FLATULENCE (GAS)

Man? Man is a social animal, yeah. Bob hangs out with a lot of people. When Bob coughs, no one notices ( unless he does that on someone's face) when Bob sneezes, he instead gets a "bless you!" while he liberates thousands of bacteria in that one sneeze! BUT, if Bob farts...well, he most certainly does not get an applaud for that.
You know it's funny, an average person farts at least 10-15 times in a day! Does that average person sneeze that many times a day? Get over the 'oh, eww he has a gas problem!' statement haters, you have it too. Infact, gastroenterologist's say, farting is a proof that you are eating healthy.

But cannot ignore the stigma (and smell) so yes, farting is still going to be embarrassing, people! When you step up into an international flight, you definitely cannot suppress the beast for that long! Also excess flatulence may point out to some underlying abnormality of your gut. So here I am, with the  SIMPLE FART PREVENTING SOLUTIONS!

WHY DO WE FART? 

Imagine your gut to be a long pipe of vaccum. The only way gas could enter that vaccum is either from outside (swallowing) or the gas that is produced by the bacteria residing in our gut on the food that we eat. The complex carbohydrates, fruits, high fiber, high protein food that keeps us fit, produces the gas. But wait, that does not mean you stop having those! Here's a list of food items you should avoid having, to reduce your 'booty bomb' ( personal favorite euphemism!) 

• Beans
• Onions
• Noodles, potatoes, corn, wheat ( rice is the only starch that does not produce gas)
• Dark beer
• Chewing gums 

Now, why do the farts smell? The gas that makes up a fart includes nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. For the most part, these flatulence gases are odorless, but can become stinky when other gases are added, such as sulfates.

SOLUTIONS : SELF HELP!

• Avoid swallowing air : Drink and eat slowly, avoid tobacco, chewing gums, hard candies, carbonated drinks.
• HOME REMEDIES:  A study has shown that eating peppermint or/and ginger with water or yogurt after your meal, reduces the gas production considerably.
• Identify what food items make you more prone to excess bombing. Products like milk, cheese may cause excess flatulence if you are LACTOSE INTOLERANT. 
• STOP SMOKING: Not only it causes a smelly breath but a smelly fart too. 
• AVOID EXCESS SWEETS : Foods containing fructose contributes to the bombing.
• Over-The-Counter ANTACIDS : have shown to reduce flatulence.
• ACTIVATED CHARCOAL STRIPS : these are the underwear strips that absorb the foul smell producing gases from your fart but may not guarantee a sound proof.  
• EXERCISE : like I always say, exercise always solves all the problems! Gas pressure is relieved when you work out, prevents bloating up your abdomen. ( Always better to fart in the gym than the work place, always!) 

YOGA : This solution needs a special mention as it works MAGICALLY against flatulence. Various 'asanaas' are specially targeted to release the caught up gas in your gut.

MYTH-O-LITH

BURPING or BELCHING as they call it, may be included under flatulence but the main cause of that is, swallowing too much air. It is more after meals indicating replacement of stomach air by food. But excess burping may also point to various diseases like peptic ulcer, GERD, gastroparesis. So, excess burping accompanied by abdominal pain, vomiting, loose motions should not be ignored!

Post scripting: Farting is super normal guys, just make sure it doesn't make the other person want to stop breathing. Point being, yes, Bob farting in public was wrong, but at least he is eating healthy! ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

MUCH POWER TO YOU, GUYS!  #DocYou!

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SORE THROAT

                       

Sore throat is really a regular thing, especially if you stay in a crowded place or travel by public transports. It comes, stays for 3 days, and goes away on its own!
 But it is not so pleasing to pull yourself to work with something stuck at the back of your throat or to sleep well when you keep on coughing the whole night. Sometimes it gets worse, you cannot even gulp your own saliva.
Nowadays, people have gotten aware of various medical terms like tonsillitis and pharyngitis and laryngitis and what not! Differentiating between these three most common types of sore throat is a 1 minute game! And, trust me, once you identify which type it is, the cure becomes easier!
People often avoid going to a doctor for a sore throat and bear all the pain and discomfort for one whole week when all you got to do is STAND IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR WITH A TORCH AND SAY "AAAAHHH" with a wide open mouth! This will tell you if you need to gargle or give a complete voice rest.
How? I'll tell you.
Let us understand this one at a time.

TONSILLITIS, is when your tonsils get infected. Now how do you come to know that? As I said earlier, "AAAAAHHH".
Normally, your tonsils are not visible, but in case it is infected, it increases in size and peeps out of its pocket like in the picture. You got to look at the right place. These tonsils are not very conspicuous, you will have to practice a little to actually determine if they are red and swollen.

If  your tonsils are all fiery red and entirely out of its pocket near the midline, it is most certain that you have tonsillitis and gargling will now be effective,
But your job doesn't end here! You have to see if it is getting better with the warm salt water gargles, that you should be doing for as many times as you can. If the throat doesn't get better within 3-4 days, or gets worse instead, you might need a course of antibiotics. The probability of the infection being viral ends when the pain and swelling doesn't go away inspite of 3-4 days of gargling and other care (given below). Take a look at this.

 Always remember, VIRAL INFECTIONS are self healing. You just need to keep yourself hydrated and take some painkillers if the pain is unbearable. The body fights the viruses off in less than a week.
BEFORE YOU GO TO A DOCTOR FOR SORE THROAT, WAIT FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS. WAIT FOR YOUR BODY TO DEAL WITH INFECTION FIRST. 
If the symptoms don't go away then it is probably a bacterial infection and you need antibiotics.

Up next is PHARYNGITIS, it is the infection of the part that you see behind the hanging uvula when you open your mouth. It may or may not accompany tonsillitis. These are most commonly caused due to viruses and need only the supportive care. ( Antibiotics are only for bacterial infections)

SYMPTOMS :

1. Irritation of the throat.
2. difficulty in swallowing
3. pain in the throat
4. fever with/without chills
5. cough
6. sneezing with runny nose
7. headaches

SELF HELP:

Both tonsillitis and pharyngitis need to be treated supportively for the first 3 days with :

1. Warm salt water gargles (4-5 times a day)
2. Drinking plenty of water ( works wonders in a viral infection)
3. Lozenges like vicks.
4. Drinking warm fluids, beverages ( soups, tea, coffee)
5. Using a humidifier.
6. If the pain is unbearable, an ibuprofen tablet or a paracetamol can be taken for relief.
7. REST.
   

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR?

1. If you have sore throat for more than a week inspite all the above measures.
2. If you have fever greater than 101degree F.
3. If you see white patches on your tonsils.
4. If your tonsils are getting larger and larger that they are touching one another and you cannot swallow your own saliva.

MYTH-O-LITH

Laryngitis cannot be cured using gargling. It requires VOICE REST.
Till now you'll must be clear about identifying tonsillitis and pharyngitis and where to look for those.
Laryngitis has a distinctive feature, your voice changes or goes away! Most of the times this change of voice is PAINLESS.

Another fact most people are not aware of is the connection of pharyngitis and heart valve damage. Yes. you can damage your heart valves if you don't treat an episode of bacterial pharyngitis with a complete course of antibiotics.
Google "RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE" if you are more curious about the mechanism. It is quite fascinating.

POST-SCRIPTING : IDENTIFYING is the key factor in treating sore throat effectively and completely. You need to know where to look for your tonsils! Diagnosing yourself is fun. Just don't ignore sore throat lasting for more than a week. 

MUCH POWER TO YOU! #DocYou! 

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CONSTIPATION

 Talking about constipation may not be the most glamorous thing in the world but it sure is a necessity nowadays where the Indian palate is getting highly dominated by the western over processed foods. Plus, constipation becomes an important issue once you enter the 6th decade of your life. All of us have had constipation sometime or the other in our lives yet, we prefer not talking about it. Most of you will agree when I say, early morning flights or travel plans almost always, brings along this friend of his called constipation.
More than a disease/disorder, patients often describe constipation as a feeling of discomfort persisting throughout the day, sometimes affecting their daily activities considerably.

But the silver lining is, it is totally avoidable also treatable so, here I am with another DocYou template telling you'll the causes and simple steps in preventing and treating CONSTIPATION.

 When should you call yourself constipated?

Doctors often say if you pass at least 3 stools in a week, it is normal. But, if your gut is following a particular pattern for years together and suddenly, if there's an irregularity or absence of a stool motion which gives you that typical discomfort, you can call yourself constipated.
Also if you pass abnormally hard stools or if you experience pain while passing stools or require manual maneuvers while you defecate, you need help! 

CAUSES?

• LIFESTYLE FACTORS:

1.  Poor nutrition including a low fiber diet.
2.  Low vegetable diet.
3.  Dehydration.
4.  Over consumption of processed and/or constipating foods.
5. Sedentary lifestyle.
6.  Stressful routine including lack of sleep.
7. Physical inactivity.

• IGNORED/ UNDIAGNOSED FOOD INTOLERANCES: like lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance etc. 

• GUT DYSBIOSIS

Our gut is a reservoir or both good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria controls the growth of bad bacteria and parasites, also plays a role in digestion. In conditions where a disbalance is caused due to excess antibiotic consumption, constipation results.

• DRUGS AFFECTING STOOL MOVEMENTS

use of medications that can interfere with bowel motility including opiates (morphine), anti depressants, iron supplements, calcium channel blockers (anti-hypertensives) and aluminum-containing antacids.

• THYROID DISORDERS

Either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

• NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES
• INTESTINAL INFECTIONS

Intestinal infections don't just cause diarrhea but are also responsible for acute constipation. 

• SYSTEMIC DISEASES

If your physician rules out all of the above causes, there may be a possibility of a systemic disease like Multiple sclerosis, chronic kidney disease etc.

  

SELF HELP

Constipation has this vicious cycle because more and more water re-absorption takes place if the digested food stays in your large intestine for longer than it should be, making the stools hard and more difficult to expel.

• DRINK WATER : You should at least drink 2.5-3 liters of water everyday (8 glasses). 80% of the population suffers from constipation because they don't drink enough of water. Lukewarm water, even better! 
  
  
  

• DIETARY FIBERS ARE LOVE : These are like those little angels for people who complaint of chronic constipation. Whole grain breads (wheat, bajra, jowar, ragi), brown rice, plenty fruits and vegetables, nuts, berries, pulses contain high amounts of fibers. The more you eat refined flour products like white breads, white rice, white pastas, the more you miss out on your fibers.
  
  
  

• SET A BATHROOM ROUTINE : .Each morning, set aside 10-20 minutes to sit quietly on the toilet, even if you do not have a bowel movement. You are re-training your gut and your nervous system to relax at this time. Avoid suppressing the urge when you are not at home, you have the will, you'll sure find a way!

• EXERCISE REGULARLY : If sedentary lifestyle is a prime cause of constipation, exercise is its only solution. Exercise always sets everything right, always! 

• TEST FOR ANY FOOD INTOLERANCES : like gluten, lactose. If the constipation continues inspite following the above key solutions, this is your next best shot.

•  SAY NO TO UNNECESSARY ANTACIDS : Antacids containing aluminum are not tolerated by some people. Change the antacid or avoid consuming it if it is manageable.

• CHECK YOUR THYROID LEVELS at regular intervals.

 

IMMEDIATE CONSTIPATION RELIEF METHODS

1. Drink 2-3 glasses of lukewarm water.
2.  Laxatives like psyllium husk in one glass of water.
3. 2-3 spoonful flax seed oil.
4. Eat plenty berries available.

OVER-THE COUNTER LAXATIVES
Laxatives are definitive constipation relievers. 
Are they suitable for long term use? Some are.
Lets put it this way, there are these harsh ones and gentle ones. The ones which increase the bulk of your stools and soften it are gentle on your gut like PYSILLIUM. The others are harsh on your gut like the milk of magnesia, dulcolax, etc which cause electrolyte imbalance and should not be used often. Psyllium husk laxatives can be used for long term without any side-effects. 
These laxatives work faster when taken on an empty stomach.

 MYTH-O-LITH

Is chronic constipation dangerous?

We often don't take constipation seriously as it rarely causes pain or any serious symptom. But the fact is, chronic untreated constipation may cause a spectrum of diseases starting from hemorrhoids to colon cancer.
the reason, simple, our large intestine is designed to carry a certain amount of stools for a certain period only. An increase in the volume for prolonged periods, acts as an irritant causing innumerable intestinal diseases.
And Second, it may become a source of infection for the various genitourinary infections (reproductive and urinary tract) especially for females. 

MUCH POWER TO YOU, DocYou!

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CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION

In 2015, 30 million people suffered a heart attack, out of which about 17 million deaths occurred on the spot. From my previous blog on HEART ATTACK you'll are already well-versed with the other ways to tackle, also prevent an attack. But one of the key measure to save a life of the victim is CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION.

 

WHY CPR?

CPR is an emergency procedure in which the compressing and relaxing movements of your hands on the chest of the heart attack victim works like a heart. It pumps the oxygenated blood collected in the  heart through the vessels to the brain and avoids its permanent damage which sets in just after 4 minutes of heart stoppage.

  Yes, it requires skill to perform a correct CPR, requires a lot of energy, a lot of humanity and once started, cannot be left midway till help arrives. So much of hard work and result? You save a life! Not kidding, a perfectly performed CPR saves life almost every time. And all you have to do is memorize the following 6 steps.

WHEN SHOULD BE CPR GIVEN? 

 CPR should be given in the following situations:

• When the person is fine one moment but suddenly collapses and loses conscious.
• When the person has a history of a previous heart attack.  
• When the person stops breathing, mouth-to-mouth should be given.
• When the person is already unconscious and you discover that he/she is pulse less.  

More questions on CPR answered on : http://heart.arizona.edu/frequently-asked-questions   

SELF-HELP 

 

6 STEPS OF PERFORMING A PERFECT CPR

Imagine, you are jogging with your buddy around the marine drive early in the morning. He suddenly collapses with his hands on the chest. This is what you are going to do next:

 STEP 1 :

Make the victim lie on a flat surface and make sure he gets fresh air. Tap his/her shoulders twice and ask, "Are you okay?". This way the consciousness of the victim can  be checked. Call for help if no one is around and ask that person to call the ambulance 102 (India) before you start performing CPR.

STEP 2 :

Check for pulse. Press your thumb firmly on the right upper or left upper side of the windpipe. If you don't get a pulse doesn't necessarily mean it is absent. Therefore the American association says, the pulse may not be searched for to save time and CPR should be performed anyway.

STEP 3 :

Bring your cheek near the mouth of the victim to feel the air expired on the cheek to check if the victim is breathing. Expose the chest of the victim up to the belly button. If he/she is not breathing, you will have to perform chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing. If the victim is breathing, mouth-to mouth-breathing is not required.

STEP 4 :

Start performing chest compressions immediately. The center of the line joining two nipples is the area where maximum force should be put. Sit near the head end of the victim with your legs folded. Place the heel of your right hand at the center and your left hand above it and lace them together. ( see picture)
Keep your elbows and back straight, the movement of up and down should occur at your hip joint.
 Do not worry about the injuries caused to the victim while you provide compressions. Remember if you don't push hard, he won't stay alive to complaint about the bruises.
When you press down, allow the chest to come up again before you apply the next compression. If you give incomplete and fast compressions, the heart wont be able to pump enough blood to the brain.
GIVE 30  CHEST COMPRESSIONS AT ONE GO FOLLOWED BY THE MOUTH-TO-MOUTH VENTILATION. COUNT LOUDLY WHILE YOU DO SO.

STEP 5 :

After 30 chest compressions, start with mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
 Hold the jaw of the victim with one hand and lift it up, other hand on the head of the victim- to clear the airway.
Pinch the nose of the victim to prevent the air escape through the mouth.
Place a thin cloth over the mouth of the victim to avoid direct contact with the victim's mouth.
Take a deep breath and fill your mouth with air and pump it into victim's with force.
When you do so, make sure you see the victim's chest rising. This indicates a perfect mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
GIVE 2 MOUTH-TO-MOUTH VENTILATION WITH A GAP OF AT LEAST 1 SECOND.

STEP 6 :

Repeat the cycle of  30 CHEST COMPRESSIONS FOLLOWED BY 2 MOUTH-TO-MOUTH VENTILATIONS till help arrives. Make sure you manage to give at least 60-90 chest compressions per minute. You have to be fast and forceful yet allow complete expansion of the chest after each compression. Do not stop in the middle. If you get tired midway, ask the person around to perform CPR, but DO NOT STOP TILL THE PARAMEDICAL WORKERS ASK YOU TO!

MYTH-O-LITH

 Do not give CPR unless the patient is unconscious.
In cases where AED kit ( electric defibrillator) is available, CPR is not required. Follow the instructions of the AED.
The above mentioned CPR procedure is ONLY FOR ADULTS. The procedure for infants and children below the age of 8 years is different.

POST SCRIPTING:

 89% of deaths due to heart attacks can be prevented just by following the above 6 steps.  Remember, no matter where you are, a railway station, a shopping mall, at your office or in a lift, all you need to perform CPR is a flat ground surface to make the victim lie and determination to save that person's life! 

MUCH POWER TO YOU, DOCYOU!

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CANCER DECODED

'Cancer' is one condition that every person has curiosity about. The fact, that it most certainly kills, yet there's very little the general population knows about it, is really mournful.

Till before the late 20th century, cancer was considered nothing less to a death sentence. But soon, awareness and advancement in oncology gave people suffering from cancer, a hope!

Slowly, cancer was then being considered survivable, and no matter how long the cancer patients survived, this fact alone gave them the yearn to walk past this dreaded disease with dignity.

BUT, there's more truth to this. While I was researching about this topic out on the web, I came across some facts that were no less to a shocker for me. The statements that I'll be stating below are not just facts but quotes by the FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER, SEATTLE about, 

WHY PREVENTION OF CANCER IS BETTER THAN IT'S CURE?

• Cancer death rates are almost unchanged for the past 80 years except, stomach cancer.
• Death rates due to breast, colon, prostate cancers are not just unchanged but increasing with time.
• No money is being spent on cancer prevention research inspite of falling survival rates of cancer patients.
• Cancer drug industry is one of the billion dollar profit industries with chemotherapy costing up to 10 to 20 lakhs per patient and negligible survival rates.
• More serious study has shown, chemotherapy causes healthy cells of the patient to secrete a protein that sustains cancer tumor growth and creates further resistance to the drugs. This makes the chemotherapy improve the patient's condition initially and later, deteriorate faster.

Do you still think the cancer drug industry is worried about the failing rates of chemotherapy or are they busy inventing more profitable drugs? 

Let me be more blunt about this, cancer TREATMENT and NOT cancer CURE, is the main objective of the cancer industry, for obvious reasons. 
The fact that not all cancer health workers are involved in this sinful act cannot be denied but when something wrong happens, it is also because the good wasn't compliant enough to suppress it.  

Ending the blame game, as it is often said that pointing out the vaccum isn't enough but filling it is. So, let's learn about the little changes in our lifestyles that can make our lives not just cancer free but, also from a long list of other degenerative diseases like diabetes, arthritis, hypertension and heart conditions. 

Not many researchers believe that all the cancers are preventable, but a lot of them say that only 5% of  all the cancers are inherited. Which means rest 95% cancers are caused because we did or did not do something!

WHAT IS IT?

Cancer is the growth of your own body cells in an uncontrolled manner. The cells grow haphazardly and damage the surrounding normal cells. This is caused because of 2 things :

1) Either because the growth stimulator is in excess.
2) Or because the growth suppressor is deficient.

WARNING SIGNS!

• A lump or hardened area in the breast.
• A change in a wart or mole.
• A persistent change in bowel habits i.e constipation- diarrhea cycle.
• A persistent cough or hoarseness of voice.
• Excessive loss of blood at the monthly period.
• Blood loss from any natural opening of the body.
• A swelling or sore that does not get better.
• Unexplained loss of weight.

Any of these warning signs should be taken seriously and immediately evaluated by a physician.  ( A template on BREAST SELF EXAMINATION will be put up soon!)

                                                                   SELF-HELP

9 THINGS YOU SHOULD AVOID TO PREVENT CANCER:

• Smoking or tobacco in any form. 
• Excessive Alcohol consumption. (1 drink for women and 1-2 drinks for men is not a problem!)
• White refined sugar and products containing it like syrups, sweets, colas etc. (To be strictly avoided by Diabetics.) 
• White refined carbohydrates like white flour (maida), white polished rice, white pastas and its products.
• Synthetic products like artificial sweeteners which are in abundance in diet colas, ice creams, sweetened cereals and products that claim less calories. 

( Ironically, these chemically sweetened diet foods do very little to help people loose weight and when you trade them for cancer risk, you've made a bad bargain.)

• Burnt barbecued meat is a cancer causing product, should be strictly avoided.
• Excessive exposure to environmental pollutants like passive smoking, industrial pollutants.

(Use face masks while heading out in early winter mornings, the smog= smoke+fog is extremely dangerous especially for asthmatics) 

• Use of refined oils like soybean, cottonseed oils.( Please take out a few seconds and look for the word 'partially hydrogenated' on the packs and avoid those.)
• Obesity. Try to keep your body mass index (BMI) below 25. 

( BMI = weight/ (height* height) in meters ) 

6 DIET REPLACEMENTS TOWARDS A HEALTHY LIVING:

• Replace White sugar by STEVIA leaves (naturally sweet leaves), coconut crystals or raw honey.
• Replace White flour by whole grain flour like whole wheat, whole bajra, whole jowar, whole ragi (nachni).
• Reducing the salt consumption to 1.5-1 teaspoon per person per day.
• Maintaining normal iodine levels plays a major role in cancer prevention of thyroid, breast and prostate. Regular blood testing should be done.
• Maintaining your immune system can fight of all the cancerous cells produced in the body and that can be done just by taking a balanced diet and avoid CRASH DIETS,YOU NEED CARBOHYDRATES!
• Consumption of fresh fruits and yogurts instead of canned juices and flavored yogurts. It reduces the intake of synthetic sweeteners and flavored esters.
• Regular screenings for cancers prevailing in the family like breast, colon, kidney cancer should be done, to catch the budding cancer at an early stage and to remove it completely.
• Vaccines should be take taken for cancers like cervical cancer, liver cancer (hepatitis b).

 

MYTH-O-LITH

 Not all cancers kill. There are two varieties of them, BENIGN AND MALIGNANT. The benign ones are harmless if caught early and removed and so the abnormal lumps in the body should be detected early and surgically removed. Remember, if these benign masses are ignored, they may further become malignant and the chances of survival reduce to a considerable extent.
 
POST SCRIPTING : Cancer sure is life threatening, but by being a tad bit more careful about your body and following the above measures you can drive that little possibility of getting cancer out of your lives. 

MUCH POWER TO YOU GUYS, DOCYOU!

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