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!

SHARE IF YOU CARE. 

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! 

 SHARE IF YOU CARE! 
  

 

   

 
 

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!

 SHARE, IF YOU CARE!
 
 

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!

 SHARE IF YOU CARE!