medical attention. This can help you prevent your condition from worsening.
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
While adults have a fair sense of taking the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of getting infections, children have a lower immunity compared to adults and are more prone to getting infections, particularly eye infections, that plague them from time to time.
Some common eye infections in children include conjunctivitis, sty and eye allergies. While there are a number of factors that lead to these infections, some of the common causes are bacterial or viral infections as in common cold, flu or even frequent rubbing of the eye because of undetected refractive errors, informs Dr Girija Suresh, Consultant Pediatric Ophthalmologist, Fortis Hospital Mulund.

To help parents understand different ways in which they can adopt the best possible ways to prevent these eye infections in their children, Dr Suresh suggests a few methods parents can inculcate in their children to avoid these infections from forming and reoccurring:

WASHING HANDS FREQUENTLY

Children unconsciously touch a host of surfaces and then touch their faces; eye infections in particular stem from this. Parents first need to educate their children on washing their hands frequently whenever they have come from outside or even touched any surfaces or objects, as bacteria lingers on them most times.

REGULAR EYE CHECK-UPS

Another important aspect of preventing eye infections among children is to schedule regular eye examinations and checkups every year with your local eye expert. Regular eye checkups not only help detect any abnormality in the eye, but also give parents an early diagnosis, and causes less irritation and discomfort for children later on in life as well.

ENSURING SAFETY FROM EXTERNAL ELEMENTS

If a child has a certain eye infection like conjunctivitis which is transferable in nature when another child comes in contact with the infected child, this will spread the infection further. The best possible way to prevent transmission is by keeping your child away from public spaces like parks, schools, playgrounds and any other public gatherings, and also by maintaining strict hygiene like washing hands frequently, and maintaining a healthy diet for a quicker recovery period.

PROPER TREATMENT

Finally, proper medication and treatment is necessary for a proper recovery. The treatment for eye infections is simple with antibiotics and lubricating eye drops, which helps to reduce the infection over time and eradicate it completely.

While young children are most prone to eye infections and tend to recur time and again in them especially during the monsoon season, these can be easily treated with the right medication and better yet easily prevented by regular eye examinations and hygiene practices.
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
According to the study, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the results of the tests have been outstanding.
When the coating is painted on glass or stainless steel, the amount of virus is reduced by 99.9 per cent in one hour, compared to the uncoated sample.

"The idea is when the droplets land on a solid object, the virus within the droplets will be inactivated," said study researcher William Ducker from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.

"One hour is the shortest period that we have tested so far, and tests at shorter periods are ongoing," Ducker added.

"We have to use our chemical knowledge and experience of other viruses to guess what would kill it (SARS-CoV-2)," the study author wrote.

Since mid-April, Ducker has been working with Leo Poon, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong, to test the film's success at inactivating the virus.

For the findings, the research team spread three different kinds of coatings on glass and stainless steel. Then, they shipped the samples to Poon.

Results have shown that the coating is robust. It does not peel off after being slashed with a razor blade.

It also retains its ability to inactivate the virus after multiple rounds of being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and then disinfection or after being submerged in water for a week, based on the tests.

If the project's success continues, it is a significant discovery in fighting the virus' spread.

Now, the research team hopes to attract funding in order to mass-produce the coating film.

"To be sure, the film doesn't replace other safety measures that people should take to stop the spread of the coronavirus, such as hand washing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask," the study author wrote.

"People won't have to worry as much about touching objects, it will be both practical and reducing fear," they noted.
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
It''s possible, but it seems to be relatively rare and scientists think they know why that is.
Many viruses can cross the placenta and infect a foetus in the womb, and evidence has been growing that the coronavirus sometimes can too.

Researchers in Italy studied 31 women with COVID-19 who delivered babies in March and April and found signs of the virus in several samples of umbilical cord blood, the placenta and, in one case, breast milk. But this sort of testing can just detect bits of genetic material - it doesn''t mean there is virus capable of causing infection in those places.

In one case, there was strong evidence suggesting the newborn had the virus at birth because signs of it were found in umbilical cord blood and in the placenta.

In another, a newborn had certain coronavirus antibodies that are unable to cross the placenta, so they could not have come from the mother.

A report from France gave even stronger evidence of in-the-womb infection, and that newborn was very ill at birth.

Meanwhile, research led by the National Institutes of Health gives a possible reason for why foetuses aren''t infected more often: cells in the placenta rarely make the two tools that the coronavirus typically uses to gain entry. In contrast, they found plenty of what Zika and another type of virus use.

Most research so far has been on women who were in late stages of pregnancy when they got the virus; more research is needed on what happens if infection occurs earlier in pregnancy.

The advice to pregnant women remains the same: wear a mask in public, wash hands often and stay at least six feet away from others to avoid infection.
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
When we think of periods, the first thing that comes to our mind is the excruciating pain in the initial two days. It brings our everyday life to a standstill. According to gynecological experts, extremely painful periods are called dysmenorrhea but more than 90 percent women experiences pain, cramping and discomfort around the abdomen region due to uterine cramping.
The uterus releases the hormone prostaglandin during menstruation to kick start the process of uterine muscular contraction, informs Dr Sandeep Chadha, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital.

"Contractions happen at an immense rate and our body expels clots from the uterus during this time. However, if the pain is unbearable then major issues like fibroids and endometriosis could be to blame," he adds.

What are the causes of pain?

Dr Chadha answers: Some people are just at a higher risk of having painful periods. These risks include:

Being under age 20
Having a family history of painful periods
Smoking
Having heavy bleeding with periods
Having irregular periods
Never had a baby
Reaching puberty before age 11

Painful menstrual periods can also be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as:

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): PMS is a common condition that's caused by hormonal changes in the body occurring 1 to 2 weeks before menstruation begins. Symptoms typically go away after bleeding begins.

Endometriosis: This is a painful medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body, usually on the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or tissue lining the pelvis.

Fibroids in the uterus: Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that can put pressure on the uterus or cause abnormal menstruation and pain, though they often don't cause symptoms.

What can it be treated?

The expert suggests: To be free of pain, one can take OTC painkillers. Sometimes, at-home treatments can also do wonders in relieving painful menstrual periods. Using a heating pad on your pelvic area or back, massaging your abdomen, taking a warm bath, doing regular physical exercise and eating light and nutritious meals help a lot. One should not take caffeine during initial days of period because caffeine and sugar increase the chances of bloating. If the home remedies and pain killers can't offer much relief, then it's time to visit a gynaecologist. Unfortunately, her periods and the subsequent pain aren't going anywhere, but at least now the woman knows why it hurts so badly.
When to see a doctor?

If menstrual pain is interfering with your ability to perform basic tasks each month, it may be time to talk to a gynecologist, Dr Chadha advises. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and if you experience any of the following: Continuing pain after IUD placement

At least three painful menstrual periods

Passing blood clots

Cramping accompanied by diarrhea and nausea

Pelvic pain when not menstruating

Sudden cramping or pelvic pain could be signs of infection. An untreated infection can cause scar tissue that damages the pelvic organs and may lead to infertility.
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- Friday, July 17, 2020 0
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It's sometimes referred to as impotence. According to the survey, presented at the EAU virtual Congress, only two-thirds of male respondents rated sex with a partner as more stimulating than watching porn videos.
The research team established an online questionnaire, which was advertised mainly to men in Belgium and Denmark through social media, posters and flyers. For the study, 3,267 men replied to the 118 questions, answering questions about masturbation, frequency of porn watching, and sexual activity with partners. The questionnaire concentrated on men who had had sex within the previous 4 weeks, which allowed the team to relate the effect of porn watching on sexual activity.

The questionnaire incorporated questions from standard erectile function and sexual health surveys. "In our sample, men watch quite a lot of porn, on average around 70 minutes per week, normally for between five and 15 minutes per time," said study researcher Gunter de Win from Antwerp University in Belgium.

The study found that around 23 per cent of men under-35 who responded to the survey had some level of erectile dysfunction when having sex with a partner. The study showed that there was a highly significant relationship between time spent watching porn and increasing difficulty with erectile function with a partner, as indicated by the erectile function and sexual health scores.

People who watch more porn also scored high on porn addiction scales.

The researchers also revealed that 90 per cent of men fast-forward to watch the most arousing pornographic scenes. "There's no doubt that porn conditions the way we view sex; in our survey, only 65 per cent of men felt that sex with a partner was more exciting than watching porn," the study authors wrote. "In addition, 20 per cent felt that they needed to watch more extreme porn to get the same level of arousal as previously. We believe that the erectile dysfunction problems associated with porn stem from this lack of arousal," they added.
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