Abdominal Laparoscopy is a surgical diagnostic procedure, which is used to examine the organs inside the abdomen. It is an invasive procedure, but only small incisions are made.
The procedure is usually done in the hospital and the patient is given general anaesthesia to make the procedure pain free. The laparoscope is inserted through an incision in the abdominal wall. As it moves along, the image of the inside of your abdomen is then seen on the monitor. After the exam, laparoscope and instruments are removed and the cuts are closed. Laparoscopy is usually done as an outpatient procedure. This means that you will be able to go home the same day.

Why Is laparoscopy performed?
Laparoscopy is often used to identify the source of abdominal pain. It is usually performed when x-rays or ultrasound are unable to determine the root cause of the problem. Laparoscopy allows your doctor to see inside your body in real time and helps to diagnose or help discover what the abdominal problem is.

Tips to deal with laparoscopic surgery

Before Surgery

    The first and the foremost thing is to prepare yourself for the surgery by watching some videos and going through some blogs on it as doing so will help you clear your doubts
    Do not eat or drink anything 8 hours before the procedure
    Make sure someone accompanies you on the day of the surgery
    Fix your Pre Op appointment to ask any questions or address any concerns regarding the surgery, anaesthesia, etc
    Shave the area where the surgery will be performed. This will substantially reduce itchiness
    Lastly, prepare your hospital bag and discuss it with the person who is going to accompany you so that he/she knows what all you packed

After Surgery

    Don t lie down in bed all the time. Keep yourself active by moving every two hours as it promotes healing and helps eliminate gas pain
    Wear comfortable clothing
    Do not take bath for a week. However, you can take a shower 24 hours post surgery
    Drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day to prevent constipation. If constipated, take a stool softener.
    While sneezing or coughing, hold a pillow against your stomach to lessen the pain
    Roll onto your side and sit up using your arms for support and then stand up
    Don t drive for two weeks
    Refrain yourself from intercourse, douching, and swimming
    Make sure to visit your doctor 2 to 3 weeks post surgery to make sure your wounds are healing

It might take some time for the wounds to heal, but in case of any prolonged pain do remember to consult your doctor immediately.

Easy Tips to Deal with Abdominal Laparoscopy

Hyper acidity (Amlapitta) is also called Acid Dyspepsia, which is one of the most common problem. Hyperacidity is a condition in which stomach secretes excess amount of acid.

Hyperacidity is very closely associated to Amlapitta in Ayurveda which is caused by the imbalance of agni or the digestive fire leading to the vitiation of pitta dosha.

Causes of Hyperacidity:

Hurry ,  Worry , and  Curry  are the three main reasons for the disease.

Diet (Ahara)

Spicy fried junk food

Carbonated drinks

Excessive use of chilly, mustard, garam masala powder (spice mixture), garlic etc. in diet

Salty and sour foods like chips

Eating of stale, fermented foods (dosa, uttappa, idli, dhokla etc. bakery food items).

Excessive intake of fast food

Excessive intake of Oily foods, pickles

Excessive intake of tea/coffee.

Lesser intake of water

Irregular meal times

Skipping meals

Repeated food intake (before the digestion of the previously taken food)

Incompatible food like taking non-veg with milk, sour fruits with milk, pizza followed by milkshake

Eating too late at night

Regimens (Vihara)

Lack of rest

Fast moving lifestyle.

Insufficient sleep at night.

Sleeping immediately after meals.

Sleeping in daytime

Mental factors

Stressful lifestyle
Excessive anxiety

Anger

Other causes of acidity include:

Medications: Some anti-inflammatory drugs, when taken for a long period of time can develop chances of hyperacidity.

Drinking alcohol

Smoking

Pregnancy

Obesity

Fasting

All the above factors result in an excessive increase of  Pitta dosha  in the body and exhibits symptoms of amlapitta.

The condition of Amlapitta is explained with a simile just as milk is poured into curd pot immediately attains sourness and gets into an inspissated form. In the same way, repeatedly eaten food gets improperly burnt and causes acidity.

Signs and symptoms

Vomiting

Loss of proper taste of food

Loss of interest of food

Headache

Heart &chest burn (retrosternal burning)

Sour or bitter test in mouth and belching.

Nausea

Throat burn

Regurgitation of food or sour substance

Gaseous distention/ bloating of abdomen

Pain in abdomen

Chest pain

Foul smelling loose motions.

Burning sensation over feet, hands

Mouth ulcers

Fatigue (especially in legs)

Tiredness

Fainting

Ayurveda has explained 2 main types of amlapitta:

Urdhvag Amlapitta: Mainly characterized by vomiting due to upward movement of pitta 

Adhoga Amlapitta: Mainly characterized by loose motions due to downward movement of pitta.

Investigations

If there is chronic hyperacidity, following investigations are useful:

Gastroscopy (Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)

Barium Meal x-ray

Gastrin levels in blood

Serology + histology for H. Pylori

Stool routine examination

Complications 

If not treated at the proper time or if faulty diet, regimen and habits continued, it can complicate as

Gastric Ulcer
Chronic Gastritis
Duodenitis
Prevention

 Prevention is better than cure  it is better to avoid all the causative factors of acid-peptic disorders (amlapitta).

Avoid excessive salty, oily, sour and spicy foods

Avoid heavy and untimely food

Avoid smoking and alcohol intake

Avoid overcooked, stale and contaminated food

Avoid fried and junk food items

Do not skip meals

Avoid fast

Do not overeat

Avoid untimely and irregular food habit

Avoid foods containing excess amount of garlic, salt, oil, chilies etc. very often.

Avoid toor dal, horse gram, fenugreek

Avoid lying down immediately after food

Avoid, smoking, alcohol, tea, coffee and aspirin type drugs

Follow the meal times

Take Light food, Coconut water, articles having cooling properties

Take vegetables like white pumpkin, cucumber, leafy vegetables except Methi

Take Wheat, old rice, green gram

Fruits like gooseberry, dry grapes (black resins), black grapes, pomegranate, fig, dry fig, custard apple.

Take adequate amount of fluids like pomegranate juice, amla juice, kokam syrup.

Medicated water with ushir (wala) or coriander-cumin seeds or tulsi seeds (sabja) or laja (puffed rice). 

Take Warm water.

Take Moravla (jam made from amla), gulkand (jam made from rose petals) 

Take One teaspoonful of ghee with warm milk

Take adequate sleep

Exercise regularly

Avoid stress

Follow mental relaxation techniques like meditation, Yoga and Pranayama

Medical management

As the disease is of Pitta origin, all measures are undertaken to pacify pitta.

Some important drugs useful in Amlapitta

Shatavari, Yashtimadhu, Amalaki, Sunthi, Guduchi, Ushir, chandan shankhabhasma, suvarnamakshik bhasma, pravalpishti, sariva, bhunimb etc

Some important Ayurvedic Medicinal Preparations are helpful when taken under proper guidance

Kamdudha Rasa 

Sutashekhar Rasa 

Prawal Panchamrit 

Shankh vati

Bhoonimbadi kwath

Avipattikar Churna

Shatavarighrit etc

'Panchakarma procedures' like Vamana (induced vomiting) or Virechana (induced loose motions) whichever is needed as per the symptoms should be administered. In chronic cases, Asthapana basti (medicated enema) is indicated.

Hyperacidity And Ayurveda!

Gallstones are solid deposits/stones of digestive fluids that form in the gall bladder. The size of these stones varies from person to person. While some people may develop only one stone in the bladder, others may develop multiple gallstones simultaneously.

Signs you must watch out for-

Abdominal pain
Pain in the back or between the shoulder blades
Vomiting and nausea
Heartburn
Bloating and indigestion
Change in bowel movement
Dark urine
Fever and chills
Rapid heartbeat
Yellowish skin and pale eyes (Jaundice)
These are the most common symptoms that a person with gallstones encounters. One should consult the doctor right away upon experiencing these symptoms. If ignored for long, these signs can aggravate and lead to further complications.

Complications that may arise from gallstones-
There are quite a few complications of gallstones, including the following-

Cholecystitis- when gallstones become stuck at the neck of the gallbladder, it causes inflammation.
Obstruction in the pancreatic duct- a gallstone blocking the pancreatic duct can cause pancreatitis followed by intense abdominal pain.
Blockage in the bile duct- if the gallstones create a blockage in your bile duct, the outcome may be an infection or jaundice.
Gallbladder cancer- people, who have a history of gallstones, are more likely to develop gallbladder cancer.
Treatment of Gallstones-
Gallstones can certainly be treated, if diagnosed early in time. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may perform a CT scan, X-ray, Ultrasound or an ERCP. Once the condition is diagnosed, your doctor will recommend a surgery to remove the stones in the gallbladder (known as Cholecystectomy). The preferred choice of surgery includes the following-

Laparoscopic removal- In most of the cases, the doctor adopts this minimally invasive approach to remove gallstones. First, he makes a small incision in the abdomen. He will then insert a tube-like instrument with an attached camera into the gallbladder to have a clear sight of the gallstones, and surgically remove them from the gallbladder.
Open surgery- This is performed under general anesthesia. During this procedure, a single, long incision of roughly 3-6 inches is made on the upper side of your right abdomen. The tissues and muscles are pulled back to divulge the gallbladder. The gallstones are then removed, and the incision stitched up. Open surgery is performed when laparoscopic surgery is not suitable for the patient.
Gallstones cannot be managed with just diet and medications. A surgery is usually needed to remove the stones and cure the patient. For Laparoscopic surgery, the rate of success is nearly over 95%. Identify the symptoms before it aggravates, and consult a doctor for treatment.

Gall Stones - Is Surgery The Only Treatment?

Eating good and healthy food always contributes to the overall wellbeing of a person. Same holds true for the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). Ulcerative colitis patients need certain dietary modification to bring about a change in their condition. Though this condition isn t directly caused by the food but the frequency of flare ups is influenced by the food taken. Below mentioned is the list of foods to eat and avoid.

Food to be Consumed
Usually, for ulcerative colitis, low fibre and low residue foods are considered the best since they are easy to digest. Here is a list of foods that can be included in the diet:

Vitamin D: This vitamin boosts the immune system to fight the risks of ulcerative colitis flare ups. Since the sun is the best source of Vitamin D, it is important that a person gets as much exposure to the sun as possible.
Probiotics: Maintain a balance between good and bad bacteria of the gut which in turn alleviates the symptoms of this condition.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help alleviate intestinal inflammation caused by ulcerative colitis. Salmon is one of the best sources of Omega-3.
Eggs: Eggs are typically easy to digest and offer a number of nutrients which makes them one of the best choices for the patients of UC.
Plenty of fluid: People with this condition need to drink extra fluid, as diarrhoea can lead to dehydration.
Supplements: Dietary supplements also help in balancing the nutritional needs of a patient. But do consult a 
And last but not the least there are many anti-inflammatory foods that help in reducing the ulcerative colitis flare-ups include turmeric, cloves, ginger and rosemary. 

Foods to be Avoided
A patient should closely monitor what s/he is eating as the studies have revealed that the symptoms of ulcerative colitis are closely associated with diet. The following list will help you cut off the chances of UC flare ups.

High Fibre Food: Are difficult to digest so should be cut off from the diet. It s best to moderate the intake of fruits and vegetables with insoluble fibres.
Oily and Fatty Foods: The greasy food can aggravate the symptoms of UC as well as can cause diarrhoea.
Spicy foods: Spicy foods may disturb your bowel movements, so it is best to limit the intake of chillies, chilli powder, paprika, peppers etc.
Dairy products: Patients of UC are mostly lactose intolerant. So, these patients should avoid dairy products.
Seeds and nuts: Seeds and nuts are hard to digest, and it is best to avoid them if you are suffering from ulcerative colitis.
Ulcerative Colitis is just a disease which can be avoided by maintaining a proper diet and making few dietary modifications. One should eat smaller meals a few times per days instead of eating large ones.

Ulcerative Colitis Diet - Foods To Eat And Avoid!

Fissure in Ano, also known as Anal Fissure, is basically a small longitudinal cut in skin that lines the opening of the anus. Fissures cause bleeding and severe pain in the bowel movements. These are very common in the general public, but often confused with other pain. A fissure can happen at any point in your lifetime and can have equal general distribution.

Types of Fissure in Ano:

  Acute Fissure: Fissure in Ano less than 6 weeks of duration is known as Acute Fissure.

  Chronic Fissure: Anal Fissure with more than 6 weeks of duration is known as Chronic Fissure. 

Causes of Fissures in Ano:

  Anal fissures are basically caused by stretching of the anal muscles beyond its capability.

  In adults, it is caused by the passing of large stools, constipation or by prolonged diarrhea.   In older adults it is caused by the less flow of blood to that area.

  It is also caused by sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, chlamydia, herpes) and it results in fissures.

  Anal sex can also be the cause of fissures.

Symptoms of Fissures in Ano:

  Tear in the skin around the anus

  Small lump of skin, or skin tag next to the tear

  Pain during bowel movement

  Stools with blood or pus

  Itching and burning in the anal area 

Preventions During Fissures in Ano:

  One should drink enough water.

  One should have high fibre diet so that one does not suffer from constipation.

  Be careful and hygienic after anal defecation.

  In case of suspected fissure or any kind of pain, use a lubricating ointment.

  Sit in lukewarm water

Treatment for Fissures in Ano

Surgical treatments are not recommended, but there are some other measures that can be taken and are listed as follows:

  Some prescribed medication to lower the severity of pain.

  Nitroglycerin ointment may help heal the fissure.

  Having a rich fiber diet as a lifestyle change.

  Drink enough water as that helps in softening the stool.

  Sometimes Stool softeners may be required to soften the bowel movement.

When Anal Fissure does not heal with all of the above listed things, then a surgery may be required:

  Lower most part of the internal anal sphincter is divided laterally. With this acute fissure heals of its own. In chronic cases one may require to undergo fissurectomy.

  The surgery decreases the anal pain and spasm, allowing the fissure to heal.

  If a sentinel pile is present, it is removed to heal the fissure. 

It is important to note that any kind of treatment requires 6-10 weeks to recover. However, the pain may disappear just after 2-4 days after the surgery. One must consult a doctor before going for any treatment. This surgery can also be performed with LASER,where there is less trauma and early recovery is posssible.

Fissure In Ano

Infection is generally understood as the invasion into the body tissues of an organism by certain foreign bodies such as bacteria, parasite, and virus. They are transmissible diseases and can be transmitted from one person to the other via sneezing, coughing or physical contact. They can be mild, moderate or severe.

*They can be acute, that is, can last for a short time, or chronic that lasts for a long time, or a latent infection that may not cause any symptoms at first but reactivates and resurfaces over a period of time.

* Although each infection has its own distinct symptom. Generally, these symptoms include fever, swelling, redness, inflammation, burning, cough, diarrhea, fatigue, muscular pain, nausea, vomiting, rapid pulse or rapid breathing.

* If the patient has a severe headache, difficulty in breathing, painful swelling and unexplained prolonged fever or cough, he or she should immediately consult a doctor.

Conventional drugs that are given to treat infections like antibiotics, antiviral, antihistamines and steroids have many side effects on the human body. They on one hand hamper the digestive power of the system and on the other hand lower the immunity power of the body. In the long run, these medicines can have adverse effects on the body. Though conventional drugs suppress the disease for some time, the disease tends to resurface in the future.

However, Homeopathy has been found to be of great success in treating both acute and chronic infections. The best part is that, there is no side effect. Homeopathy also boosts our immune system so that the body naturally develops the strength to fight against infections in future, when foreign bodies invade. Homeopathic medicines have also proved to be effective as preventive measures against infections.

Some of the Homeopathic medicines for the treatment of most common infections are discussed below:

1. Throat infections - Belladonna, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Phytolacca, and Mercurius are most commonly administered to cure throat infections.
2. Skin infection - Common homeopathic remedies are Sulphur, Calendula, Hypericum, Silica, and Hepar sulfuris.
3. Bladder infection - Berberis, Chimaphila, Hydrastis, Apis, Cantharis, and sarsaparilla are commonly prescribed.
4. Stomach infection - Arsenic album, Nux vomica, Carbo veg, Lycopodium, and Pulsatilla are commonly recommended.
5. Sinus infection - Kali bichromicum, Pulsatilla, Mercurius, Natrum muriaticum, and Allium cepa work well in cases of sinus infections.

Most of the Homeopathy medicines are prescribed on the basis of symptoms observed. So, Homeopathic medicines are prescribed, even before the definitive diagnosis is made. Thus, the time saved prevents the infection from spreading, and the patient is automatically cured rapidly.

Homeopathy Treatment For Infections

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