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?

Our survival is solely reliant on the working of the heart. It is this that makes the prospect of a heart failure so fatal and so terrifying. Notwithstanding what the heart evokes, a heart failure is not indicative of a defunct heart; but only a situation when the heart pumps weaker than what is generally deemed as natural. Consequently, the blood flows at a slower rate to the heart and the body that in turn increases pressure in the heart. The oxygen that is produced by the heart in such a scenario is scanty and insufficient for the body. 

body responds with its own defense mechanism, as the heart, in an attempt to hold more blood, stretches its chambers. Though this strenuous effort may keep the blood moving, it would gradually and inevitably weary the heart with all the effort. Subsequently, the kidney responds by retaining more salt and fluid in the body. These fluids may accumulate in different parts of the body, mainly in the legs, feet, ankles leading to congestion in the body. This very condition in medical terminology is referred to as congestive heart failure. 

Different causes can contribute to the onset of such a fatal condition. Some of them are

Coronary artery disease: In such a condition, the arteries supply insufficient amount of oxygen and blood to the heart. Subsequently, the heart receives scanty amount of nutrients and oxygen.
Heart attack: The sudden, unanticipated blockage of the coronary artery and the ensuing stoppage of the flow of the blood lead to a heart attack. The heart muscles are damaged in such a case and prevent the proper functioning.
Diseases: Though the term may be generic and over expansive, most of the ailments which people suffer from tend to manifest themselves by posing a potential threat to the functioning of the heart. A high blood pressure, kidney disease, even a thyroid disease can cause congestive heart failure.
Every disorder is preceded by certain symptoms, and congestive heart failure is no different. Some of them are

Fatigue: This is one of the most perceptible symptoms of congestive heart failure. One of the earliest premonitions of an impending heart failure is a nagging sense of weariness and lethargy.
Swelling: As the condition is characterized by accumulation and build-up of fluids in various part of the body, swelling is an inevitable symptom of this condition and a clear indication of the ailment.

Congestive Heart Failure - Factors that Make it Fatal

Things to do in case of chest pain or angina pain

Unlike yesteryears chest pain or heart related problems aren’t just age related anymore. Many young people under 30 are experiencing chest pain. It seems to be directly proportional to the increasing stress levels.The medical term for mild chest pain is angina pectoris and it happens when your heart is not getting its usual requirement for blood. Such a situation occurs when one or more arteries are blocked. Angina Pectoris is experienced usually while doing physical activities or experiencing strong emotions. At such times, the heart doesn't get as much blood as it requires for normal functioning.

Broadly speaking, discomfort in the upper part of the body is the symptom of angina, the symptoms typically include:

1.  It may feel like you are suffering from indigestion or gas or fullness and pressure.

2.  It may also feel like chest pain spreading to the neck, back, arms, shoulder or jaw.

3. You feel better after a little rest or some medication.

4. It doesn't last for too long, at the most five minutes.

5. Shortness of breath, anxiety, dizziness, sweating, fatigue and nausea and also symptoms of angina.

Physical conditions and habits which put you at the high risk zone for angina are:
1. When you don't get enough exercise.
2. If you are a smoker
3. If you are overweight
4.  If you have a history of heart diseases
5. If you are diabetic
6. If you suffer from blood pressure of high cholesterol

Steps You Must Do To Manage the Pain and Resultant Effects

1. Calm Down - The first thing to do to counter angina pains is to rest and calm down. If you are doing physical activity, stop doing it. And if you are under emotional turbulence, you need to find ways to calm down immediately. Meditate, if needed.

2. Get Professional Help - Do not delay in consulting the doctor and ensure that you take the prescribed medication diligently. In situations where the damage is much more and medications cannot clear the problem, surgery is resorted to.

3. Change Of Lifestyle - In the long run, lifestyle change is a good idea. Staying fit, a clean medical report and keeping a healthy lifestyle will keep enough blood pumping into your heart.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

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Why You Must Not Dismiss Chest Pain as a Minor Affair!

Egg yolk and cholesterol - is there a link?

Although egg is considered one of the most nutritious foods, people with high cholesterol avoid its consumption as they believe that eggs may increase cholesterol and risk heart diseases.

Is there a link between egg yolk and cholesterol?

Egg yolk is rich in dietary cholesterol. One large egg contains 185 milligrams of cholesterol. People with normal cholesterol levels require about 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol and people with high cholesterol need 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol from food.

Dietary cholesterol has the minimum impact on blood cholesterol as compared to saturated and trans fats which contain bad cholesterol. Hence dietary cholesterol present in egg yolk has minimal or no effects on increasing your cholesterol levels.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on'consult.

Egg Yolk and Cholesterol - Is There Really a Link?

If you are facing difficulties in breathing, especially in the process of exhaling, you are suffering from emphysema. Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are damaged and enlarged, causing breathlessness. It occurs as a result of several triggers, smoking being the most common one. Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. People with this condition struggle to exhale, which implies that there is some obstruction in the air flow. This disease has no permanent cure but by quitting smoking, you can stop it from getting worse.

Stages
The progression and severity of emphysema occurs with the staging systems. The staging of the condition can help in developing a prognosis.

The Gold emphysema staging system
Gold is a major emphysema staging system created by a group known as the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. The amount of air a patient can exhale forcefully in one second is determined during this stage. It is also referred to as the forced expiratory volume or FEV1.

The staging is as follows:

Stage 1: Mild emphysema (FEV1 greater than 80% of normal)
Stage 2: Moderate emphysema (FEV less than 80%, but more than 50% normal)
Stage 3: Severe emphysema (FEV lesser than 50%, but more than 30% normal)
Stage 4: Extremely severe emphysema. (FEV lesser than 30% of normal or lesser than 50% normal, with low levels of oxygen in the blood.
The BODE emphysema staging system
The condition affects several abilities. The BODE index, an acronym for BMI (body mass index), obstruction, dyspnea (breathlessness), exercise capacity (health index) is another staging system for emphysema in which the emphysema s impact on several areas of life are measured. They include the following:

Body mass index (B)
Airflow limitation or obstruction (O), which is measured by pulmonary function tests
Breathless or dyspnea (D), which is assessed thoroughly via a questionnaire
Exercise capacity (E), which is measured to check how long a person with emphysema can walk in a span of six minutes
Life expectancy
The prognosis of emphysema is impossible to be determined in any person individually. The staging system helps to identify the severity of the condition, but the future cannot be predicted. Not many studies have been undertaken for the determination of the effects of emphysema on life expectancy. The best research that has been carried out included around 100 people, which is very less. The condition varies largely among people, even if they are in the same stage.

The statistics available on emphysema are not reliable enough for individuals who wish to know their life expectancy. It is considered that if a patient falls in a higher stage, his/her long-term life expectancy is less.

Emphysema - Know The Life Expectancy and Stages!

Our heart is one of the most important organs that must be kept healthy and fit so that we can lead a good lifestyle, however, unfortunately many people still suffer from heart problems. And, one such heart problem is Cardiomyopathy.

What is Cardiomyopathy?

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscles that makes it very difficult for the heart muscles to pump blood to the rest of the body. Since the muscles are unable to pump blood effectively, it can lead to heart failure. It is a very serious condition and may require extensive treatment to fully recover from the disorder. 

Different types of Cardiomyopathy

Now we will be discussing about the different types of Cardiomyopathy that can affect an individual.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - In this case, the heart muscles becomes abnormally thickened, particularly affecting the muscle of your heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle). The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to work properly. Most affected people have a family history of the disease.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy - In this case, the muscles enlarge and become weak, therefore they cannot pump the blood. These weak muscles over a period of time become absolutely ineffective and can cause heart failure.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy - In this type, the heart muscle becomes rigid and less elastic, so it is unable to relax and can't expand and fill with blood between heartbeats.Which eventually does not allow the blood to flow properly.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia - In this rare type of cardiomyopathy, the muscle in the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle) is replaced by scar tissue, which can lead to heart rhythm problems. It's often caused by genetic mutations. This condition can cause a sudden cardiac arrest or heart failure as well.
Symptoms 

Patient may be asymptomatic in the early stages of cardiomyopathy. But as the condition advances, signs and symptoms usually appear, including:

Breathlessness with exertion or even at rest
Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet
Bloating of the abdomen due to fluid buildup
Cough while lying down
Fatigue
Heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering
Chest discomfort or pressuretreated
Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting
Signs and symptoms tend to get worse unless treated.

Complications 

Cardiomyopathy can lead to other heart conditions, including:

Heart failure. Untreated, heart failure can be life-threatening.
Blood clots. Blood clots might form in your heart and may enter your bloodstream, then they can block the blood flow to other organs, including your heart and brain.
Valve problems. The heart valves might not close properly. This can lead to a backward flow of blood.
Cardiac arrest and sudden death.Cardiomyopathy can lead to abnormal heart rhythms which can result in fainting or, in some cases, sudden death.
Treatment 

It can include medications, surgically implanted devices or, in severe cases, a heart transplant, depends on which type of cardiomyopathy you have and how serious it is.

Prevention

You can help reduce your chance of cardiomyopathy and other types of heart disease by living a heart-healthy lifestyle and making lifestyle choices such as:

Avoiding the use of alcohol or cocaine
Controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes
Eating a healthy diet
Getting regular exercise
Getting enough sleep
Reducing your stress
So here are some of the most common types of Cardiomyopathy. These types can affect people of any age group if they lead an unhealthy lifestyle. Cardiomyopathy is a very serious condition and any person  suffering from it should be diagnosed early and given medical treatment as soon as possible.

Patient With Shortness Of Breath - Types Of Cardiomyopathy And Management!

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