Top Health Tips on Managing Drug Dependence

Magnesium Deficiency - How it Affects Your Body?

PG Diploma Nutrition & Dietetics, B.Sc - Home Science
Dietitian/Nutritionist, Delhi
Magnesium Deficiency - How it Affects Your Body?
We all know about magnesium as a mineral, but what most individuals do not know is the fact that it is a very important mineral for our bodily health. Magnesium is involved with more or less 300 complex metabolic processes in our body, thus earning the title of master mineral .

Here is a list of reasons why magnesium holds an important place in our body.

It is responsible for transportation of calcium across cell membranes. As such, it helps calcium get into the bone matter. Like we all know, magnesium is anti-inflammatory. It helps in waiving conditions mentioned below:

Arthritis
Alzheimer s disease
High blood pressure
Respiratory issues
Diabetes
So magnesium deficiency can definitely cause numerous problems in the human body. This element works in our body at a cellular level. It is important to have a check up done with the doctor to ensure the magnesium level, however, a simple a blood test cannot determine the presence or absence of it. Here are a few signs that might suggest that an individual is suffering from magnesium deficiency.

A lot of calcium deficiency which means brittle bones
Very poor heart health
A lot of unnecessary weakness
Very frequent muscle cramps at unusual situations
Tremors, nausea and unnecessary anxiety
High blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
Difficulty in swallowing the food
Poor memory
Lots and lots of useless confusion
Although individuals with magnesium deficiency suffer from these symptoms, it is not necessary that any individual suffering from such symptoms might have magnesium deficiency. So, the only way to improve magnesium amount in the body is by changing your diet and including magnesium rich foods or my supplementing your food with magnesium-based food products.

Magnesium overdose is close to impossible and so many would not check their magnesium intake. However, consuming too much of anything can never be a good idea. Excessive magnesium intake might end up causing the following issues:

Irregular heartbeats in individuals
Slow breathing
Diarrhoea
This excess amount of magnesium in the body might be due to the fact that not all supplements can be easily absorbed by the body. So it is a better idea to eat inexpensive food to keep the magnesium levels at par with the bodily requirements.

Here is a list of items that can relieve the deficiency symptoms of low magnesium.

Seeds of pumpkin
Seeds of sun flower
Soya bean
Black beans
Sesame seeds
Almond
Spinach and many more
7735 people found this helpful

Orgasmic Dysfunction: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

BAMS, MD Ayurveda
Sexologist, Navi Mumbai
Orgasmic Dysfunction: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
A healthy mind is responsible for a healthy and relaxed body and both are imperative for attaining better orgasms during intercourse. Orgasmic dysfunction, or inhibited sexual excitement, or simply anorgasmia, is a condition whereby, a woman fails to attain orgasms even when sexually aroused. This can prove to be a major sexual problem and is the cause of disputes and conflicts in a relationship because of the lack of sexual intimacy and satisfaction.

In order to be sexually excited, both mind and body are involved in a series of complex processes, which finally result in a peak sexual response. Thus, both need to be functioning well in order to stimulate an orgasm.

Causes that may lead to orgasmic dysfunction:

Boredom or lack of interest in sexual indulgences
Hormonal disorders or changes brought on by menopause
Chronic illnesses that affect sexual interest
Acquired negative attitudes (usually from childhood or adolescence) towards sex
Previous traumatic experiences relating to rape or sexual abuse
Certain prescription drugs like antidepressants
Stress or high fatigue
Medical conditions affecting the nervous system around the pelvis
Medical conditions causing chronic pelvic pain
Symptoms of orgasmic dysfunction may include:

Inability to attain orgasms
Taking longer than normal to reach an orgasm
Not having satisfying orgasms
Treatment

It is important to note that when treating problems associated with orgasmic dysfunction, you must maintain a healthy attitude towards sex, in addition to having sufficient knowledge pertaining to sexual stimulations and responses. Learning how to communicate and how to express your needs and desires clearly is another important step in the treatment of anorgasmia. Here are a few other ways to improve your sex life:

Eat well and get enough rest
Reduce your consumption of alcohol, drugs, or smoking
Engage in Kegel exercises which involve tightening and relaxing the muscles of the pelvis
Use birth control methods that both you and your partner agree to
Engage in other sexual activities apart from sexual intercourse
Educate yourself more about reaching orgasms by focusing on clitoral stimulation or directed masturbation
Take up sexual counseling to learn helpful exercises
6701 people found this helpful

Love Eating Sweets? 4 Warning Signs that Your Overdoing it

Diploma in Dietetics and Nutrition, Diploma in Diet and Nutrition, Diploma in Paediatric Nutrition, Diploma in Total Nutrition Therapy course, Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education, Role of Nutrition in Diabetes, ICU & Gastroenterology , Nutrition Counselor Course in Bariatric Surgery
Dietitian/Nutritionist, Delhi
Love Eating Sweets? 4 Warning Signs that Your Overdoing it
Do you love eating sweets and sugary foods too much and end up overdosing on them? Sweets may be delicious, but they contain an excess amount of sugar, which is harmful for your health. There are several ways in which excess sugar can negatively affect your body. You may not realize that you are overdosing on your sugar intake, and hence you should consider certain warning signs which indicate that you are consuming sweets abnormally. They are as follows:

You crave for sweets and sugary foods constantly: The more sugar you consume, the more you will end up consuming. Having more sugar craving becomes an addictive cycle. This is not just because of the fact that your taste buds have adapted and make you get more of the sugary taste. Sugar gives you a high which is followed by a crash, similar to an actual drug. A high sugar diet causes a hormonal response in the body, like a wave. It brings you up and then you come crashing down. The body is triggered to crave for more sugar.
You feel sluggish all day: After sugar causes a high feeling and an initial insulin spike, a crash occurs. Your energy is most stable and when you consume too much of sweets, the highs and lows of the blood sugar cause fluctuation in your energy levels. When you eat a lot of sugary sweets, it is likely that you do not consume sufficient amounts of fiber and protein. As a result, your energy levels stay low.
Your skin breaks: Some people are very sensitive to a spike in their insulin levels because of sugar intake. This can lead to a hormonal cascade, resulting in acne or rosacea. A sugar binge is indicated on your face within some days.
You become very moody: You may experience mood swings, which leave you feeling sad and grumpy at times. This is because of the blood sugar crash which occurs when you are coming off a sugar high. Reduced energy, and sluggishness also add to your swaying moods.
Excess sweets mean excess sugar, which indicates excess calories as well. The release of insulin is also triggered. Because of these factors, sudden weight gain is also an important sign that you are overdosing on sweets and foods which contain too much sugar. You need to make several dietary modifications, and change your lifestyle in order to save yourself from acquiring health conditions which are associated with high blood sugar, such as diabetes.
6225 people found this helpful

Drug Addiction - Know Ayurvedic Approach To Overcome It!

Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)
Ayurvedic Doctor, Ludhiana
Drug Addiction - Know Ayurvedic Approach To Overcome It!
Drug addiction is an addiction of a very severe kind. This causes the sufferer i.e. the drug addict to seek and use drugs compulsively despite the destructive consequences to themselves and those around them. This is known as a chronic brain disease because of the functional and structural changes it causes in the brain. It is the overpowering dependence on illegal or legal medications and drugs. One cannot quit taking drugs just by strong will or good intentions. Ayurveda's holistic method combines exercises, meditation and herbal medicines to cure addiction towards drugs.

Ayurvedic Remedies:

1. Panchakarma Therapies- Only an ayurvedic expert should perform the panchakarma therapies and rituals on you. It promotes cleanliness and helps in detoxifying the body. These therapies are done using various herbs and oils in accordance with the ancient traditions to eliminate negative conditions.
Virechana is the most useful Panchakarma therapy to treat addiction. Virechana is known to cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract and purify the blood of toxins of a period of a few days. It helps decontaminate your spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, colon, intestines and sweat glands through varied herbs and laxatives such as castor oil, mango juice, raisins, cow's milk, psyllium seeds, flaxseed husk, prune and senna.

2. Rasayana therapies- Rasayana therapy is another very useful Ayurvedic treatment for treating drug abuse and addiction. It is based upon the transmutation and conservation of energy to improve the mental as well as physical characteristics in order to increase your body's natural metabolic processes while enhancing your immune system and brain function. Rasayana therapy consists of intricate face, head and full body massages which are combined with medicated creams and herb oils. This therapy is also useful to remove artificial aging which occurs due to prolonged drug abuse.

3. Yoga- The chaotic chemicals are known to wreak havoc on the drug addict's brain during the process of recovery. Resorting to exercise or yoga will help generate extra endorphins which are very helpful for clarity. To recover from drug addiction, you must join a structured yoga class along with other ayurvedic therapies. Yoga is beneficial since it stimulates every part of your body without applying too much stress on any one part.
5872 people found this helpful

Having Suicidal Thoughts? These Tips Might Help!

MBBS, M.D Psychiatry , Diploma In Psychological Medicine
Sexologist, Navi Mumbai
Having Suicidal Thoughts? These Tips Might Help!
Although there is no single reason why someone may have suicidal tendencies, certain things can increase the risk. An individual is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if he has a mental health condition like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The vulnerability also increases in cases of alcoholism, drug abuse or poor job security. It may not be possible to prevent suicidal thoughts, but keeping one's mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships can help one deal better with stress.

It can be very upsetting, when someone says things which sound as if the person is considering suicide. One may not be sure what to do to help, as to whether one should take talk of suicide seriously or if intervention might make the situation worse. Taking action is always the best choice. One of the best things one can do if someone is feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say. One can provide the best help by listening and not being judgemental. If the person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, one can take advice from his care team.

One should avoid offering solutions. While listening, do not give in to the temptation of providing a solution. One should ask open ended questions so that the person remains in control and expresses his feelings. On the contrary, it will offer an opportunity to talk about feelings, which may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. Ensure that the person is not left on his own, if there is immediate danger. One cannot always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide, so one must be on the lookout for warning signs. The warning signs could be talking about suicide, buying or stocking pills, withdrawing from social life, increase in alcohol or drugs, personality changes like severely agitated and saying goodbye to people as if seeing them for the last time. It is also important that one does not make judgements about how a person is thinking or behaving.

After listening to their feelings, one may feel that certain aspects of their thinking and behaviour are making their problems worse. But pointing this out will not be particularly helpful to them. Reassurance, respect and support will only help someone during these difficult periods. As a final note, one must realise that talking to someone about their feelings is not long lasting and can help them feel safe and secure temporarily. A professional help can provide the long-term support to help someone overcome their suicidal tendencies. That will the person to deal with the primary issues behind someone's suicidal thoughts, besides offering advice and support.
5815 people found this helpful

Suicidal Thoughts - How To Help Someone With It?

Psychiatrist, Mumbai
Suicidal Thoughts - How To Help Someone With It?
Although there is no single reason why someone may have suicidal tendencies, certain things can increase the risk. An individual is more likely to have suicidal thoughts if he has a mental health condition like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The vulnerability also increases in cases of alcoholism, drug abuse or poor job security. It may not be possible to prevent suicidal thoughts, but keeping one's mind healthy with regular exercise, healthy eating and maintaining friendships can help one deal better with stress.

It can be very upsetting, when someone says things which sound as if the person is considering suicide. One may not be sure what to do to help as to whether one should take talk of suicide seriously, or if intervention might make the situation worse. Taking action is always the best choice. One of the best things one can do if someone is feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say. One can provide the best help by listening and not being judgemental. If the person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition like depression, one can take advice from his care team.

One should avoid offering solutions. While listening, do not give in to the temptation of providing a solution. One should ask open-ended questions so that the person remains in control and expresses his feelings. On the contrary, it will offer an opportunity to talk about feelings which may reduce the risk of acting on suicidal feelings. Ensure that the person is not left on his own, if there is an immediate danger. One cannot always tell when a loved one or friend is considering suicide, so one must be on the lookout for warning signs. The warning signs could be talking about suicide, buying or stocking pills, withdrawing from social life, increase in alcohol or drugs, personality changes like severely agitated and saying goodbye to people as if seeing them for the last time. It is also important that one does not make judgements about how a person is thinking or behaving.

After listening to their feelings, one may feel that certain aspects of their thinking and behaviour are making their problems worse. But pointing this out will not be particularly helpful to them. Reassurance, respect and support will only help someone during these difficult periods. As a final note, one must realise that talking to someone about their feelings is not long lasting and can help them feel safe and secure temporarily. Professional help can provide long-term support to help someone overcome their suicidal tendencies. That will the person to deal with the primary issues behind someone's suicidal thoughts, besides offering advice and support.
5649 people found this helpful

Panic Disorder - 12 Signs You Are Suffering From it!

Diploma in Psychological Medicine-DPM, MBBS
Psychiatrist, Ludhiana
Panic Disorder - 12 Signs You Are Suffering From it!
Panic disorder is a condition that strikes without reason or caution and can be serious. Indications of panic disorder usually include sudden attacks of panic and anxiety, in addition to physical side effects, such as sweating and a pounding heart. During a fit of panic, the reaction is based on the circumstances, which may not be threatening in general, but triggers a feeling of panic. After some time, a person with a panic disorder builds up a consistent fear of having another fit of anxiety, which can influence the every day functioning and lifestyle in general. Panic disorder usually occurs alongside other conditions like depression, liquor abuse, or drug abuse.

You might experience the ill effects of a panic disorder if you:

Encounter frequent, unforeseen fits of anxiety that are not attached to a particular circumstance or event
Stress over having another fit of anxiety
Are trying to avoid the places of your precious panic attacks
The most common symptoms of a panic disorder are as follows:

Trouble relaxing and feeling uneasy most of the time
Beating heart or abdominal pain with a feeling of nervousness
Serious irrational and emotional fear
Feeling as if you are out of breath
Feeling as if you are being choked or smothered
Dizzy spells
Trembling or shaking
Sweating constantly
Feeling nauseous or having a stomach ache
Shivering or numbness in the fingers and toes
Sudden chills or hot flashes
A fear that you are losing control or are about to die
While a single panic attack may just last a couple of minutes, the impact of the experience can leave a long lasting impression and make you susceptible to more such attacks. In case you have this issue, the repetitive fits of panic take an emotional toll. The memory of the fear that you felt during these attacks can affect your self-confidence and cause interruption to your regular day-to-day existence. In the end, this prompts to the following panic disorder effects:

Expectant uneasiness: Instead of feeling like yourself in the middle of panic attacks, you feel tensed and on edge. This uneasiness originates from a dread of having future attacks of anxiety. This fear is seen more often than not, and can be extremely disabling at times.
Phobic avoidance: You start to stay away from specific circumstances or situations. This might happen since you are maintaining a strategic distance because of your previous panic attack. On the other hand, you may stay away from areas where escape would be troublesome or help would be inaccessible in case you had a fit of panic.
Medicines: Medicines can be used to control or decrease a majority of the side effects of panic disorder. Even if medicines do not form a part of the main treatment, when combined with other treatments, medicines are very effective. Eg. therapy and lifestyle changes.
5427 people found this helpful

Ayurvedic Remedies For Drug Addiction

Ayurvedic Doctor, Navi Mumbai
Ayurvedic Remedies For Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is an addiction of a very severe kind. This causes the sufferer i.e. the drug addict to seek and use drugs compulsively despite the destructive consequences to themselves and those around them. This is known as a chronic brain disease because of the functional and structural changes it causes in the brain. It is the overpowering dependence on illegal or legal medications and drugs. One cannot quit taking drugs just by strong will or good intentions. Ayurveda's holistic method combines exercises, meditation and herbal medicines to cure addiction towards drugs.

Ayurvedic Remedies:
1. Panchakarma Therapies- Only an ayurvedic expert should perform the panchakarma therapies and rituals on you. It promotes cleanliness and helps in detoxifying the body. These therapies are done using various herbs and oils in accordance with the ancient traditions to eliminate negative conditions.
Virechana is the most useful Panchakarma therapy to treat addiction. Virechana is known to cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract and purify the blood of toxins of a period of a few days. It helps decontaminate your spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, colon, intestines and sweat glands through varied herbs and laxatives such as castor oil, mango juice, raisins, cow's milk, psyllium seeds, flaxseed husk, prune and senna.

2. Rasayana therapies- Rasayana therapy is another very useful Ayurvedic treatment for treating drug abuse and addiction. It is based upon the transmutation and conservation of energy to improve the mental as well as physical characteristics in order to increase your body's natural metabolic processes while enhancing your immune system and brain function. Rasayana therapy consists of intricate face, head and full body massages which are combined with medicated creams and herb oils. This therapy is also useful to remove artificial aging which occurs due to prolonged drug abuse.

3. Yoga- The chaotic chemicals are known to wreak havoc on the drug addict's brain during the process of recovery. Resorting to exercise or yoga will help generate extra endorphins which are very helpful for clarity. To recover from drug addiction, you must join a structured yoga class along with other ayurvedic therapies. Yoga is beneficial since it stimulates every part of your body without applying too much stress on any one part.
5367 people found this helpful

Drug Abuse - How Do You Think It Can Be Managed?

MD - Psychiatry
Psychiatrist, Ahmedabad
Drug Abuse - How Do You Think It Can Be Managed?
Drug abuse is characterized by the excessive use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs or even over-the-counter drugs. Drug abuse eventually leads to drug dependency whereby the drug begins to take control over you and affects your daily activities as well as your physical health.

Treatment:
Treatment of drug abuse normally involves a series of steps to be undertaken. These are:

Group therapy
Counseling
Drug addiction
Furthermore, treatment of drug abuse generally follows a 12-step program which continues even after the treatment as a part of the recovery process.

Detoxification:
Detoxification, or simply detox, is a procedure involving medical care while attempting to deal with withdrawal symptoms after your initial break from drug use. Since dealing with withdrawal symptoms can be quite problematic, you will certainly have to consult a doctor who will probably prescribe you certain medications.

Therapy:
There are different types of therapy needed to overcome the problem of drug abuse. These include:

Group therapy, where you can interact your problems with other people who are going through the same ordeal.
Motivational interviewing (mi), where you can resolve mixed feelings with regard to quitting and treatment.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), where you can learn to take control over your actions as well as change your thought and behavior pattern in order to adjust to a drug-free life.
Motivational enhancement therapy (met), where motivational interviewing is used to help give you more motivation with respect to quitting drug consumption.
Family counseling, or even couples therapy, where you can learn how to stay drug-free as well as improve your relationship with your family members or with your partner.
Treatment programs:

Treatment programs are often similar to therapies and are classified into three types:

Inpatient treatment
Outpatient treatment
Residential treatment.
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Things To Know About Lifestyle Diseases

MBBS, MD - Medicine, FACC, FRCP
Internal Medicine Specialist, Delhi
Play video
Hello,

I am Dr. M Wali, greetings to all the viewers of lybrate.com. Lybrate is doing for the benefit of Drs and mankind. Medical work is under watch, what the doctors are doing for the patients. India is one of the best countries as far as doctors are concerned. We have lots of setups. Sometimes, it becomes difficult for patients to find a suitable doctor. Now people choose their doctors online. We are concerned about preventing diseases. If the disease cannot be cured, at least we can treat the patients. India is under the threat of various diseases. Diseases which threatened the Indian population are coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancers, bone diseases, osteoporosis. Doctor's goal always should be to do work with perfection, dedication, devotion and should produce the best results. Sometimes I find something hidden in the diagnosis, I relocate the diagnosis. I give the treatment for lifestyle diseases as well. The beauty of the medical profession is that we can prevent these diseases. Treatment can be done if they are fully blow off. We do some modification in our diet, daily routine, avoid stress management and most of it can be prevented. My present stress is on preventing these diseases.

This is related to our lifestyle. As far as heart disease is concerned, nowadays we don't get regular heart disease. We get the more cardiac disease, heart failure, hypertension which takes a back seat. Hypertension multiplies the risk of sudden death due to coronary artery disease. So, we have to be very careful in treating blood pressure. 2/5 do not know till the time it produces complications that they are going to have diabetes. In fact, when diabetes develops, 30% of pancreas gets destroyed. We need more holistic care these days. Very important thing is that the patient walks in our chamber and he is not concerned about what I am doing as a specialist. He is concerned to get a solution to all his problems. We should give care under one roof. Holistic care is missing. My stress remains that every patient comes to my clinic or Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, I should treat patient holistically.

I take the help of a specialist and my colleagues. If anything encountered an emergency, I get them admitted. India has a great burden of communicable diseases also. We have recently have reduced the instances of tuberculosis. We have made the India polio-free. At times, when patient has very severe diabetes, they are infected, kidney damage, they have other complications like stroke, these are all preventable as I mentioned. A great deal goes for improvement in our lifestyle through yoga, exercise, regulation of eating a good diet. Avoid 3 whites like salt, sugar and ghee. Regular exercise, at least 30 minutes a day or 5 days a week can also prevention towards non-communicable disease. Yoga is a very important aspect of holistic healing. Through yoga and pranayama, we can prevent lots of lifestyle-related diseases. Apart from that, there is another epidemic which is creeping into a society which is depression.

There are various things happening in our day to day life which leads to depression. Depression makes the disease worst. So, some questions are mandatory to ask the patient while treating depression. While practicing, a thorough history is mandatory to take. Communication with the patient is mandatory. Through communication, we can treat the patient better. Poor coronary artery disease patient can be treated with counseling, yoga, exercise to save their money also. Practice the profession diligently, holistically with full dedication and become part of the patient's problem. Try to solve them. We always should be very humble, productive and patient ourselves.

Thank you very much.
5169 people found this helpful