Blood donation is a procedure carried out for the noble cause of helping patients and saving lives. As the healthy donor's blood is transfused into the patient, it gives them a new life. That said, the donor has to fulfill a few criteria to be eligible to donate blood.

Eligibility

While any healthy adult of any gender can donate blood, it is advised for males to donate once every three months and for females to donate once every four months. Some of the other criteria are-


	
	Age
	


Any person in the age group of 18 to 65 years can donate blood depending on other factors.


	
	Weight
	


A donor should be at least weigh 45 kilograms in order to be eligible.


	
	Pulse
	


The temperature and pulse of the donor should be normal during the time of blood donation.


	
	Hemoglobin
	


Hemoglobin in the blood should be at least 12.5 grams otherwise the donor stands ineligible.


	
	Childbirth
	


A female donor should have delivered at least 1 year ago and stopped lactation.


	
	Blood pressure
	


Ensuring that the systolic and diastolic pressures are within normal limits is a must.


	
	Malaria
	


One should not have malarial symptoms and not have been treated for the same in the last 3 months.


	
	Tattoo
	


A person should not have had a tattoo in the past 12 months.


	
	Immunization and vaccination
	


A donor should not have had shots for cholera, typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus, or plague in the last 15 days.


	
	Cancer
	


A person should be checked for cancer and should not have any signs of cancer in the body.


	
	Infection
	


There should not be hepatitis b, c, tuberculosis, leprosy, or hiv infection in the body.


	
	Diseases
	


A person should not have epilepsy, bleeding disorders, sickle cell, or thalassemia.


	
	Drugs
	


One cannot donate blood if injected intravenously ever. It may cause risk to the recipient.


	
	Heart issues
	


A person willing to donate cannot have any heart disease.


	
	Diabetes
	


People on oral drugs or dieting to control diabetes can donate blood while patients with insulin injections cannot.

 

Strictly prohibited


	
	Ones who have been tested hiv positive.
	
	
	People suffering from cardiac problems, hypertension, cancer, epilepsy, or kidney ailments.
	
	
	Donors who have consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours.
	
	
	Ones with a major dental procedure done in the last one month.
	
	
	Women with miscarriages in the past 6 months.
	



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Know Eligibility Rules For Donating Blood

If you have diabetes, many parts of your body are likely to get affected over time. You might observe that your digestion is not the same as it was before you had diabetes. In this case, you are likely to face stomach problems and bowel issues. This is due to the effect of diabetes on your vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve is responsible for managing the complex processes in your digestive system. When the nerve is not functioning properly, your digestion slows down. As a result, the contents of your stomach stay longer than they should. Such a condition is called diabetic ;gastroparesis, which is one of the most common diabetic problems.

What is diabetic gastroparesis?

In gastroparesis, your stomach takes too much time to clear the bowel due to disrupted digestion. Usually, after a meal, the vagus nerve helps to contract the stomach muscles to break down the food into smaller pieces and pass it to the small intestine.

However, if the nerve is damaged, the muscle contraction gets halted and the decomposition of the food is slowed down. This condition is common in patients suffering from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This is because diabetes causes nerve damage, which in turn damages the vagus nerve.

Symptoms of gastroparesis

The most common symptoms of the condition are  


	
	Heartburn
	
	
	Nausea accompanied by ;vomiting
	
	
	Appetite loss
	
	
	Bloating in the abdomen
	
	
	Acid reflux
	
	
	Weight loss
	
	
	Fluctuations in the blood ;sugar level
	
	
	Feeling full even after consuming a little amount of food
	
	
	Spasms in the stomach
	


What are the treatment options?

The first step to treat diabetic gastroparesis is to manage the levels of blood sugar. In this case, your doctor might ask you to check your blood sugar regularly   that will help him to modify the treatment to cure this condition.

The treatment can include the following steps  


	
	Altering your insulin dosage and the number of times you take it
	
	
	Oral medication may be prescribed to improve the condition
	
	
	Gastric ;electrical stimulation   where a device called gastric neurostimulator is implanted in the lower abdominal region. It sends low energy electrical impulses to your stomach muscles to cure cases of severe vomiting and nausea.
	


The doctors will recommend some dietary changes   avoid fibre-rich foods and include low-fat foods instead. With proper treatment and lifestyle changes, diabetic patients may be able to avoid common digestive problems like gastroparesis.

What Is Gastroparesis- A Diabetes Induced Digestive Problem

Air pollution affects the overall health of a human being. Whether it comes out of exhaust fumes from cars and factories or smoke from burning stubble air pollution, it is a cause of major concern. The effects of this can be seen in the growing number of asthma and other respiratory diseases. These diseases affect adults and children alike, however, it is the younger generation and elderly people who are more susceptible. Hence, it is extremely important to care about the quality of the air you breathe in. 


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What is the significance of the air quality index (aqi)?

The air quality index is a visual representation of pollutant levels in the air around you. A quick glance at this colour coded map can tell you if the air outside your home is likely to harm you or not. The code is broken down into 6 levels ranging from green which signifies minimal impact to red which marks pollution levels that can harm a healthy person and seriously impact those who are already ill. The higher the aqi, the higher the level of air pollution.

 

What are the steps to reduce air pollution?

Simply talking about how there need to be stricter laws about car emissions and the burning of waste will not help you. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the ill-effects of air pollution.


	
	Carpool: exhausts from cars and other vehicles are one of the biggest causes of air pollution. Do your part to reduce air pollution by restricting the amount you use your car. Try taking public transport to work or carpooling with colleagues. Similarly, avoid making individual trips every time you need something from the market. Make a list and when it s long enough, then step out.
	
	
	Limit indoor pollution: do not smoke indoors. When cooking, keep the exhaust fan on so that the smoke produced does not collect indoors. Avoid spraying air fresheners etc. While they may temporarily make the air smell fresh, in the long run, they contribute to air pollution.
	
	
	Use public transport try to use public transport and avoid the use of personal vehicles.
	


How to protect yourself from air pollution


	
	Refrain from morning walks routines to later hours.
	
	
	Use n95/99 face masks whenever you step out.
	
	
	Use air-purifying plants to purify the air around your surroundings.
	
	
	Ventilate your kitchen, and bathroom to keep yourself away from air pollution.
	
	
	Restrict outdoor activities for kids if there is a high level of air pollution
	
	
	Use air-purifiers in your surroundings.
	
	
	Try to take steam with a few drops of eucalyptus oil every day.
	
	
	Keep your car s environment fresh.
	
	
	Ventilate your home, open your windows and doors and allow the air to circulate during mid hours.
	
	
	Eat jaggery (aka gurr) to flush out pollutants from your lungs.
	
	
	Consume a diet rich in vitamin c, omega fatty acids
	


Hence, the other way to cut down this pollution is by bringing significant lifestyle changes in our daily living. Cutting down the number of diesel and petrol vehicles can also prove helpful. People should shift to cng and electric vehicles for daily commuting. These efforts, if practiced on a regular basis, can bring a huge decrease in pollution.

Air purifiers can also be a healthy option for indoor purposes.

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Why Should You Care About Air Quality?

Thyroid cancer refers to the type of ;cancer that originates in the thyroid gland. Cancer develops when the cells in your thyroid gland begin multiplying uncontrollably to form malignant tumours.

What leads to the development of cancer in the thyroid glands is not clearly known. However, a combination of environmental factors and genetics could be a leading cause of cancer.

Thyroid cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women, and usually affects those in their 20s and early 30s.

Types of thyroid cancer

Four types of thyroid cancer are prevalent, which are  


	
	Papillary thyroid cancer   ;this is the most common type of thyroid cancer. Cancer typically develops in one of the two lobes in the thyroid gland, and gradually spreads to the lymph nodes in your neck.
	
	
	Follicular thyroid cancer   ;the second most common type is the follicular thyroid cancer. Here the disease spreads to other body parts and organs, like the bones or lungs rather than the lymph nodes.
	
	
	Medullary cancer   cancer starts from the c-cells of the thyroid gland, which usually produce a hormone called ;calcitonin. The disease can spread to the lungs, liver, or lymph nodes even before a nodule is discovered.
	
	
	Anaplastic thyroid cancer   this form of cancer is rare but aggressive. It develops from an existing follicular or papillary cancer and spreads to other parts of the body faster than any other type of thyroid cancer.
	


Symptoms to watch out for

The symptoms of thyroid cancer depend on its type. Although there are no observable symptoms in the initial stage, you might be able to spot some changes in your body as cancer progresses. These symptoms include:


	
	A lump or mass in the neck that can be felt through the skin
	
	
	Change in voice   ;hoarseness
	
	
	Pain in the throat and neck
	
	
	Difficulty in swallowing
	
	
	Swelling of the lymph nodes in your neck
	


Diagnosis and treatment

The following tests/procedures can help detect thyroid cancer early  


	
	Blood test
	
	
	Ultrasound
	
	
	Biopsy
	
	
	Imaging tests
	
	
	Genetic testing
	
	
	Pet scan
	


Once cancer is diagnosed, appropriate treatment will be prescribed depending on the stage. Primary treatment options include  


	
	Chemotherapy ;  medications are infused through veins to kill cancer cells
	
	
	Radiation therapy   high-energy radio beams are directed to destroy cancer cells
	
	
	Radioactive ;iodine   large doses of radioactive iodine are given orally
	
	
	Targeted therapy   medications are given to attack certain vulnerabilities in the cancer cells
	
	
	Surgery ;  complete or partial removal of the thyroid gland or the lymph nodes
	


Prior to the treatment, your doctor will discuss the treatment plan specific to your diagnosis. Thyroid cancer is curable if detected at the right time. Therefore, do not lose hope and consult a specialist as early as possible.

Thyroid Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

When abnormal cells grow inside the brain and are in the form of a mass the condition is called a brain tumour. However, on the other hand, brain cancer is a disease of the brain in which cancer cells (malignant cells) arise in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumour) that interferes with brain functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. 

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Some brain tumours are cancerous while others fall under the category of non-cancerous ones.

Brain cancer is actually the abnormal growth and uncontrolled growth of the cancer cells in the brain, that forms a tumour in the brain. Tumours can be either benign or malignant.

Benign brain tumours are abnormal collections of cells that reproduce slowly and usually remain separate from the surrounding normal brain.

Malignant tumours reproduce and grow quickly. Their borders are hard to distinguish from the normal brain around them.

 

The underlying cause of primary brain cancer, cancer that begins in the brain, is not known. Secondary brain cancer is caused by a cancer of another organ in the body, such as the breast, prostate, kidney, skin, or bone, that has spread to the brain.

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The brain tumours originate in the brain itself. Tumours start to develop if there are mutations in the dna. It is because of these mutations that cells of the brain increasingly grow and divide. Usually, in adults, the primary brain tumours are uncommon in comparison to the secondary brain tumours.


 

There are few early symptoms of brain cancer, but as the tumour grows within the confines of the skull, it causes increased intracranial pressure and exerts pressure on the brain, causing signs to develop.


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Brain cancer occurs when there is an uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the brain that form a malignant brain tumour. The underlying cause of primary brain cancer, cancer that begins in the brain, is not known. Secondary brain cancer is caused by a cancer of another organ in the body, such as the breast, prostate, kidney, skin, or bone, that has spread to the brain.


 

What Is The Significant Difference Between Brain Tumour And Brain Cancer?

Cervical cancer is a ;cancer that affects the cells of the cervix in women. The cancer is believed to be caused by exposure to human papilloma virus (hpv). Also, there are certain factors that are linked to an increased risk of acquiring hpv and developing cervical cancer.

What Are The Major Risk Factors Of Cervical Cancer?

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