Swastik Hospital

It is no longer possible to tell a person's age by simply looking at the face. With the advances in cosmetic surgery, today it is very easy to effectively hide your age. A facelift or rhytidectomy is a cosmetic surgical procedure to reduce wrinkles and improve the overall appearance of your face. A facelift is considered a relatively safe procedure.

However, like any other surgery, it is associated with few risks.

1. Pain: While a facelift surgery itself is usually performed under anesthesia, recovering from it might be a little painful. Your skin may also feel numb for a few days. Taking the pain medications prescribed by your doctor can help relieve the pain. However, if the pain is severe or if it suddenly increases, you must consult your doctor immediately.
2. Swelling: Don't worry if your face looks swollen after the surgery. This is simply your body's natural reaction to the surgery. You will notice this swelling reduce in a few days. Though most of the swelling will subside in the first few days after the surgery, it can take a few weeks before the swelling completely subsides.
3. Bruising: Like swelling, bruising is a natural reaction to surgery. In most cases, people see pronounced bruising especially around the eyes in the first few days after the surgery. Most of this bruising will fade away in a few weeks, but it may be a few months before your skin is clear again.
4. Scarring: As your face heals after a facelift surgery, scarring can be seen wherever the incisions were made. Most cosmetic surgeons will make these incisions along the hairline or the natural creases of the face. This ensures that the scars are not prominently visible. In most cases, scarring fades with time till it is barely noticeable.
5. Bleeding and hematoma: A certain amount of bleeding is normal after a facelift surgery. However, excessive bleeding or uncontrolled bleeding can lead to the formation of hematomas. A hematoma can be defined as a blood clot that occurs under the skin and outside a blood vessel. This can leave the area swollen and a minor surgery may be required to flush out the clot.
6. Loss of sensation: Sometimes, nerve endings may get damaged during a face lift surgery. This can result in temporary loss of sensation in the area and difficulty in controlling the facial muscles. There may also be numbness or a tingling sensation around the incisions.

Jock itch can be defined as a fungal infection affecting the skin, especially around the inner thighs, genitals, buttocks or the groin region. Also called ‘tinea cruris’, this condition triggers irritation that results from the ring-shaped red rashes that primarily affect the warm and moist regions of one’s body. This condition majorly affects people who sweat excessively, such as athletes or even people who are over-weight. Although it is often bothersome and uncomfortable, jock itch doesn’t bring about severe complications for the affected individual. Jock itch can easily be cured by keeping the groin region dry and applying topical anti-fungal medications.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms of Jym itch include itchy and painful rashes in the buttock, inner thigh or the groin region. The rash is usually tan, red or brown in color, slightly scaly and often formed at the edges.

Causes:

1. Putting on damp, wet or unlaundered clothing, such as athletic supporter and very tight underwear or wearing them frequently.

2. Sharing towels that were used by a person suffering from the same condition.

3. Taking showers irregularly, especially after excessive sweating or exercising.

4. Living in hot and humid conditions.

5. Obesity.

6. Wearing tight clothing.

7. Immune system disorders.

Treatment:

1. Anti-fungal creams or lotions can help treat ringworm of the groin. Few examples are Miconazole, Econazole, Clotrimazole and Ketoconazole. These medications should be applied twice a day for about two to four weeks.

2. In case the eruptions start to ooze fluids or pus, antibiotics may be administered by the doctor.

General Measures:

Measures to prevent recurrence of tinea cruris include weight reduction (if obese), wearing less occlusive clothing, drying thoroughly after bathing, using topical antifungal powders, laundering contaminated clothing, and treating concomitant fungal infection of nail of feet, if present.

Unable to conceive even after repeated attempts can be heart-wrenching. Infertility problems in both males and females have been on an unbelievable rise. In females, infertility often results from hormonal imbalance brought about by health conditions such as PCOS, Endometriosis, Hyperandrogenism. Incidences of infertility are also relatively higher in individuals (both males and females) suffering from diabetes, obesity, thyroid problems, stress, anxiety, and related problems.

Unani approach to deal with Infertility
The lifestyle habits (such as sleeping pattern, substance abuse, sedentary life sans any exercise or physical activities) and dietary practices contribute immensely towards the reproductive health of an individual. Leading an unhealthy or sedentary lifestyle or eating unhealthy foods often results in an accelerated built up of toxins in the body which disrupts the balance between the four humors (Dum or blood, Sauda or black bile, Balgham or Phlegm, Safra or yellow bile). More than often, this disruption affects the reproductive health of an individual making it difficult for a woman to conceive. Used since ancient times in India (as early as the 11th century),

Unani has truly been a savior for millions of couples who had given up all hopes of embracing parenthood naturally and safely without any complications or side effects (as often seen in the case of conventional treatment).

1. Ilaj Bil Ghiza (Dietotherapy): Time and again, Unani has stressed the importance of healthy and nutritious eating in dealing with infertility. The food that one eats can play a pivotal role in improving the quantity as well as the quality of the sperms and the eggs. With healthy eating, one also needs to lead a more relaxed and active life. Meditation, mild to moderate exercise and physical activities also work wonders to restore the hormonal balance. In general, walnuts, green leafy vegetables, salmon, oysters, raspberries, blueberries, eggs, bread (whole grain), flax seeds are known to improve the condition of infertility in both the sexes. For men, citrus fruits, garlic, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, carrots, berries, red peppers contribute significantly to deal with infertility and related problems. For women, the fertility boosting food options include eggs, milk, yam, nuts, and lean meat and poultry. One is also expected to avoid or reduce the intake of coffee, alcohol, processed foods, saturated and trans fats, simple carbohydrates, soy products, tofu, fish with a high mercury content (King Mackerel, swordfish, shark, to name a few). 
2. Ilaj Bil Dawa or Pharmacotherapy: The use of Unani medicines (comprising of herbal concoctions and formulations) have been pathbreaking in dealing with a myriad of fertility problems including low libido, sperm and egg mortality and morphology, enhancing the sperm count. Some of the herbs often used in treating infertility include Withania somnifera, Nigella sativa, Sida cordifolia, Asparagus adscendens, Tribulus terrestris.
3. Ilaj Bil Tadbeer or Regimental Therapy: Elevated levels of toxins in the body can immensely interfere with the fertility in both men and women. Ilaj Bil Tadbeer is a detoxification process that goes a long way to cleanse the body of the harmful toxins.

Alzheimer's Disease is a neurological problem that is characterised by a cognitive decline and memory loss. It is a type of neurodegenerative dementia. The symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease include not being able to absorb and retain new information, lack of reasoning and judging, not being able to take on complex tasks, impaired visuospatial abilities, problems in reading, writing and speech, among many others. If a person has at least two of these symptoms in a debilitating manner, then the diagnosis can be made in favour of Alzheimer's Disease. The main causes of Alzheimer's are shrinkage of the brain size and death of the brain cells. The immune system is also said to trigger this neurodegenerative disease. Let us find out what medical science has found so far.

1. Connections: Many a times, in Alzheimer's disease, the memory and behaviour of the person changes because the brain is unable to make proper neural connections which can lead to memory loss of how a person behaved and the elements that formed the basis of the patient's cognition. Apparently, the immune system behaves in the same way within the brain and blocks the connection. This happens because there is constant communication between the brain and immune system along neurological lines, which is where the disease first emanates.

2. Inflammation: The brain is prone to inflammation or swelling that is not the normal kind. This inflammation happens as a result of the activation of the infection fighting neurotransmitters and the chemical changes that happen in the brain when an infection strikes. The inflammation usually happens in the plaques or clumps which the brain tries to protect. These clumps are made up of a protein called Amyloid. The immune system is responsible for creating this inflammation in the brain of the patient.

3. Pattern Recognition Receptors: Many of these receptors work in different manners and cooperate with each other to create a response in the brain. These PRRs can be found in the brain plaques, and they develop the signs of danger which further fuels the inflammation in the brain as a matter of protection.

4. Activation of Cells Linked with the Immune System: When the PRRs begin to respond, it basically activates the immune system and the cells of the same. This is the basic reaction that causes the changes in brain which then leads to the attachment of the protein to the tissue that is diseased, in which case Alzheimer's Disease starts. The inflammation that we had spoken about earlier basically happens in the nervous tissue.

It is important to recognise and act on the initial signs of Alzheimer's Disease before it progresses beyond one's control.

Melasma, commonly known as skin pigmentation, is a skin disorder, which causes brown and blotchy spots on your face. Everybody craves to have spotless and flawless skin. But usually no one does anything about it. Contrary to popular belief, having perfect skin is not really difficult. You need to religiously follow your skincare regime to keep it healthy and flawless. In case you are suffering from melasma or have skin pigmentation,

Here are a few tips which you can follow:

1. Apply raw potato on your face: Take a clean and fresh potato. Cut it into two halves and wet the exposed surface with a little water. Rub this on all the affected regions on the face and wash your face after 10 to 15 minutes with lukewarm water. Potatoes are extremely effective in removing pigmentation as they have an enzyme called catecholase, which can help to lighten darkened areas on the skin.

2. Use apple cider vinegar on your skin: Apple cider vinegar helps to restore the natural color of the skin. It also contains beta-carotene, which helps to treat the damage done to the skin by the atmosphere's free radicals. In fact, one of the famous qualities of apple cider vinegar is to make the skin supple and bright.

3. Apply aloe vera on your skin: Regular usage of aloe vera on the skin is one of the best and most effective remedies for skin pigmentation. Aloe vera can help clean the skin without harming the natural balance of the skin, as it has marvelous cleansing properties. It helps to reduce spots on your face, and also provides protection against the harmful UV rays of the sun.

4. A sandalwood pack can also work wonders: Sandalwood acts, both as a stimulant as well as a blood purifier. These two properties of sandalwood help it to treat skin pigmentation. Make a pack using sandalwood and rosewater and apply it to your face at least twice a day to get rid of the pigmentation. Sandalwood is also one of the major ingredients for a sunscreen as it can protect the skin from the harmful UV rays.

5. Keep an eye on what you eat: Your diet plays a very crucial part when it comes to the wellbeing of your skin. Make sure that you add a lot of green leafy vegetables and foods rich in Vitamin A and C to maintain your healthy skin. Drink lots of water and eat a lot of fruits in order to keep your skin hydrated. This will also detoxify your body.

Follow the above tips and ensure yourself a spotlessly beautiful skin.

Rhinoplasty, more commonly known as nose surgery, is a cosmetic form of operation designed to change the shape and size of the nose. 

A rhinoplasty can effectively change the size and width of the nose to complement the facial balance. It also helps improve nasal symmetry efficiently enhancing your facial features.

How is the surgery performed?
You can opt for either general anesthesia or local anesthesia for the surgery. The surgery is generally an outpatient procedure, but occasionally patients are asked to stay in the hospital overnight post the surgery.

The operation involves an incision which is made for easy access to the cartilage and bones of the nose. These incisions are generally placed inside the nose, so that they do not appear as scar marks after the surgery is done. Removal or replacement of the bone or cartilage depends on the demands of the restructuring of the nose. Once the reshaping of the nose is done, the nose tissue is put back into place and a splint is temporarily placed to support the new structure of the nose. The splint is removed once the nose heals. 

Precautions to take after a nose surgery

After a nose surgery, the area around your nose will stay swollen and bruised for a considerable period of time. Thus you have to ensure that-

1.  You get ample amount of rest 
2.  Use cold compresses over the swollen nose area, this will reduce the swelling and ease the pain
3.  Do not indulge in relatively vigorous physical activity for sometime 
4.  Take you medicines regularly

Risks of nose surgery

Every surgery or medical procedure involves certain risks, and so does rhinoplasty. Along with some puffiness and bruising around the eye and nose region, you may also experience-

1.  Some amount of bleeding 
2.  Injury to the septum area
3.  Irritation of the skin and skin problems 
4.  Infections 
5.  Nasal blockage due to swelling in the inner nasal area 
6.  Complications resulting from anesthesia 
Although there are certain risks to rhinoplasty, the surgery is considerably safe and the results are quite permanent.
 

What is Bacterial Vaginosis?

Bacterial Vaginosis is an infection that occurs in and around the female genitalia. It does not usually pose a major health threat and is a mild infection that can be controlled and cured with timely medical intervention. Although it is believed to be sexually transmitted, it can also affect women who are not sexually active.

Bacterial Vaginosis can however, be dangerous for women who are pregnant and are near to their delivery date. It can cause severe uterine infection and increases the chance of miscarriage.

In some cases, pelvic surgeries, which include caesarean, hysterectomy, abortion or other abdominal surgery, bacterial vaginosis can be contracted during the surgical procedure. This can further complicate the condition of the patient.

Bacterial Vaginosis is a common complaint among women who have physically reached the child bearing age and symptoms of this physical problem can become prominent at any time of the menstrual cycle.

Causes of Bacterial Vaginosis

1. Unhygienic washrooms

2. Dirty, unwashed underwear

3. Multiple sexual partners

4. Change in the vaginal pH, causing the reduction in the protective acidic secretion that prevents the growth of other harmful bacteria

5. It can also arise from the placement of Intrauterine device (IUD), a contraceptive device placed to prevent the eggs released by the ovaries, from reaching the uterus.

Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis

1. The most common sign of bacterial vaginosis is a foul smelling vaginal discharge.

2. The discharge increases after sexual activities.

3. Discomfort during urination

4. In some rare cases, there is itching and dryness

5. In most cases, bacterial vaginosis does not reveal too many symptoms and does not even cause intense irritation.

Treatment

1. Bacterial Vaginosis can be treated with antibiotics that are generally to be continued for a course of 7 days.

2. Symptoms and discomfort of bacterial vaginosis generally recede within 2-3 days. However, it is recommended that the medicine should not be stopped even after the symptoms disappear.

3. Only in rare cases, certain antibiotics may lead to a vaginal yeast infection. In case of redness, inflammation, irritation and undesirable discharge, you must seek medical attention immediately.

Rotator cuff constitutes the muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in position. It is a crucial component of the shoulder as it helps in lifting the arm to complete any task. Repetitive actions, deterioration with age or an outstretched hand can lead to a sudden tear.

4 Important Things To Know About Rotator Cuff Repair
An injured rotator cuff can be repaired surgically. Arthroscopy and open surgery are among the techniques used to fix a tear of the rotator cuff surgically. An arthroscope is a tube-shaped apparatus made of a system of lenses, a light and a small video camera. The camera is linked with a monitoring system to view a joint via a tiny incision.

1. Before the surgery:

Blood tests and other diagnostic tests might be carried out by a healthcare provider to ensure that the patient is in good health prior to the procedure.

2. Things to inform the healthcare provider before the surgery-

The healthcare provider must be informed of a few things prior to the surgery:

• Details of allergy or reaction to latex, any medicines, tape or anaesthetic agents
• Information related to bleeding disorders or the intake of anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines

3. Details of the procedure:
During the rotator cuff repair procedure, anaesthesia is administered as per the patient`s requirement. The details of the procedure are mentioned below:

• The patient is made to wear a gown.
• An intravenous (IV) line is started on the arm of one of the hands.
• The anaesthesiologist monitors various aspects such as the blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen level of the patient throughout the procedure.
• The skin above the surgical site is then cleansed, using an antiseptic solution.
• An incision is made in the shoulder area as per the kind of surgical procedure required such as open surgery or an arthroscopy.
• The arthroscope is then inserted via the incision.
• A graft tendon will be taken from another part of the patient’s body to repair the wounded tendons and muscles.
• Stitches or surgical staples are used to close the incisions after which a sterile bandage or dressing is applied.

4. After the procedure:

1. The sensation on the arm is monitored after the procedure. The patient can go home once his/her pulse, blood pressure and breathing are stable.
2. The surgical area must be kept dirt-free and dry after the procedure. A pain reliever is usually prescribed for soreness.
3. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is an effective treatment if a patient is not satisfied with alternative medical treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medicines and steroid injections. The procedure is usually done as part of the patient’s stay in a hospital or on an outpatient basis.

Any surgery that requires an incision will involve sutures or staples as the last step of the procedure. This helps close the incision and keep out infections. Taking care of your stitches can help limit scarring and discomfort and speed up the healing process. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Keep it clean and dry: For the first few days, use a washed wet cloth to clean the incision site. After a few days, you may start washing the area with soap and water unless advised else wise by your doctor. Ensure that you dry the skin thoroughly after washing it. Avoid baths that involve soaking the area in water. Also, avoid swimming. Do not use any powders, lotions, creams, deodorants etc on the wound site.
2. Look out for signs of infections: Avoid activities that may involve exposing your wound to dirty water, chemicals, dust etc. This increases your risk of infections. Also look out for signs f infections such as redness, swelling, pus or bleeding, fever or increased pain from the wound. In case you notice such signs, consult your doctor at the earliest.
3. Do not scratch: As it heals, your skin is likely to turn itchy. However, refrain from scratching so as to reduce chances of infections. Do not try and pull away from the scab but let it fall off on its own. This will also help limit scarring.
4. Limit contact: Avoid wearing tight clothes or anything that sticks to the skin while your wound is healing. Instead have plenty of loose, comfortable clothes easily accessible. Also, do not take part in close contact sports such as football etc until the stitches have healed completely.
5. Change your dressing regularly: A dressing should be changed as soon as it gets wet or soaked with blood or other body fluids. Wear clean medical gloves while changing a dressing. When putting on a new dressing do not touch the inside of the dressing or apply any creams on the stitches unless advised so by your doctor. In the case of removable stitches, the doctor will usually remove the stitches after a few days. DO not attempt to pull the stitches out on your own.
6. Avoid exposing the wound to sunlight: New skin that forms as the incision heals is very sensitive to sunlight and gets sunburnt very easily. Limiting your exposure to sunlight can help reduce the effects of scarring.

The human body works as directed by the various hormones released by the endocrine system. These hormones are essential for coordination of various body functions. From the height a person achieves to the metabolic reactions in the body to the reproductive cycle to the stress levels a person can handle, all are hormone controlled.

Pregnancy is another critical, complicated phase that a woman goes through. It is one of the most awaited phases in a woman’s life; however, it is not very simple either. The above-noted hormones play a major role in this pregnancy, as the baby is dependent on the mother for its initial supply of hormones until it can start producing its own hormones. If the baby does not receive the require amounts, there could be various detrimental effects during development and post birth.

Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid is extremely common in women and there are multiple theories about how hypothyroidism can affect a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. While the correlation between hypothyroidism and pregnancy are quite well researched, a strong connection stating hypothyroid women being not able to be pregnant is yet to be proven.

The following are some correlations between hypothyroidism and pregnancy.

Increased chance of miscarriage: Women with reduced thyroid functions have double the chances of having a miscarriage. Women suffering from thyroid are at a risk of recurrent miscarriages during the first trimester. The chances of miscarriages during the second trimester are also about 40% higher in hypothyroid women. These women are also at a risk of:

1. Premature labour
2. Low birth weight
3. Increased chances of stillbirth
4. Maternal anemia
5. Postpartum hemorrhage
6. Developmental defects and/or delays in the newborn
7. Placental abruption
8. High blood pressure

One of the reasons identified for infertility in women is hypothyroidism. This range varies from 1% to 40% and so remains to be proven still. In addition, the hypothyroid mother will have a set of symptoms to live through, which may be further complicated given the pregnancy. Thyroid replacement should be religiously done and monitored to ensure TSH levels are at the optimal required levels (2.5 to 3 mIU/L) during the entire duration of pregnancy.

If you have the following, be sure to go through a comprehensive thyroid screening before and during pregnancy.

1. Family history of thyroid
2. History of thyroid dysfunction or goitre or thyroid antibodies
3. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism
4. History of repeated miscarriages
5. History of head and neck radiation
6. Family/personal history of autoimmune disorders

While it still remains to be proven that hypothyroidism per se can stop a woman from being pregnant, there are definitely effects of hypothyroidism on the developing child and the mother. A comprehensive screening and close monitoring through pregnancy are extremely essential.