A Brief Introduction of Osteoporosis
Our body is made up of bones, muscles, nerves and lots other. We all must have a healthy balanced meal in order to ensure that our body function properly. But several people discover their health, especially in terms of their bone strength, starts degrading with time. You can find several people dealing with bone diseases and discomfort in Orthopedics clinics.
And osteoporosis is one of the most common disease affecting numerous lives all across the world. The term osteoporosis, is self-explanatory as, it is derived from the Greek language, literally meaning ‘porous bones’. Thus, osteoporosis is a disorder in which, the bones of the individual lose its strength, becomes porous in nature and thereby the chances of broken bones increases significantly. Several orthopedic clinics specialize and focus on this particular disease to help people dealing with osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is clinically defined as a condition of low value of peak bone mass and usually defined as less than 2.5 bone density. This is estimated with the help of a screening called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the hip.
Osteoporosis can affect individual of any age group, but usually the chances of occurrence of the same is greatly higher among people of the elderly age group. The calcium content of the bones drops beyond what is considered as safe or normal. Thus, leaving the bones highly susceptible to breakage or damage, up to a point where even a minor slippage can cause hairline fracture or more.
The bones that are more likely to suffer the consequences are usually the backbone, hip bones, and forearm. Recognizing osteoporosis is often too tricky, mainly because there are no early symptoms of the same. Most people only come to realize after a bone breaks and the individual is likely to suffer from chronic pain and lose the ability and agility to carry out routine work.
In order to mitigate or at least delay the entire event of osteoporosis, an individual must be careful since their mid age itself. Mostly because once the bone starts to lose bone density, its recovery becomes tricky. Apart from changing into better diet and exercise, one must also be careful and avoid slipping or falling. Also, making changes in lifestyle and habits such as to quit smoking and drinking is also recommended by several Orthopedics.
Types of Teeth and Their Functions
While brushing your teeth daily, do you ever consider, how helpful these little white dressed soldiers are for us? Toddlers often use these as defense and attack weapons as well, but ideally teeth are designed to chew food, assist in digestion and of course to support facial muscles. When any of these purpose gets obstructed, we need a visit to the Dentist.
Teeth are an important part of the human body. Based on the time of its onset, teeth are primary and permanent. The primary teeth are 20 in numbers, but, more importantly, are the permanent ones, these are 32 in numbers. Each tooth is unique in shape and function. Today, let’s explore the types of teeth and its function.
1. Incisors
These are eight in numbers and are in the central front of the mouth, four each, on upper and lower jaws. It erupts at the age of 6 months and then later between age 6 to 8, making it the first teeth to sprout. Apart from biting the food, it also helps to pronounce words and support the lips.
2. Canines
These are four in numbers and placed immediately next to each of the outermost incisors. These are the sharpest teeth and helps to tear the food along with supporting the lips. It sprouts between 16 to 20 months, primarily and then between 11 to 12 years later.
3. Premolars
Also known as bicuspids, these are eight in numbers, four in each jaw, two on each side. These are crucial for grinding and chewing the food, it also supports the cheeks. The first set shows up at age around ten and the second set follows about a year later
4. Molars
Just like the prior type, molars also help chewing and grinding of food, along with supporting cheeks. These are eight in number, four in each jaw, and two on each side. Out of these, the first molars erupt at the age of about 6 and the second molars first erupts between 11 and 13 and stay permanent.
5. Third molar
These are more commonly called as wisdom teeth and are four in numbers. These lay at the extreme end of the jaw. These are the last teeth to erupt around at the age of 20 to 25, however, some may never develop these their entire lives. Several times, these wisdom teeth get crowded because of molar and need surgical removal.
So, take good care of your teeth, and if needed take the help of Dentist, because remember what Mallory Hopkins said,
“Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.”
How Satisfying It Is to Get A Plastic Surgery?
Change is inevitable. Change in weight and appearance can usually be achieved through proper diet, exercise and make over. However, sometimes the degree of change desired is so varied and specific that it calls out for the special medical intervention – plastic or cosmetic surgery.
To undergo a cosmetic surgery is often a much more delicate topic than anticipated earlier. Thus, any such decision should be taken with utmost care and sound mind. It should be sought solely for the enhancement and improvement of one’s personal life and under no circumstances, it should be done under the influence or due to fad.
For the past few decades, the plastic and cosmetic surgeries have become much more viable and accessible. Due to its excellent results and timely recovery, it has become more commercialized, accessible and affordable these days.
But the most important question remains, whether getting a plastic surgery is a positive experience? Though people may have a different opinion regarding the same, the most widely accepted answer is a big yes. It is one thing to say or suggest an individual to live with deformities and accept as they are, and an entirely different thing to be that individual themselves.
Prior to surgery, several people often hide themselves, due to consciousness and lack of confidence. Having a plastic surgery transforms the deformities and improves the physical condition drastically. Along with it, the individual also experiences a significant positive change in terms of emotion as well; mainly due to higher self-esteem and confidence.
But before jumping on-board with any such procedure looking for and getting a well-qualified doctor is extremely important. Having an authentic and well experienced doctor is vital for the success of the procedure. Any experiment or inexperience can have catastrophic results on the body. However, there is one non-medical aspect everyone who is planning to undergo plastic surgery must keep in mind – having realistic expectations.
One must bear in mind that altering or beautifying a particular or even multiple physical entity can alter or improve their quality of life. However, it is not a magic solution and will not fix all their problems.
Thus, in a nutshell, it can be stated that a plastic surgery is a medical procedure that enhances the quality of life by altering and mainly improving the physical aspects of an individual.
Adopt These 5 Healthy Habit to Manage Your Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is becoming a major threat all over the world and India is no exception for the same. Today, even young people are becoming a target of this dreadful disease. Several clinics, independent doctors and hospitals provide diabetes treatment.
One interesting fact about diabetes is that it can be managed well with medication and dedication towards health.
Here are the following few healthy habits, which, if you practice regularly, can keep the ill effects of diabetes Type 2 at bay.
Consume a healthy diet
Include every nutrients like, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, in your diet, but in the correct proportions. Eat an ample amount of fibers in your diet as snacks. It is usual to have munchies several times a day being diabetic. Thus, go for healthier snack option.
Several doctors and clinics offers a diet chart as part of the diabetes treatment.
Exercise daily
Make out time every day for some exercise. Even if you are a busy person, try to dedicate at least 15-20 minutes each day, for at least five days in a week. If you are new to the whole concept, start with the free hand exercise before trying aerobics and other strenuous activities.
Eventually, increase the time and effort for the same.
Keep a track of sugar level
Also keep the blood sugar profile in check every 3- 4 months. Go for a preplanned fasting and PP, instead of a random sugar test for better evaluation. Start, an early screening, in case, any of your parents has diabetes as well. Similarly, ask your children to be more cautious as well, if you have it.
Have an adequate sleep
Sleep at least for 6 to 8 hours daily in order to give time to your body to recover and rejuvenate. For the same, make a sleep schedule and adhere to it for a week. Eventually, your body will adjust with this new sleeping ritual.
Lead a healthy lifestyle
Apart from the diabetic gene, your lifestyle contributes a lot for the same as well. It can delay or even mitigate your diabetes. Some of the healthy habits include Stop smoking and using other tobacco products, limiting the consumption of alcohol, and taking the medications as prescribed by the doctor.
How Too Much Salt Consumption Can Deteriorate Your Health?
Food without spices is somewhat difficult to imagine, especially in a country like India. However, excessive use of anything can have adverse effects on our health. And one of the most overused things in every kitchen is without doubt, salt. Over consumption of salt can cause severe problems to the heart and can ultimately cause cardiac emergency.
Salt is very important in terms of taste and its composition. Sodium and chlorine is essential for our body to function well. Moreover, the addition of the Iodine to the salt makes it even more vital for daily consumption. However, over-consumption can be drastic, especially for the heart and the blood vessels.
Too much salt can exert excessive pressure on the interior walls of the blood vessels, namely the arteries. The muscles of the arteries grow stronger in order to cope up with this extra strain. It works for a while, but eventually, the space left for blood flow becomes even more restricted and elevates the pressure even more.
This goes in a cyclic pattern, usually over a period of years, after which, the chances of having clogged arteries increase significantly. It can also cause the arteries to burst. The respective organ receiving blood from any of the particular artery gets cut off from its blood supply and gets damaged.
Now we have to narrow our topic to heart and its restricted artery. At the beginning, the heart receives a slightly lesser amount of blood. It triggers a condition called the angina, a sharp pain in the chest, especially while being active. Slowly, the cardiac cells lose their affectivity and functional ability, mainly due to lesser exposure to oxygen and other nutrients.
If the salt over-consumption continues, bursting or clogging of the artery becomes inevitable. This may lead to heart attack, this is one of the major clause which claims several lives every year.
The good news is, lowering blood pressure and eliminating a large portion of salt from diet can make a significant change in the overall health condition. Also, it is advised to take timely measures for the same.
In fact, mitigating the excess amount of salt from the diet is actually one of the easiest ways of keeping the heart healthy. Without a doubt, it is much easier than consuming a lot of medicines.
Cochlear Implant Surgery – A Hearing Gift from Medical Science
Saying goes- one the most beautiful things in the world is the music. It has no barrier in language or any other constraints. Unfortunately, it becomes insignificant if one is impaired in hearing. There could be several reasons for the same. According to ENT specialist, one can either lose their hearing power gradually over time, suddenly, due to an accident or they could be born with this disability.
Thankfully, there are several medical arrangements for the same in today’s era. ENT Specialists these days are using an exceptionally powerful implant called the Cochlear Implant – A revolutionary medical approach that enables the majority of the patient to experience sound.
The cochlear implant is a medical electronic device. It can be considered as an alternative mechanism to compensate for the improper function of the inner ear. It is more advanced as compared to hearing aids, which only enhances the intensity of external sounds. The cochlear implant, on the other hand, bypasses the damaged inner ear and propagate the signal directly to the brain.
Cochlear implant is helpful for the patients with the following conditions-
- Moderate to significant hearing loss in one/both ears
- Had very little or no help from the hearing aids
- Score less than 50 (sometimes 60) percent on sentence recognition, evaluated by hearing professionals.
Several people are bilateral, i.e. have these implant in both ears. It can improve various functions of the ears, such as identifying the direction of sound or to segregate the desired sounds from the undesired ones.
Our success story
Recently, a patient had a successful cochlear implant surgery at one of our facilities, i.e. in ILS Hospital Agartala. The patient was very young, a boy of about five. Being a child of only five years of age, a significant learning period was ahead of him. Since hearing is a huge step of learning itself, this implant will help him direct his life towards a new and better direction.
Needless to say, this implant will make a significant change in his life from now on. A glimpse of his positive life ahead, can be seen by the letter of acknowledgement sent by his father. We hope and pray for his healthy and prosperous life.
Also, we encourage the parents and guardians of such children to come ahead and get evaluated for the same. A little awareness and efforts can make their lives so much better.
Why Infertility In Men Is On The Rise In India Lately?
Having progenies ensure the continuity of the human race on Earth. But lately, several people are coming up with the problem of infertility. Both males and females are suffering from it these days. You can find out the main reason for infertility among women here, for which one should consult a gynecologists.
Though we have one perk regarding potential fatherhood has over motherhood. That is, the age of the father is much less of significance against the age of the mother. This might look like a major advantage. However, the problem of fertility has increased among men alarmingly.
Here are some of the reasons for the same:
Overweight/obesity
Having weight more than one can manage is always harmful for health. Recently, several studies have found a close relation between men being infertile with being obese or immensely overweight. Apart from physical difficulties, the extra weight also negatively affects the fertility factors significantly.
Lifestyle and stress
Following a sedentary lifestyle such as huge consumption of alcohol and other drugs can cause low sperm count. Also, the long working hours and work related stress, effects these factors largely.
Though a skilled gynecologist can trace this problem, it is always advised to seek a doctor’s expertise in handling infertility cases.
UTIs and STDs
Even though the occurrence of UTI in men is much less as compared to female, having a UTI can affect fertility. Especially recurring UTIs possess more severe threats.
Several of the men in both rural and urban regions often gets indulged with multiple partners. No matter how careful one is, this practice can cause STDs. Though, some of the STDs are resolved with medications, while few others have catastrophic results and infertility is one of them.
Prior medical history, includes congenital diseases / sterility
Several diseases that might have affected in prior life may leave some traces of several problems in the future. This includes trauma, hydrocele, mumps, malaria, cryptorchidism, testicular cancer and several other.
Strenuous physical activities and injuries
Numerous physical activities like, bicycling and horseback riding that demand vigorous movements, can also have an adverse effect on the fertility of men. Additionally, sports like cricket, football, wrestling and other martial arts may also increase the risk of any accident that can directly or indirectly cause infertility.
Wearing supportive and protective garments during these activities mitigates the risk up to a large extent. Thus, staying in good health is essential for personal reasons and also for ensuring a safe parenthood.
5 Habits That Are Ruining Your Teeth More Than You Realize
As Mallory Hopkins once said, “Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.” Indeed, teeth are one of the most useful part of the body. Though, nowadays, with the help of medical science, one can get a new set of teeth, but nothing can replace the original one.
With time, the wear and tear leads to corrosion of teeth, wrong types of food and drinks are major players for the same. However, some of the activities also cause significant damage to them. Here are 5 habits that can lead to damage of your teeth in the long run.
- Brushing too harshly– Though brushing is always encouraged since childhood, brushing with aggression is bad for your teeth. This counts for both hard bristles and wrong technique. Also, the time of brushing is also important.
Choose the right brush, use a lighter hand and adequate time dedicate towards it.
- Sucking on thumb– Thankfully, this habit wears off as you grow up. But the children who keep doing the same can damage their own teeth. This includes mainly the misalignment of the teeth.
Monitor your child for these behaviors and discourage them. Seek help, if required.
- Clenching jaws and teeth– also known as bruxism, is the habit, by which you keep clenching your upper and lower jaws to each other. It can cause severe damage and tooth decay, along with fractures and craze line. Bruxism is one of the most serious and troubled habit that can cause you harm in more than one way.
Seek medical help as soon as you realize having it. In case of doubt, let a dentist examine your teeth and jaw.
- Misusing teeth– chewing things too often that exerts too much pressure on your teeth is yet another factor for teeth damage. This includes chewing pen or pencil, ice, hard candy or even fingernail.
Try to avoid using your teeth as package opener as well. Instead, opt for the healthier option for both chewing and cutting stuffs.
- Bad habits such as chewing tobacco and cigars– the tobacco contents reduce the flow of blood to the gums. Apart from harming your respiratory system, it also challenges the wellbeing of your teeth and gums as well. The dental problem associated with the same, ranges from mere appearance, bad breath, teeth decay to even oral cancer.
Quit these bad habits as soon as possible for a better life and if problem still persists then don’t hesitate to look out for help from the dentist.
Why Child Health Checkup Package is an Apt Health Choice for Your Kid?
As rightly Malala Yousafzai has said, “Let us remember: one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” The health and wellbeing of the children are one of the most important factors for any country to have a stable and strong. Typically the journey of a healthy child begins as a healthy baby.
In fact, the health and care of an infant are usually carried out in several hospitals. However, once the child crosses the infancy line, the growing years become susceptible to several infections adding potential medical harm.
Thankfully, most of them are cured with the help of medical treatment. But, the stress, time, money and energy spend for the same can be reduced significantly with proper planning of the future.
Keeping these factors in mind, ILS Hospitals offer a unique health checkup package specifically designed for the needs of the children. It is called the child health checkup package. It has the following screening,
- Blood sugar- Fasting
- Complete hemoglobin profiles with ESR
- Urine routine examination
- Stool routine examination
- Eye screening
- ENT screening
- Dental screening
- ABO grouping and Rh factor
With this package, a consultation with the pediatrician is complementary. The pediatrician helps the family of the ward to understand the report of the diagnosis. Also, they segregate the health factors that need immediate attention from the other, which can be assured to be harmless for a long period of time.
In case any serious trouble is shown in the report, proper care in terms of cure and treatment can be availed to the child. This will not only reduce the treatment procedure and time, but will also mitigate several other risk factors associated with it for the future.
To illustrate this point, let’s assume a child lives in pre-diabetic state for roughly 5-7 years before belonging to the diabetic category. By monitoring the blood sugar profile from time to time, not only it can be delayed but it can also be mitigated. Timely measures make a huge difference for almost all the diseases.
It is extremely beneficial and also affordable for most of the families. Doctors recommend to take this checkup at least once every year to be on the safe side. In case any deflection form normal is diagnosed, prompt steps can be taken to address the problem.
Why Infertility In Women Is Lately On A Rise In India?
Infertility is a condition of not being capable of conceiving a baby naturally. The problem of infertility is increasing among women in India lately. Know what reasons might be acting as the prime cause for it.
Our children are our future. But nowadays, lots of women are coming up to gynecologists with the problem to conceive a child naturally. Infertility is the medical condition, in which a couple fails to conceive a baby naturally even without any birth control means. The reason for the same could either be due to biological constraints in men, women or a combined factor of both.
The problem in on rise, especially since a past few decades. In fact, a rise of 30-35 percent of infertility has been recorded in the past 10 years.
According to the gynecologists in Kolkata, the following reasons are the prime factor for causing infertility in women-
-
Sedentary lifestyle and stress
The consumption of alcohol or smoking regularly can cause an abrupt disturbance of the hormonal balance in the body. Not getting enough amount of a sleep, having persistent stress, spending too much time on TV and other electronic, lack of yoga or physical exercise etc., also comes under the sedentary lifestyle. The environmental pollution that we remain exposed to also act as a factor.
-
Being obese or extremely underweight
Having poor nutrition for a long time can either result in being obese or extremely underweight. Though being obese directly does not cause infertility, but it causes hindrance in terms of irregular periods, insulin resistance, sexual incompatibility etc. Being in any of the extreme side of weight zone can cause serious trouble for conceiving.
-
Late marriage and family planning
During the past decades, women are more career oriented than they used to be earlier, due to improvement in social and emotional context. These days, most of the educated women aim to establish their professional lives before settling down or having kids. Thus, by the time they are ready to start a family, they cross the threshold age limit and the fertility begins to decline significantly.
-
Sexual relationship with multiple partners
The concept of monogamous relations in India is largely getting diluted. These days, several women engage themselves with multiple partners, which leads to sexually transmitted infection and thus the fertility gets affected in a negative way.
-
Birth defect or other medical constraints early menopause
Some women are born with a rare medical condition which makes them incapable of bearing any kids naturally. This can either be conditions where the woman is born without a uterus or having sterile reproductive organs.
Practice healthy living, enjoy the happiness of motherhood!