Dr. Mirza Hasan Abbas

Hair loss often starts as a problem we tend to brush aside until it actually starts showing up in worrying quantities on the hair brush. Suddenly, we observe our scalp to be more visible, there is more hair in the shower drain, on our shoulders and on our seats. It is common to shed around 50 hairs in a day but when this dramatically changes to 150+ a day, you need to take action as quickly as possible. 

Hair loss can occur in men and women at any age. It can be a temporary phenomenon or an ongoing one and be caused by a range of reasons like change of environment, shampoo, genetic problems, health problems and more. The main thing is to first identify the reason for the hair fall before treating it for long term solutions. Here are some of the common ways to deal with hair loss:

1. Wash it right: Detangle your hair fully and slowly before you get into the shower. That way it won't get tangled and messy when wet. Next, use cold water to wash your hair. If the water is too hot, it may dry your hair and add to your woes. The most important step here is to use the right products for your hair wash. Use a mild shampoo as much as possible and take time out to deep condition your hair. Be sure to use products that you have tried and tested before only. Last but not the least, use a hair serum after your wash to strengthen it and prevent breakage. Refrain from combing wet hair.
2. Get to the root of the cause: The most common reason for hair loss in both men and women is androgenetic alopecia, also called pattern baldness. The most common occurrence happens around menopause. The other causes can be side effects of brief illness, stress and reaction to drugs. Once you catch the cause, the course of treatment can chart an effective path.
3. Try medication: There are several medicines out there that promise to revitalize your locks and enhance new hair growth. These include massage oils, scalp creams and oral pills all of which can be taken individually or in combination to promote hair growth. Be sure to consult a doctor before you start on this.
4. Improve your diet: Eating iron rich food with a copious quantity of protein and zinc can also work wonders to internally strengthen your hair. Pumpkin seeds, eggs, shellfish, wheat germ are some of the items you can include in your daily diet to improve your hair quality.
5. Hairstyle with care: Women can start with the simple hairstyling trick of adding layers which gives a sense of volume and bounce. Couple it with large curls and you have a perfect illusion of lush healthy hair. But limit the parlor to only haircuts. Avoid the blow dry or colouring, straightening or ironing that can cause further damage. 

If you are losing sleep over losing your hair, it's time you consult a professional. 

Since blood is part of the cardiovascular system, and diabetes is a condition in which the level of glucose in the blood is higher than normal, then is certainly some relationship between the two.

Diabetes and cardiovascular system diseases has been recognized to be closely related to each other due to the so-called insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome. Some examples of the commonly diagnosed cardiovascular disease are coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and other heart conditions.

Diabetes is considered a major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. Other factors that contribute to the possibility of acquiring cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients include hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia.

How Diabetes Causes Cardiovascular Problems?

1. Hypertension: Hypertension in diabetes is considered a major contributor to the increase in mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Diabetic patients, especially those with Type 2, need to always have their blood pressure checked every visit to the doctor. Self-monitoring at home is also a must to maintain and control the rise of blood pressure. The American Diabetes Association recommends a target blood pressure of not more than 130/85 mm Hg to maintain a good level of blood pressure.
2. Arteriosclerosis and Atherosclerosis: Arteriosclerosis is the stiffening or hardening of the artery walls while Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the artery because of plaque build-up. Atherosclerosis is a form of hardening of the blood vessels/arteries, caused by fatty deposits and local tissue reaction in the walls of the arteries. Diabetes is a documented high risk factor for the development of both Atherosclerosis, Arteriosclerosis. Heart disease and stroke, arising mainly from the effects of atherosclerosis, account for 65 percent of deaths among diabetics.
3. Hyperglycemia: Hyperglycemia means high (hyper) glucose (gly) in the blood (emia). Your body needs glucose to properly function. Your cells rely on glucose for energy. Hyperglycemia is a defining characteristic of diabetes, when the blood glucose level is too high because the body isn't properly using or doesn't make the hormone insulin. There is a growing recognition that diabetes belongs to a special category of risk factors because it markedly increases risk of CVD. This increase is partly the result of the pernicious effects of persistent hyperglycemia on the vasculature and partly due to the coexistence of other metabolic risk factors.
4. Smoking: Smoking has been determined dangerous to our health. Studies show that smoking indeed increase risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients.
5. Atrial Fibrillation: Atrial Fibrillation means an irregular and rapid heart rate which can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and other cardiac issues. Individuals with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation. This risk is higher among patients with a longer duration of treated diabetes and poorer glycemic control.

Individuals with insulin resistance or diabetes in combination with one or more of these risk factors are at even greater risk of heart disease or stroke. However, by managing their risk factors, patients with diabetes may avoid or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease. Your health care provider will do periodic testing to assess whether you have developed any of these risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.