Bowel movement is extremely important for the body. An abnormal bowel movement can lead to a painful, hard and dry stool. If the constipation is accompanied by symptoms such as weight loss, abdominal pain and blood in stool, it should be immediately reported to the doctor. For patients who face chronic constipation, there are some great remedies which can be tried at home to fetch great results: 

Olive oil: Olive oil is a healthy fat that can relieve constipation. It not only stimulates the digestive system, but also ensures that the colon functions properly and constipation is prevented. 1 tablespoon of olive oil should be consumed daily in empty stomach.
Lemon: Fresh lemon is a great agent for the stomach. The citric acid found in fresh lemon acts as a great stimulant for the digestive system. Furthermore, it has the ability to flush out undigested materials and harmful toxins that have queued up along the colon walls. It should be consumed every alternate day with 1 cup of warm water.
Molasses: Blackstrap molasses acts as a great agent for relieving chronic constipation. The vitamin, magnesium and mineral content of the molasses make them a perfect solution for the digestive tract. Due to their high fat content, they should be consumed on alternate days. 1 tablespoon of molasses in water should do the trick for addressing constipation.
Coffee: Apart from the fresh aroma of the coffee, they are a great stimulant for clearing constipation. 1-2 cups of it throughout the day should keep you in a good state. Over-consumption of caffeine, on the other hand, can have an opposite effect on the body. It dehydrates the body and constipation are set into motion.
Fibre intake: Natural fruits, grains and veggies such as apricots, beans, nuts, broccoli, potatoes etc. contain a lot of fibre. The body cannot digest fibre but it acts as a sponge and squeeze water from the surrounding making the stool soft and easy to pass. As a matter of fact, even plenty of water consumption helps the body a great deal in relieving constipation.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera has multiple health benefits. One of this includes the soothing effect of the tummy. 2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera on a daily basis should be mixed with hot water and consumed before breakfast. Gel extracted from real Aloe Vera leaf serves a better purpose of relieving constipation that the ones that are available in the market.
Baking Soda: Baking soda contains bicarbonate, which squeezes air from the tummy and relieves an individual from the pressure and the pain. Other benefits of baking soda are its acid neutralising and stomach re-alkalizing effect on the stomach. Baking soda can be consumed with warm water on a daily basis.

Chronic Constipation - 7 Ways You Can manage It!

Being a victim or witnessing a horrific accident or personal assault can leave you shocked and scarred. Sometimes, these conditions last for months and years with memories of the traumatic incident triggering intense emotional and physical responses. This is known as post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. It is a fairly common anxiety syndrome and can be treated in a number of ways including drugs, exercise and psychotherapy. However, this treatment aims only to control the disorder and there is no known cure for PTSD as yet.

Exercise not only keeps the body fit, but also helps the body release endorphins. Endorphins help fight stress, fear and pain. Thus, exercising helps focus on the body and its movements instead of your fears. It can also help elevate the mood of a person. Low to moderate intensity exercising is ideal for a PTSD patient. Aerobics, pilates, yoga or martial arts like tai chi are known to be effective ways of reducing stress and anxiety in PTSD patients. Breathing exercises like pranayama can also help calm and relax the mind.

Exercise for a PTSD patient should be planned in repetitive sets. This enables the person to slowly master the type of exercise being done and regain control and confidence in himself. It also needs to be predictable so as to avoid triggering a PTSD emotional or physical response. Non competitive exercises are better than competitive exercises as it does not create an opportunity for the person to feel stressed. Exercising and practicing breathing techniques can also help a person analyze himself and his response to stressful situations. By understanding their reactions, a person can slowly bring about changes to handle stress in a better way.

For a PTSD patient, exercise should not be seen as a group activity but as an individual effort to increase self control. Patience is key here both for the patient and the therapist. It is also necessary for the person to have realistic goals from his exercise regimen. An exercise program for PTSD patients also needs to be flexible. In order to meet the needs of a patient, it may need to be changed in accordance to the medication he is under. Small incidents like having a flat tire when cycling can trigger anxiety in a person suffering from PTSD. However, if dealt with correctly, it can bolster confidence in the long run.

Lastly, exercising also helps improve self-image and build confidence which helps a PTSD patient break out of his protective shell and socialize with others.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - How Exercising Can Help You Overcome?

How many of us have heard about Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) before Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa was put on it for recovery? Hardly a handful. Patients who are placed on the device have 50-50 chance of survival and while it could not help the late Chief Minister, her condition put a spotlight on ECMO.

What is ECMO?
ECMO is a life support device that is put in place when a patient's heart and lungs stop functioning completely post a cardiac arrest. When the patient does not respond to Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the patient is put on ECMO.

Function of ECMO
The core function of the device is to separate carbon dioxide from the blood and add oxygen into it. It takes the load off from heart and lungs, providing critical time to the body organs for its treatment and recovery.
Patients are only put on ECMO, if there is a chance that the condition can be reversed.

How does ECMO work?
The device drains blood from a vein, which is attached to an oxygenator machine. The machine then removes carbon dioxide from the blood and adds oxygen to it. Depending upon the condition of the patient, the warm blood is either pumped into the body with the help of the machine or is transferred back into the body through an artery.

How long a patient can be on ECMO?
After seven days of being put on ECMO,there are chances of patient getting an infection.
In case the patient contracts an infection, it is recommended to take the patient off ECMO support.

All About ECMO - Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation 

Contraception is not only restricted to married couples in today's world. Most of the young couples refrain from seeking medical advice for contraception may be because of social concerns or simply because they feel hesitant and shy.

There are many contraceptive pills available over the counter which youngsters are tempted to buy and use as it seems to be the easy way out. Frequent and improper use of such emergency pills can lead to a lot of hormonal disturbances and the menstrual cycle goes topsy turvy. Then the dilemma starts. As it becomes difficult to interpret the cycle dates and erratic bleeding which happens is disturbing.

In my practice I have seen many young girls popping in pills randomly every now and then. Sometimes at weekly intervals as they are unable to manage the stress of their relationship getting disturbed. What youngsters should try and understand is there is nothing wrong in having pills for contraception but it should be done with proper guidance and the selection of the right pill for that particular individual is important which can be done easily by getting into consultation with a doctor. Need not necessarily be a gynecologist always.

Emergency pills are ok for once in a blue moon kind of use. But it should not become a habit.


Misuse Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills

Headaches are common among working people as accumulated stress results in headaches and tiredness. Among the many different causes, strain on the eyes is one of the leading reasons for that annoying headache.

Taking an eye exam is recommended in case you are having headaches. The issues may not always be related to the eyes, but still a thorough eye check up is recommended. Strain in the eye is caused when small muscles present in the eye have to put in more effort than usual. Symptoms include aching, tired eyes with blurred vision and accompanying headaches. Such headaches are caused because of the following reasons:

Astigmatism
The cornea is in abnormal shape and causes people to squint when they want to focus, and this leads to bad headaches.

Hyperopia
This disorder is also called farsightedness. In case of this disorder, the images are focused by the eye behind the retina, and causes blurred vision and strain upon the eyes. Headaches occur as a result.

Presbyopia
This kind of problem occurs when the lens hardens and becomes inflexible with old age. This makes it hard for a person to focus and causes sore eyes along with headaches.

All disorders or conditions of the eyes can be rectified with the use of prescribed spectacles and contact lenses. For people already having glasses, regular eye check up should be carried out. Your power may increase which you are unlikely to notice, so regular check ups are vital.

Other causes
Headaches related to eye strain and eye problem can also develop from other causes. They are:

1. Glaucoma, an eye disease also causes headaches. This disease is characterized by the development of a fluid in the eyes, which in turn causes the internal eye pressure to shoot up. This pressure fluctuation can lead to headaches in many cases of glaucoma.
2. Cataract affected people suffer from headaches as well. Cataracts develop in individuals due to ageing. The lens becomes cloudy, and the vision gets blurred and slowly diminishes. The eye has to give more effort resulting in eye strain and accompanying headaches.

Prevention
In case you are having headaches, and you are not being able to find out the reason behind it, you should have an eye check up. Eyes are very sensitive and added strain to them causes headaches. People who use computers for long hours are affected by headaches due to eye strain. The best prevention is to have an eye examination and switch to glasses or lenses if required.

Headaches are of various kinds and arise from different factors, but eye strain is known to cause a lot of headaches in people who do eye stress involving activities.

Headaches? Get Your Eyes Checked!

Stroke is a medical condition in which the flow of blood towards the brain is poor and causes the death of certain cells. There are two common types of stroke: 

1. Ischemic- due to lack of blood flow
2. Hemorrhagic- due to bleeding

Signs and symptoms of stroke 

Problems with movement
Inability to feel  on one side of the body
Problems understanding or in speech
Vertigo
Loss of vision
Difficulty in carrying out everyday activities
Role of Physiotherapy for Patients with Stroke

The main focus of physiotherapy is to help you use your arms and legs to regain as much strength and movement as possible. 
If you have one-sided paralysis, correct positioning is important to prevent spasm or injury.
It helps you to sit up as this will help you avoid blood clots in your legs, improve your breathing and help you recover quickly.
If you are unable to move, you may be given chest physiotherapy to keep your lungs free of infection.
What does a Physiotherapist do?

A physiotherapist advises you on how you should be positioned when lying or sitting, and how often you need to be moved.
Motivates you to be actively involved in your physiotherapy sessions to help you relearn normal patterns of movement
Decides when you should begin to start walking and what equipment is needed to move or support you
Provides therapy to strengthen your limbs and teach you how to move again as independently as possible
Takes care of the fact that no complications should arise and you have a smooth recovery.
Treatment Techniques:

Strength Training: It is evident that strength training can improve upper-limb strength and function without increasing tone or pain in individuals with stroke.
Gaming: Goal orientated computer gaming has proven to significantly reduce upper limb impairment in stroke survivors.
Virtual Reality: Virtual reality training has been shown to be effective in restoring upper limb motor impairments and motor-related functional abilities.
Mirror Therapy: Mirror therapy has been shown to have a beneficial effect on motor control and function compared to conventional therapy.
Robot-Assisted Therapy: It has been shown to have a beneficial effect on motor recovery and function.
In the upper extremity with severe impairment and/or poor prognosis for recovery, Chedoke McMaster Stroke Assessment (CMSA) of Arm and Hand < Stage 4) treatment should focus on maintaining a comfortable, pain-free, mobile arm and hand. Engage in repetitive and intense use of novel tasks that challenge the stroke survivor to acquire necessary motor skills to use the involved upper limb during functional tasks and activities. Engage in motor-learning training including the use of imagery.

Stroke - How Physiotherapy Can Help With It?

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