ANEMIA

"Don't think much of a man, who is not wiser today than he was yesterday", enshrining this quote by Mr. Abraham Lincoln let us now head straight to a dreaded condition which is dwelling in every 2nd woman of developing countries.  Not many must be aware that, this condition is a slow poison that not only reduces the standard of performance of a person but also, is capable of causing serious heart conditions. The worst hit by anemia are the pre-school children, adolescent girls and pregnant women.

WHAAAAAAT IS IT?
The blood in our body performs an essential function of carrying oxygen to each and every cell that survives in our body, and that container which holds oxygen till it gets to the innermost cell is HEMOGLOBIN. Now, this hemoglobin level is something which decides if you are anemic or no. Hemoglobin demands IRON for its existence, that is met by the food that we eat.

The normal levels of hemoglobin are: 
MALES:         13gm/dl- 18gm/dl
FEMALES:       12gm/dl- 16gm/dl
CHILDREN:      11gm/dl- 13gm/dl
(SOURCE:  Harrison's textbook of internal medicine) 
 
 I am sure many of you'll must be already aware of these facts, just a revision. Don't judge, we're getting to the better part.

 WHY YOU?
 Since anemia is more often seen in women, the obvious cause of the same is heavy menstrual bleeding. Some females complaint about the symptoms of anemia aggravating immediately after they get their monthly period cycle, such are the indications which, shouldn't be ignored.

The colour of your stools also tell a lot about your gut health. No matter how much ever gross it sounds, but you MUST always check the colour of your stools. Red or black-brown stools may indicate bleeding from your intestine or stomach walls, consult your doctor immediately. That can also be a contributing factor for anemia. 

If you have been popping painkillers like ASPIRIN or IBUPROFEN, on a regular basis for a long time now, you may fall under the high risk group of stomach ulcers which may cause bleeding AND anemia.

If you like munching on your salads and veggies but do not wash them properly before eating, you might have domiciled hundreds of worms in your intestine, which might be slurping your blood out. 1 Round-worm sucks upto 0.2 ml of blood everyday, now do the math. 

PREGNANCY almost always causes anemia! ( Cannot let this topic steal the thunder of other causes of anemia. A blog on 'Pregnancy Care' will be published soon.)  

WARNINGG SIGNS:
The symptoms of anemia are difficult to notice as they can be quite indefinite, this explains why anemia prevails invariably throughout the world. Efforts should be taken to spot the below mentioned symptoms if present abnormally and chronically!

1) Fatigue in doing daily activities.
2) Shortness of breath.
3)  Feeling of heart beating fast. ( heart palpitations)
4)  Pale complexion
5)  Loss of interest.
6)  Constant urge of shaking/moving legs. ( restless leg syndrome)

• Less common symptoms:

1) Headaches
2) Constant urge of eating non-nutritious food like ice, clay, chalk, paper etc. (PICA)
3) Hair loss
4) Ringing of ears
5) Smooth, swollen, red tongue (bald tongue).
  
EAT TO TREAT!
 I am sure you guys all are already aware about things that help increase the iron content in the diet but here's a complete list of food products that we eat on a regular basis but not in abundance.

NON- VEGETARIAN:  ( better source of iron than vegetarian sources)                                                                 
 Chicken organs (liver)                                              
 Mutton organs (liver, kidney)                                                       
 Fish (salmon, tuna)                                                                        
 Turkey                                                                                         
 Beef                                                                                             
Oysters                                                                                              

VEGETARIAN:

Green leafy vegetables:
 Spinach
Dill (Shepu)
Fenugreek (Methi)
Kale
Broccoli   

Carbohydrates:  
 Oatmeal                
  Brown bread/ pasta/ rice

others:
 Soybean 
 Lentils
 Dried peaches
 Raisins
 Tofu
  Dark chocolates
  Black eyed peas
  Jaggery ( DARK BROWN ONLY)
                 
IRON SUPPLEMENTATION:
Ideally an adult requires 200mg of iron everyday. If due to any of the above unavoidable reasons your iron intake has been inadequate and in-spite of desperate efforts to replenish iron reserves, your hemoglobin reports still say that you are MILDLY (10-11.9 g/dl) or MODERATELY (7-9.9 g/dl) or SEVERELY (less than 7g/dl) anemic, without a second thought, your next best option after dietary iron is ORAL IRON SUPPLEMENTS.

But since your hemoglobin levels decide the dosage of  iron supplements, I would strongly recommend that you work the dosages and type of supplement with the physician for your everyday iron supplements as EXCESS IRON INTAKE can be really really HAZARDOUS. Once you get an appropriate dosage from your doctor, you do not need a prescription for subsequent buys.

Normally, a dosage of 60mg-120mg divided 2-3 times a day is prescribed.

PLEASE NOTE:
1)   Always try to take iron tablets with a glass of orange or lemon juice, vitamin C increases the iron absorption.
2)  Avoid taking milk, dairy products, calcium supplements, tea, coffee, antacids along with your iron supplements. These products reduce iron absorption to half. 
3)  You shall have to continue taking your iron supplements for 6 more months after your hemoglobin levels strike back to normal.  
4) Get yourself DE-WORMED regularly :

    Tablet Albendazole ( Zentel) 1 tablet stat, every 6 months.

      

SIDE EFFECTS:

• Dark stools (ignore)
• Upset stomach ( have your meal immediately after you have iron tablets.)
• Constipation (have plenty of water)
• Heartburn (if excess, consult your physician for a dose change)

MYTH-O-LITH:

When I was researching around before writing this blog, I came across a very interesting dispute among health experts about cooked food and uncooked food. The reason I called it a controversial topic is, both the methods have their pros and cons.  
 In my opinion, yes the uncooked food gives you dietary fibers which helps you prevent constipation and enriches your body with some heat sensitive vitamins, but it does more harm to your body than good. 
Cooking not only kills innumerable bacteria and parasites in your vegetables and meat but also helps easy availability of nutrients to your body by breaking down complex shells present in plant cells.


Guys, please do not ignore IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA! No matter how casual and regular it sounds, it KILLS. It is responsible for the premature heart attacks and heart failures that we hear about all around. 
You will realize how much better your life gets, when your blood is all pumped up with iron! 

MUCH POWER TO YOU GUYS.  #DOCYOU! 

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DEPRESSION SUPPRESSION

                         
Depression, this disease is really an ill-fated disease. Have fever? Here's a paracetamol. Have a headache? Here's a combiflam. You are sad? Don't care. We know a lot of diseases which are life threatening or affect our lives badly and we are really scared of them. But, this poor disease is itself depressed because no one is scared, forget scared, a lot don't even acknowledge it as a disease. Why? Because it does not wreak you physically? Because it is not communicable? Because you know absolutely nothing about it? Or because you think, the person who is depressed is probably acting it out for say, gaining sympathy or because he is trying to evade from work?

  I myself never considered depression to be a serious ailment before I attended a lecture by Dr. Harish Shetty, a well known psychiatrist from Mumbai. A lot in my blog today, are his quotes.


Ever wondered how depression feels like? Agreed, it cannot be measured by say, a depressionometer but when people suffering from depression were asked about how they feel, this is what they had to say."Take a pillowcase full of rocks and strap it to the top of your head. Now put on a dark pair of sunglasses — indoors. Leave those things on for about a week. Until you begin to see the world through a dark film that never gets lighter, and it takes a very conscious effort to hold your head up. That is what depression feels like on a good day."

 WARNING SIGNS!!

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions.
• Fatigue and decreased energy.
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or negativity.
• Lack of sleep, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping.
• Irritability, restlessness.
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable.
• Overeating or appetite loss.
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment.
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings.
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts.  

* ALL THESE COMPLAINTS FOR MORE THAN 2-3 WEEKS!       

SELF HELP!

Although, this is the SELF HELP plot but, I request each and every person reading this, "PLEASE DO NOT ignore that friend or partner of yours who is being weirdly aloof for the past few weeks. Always remember, the concern that you show towards the depressed person works magically.
Today I am not going to tell you'll about the drugs or "special fruits" (seriously?) that suppress depression, but that ONE THING that can bring your loved one back from the hole.

Sit next to that person, talk to him/her, ask what is wrong. If he says nothing on the first day, he will, someday soon.
 Just you sitting there besides that person, holding his hand works better than any anti-depressant. Trust me, this may sound mawkish but, you yourself  will realize how bewildering it is, when you see the person recovering.

 Feelings are just like the undigested food that your mind couldn't take inside. Let ALL THAT OUT!

PLEASE go see a doctor if you are depressed! A psychiatrist is definitely cheaper than an astrologer. (deliberately avoiding the "who's correct?" philosophy. We all know the answer. Unless, you apply logic selectively.) Being a psychiatric patient does not make you any less of a human. Like you go to a general physician for a fungal rash, you go to a psychiatrist for any psychiatric illness! In fact, having a fungal rash is more mortifying than being depressed, it doesn't say anything about your hygiene at least!. ( No offense excoriators, use candid B ointment. It will go away in a week.)

MYTH-O-LITH
Yes, mood swings also exist. Mood swing is something which stays for a shorter duration of time, completely normal. But if it continues for weeks and weeks together, you need help. 

 POST-SCRIPTING : A research says, 40% of the total population of India has major depressive disorder! They might be around us but eyes only see what the mind knows. They themselves must be unaware of their condition. Wake up guys! The negativity can be banished only once it is recognized.
  
People who suffer from mental illnesses need our love and support, exactly what we deprive them of. They deserve our respect and care.
 You lending your ears to someone for a while, might just save some lives! 
Much power to you guys, #DOCYOU!

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HEART ATTACK

                           DOCYOU: HEART ATTACK

Hi guys! I had left the story incomplete in my first blog. So, here I am with a disease which is responsible for 1/5th of the total deaths in India at present. But, it is high time we get over the fear of heart attack and vanquish it from our lives. How? DOCYOU is here for your rescue!
                      

                                                         WHAAAAAAAT IS IT? 

Imagine your heart to be person. When a person suffers from an ailment he experiences distress, pain, becomes restless. Similarly, when heart does not get its blood supply by the arteries due to  a blockage or an obstruction (most of the times) , it screams! This screaming of heart is nothing but the pain that you experience.

                                             WARNINGG SIGNS!
                                                  

1. Sudden shortness of breath/ inability to breathe all of a sudden.
2. Pain :

• TYPE OF PAIN : Feels like a big stone kept on your chest, something squeezing your chest.
• SITE OF PAIN : Left side of chest, left arm and forearm, lower jaw, left shoulder, back (rarely)
•  The victim usually makes a fist of her/his left hand and presses it upon the chest. (classical during an attack)
• NOTE : Diabetic patients and elderly people may not necessarily experience pain during a heart attack. 

       3.  Sudden nausea and/or vomiting.
       4.  Sudden tiredness, headache, dizziness.
       5.  Sudden sweating profusely.

IF YOU EXPERIENCE OR NOTICE ANYBODY EXPERIENCING SUCH SYMPTOMS, MAKE SURE YOU CALL FOR HELP AND/OR AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY.

The ALL INDIA AMBULANCE HELPLINE NUMBER IS 102. Make sure you also have the nearest hospital's emergency number saved in your mobile phones. YES, google it now and save it!
                                                                                            

HIGH  RISK CATEGORY:

1)  Men above the age of 45 years and post menopausal women (above 50 years of age).
2)   High blood pressure patients.
3)  Type A personality ( aggressive, competitive, workaholic ) people.
4)  Previous history of heart attack.
5)  Obese people.
6)  HIGH cholesterol, triglycerides levels, LOW high density lipoproteins in the blood ( lipid profile test should be done every 6 months above 45 years of age!)
7)  Stressful lifestyle. 
8)   Addictions like smoking, alcoholism, tobacco consumption in any form. (important factor)
    
  People who fall into the above category need not be scared and worried about an attack all the time. But, of course should be extra diligent about the warning signs and should try to minimize the above mentioned factors to prevent the occurrence of heart attack.

                                                             SELF HELP!
6 TIPS TO DEAL WITH A HEART ATTACK ON THE SPOT! 

• Make the victim lie on the ground in open space and DO NOT PANIC.
• Try to keep the patient awake.

•  Men above the age of 55 years, post menopausal women and the people falling in the high risk category should always carry 4-5 tablets of a drug called GLYCERYL TRINITRATE (GTN) 500 mg dose ( note it down, it is available over-the-counter). This tablet should be immediately placed below the tongue (sublingually) till the heart attack pains go away. the tablet then should be spat out to prevent headaches.

• In cases where the drug glyceryl trinitrate is not available, look for ISOSORBIDE DINITRATE or even a mere ASPIRIN tablet ( only in cases of emergency) can also produce similar effects.
• CPR ( cardiopulmonary resuscitation) :  Providing chest compressions, ideally by a trained person is a very effective method to pull in time till the help arrives.

( A template on cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR will be posted soon!)

• It is also said that repetitive coughing movements and applying pressure on the chest by the victim herself/ himself helps the patient survive a heart attack till help arrives.

                                                           MYTH-O-LITH!

Always remember, having an heart attack is not the end of your life! No power in this world can stop you from getting away with a heart attack if you STAY ALERT AND READY (and if you've read DOCYOU properly!).

 Don't get anxious every time your chest starts paining. Most of the times, it is just because of indigestion or gas accumulated in your stomach. 

    

BLOGGER'S PLEAD: Tell me what you want next in the comments below.
Spreading awareness will play a major role in uprooting such tormenting diseases.

 Much power to you guys, DOCYOU!

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DOC-POWER TO YOU

                                                       
Saturday night, I had the best dinner with my family. Laughing, giggling, eating, talking we did not realize that it was 11 p.m! "Lets go for a walk" said dad, because he knew that not just him, but all of us had crammed our stomachs! There was an old couple on the street who I presumed was on the dark lonely street for the same reason as us. The old aunty smiled at us when we crossed each other, and 'baammm' we heard about half a minute later. We turned around and saw the uncle lying on the ground grappling his chest tight, aunty calling out his name in agony, shaking him! We all ran towards them and.....

Most of us must have faced situations like this, may be not exactly like these but yes, you  must have felt ridiculous about the fact that we have nothing to do but see a person in tremendous pain rather dying in front of you and all you can do is wait for the ambulance or help which is often behindhand in a country like India. Now, I don't mean to sound quintessential about the whole 'see how India is...' matter, but lets face it, we need a revolution in the field of 'not letting traffic affect ambulance services', don't we? I am sure all the mumbaikars will back me up on that.

Not putting you guys through more situations, traffic realities and Indian developmental scenarios i would now come to the point straight. I am Deeksha Thorat, a 3rd year MBBS student from NaviMumbai and I am here to wake you guys up, tell each and every person who has felt powerless or incapable in situations that YOU yes you could have made a difference with little and trust me on this when i say little knowledge about 'the doctor stuff'. Who are doctors? Why are they so powerful in situations where, a non-medico is completely incapable? When you see an actor with flawless, spotless skin, looking all alluring and lavishing on your television sets, do you think, 'areey yeh toh bhagwan hai, hum aise nahi dikh payenge kabhi bhi' ? NO! With so much of makeup putty on any face, results will pretty much be the same, is what we think! No? (ignoring Mr. Om Puri for a while). Plus, we have examples all around bollywood. So why does medicine make you think is not your cup of tea? Doctors are just humans who decided to throng their memory areas of brain till before, it just explodes. 

I am not asking you'll to acquire knowledge standards of a doctor and take smugly decisions which might do harm more than good, but just making you realize that little things like the mosquito species that cause dengue fever bite during the day time, an animal bite wound should never be bandaged or covered immediately, one small pill if taken immediately after a person starts getting heart attack pains can make the pains go away and give a window period of at least an hour, calcium and iron folic acid supplements should not be taken together because calcium tablet hampers the absorption of iron from the gut, breast milk from each breast should be given for more than 15 minutes as the initial milk secreted contains more water to quench the thirst of the baby and less nutrients than the milk portion which comes after that. This blog is not your fact checker but a guide towards SELF HELP!
  Sometimes you may be alone and conscious enough to say or do that one important thing which can be your own life saver. 'Half knowledge is dangerous' they say, ask them to bring forth a person who knows everything about anything I say. Acquiring correct knowledge from the horse's mouth is the only decree in the process of learning something new.

"A 3rd year medical student will tell us how to take care of ourselves? She is not even a doctor yet!  How much reliable can she be? This is health that we are talking about, not some Italian dish which cannot go wrong if you add cheese in it." This, my dear friends is a very genuine thought. BUT, if you can ignore the perils of asking google, ' medicine used for itchy skin, loose motions, constipation?' I wont be hesitant in saying that I am a tad bit more reliable than that, with distinctions in the 1st and 2nd years of the MBBS course that I appeared for. Also we the medical students are updated with the latest improvements in the field of medicine and preventive medicine. Cannot ignore the fact that we have all our medical books handy and well, the knowledge is garden-fresh (typing all this with a self satisfied smirk).

Finally post-scripting, whatever skills I had developed writing letters and essays in the CBSE English language papers till date, have been put to use in conveying this little message that yes, a LAYPERSON can also be a LIFE SAVER, not just by knowing what to do next till help arrives, but also in preventing such situations. Much power to you guys, or should I say DOCYOU! I hope, these  multitudinous words from a fledgling blog might have made you'll eager enough for my FIRST DOCYOU TEMPLATE, coming out soon!
Thank you!

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