7 Must-Have Immunization For Your Child’s Health Growth
Hospitals have become an integral part of our lives. It offers treatment for people with illness. However, it also provides immunization to prevent certain illnesses for good. The immunization is a process of boosting an individual’s immune system to resist infection and illness. On this 24th to 30th April, as we celebrate World Immunization Week, we list out 7 crucial immunization for every child out there.
1. BCG Vaccine
Abbreviated for Bacillus Chalmette Guerin, the BCG vaccine is a preventive measure against tuberculosis. Usually, it is the first immunization that is administrated right after birth, though it can be done at any point within 12 months of the birth.
2. Polio Vaccine
Polio vaccine fights against the possibility of polio and is given as an oral dose. It is administered multiple times to children below 5 years of old. In India, it is given free of cost by Government in India in several hospitals and healthcare facilities.
3. DPT Vaccine
DPT provides protection against three diseases, namely- Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus. There are altogether 5 doses meant to be administrated at the age of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, between 15 to 18 months and last one between 4 to 6 years.
4. Measles Vaccine
Measles vaccine is a mandatory immunization that mitigates the risks of measles, an extremely contagious viral infection that causes diarrhoea, and pneumonia. It is a subcutaneously administrated vaccine that is injected just beneath the skin when the child is 9 months old.
5. Hib Vaccine
Hib vaccine mitigates the risks of meningitis, a disease that infects the child’s spinal cord and brain. This vaccine is administrated four times, at the ages of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months.
6. MMR Vaccine
MMR vaccine stands for all three diseases it provides protection against, namely, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. It is an administration in two dosages, first between 12 to 15 months and the second one between 4 to 6 years.
7. Rotavirus Vaccine
This vaccine mitigates the possibility of rotavirus infection that can lead to severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Usually, the dose is administrated at the age of 4 and 6 months old.
Apart from these crucial vaccines, few others are recommended as well, such as Influenza vaccine, Hepatitis vaccine, and Chickenpox vaccine (also known as the Varicella vaccine) to mitigate the possibility of chicken pox. Though many parents skip chicken pox vaccine as the body develops immunity after getting infected once. However, these additional vaccines are also recommended for children, especially to the ones with a weak immune system.
Stay Safe By Mitigating Malaria By Following 6 Tips
Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease that mosquito-borne disease that is carried out by the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria is highly prevalent in the Indian subcontinent and as we are observing World Malaria Day on 25th April, we on behalf of ILS Hospitals, recommend 6 tips to mitigate the possibility of malaria at the first place.
1. Evaluate the risk of malaria
Malaria is not prevalent in every corner of the world, thus, not everyone is at risk of the same. Thereby the measure of the protection you need is entirely dependent on how much risk you are in. So, at first, it is important to evaluate how much risk you are exposed to. The surrounding and the hygiene level plays an important role in it.
2. Stay protected particularly during nights
Mosquitos tend to bite a lot at night more than daytime. The lack of awareness while bitten more frequently during asleep enhances the risk of malaria. You are recommended to install mosquito nets on the window and sleep under mosquito nets, even during the daytime naps.
3. Keep your surrounding clean
You can reduce the chances of malaria significantly by keeping the surrounding clean and avoiding water clogging. Spraying mosquito repellent spray and bleaching powder in the drain and open water bodies.
4. Cover the body properly
You can avoid mosquito bites by keeping your bodies covered all the times. Wearing long sleeves and full-length pants are recommended. Having multiple layered clothes or soaking them in anti-mosquito liquids prior to drying them off furthermore ensures that the mosquitoes bite cannot penetrate the fabric all the way to reach the skin.
5. Use mosquito repellent
Use mosquito repellent sprays to reduce their population in the vicinity. You are also recommended to use creams and lotions on the parts that cannot be covered with the face, palms, feet etc. to mitigate the risks of mosquito bites.
6. Seek medical help, if needed
The incubation period of malaria usually lies between 1-2 weeks. However, it can exceed this period as well. The best way to ensure your health is by getting in touch with a hospital upon having persistent symptoms. In case, the doctor has prescribed any medication, you are advised to complete the medication course, without fail.
By following these simple guidelines, you will be able to stay safe, from malaria.
ILS Hospitals Agartala Improves Lives in the North Eastern Region of India
Medical tourism is a concept when people of one part of the geographical location, moves to others to avail treatment. This is either due to less availability of reliable treatment in their own province or having the high expense in doing so. Either way, it causes a burden on the patient and their family because of several reasons.
Let’s understand how the establishment of ILS Hospitals Agartala in the state of Tripura helped the regional people to avail better quality treatment.
Mr. Subhash Deb Burman a permanent resident of Tripura and a businessman, keeps on moving from place to place throughout the country. Whenever any of his family member or friend falls sick with something severe, he was the person-in-charge to accompany them for their treatment.
As Tripura or Northeast India did not have any state of the art healthcare facility, many a times, he had to travel all the way to the nearest metropolitan city, Kolkata. This extended journey was necessary as several crucial diagnosis and treatment are possible in high-end treatment provider only. However, this journeys used to leave the patients ever more tired and drenched out of energy. Not to mention that it used to lead to extra expenditure, on travel, accommodation and food.
Things finally changed for good, when ILS Hospital Agartala was established in the state of Tripura. Being a multispecialty hospital, it offers extensive diagnosis and treatment of multiple domains. This helped Mr. Deb Burman to access better healthcare facility within proximities.
To his surprise, the facility of ILS Hospitals Agartala was not only one of the best infrastructures in Northeast India but also was equipped with the best equipment and specialized doctors. He could rely on the healthcare facilities entirely. He was so satisfied with the services that he mitigated the thought of traveling out of state ever again.
He not only sought medical help for his family members and friends at ILS Hospitals Agartala but also recommended his clients and other colleagues. After seeking treatment from the same, everyone shared their views as well. The fact that ILS Hospitals in Agartala was a unit of the prestigious ILS Hospitals group, helped to establish trustworthy relation.
ILS Hospitals Agartala stands proud in the state of Tripura and keeps up the good work of ensuring the health and recovery of people of Northeast India and nearby countries such as Bangladesh. It is the heart of the healthcare among the people of this region, as it offers some of the latest treatment for several medical complications.
How to Spot Heat Stroke and Address it on Time
Heat stroke is a common side effect of long exposure of the sun. As the summer is here, and not everyone has the luxury of the working inside an AC office. Thus, many people are forced to work under the sun even at the peak hours of the day. Many people get admitted to hospitals due to the same, as an untreated heat stroke can end up badly. However, identifying them in the initial stage can help it a lot control it.
Let’s understand, what a heat stroke is. Heat stroke is severe injury due to long exposure under heat and radiation. It is considered as a medical emergency and thus timely detection is crucial.
Detecting an imminent heat stroke can be done by looking for other symptoms such as heat cramps, exhaustion, and fainting, but often it may have no previous symptoms, making it quite tricky to identify.
On an average, the following symptoms usually onsets for an imminent heat stroke-
- Abnormally high core body temperature
- Dizziness, confusion, stammering
- Loss of consciousness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shallow breathing
- Sharp, throbbing headache
- Lack of sweat
- Muscle cramp and weakness
- Seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dry, red skin
Usually, the heat stroke affects an older individual much more adversely than younger people. However, athlete and sportsperson are highly susceptible to get severely affected by heat strokes as well.
Heat stroke, in its severe form, can cause temporary and permanent damage to the brain cells, along with other organs. Thereby, getting the patient in touch with a healthcare facility is highly recommended. However, the patient could be addressed in the meantime, through any of the following ways as well, to keep the situation under control.
Laying down the patient under the fan and sprinkle water on their body
Immerse the patient under the shower or in the bathtub with cold water
Applying ice packs on armpits, neck, and back, particularly because, the blood vessels are underneath these sites and thus helps to cool down the body more effectively.
Going for an ice bath is recommended for the young patient, who collapse due to over exhaustion, but is otherwise healthy and effective as well. However, the same should never be considered for older and very young patients, as it causes more harm than good.
Seeking a healthcare is still recommended, even if the patients get better after first aid treatment to ensure no long-term damage onsets due to the same. Needless to say, taking adequate precautions is the best way to stay healthy during summer.
Healthy Habits This Summer
After the chilling cold, summer has arrived, and it is going to stay for long. Before this, scorching sun makes you sick and visits hospitals for a variety of reasons, out of which, the heatstroke is the most common. Here we present you some of the healthy habits to follow to stay cool during this hot, humid weather.
1. Always apply sunscreen
In summer, the sun is at its peak for most time of the day. Thus, whether it is the early morning or mid-noon, wearing a sunscreen is very important. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of the same depending on the skin type and other factors. To be on the safe side, avoid being out under the sun between the time between 10 am and 4 pm to minimize the UV radiation. In case, one needs to spend hours under the sun, applying sunscreen in an interval of 2-3 hours will be beneficial.
2. Stay hydrated
The most important thing during summers is to stay hydrated. The heat waves, excessive sweats and more frequent bathroom visits can lead to dehydration during this time of the year. Dehydration, if not addressed properly can cause several other problems. To avoid such a thing, it is important to take a lot of water. Apart from regular water, adding fruit with high water is a good option as well. These include cucumber, tomato, watermelon, coconut etc.
3. Eat healthy breakfast
The long shower should never be the reason to skip breakfast, even during summers. Proper nutrition is crucial for proper functioning of the body. A healthy meal of protein-rich food is advised for daily consumption. Persistent skipping of breakfast can cause malnutrition, dehydration and other complication.
4. Plan exercise accordingly
Summer should not pause the exercise regime, but pushing oneself is not advised either. Instead of jogging under the sun, trying it during early morning and evening is recommended. Moreover, working out indoor is more advisable.
5. Wear loose-fitting clothes
Skin infection due to several reasons is quite common in summers. To keep these problems at bay, it is always advised to wear loose fitting clothes in both day and night time. It is also recommended to use cotton clothes. Covering the face and hair is also recommended to reduce direct exposure to sunlight.
So, adapt the healthy habits to enjoy your summer with ice creams and summer breaks. Happy Summer to you!
ILS Hospitals Contributes Towards World Health Day 2018
World health day is a rather special initiative of World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure health awareness in all over the world. Each year, this day is celebrated focusing on a unique theme. For 2018, the theme is Universal Health Coverage. Let’s understand it in details
The World is divided as per many classifications. The most noticeable is the boundaries that separate it in countries. Even though these nations compete with one another to stay in power, there are several aspects they must work together. Health is the most common goal of every civilization.
Each country tries their best to keep its citizens healthy and disease free. But it is crucial to ensure the entire population stays free of severe threats as we live in the era when correspondence between nations is a common thing. The health of any individual nation can be severely affected by the same in another country. The outbreak of Ebola virus in the year 2014 is a painful reminder on our inability to establish a quarantine.
The nature of illness can spread through an outbreak which can either be due to a pathogen or even due to certain environmental factors. Either way being contagious in nature makes it very easy to reach places beyond boundaries of a nation.
This World Health Day 2018, with the motto of Universal Health Coverage, aims to ensure detection, prevention, control and correction of diseases in the global scale. Aspects of studying or being employed in a foreign land is a very common thing, nowadays. Moreover, foreign travel is quite easy due to foreign policy and tourism initiatives.
People often marry and settle abroad as well. Thereby, it is important to eliminate severe threats from the entire face of Earth, because creating a quarantine is always not feasible due to the involvement of diplomacy and political agendas.
Together, the epidemic and outbreaks can be controlled in time, without causing many interruptions the trade and travel around the world. On this World Health Day, we, at ILS hospitals, contributes our health checkup facilities and treatment procedures to ensure the perfect health of as many people as possible. It is not possible for any singular agency to ensure global health. However, every initiative matters, because it fits in the big picture. As it says,
If you take care of small things, the big things will be taken care of itself.
Laugh Out Loud to Enjoy These 5 Health Benefits
Feeling out of breath lately? Google the price of your breathing pump and get it over the Counter.
April fool! Persistent symptoms of respiratory discomfort should be evaluated by a doctor in hospitals to ensure perfect health by timely treatment.
Gave you an unexpected laugh, right? You should laugh, more often, because Life is better when you are laughing. Though we might not find enough reasons or excuses to laugh or make others laugh every day, but 1st April is surely a free pass to do it all day long.
Here we bring 5 reasons to laugh more.
1. Reduce stress
Laughing regularly keep the stress hormone in check. This way the negative impact of stress can be diminished at great extent. Moreover, it strengthens the immunity system of the body.
2. Strengthens the core muscle
A hearty laughter causes contraction and expansion of muscles around the stomach. It resembles very much when one works out in a gym to strengthen their core muscle. Having routine laughter season can contribute towards building a toner chest and abdomen.
3. Keeps blood sugar in check
Laughter keeps the lower high level of blood pressure and keeps it in check. A high blood pressure is often the cause of onset of several medical emergencies and thus having it under control improves many health conditions.
4. Enhances cardiac health
Cardio seasons in a gym is not the only thing that can improve the cardiac health. A good amount of laugh makes the heart pump and burn calories similar to that of cardio exercise. Thus it is beneficial for every individual, particularly the ones who cannot do cardio due to injury or illness.
5. Enhances overall wellbeing
Laughter is something that is shared with loved ones. This evokes the sense of belongingness. It helps to cope up with negative thoughts that is a part of everyday life. Moreover, happiness and laughter can help one recover from illness much effectively than anything else.
Thereby, apart from individual health benefits, laughter can do wonders for your overall health as well. Thus, read jokes to laugh and share them to spread the laughter.
On behalf of ILS Hospitals, we encourage you to make laughter a part and parcel of your life, along with timely diagnosis and treatment.
Laughter is the best medicine. But, if you are laughing without a reason, you need medicine.
A Brief Overview of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or more commonly known as TB is a severe infectious disease affecting several organs of the body, predominantly the lungs. It is caused by the pathogen bacteria and is highly contagious as it can spread through the air when the infected person sneezes or coughs. Several reliable hospitals and government facilities provide treatment for tuberculosis, but it is important to complete the entire treatment process without a pause to ensure complete recovery.
Stages of TB
There are 2 stages of TB, each based on the status of the pathogen. This leads to a wide range of incubation period (the time period between the entry of pathogen inside the body and the initiation of its effect). Let’s understand them one by one.
Latent TB– As the term latent suggest, the pathogen stays in stealth mode as the immune system, keep them in check. As a result, no visible symptoms are found during initial stages. Thankfully the TB does not become contagious at this stage. The treatment is still crucial as it can turn active pathogens in future.
Active TB– As the term suggests clearly, this is the potentially more harmful type. It can spread rapidly within the body and also to other individuals. The time of its onset after the latent stage can vary from weeks to years.
Symptoms of TB
Some of the common symptoms of TB that affects the lungs are as follows-
- Persistent coughs for more than 3 weeks
- Sudden weight loss, often unintentional
- Presence of blood in sputum
- Chest pain or discomfort, especially during coughing
- Fever, particularly during night
- Night sweats and chills
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue and breathlessness
As already discussed, the symptoms may stay hidden for long. Thus seeking diagnosis and treatment in right time often becomes challenging. However, people with HIV infection or AIDS, IV drug users, and personals involved in attending TB patients are recommended to seek immediate medical care upon the onset of 2 or more above mentioned symptoms.
Risk Factors
As the pathogens are born in nature, the chances of getting infected with TB pathogen are pretty high for people sharing a similar surrounding. However, the strength of one’s immune system determines how rapid it can spread along with its severity. The presence of the following factors enhances the overall chances of the same.
- Weak immune system
- HIV/AIDS
- Malnutrition
- Immunosuppressant (usually after an organ transplant)
- Certain medication
- Diabetes
- Kidney disorders
On this World TB Day, we, on behalf of ILS Hospitals urge people with symptoms of possible TB to seek treatment at the earliest, as timely diagnosis can control the TB significantly.
Cancer – Brief Introduction and Facts
Cancer is a category of illnesses that onset due to out-of-control growth of cells. It can affect any organ of the body, thereby having as high as 100 types of cancers. The uncontrollable cell growth arises in the form of lumps and tumors near the affected organs. However, in advanced stages, it might start appearing in a spot far away from the primary organs as it gets carried away through the bloodstream. Only the best hospitals can offer quality treatments and care for the same.
Let’s have a look at some of the facts about cancer.
1. Cancer can arise due to 2 factors- heredity and lifestyle. The role of heredity is minute as compared to that of a sedentary lifestyle.
2. Some of the cancer are preventable or at least be treated better by taking few corrective and preventive measures. Let’s have a few examples of it.
i) The lung cancer that arises due to prolonged smoking and tobacco use are the best example of the same. By avoiding tobacco altogether can mitigate the risk of such cancer.
ii) The increasing cases of skin cancer can be curbed simply by protecting the skin from excessive exposure of the sun.
iii) The chances of having breast cancer in the future can be controlled through routine breast check-up, weight management, and regular breastfeeding.
3. Cancer is one of the top 5 causes of untimely death in all over the world. Approximate 16 percent people die every year due to some of the other form of cancer.
4. Aging was considered as a prevailing factor for cancer. More than 75% cancer patient belongs to the age group of 50 plus. In contrast, cancer affecting children account for 1 percent of all cancer cases. However, sadly the recent statistics of cancer patients have begun to show deviation.
5. The most common form of cancer prevalent among women includes the organs, breast, cervix, skin, stomach, and lungs.
The most common form of cancer prevalent among men includes the organs, prostate, lung, colon, liver, and stomach.
A cancer is a very hyperactive, dynamic and critical medical threat that needs an extensive diagnosis, treatment and care to be able to address it effectively. For better chances of survival and cure, it is imperative to rely only on the best hospitals that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and resources.
Kidney – Function and Diagnostic Tests
Kidneys are paired organs that purify the blood, controls body fluid and electrolytes and also process the waste out of the body. It is bean-shaped, of about 4 to 5 inches in length that roughly resembles the size of a fist. It sits beneath the ribs, just behind the belly. It purifies the blood by filtering them, from where it absorbs back the minerals, salts, and water, and removes the waste in the form of urine.
Detecting any kidney illness in its early stage is very tricky as even 10 percent of the functioning kidney does a pretty good job. Thus, only best hospitals can offer a quality diagnosis of the kidney. At ILS Hospitals, we offer the following renal diagnostics for providing a quality treatment for any malfunction of kidneys.
1. Kidney ultrasound
The test is carried out by placing the probe transmitting sound waves over the waist. The sound wave gets reflected from the kidney to cast an image. This can help to find the existence of any stones, lumps, cysts or block in the kidney.
2. Urinalysis
It is a routine visual screening of kidney that can be done both by tools or pathologist himself through a microscope. It can help to detect minute signs of kidney damage such as bleeding, infections, or inflammation etc.
3. Ureteroscopy
It is a kind of endoscopy, specific for screening for kidney and its associated organs. The flexible endoscopic is inserted through the urethra into the bladder and then into the ureters. Even though the endoscope does not reach the kidney itself, it helps to detect any possible complications associated with them.
4. Computed tomography
More commonly known as the CT scan is helpful for diagnosis kidneys as well. The scanner captures the detailed X-ray images of the kidney in a series and it is then fed to the computer to analyze any abnormality in the kidneys.
5. Magnetic Resonance Imaging
More commonly known as MRI uses radio waves and magnetic field to yield a high-resolution image of the kidney to detect any abnormality in it.
6. Kidney biopsy
A fine needle is used to extract a small amount of tissue to observe it under a microscope. It can detect the possibility of malignancy in the kidney.
7. Blood and urine test
A sample of blood and urine is extracted and screened for possible infection and microbial growth.
On this month of March, when we observed World Kidney Day, we, at ILS Hospitals encourage every individual to keep a close eye on their respective renal health.