Saturday, November 29, 2008

Treatment Of Acne Scars And Chickenpox Scars

Acne scars and chickenpox scars sometimes are very pronounced. Chickenpox scars could be more pronounced and ugly as compared to acne scars. Everyone especially the women are striving to look beautiful and younger but the scars sometimes may lead to depressed feelings. There is nothing to worry about since the modern medicine has multiple options to treat chickenpox scars as well as the acne scars. Procedures like microdermabrasion, laser assisted scar revision, chemical peeling and punch elevation are available. A suitable procedure could be carried out after clinical assessment and evaluation of skin type. These procedures are also capable of treating hyperpigmentation of skin characterized by black to brownish black pigmentation. Oily skin and dry skin need a different type of treatment. However, a patch test is must before a chemical peeling treatment to rule out allergy to chemicals. Pre and post treatment care is must for the best results. Consult an expert dermatologist for the best results and get rid of acne scars and chickenpox scars.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Cataract Is An Aging Complication

Frankly speaking, the cataract (opacity of the lens of an eye) is not a disease but an aging complication of eyes. Cataract may occur in majority of people in older age group. You may call it an invisible sign of aging which impair our vision. However, incidence is more in patients affected by diabetes and hypertension. Industrial works having exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation are probably at risk of developing cataract early in life. Excessive use of eye drops containing steroids could also increase the chances of developing cataract faster. Each of our eyes contains a transparent lens. As the age advances or we cross the age of 50 years, the lens of one or both the eyes may start becoming opaque, impairing our vision as the light may not pass onto the retina of our eye. Blurring of images, difficulty in night driving and double vision are the signs of cataract and anybody with these signs of cataract should consult an eye specialist. Nothing to worry. Cataract is 100 per cent treatable through eye surgery.


Cataract surgery is done under local anesthesia of eye and takes less than 30 minutes. In cataract surgery opaque lens of the eye is removed and an artificial new lens is implanted in the eye. Phacoemulsification is a new and advanced technique of cataract surgery employed in majority of the eye care centers through out the world. Phacoemulsification technique is a stitch less and painless procedure of cataract surgery. Majority of the cases could be operated with anesthetic eye drops and only very old people may need inject-able local anesthesia. In phacoemulsification the opaque lens of the affected eye is emulsified and sucked out through a small hole and the new lens is implanted through the same small hole. Results of phacoemulsification technique of cataract surgery are documented to be excellent even in immature or partially developed cataract. The phacoemulsification surgery is not a costly procedure. Patient may move to his home within 2 hours of surgery. Eye drops medication for one to two weeks with a follow up evaluation and refraction for glasses and your vision is perfect. Take special of your eyes and avoid self medication and injudicious use of eye drops containing steroids.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Food For Health And Fitness

Health is not mere absence of disease or infirmity but a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. An optimal amount of balanced diet is essential for individuals of all age groups. Environmental factors do influence our dietary requirements. Food is essential to build up the body to make it fit for wear and tear and cope with environmental conditions and infectious agents. Food acts as fuel for the production of heat and energy in our body. Our nutritional requirements include adequate proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, minerals and vitamins.


Daily requirement of an adult is in the range of 60 to 80 grams of protein, 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates (starches and sugars), 70 to 100 grams of fat, 3-5 grams of salt and minerals and some milligrams/units of vitamins. Vitamins are an integral part of some food stuffs. Proteins are of two types. Animal proteins are rich in essential amino-acids, but plant proteins lack certain essential amino-acids. There are 8 essential amino-acids and a complete protein food should contain at least 5 of them. We require a mixed diet that is a diet consisting of foodstuffs derived from animals and plants as no single article of food contains all the essential proportions of diet materials cited above. Milk and cheese are rich source of casein, a protein. Eggs and meat are rich source of essential amino-acids containing proteins. Other sources of proteins are Soya beans, pulses and agar-agar. Water constitutes 80 to 85 per cent of our daily diet intake. Fruits and vegetables are rich source of carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vegetable oils are source of fat with unsaturated fatty acids. Different foodstuffs have different heat generating value that is Caloric value. One gram of protein has a heat value of 4 Calories, 1 gram of carbohydrate also has 4 Calories and 1 gram of fat has a heat value of 9 Calories. The Caloric value of a balanced diet for an adult male per day should be 2500 to 3000 Calories. A woman needs about 2200 Calories daily for good health and fitness.

Is Noninvasive Coronary Angiography Possible

Yes, noninvasive coronary angiography is possible. Those who are not interested for trans radial coronary angiography or coronary angiography through femoral artery may opt for noninvasive coronary angiography which is performed by Computed Tomography Scan (CT Scan) procedure. The dazzling resolution and speed of 64-slice CT Scan is capable of imaging the cardiovascular system. Through computer aided software it is possible to freeze the cardiac motion to achieve the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Through CT Scan 64 thin slices, each with 360-degree rotation of the x-ray tube are achieved. The entire heart could be imaged with in 6 to 8 minutes as one slice image takes hardly 0.35 seconds. After the scan, the data is processed with image handling software on the CT workstation using volume rendering technique. Noninvasive coronary angiography is cost effective and less time consuming. One may have second opinion on the diagnosis before going for treatment.


Cause of Coronary Artery Disease: Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed down due to deposition of fat or plaques. The arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle are called coronary arteries. The buildup of plaque on the inner side of coronary arteries is known as atherosclerosis. Enormous increase in the size of plaque may lead to partial or complete blockage of a coronary artery, thereby reducing the flow of oxygenated blood to the cardiac muscle. Lack of oxygen supply and nutrients to the cardiac muscle may result in angina. Long duration of CAD may weaken the heart muscle and cause heart failure or arrhythmias. Heart failure means the heart is unable to pump the required amount of blood to various parts of body and does not advocate the complete cessation of function of heart. Arrhythmias means changes in the normal beating rhythm of the heart or apex beat. In some cases, the first sign of the CAD may be a heart attack. A heart attack may happen when a blood clot formed due to broken plaque completely blocks a coronary artery.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Parkinson’s Disease And Ayurvedic Treatment

Parkinson's disease is a neuromuscular disorder that could affect individuals of both the sexes in advanced age. It is a sort of motor neuron disorder. By the time primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) like tremors or trembling of hands, arms and legs appear; more than 60 per cent of dopamine producing cells of brain would have been lost. Postural instability stuttering of voice and stiffness of limbs and trunk are other signs of Parkinson's disease. Dopamine has been established as an important messenger of brain for coordinating motor neuron function. There are two types of neurons in our body. The neurons which carry impulses out from the brain to the tissues are called efferent neurons and the neurons
which carry impulses to the brain from the tissues are called afferent neurons. Efferent neurons which supply impulses to the muscles and produce movement are called motor neurons and which supply impulses to the glands and produce secretion are called secretory neurons. Afferent neurons are also known as sensory neurons since these help us to assess a feeling of touch, pain and heat or cold. Incidence of PD is more in men as compared to women. Sometimes early signs of the disease could be confused with other neurological problems and may go unnoticed. Patients may find tremors or shaky movements in any one side of their body or in limbs even at rest. People suffering from PD need support and encouragement to tide over emotional stress. Massaging and exercise could be of great help to rehabilitate a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease. Physiotherapy and confidence building counseling are always fruitful for these patients. The nature has blessed the mankind with herbs for treatment of all ailments. Ayurvedic masters have explored the medicinal values of different parts of medicinal plants to great extent. Use of Ashwagandha or Ginseng (Withania samnifera) have been described as an effective herbal treatment for PD. Beans of Kapikachhu (Mucuna pruiens) have also been found to be treatment of choice for PD since
these are rich in L-dopa and have been validated through experimental studies. Gaduchi (Tinosporia cordifolia) and Jyotishmati (Celestrus paniculatum) are other herbs which could provide effective treatment in PD. An experienced Ayurvedic physician could be of great help to fight off the complications of Parkinson's disease.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Dental Implant Is Better Than Partial Denture For Missing Tooth

We are destined to have only two sets of teeth in our life. The temporary set of teeth is completed between the age of 2 to 2.5 years. The temporary teeth are twenty in number, ten in each jaw. Permanent teeth are thirty-two in number, sixteen in each jaw and start coming through at the age of 6 years. The permanent set should be completed at the age of 14 years. The teeth should always be taken care and cleaned twice daily. The accidents or some oral
diseases can not be avoided where a tooth or some teeth are lost or need to be extracted. Now you could have two options for replacement of missing tooth a) removable tooth or b) permanent dental implant. Dental implant is the greatest advancement of modern dental medicine. Dental implants are customized and specially designed and manufactured from titanium and surgically implanted to replace the missing tooth. The success rate of dental implant fixation and tolerance is 100 per cent. These give more natural appearance and easy to clean. Dental implants are becoming preferred option among patients with missing teeth.


Dental implant placement time may vary on case basis. In some cases implant can be done in a single sitting, however, it may also take 6 weeks including final crown fixing. A single stage implant could go all the way through gum at the initial placement and in many cases it is safe to place the implant and the crown in a single sitting. If you have missing tooth, dental implant could be simple, predictable and everlasting solution to your problem. Keep smiling keep healthy.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Trans Radial Coronary Angiography Is Better Than Through Femoral Artery

Coronary artery is the life line of our heart since it brings oxygenated blood and minerals to the heart. Our heart is the custodian of our life as it pumps oxygenated blood to our entire body throughout life. Blood supply to the heart may get impaired if the coronary artery gets clogged. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a serious heart ailment and needs to be evaluated properly to plan appropriate therapy. Heart disease could be suspected from the symptoms like chest pain and breathlessness associated with abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography and tread mill test (TMT). If there is any suspicion of heart disease that needs to be conformed by coronary angiography and further management depends on the type of blockages revealed by angiography.


Coronary angiography procedure is performed under local anesthesia, in a cardiac catheterization laboratory equipped with x-ray machine and ultrasonography machine. Local anesthetic is injected into the skin just above the blood vessel to numb the area at the wrist. A special type of cardiac catheter is inserted through the radial artery of the wrist. The conventional procedure carried out earlier was through the femoral artery of the groin region. The only pain experienced by the patient is that of the injection of local anesthetic. The catheter does not hurt at all. The tip of the catheter is pushed just inside the coronary artery and then radio opaque dye is injected through the catheter into the artery. Several x-ray films are exposed rapidly as the dye is injected and recorded as a moving picture called angiogram. The procedure demonstrates the radio opaque dye passing through the coronary artery and thereby any narrowing or blockage of the artery. The catheter is pulled out gently after the procedure is over and the site of insertion is kept pressed for at least 10 minutes to avoid any bleeding and let the wound sealed with blood clot.


Trans radial coronary angiography is less time consuming and emotional stress free as compared to coronary angiography through the femoral artery route. The patient needs not to be hospitalized. There are minimal chances of infection since our arms are cleaner as compared to groin area. Patient can go home within hours after the procedure. However, trans radial coronary angiography needs more expertise for the cardiologist. There is minimal scope for serious complications.

Lipolysis Is Better Than Liposuction

Lipolysis has been proved to be better option than liposuction for body reshaping. Laserlipolysis is an advanced, laser assisted body reshaping technique by way of removing of excessive fatty tissue. We do exercise to burn fat but lipolysis procedure is applied to remove the localized fat deposits impossible to be got ridden off through regular exercise. Laserlipolysis is a better option for the people who want to improve their figure through mechanized removal of fat from some focal areas of their body. The lipolysis procedure is less traumatic than the traditional liposuction and there is no loss of blood and lesser recovery time. As the procedure involves minimal invasion it could be a 'walk in and walk out' procedure for most of the treated areas. Patients have not to be hospitalized and may join work after 24 hours. Laserlipolysis activates the breaking up of the membranes of fat cells, transforming them into oily substance that is eliminated through natural absorption process. Harmonious body shape could be achieved without any side effects. Laserlipolysis procedure could also be performed in the areas typically unsuitable for traditional liposuction. An experienced 'skin specialist and cosmetic surgeon' could effectively treat areas like the face, neck, ankles, calf and double chin. Procedure could also be applied for reducing breast size. The advantage of laserlipolysis over liposuction is that the skin remains naturally tight, which was not possible with liposuction.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sleep and Mental Health

Human beings are adapted to biphasic life. In association with the law of nature, we should work during the day time and sleep at night. Daily requirement of an adult male or female is 6 to 8 hours of sleep. However, present day lifestyle, job compulsions and emergency services as well as help desk services have changed the bio-profile of our life. Doctors, hospital staff, industrial workers on shift duty could not sleep well or get very less time to sleep. Other times some people sleep less due to family responsibilities. Massive sleep deprivation is similar to the effect of alcoholic intoxication. Accumulated sleep debt affects our mental physiology. Sleep is must for the growth of infants and children, too. Sleep derivation is dangerous for your health and the life of fellow beings, too, if you are on the steering wheel. A sleep deprived driver is as dangerous as a drunk driver.


Sleep deprived
persons put to simulated driving test perform as though taken 6 to 8 ounces of alcohol. Sleep deprivation affects our efficiency and impair our judgment. A sleep deprived person would always make more mistakes as compared to a person who had enjoyed rest and sleep. No food or drug could replace sleep and its revitalizing effect. Massive sleep deprivation may lead to behavioral disorders. If you do not sleep you can not have dreams of creativity. Sleep is a composite phenomenon essential for life. You must find sufficient time to sleep daily. To me sleep is a ritual.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Personality Development Tips

Our attitude and conviction play a vital role in our personality. Coordination between the mind and body improves our self confidence. Our mental health is key factor for grooming our self confidence and attitude. Here are some tips which may definitely help you improve your personality.

  1. Emotional Control: The very first thing needs to be learnt is the control over emotions. Never blame others for your failures. The worst emotion is the anger and it could be managed efficiently. Feel great and forgive. Fold your hands to calm down your inner self. Discuss your problem with friends.

  2. Self Confidence: Knowing your potential is the first point of self confidence. Only you know best about your strengths and weaknesses. Always remember that you are unique and none can beat you in your field of expertise. Always do your best to fulfill the expectations of others. Celebrate your achievements.

  3. Body Language: Your body language reflects your attitude and temperament towards others. Respect others and others will respect you. Your dress code should suit your social status and age group.

  4. Positive Attitude: Love your existence and the nature. The beauty of the heavenly bodies instill positive attitude. The sun rises every morning as a routine but it is always refreshing. Admire the beauty of flowers and appreciate good qualities of others. Appreciate the work of your juniors.

  5. Social Consideration: Take interest in the work and well being of others. Let others feel comfortable in your presence. Try to help the needy people if you can. Never harm others for your personal gain. Avoid using abusive language.

  6. Consideration for Others: Understand and respect the feelings of others. Always remember that everybody wants recognition and appreciation. Try to help those who could not help themselves.

  7. Creative Thinking: Always aspire to learn new things with apt attention. Creative thinking keeps our brain active and adds to our desire to explore new things. The very soundness of your mind opens up new horizons and elevates your perception and personality.

  8. Humor and Laughter: Humor and laughter lubricate our mind and rejuvenate our physical body. Sound mind would always keep your body sound and outlook charming.

  9. Accept Challenges with Responsibility: The more you feel responsible the more you feel dynamic. The moment you get involved in a task of responsibility, you overcome barriers of time and space. Fulfilling a responsibility refresh your mind and personality.

  10. Celebrate Your Achievements: Be the master of your destiny. If you are a boss, respect your juniors and thank God for your position. If you are a subordinate, respect your boss and fellow colleagues. Celebrate your achievements. Always learn from those who perform better than you and try to perform better than them. Appreciate the efforts and good work of others. Live happy and peaceful.