Poddar Nursing Home

Osteoporosis is a Latin word for “porous bones”. A healthy bone holds tiny spaces within it resembling a honey comb. Osteoporosis causes an expansion in the dimension of these spaces so much so that the bone loses out on its density and strength, at the same time turning brittle and thin on the outer part. People afflicted with osteoporosis are prone to experiencing fractures at the slightest stimulation while engaging in daily chores. It usually affects one’s wrists, hip and the spine, thus rendering a stooped posture, loss in height and back pain as a result of a collapsed vertebra. Factors such as lowered estrogen count in women and testosterone in men, long term use of certain medications, certain medical conditions such as damage to the liver or the kidneys and a sedentary lifestyle along with excessive tobacco and alcohol consumption make one vulnerable to osteoporosis.

Tips To Help you manage and prevent it-

1. Medications: Zoledronic acid, Ibandronate, Risedronate and Alendronate are some of the widely used medicines to combat the risks of fracture. However, these medicines carry considerable side-effects, for instance adnominal pain, nausea or a heart-burn like sensation. Ipriflavone, a laboratory manufactured product, in combination with calcium can be used as an alternative medicine to inhibit bone loss and alleviate pain.

2. Quit smoking: Smoking escalates the rate of bone loss and the chances of sustaining another fracture.

3. Refrain from excessive alcohol intake: Alcohol meddles with one’s bone formation. Also, excessive alcohol intake might cause one to feel tipsy and thus fall down, aggravating risks of injuries and fractures even more.

4. Be careful while walking: Choose low or flat heeled footwear with soles that do not slip. Watch your step. Be careful with rugs, slippery surfaces, electrical cords or other scattered substances which might make you trip over and fall. Install ‘grab bars’ in your house so that you can hold on to them if you suddenly feel unsteady on the feet.

When the doctor informs you that you have stones in your kidney or gallbladder, the typical reaction it evokes is panic. Though you have been suffering from excruciating and unbearable pain for a long time, the idea of having stones inside your body is not exactly a happy feeling.

Stones are small crystallized formation which mainly occurs in the kidney, along with urinary tract in the urethra, bladder, and urethra or in gallbladder. The common causes of stones in the body are-

1. Drinking less water

2. High cholesterol levels in your liver

3. Overconcentration of bile in the gallbladder

About 30% of the world population suffers from kidney stones and about 10% have stones in their gallbladder.

Myths vs Facts-

1. Drinking cranberry juice will help eliminate kidney stones: Doctors say that though cranberry juice helps cure urinary tract infections, it will certainly make the condition of kidney stones worse. Cranberry is high in oxalate and stimulates the growth of further stones. The correct treatment is drinking six to eight glasses of water every day to increase urine flow for the stones to pass out from your system. Also drinking citrus juice every day can prevent stone formation.

2. Prolonged immobility increases the risk of stone formation: This is true as more physically active you are, the lower your chances are of having stones. One should always engage in moderate physical activity and keep in mind to replace the fluid loss that happens through sweating by drinking water and juices.

3. Calcium intake aggravates the problem of renal stones: A commonly believed rumor, that stone formation in the body and high levels of calcium in the body are inter-related. This is mostly because, most of the stones that are removed from the body and analyzed contain 75% calcium. However, this is not the reality. Drinking a glass of milk or yogurt with food intake rich in magnesium helps bind the oxalate in the digestive tract and prevents stone formation. Lower levels of oxalate increase the risk of stone formation.

4. Apple cider vinegar helps you dissolve bladder stones: It is a high source of calcium, potassium, malic and acetic acid, but it does not control the pH level of the body. Rather it causes an imbalance in the acid formation in the body. A common misconception is that most people who have gallstones suffer from acidity. However, this is not true. Gallstones occur when you don’t eat properly or take high fat containing diet. Over 95% people who have stones in the gallbladder have a minimum of 2-hour gap between the time they wake up and do breakfast. Over 40% of people with gallstones skip breakfast and over 60% eat a very late dinner. As this routine continues until the next day, the body starts releasing acids in your stomach, causing headaches.

5. Stone formation is entirely hereditary: This myth has propagated from the false notion that the probability of developing stones inside the body is hereditary. Stones formation in the bladder and kidney is largely based on dietary and lifestyle habits of an individual. This myth makes people more ignorant about this disease and it has also compounded the fact that those with family history of stones have a 2.5% more risk.

6. Medicines can break or dissolve the renal stones: There is no medicine which can break or dissolve the renal stones. Medicines only help in flushing the stone out from the system.

7. Misconceptions about certain foods as cause of stone formation: Balanced diet is more important in preventing stone formation than avoidance of any particular food item. Plenty of oral fluids, help in diluting and washing away of early stone formations, resulting in prevention of stone.

When the doctor informs you that you have stones in your kidney or gall bladder, the typical reaction it evokes is panic. Though you have been suffering from excruciating and unbearable pain for a long time, the idea of having stones inside your body is not exactly a happy feeling.Stones are small crystallized formations which mainly occur in the kidney, along the urinary tract in the urethra, bladder and urethra OR IN GALL BLADDER

The common causes of stones in the body are-

1. Drinking less water

2. High cholesterol levels in your liver

3. Over concentration of bile in the gallbladder About 30% of the world’s population suffers from kidney stones and about 10% have stones in their gall bladder.

Myths vs Facts

1. Drinking cranberry juice will help eliminate kidney stones: Doctors say that though cranberry juice helps cure urinary tract infections, it will certainly make the condition of kidney stones worse. Cranberry is high in oxalate and stimulates growth of further stones. The correct #treatment is drinking six to eight glasses of water every day to increase urine flow for the stones to pass out from your system. Also drinking citrus juice everyday can prevent stone formation.

2. Prolonged immobility increases the risk of stone formations: THIS IS TRUE AS the more physically active you are, the lower your chances are of having stones. One should always engage in moderate physical activity and keep in mind to replace the fluid loss that happens through sweating by drinking water and juices.

3. Calcium intake aggravates the problem of RENAL stones: A commonly believed rumor, that stone formation in the body and high levels of calcium in the body is inter-related. This is mostly because, most of the stones that are removed from the body and analyzed contain 75% calcium. However, this is not the reality. Drinking a glass of milk or yogurt with food intakes rich with magnesium helps bind the oxalate in the digestive tract and prevents stone formation. Lower levels of oxalate increase the risk of stone formation.

4. Apple cider vinegar helps you dissolve bladder stones: It is a high source of calcium, potassium, malic and acetic acid but it does not control the pH level of the body. Rather it causes an imbalance in the acid formation in the body. A common misconception is that most people who have gallstones suffer from acidity. However, this is not true. Gallstones occur when you don’t eat properly OR high fat containing diet. Over 95% people who have stones in the gall bladder have a minimum of 2 hour gap between the time they wake up and breakfast. Over 40% people with gallstones skip breakfast and over 60% eat a very late dinner. As this routine continues until the next day, the body starts releasing acids in your stomach, causing headaches.

5. Stone formation is entirely hereditary: This myth has propagated from the false notion that the probability of developing stones inside the body is hereditary. Stones formation in the bladder and the kidney is largely based on dietary and lifestyle habits of an individual. This myth makes people more ignorant about this disease and it has also compounded the fact that those with family history of stones have a 2.5% more risk.

6. Medicines can break or dissolve the renal stones: there is no medicine which can break or dissolve the renal stones. Medicines only help in flushing the stone out from the system. 

7. Misconceptions about certain foods as cause of stone formation. Balanced diet is more important in preventing stone formation than avoidance of any particular food item.Plenty of oral fluids, help in diluting and washing away of early stone formations, resulting in prevention of stone

The problem of morning back and neck pain may be due to the position of sleeping or it may be related to inflammatory arthritis which can be familial. Morning back pain is largely related to wrong sleeping posture and less commonly due to arthritic conditions like Ankylosing Spondylitis or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Whatever be the cause- this condition requires attention by an Orthopedic doctor as it may worsen in due course of time and should not be taken lightly.

Some common factors causing this are:

1. Mattress: Too soft or too hard a mattress might induce back ache after sleep. For people with waist and hips of equal proportion, a firmer mattress would do well. For those with narrower waist than their hips, a flexible and softer mattress that can move with the pelvic weight would be a perfect choice. Refrain from using old hardened mattresses.

2. Pillow: The pillow you use must be able to render support to your neck naturally. Instead of using excessively firm or soft pillow, try substituting it with memory foam pillows, refillable water pillows or cervical support pillows.

3. Posture: Not changing your position while sleeping or sleeping on the belly exerts strain on the back muscles, causing pain. On the other hand, sleeping on the back or on the sides causes comparatively less strain on the spine.

4. Other causes such as strenuous workouts or physical activities or sitting at a stretch during the day might cause pain while sleeping or after getting up from bed.

Remedies for Morning Back Pain:

Fortunately, there are some home remedies to cure the morning back pain.

1. Switching your mattress is a more expensive remedy for back pain, but may often be the ultimate cure. Most people sleep the best on medium-firm mattresses. Be sure to try out the mattress before you buy it.

2. For occasional back pain after sleeping, apply heat to your back to relax your muscles before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.

3. Massage your back with pain relieving creams and apply heat on it with a heating pad for quick relief.

4. Specific spinal stretching exercises and Planks (a type of exercise) can greatly help in easing back pain, if done on a regular basis.

5. It is always recommended to CONSULT an Orthopaedic doctor if you suffer from morning back pain.

Menstrual disorders are caused by a variety of factors and affect every woman in a different manner. In most cases, it manifests itself in the form of fluctuations in menstrual flow and irregularity in the monthly cycle. Certain disorders are not too severe and can be easily alleviated. Others are more complicated and require the immediate attention of a gynecologist.

As mentioned, there are different specific causes of different kinds of disorders resulting from a range of factors such as hormone levels, functioning of the central nervous system, health of the uterus, etc.

Some of the most common causes of menstrual disorders are as follows:

1. Hormonal imbalance: Fluctuating hormone levels in the body have a direct impact on the menstrual cycle. These fluctuations can be caused by dysfunction in the pituitary gland, thyroid gland or adrenal gland. It can also be a result of malfunction in either or both ovaries and the secretion of hormones originating there.

2. Anatomic problems: One fourth menstrual disorders are caused by problems of the anatomy. These include various gynecological issues like the presence of uterine fibroids and polyps, reduced uterine contractile strength, adenomyosis (intrusion of uterine tissue into the muscular wall of the uterus), a uterus with an excessively large surface area, and endometrial cancer.

3. Clotting irregularities: Abnormality in clotting is a cause of heavy menstrual bleeding in women. It leads to exceeding blood loss from minor cuts and gashes and makes one easily prone to bruising. This may also include medical conditions such as thrombocytopenia (platelet dysfunction) and Von Willebrand disease.

4. Medications and supplements: There is a wide range of medications and nutritional or hormonal supplements which often cause menstrual disorders in women and lead to fluctuations in the menstrual cycle. These include medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, estrogen pills, Vitamin E supplements etc.

5. Miscellaneous factors: These are comparatively rare and require a greater degree of medical attention. It includes conditions such as cervical cancer, ovarian tumors, liver and kidney diseases, uterine infections, extreme psychological stress, obesity, etc. Incidents such as miscarriages and unsuspected pregnancies are also known to cause abnormal menstrual bleeding.

Hemorrhoids, popularly called ‘piles’, refers to the swollen, inflamed tissue that accumulates in the anal canal. These tissues consist of muscles, elastic fibers, support tissues and blood vessels.

As piles is a disease with conspicuous symptoms (bloody stools, anal rashes and reddening), and extremely common (more than 75% of the population will suffer once in their lifetime), there are numerous myths surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. If you want to separate your facts from the chaff, this article will help you to do just that.

1) Myth: The probability of getting piles increases with age.

Fact: This isn’t necessarily the case. Piles is caused due to strain and pressure applied on the area of the anus. This strain can come from a variety of sources, including diseases (diarrhea), physiological conditions (constipation) and unrelated processes (pregnancy).

2) Myth: Eating hot, spicy things like green chili will increase your chances of piles or exacerbate its symptoms.

Fact: Piles occurs due to strain on the anus, more specifically on the blood vessels near that area. This happens due to the body’s blood pressure (BP) being unusually high, and not due to digestion/diet specialties.

3) Myth: Your diet has absolutely nothing to do with your piles risk.

Fact: Piles has many factors that are either directly causal or increase the risk of it substantially in a person. Among them, constipation is an ever-present entity. Therefore, a diet rich in food that fights constipation is beneficial in combating/reducing risk for piles. Such a diet comprises high fiber (skins of fruits etc.) content, high levels of hydration and low calorie/fat intake.

4) Myth: You are more likely to have piles if you are exposed to the cold.

Fact: There is no scientific evidence to support this claim, even though it has gained popularity with time. To the contrary, application of cold materials on the surface can help relieve pain and irritation related to piles. You can apply cold compresses on the surface of the buttocks to relieve itch, pain and burning sensations from the piles rashes.

5) Myth: You should not work out when you have been diagnosed with piles.

Fact: This claim is also an unfounded one, and you definitely shouldn’t freak out if you’re a fitness freak. There are only some variants of exercise that can exacerbate your piles – like if you’re lifting too-heavy weights, twisting your body, or are holding your breath while lifting weights. Apart from that, exercise also helps reduce the risk of piles by help you lose weight and facilitating smooth bowel movement.

6) Myth: Piles is a recurrent disease. Recurrence of piles is known to happen but now good painless treatment options are available.

Piles or hemorrhoids are the formation of dense tissue in the anal canal, which causes obvious and painful symptoms. However, you should not lose your sleep over piles – it is treatable and easily diagnosable.