Madhavbaug Clinic - Dombivali East

Hair weaving is a procedure of hair addition to the scalp through synthetic hair, braiding or weaving. This process is also known as hair integration. The hair strands are woven to the root so that natural hair grow out of the scalp. To be more precise, it is a procedure through which artificial human hairs are mixed with a person’s natural hair to give an illusion of long and thick hair strands. Any part of the hair can be weaved or woven. Although a complex technique, hair weaving when done by professionals, can prove to be a rewarding procedure for many.

Who is suitable for this procedure?
This procedure can be performed on any individual irrespective of any sex and body color. Folks who are suffering from a critical condition such as carcinoma, high blood pressure, kidney diseases should refrain from this procedure. The type of hair that can be grown through this technique include straight, curly, soft and wavy.

Hair weaving technique:
While there are a lot of hair weaving techniques, the one that is most popular is sewing hairs on the artificial scalp. The fact that no surgery is involved and there is no involvement of any medication, makes it a force to reckon with. Flexibility and adaptability are another advantages of this procedure. The hair can be combed, oiled, shampooed without harming the scalp.

What is hair bonding?
Hair bonding is a non-surgical procedure of hair replacement. It involves shaving off the bald region of the scalp. This is followed by appending silicon bond on the scalp. A person can wash, comb, oil or shampoo the hair without any apprehension of hurting the scalp. Since silicon soft bond is utilized in this process, it is also referred to as hair silicon bonding.

What are some of the advantages of hair bonding?
This is one of the low-cost procedures that provides flexibility to a person. Snug is used for this procedure. Apart from being a medically approved procedure, this can ensure a 100 percent outward flow of the hair strands. The volume of hair that can be grown with this procedure has no bounds. A patient can grow any type of hair or formulate any type of style that he wishes to achieve. The procedure is applicable or both male and female.

Things to keep in mind for hair bonding:
This procedure requires monthly maintenance of the hair and can be time-consuming. Serum needs to be employed in the hair that is being fixed to the scalp. This procedure also requires a person to maintain the hair oil. For instance, timely use of oil, shampoo etc are a must.

Therefore, before you decide to go for any one of the techniques do consult a specialist and only get it done through a professional.

The after effects of any surgery can be harsh on the body. Post knee replacement surgery, one will need to remain in a straight and relaxed position for a long time due to the bed rest prescribed by the orthopaedic specialist. Yet, it is important to carry out some kind of activity after the surgery so as to make the knee strong, firm and ready to be normal again.

Here are a few physiotherapy exercises that can help post knee replacement patients: 

• Heel Slide: The heel slide is a good option for those who are going through bed rest. This exercise ensures that you work your knee in a suitable way as the bending motion gets the knee to get used to being functional again. Due to the posture of the patient, this does not put pressure on the knee. Slowly bring your heel up, stop and then slide it down. Repeat at least ten times for each knee before increasing it to twenty times. 
• Kicks: While you are lying down, you can render small kicks into the air. Repeat at least ten times for each leg before increasing it gradually to twenty kicks per leg. This should be done when you are lying flat on your back. This exercise can help in flexing and strengthening your quadriceps. Hold the kick for at least five to ten seconds before you relax and repeat with the other leg. 
• Sitting Flex: You can also sit in a chair and flex your knee, holding the leg out in front of you for at least five to ten seconds, before slowly bringing it down and lifting again. This will help in strengthening the thigh and knee to a great extent.

You will need to exercise regularly in order to recover well after a knee replacement procedure.

When your nail grows into the layer of skin around it, you develop ingrown fingernails- a rather painful and uncomfortable condition. Some of the most common causes of ingrown fingernails are improper trimming, nailbiting, fungal infection, excessive slow or fast growth and fungal infection.

Treating an ingrown fingernail

• Hydrogen Peroxide or H2O2 is a superb disinfectant which can effectively heal an ingrown fingernail. Get 35% food grade H2O2- take 2 tablespoons of it and dilute it with half a bucket of water. Now dip your affected fingernail in this solution for 15-20 minutes. The hydrogen peroxide treatment is considered the most effective treatment for ingrown nails since it not only makes the skin around the affected area soft, but also helps to allay the pain and infection. Make sure to dry your nail properly after the soak.
• Tea tree oil is an essential oil which works wonders against cases of infection. The antifungal and antibacterial properties of tea tree oil make it a very effective remedy against ingrown fingernails. Add a few drops of tea tree oil into lukewarm water and soak the fingernail for 15-20 minutes at least 2-3 times a day. You can also take about 4 drops of tea tree oil and mix it with one tablespoon of olive oil and massage the affected site gently.

The absorption of oil into the infected area would make the surrounding skin soft and give you prompt relief.

Pregnancy is a special period that every woman waits with bated breath. While the happiness and excitement are there, the health of the mother and baby are extremely important as well. Incidences of complications during pregnancy and childbirth are not new. Many pregnant women suffer from preeclampsia (high blood pressure often associated with the presence of proteins in the urine), and gestational diabetes, which, left attended can be risky for both the mother and the baby. Lack of awareness and proper guidance are often found to be the main contributors, affecting the maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) suggests that complications or not, all women should be under medical guidance and assessment during pregnancy.

Antenatal Care and Assessment has been a revelation ensuring that a woman enjoys a safe and healthy pregnancy sans any complications. There are regular health check-ups, diagnostic and screening tests and prenatal counseling for the pregnant women and their families. The initiatives have been truly noteworthy, bringing about a significant reduction in the incidences of miscarriages and other pregnancy-related complications.

What does Antenatal Care and Assessment include?
Each trimester brings about changes that need care and attention. The Antenatal Care involves assessing and guiding a pregnant woman and their loved ones as the pregnancy progresses through each trimester.

• The diet can play a crucial role during pregnancy. A pregnant woman should eat a nutritionally enriched diet as the fetus receives the nutrients directly from the mother. Antenatal care lays great emphasis on the diet of the pregnant woman.
• De-worming and immunization programs are carried out to immunize the mother and the baby against harmful infections, including, tetanus and malaria.
• Antenatal care is a complete package that includes prenatal as well as postnatal care and assessment so that the mother and the baby enjoy good health.
• Pregnancy brings about a new phase in the life of couples. While most couples accept the changes graciously, many find it difficult to cope with the situation. Thus, the program aims at counseling such couples both mentally as well as emotionally so that things get a less stressful and challenging. The program also educates the other family members and loved ones about prenatal and postpartum care and management.

Many women have benefitted immensely from the antenatal care and assessment programs, safeguarding the mother and the baby from various health problems. In fact, efforts are being made to aware and educate the rural India about the immense health benefits associated with the antenatal care.

'Red wine is a ladies' drink'; if you are averse to alcohol, especially to its usual, piquant taste, you must have been suggested with the lightness of red wine by officious onlookers. That surely isn't a remote possibility when you are a lady and of age. Cautious introspection backed with years of medical or scientific research tells millions how wine, when consumed in moderation, helps improve a woman's physical health: the facet of mental health can be taken for granted as inebriation of most kinds results in mood elevation. It is therefore a ladies' drink indeed.

While being perturbed about the health of your skin, the sagging cheek muscles, a double chin or wrinkles that start showing once women are in their thirties, you must have rarely conjured the image of a vineyard to relax and repair. A vineyard can actually be your key source to youthful skin. Take a look at the following points to believe the same:

• If you are a health freak and insist on going by a Mediterranean diet, wine is part of your regular diet. You will experience the benefits in a few weeks' time.
• When consumed in a measured and controlled manner, red wine can reduce a person's chances of contracting breast cancer. Wine sharpens your mind while you age; your cognitive faculties therefore do not rust.
• Red wine can make your skin glow from within, unlike any other wine, as white wines have only a little amount of antioxidants.
• Your skin feels young and rejuvenated on drinking red wine as the drink aids arterial functions of the body. Thus, proper blood circulation is ensured.

We have more than 200 bones in our body and each of them is susceptible to bone cancer. However, long bones in the arms and legs are most susceptible to this condition. Bone cancer can be primary or secondary. Primary bone cancer involves uncontrolled and abnormal cell division within the bones while secondary bone cancer refers to cancer that originated somewhere else in the body and later spread to the bones. While children and adults are equally at risk for primary bone cancer, adults and elderly people are more susceptible to secondary bone cancer. If diagnosed early enough, bone cancer can be treated and even cured with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

Hence it is essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of bone cancer. Here’s what you should look out for.

• Swelling: In some cases, the abnormal growth of bone cells can result in the formation of a lump of mass that may be felt through the skin. In other cases, the affected area may also show signs of swelling.
• Breaking of the Bone: Cancer can weaken the bones and make them more brittle. This may make the bones more susceptible to fractures. A bone breaking in an area that has been painful or sore for a long period of time may be a sign of cancer. This is known as a pathologic fracture.
• Reduced Flexibility: If the tumour is located near a joint, it may affect the range of movements possible and make simple actions uncomfortable. For example, a tumour around the knee may make walking and climbing stairs a painful exercise.

Other symptoms to look out for are sudden and drastic weight loss, tiredness, excessive sweating at night, fever and difficulty breathing in case cancer has spread to other organs. Since many of these symptoms are common to other medical disorders, you should conduct a doctor immediately if you notice any of them. A physical examination and a couple of tests along with a biopsy will be required to confirm a diagnosis of bone cancer.

Obesity is unarguably one of the most regularly discussed topics around the world. A major section of the world's population is suffering from a variety of obesity related problems. There are a number of natural methods to check obesity; however, several medical surgeries are gaining popularity among the masses with instant results to reduce weight.

Here is a list of the most common types of weight loss surgeries:

1. Gastric sleeve surgery: This surgery is performed where removal of a large part of the stomach takes place. A long pouch is created, which connects the small intestine with the oesophagus. The pouch gets stapled and after that the other parts of the stomach are reduced. In some cases, an additional step is taken for reinforcement of the staple line.

Gastric sleeve reduces the size of the stomach and a patient will feel full after eating lesser amount of food. Because a portion of the stomach is reduced, lesser amount of hunger causing hormones are produced. The patient will therefore feel less hungry.

2. Gastric bypass surgery: This is another effective weight loss surgery, which reduces the patient's stomach size, resulting in reduced appetite. The intestines are rearranged, which makes the body absorb fewer minerals. While performing this surgery, the stomach is cut and stapled to create a pouch. 

The remaining stomach is attached to the small intestine's top portion, and the small intestine is cut and attached to the pouch as well. After this, the end portion of the small intestine is connected with the non-pouch part of the stomach and is attached to the roux limb bottom. This makes the stomach's digestive juices to meet the food present in the intestines.

3. Duodenal switch: This surgery reduces the stomach size in patients, which leads to decreased appetite or craving for food. Fewer hormones, which cause hunger, are secreted and the rearrangement of the intestine causes the body to absorb minimal minerals or calories.

A part of the stomach is removed and a pouch is created. The small intestine's top portion is cut off, but the duodenum is kept attached to the stomach. The small intestines are cut, and the part attached to the large intestine called colon is connected with the duodenum. Finally, the loose end of the small intestine gets attached to the small intestine to enable digestive juices to mix with food.

4. Lap band surgery: By this surgery, a band is wrapped around the upper middle section of the stomach which squeezes the stomach. Thus a smaller section of the stomach is created above the band which fills up very quickly while having food. The patient feels full by eating less. A laparoscopic adjustable gastric band is used.

There are many different weight loss surgeries. Most of them aim at reducing the capacity of the stomach, so that the person eats less food.

Worrying is a natural tendency among children. While some worrying helps children to excel, too much worrying can lead to anxiety related disorders. From friendship woes to homework to fear of failure, there could be a lot of factors that can lead to anxiousness in a kid. This problem is mostly witnessed in school going, children. Some of the common symptoms that are portrayed include the need to be perfectionists, seeking of constant reassurance, getting sick worrying too much, scared of participating in a group event.

How to prepare your child to overcome anxiety?

• Pass on the anxiety: Anxiousness has to be passed in form of something. Certain activities, therefore play great strokes in addressing anxiousness. Teach your kids to distress in the form of TV or teach them to write when they are anxious. This not only takes off anxiety from the equation, it helps a kid to relax without the fear of failure.
• Reassurance: Kids suffering from anxiousness often need repeated reassurance about the task in hand. The task here for a parent is to make their kid understand that failure will not impact their relationship with their parents. Often the failure of letting someone down makes a kid anxious. Constant reassurance will curtail the tendency. This being said, parents should ensure that this doesn’t become a habit for the kid. The idea is to make them comfortable and not letting your child dependent on you.
• Relaxation techniques: A study published by the Journal of School Counseling argued that kids who practice relaxation techniques are far less likely to suffer from anxiety and stress related disorders as compared to their peers. Some of the relaxation techniques that can be easily learned and practised include breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and so on. This exercise helps children to focus and concentrate more.

Alopecia areata is a recurrent non-scarring type of hair loss from some or all areas of the body and it can manifest in different patterns. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles where hair growth begins. Thus, it is a type of systemic autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its anagen hair follicles and suppresses or stops hair growth. Alopecia areata is a fairly common skin disorder, and about 1% of the population is affected at any given time. 

Causes

1. Heredity
2. Drugs
3. Nutritional deficiencies
4. Systemic illness
5. Stress
6. Hormonal cause - High level of male hormones (both in men and women)
7. Thyroid disorders

Signs and Symptoms

Although alopecia areata is often asymptomatic, approximately 14% of the patients experience pruritus and burning sensation in the affected area. The condition is usually localized when it first appears, as follows:

1. Single patch - 80%
2. Two patches - 2.5%
3. Multiple patches - 7.7%

Role of Homoeopathy in Alopecia Areata
Homoeopathic treatment for alopecia is very effective. After homoeopathic treatment, the process of baldness stops, and new hair growth begins. Homeopathic treatment for alopecia areata involves stimulating the immune system. Once alopecia is treated with homeopathy, the chances of the problem occurring again are also highly reduced. Many homeopathic medicines are effective in the treatment of alopecia, but one needs to go for constitutional analysis before any prescription is made. The homeopathic approach towards management of alopecia is holistic, which takes into account the patient’s physical symptoms along with their mental and genetic makeup. It finds out the root cause of alopecia and aids in a cure.

Hair loss due to any mental and physical stress can be well-treated by proper homeopathic treatment, as medicines have a good impact on the psychological and physiological level. Thus, it helps maintain a healthy mental condition and a healthy balance of stress hormones, which have a bad impact on the hair follicles.Many other drugs have strong side-effects on the body, including hair follicles. They destroy the healthy atmosphere of the hair follicles and cause massive immature hair loss. Homeopathy neutralizes the toxic effects of the strong chemical drugs and also helps accelerate the body’s auto detoxification process. The homeopathic treatment not only checks the hair loss ailment but also treats the person as a whole. In addition to homeopathic treatment, a healthy nutrition habit is also highly required for a healthy hair and hair follicle.

A low-protein and iron-deficient diet can make the hair weak and thin. Therefore, a well-balanced natural diet is strongly advisable for healthy hair. Although homeopathic medicines, such as Phosphorus, Baryta carb, Lycopodium, and Silicea, have excellent results, it is advisable to go for constitutional treatment for permanent cure.

The heart pumps pure blood to all parts of the body through a network of arteries. These are thicker in the beginning and become finer and thinner as they reach the various organs. These arteries are lined by a layer of epithelial tissues and as blood flows through them, the heavier cholesterol / fat molecules settle down along the walls.

This attracts more and more fat molecules to settle down.  This is known as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Over a period of time, the vessels circumference reduces and the blood supply to the target organ reduces. This impacts proper functioning of these organs and when this happens to the major organs like the heart, kidney or the brain, conditions like stroke or thrombosis or heart attack can occur.

This condition, known as coronary artery disease, is becoming a major cause of deaths.  While that is the bad news, the good news is that it is largely lifestyle dependent, and if steps are taken, it can be prevented, and in the early stages, the damage completely reversed.

Preventive measures:

1. Diet: A low-fat, high-fiber, heart-healthy diet consisting of Omega-3 fatty acids is recommended by doctors, especially to people who are prone to develop heart disease.  This also requires reduced salt, increased unsaturated fats, reduced triglycerides and reduced sugar.  Include loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and fish oils. Include multivitamins or other supplements after checking with your doctor.

2. Exercise:  Regular exercise in any form increases the efficiency of the circulatory system, keeps the cholesterol levels in check and helps in blood pressure management.  Exercise in any form is advisable, based on individual preference. A moderate physical activity of 30 to 45 minutes per day is advisable.

3. Smoking: This is one of the major risk factors for smoking, and quitting or controlling smoking is one of the best methods to prevent coronary artery disease.

4. Alcohol consumption:  While moderate alcohol consumption is believed to be healthy for the heart, excessive alcohol consumption is a strict no-no.  Binge drinking especially is shown to cause heart attacks.

5. Weight management: Check with your doctor on what is ideal BMI for you and work out a plan to keep your weight under check.

6. Regular medications: If you are on blood pressure or diabetes medications, ensure you do not miss them.  Keep a constant check to ensure your readings are managed well.

7. Watch out:  Ask your doctor if there are specific symptoms that you need to watch out and seek medical support if you see any of them.

Coronary disease is not treatable fully, but can be prevented and managed effectively to improve the overall quality of life.