Dr. Lekshmy Rana

In general, the menstrual flow consists of several layers, which include old blood, endometrial lining, nutrients, the tissue remains, etc. All these layers are discharged together as menstrual bleeding/menstrual flow. Sometimes only the layer of nutrients may be discharged before the actual menstruation - this is causing the brown discharge before period.

Incidents in a menstrual cycle may happen that the endometrial cells are not entirely expelled - 'old' endometrial cells can leave uterus during next period and usually appear as brown discharge before period. If the cause of the discharge is the endometrial cells turning from red to brown due to the delayed elimination, there would be no reason to worry. Often polyps of the uterus and/or cervical polyps can be responsible for brown discharge before period. Polyps are the groups of cells that have grown abnormally inside the uterus (mainly because of hormonal dysfunctions). Cells of polyps can bleed very slowly before period and the brown discharge before period could be a result of the bleeding from polyps.

Cricket is the most famous and close to the heart game for most of the people in India. Any injury to any player is a big hit to the entire team's performance. While cricket is a major sport in the country, sportspersons from other games too have begun to make a mark in the international arena. It is because of this, we have come to hear about sports injuries much more than ever before, with injuries to cricketers still heard most often.

What are the types of injuries related to Cricket?

The most common injuries related to the gentleman's game are:

- Hamstring strain
- Low back pain
- Side strain
- Shoulder pain
- Sprained ankle

How does Physiotherapy help an individual?

A physiotherapist assesses your muscle strength and the range of movement in your joints and advises on techniques and exercises to bring back the mobility of your injured muscles or inflamed joints.

Physiotherapy is a physical therapy that takes care of the overall well-being of the body. The muscular part is most affected when you play or exercise. Three of the main approaches a physiotherapist may use are:

• Education and advice - Tips and hacks for ensuring physical well-being of a person
• Movement and exercise - Aids and exercises to ensure good physical health
• Manual therapy - A therapy of manual massage and body movements to relieve pain
• Other techniques - These include acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and ultrasounds.

There are numerous sports-related injuries that can be effectively treated with physiotherapy. The therapy followed is entirely dependent on the kind of injury caused due to the sport.

The physiotherapist initially asks you some questions to know about your injury, medical history, family health records, prevalent allergies, and other such related information. Based on this initial examination, your physiotherapist will design a therapy plan for a test period to see if it is working or not.

Related Tip: How Should You Approach PAIN Caused Due to Sports Injuries?

Folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin B9 and more commonly known as folate. For a pregnant woman, it is extremely important to consume folic acid in adequate quantities. It has the ability to prevent any birth defect, related to brain and spinal cord. It essentially protects the neural tube, which shapes into the spine and the brain. Since neural tube defects can occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, it is essential that a woman starts consuming folic acid right before she endeavors to conceive.

What are the benefits?
Many researchers are of the view that folic acid is a key component for safeguarding the baby from certain diseases such as cleft palate, certain heart defects and cleft lip. Apart from this, folic acid mitigates the risk of pre-eclampsia in a pregnant lady. Pre-eclampsia is a disorder related to blood pressure and affects close to 5%of all pregnant women. Folic acid also helps a would-be mother from a type of anemia. It is responsible for giving birth to DNA and increasing cell growth of the baby.

Consumption amount of folic acid:
In order to save the baby from any neural defect, it is essential that a pregnant woman consumes at least 400 micrograms of folic acid on a daily basis. Since many women conceive without planning, it is therefore suggested by experts that all women entering the childbearing age should consume folic acid. Some groups such as the National Institute of Health, US suggest that folic acid consumption for a pregnant woman should be 600 micrograms per day. If you are taking any supplements, check the label to see the folic acid quantity present in it. If a woman is consuming prenatal vitamin as prescribed by a doctor, she should not consume any folic acid from outside, since it already has a folic acid content of around 800-1000 microgram. To abstain from any side effects, it is strongly advised not to consume more than 1000 micrograms of folic acid per day..

When is extra folic acid needed?

1. If you are carrying twins
2. If your previous pregnancy involves a neural tube defect
3. If you have a genetic condition called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase
4. If you are suffering from diabetes or consuming any anti-seizure medications

What are the sources of folic acid?

1. Certain grain products such as pasta, cereals, rice and bread
2. Certain food supplements available in the market
3. Naturally occurring vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, avocado, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
4. Citrus food or the juice extracted from them without adding any sugar component to it
5. Certain nuts and peas 

   If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.