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.
6 Signs That You Need Immediate Dental Treatment
“Life is short, smile while you still have teeth.” As rightly said by an anonymous person, a smile is best with all the teeth still intact. But sadly, not every individual takes proper care of their oral health, as much as they should. As per dentists, one should get a dental check-up every 6 months even without any signs of dental damage.
However, today we bring a list of 6 indications that certainly needs a dental appointment soon.
1. Tooth pain
A tooth pain should never be ignored, let it be onset while chewing or gulping cold and hot stuff. A persistent tooth pain is a sure sign of getting your teeth checked.
2. Tooth sensitivity
A tooth sensitivity is easy to spot as they cause sharp sensation to the teeth whenever consuming anything cold or hot. It certainly qualifies for a quick trip to the dentist as it may have an unresolved cavity or tooth decay.
3. Swollen/ bleeding gum
Having a gum bleeding or swelling is not common unless one has been punched in the face. So, in case anyone experiences these symptoms, it should NOT be taken lightly. A timely treatment can resolve this entirely and mitigate the risks of further damage such as loose gums and tooth loss etc.
4. Canker sores
Having a couple of canker sores from time to time is common due to some deficiency. It resolves on its own and thus is not severe. However, having persistent canker sores, even if they are resolving on its own, is a dental threat. Apart from being painful and affecting food and drinks, if left unresolved, it that may cause more damage in future as well.
5. Dry mouth/ discolored tongue
A persistent dry mouth or discolored tongue is a sign of underlying, unresolved gum and tooth decay. It might also give rise to bad breath even after few hours after the brushing.
6. Teeth spots
Having a discolored or white spot on teeth is related to some unresolved dental issue. It arises due to the erosion of enamel, primarily due to the influence of acid producing bacteria. Spotting a teeth spot can be quite tricky, but having a history of them certainly demands to have a regular screening in the future as well.
In case, one or more of the above-mentioned signs arise, it is best to go for a dental check-up.
We, at ILS Hospitals, encourage every individual to take special care of your oral health on this World Oral Health Day.
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.
5 Most Common Gynecological Disorders
Living with a healthy body and a sound mind is more like a wishful thinking than a reality. There are many illnesses that affect both the genders, but a lot of medical conditions affects the health of women exclusively. Here we present 5 common illnesses, listed by Gynaecologists, that are most prevalent among women.
1. Dysmenorrhea
It is familiar to women as the painful periods. It is often termed the same when the pain reaches to the extent that it interferes the daily life activities. It is of 2 types. The primary dysmenorrhea is a result of disrupted ovulation and menstrual cycle. The secondary dysmenorrhea occurs as a result of some other underlying pelvic illnesses, infections or placement of certain contraceptive means such as copper T etc.
2. PCOS
It stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and is most prevalent among young women these days. It results in the formation of one or more, often recurring cysts in the ovary. It is due to high hormone production from the ovary and majorly caused by unhealthy lifestyle and stress rather than the influence of family or personal history.
3. Amenorrhea
It is the medical term for the absence of periods in the reproductive age. It is of two types, namely the pathological and physiological. During the pathological amenorrhea, the reason is due to some underlying disease or complications. The physiological Amenorrhea, on the other hand, is termed before the onset of menarche, after menopause and during pregnancy and lactation.
4. Vaginitis
It is the condition that onset due to inflammation and infection in the vagina. It is often seen among young girls having a high rate of infection, usually due to low production of oestrogen. However, it is also found in women of reproductive age group having infections due to microscopic organisms.
5. Fibroids
It is the condition of having single or multiple tumors in the uterus. It is the most common tumor in the female body. Fortunately, most of them are non-malignant is nature and does not cause any threat to the life of the patient. However, it might cause associated conditions like painful menstruation, persistent miscarriages, pelvic diseases, preterm labors etc. Often it is addressed by surgery, depending upon the nature of the tumor.
On this International Women Day’s, we, at ILS Hospitals, encourage every woman out there to take care of their body and seek medical help of gynecologists in time of need.
Why India is Becoming a Hub for Fertility Tourism?
Having a baby is the most important moment for every parent out there. However, not every couple is blessed with having a baby. As per gynecologists, conceiving normally, carrying it to a full term and having a safe childbirth has become a challenge lately for many couples. In such cases seeking medical help becomes inevitable.
Many places have expertise in providing such fertility assistance as compared to others. Traveling to such a place for availing these medical services is called as the fertility tourism, and it belongs to the broader concept of medical tourism. India is becoming a leading hub for fertility treatment for people from all over the world. Here are some of the reasons for the same-
1. Legal liability
Even though having trouble in conception is becoming a global threat, not every country is taking adequate measures to address it. Thereby, seeking help in one’s home country often is not possible. These legal constraints are often seen more in developing nations, where traditional beliefs are given more weight than scientific means or logic. In India, seeking and providing fertility assistance is legal, thereby making the process more safe and transparent.
2. Surrogacy/ donation assistance
Often the couple fails to have a successful conception solely on their own. Thereby it calls out for the need of either/or surrogacy and donation (sperm, eggs etc). After the Supreme Court has made these fertility assistance legal, the availability of personnel ready to provide such assistance has become very high in India.
3. Economical expense
Having a baby is surely joyous, but it is also very expensive at the same time. Having a baby with the medical help adds significant additional budget to the same. Thankfully, in India, the expense of this entire procedure is much affordable as compared to many developed countries. Simultaneously a lesser expense does not imply a poor quality treatment, instead, in India, the successful conception rate has been found much higher as compared to many other fertility tourism hubs.
To make the process even more smooth and transparent, many of the fertility assistance providers offer these services in a package, which is inclusive of the fertility treatment, transportation, charge of surrogacy or donation, and delivery of baby etc.
In a nutshell, India is an excellent place to get medical fertility assistance for the people who face difficulty in conceiving naturally. It enlightens lives of many parents and gives them a new meaning of life.
Importance of Skin Care During Holi
Holi is a festival of colors and celebrated with the full spirit in India. These days, it is being celebrated in many places all over the world as well. However, the ill effects of poor grade colors on the skin is a very common scenario these days. Dermatologists advise taking special precaution during Holi.
Let’s understand the importance of skin care for Holi season with the help of a case study.
Miss Sayantani Mitra, a second-year college student had an unpleasant incident last Holi. Miss Mitra had a sensitive skin since an early age. Her parents always encouraged her to stay away from color ever since. However, after she moved to the residential academy, the scenario changed. Her friends and peers encouraged her to get involved in the Holi party.
After playing for about 3 to 4 hours outdoors, she washed off most of the colors while bathing. However, during the evening, she started experiencing itching, burning sensation, and irritation of the skin. A friend asked her to use a moisturizer to soothe the discomfort. But it did very little to improve the condition, in contrast, things worsen overnight. She was brought to a dermatologist the next day. After examining her, the doctor found her skin was severely damaged.
It became dry, scrubbed, cracked and also had early symptoms of eczema. The scrubbing of skin in the attempt of removing color also contributed to excessive damage to the skin. As she had pre-existing skin issues, her condition became quite severe. After getting extensive treatment of 2 weeks, the primary signs of skin allergy was resolved, but regular medication was prescribed for 2 more months to negate any more ill effects of the chemicals.
Dermatologists confirm that several such cases are registered each year following the day of Holi. Many of such patients even complain severe allergy in scalp and eyes as well. Moreover, apart from the ill effects of chemicals present in colors, spending long hours in direct exposure to sunlight also damages the skin simultaneously. It causes pigmentation, sunburn and also acts as a catalyst to skin damage caused by chemicals.
During this festival season of Holi, we, at ILS Hospitals, wish you all happy and prosperous moments with your family and friends. But stay in charge of your health amidst enjoyment and happiness. In case of any skin allergies, instead of trying homemade remedies and making things worse, get in touch with a dermatologist.