Salads may cause Neurocysticercosis

It is well known that infestation with tapeworm in pork-eaters may cause neurocysticercosis when the infection reaches the brain through the blood. In India majority of vegetarians or salad-eaters and non pork-eaters have also been showing the disease. Neurocysticercosis have been found to be more prevalent in salad-eater children as compared to adults. Vegetables like cabbage, carrot, beat and radish, eaten raw could lead to cysticercosis. Farm workers should be educated to wash the vegetables in clean water before marketing or consuming. Contaminated water used for irrigation and washing the vegetable before marketing is the major cause of increasing incidence of neurocysticercosis in the rural and urban population in developing countries. Vegetarians and those who do not eat pork are equally at risk due to their salad eating habit. There is a need to develop healthy eating habit and to avoid eating salads prepared at restaurants and fast food outlets as majority of them avoid properly washing the vegetables during preparation of salads. Be conscious about hygiene.

Symptoms of neurocysticercosis are: Intense headache and seizures if the tapeworm travels to the brain. After the eggs are hatched in the intestine, the worms travel through blood stream to different organs like, brain, heart, eyes and even the spinal chord. In muscles, cysts cause nodules under the skin. Cysts in eyes can impair vision and the lesions caused by tapeworm in heart may lead to cardiac arrhythmias or heart failure.

Fat Bursting Tips

Causes of Fatness:

Fat is an essential component of our body. Medical professionals and nutritionists are trying hard to explore the facts behind the accumulation of fat and possible ways of bursting it. However, fatty persons may be healthier and fit than the lean people of the same height and age. Fatness and fitness are two distinct attributes of general health profile. The cause of fatness may be genetic, metabolic, lifestyle associated or viral infection. The body weight, size, circumference of thigh sand waist could be recorded to evaluate the degree of fatness and to monitor the effect of a slimming regimen. Studies conducted on animals and humans suggest a strong genetic association to obesity. Fatso gene has been documented in some strains of mice. There could be many fat genes in human beings. Excessive craving for food leads to metabolic slowdown and promotes accumulation of fat in the body. Some people keep on eating frequently since 6 am to 10 pm. Some people may have more fat cells. Animal studies have brought to light that persistent infection of adenoviruses may cause obesity. Antibodies to adenovirus-36 have also been demonstrated in the blood of obese patients.

Fat Bursting Tips:

The vast volume of literature available suggests that one could be fat and fit. The weight and size does not matter in defining health. More than 30% of obese people mostly have normal blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol and other health parameters. However, one may follow the following fat bursting tips depending on the degree of fatness or to avoid fatness:

1. Healthy Eating: Drink 250-500 ml of warm water in the morning; lemon water may be more beneficial. Low fat and low carbohydrate diet would be beneficial. Whole grains are recommended as source of low-carbohydrate and high fibre diet. Saturated fats should be avoided. Pulses, fruits and vegetables should form the major part of your diet.


2. Avoid Oxidants: Preserved food stuffs contain an extra amount of oxidants and free radicals. Free radicals and oxidants also promote obesity in addition to aging. Antioxidants have anti-aging and anti-obesity properties. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are rich source of antioxidants, so intake of fruits and vegetables would be beneficial for body shaping.


3. Avoid Craving for Cookies: The normal food does not lead to addiction, however, just a thought of delicious dishes and drinks may activate the brain cells to produce dopamine, the hormone linked to pleasure and motivation. Obese people should avoid craving for such foods otherwise they may have to consume extra than the normal to get the desired level of pleasure and satisfaction.


4. Pro-anorexia Drugs: Use of drugs to reduce appetite is the new way to tame cravings for food. For instance, vigabatrin has been studied as treatment for controlling drug addiction, do help to reduce weight. Another drug, tesofensine also regulates appetite and metabolism. Warning: Pro-anorexia drugs should not be taken without medical advice as these may have serious side effects.


5. Exercise: Regular exercise and/or brisk walking for 15-20 minutes daily in addition to customized food and eating schedule is the key to fitness.

How can we prevent Diabetes?

High blood glucose level may also be detected in non-diabetics after major meals. In most of us, even when our blood glucose level skyrockets after a carbohydrate rich meal, our body tames it down in 2-3 hours. Only in diabetics, blood glucose levels persist quite high for most of the time. It is possible to prevent diabetes for ever if we plan the calorie content of our diet. Low glycemic-index (GI) meals with low carbohydrate content should be preferred as compared to fast acting high-GI carbohydrates. Green leafy vegetable, citrus fruits, soybeans, kidney beans, green peas, pistachio, peanuts and walnuts are some low-GI food stuffs you can include in your diet. The bread and chapaties made from wholegrain flour do have low-GI. Fruits and vegetable are also packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fruits and vegetables are beneficial to keep the blood glucose levels within the limits of renal threshold. Protein rich meals have low-GI, help to curb hunger and prevent diabetes. Vegetarians may include legumes, nuts, peanut butter and milk to their diet whereas non-vegetarians may take lean meat, fish and poultry products. Acidic foods have been known to tame blood glucose level. Salad and pickles seasoned with vinegar should be taken with major meals for sustainable metabolism with respect to blood glucose level and prevention of diabetes.

All Diabetics are not Alike!

All diabetics are not alike, so never take medicines for diabetes on the advice of fellow patients. The term diabetes means inordinate and persistent excretion of excessive volume of urine. Diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate metabolism with a variety of causes. Pancreas is directly associated with carbohydrate metabolism and biobalance of blood sugar (glucose) level. All carbohydrates (starches, polysaccharides, disaccharides and monosaccharides) are converted into glucose in our stomach and small intestine, absorbed in blood and taken to liver for storage in liver cells as glycogen for future use. Glycogen is also stored into muscle cells and utilized for muscle function. Insulin produced by the beta-cells in the pancreas helps in the penetration of glucose into liver and muscle cells and further storage as glycogen. Glucagon produced by alpha-cells of the pancreas regulates the conversion of glycogen in glucose through glycogenolysis, when ever glucose level in the blood falls below normal.

Defective metabolism of carbohydrates may lead to alimentary diabetes. The term diabetes insipidus pertains to a condition characterized by excessive intake of water with excessive urination but without any glycosuria (excretion of glucose in urine). Diabetes insipidus due to congenital failure of renal tubules to respond to anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) is termed as diabetes insipidus nephrogenic. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition characterized by an elevated level of sugar (glucose) in blood and urine. Diabetes mellitus may affect both younger (juvenile diabetes) and older people (maturity onset diabetes). Subclinical diabetes refers to a condition where glucose tolerance test is abnormal but clinical signs of diabetes like polyuria (excessive urination with increased frequency of micturition), hunger, thirst and weight loss are absent. Obesity may be associated with diabetes but all obese people could never be diabetics. Fat metabolism is also impaired in diabetes which may lead to hypercholesterolemia and hypertension (high blood pressure) in diabetics. There is a strict need of controlling hypertension and hypercholesterolemia with customized diet, regular exercise and sometimes with medicines. It is advisable never to copy your fellow patient's treatment. Diabetes need your round the clock commitment and if taken care it would reduce your risk of serious complications like renal disease.

Important Tip: Never copy your fellow patient's treatment.

Management of Asthma

The asthma means bronchospasm and for its effective management we need bronchospasm relaxants. There are a variety of preparations containing sympathomimetics in the form of aerosols, inhalations, tablets and syrups capable of producing bronchodilations by stimulating b₂-adrenergic receptors in the bronchial smooth muscle. The choice and mode of treatment depends on the age of patient and severity of asthmatic conditions. Inhalations and aerosols may not be convenient mode of treatment in infants and children. Salbutamol and terbutaline are relatively selective drugs for b₂-adrenergic receptors. These produce optimal bronchodilations at lower concentration than those required to stimulate b₁-adrenergic cardiostimulatory receptors. Respiratory stimulants like doxapram and nikethamide are of no value and may be harmful in cases of asthma. As per the experience of a close friend of mine, sympathomimetics like salbutamol and terbutaline produce immediate relief in reversible bronchospasm associated with asthma and allergic bronchitis. Excessive and long term use of these drugs may cause cardiac arrhythmias.

Xanthine derivative drugs such as aminophylline, theophylline and etophylline are known to produce smooth muscle relaxation and bronchodilation by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase which leads to an increase in the intracellular levels of cAMP. Xanthine derivatives also produce diuresis (increase in the urinary output) and cardiopulmonary stimulation. Corticosteroids as aerosol inhalation help to reduce the mucosal edema, hypersecretion of mucous and bronchial hypersensitivity. Corticosteroids act by preventing the release of phospholipids from cell membranes in the lungs and their anti-inflammatory action helps to underplay the mediators of inflammation. Oral corticosteroid therapy should be reserved for acute exacerbations and chronic cases but after the radiological evaluation of lungs and investigations of sputum for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tubercle bacilli or TB) and other bacterial or fungal infections. Asthmatic patients should avoid total dependence on aerosols or inhalations and should ask their physicians to prescribe them oral drugs also for emergency use. A combination of salbutamol and aminophylline or theophylline as tablets or syrup is a reliable form of treatment for asthma advisable under the guidance of a medical practitioner only.