Sleep Disorders Clinic

Sleep is the best reliever of all stress and physical pain. Not only is it important to get sleep, but also to sleep soundly and without any disturbance. The quality matters. Here are a few tips to get better sleep: 

1. It is important to maintain the same sleep schedule every single day. This helps to naturalize your body clock and get the best quality sleep. 
2. Switch off all mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices. Their artificial glow not only hampers your eyesight, but also prolongs the amount of time your body takes to relax and fall off to sleep. 
3. If your back pain causes you to continually wake up in the middle of the night in discomfort, then sleep with a pillow or cushion between your legs so as to straighten out your back and relieve pent up stress. 
4. The importance of your pillow can never be stressed upon enough. Your pillow should be not too fat, hard or soft. It should just about support the natural curve of your neck, so that it is perfectly aligned with the centre of your body. Correct sleeping postures are extremely important. 
5. Make sure your room is nice and dark so as to stimulate the secretion of a hormone called melatonin that is regulated by light exposure. Darker the room, greater melatonin, making you more sleepy. 
6. Those who exercise regularly and well are known to be fitful sleepers. Exercise well before bedtime. If required, do some light yoga or stretching exercises that promote sleep. 
7. What you eat throughout the day makes a difference to the quality of your sleep. Stay away from too much caffeine, alcohol, or a heavy meal just before sleeping. They only make you stay awake for longer and may cause heartburn or stomach trouble. Don't drink too much water, or else you will be making more midnight trips to the bathroom than clocking those sleep hours. 
8. Try to keep your head clear of all worries and stress when in bed. Regular meditation and deep breathing can help. 

There is no end to all the things you can do to sleep well and comfortably. It is important to be self-disciplined to sleep well and hence be a healthy individual.

Pneumonia is a type of lung infection that may affect one or both lungs. In this condition the air sacs, also known as alveoli, fill with pus or fluid, which makes it difficult to breathe. Moreover, pneumonia is known to cause inflammation in the air sacs. This disease may range from mild to life threatening and the severity depends on cause of inflammation, the organism fostering your infection, your age and general health. 

Symptoms:
Most common symptoms associated with the condition are:

1. Chest pain
2. Difficulty in breathing
3. Shaking chills
4. Rapid heartbeat
5. Fever
6. Rapid breathing
7. Dry cough
8. Vomiting
9. Wheezing
10. Nausea 
11. Muscle aches
12. Bluish skin tone due to oxygen deficiency 
13. Blood in sputum that is coughed up mucus
14. Labored breathing
15. Confusion 
16. High fever

Causes: 

1. Bacteria: One of the most common causes of pneumonia is the bacteria named as Streptococcus pneumoniae. This type of pneumonia may occur after you have had flu or a cold or maybe even on its own. Moreover, it may affect only one part of the lung i.e. the lobe and is also known as lobar pneumonia. 
2. Viruses: Viruses are one of the main reasons why children below 5 years of age suffer from pneumonia. Viruses that cause pneumonia may also cause cold or flu. Viral pneumonia is usually mild and may be treated at home itself. However, in some cases, it may be very severe and life-threatening. 
3. Mycoplasmas: Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria that doesn't have a cell wall around the cell membrane which is why they are usually unaffected by most antibiotics which target cell wall synthesis. The symptoms of pneumonia caused by mycoplasmas are mild and the patient does not require bed rest. This type of pneumonia is known as 'Walking Pneumonia'. 
4. Fungi: People with weakened immune systems or chronic health problems usually develop pneumonia due to fungi. You may also develop fungal pneumonia by inhaling large doses of it mainly found in soil or bird droppings.

We always think of wearing something cosy to bed to get a good night's sleep. We even dress up kids to be comfortable and bundled up so they can get a sound sleep. Studies have shown that contrary to popular belief, sleeping nude is the best way to a sound sleep.

In addition to good sleep, there are other benefits that have been identified too, as listed below:

1. Improves sleep quality: While most of us think of keeping ourselves cosy in our nightwear leads to good sleep, science believes otherwise. A reduced core body temperature is what leads to better sleep. This happens when you sleep with no extra layers of clothes to keep you warm. Research conducted showed better depth of sleep and reduced number of awakenings when there are no extra clothing layers.
2. Better skin and hair health: Melatonin and growth hormone are essential for anti-aging and they are released when the body temperature is cooler, which happens when sleeping in the nude. Growth hormone is essential for bone mineralization, improved immunity, and muscle mass building. Melatonin is a good hormone regulator, and manages the functioning of other hormones essential for our body. The armpits and groin area are always covered, and sleeping without clothes can help these areas breathe and feel fresher. The chances of yeast infection are also reduced.
3. Reduced stress levels: The stress hormone cortisol is also optimal, both in release and function, when the body gets a good sleep. This is essential for better immunity and cognitive function, better sugar regulation. Reduced stress leads to reduced chances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc. Therefore, sleeping without clothes helps to better equip you with fighting stress.
4. Weight loss: Our body has two types of fat, both brown and white. While fat helps to keep the body warm, sleeping without clothes burns more of this fat and thereby, increases weight loss. Another mechanism is the  good sleep that you get when sleeping without clothes helps improve metabolism, reduce fat and sugar cravings, thereby further adding to weight loss.
5. Improved relationships: Needless to say, getting into the habit of sleeping without clothes will help your sex life. The science behind it is the improved release of oxytocin, which is the cuddle hormone.
6. Better sperm quality: The testes produce better sperm quality when body temperature is cooler, thereby improving male fertility. Warm clothes at night also has a bad effect on testosterone, which is essential for boosting libido and other male sexual features.

There you go, a lot of valid scientifically proven reasons to drop those night suits and pajamas off  what is more, there is also a cost saving here!

Spine surgery is conventionally performed as ‘open surgery’, which means the region being worked on is opened with a long entry point to permit the surgeon to view and access the area. Technical and scientific advances have permitted more back and neck conditions to be treated with a less obtrusive surgical technique. The minimal invasive spine surgery (MISS) does not include a long cut, and it prevents causing damage to the muscles around the spine. As a rule, this causes less pain after the surgery and a speedier and healthy recovery.

Spine surgery is normally suggested when non-surgical treatments like medicinal or exercise based methods have not helped in lessening the excruciating symptoms of your back problem. Moreover, surgery is just considered if your doctor can pinpoint the correct reason of your pain, for example, a herniated circle or spinal stenosis. 

MISS is also called less obtrusive spine surgery. In these procedures, surgeons utilise particular instruments to get to the spine through little cuts. The surgery process is as follows:

1. During the surgery, a little entry point is made and the tubular retractor is embedded through the skin.
2. It is also inserted into the delicate tissues down to the spinal cord.
3. This makes a passage to the little range where the problem exists in the spine.
4. The tubular retractor holds the muscles open and is set up all through the surgery.
5. The surgeon gets to the spine utilising the little instruments that fit through the focal point of the tubular retractor.
6. Any bone or disk material that is expelled goes out from the retractor.
7. Any gadgets needed for the fusion process, for example, screws or rods, are embedded through the retractor.
8. A few surgeries require more than one retractor.
9. Keeping in mind the end goal to see where to put the entry point and embed the retractor, the surgeon is guided by fluoroscopy.
10. This strategy shows ongoing X-ray pictures of the patient's spine on a screen throughout the surgery.
11. The surgeon additionally utilises a microscope to enlarge the view through the retractor.
12. Towards the end of the procedure, the tubular retractor is expelled and the muscles come back to their original position.
13. This restrains the muscle damage that is more ordinarily found in open surgeries.

It is very important to talk about these risks with your doctor before your surgery or procedure.

1. Infection: Antibiotics are consistently given to the patient some time before, during, and regularly after the surgery to reduce the danger of infections.
2. Bleeding: A specific measure of bleeding is normal; however, this is not commonly dangerous.
3. Pain in the grafted area: Some patients will encounter surgical pain at the bone joint site.
4. Recurring symptoms: A few patients may encounter a repeat of their side effects.
5. Pseudarthrosis: Patients who tend to smoke are more prone to pseudarthrosis. This is a condition wherein there is insufficient bone formation. In case that this happens, a minor surgery may be required.
6. Nerve damage: It is possible that the nerves or veins might be harmed during these operations. These complications are extremely uncommon.
7. Blood clots: Another complication is blood clots in the legs. This poses a threat because these clots can break off and settle in the lungs. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.