Most patients suffering from ulcerative colitis are advised to undergo a surgery as that is oftentimes, the last option remaining for them. Failure of other treatments to bear any results leads to the need for a surgery. There are two main categories of surgery options; however, the difference lies in where the waste pouch will be placed following the ulcerative colitis surgery.

A patient who is planning to go through the ulcerative colitis surgery procedure must be aware of the recovery period and its duration. Since the surgery is an invasive and an intensive procedure, the recovery time is lengthy. So, naturally, before you arrive at any decision it is recommended that you consult your doctor, surgeon and other healthcare professionals about the procedure.

Ulcerative colitis is not a curable disease, but if your colon and rectum are removed, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can be treated. But educate yourself as you may still have to live with a number of side effects of the surgeries, even after the incisions have healed. This is the reason that you must prepare yourself both physically and mentally before making any decision, which should be based on the information available.

Tips for Quick Recovery
The recovery from ulcerative colitis is quite tricky. As it is an invasive surgical procedure, the recovery time is lengthy. However, you should not fret yourself with that. With the required care and doctor s advice, you will be able to return to your daily life in full vigor. In order to improve your recovery and hasten the process, you will be given a detailed file of information that you must follow strictly. These tips are:

After the surgery, you may have to remain in the hospital for 3 to 7 days. This is a mandatory protocol as it allows your surgeon to monitor your incisions and treat any complication or infections.
Any procedure that you may opt for, a total of 4 to 6 weeks is a minimum requirement for recovery.
During this time, you will be asked to meet your surgeon regularly and in some cases an enterostomal therapist as well. An enterostomal therapist is a specialized doctor who only deals with patients who have had their colon removed. So you should make an appointment with an enterostomal therapist, suggested by your doctor, and have him/her review your case.
Eat nutritional healthy foods to avoid any complications.
Stay hydrated by drinking at least 2-3 liters of water per day.
A rehab therapist or a physical therapist will help you to move towards your normal life, by keeping you active and recommending rejuvenating exercises that won t hamper your health.
Manage stress and anxiety as they cause stomach issues.


Ulcerative Colitis Surgery - Tips For Quick Recovery!

Eating healthy is very helpful for your mental and also your physical well-being. The mind requires nutrients just like your heart, muscles and lungs do. These can be derived from the following ingredients.

Berries: Berries, particularly dark ones, such as cherries, blackberries and blueberries, are a great source of anthocyanins and different flavonoids that can boost your memory. Try to consume these in small portions at least twice a day. You can enjoy a handful in the form of snacks, add them in your cereal or bake them into a dessert like muffins or pancakes. Fresh, frozen or dried berries and cherries can reap you a lot of benefits other than memory boost as well.
Avocados: Avocados are green powerhouse and are stuffed with mono-saturated fats containing both vitamin K and folate. Avocados prevent blood clots in the brain, protect you againsCutaneous Leishmaniasist strokes and enhance the cognitive capacity of the brain, both in terms of memory as well as concentration.
Broccoli: Broccoli contains large amounts of vitamin K and choline. It tends to help keep your memory sharp. It is also filled with vitamin C where just one glass provides you with 150% of your recommended every day consumption.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil fills in as a naturally calming, anti-inflammatory agent. It stiffens the cells in charge of inflammation and aggravation. It can help with memory loss as you age and will kill awful microscopic organisms that are present in your gut.
Salmon: Salmon is a well-known ingredient amongst the most nutritious and healthy food items recommended for the brain. It is highly rich in Omega-3 unsaturated fats and keeps the brain running, gets rid of brain fog and improves memory.Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Pumpkin seeds: Highly rich in zinc than most seeds, pumpkin seeds supply this highly valuable mineral which is very important for improving memory and thinking abilities. These little seeds are also loaded with stress-busting magnesium, B vitamins and tryptophan that is a precursor to the good mood substance called serotonin.
Walnuts: Walnuts are very well known for a positive impact on the heart s health. Walnuts may likewise enhance the working memory and boost it further. One can take them as a snack at any point in the day, be it to fulfill late morning hunger or add them to cereal or serving of mixed vegetables for crunch. You can also blend them into a vegetable panfry for additional protein.
Different kinds of food products have different effects on the body as well as the brain. To have a healthy body, one definitely needs to have a sound and healthy mind. Eating junk food blocks certain functions of the brain over the years whereas, a healthy diet may help in keeping you physically, mentally and psychologically healthy.

7 Foods that Boost Your Memory!

5 signs that you or your loved one may have bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition where the patient may go through certain periods of extreme happiness and joy which is known as mania. On the other hand, there may be other periods where the patient may be extremely sad and depressed and even suicidal.

In some individuals, these phases may last quite long whereas, in others, they may change very quickly. However, there are certain common symptoms displayed by patients with bipolar disorder. Let's look at a few of them.

Feeling extremely happy, to the point of being careless

Certain patients, at the onset of bipolar disorder, will feel extremely happy and have their sense of judgment hampered. When patients feel very elated without proper context, or for very small reasons, it could be an indication that the person is experiencing mania.

Feeling extremely depressed

Similarly, on the other end of the spectrum, if a person feels extremely depressed without an appropriate reason, it may be due to bipolar disorder. Also, the severity of depression and the length of time for which a person experiences it is also an indicator of the condition.

Lack of interest in activities which formerly interested you

You may suddenly lose interest in an activity that genuinely interested you earlier. This may include your profession or hobbies.

Loss of appetite during the depression phases

During the phases of depression or sadness, which may sometimes last for months, a person may rapidly lose weight due to lack of interest in food. Even for patients who have shorter cycles of changes lasting for only a few weeks, this will be noticeable.

Extreme restlessness and lack of sleep during the manic phases

When the person enters a manic or happy cycle, it may trigger over enthusiasm, restlessness and lack of sleep. This, like the depression phase, will also vary from patient to patient and may continue for the entire duration of the phase. A jump from a depression cycle into this phase will be definitely noticed by others.

If a few of these symptoms are detected, then the patient should be taken to a mental health professional for appropriate treatment as soon as possible.



5 signs that you or your loved one may have bipolar disorder

Have you ever noticed bar and clubs promoting energy drinks? You may have also bought energy drinks and alcohol, and tried mixing them. But what you don't probably know is consuming energy drinks with alcohol can be much riskier than drinking only alcohol. Since, very few people drink alcohol neat, a small shot of alcohol is usually mixed with juices, colas or more recently energy drinks to make a cocktail. While it is well-known fact that the sugar in these mixers is responsible for increasing the effect of alcohol on the body and weight gain associated with drinking, when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol, it can have an even more lethal effect on our bodies.

Studies show that this mix causes the brain to react in a similar way to how it behaves when in contact with cocaine. It can also cause permanent brain damage. This is because it stimulates the release of a protein cell known as FosB. This protein has the ability to permanently change the chemical connections inside the brain.

Some of the short-term effects of combining alcohol with energy drinks are:

Digestive troubles
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Depression
Hallucinations
Erratic sleep patterns
Violent behavior
Many of these effects can be a result of alcohol consumption as well and hence, it may not be attributed to the energy drinks being used as mixers. Regular consumption of such cocktails can increase your body s tolerance of this combination and make a person drink more. This can lead to long-term effects such as:

Malnutrition
Respiratory problems
Tooth decay and abcesses
Psychosis
Liver damage
Kidney troubles
Heart palpitations
Consuming alcohol tends to make a person feel sleepy and tired. However, when this alcohol is mixed with energy drinks, the caffeine in the energy drinks keep the person feeling energized and masks the effect of alcohol. This leads to a condition known as being  wide-awake drunk . In such a situation, the person begins to underestimate how much alcohol he or she is consuming. This creates a false sense of security and hampers with their judgement, balance and coordination. It also increases the risk of behaving erratically and getting into dangerous situations.

In addition to caffeine, energy drinks also have a high sugar content. A small can of energy drink can contain up to 30 grams of sugar. This is equivalent to about half the ideal amount of sugar one should consume in a day. The effect of consuming so much sugar is a fluctuation in blood sugar levels. If this fluctuation persists for a long time, it could lead to conditions such as diabetes and insulin resistance. Thus, along with understanding the ill effects of alcohol, it is also necessary to keep the effects of mixers in mind while concocting cocktails for your next weekend bash. 

Alcohol With Energy Drinks - Why It Should Never Be Mixed?

If you are a heavy drinker and consume excess alcohol, you may face severe consequences related to short-term and long-term health. Alcohol has several negative impacts and affects on your heart. Although occasional drinking does not cause much harm, excess drinking may lead to many heart complications. There are chances of the development of cardiovascular diseases in an alcoholic person.
Alcohol affects the heart in several ways. Binge drinkers are more prone to face these complications. A person who drinks alcohol regularly, drinks very fast and drinks much more than the recommended consumption limit during a single session is called a binge drinker.

Here the ways in which alcohol affects your heart:

Alcohol weakens the heart muscles: Heavy drinking for a long span of time tends to weaken the heart muscles. A condition known alcoholic cardiomyopathy may be caused. When the heart gets weakened, proper contraction gets disrupted and the heart is unable to pump sufficient amount of blood. Due to this, a person may experience certain symptoms such as tiredness, irregular heart rhythm, shortness of breath and swelling of the feet and legs. This can also lead to a heart failure.
Alcohol affects your heart beat rate: Binge drinking and regular drinking over a long period of time may affect the rate of the heart beat or how quickly the heart beats. Alcohol may cause the heart to beat too fast, and irregular beating is observed. This is a condition known as arrhythmias, which may have grave consequences on your health. If you are not a regular drinker but drink too much in a day, you could face this condition.
Alcohol can lead to high blood pressure and also cause a stroke: Binge drinking leads to increased blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The blood vessels become stiff, and this causes the pressure to rise in the arteries and veins. Heavy consumption of alcohol may also trigger several stress hormones to be released, which cause a constriction in the blood vessels. This leads to increased blood pressure. Hypertension may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
In order to reduce the negative impacts of alcohol on your heart and overall health, you must practice drinking in moderation. You must not drink more than fourteen units of alcohol in a single week. Consume these fourteen units in three to four parts instead of consuming it all at once. You should give gaps and avoid regular drinking.

Alcohol - How It Affects Your Health?

When man first started using tobacco, he probably did not know that it would grow to be an epidemic that could cause multiple health issues. Be it smoking or chewing, tobacco has severe negative effects on health. Take any of the current lifestyle diseases from diabetes to obesity, the common risk factor is tobacco abuse. In addition, depending on the form of tobacco used, specific organs are affected. For instance, chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer while smoking causes lung cancer.

The statistics around tobacco abuse are extremely startling and can be read below:

A total of about 90 trillion rupees are spent on various tobacco products.
About 1.4 trillion is spent on healthcare-related to conditions caused by tobacco abuse.
India has about 120 million tobacco users.
More than 7 million people die every year due to tobacco usage.
The Government has levied a GST of 28% on cigarettes, making them unaffordable, which is one of the ways to promote quitting.
For those who want to quit but are not able to, there is a quit-line setup, which is toll-free, 1800-11-2356 and is accessible from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tobacco is a menace in all the strata of society. The lower economic classes are adversely affected both due to lack of knowledge and healthcare facilities. Therefore, the government uses the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) that is observed by all members of the World Health Organization as an opportunity to drive this awareness.

This is celebrated on May 31st every year. Some measures that are taken to promote 'say no to tobacco' campaign are listed below.

In 1975, the Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act was introduced, which made it mandatory for cigarette packs to have a warning stating  Smoking Kills  or  Smoking is injurious to health. 
Marketing campaigns are shown in the movie theatres at the beginning of movies which depict the hazards of tobacco
Smoking is banned in most public areas, and warnings are on display.
Children below 18 are not sold tobacco products. If in doubt, the seller can ask for age identification.
Schools and colleges do not have tobacco selling within 100 meters of the campus.
The price increase ensures that not everybody has easy access to cigarettes.
Celebrities promote quitting tobacco and smoking by talking about their personal stories.
How can a healthcare professional help you?

A healthcare professional plays a vital role in a smokers life, as it the healthcare professional that can increase the odds of quitting with guidance, medication, and support. 

What should a healthcare professional do?

Identify people who smoke 
Motivate them to quit or think about quitting
Refer a person who smokes for treatment and support
Support ongoing abstinence
What is the right smoking cessation strategy?

Ask: Every smoker to visit a healthcare professional
Advice: Urge the smoker to leave smoking
Assess: Assess whether the person is willing to quit in 30 days
Assist: Plan and help Rx Quit
Arrange: Arrange a follow-up through phone or SMS or in-person
What is that people who smoke need help with?

First and  the foremost challenge are the withdrawal symptoms 
Urge to smoke and borderline depression with a possibility of relapse
People who have high pre-abstinence nicotine intake
How to get over the initial withdrawal discomfort?

Behavioural support is of proven efficacy
Can be delivered in different formats
Face-to-face
Telephone
Internet
Nicotine replacement therapy and nortriptyline are of proven efficacy
Facts On Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

There are no real contradictions related to NRT
No drug interactions 
Side effects, if there are any are localized e.g.
Taste of oral products
Hiccups with the mouth spray 
Skin irritation with patch 
Treatment for quitting Nicotine  - Medications: Medicines which are useful adjuncts in the determined but unsuccessful quitters are Varenicline and Bupropion. 

Though smoking out in the open has reduced, there are miles to cover when it comes to eradication of tobacco. 

World No Tobacco Day - Making An Effort To Control Tobacco Usage!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Relationship Counsellor online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Relationship Counsellor - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES