How Dialysis Helps People Live a Normal Life?
Some say getting shots for diabetes each day is quite painful. But this pain is less as compared to undergoing a dialysis. Dialysis is one of the medical emergencies that needs a well-qualified doctor and well equipped hospital to carry out.
So, what is dialysis and why it is carried out?
Normally, kidneys of a healthy person filter about 1500 liters of blood in a day. If the kidneys do not function properly, then the waste builds up in the bloodstream. After a time period, it can lead the individuals to coma and eventually death. This medical emergency calls for the need of dialysis which is an artificial alternative to serve this function.
Dialysis is done about 1-3 times in a week, depending upon the type of dialysis and the condition of the patient. Each session goes on for about 3 to 4 hours. Dialysis averts the level of waste product from reaching the level when it will cause some serious damage to the body. Moreover, it removes the toxic stuffs from the bloodstream and maintains the level of water and minerals in the body.
Can dialysis be considered as a substitute for kidneys?
Apart from acting as a filter, kidneys also secrete chemicals that help in metabolism. Dialysis helps the person suffering from damaged kidneys. Apart from this treatment and medication, the patients also must ensure they keep in check the amount and type of food and drink they consume. No matter how advance medical science is, dialysis cannot replace the kidneys.
Dialysis from a young age can affect fertility in some people, especially women as compared to men. However, most of the people suffering from kidney damage can lead a normal live, work and travel, provided that their destination is suitable enough to carry out dialysis.
Whether to do it at home or at the hospital?
It can be carried out at home as well. But before making this decision, the patient and their caregiver must be aware of the entire process and mechanism thoroughly. It is suitable for only those patients who remain in stable condition during the procedure. Also, their home environment must be suitable for carrying out dialysis.
However, dialysis is best carried out in hospital, where doctors monitor and assist in case of any problem. Thus, it is advised to let the professions carry out these procedures in a more sterile and secure environment.
Why Taking Care of Surgical Wound is Essential and How to Do it?
In today’s disease-stricken world, every individual undergoes at least one surgery in his lifetime. Some have to make round trips to the operation theaters multiple times in their lifetime for the surgical treatment for diseases of several domains.
The surgical wounds are the spots on the body where the incisions are made to carry out the surgery. Hospitals these days use the laparoscopic surgery to minimize the area required to make the surgical cut. But no matter the size of the wound, infection can still be imminent, if proper care is not practiced.
The skin starts to heal on its own within a day or two post operation. This varies from person to person depending on the overall health condition and type of surgical procedure. Closing the cut with clips or stitches enhances the healing process significantly.
The size and the sensitivity of the incision depends upon the type of disease and its surgery. The wound can be closed either with clips, stitches or surgical glue, depending upon the size, location and the intensity of the bonding needed by the cut.
In case the surgery was a minor one and the doctors have used surgical glue, it is the best alternative one can imagine. In case, it is the dissolvable stitches, the work of patient becomes comparatively easy. But in case it is the non-dissolvable stitches, clips or staples, much more caution and care is needed to ensure sterility. Clips, stapler and stitches are removed by the doctor or a skilled nurse after 3 to 15 days after the surgical procedure.
What to do to ensure everything is alright?
Keeping the wound covered all the times ensures that the wound does not get contaminated with environmental pathogens. A covered wound is likely to heal three times quicker as compared to uncovered wounds. Use of antibiotic cream is also recommended, this further diminishes the risk of infection up to 18 percent.
Keeping the wound out of any contact with water is very vital, especially for the first 24 hours. Usually dressing for a major surgery is usually recommended to carry out by a professional. However, sometimes the patient himself might need to address it personally.
Removing any fluid coming out of the wound and keeping it dry is the optimal condition for healing. It reduces the overall risk of infection. Sometimes, exerting some pressure to the wound might also be needed to keep the stitch intact.
7 Early Signs of Pregnancy That You Shouldn’t Overlook
Long before your gynecologist confirms you the sign of two, your body gives you ample amounts of signs in its own way. Since pregnancy involves lots of physical, mental and psychological changes in the body. Keeping track of such changes can help you realize that you are expecting. However, not all women necessarily need to experience these, but the most common symptoms of early pregnancy are as follows-
Missing Periods
If you are missing your periods, it could mean either you are under a lot of stress, not having enough nutrients or you won’t be having it for the next nine months as well. The reason being, as the baby starts to develop, the menstrual blood would instead help the baby grow.
According to gynecologists, several women get confused about its actual cause and ignore it.
Tender Breasts
It is normal for breasts to be a little tender or feel painful while menstruating. But having sore breasts and darkening of nipples could be yet another sign of pregnancy. The hormonal change caused by the implantation of the embryo is the prime reason for the same.
Frequent Urination
Urinary tract infection can cause you to use the restroom more than normal, but frequent urination is also a sign of pregnancy as the growing embryo puts extra pressure on the bladder and makes you urinate every now and then.
Vaginal Discharge
It is also known as implantation spotting and is a common sign experienced by most of the pregnant women during the initial weeks of pregnancy. In fact, several of the women keep on having it until the second trimester. You can recognize it by having vaginal discharge and spotting.
Morning Sickness
If you are feeling dizzy, out of focus and nauseated, it could indicate that you are expecting. Several women find it more uncomfortable, especially in the morning and it becomes bearable throughout the day. Thus, deriving the name morning sickness. But it is a misnomer as it can onset at any time of the day and can last up to an entire day.
Feeling Exhausted
Feeling tired or exhausted even without doing any heavy work, it’s yet another symptom of the same. Especially if a good night’s sleep makes no significant changes.
Unexplainable Cravings
If you experience a craving for some particular food which you normally don’t, there is a possibility that you are being driven towards certain smells and taste. It is quite common during pregnancy.
If you feel any of these signs, then it could be an indication of pregnancy. To know for sure, you can either get a home pregnancy test or consult a gynecologist.
4 Short Term Complications Associated with Preterm Childbirth – Part II
The ideal time is essential for everything and for a very good reason, pregnancy period is no exception. Any baby born before completing 37 weeks of pregnancy suffers several long term as well as short term complications. We have discussed four of the more common short term complications suffered by a preterm baby earlier; and in this article, we will continue with four more such complications. So, here we go!
1. Blood profile troubles– Preterm babies are at risk of several abnormalities regarding their blood profile. Anemia and infant jaundice are two of the major concerns. In case of anemia, the red blood corpuscles (RBC) in the body drop significantly. Though it is not uncommon for babies to suffer from low rate of RBC during the initial months, but it becomes critical in case the count drops significantly. Repetitive blood taken out for carrying out lab tests also acts as a contributing factor for the same.
Infant jaundice is the condition characterized by discoloration and yellowing of skin and eye of newborn. This condition arises when the blood of the baby contains too much bilirubin (yellow pigmented substance) secreted from the liver or RBC.
2. Weak immune system– Due to the fact that a baby is born before it was ideally supposed to, the preemies are born with an underdeveloped immune system as compared to the baby born on time. Thus, they cannot cope up with infections effectively, which is quite common in that period. With less-effective immune system, the infection quickly spreads through the bloodstream and may lead to life threatening situations.
3. Gastrointestinal problems – A preterm baby is more susceptible to have an under-developed gastrointestinal system. This causes several associated complications like necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). In this condition, the linings of the bowel wall gets injured, as soon as the baby starts feeding. For this reason, it is recommended to only breastfeed till six months to lower the risks of NEC.
4. Metabolism problems – As soon as the baby is in the world and begins to feed, the importance of metabolic system comes into play. Preemies are likely to suffer from metabolic issues. The prime cause is, that the liver of a preterm baby cannot effectively convert the stored glycogen into glucose.
ILS Hospitals offers extensive care for preterm babies, until the time they become healthy enough to sustain on their own.
Heart Attack – 5 Alarming Signs of Possible Heart Attack
Several symptoms of heart attacks can be widely confused and overlooked by most of us. Thus, several people fail to get proper treatment on time. Know these to save a life.
As you are already familiar with the 5 signs of possible heart attack in our previous article. According to cardiologists the five alarming signs which mean possible heart attack.
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Sweating
Though it is quite common to sweat while doing any strenuous work, as a matter of fact, it is not unusual to sweat during summers. But sweating without any explainable reason can be quite alarming. In fact, it might be a sign your body is giving you of a possible heart attack. Get a checkup, even in case you are having a doubt.
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Irregular heartbeat
Another symptom that must be calibrated carefully is any abnormal heart rate. Heart beats faster in case of running or being excited, similarly it gets slower in case of being depressed or sad. But if any abnormalities are observed, it could be indicating something more serious than extra caffeine or inadequate sleep.
This condition is medically termed as trial fibrillation and is one of the signs of potential heart attack.
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Unstoppable cough
Usually, a cough (or a couple of) isn’t something that is related to heart. But repetitive cough without any cold or throat infection that won’t stop is a possible cause of heart attack. Especially a long lasting cough which produces ink or white mucus.
The reason of constant cough is that the heart cannot keep up with the requirement of the body and causes the blood to back flow to the lungs. If not taken care on time, this may result in bloating. The doctor may also look for swollen feet and ankles.
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Pain that spreads to the throat or jaw
Under normal conditions, the throat and jaw pain are mostly caused by a sinus, muscle pain or a cold. If the pain primarily generates from a chest discomfort that eventually travels upwards to the neck and jaw, it might be another sign of possible heart attack.
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Snoring
Snoring is that brief period of time, when the breathing pauses momentarily. Most of the people snore at some stage of life, for some, it is while aging, while other young people snore after a tiring day at the office. Snoring for a long time is yet another indication of the body towards a possible heart attack.
If you or any of your friends or family member experiences any of these symptoms, don’t keep making wild guesses and wait for it to get over on its own. Instead, let a doctor address the situation and give proper advice after assessing it.
Kidney Stones – Various Types of Kidney Stones
The Kidneys play a vital function in the body as it purifies the blood and creates urine. Kidney stones are hard particles accumulated over time. According to doctors, there are mainly four types of kidney stones. Let’s understand each of these in details.
Calcium stones- Most of the kidney stones are made up of calcium component, particularly the calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate along with traces of other minerals. Presence of high level of oxalate also contributes towards the formation of calcium kidney stones. Any episode of hyperparathyroidism elevates the risk of developing calcium stones in the future.
Use of certain medication may prevent calcium kidney stones.
Struvite stones– Some of the kidney stones are made up of struvite. It can occur in both kidney and urinary tract. If it’s left untreated for a long time, it grows larger in size, which is also known as staghorn calculi. Apart from causing kidney stones, it can also lead to urinary tract infection.
As it can get bigger in size with time due to accumulate, it is considered as a serious health crisis. It can also cause infection. The medical treatment includes antibiotics; and if nothing significantly changes for better, then it has to be removed by surgical intervention. Women are more susceptible to develop a UTI and struvite stones as compared to men.
Uric acid stones- Some kidney stones are comprised of uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product produced by the body. Usually it passes through the body before eliminating as waste, but if this passage gets interrupted, then it accumulates to form stones.
Usually certain medications are used to dissolve these stones to prevent its further formation. People who are more likely to suffer from uric acid kidney stones are as follows-
- Having low urine as output
- Consuming a diet rich in animal protein
- Significant increase in alcohol consumption
- Medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and Gout
Cysteine stones- Less common type of kidney stones are comprised of cysteine. It is a chemical substance present in urine in traces. But the individuals who possess a high concentration of cysteine in the urine are likely to develop this kind of kidney stone in the future.
Certain medicines can be used to prevent it from occurring, in case it has already been formed, use of medication may dissolve it. However, if it causes blockage in the urinary tract, it has to be removed by surgery.
Diabetes Package – Why Should One Go For Diabetes Package?
There are several diseases that have spread its reach, especially in the past few decades. One such diseases is diabetes. Until a few decades ago, diabetes was considered as an illness which you got only when you became older. But now, even people in their early twenties are becoming victims of this dreadful condition and availing diabetes treatment.
So, what is diabetes and why is it crucial to keep an eye on it from time to time? Diabetes is a medical condition in which the sugar content of the blood becomes alarmingly higher than usual. It leads to several other complications such as very slow rate of blood clotting. Blood clotting is the primary step of healing from every cut, bruise, injury and accident. As a matter of fact, it is mere one of several complications that diabetes brings along with it.
Timely detection can save you from many unpleasant side effects in future. For this, one needs to go for diabetes check-up (fasting and PP) twice a year. Also if you are dealing with diabetes, you need to watch out for several other aspects as well. This is where the decoding diabetes package comes into play. It is an ideal package for diabetes treatment.
It comprises of the following diagnosis-
- Complete Haemogram along with ESR profile
- Blood sugar fasting and PP
- Total cholesterol profile
- HBA1C
- SPGPT
- SGOT
- Serum Bilirubin and serum creatinine
- Urine for albumin and creatinine ration
- Urea
- ECG
Along with these diagnosis, consultation with a physician further helps you to properly understand your vitals and other parameters better. It has been brought to our notice that several times, people fail to understand properly their diagnosis as the report mostly comprises of a value along with its range. Thus, for better understanding, we, at ILS Hospitals, have included a consultation as a part of our package.
A timely diagnosis helps to keep track of your health and in case you feel any deviation from normal conditions. This ensures that you stay healthy and get proper treatment at the right time. So, if you or your loved ones are suffering from diabetes or are on the verge of diabetes, avail this package for a complete care.
Cosmetic Surgery – How are Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Different?
There are several terms that got popular, especially in recent times, and one of them is Cosmetic Surgery. Lately, people who can afford it are going for cosmetic surgery for better aesthetics. But what is cosmetic surgery? It is known by very few people. It is widely confused and interchanged with another set of aesthetic surgery branch, the plastic surgery.
We will understand the difference between the two and then focus on our prime topic – the cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgery is a wide branch of medicines and surgery that comprises of two sub-categories- cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery.
Though these branches are closely related, their main objective is entirely different. The plastic (reconstructive) surgery aims to improve the function of organs and to restore it in case it misaligned due to some injury or accident or a defect during birth. The cosmetic surgery, however, aims to enhance the aesthetics of an individual.
Now that you know the difference between these two terms, let’s resume the original topic of the article that is the cosmetic surgery. In several parts of the world, including India, the function of Cosmetic Surgery is often overlooked and underestimated. A lot of people actually rule this out of their life assuming it to be a part for only wealthy people who aren’t happy about themselves. According to them, it is a non-essential elective surgery, not a cup for common folks. However, it is not the actual scenario.
Several times, it is found that an individual suffering from low esteem due to some blemish within them. Previously, they had no choice but to live with it. But thankfully now, something can be done about it. From the hand of an experienced surgeon it is no less than a miraculous transformation.
Even though Cosmetic Surgery is becoming popular, it must be kept in mind, that every individual is not suitable for undergoing cosmetic surgery. Numerous medical and habitual factors must be calibrated carefully before making a decision. In several cases, the doctors postpone the procedure until the time the patient is through with psychological counseling.
One must understand this loud and clear that cosmetic surgery is a permanent change in the body and only after being absolutely positive, one should go ahead with it. It is one of the wonders of medical science for the people and we will bring more facts regarding the same very soon.
Gyneacology – Why go for ‘Well Women Package’?
Women are the nurturer of the world and true architect of the society. But sadly, most of them ignore their health for a major part of their life. According to Gynecologists of ILS Hospitals, the prime reason for overlooking medical needs are ignorance and taboo. Several women open up their physical discomfort and pain only when it becomes intolerable and reaches the chronic stage and unfortunately, only a little can be done about it.
Thus, we looked into this as a serious issue and came up with an affordable and complete health checkup package for every woman in India.
So what is the ‘well women’ health package?
Introduced by us at ILS Hospitals, it is a complete healthcare package for women. It covers all essential screenings that are required to ensure proper health. The well women package consists of the following screening-
- Complete haemogram with ESR profile
- PAP smear
- Blood sugar profile (fasting)
- Thyroid profile
- Urine test
- Mammography for women over 40 years
- USG breast screening for women below 40 years
- Chest X-ray
- ECG
- USG of entire abdominal cavity
Apart from the diagnosis and result, a consultation with the gynecologist helps to properly decode the reports, so the patient can get a clear picture of her health status. Also it helps the doctors to understand the patient’s health stability and which aspect of their health needs more attention.
Why it is recommended?
Proper diagnosis ensures the health status of the patient. If any abnormality is observed, its proper treatment can be sought as soon as possible. Usually it is found among women that they do not seek any medical help, let it be screening or consultation until they face some difficulties. This mindset needs to change, the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment must be impregnated in the mind of the society to build a healthy future.
Who are qualified to avail these?
Ideally, every woman should have it at least once in a year, starting from her mid-30s. But according to Gynecologists of ILS Hospitals, a lady should not delay it further than 45 years of age.
Why choose ILS Hospitals?
Several health care providers in Kolkata offer women checkup packages. But going for a ‘well woman checkup’ at ILS Hospitals is the best choice, not only from an economic point of view, but also because it consists of the precise set of screening which is needed to ensure proper health. We, at ILS Hospitals, understand that every woman is unique in her own way and has special needs, and thus offer appropriate consultation according to individual needs.
What Are The 5 Probable Signs Of Heart Attack You Should Watch Out For?
We have come across the saying ‘follow your heart’, but are you paying enough attention to your heart? Can you tell when your heart is not functioning properly? Probably not. In reality, heart attack necessarily does not onset with a clutch over heart closely followed by falling on the floor, like the way it is depicted in the movies. In fact, according to Cardiologists several heart attacks do not even begin with heart or even in the chest. Without proper knowledge it is often difficult to tell.
In case you are in doubt whether it is cardiac arrest or not, it is always advised to go for a checkup, especially if you are aged, overweight or have high blood pressure, sugar or cholesterol.
Look out for these signs in your loved ones and yourselves, which might be signs of heart attack.
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Chest Discomfort
It is the most alarming sign of any cardiac arrest. In case any of the artery is blocked, i.e. experiencing heart attack, it is more likely to suffer pain, pressure or tightness in the chest. The discomfort may vary from minute to mild to severe. Some describes it as a feeling of having a heavy object on the chest, while others describe it as a burning sensation.
Though some people experience heart attack even without any chest discomfort, especially women, it should be calibrated carefully.
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Pain which spreads to Arms
Due to blockage of artery, the left side of the body experience pain. It initiates from the chest and spreads through the arm, specifically on the left side. It may last up to a few minutes, and can occur in episodes, i.e. the pain comes and goes away.
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Heartburn or Indigestion
The occurrence of any or all of these signals should be considered as a possible sign of heart attack. Moreover, some may vomit along with it. As per Cardiologist, women are more likely to experience it as compared to men. These symptoms get easily neglected by most of the people as these symptoms happen to people every now and then due to acid reflux or improper diet as well.
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Fatigue or Exhaustion
Feeling fatigued even after doing some light work such as climbing stairs or taking a stroll. It may be a sign of weakness and it is not alarming if it occurs once or twice, but repeated occurrence of unexplained weakness, especially for women, should not be neglected and immediate help should be sought.
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Feeling Dizzy
Experiencing dizziness or out of balance or feel faint, it should be closely observed. Though it may be a result of inadequate food. But if it is combined with chest congestion, then it should ring a bell.
These signs are the most prominent of that of heart attack. So educate yourself, your family and colleagues for an early detection and timely treatment.
Watch out 5 more symptoms of possible heart attack here.