Dr. Mital Ranjan Shah

There are many situations under which people may go through joint or muscle damage. There are other portions that may also go through the side effects of such damage. During the damage, a knee ligament might be overstretched (sprained), or at times even torn. A ligament tear can be incomplete (only a portion of the filaments that make up the tendon are torn) or complete (the tendon is torn totally). Knee tendon wounds can bring about pain, swelling, wounding and lessen the movement of your knee. Your knee joint may feel unsteady and you may walk with a limp.

There are four tendons in the knee that could get damage:

1. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the two noteworthy tendons in the knee. It connects the thighbone and the shinbone in the knee.
2. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is the second significant tendon in the knee also connecting the thighbone to the shinbone in the knee.
3. The lateral collateral ligament (LCL) connects the thighbone to the fibula, the littler bone of the lower leg on the parallel or external side of the knee.
4. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) additionally connects the thighbone to the shinbone on the medial or inside of the knee.

Side effects can include the following:

1. A popping sound or feeling at the time of the injury can in some cases be heard if a ligament is entirely torn.
2. Swelling of your knee. When a tendon is harmed, there might be some bleeding inside your knee joint from the harmed tendon. This can lead to knee swelling. The level of swelling will rely upon the seriousness of the damage. Minor ligament sprains may bring about a little amount of swelling, though totally torn ligaments may cause more damage.
3. Pain in your knee. Once again, the level of pain depends upon the seriousness of the knee damage.
4. Your knee might ache even on touching it.
5. Chondromalacia patella is a condition in which the cartilage under the knee cap becomes softer.
6. A feeling that your knee is might not be stable or even if you would be able to stand on it. This may make you limp. This too depends upon how serious the damage to the tendon is.
7. Wounds around your knee can occur at times. It might take some time to heal.

Treatments that can help elevate the pain are as follows:

1. Rest the knee
2. Ice your knee to get rid of pain and swelling
3. Apply compression on your knee
4. Raise your knee on a pad when you are sitting or resting
5. Wear a knee brace to balance the knee
6. Take painkillers as recommended by your specialist. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

As we celebrate the Doctors’ day today, I wish to take this opportunity to hand over the 3 mantras to happiness. We all lead a very stressful life. Many of us have medical issues like hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol issues and so on. What should we do or should we have done rather so that we wouldn’t suffer from these lifestyle diseases?

Eat right:

As the maxim goes, you are what you eat. I would like to stress here that, diet is the single most important factor in our life which determines our longevity and disease pattern. Hence, it is important to eat right. Our diet should have a mix of about 40% complex carbohydrates like oats, whole wheat, brown bread, ragi, semolina and so on. High quality proteins should contribute 30% of our diet. Eggs, chicken, fish, meat, dal and pulses are good examples. Fats especially MUFA and PUFA should make 20% of the diet. Classic examples are sunflower oil, olive oil, rice bran oil. Avoid saturated fats, trans fats, margarine, ghee and butter. Pastry, Khari biscuits, toasts, cookies are rich in unhealthy saturated fats; hence best avoided. We should consume at least 3 servings of fruit daily. This is important because fruits are rich in vitamins, fibre and anti-oxidants.

Sleep well:

A rested mind in a rested body is the best state of happiness. We need to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours daily. The body recharges during the rest and makes it ready for the next day aggressions. With the smartphone entering our bedroom, the sleep pattern has been disturbed. We end up sleeping late while checking Whats App messages and so on. As a result the total sleep duration goes down and we get up in an irritable and sleep deprived state. Such a state is not conducive to healthy work the next day. Avoid checking smartphone apps and messages, reading newspapers just before sleeping and avoid tea/coffee/caffeine in any form post 7pm. This will make sure we sleep on time and get up on time.

Exercise:

This is the last and the most important mantra that can lead to ultimate bliss and happiness. We need to exercise at least 30 min daily for 5 days a week. This can be aerobic exercises like cycling, swimming, jogging, running and so on. Weight lifting for 45 min daily for about 5 days a week is ideal to build a well sculpted and muscular beach body that we all want. Exercising keeps our joints mobile, conditions our heart to strain, releases growth hormone and testosterone which keep you young. Endorphins released in the brain during the exercise make you feel good as though you are on the seventh sky.

I hope readers would take these mantras seriously and implement them religiously all through. This will go a long way in keeping our population happy and reach nirvana! If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

As per the latest statistics published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 9% women suffer from a deficiency of iron. Though the proportion is relatively low, iron deficiency can lead to various diseases, which can be very difficult to cure. So, look out for these telltale signs of iron deficiency and check whether you suffer from any of them.

1. Fatigue: Your internal system uses iron for the production of haemoglobin, which is a component in the red blood cells, responsible for carrying oxygen to all parts of the body. So when the iron content is low, there is not enough haemoglobin production and all organ do not receive oxygen in the required quantities. This is bound to make you feel tired at most times.
2. Inability to focus: People with iron deficiency often suffer from alteration in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. This can lead to decreased functionality and focusing abilities. This may also lead to the development of apathy towards all things, including family, friends, books, music or anything that you loved and enjoyed doing.
3. Breathlessness: Without a proper supply of iron, there could be an oxygen crunch in the body, compelling you to feel breathless. This may happen anytime when you are working out or walking or reading a book.
4. Paleness: Do you think your skin has lost lustre and become pale in the last few days? That’s definitely not a good sign and may be a symptom of decreased flow of blood and reduction in the RBC count.
5. Trouble doing your daily chores: Low levels of iron in the body can cause your endurance level to suffer. Thus, you may find it difficult to run up the stairs or catch a vehicle or swim for a while.
6. Soreness of muscles: Even if you could push yourself to reach the gym, you would experience the burns last longer than normal. Lack of right amount of iron prevents your muscles to recover at the right pace. As a result, you are likely to suffer from muscle aches.
7. Brittle nails: If there is a recent a development of spoon shaped or concave depression in the nails, it could be a sign of possible deficiency of iron.

Often people tend to ignore the warning signs that the body gives to inform about the problem that’s cropping up. But you can’t take chances with your health and so, check for these signs without any delay. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.