Sonu Clinic

It is very common for women to gain weight post menopause. A range of factors are responsible for this, such as slow metabolism, degradation of the muscle tissue and hormonal fluctuations, resistance to insulin, inadequate sleep to name a few. To make things worse, the fat on the thighs and hips gets transferred to a lower portion of the abdomen. This not only makes the whole body posture ugly, but increases the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. It is therefore very important to lose weight and maintain the right BMI.

Here are a few tips that can help do just that:

1. Calorie count: Contrary to the popular belief, a drastic restriction in diet can do more harm than good. A less calorie count results in muscle loss and restricts the ability to digest protein. A better strategy, therefore, is to watch out for portion size rather cutting down on the diet. Frequent eating in small quantities can help in ensuring that the body retains its metabolic rate and weight gain is restricted at the same time.
2. A healthy diet: A healthy diet necessarily need not restrict to fruits and vegetables. It essentially means cutting down on junk and processed food. In this regard a low carb diet greatly helps in losing weight, so is the case with a vegetarian and Mediterranean diet. However, be it any diet, the important thing is to ensure that it is freshly prepared and consumed at the right quantity.
3. Exercise: Exercise is perhaps the single most important factor after or during a menopause. It not only helps to lose weight but helps to improve the mood, improve bone density and helps the body to tackle muscle loss. Cardio and aerobic training are known to be extremely effective for the purpose of losing weight. A recent research report suggests that performing repetitive exercise can be more effective than performing a variety of exercises. The trick is to keep the exercise schedule going every single day.
4. Getting adequate rest: In order to maintain a healthy weight, getting adequate sleep is extremely important. People who tend to sleep little have a higher concentration of ghrelin hormone. The latter is known as the hunger hormone of the body that is responsible for the urge of eating. Less sleep also decreases the level of leptin hormone that gives a sense of fulfilment to an individual. Many women reportedly suffer from sleep inefficiency and suffer from night sweats, hot slashes, and stress. If such behaviour continues for long, medical help is necessary.
5. Stay away from stress: Stress relief plays a pivotal role in ensuring that a person does not put on weight during the menopause. Apart from contributing to weight gain, stress can result in lead to heart diseases, elevated cortisol, and abdominal fat.

Chlamydia is a type of STI. STIs are sexually transmitted infections or diseases. It is extremely common due to the ease with which it spreads. Also, the fact that there are often no symptoms associated with chlamydia makes it even harder to diagnose and deal with. As many as 75% of infections in women and 50% of infections in men have no symptoms associated with the chlamydia whatsoever. However, there may be a few observable symptoms such as:

Symptoms in men

1.        There is a little discharge from the penis which tends to be clear or cloudy
2.        Urination becomes painful
3.        The opening of the penis begins to burn and itch
4.        Your testicles begin to swell and pain

Symptoms in women

1.        Similar to men, women have a discharge from the vagina which has a bad odor
2.        Between periods, bleeding may occur
3.        Periods become painful
4.        Fever and abnormal pain 
5.        Sex becomes painful
6.        Similar to men, urinating becomes painful
7.        Around the vagina, there is an itching or burning sensation

Treatment for chlamydia

There are several steps taken for the treatment of chlamydia. The steps are as follows:

1.        Antibiotic prescription
The first step is the prescription of antibiotics to the person with the infection. These antibiotics tend to be oral in nature. Usually, azithromycin or doxycycline is prescribed. 

2.        Checking and treating the partner of the patient
Once the doctor has diagnosed chlamydia, he will immediately check your partner to make sure that he or she is not infected and if he or she is then the doctor will treat your partner as well.

3.        Treatment for severe infections
This infection mostly occurs in women. The treatments given to women with severe infections include intravenous antibiotics, pain medicine and hospitalization. 

4.        Follow up visits
These are usually scheduled three months later to make sure that there is no re-infection or further complication related to sexual infections.
 

Contaminated food is one of the most common sources of infections in the human body and so the stomach is one of the most commonly affected organs. Whether it is eating raw food or unhygienically prepared foods, the stomach has very high chance of getting infected than other body parts.

One of the most common causes of stomach infection is the norovirus also called as cruise ship virus. Spread through vomitus and faecal material, it is quite contagious and can affect large amounts of people in confined areas like a cruise ship. The common symptoms would include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloated feeling, abdominal pain (generalised or localised), fatigue, and tiredness.

On the brighter side, there are well-proven measures listed below which are simple and easy to follow that can help avoid stomach infection.

1. Restore bacterial balance: The good bacteria in the stomach are lost with the stomach flu and restoring it will help in managing the flu. A good amount of probiotics and fermented foods including yoghurt, sour curd, etc., will do wonders by restoring natural flora. Supplements can be taken if required, and these bacteria will restore the ability of the stomach to fight the virus.
2. Isolation and separation: If there is a close family member affected by the virus, ensure they are staying separately and all their clothing (bedding included) are maintained in an isolated manner. Children and elderly need extra protection, whether they are affected or are in the same household.
3. Cleaning methods: Since the virus spreads by contaminated faecal matter, vomitus and through surfaces, it is necessary to prevent the spread.
   • When in doubt, washing hands is very useful. Use soap and water instead of a hand wash. Staying away from picking nose and touching eyes are also useful.
   • The infected person’s clothes should be washed separately in extra hot water and bleached to get rid of the virus.
   • Using the dishwasher or soaking the washed utensils in extra-hot water is a good way to get rid of the virus.
   • Surfaces like laptops need to be cleaned more regularly and rigorously
   • Steam cleaning of carpets is a good idea to get rid of the virus that may be locked there.
   • Avoid going out or being in close contact for about a week, as the virus needs that much time to clear out completely.
4. Food habits
   • Do not eat raw or uncooked foods
   • Drink loads of water, clear soups, sports drink and lime juice to replace lost fluid.
   • Eat whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables that are well-cooked to ensure you get the essential vitamins and minerals.

Following the above measures can help avoid the stomach flu and stay healthy.

Gout: a brief idea: In the simplest of words gout can be defined as the inflammation of joints due to continuous accretion of urate crystals. An excess of uric acid can make a person suffer from gout. There could be a higher percentage of uric acid in a person's blood due to two chief reasons; an inept excretory system that fails to rid your body of surplus acid and also greater production of the acid. Arthritis is of three kinds; gout is one of those three. Homeopathy is known for its efficacy in treating gout. 
   
Homeopathic remedies for gout:

1. Urtica urens can cure gout: This homeopathic medicine is prescribed by a professional practitioner if the person is susceptible to cold. Urtica urens can work on a patient if he or she is allergic to snow,  air, touch and water. Hive like eruptions on your ankles, wrists, and shoulders can be treated through regular consumption of this medication.   
2. Ledum can relieve you of pain: A painful, swollen area that develops on the small joints such as the joints of your toe fingers can be cured with the use of Ledum. The sensation of shooting pain in your limbs or feet can also be dealt with Ledum. Apart from that swollen small joints can be given momentary respite by falling back upon the cold compression therapy. Patients are advised to take this medicine if they exhibit intolerance to external warmth. 
3. Lycopodium is effective on sore joints: Chalky deposits of urate can be found in a person's knees. This results in chronic gout. Chronic gout has symptoms like limited urination. The urine may or may not have red sediments. People have also been reported with symptoms like extreme backache. Lycopodium successfully cures cases of unceasing gout.
4. Try out benzoic acid for a big toe: If your gout is accompanied by stinking yellow urine you probably need Benzoic acid. Gout could be so severe that it might result in a stiff limb. In certain cases it makes a person limp. The thumb of your feet might get swollen making you have a big toe. A big toe usually kills you with tearing pain.
5. Arnica deals with bruises: Arnica is your go to solution in case of a throbbing, stinging pain in any part of the body. This medication is a cherished answer to aches in every household. When gout is tender and it hinders free movement, this medicine comes to your aid. The medicine also heals bruised eruptions.