Bust These 5 Mammogram Related Myths Forever
Getting an annual screening of mammogram is recommended by gynecologists to ensure the earliest detection of breast cancer. It is highly advised for women with age more than 40yrs. Several myths surrounding the sensitive subject, which leads to a misconception among women make them avoid regular mammogram.
Let’s have a look at 5 of such myths and extract the truth out of it.
Myth 1 – Mammogram is not required until some symptoms appear
The biggest and most dangerous myth that jeopardizes the lives of many patients each year often leads patient to neglect the need for a mammogram until they experience some discomfort like pain and swelling or other symptoms like a lump or discharge. This reduces their chances of success of curing cancer entirely.
Myth 2 – Mammogram is irrelevant for women with no family/personal history of breast cancer or other breast illnesses.
As the patient keeps wasting precious moments by skipping the screening, malignant cells keep growing and make thing worse. As per statistics, about 8 in every 10 breast cancer patient has no family history of the same.
Myth 3 – Routine screening is nonessentials if nothing suspicious surfaced in the previous report
A very common belief that a previous report with no threat rules out the need to have it regularly in the future as well. However, it should be kept in mind that a mammogram is simply a diagnostic probe and not a preventive measure. Thereby, it is best to keep having those after crossing 40yrs of age.
Myth 4 – A 2D mammogram serves the same purpose as a 3D mammogram
Medical science and technology has advanced and so has the mammogram techniques. The traditional 2D mammogram is effective, but it has certain drawbacks that have overcome by 3D mammogram. The 2D mammogram might not be able to diagnose a cancer growth for patients with denser breast tissues or might misdiagnose or minor cells mimicking as cancer threats. A breast MRI or ultrasound may be additionally suggested to confirm the report.
Myth 5 – A mammogram exposes to harmful radiation to make thing worse.
It is true that a mammogram utilizes the radiation, but it closely follows the medical protocol. Getting a mammogram is absolutely safe if it is being availed at a certified facility.
Thus, it is advised to stay vigilant of the actual facts, rather than getting misguided by myths for a healthier future ahead.
The Scope and Benefits of Laparoscopic Surgery
The laparoscopic surgery is an advanced surgical technique that overcomes several negative aspects of traditional open surgery. It is also known as MIS (minimally invasive surgery), Band-Aid surgery or Keyhole surgery. It is executed by making few minor incision, instead of making a large slit across the site.
Let’s have a look at few of its aspect and importance in the field of medical science.
The Procedure of Surgery
Though laparoscopic surgery can be executed for several domains, the most common ones are done in the abdominal region. After the anesthesia is administrated, the surgery begins by making a single incision first, through this a cannula in inserted and carbon dioxide is used to inflate the stomach. Though the abdomen does have some of it already, but often extra is pumped in order to make the surgery more convenient.
After the administration of carbon dioxide, the outer layer of the stomach inflates, creating enough working space for carrying out the surgery. Few more incisions are made through which other instruments, camera and light source etc. are inserted. The real-time feed and movements are tracked and displayed on the monitor in the Operation Theater.
The displayed images are of extremely high resolution and can easily be zoomed in and out and moved around for better visual and for carrying out the procedure. The part of the instrument extended outside the body can be moved accordingly to make the desired movement inside. These include making dissecting, stitching, perforating, stapling, collecting and extracting portions of dissected diseased organs.
After the completion of the procedure, nearby organs re-checked for any signs of possible damage or infection. Upon assurance, the instruments are retracted back and the gas is extracted back in order to retain the abdomen, its original shape.
Scope of Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a diagnostic as well as a surgical technique which can be used to assist surgeries in the following domains, such as
- Gallbladder surgery
- Small and large intestine surgery
- Orthopedics Surgery
- Hernia repair surgery
- Liver and pancreas surgery
- Appendix surgery
- Infertility treatment
- Reproductive organ surgery like Hysterectomy
As a diagnostic tool, it is helpful to check several medical aspects, without perforating the organ or making things worse. It is used for the following purpose
- To evaluate the effectiveness of any treatment or medication
- To evaluate the stage of any disease
- To check a polyp or tumor
- To release fluid or gas trapped in the abdominal cavity
- To collect tissue samples for biopsy
In a nutshell, it is the top-notch surgical approach that is replacing the traditional surgery these days.
The Importance of Audiology These Days
Taking medical care of every organ is kind of an impossible task these days. After crossing the age of mid-30s and 40s, often people are recommended to undergo screening in hospitals for several possible illnesses as a preventive care. These often include a breast exam, blood profile, prostate exams, eye and dental screening etc. Getting a hearing test is not something, any individual often opt for, even though it is highly recommended by audiologists. Let’s have a brief understanding of the same.
Read further: 4 SCREENING EVERY MAN SHOULD HAVE SINCE HIS EARLY 40S
Ears are important organs of our body. It facilitates detection and transmission of sound. It performs a very crucial function of maintaining the sense of balance as well. Individuals often neglect the need for an accurate hearing diagnosis from time to time, mostly due to negligence and the belief that the perfect hearing begins to degrade solely upon aging itself.
In reality, though, this does not hold true. Hearing loss can occur at any age. In fact, as per audiologists, the count of youth suffering from hearing loss is increasing alarmingly these days. This is true for both temporary and permanent hearing loss. The primary reason for the same is the excessive use of earphones for listening to music and other multimedia. Not only they use these devices for long hours but also tune them in higher volume than recommended.
Read further: 4 MUST-HAVE HEALTH SCREENING FOR EVERY WOMAN ABOVE 35
Hearing loss is the first sign of any possible ear injury or complication. Secondary symptoms like such as persistent swelling and pain in the internal ear, feeling thumbing or ringing in the ear, loss of balance etc. should be calibrated carefully.
It is advised to undergo a hearing screening once in every two years even with no visible signs of hearing loss, particularly for people above the age group of 50yrs. In case, any hearing difficulty is experienced, the screening should be even more frequent. Any sudden hearing impairment should be evaluated immediately as it may be a resultant factor of something more severe underlying reason. This is either a result of some tumor growth (both malignant and non-malignant) or due to some neurological issue.
Any hearing imparts if left untreated for long can give rise to other collateral issues, particularly in the domain of psychological health such as irritability, fatigue, depression, and impaired memory. Thus, it is always recommended to get treatment as soon as possible for any hearing discomfort.
ILS Hospitals Contribute Towards Cancer Awareness on World Cancer Day
Illness is never a thing of fancy. However, there are several illnesses that can be cured effectively with drugs, surgery, and therapy in hospitals without much loss of overall health and spirit of the individual. But sadly, the same cannot be said for several other illnesses and cancer is one of such medical conditions. Let’s understand several aspects of cancer along with the importance of world cancer day.
There are several myths that surround cancer, that misdirect people regarding their treatment options and diagnosis. These myths usually include people assuming that cancer is an illness of old age people and is like a life sentence without a cure. However, medical science is improving drastically and timely medical intervention is capable of improving the cancer overall and sometimes, it may even cure it altogether.
Cancer is one of the most prevalent medical threat all around the world. About 6 to 8 million new patients get diagnosed with some or the other form of cancer each year. To make things worse, nowadays, the rarer forms of cancers are emerging more frequently and the new patients are mostly belonging to a much younger age group that it used to be a few decades back, often as young as the early 20s.
The most common site of cancer is often the breasts and cervix in case of women, whereas it is the lung and prostate, in case of men. Other common suite includes skin, lung, blood, uterus, colon, and rectum, etc. Even though the genetics and personal history of similar background is the prime cause for the same for many patients, but it is not the only factor contributing to cancer. The heavy consumption of tobacco, alcohol, junk food and leading a sedentary life with no physical activity often contributes highly to the onset of cancer.
The World Cancer Day is the perfect gateway to spread the role of timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It is a joint effort of World Health Organization (WHO) and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to educate an individual, society, government and non-government organization to unite and fight towards the cause. This 4th February, in the event of World Cancer Day, we, at ILS Hospitals, pledge to do our bidding by spreading awareness of the same. We extend our support to the patents and families who are suffering from any form of cancer.
4 Ways How Love Can Improvise Your Overall Health
Love, love, and love! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, that is all you get to hear. You might even be getting sick of hearing about love but it turns out that being in love has its perks too. Let’s take a different approach to love and gather few medically positive aspects of being in love. It might not serve the same purpose as the best heart hospitals, it certainly does add several wonderful aspects in your life.
1. Love makes you psychologically more stable
A happy soul is a key towards a healthier body, and people often find inner strength through their beloved. Moreover, mental issues like hypertension, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic experienced etc. are best resolved along with the company of loved ones. That is the reason why often the presence of the patient’s spouse is also welcomed and encouraged during psychiatric evaluation and consultation.
2. Love makes your heart healthier
Once again, the magical words ‘I love you’ would do no good in event of any cardiac emergency and rush to nearest best heart hospital will only save the life. However, as per studies, the happily married/engaged people have been found to have much better cardiovascular health. Moreover, they contribute towards a lower range of blood pressure, ruling out several cardiovascular issues.
3. Love makes post-surgery and recovery much easier
Despite being rich, young, healthy and careful, having an illness from time to time, and feeling vulnerable at the same is inevitable. Often the surgical approach becomes the only treatment for several illnesses as well. Dealing with post-surgery care and recovery back to health is more effective with a beloved by the side. The feeling of dependency and reliability contribute significantly towards the overall sense of security and well-being and thus speed up the recovery procedure.
4. Love makes you live longer
Loved ones certainly cannot transfer their years into others lifeline, but it indirectly makes them go for positive changes that yield longevity in a long run for sure. Surviving stored and highly processed food, heavy smoking/drinking, being a couch potato etc. can lead to several illnesses in near future.
Having a spouse or even a lover often brings positive reinforcement in these sedentary lifestyle choices. It encourages to make better choices in terms of diet and other factors. It often reduces the chances of getting engaged in rash behavior such as abuse, rash driving, etc as well. Thus, the person lives an ideal lifespan altogether.
Apart from the stated points, a family also gives a sense of purpose and encourage to invest towards medical needs including screening and medical insurance etc. Overall, it ensures a longevity of an individual with healthier aspects.
Role of Obstetrics in Pregnancy and Childbirth
Obstetrics is a specialized branch of medical science that deals exclusively with pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period. It mainly deals with three major sections, namely,
Prenatal care, childbirth, and postnatal care. They are the primary healthcare provider staffs a maternity hospital must-have. Let’s understand them each in details
Prenatal Care
As the term suggests, it involves care and medication of an expecting mother to help her to carry a safe pregnancy towards a safe childbirth. It is further subdivided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester. The foetal assessment is an important part of the same. It is done by a series of ultrasonography, and if required, amniocentesis.
These routine procedures determine the gestational age of the pregnancy, number of foetus, the position of the baby and the placenta, determining the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy. It is also, a very important tool, to determine the possibility of any congenital abnormalities. It addresses the possible conditions, a patient may suffer during pregnancies such as gestational diabetes, hypercoagulability, high level of the thyroid, and so on.
Childbirth
Duration, risks, and complications associated with labour vary greatly depending upon the type of delivery, and overall health condition of the mother and baby. The obstetrician evaluates the conditions before and during the labour to determine the type (vaginal or caesarean) of delivery each patient needs.
An obstetrician can also induce labour prematurely by various means in case of foetal distress, pre-eclampsia, or any other complications. Some of the complications that need emergency care and often surgical correction are an ectopic pregnancy, placental abruption, pre-eclampsia, uterine rupture, foetal distress, obstetrical haemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, puerperal sepsis, prolapsed cord and so on.
Postnatal Care
The obstetrician also provides medical care to the new mother after labour by looking for signs of any possible injury, infection, oedema, dehydration, bleeding, bladder malfunction or bowel movements. He or she also checks the vital signs like pulse, body temperature, blood pressure etc. before discharge.
It also includes tracking the health of the newborn as well. In case the infant needs special health care, the obstetrician may refer to (or accompany too, depending upon the condition of the newborn) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well, where, the neonatologists can carry on.
However, not every pregnancy can be carried out to a safe childbirth, as some might undergo a miscarriage or abortion due to various reasons. Obstetrics assist both these procedures as well. In a nutshell, a well-qualified obstetrics is needed in every aspect of a new life emerging.
Scope of Haematology
Blood transfusing is often a very common solution to treat several side effect of any illness or as a compensation for blood loss from a treatment or surgery. But there are several illnesses that originate in the blood itself. Several hospital offer screening and treatment of the same. Haematology is the umbrella term for the branch that deals with diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care of diseases related to blood. The term is originated from Greek words ‘haima’ implying blood, and ‘logy’ implying to study.
These diseases can originate or affect any of the blood components such as blood cells, bone marrow, blood protein, blood vessels, platelets, coagulation, and spleen. Let’s understand what are the components of blood is and medical conditions surface under each of the components
The main components of blood as are as follows:
- RBC or Red Blood Cells – it carries oxygen to tissues
- WBC or White Blood Cells – it fights infections
- Platelets – it helps in blood clotting
- Plasma – it reserves protein and performs several other functions
Blood diseases that affect RBC are:
a. Anaemia – the body has a low level of RBC
b. Pernicious Anaemia (B12 deficiency) – prohibits the body to absorb B12 from the diet.
c. Aplastic anaemia – the body does not produce adequate blood cells, mainly RBC
d. Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia – the body’s overactive immune system destroys its own RBC
e. Sickle cell anaemia – a genetic disease that makes the blood cell crumple into sickle shape
f. Polycythaemia Vera – the body produces too many blood cells that may cause blood clot
g. Malaria – an infection triggered by a parasite that enters the bloodstream through a vector (mosquito’s bite) that makes RBC burst.
h. Thalassemia – a genetic disease with features of severe anaemia, that often need a regular blood transfusion to survive.
Click here to learn more about Thalassemia.
Blood diseases that affect WBC are:
a. Lymphoma – a type of malignant blood cancer originating in the lymph system.
b. Leukaemia – another type of blood cancer originating in WBC.
c. Multiple myelomas – yet another type of blood cancer which affects the white blood plasma.
d. Myelodysplastic syndrome – a group of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow.
Blood diseases that affect platelets are:
a. Thrombocytopenia – the presence of low level of platelets in blood
b. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura – onset of the above illness due to unknown cause
c. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia – onset of the above illness due to the reaction against heparin
d. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura – a low platelet count due to the blood clot in blood vessels
e. Essential thrombocytosis (primary thrombocythemia) – the body produces excessive platelets causing a clot and/or bleeding.
Blood diseases that affect plasma are:
a. Haemophilia – a genetically inducing protein deficiency that causes severe blood clot
b. Von Will brand disease – a form of haemophilia that might result in the excessive blood due to an injury or surgery
c. Hypercoagulable state (hypercoagulable state) – a condition that often results in blood clot and needs blood thinner on a regular basis
Deep venous thrombosis – having a blood clot in the deep vein of the leg that can even travel to lung or heart.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) – a condition that causes multiple tiny clots throughout the body, simultaneously.
Most of these illnesses can be treated effectively if diagnosed on time.
4 Must-Have Health Screening for Every Woman Above 35 in the New Year
Women always walk the extra mile to ensure the well-being of her family. But unfortunately, they often don’t give the same priority towards their own health. Especially in India, most women seek medical treatment in hospitals helps only when the illness progress to an advanced stage. But by this time, the treatment of the illness becomes somewhat complicated.
Read more – 4 must-have screening every man in his early 40s should have
To address this problem, we are enlisting these 4 crucial screening that every woman above 35 should do in order to ensure that they can avail the best treatment at the best time.
1. Pelvic screening including PAP smear
As the cervical cancer is one of the leading cause of death, it is important to have regular screening. Even though one should start as young as the mid-20s, or as soon as being sexually active, it is recommended to get screen regularly is compulsory after hitting 30s. The purpose of these tests is to look out for any possible lump, abnormal growth, and any abnormal discharge, that could indicate the possible occurrence of tumor in later stages.
2. Breast screening
Apart from cervical cancer, breast cancer torments the health of women as well. Thus a regular screening of breast is highly recommended to take note of any pain, lump, tenderness or discharge from the breast, namely the nipple. This includes an ultra-sonogram and mammogram. Also, a monthly self-breast examination proves to be very helpful as well. The ideal age is early to mid-30s, however, for women with a family history of any breast-related illness, should start even earlier.
3. Thyroid test
It is very common for women to experience unexplainable weight gain along with other symptoms such as brittle nails, hair loss/thinning and severe fatigue with aging. Though it could be a result of other factors as well, often it is due to hypothyroidism. Events of life cycle such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and menopause make women more prone to these consequences as compared to men. Thus, a regular screening can help to deal with the same.
4. Bone mineral density screening
Most of the women, particularly after menopause, suffer from osteoporosis, a common illness of low bone density. It results in mild to severe bone weakness and injury that often requires supportive probes or surgery to correct it. The loss of component calcium from the bone makes them brittle and susceptible to damage and injury. Thus, a specialized test DEXA scan, an advanced X-ray diagnosis is advised that estimates the bone strength of the crucial skeleton structure namely the hip, spine, knees, and wrists.
Each of these tests has a unique role to ensure the overall well-being of a woman’s health. Most of these screening are available at a reasonable price in several hospitals. Thus, every woman above the age of 35 is highly recommended to undergo the above-mentioned screenings.
4 Screening Every Man Should Have Since His Early 40s
With the process of aging, several body parts become more and more difficult and upon the onset of a severe illness, a long series of treatment begins in hospitals. However, the entire episode of this unpleasant occurrence can be avoided if some people start taking care of their health condition from time to time.
Read more – 4 Must-have health screening for every woman above 35
Thus, we bring a list of 4 screening every man should regularly have in his late 30s to ensure a good health in his later years.
1. Colon Screening
The onset of colon cancer among elder men is a very common. Due to age, the regenerative and healing property decreases significantly. Thus early screening can keep the complication at bay, which may occur in the advanced stages. Faecal occult test, Sigmoidoscopy, and Colonoscopy are namely the tests that are usually employed.
Ideally, early 50 is the age for doing the same, but for individuals with family or personal history of inflammatory diseases, polyps, ulcerative colitis etc. should do the test by the age of 40.
2. Prostate Screening
Prostate cancer among men is kind of analogous to cervical cancer for women. It claims several lives throughout the world. Because of ignorance and lack of awareness at an early stage, many patients skip screening and eventually at an older stage, suffer severely,
Screening for prostate health include PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test and digital rectal examination (DRE)
3. Diabetes Test
Despite the fact that diabetes affects both men and women, the symptoms differ significantly. The consequences are more severe in case of men as compared to women. Thus, every man in 40s, if not already affected by diabetes till present, should go for diabetes screen at least annually.
Complicated diabetes can lead to several other complications such as blood clot, urine inconsistence, weakness and possible amputation.
4. Pulmonary and Cardiac Screening
Similar to the previous condition as compared to women, men tend to be more engaged in regular alcohol consumption and smoking. In a long run, it leads to several respiratory and cardiac ailments.
Thus every man in their 40s, who are particularly into drinking and smoking should go for regular screening to ensure the good health of their heart and chest. There are a group of tests that come under this screening.
Apart from the mentioned tests, one can go for additional ones as well, depending on the current health situation. However, the suggested screenings yield the best result for the overall health of the individual.
ILS Hospitals Has Fully Equipped NICU for Every Critically Ill New Born
A nation’s average performance and its position in the global platform depends on several factors. These factors range from education level, per capita income, gross domestic product, health standards and many more.
However, despite the preventive and corrective measure of the government towards the health and well-being, we all fall sick at some point or the other during the course of our lives. Healthcare industry plays an important role in the same. The ILS Hospitals is one of such healthcare partners who ensure that the citizen of India stay in perfect health so that they can contribute towards the overall productivity of the nation.
Let’s understand the importance of it through a case study of its high-end maternity hospital and NICU.
Mrs. Sangita Mitra, a school teacher of age 32, was expecting twins. She was getting her check-up and medication under an obstetrics close to her residence. He advised her diet and medication and also estimated the due date at 36th week.
Things went smoothly for the first and second trimester. However, during the mid of 29th week, she suddenly felt a sharp pain and contraction. Her family immediately consulted her doctor. He expected it might be a case of a premature delivery. But as he had no access to advanced maternal care and handling premature babies, he recommended them to ILS Hospitals.
When she consulted and scheduled a check up to maternity ward of ILS Hospitals, well-qualified obstetrics admitted her immediately as she was experiencing labor. One of the twins, the baby boy, despite being born prematurely was healthy, but the other baby had certain difficulties. Without wasting precious moments, the doctors admitted the baby to the NICU.
The baby girl was suffering from respiratory trouble along with instability of heart rate. The doctors were present round the clock to keep a track of her vitals and to provide medical care. After 6 weeks, the baby girl was fit enough to be discharged from the NICU. Due to the timely intervention of medical treatment and care, she was saved from long-term complications.
The NICU of ILS Hospitals is highly capable of handling crisis that could threaten the survivability and complications (both long term and short terms) that a premature baby or critically ill baby may face. Round the year, ILS Hospital’s NICU saves lives of numerous babies.