Anal fistula presents itself as a nodular swelling in perianal region. Off and on pus discharge is also seen from this swelling. When pus gets accumulated it gives rise to pain which subsides once the pus discharges out. Usually surgery (Fistulectomy/ VAAFT/ MAFT/ Laser etc.) is advised to manage Anal Fistula. But it is not a good choice as the chances of recurrence of Fistula are very high after these procedures. Whereas Anal Fistula can be completely treated by Graded KsharsutraTM Treatment. 

Clinical trials conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at AIIMS - New Delhi and PGI - Chandigarh; have confirmed that Ksharsutra treatment is more convenient and more effective than surgery in patients suffering from Anal Fistula. 

What is Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy? How does it Works?

The Ksharsutra therapy is a specialized procedure of Ayurvedic surgery. Ayurvedic surgeon has to first evaluate the anal fistula by clinical examination and if required MRI Fistulogram may be done. Graded KsharsutraTM treatment involves the use of a specialized medicated thread which is placed in Fistula tract. Before placing the Graded KsharsutraTM; it is mandatory to define the fistulous tract properly by careful probing and MRI Fistulogram. 

Medicine released from Graded KsharsutraTM debrides the fistula tract and induces healing. This medicine works for 5-7 days. So, old Ksharsutra needs to be replaced by a new one at a week or 10 days interval till fistula heals completely.

Why Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy Better Than Surgery/VAAFT?

  In appox. 20% cases fistula recurs after surgery however chances of recurrence of Fistula after Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy are predictably NIL.

  Fistula surgery is done under spinal or general anesthesia. So, anesthesia related complications like headache, backache, effect on brain, urinary retention etc. are usually seen while Graded KsharsutraTM is done under local anesthesia which is comparatively safe and there is no complication in it.

  Complications like stool incontinence (inability to hold stool) etc. are seen in surgery. Such complications are not seen in Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy.

  Other complications like pain, bleeding, infection etc. are also seen after surgery. There is no fresh tissue injury in Graded KsharsutraTM so such complications are not seen.

  Hospitalization is necessary in surgery for Anal Fistula. However, Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy is an OPD procedure and hospitalization is not necessary.

  Surgery is followed by bed rest. Bed rest is not required in Graded KsharsutraTM Therapy and patient can continue his normal daily routine activities as usual during this treatment.

  Graded KsharsutraTM Treatment is also more economical and convenient than Surgery. 

Therefore, patients suffering from Anal Fistula are advised to SAY NO TO SURGERY and opt for a better treatment i.e. Graded KsharsutraTM.

Anal Fistula - Why Is Graded Ksharsutra Therapy Better Than Surgery/VAAFT?

Urinary incontinence, commonly known as loss of bladder control can really cause embarrassment. The severity of this condition may range from once in a while leaky urine to the sudden and forceful urge to urinate, due to which you end up urinating before reaching the toilet.

Types of urinary incontinence-

Stress incontinence- when you feel the urge to urinate due to sneezing, coughing, laughing or while doing physical exercise
Urge incontinence- when you feel the urge to urinate, suddenly. This may occur during the day and even at night.
Functional incontinence- when you cannot reach the toilet on time because of a physical or mental impairment.
Mixed incontinence- when you involuntarily urinate due to more than one incontinence
Stress incontinence is the most common type in women. The activities which increase your risk, are:

You have had more than one pregnancy and vaginal delivery.
You have pelvic prolapse. This is when your bladder, urethra, or rectum slide into the vagina. Delivering a baby can cause nerve or tissue damage in the pelvic area. This can lead to pelvic prolapse months or years after delivery.
Female urinary stress incontinence is the involuntary release of urine during any physical activity that puts pressure on your bladder. This potentially embarrassing condition differs from general incontinence in that it happens when the body is under immediate physical stress. Activities that can put stress on your bladder include coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or bending over. This condition is particular to women, many of whom experience symptoms after muscles have been weakened due to a vaginal childbirth, following menopause, or during pregnancy.

Ensure that you consult a doctor-

If this condition hinders your day to day activities
If the urinary incontinence is the result of a serious underlying problem
Causes of urinary incontinence-

Urinary incontinence may be temporary or permanent. Causes for temporary incontinence are-

Alcohol
Caffeine and caffeinated drinks
Decaffeinated tea or coffee
Spicy and sugary foods
High intake of vitamin b or c
Urinary tract infection (uti)
Constipation
Causes for permanent incontinence are:

Pregnancy
Childbirth
Old age
Menopause
Hysterectomy
Prostate cancer
Enlarged prostate
Neurological disorders
Complications-

Chronic urinary incontinence can lead to certain complications like.

Skin problems- skin rashes and infections can develop around the vaginal area, because of the constant wetness one feels. It may also cause sores.
Urinary tract infections- urinary incontinence can also result in uti
Impact on personal and social life- urinary incontinence can lead to great embarrassment, thus affecting the social and personal life of an individual.
Treatment for female stress urinary incontinence-

There are several types of treatment available. Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medications, nonsurgical treatments, and surgeries.

Lifestyle changes: make regular trips to the restroom to reduce the chance of urine leakage. Drink fewer fluids and avoid activities such as jumping and running.
Medications: medications that reduce bladder contractions.
Nonsurgical treatments: kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles. Done regularly, these exercises can strengthen your muscles, allowing you to control when urine is released from your body.
Surgery:

If other treatments fail, you will have to go for surgical treatment. Types of surgery include:

Injectable therapy, in which collagen is injected into your urethra to reduce incontinence
Tension-free vaginal tape (tvt) surgery, in which mesh is placed around the urethra to give it support
Vaginal sling surgery, in which a sling is placed around the urethra to support it
Anterior or para-vaginal vaginal repair surgery to repair a bladder that is bulging into the vaginal canal
Retropubic suspension surgery to move the bladder and urethra back into their normal positions
Some doctors even try electrical stimulation and medication. When the condition is highly advanced interventional therapies and surgery is recommended.

Some interventional therapies are-

1. Bulking material injections
2. Botulinum toxin type-a
3. Nerve stimulators.

All About Urinary Incontinence

Hives, also called urticaria are swollen welts or bumps that appear on your skin suddenly.

They itch, burn and sting and can happen anywhere on your body. You can get them on your face, lips, tongue, ears or chest. And in size, they can be as small as an eraser to as large as a plate. They also form plaques and can last for hours or up to several days.

Types

Acute urticaria - These type of hives last less than six weeks. The most common causes are allergies due to certain foods and medications, or infections. These hives can also happen due to diseases or insect bites.
Chronic urticaria - Hives lasting more than six weeks come under this category. What causes them is usually more difficult to identify than what causes acute urticaria. In some cases, chronic hives are caused due to thyroid disease, hepatitis or even cancer. This type can affect your internal organs like lungs, muscles, and the gut. Thus, symptoms include muscle soreness, shortness of breath, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
Physical urticaria - These types are caused due to direct physical stimulation of the skin due to cold, heat, sun exposure, vibration, pressure, sweating, and exercise.
What causes hives?

Hives happen mostly due to allergies. Some of the common hive triggers are-

Certain foods, especially peanuts, eggs, nuts and shellfish- Fresh foods are more likely to cause hives as compared to cooked foods. Certain food additives and preservatives can also play culprits. Medicines like penicillin and sulfa- based antibiotics, aspirin and ibuprofen which are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, high blood pressure drugs like ACE inhibitors, and painkillers such as codeine can also trigger hives. Other things that may cause it are:

Insect bites
Latex
Transfusion of blood
Bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections and infected throat
Viral infections- common cold and hepatitis
Pollen grains
Plants like poison oak and poison ivy
Sunlight
Cold weather
Pet dander 
If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dermatologist.

What Are Hives? What Causes Them?

Ear aches are a very painful condition, which tends to affect mostly children. However, adults can be affected by ear aches as well, which can disrupt their routines and be quite painful. Let's have a look at some of the aspects of ear aches in adults.

Causes of ar aches in adults
There are many causes for ear aches in adults and it may vary from one person to another. However some general causes of ear aches in adults are listed below:

    Infections within the body: If you have a throat infection or cold, it could trigger an ear ache as a side effect. Treating the underlying problems will, thus reduce the ear ache or it will go on its own when the symptoms of the cold subside. 
    Ear canal injury: Adults are most often guilty of putting in sharp objects to clean their ear canal, which may result in an injury and also lead to infections. These injuries can also be infected and cause fluid discharge and ear aches.
    Blockages caused by the regular use of ear buds: Using ear buds or other sharp objects to clean the ear will only result in pushing the ear wax further into the ear. This will result in blockages of the ear canal and cause ear aches.
    Dental problems: Certain dental problems, such as wisdom tooth growth can result in problems. Even gum disorders have been known to create ear aches in adults.
    Jaw pain and facial pain: Jaw pain and even facial nerve pain has been known to affect ears and cause aches as well.

Symptoms that may accompany ear aches
Depending on what the causes of the ear aches are, the symptoms may vary. Still, let's have a look at some of the known common symptoms of ear aches in adults:

    Irritability and lack of focus: Ear aches may initially manifest as a headache and make the person irritable.
    Poor sleep: Fluids may build up within the body and thus cause issues while sleeping as the fluids may shift from one area to another.
    Ear drainage: If in case fluids build up, they may drain from your ear, which could vary anywhere within yellow to dark brown colour. This may even indicate that your eardrum is ruptured.
    Hearing problems: Fluid buildup or other underlying causes may also cause hearing difficulties.
    Fever: Sometimes, fever may run as high as 104 degree C due the very infections, which may be causing the ear ache.

Whatever may be the cause, if you have ear aches for sustained periods without underlying reasons, you should visit your doctor immediately to get it checked out, so that appropriate treatment can start quickly.


Ear Ache in Adults

The spinal cord houses the most important nerves in the body. Therefore, any disease or disorder affecting the area can be difficult to manage and live with. A spinal cord tumour is a common occurrence and makes life difficult for patients. However, the treatment for tumours on the spinal cord differs based on the region that it affects and other factors.

Types of spinal cord tumours:

Tumours near the spine region can be classified into three types, based on the area that it grows.

  Inside the spinal cord - When a tumour grows inside the spinal cord, it is known as intramedullary. These types of tumours are the rarest. If a tumour affects your cervical spinal cord, it is likely to be intramedullary.

  Outside the spinal cord - A tumour may also grow outside the spinal cord, but still be inside the sac protecting the cord. This kind of spinal tumours is known as intradural/extramedullary.

  Outside the protective sac of the spinal cord - Lastly, the tumour may grow just outside the protective sac of the spinal cord. This is the most common type of a spinal tumour and is known as extradural. A tumour in this region can be malignant or benign.

Symptoms of spinal tumours:

Spine tumours may be difficult to diagnose because the associated symptoms are easily mistaken as other minor disorders or conditions. Here are some common symptoms of a spinal tumour-

  Extreme back pain is common for spinal tumours. This pain grows worse at night. Patients are unable to find relief from the pain even after rest.
  Numbness in the legs and arms
  Inability to walk or severe difficulty in certain movements
  Reduced sensitivity to stimuli, such as pain, heat and cold
  Loss of bowel and bladder control

Treatment for spinal tumours:

Treatment for a tumour depends on the kind of a tumour that affects the patient along with the region of growth. Some tumours may not cause any major difficulty in your quality of life. Doctors will recommend monitoring the growth in such a case. Treatment may not be needed.

In the case of benign tumours, surgery is recommended.

  Surgery - This is the most common form of treatment for benign tumours. If the doctor feels that a tumour is at a location where he/she can perform a safe surgical procedure to remove it, surgery is the best treatment option. However, such surgery can lead to minimal nerve damage.

In the case of cancerous tumours, the treatment is different.

  Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy is necessary to destroy the cancer cells in a tumour. Generally, radiation therapy is useful in cases, where surgery is impossible, due to the location of a tumour.

  Chemotherapy - Doctors may use medications to limit the growth of cancer. In such a case, the drugs help put your cancer in remission. However, the side effects of chemotherapy are severe.

If you experience back pain, visit your doctor. It may be spinal cord cancer. Early detection greatly helps in the treatment of the disease.

Spinal Tumours - Types, Symptoms & Treatment!

Pregnancy places a lot of demand on the expectant mother. While the emotional demands are not very evident, the physical ones are. The mother has to ensure that the developing baby gets all the required nutrients through her. Some of them are very critical, and not getting adequate amounts of these manifest as problems, which cannot be rectified later. Calcium supply and associated problems that may arise is one such example.
If there is a reduced supply of calcium and the bones and teeth are not formed properly, taking any amount of calcium is not going to correct the situation later, after delivery.

The bones which are forming in the developing baby are dependent on the mother for adequate supply of calcium. It is common knowledge that calcium is an integral component of bones, teeth, and skeleton. Hypocalcemia, which is a condition where there is reduced amounts of calcium in the body, can be quite severe during pregnancy.
In addition to the growing baby s needs, calcium also plays a vital role in the pregnant mother for muscular contractions, nerve conduction, hormone secretion, and blood clotting. So adequate intake of calcium during pregnancy is essential.
Now, the question arises as to how much calcium is good enough. For a normal female, about 1000 mg of calcium is required on a daily basis. This goes up by another 200 to 300 mg for a pregnant woman, especially during the third trimester when the bone and teeth formation is in full speed. This extra amount of calcium should be continued even after pregnancy, as calcium continues to be provided to the baby during the lactation phase.

Some of the symptoms of reduced calcium intake during pregnancy are aching muscles, brittle nails, weakened bones, severe cramping, and dry skin. If there is suspected hypocalcemia, it is best to seek medical advice. It is not advisable to take supplements without medical supervision. Increased amounts of calcium can produce a different set of symptoms.

While these are evident symptoms, there are other detrimental effects on the baby too. Calcium deficiency affects development of heart and associated structures and puts the newborn at a higher risk of developing hypertension. The baby s fat percentage and triglycerides are also increased. The bone mineral density is reduced. The delivery period could be prolonged, as muscular contractions and nerve conduction are severely impacted when there is less calcium in the system. Recovery from labor is also delayed.

It is possible that you are taking adequate amounts of calcium, but its absorption is affected. Reducing caffeine intake helps in better absorption of calcium. Iron, which is often given during pregnancy, prevents calcium absorption and so needs to be spaced out.

Calcium & Bone Disorders - How to Know If Your Are Suffering From Them?

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