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How long is the removal procedure and healing process take for wisdom teeth removal?

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Wisdom teeth extraction is a procedure that is often performed on people in their late teenage years or early twenties. This procedure is done when the wisdom teeth are proving to be a problem, such as when they are impacted, misaligned, or awkward. The wisdom teeth may also need to be extracted if they are causing overcrowding in the mouth or if they are causing gum inflammation, pain, or infection. During the procedure, the dentist or oral surgeon will make a small incision in the gums to access the wisdom tooth and cut it into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove. Once the tooth is extracted, the gums will be stitched up, and antibiotics may be prescribed to reduce the risk of infection.

Healing times may vary depending on the severity of the surgery, but most people recover after 3-4 days. Here is what to expect when healing after wisdom teeth removal:

Swelling: Swelling of your face is normal after wisdom teeth removal surgery. This may be present for up to 3-4 days.

Bruising: After surgery, mild bruising may appear around your cheeks and jaw. This should resolve in the same 3-4 days.

Pain: You may experience minor discomfort for the first few days after the surgery. Your dentist or oral surgeon may prescribe pain relief medication to help with this.

Care: It is essential to follow the instructions given by your dentist or oral surgeon when taking care of yourself after the surgery. This may include regular cleaning of the area, avoiding smoking, and avoiding foods that are difficult to chew.

By following the instructions of your dentist or oral surgeon and taking proper care of yourself, you should have no problem healing after wisdom teeth removal.

 

How to Speed Up Recovery Following Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth removal can be tedious, and recovery after the surgery can take several weeks to heal completely. Knowing how to speed up the recovery process is key to reducing discomfort and returning to your daily routine as quickly as possible. 

Blood Clot Formation
Blood clot formation at the wisdom tooth extraction site is a crucial aspect of the healing process because it helps to check excessive bleeding, prevent wound infection, boost new tissue growth, and protect the exposed bone. To ensure proper clot formation and speed up recovery, you should refrain from touching or disturbing the area.

Keeping the Area Clean
Keeping the area clean is also essential for a successful healing process. To ensure your mouth is as clean as possible, practice good oral hygiene habits such as brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily and rinsing your mouth with a saline solution regularly. Additionally, your dentist may prescribe an antiseptic mouthwash to help prevent infection. 

Eating the Right Foods
Eating the right foods can also help speed up the recovery process. Choose soft, nutritious foods that are easy to chew and swallow, such as soup, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and other soft fruits and vegetables. Avoid spicy, acidic, or crunchy foods, as they irritate the extraction site. 

Taking Medication
Your dentist may also give you antibiotics and pain medication after your surgery to help reduce infection and pain. Take medicine as prescribed and follow your dentist's instructions. You may also find applying an ice pack to the affected area helpful, as this can help reduce swelling and discomfort. 

Avoiding Habits
Finally, be mindful of habits that might irritate the extraction site or delay healing. For example, avoid using straws, smoking, drinking alcohol, and engaging in strenuous physical activities, as these can all hinder the healing process. 

Following the above tips can help speed up your recovery process following wisdom teeth removal. Proper steps to ensure a speedy and successful recovery are essential for oral health.

 

Recovery Tips for Wisdom Tooth Removal
Taking special care of yourself after wisdom tooth removal surgery is important. Here are some tips to ensure a speedy recovery:

Apply an ice pack to the area to reduce swelling and help with bruising. Keep the pack on for up to 20 minutes, and do this every few hours.

– Use damp heat to treat a sore jaw. This can be done by taking a warm, damp washcloth and placing it on the side of your face.
– To help prevent your jaw from becoming stiff, gently exercise it by slowly opening and closing it.
– For the first few days after surgery, eat soft foods like pasta, rice, or soup. Avoid hard and crunchy foods, which can irritate your gums and teeth.
– Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated and promote healing.
– After 24 hours, you can start brushing your teeth again, although you should avoid brushing against blood clots.
– Take any medications your dentist prescribes to help with pain and swelling.
– If you have a fever or if your pain or swelling is not improving, contact your dentist immediately.

Wisdom teeth can present various issues, and it is often best to visit a dentist as soon as you feel any discomfort, pain, or swelling in the area. HCL Dental Care in Noida will review your specific case and suggest an appropriate treatment, which may include wisdom tooth extraction.

The Power of Conscious Breathing

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Did you Know? We breathe approximately 10-12 times in a minute and over 28,800 times in a single day. Yet, most of us don’t think too much about it, as it is something that happens without any conscious effort.

Now, science has shown that breathing with awareness has many physical and physiological benefits and inculcating a habit of conscious breathing can transform our life.

“Conscious breathing has seeped into all parts of my life,” said Aarthi Menon, 42, an independent journalist and an Ashtanga Yoga practitioner and instructor based in Mysore. In Ashtanga Yoga, every movement is accompanied by breath and practicing it for six years has made her breathing mindful even when she is off the yoga mat.

“While most people react to situations impulsively, conscious breathing has helped me pause and delay my response, helping me avoid arguments and unnecessary fights,” Menon said. Breathing consciously has also improved her lung capacity, and she could feel a tangible difference between herself and others when she went on a high-altitude trek in the Himalayas this year. Conscious breathing has also improved her writing skills – “It has improved my clarity of thought,” Menon said.

What is conscious breathing? Continue reading “The Power of Conscious Breathing”

Are you suffering from tech-neck?

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Surbhi (name changed), 34, felt dizzy whenever she looked at the screen. She first thought it must be something she ate or some vision problems that was causing the discomfort. However, she later realised the pain was emanating from her neck. She sought the help of a physiotherapist who examined her and found the neck muscles were very tight and because of constant slouching at the computer, there was a hump at the base of her neck.

Surbhi required a week of physiotherapy that included ultrasound therapy, electrotherapy, massage, and exercises. She understood that most of her problems started because of postural issues. Her physiotherapist advised her to adjust the desk, so she doesn’t need to bend forward and to continue exercises to strengthen her neck and back muscles.

Neck pain is not so uncommon among those working on their desks all day. In a 2016 study conducted among administrative workers between 31 to 50 years in a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, more than 43% suffered from neck pain. In 28% of them, the neck pain was related to their workplace, also known as work-related neck pain. Recently, this kind of neck pain due to excessive usage of phones, tablets, and computers has been termed as ‘tech neck’.

Globally, the prevalence of one year of neck pain is between 15-34%, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the most common causes of long-term sick leave and disability pension.

Here are some of the common reasons for neck pain and what can be done to prevent and manage the pain.

Why does your neck hurt?

In the study mentioned above, factors like awkward posture, repetitive work, and aggravation of previous episodes are some of the reasons for neck pain.

Most neck problems arise because of bending forward while working on the computer. By bending forward, the weight of the front body drops down, pulling your head with it. This causes the shortening of neck muscles and increases their strain. Long hours of sitting further weaken the muscles in the chest, back, and legs, creating an imbalance.

Some symptoms of neck issues include a stiff neck, sharp pain, tingling sensation in the shoulders and hands, pain in the neck while moving, and headache.

Experts recommend acting when there is pain to prevent long-term changes in the spine. Exercises and rest can resolve the pain early, but patients require physiotherapy treatment and medication at later stages.

Let’s dig deeper into the issue!
Spondylitis vs spondylosis

Wait, wondering if the pain in the neck is spondylitis or spondylosis? You are not alone. The terms have been used interchangeably but refer to two very distinct conditions.

Spondylitis or Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause some of the bones in the spine (vertebrae) to fuse. This fusing makes the spine less flexible and can result in a hunched posture, according to MayoClinic. It causes inflammation in other parts of the body, especially the eyes. There is no cure for the condition, and treatment can only slow the progression or reduce pain. Those with a certain gene (HLA B-27) are likelier to suffer the condition.

Spondylosis meanwhile is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the cushion between the spinal disks. With the cushion becoming fibrous, there is a reduction in the space between the spinal disks causing pain and rigidity in the spine. Usually, spondylosis occurs in those above the age of 40s but can occur early due to repetitive stress and prolonged sitting in poor postures.

What we may be referring to as spondylitis may be spondylosis as it is caused by wear and tear and repetitive stress.

Exercises for neck pain:

Hyoid smile: Tuck your chin slightly, feel the back of your neck lift up and then press the palm of your hand on your forehead. Resist the palm by pushing against it. Do this thrice.

Heart opener: While sitting on the chair with feet on the ground, fold your hands behind your back and lift your head towards the ceiling. Now, slowly nod up and down and side to side. Do this couple of times. This movement counteracts slouching.

Shrug the shoulders: Sitting erect on the chair, breathe in and pull your shoulders towards your ears. Breathe out, roll back the shoulders and lift the chest. Repeat ten times. This movement improves postures and prevents neck and shoulder pain.

Tips to prevent neck pain:

Be vigilant of your desk posture:
One of the side-effects of working from home after the pandemic is that many of us are resting our laptops on the dining tables, the sofas, or worse, the bed. This means we are working for long hours in a not-so-ideal setup that puts strain on our necks and back.

• The first step in correcting it is to find a fixed workstation and adjust it to support your back.
• Ensure that your laptop screen is at your eye level and you don’t have to slouch to look at the screen, do this by placing a box or couple of thick books underneath your laptop.
• Work on a chair with adjustable armrests so that your hands are supported when typing or using the mouse. Using an external mouse and keyboards may help.
• Also ensure your legs are at a right angle and feet are on the ground. This is the posture that puts the least amount of stress on your body during work.

The same corrective measures apply even if you are working at the office, like ensuring the screen is at eye level, legs are at the right angle, feet placed on the ground, and hands on the armrest, close to the body.

Take frequent breaks:
Even if you have an ergonomic set-up, the muscles in our back and the legs weaken if we stay in one position for a longer duration. This is why you need to take two-minute breaks after every hour to move around and stretch your body. Use this break to take your eyes off the screen: drink water, stare outside the window or take a short walk around the premises.

Support your back:
In case you do not have a chair with lower back support, place a pillow or rolled-up towel at the base of the back support, this will give you adequate provision for your lower back.

Fix workout routine:
Regular workouts especially strength training can prevent neck pain. This is because your shoulder, neck, and back muscles become strong enough to take the strain. In case you are already experiencing neck pain, seek consultation with a physiotherapist before you start working out.

The Treatment for Neck Pain

If the pain in the neck is so much that it affects daily activities, seek a doctor’s help. Based on your symptoms the doctor can diagnose your condition or you may be asked to do additional tests like an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI. They can suggest over-the-counter medication like NSAIDs to ease the pain. Treatment may include corticosteroid injection, massage therapy, physical therapy, and exercises.

For further information and consultation please get in touch with Dr.Prakhar Mishra , Consulting Orthopaedic Surgeon, at HCL Healthcare, having more than 7year clinical experience in treating neck/shoulder/back/knee related pain.

You can book your appointment by calling on our toll-free number
7217890075 or by filling the service request form here

MONKEYPOX: An Emerging Global Health Concern

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Health Advisory
(Authors: Dr. Amit Kumar Gupta MD, MBA and Dr. Roopesh Gupta MD)

Monkeypox is a viral infection, first discovered in monkeys, that can also transmit to humans and cause symptoms and complications. Of late, its incidence has risen globally, with cases reported from more than 75 countries, including India. On 23rd July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monkeypox as a global health emergency.

How does Monkeypox infection happen and spread?
A person can catch this infection from an infected person, an infected animal, or through contaminated objects and surfaces. Human-to-human transmission mostly happens through close contact – either direct skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a Monkeypox rash, or, less commonly, by touching items (such as clothing or bedding) that have encountered an infectious person’s sores or bodily fluids. Unprotected sex can also spread this infection. Infected pregnant women can pass this virus to their babies in the womb.

Common Symptoms of Monkeypox Disease

An infected person may remain symptom-free or develop symptoms after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days. Common symptoms include:
• Flu-like illness (fever, headaches, body aches, etc.)
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Blister-like rashes Continue reading “MONKEYPOX: An Emerging Global Health Concern”

Why you must encourage your parents to stay physically active?

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Heard of the term ‘Use it or lose it?

This phrase is not just applicable to the cognitive function of the brain but even to the muscular tissues. Muscles are the anchor of the body that keeps the body mobile and erect. Of course, bone and joints have a very important role in locomotion (basically movement) but today we are going to discuss a less talked about Medial Condition called ‘Sarcopenia”. According to the Lancet ‘Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder involving the accelerated loss of muscle mass and function that is associated with increased adverse outcomes including falls, functional decline, frailty, and mortality.’

This basically means that the body starts losing muscle mass and function which may result in falls & frailty. It is basically an age-related muscle loss and is a natural part of aging. As we grow old the natural wear and tear increases in the body including the muscles. After age 30, one begins to lose 3 to 5% of their muscle mass per decade. Most men will lose about 30% of their muscle mass during their lifetimes.

Less muscle means greater weakness which in turn means less mobility. And there starts the vicious cycle of less muscle, less mobility, and increased weight leading to lesser mobility and further lesser muscle mass!! This also increases the risk of falls and fractures. A 2015 report from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research found that people with sarcopenia had 2.3 times the risk of having a low-trauma fracture from a fall, such as a broken hip, collarbone, leg, arm, or wrist.

The symptoms of Sarcopenia include weakness and stamina loss. This can affect the ability to carry out physical activities. A reduction in activity then leads to further muscle mass loss.

Now let’s talk about the various Causes of Muscle loss (sarcopenia) – The most common cause of this medical condition is decreased physical activity throughout the day.

Other Causes of Sarcopenia may include:
• Reduction in the nerve cells that send signals from brain to muscles to move
• A lowering of hormone levels
• A decline in body’s ability to convert protein to energy
• Not consuming enough daily calories and protein to maintain the muscle mass
• Inflammatory diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes mellitus

But just because the muscle mass is lost it does not mean it is gone forever. it is never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it. And the solution is quite simple.

How to Avoid muscle loss
1. Exercise Regularly– This is main mantra to stay away from this condition. Encourage your parents to get into the regular habit of following any exercise routine. It may mean a 30 min regular walk or yoga or gardening or going to a gym. Anything and everything that ensures that the regime is there as a rule and not as an exception! Don’t limit moving around because they are old, have maids to do the work, Everything is home delivered (from grocery to medicines) it’s too hot or too cold to work out etc etc….. Ensure staying mobile and active is a part of their daily routine. If someone must take rest because of a medical condition, then try to get back to the routine of exercise as early as possible. Lying down for a week loses at least 5% of muscle mass! And in old age it is very difficult to get these muscles back.

2. Consume a protein rich balanced Diet – Ensure that the diet is rich in protein, as a lot of wear and tear happens in old age. Protein helps in building the muscles. So, ensure that the diet is not calorie deficit and 30 to 50% of these calories are coming from proteins. It is helpful to know the health status by getting a Health Check minimum once a year. It helps in knowing the status of basic parameters of the body. And based on that status a more individualist approach can be planned.

3. Keep a check on the Body weight – Data suggests that it becomes more difficult to lose weight once you cross the age of 50. Specially if one has never exercised before. The usual tendency is to start eating less to lose weight. It becomes a double whammy because the muscle mass is lost because of less activity and then eating less means consuming calories / nutrition deficit diet, further reducing the muscles mass. So, getting in touch with an expert like a Clinical Nutritionist will help in reducing weight without compromising the Nutrition.

So encourage your parents to stay Active and Stay fit!!

What is Intermittent Fasting? Why do celebrities swear by it?

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Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Ben Affleck, Beyonce, Alia Bhatt, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Malaika Arora-Khan may seem to have little in common other than being celebrities but if media reports are to be believed, all of them follow the principles of intermittent fasting and have achieved great results because of it.

Those who swear by it because it is simple yet effective and easy to implement.

In Hollywood, British actor Tom Hardy has said that he could quickly gain lean muscle and lose weight for various movie roles thanks to intermittent fasting. According to media reports, Beyonce lost her pregnancy weight by it and Ben Affleck got in shape for the role of Batman by following intermittent fasting.

Similarly, Malaika Arora Khan has revealed that she eats her dinner by 7-8 pm and does not have breakfast in the morning. Her first meal is at noon. Alia Bhatt’s nutritionist has mentioned that she follows a vegetarian intermittent fasting plan and Jaqueline Fernandez too swears by intermittent fasting. She has her last meal by 7 pm and intakes lots of lemon water during the early morning hours.

What exactly is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting or IF as it is commonly known is an eating pattern with fixed cycles of eating and fasting. It is different from diets because intermittent fasting doesn’t specify what you can eat but when you can eat. It is also known as time-restricted eating.

When you are fasting, you are allowed to have water and zero calorie beverages like black coffee and green or herbal tea without sugar. The meal you have in the eight hour window can be regular meals.

The most common patterns are 16:8 where you fast for 16 hours and eat in the eight hour window and 5:2 where you eat normally for five days and restrict to 500-600 calories for two days. Other patterns are eat-fast-eat where you fast for 24 hours once or twice a week and alternate day fasting where you fast every other day.

What is the science behind intermittent fasting?

Human bodies have evolved to be able to go on many hours without food. Before humans started farming, they had to spend many hours without food as they hunted their prey or gathered fruits and berries to eat. Our bodies can not just survive but thrive when we fast.

In modern times, we eat as soon as we wake and eat till the time we go to sleep. Not just meals, we have snacks and junk food throughout the day. As most of our food is carbohydrate heavy, it causes a hike of glucose in the blood. Our body needs the hormone insulin to metabolize that glucose. If you have more glucose than you can use, insulin signals the body to store the glucose as fat.

When we fast, our body burns off the glucose from the last meal and uses fat stores for energy, this is called metabolic switching. This is a simplified reason why intermittent fasting leads to weight loss.

What are the benefits?

There have been many studies on intermittent fasting (IF) and there is growing evidence about its health and clinical benefits.

Weight loss: IF has shown to work as any other standard diets and leads to weight loss and abdominal fat loss and reduction in obesity.

Cognition: IF has shown to improve working memory, executive function and cognition i.e. conscious mental processes.

Diabetes: Two recent studies show IF reverses insulin resistance (where the organs develop resistance to insulin and require more insulin to use glucose in the body) in those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular health: IF improves blood pressure, resting heart rate, high cholesterol, triglycerides. It also helps in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation that are linked to thickening of arteries.

Inflammation: Since IF reduces inflammation, it has shown improvement in conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis and asthma.

Neurodegenerative diseases: Animal and human studies show that IF can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease though more studies are needed to prove its impact on these diseases.

What are the drawbacks of intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting has multiple benefits but is not suitable for everyone. It should be avoided by pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding, children and teens under 18, those with eating disorders or those with diabetes or blood sugar problems.

Intermittent fasting can cause hormonal issues in women and missed menstrual cycles. Women are recommended to do relaxed fasting periods with shortened fasting windows, fewer fasting days and to halt fasting if side-effects are experienced.

It is recommended to seek advice from your medical practitioner before starting intermittent fasting.

Also it takes a while for the body to get used to the new eating pattern so you may experience-hunger, headache, nausea, insomnia and fatigue for the first few weeks when you start intermittent fasting.

Resources

The Guide
Intermittent Guidelines for Women

Is Heat Stress taking a toll on you? Here is how to keep cool…

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Held after a gap of three years due to COVID-19, Danda Mahotsav held in Panihati, North 24 Pargana, West Bengal in June 2022 saw crowds of over 10 lakh devotees. The festival also known as Chira Dadhi Utsav, is a 500 year old festival of Vaishnav faith associated with 15th century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his disciple Raghunath Das. However the week-long festival was closed on its second day itself after 125 people fell sick and three died due to heat exhaustion.

Large crowds gathered in narrow lanes, exposure to direct sunlight and dehydration could have led to the deaths. The administration has said all the three were above the age of 60.

There have been 90 deaths in 2022 due to the heatwave in India and Pakistan based on media reports, the actual deaths is expected to be much higher. For the last three months, most of India has borne a scorching summer with a record number of heat waves. In March, the temperatures in Delhi and the northern Indian plains was the highest recorded in its 122 years of recorded temperatures. Even April was the hottest in 72 years with average temperatures being four degrees higher than normal.

Global warming has worsened the impacts of the heat wave and scientists have warned that climate change is going to make heat waves a regular occurance. Even one degree increase in ambient temperature puts stress on human beings causing various heat related illnesses and even deaths.

Heat also indirectly affects by lowering productivity, impacting transmission of diseases, health service delivery, increasing emissions and reducing available water and energy supply.

We give you some tips to identify signs of heat illness and ways to prevent health illness.

Who is vulnerable to heat?

Higher temperatures impact all populations but some groups are at a higher risk due to their socio-economic condition, profession or physiology.

According to WHO, the elderly, infants and pregnant women are especially at risk

Also those who work outdoors like farmers, construction workers, hawkers, auto rickshaw drivers, mechanics, police personnel and even athletes are vulnerable to heat.

Certain drugs like beta blockers, vasodilators, antipsychotic drugs and those with preexisting conditions like blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions and history of alcohol abuse are at increased risk.

Poor and marginalised populations are also more at risk because their houses lack devices like coolers and air-conditioners.

Heat-related illness and ways to manage them

When our body heats up, we sweat and the body cools down. When temperatures are high due to heat waves or when the humidity is very high, our body cannot cool down, leading to an increase in its core temperature.

This causes different illnesses including heat cramps, syncope (fainting), heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat cramps occur in people doing physical exertions in high temperatures and humidity due to loss of electrolytes. If you get heat cramps, stop the activity, move to a cooler place and consume sports drinks or ORS. Seek medical attention if cramps last for more than one hour.

Syncope is fainting or due to overheating. It occurs when a person is standing outdoors for a long time or gets up suddenly. The blood vessels in the skin widens to help the body cool down but this causes lower supply to the brain leading to dizziness. Move to a cool area and drink water when you feel dizzy. Also avoid alcoholic drinks that can cause dehydration.

Heat exhaustion occurs with symptoms like sweating, clammy skin, fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and weak pulse. When facing symptoms of heat exhaustion, move to a cooler area, wear loose clothes, sip water and use cool cloth on your body.

Heat stroke occurs with symptoms like temperature above 103 degree F, hot skin, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, passing out and strong pulse. When dealing with a person with heat stroke, it is essential to move the person to a cool place, reduce the body temperature by using cool cloth, avoid giving any fluids to drink and rush to the doctor once the person is stable.

Heat stroke, if not treated on time impacts organs and can cause brain damage.

Tips to prevent heat exhaustion?

Dress right: Wear loose clothes in breathable fabrics and light colour that allows your body to perspire and cool down. Avoid the sun, apply sunscreen and cover your head when outdoors.

Keep the vulnerable safe: Like we said earlier, babies, pregnant women and elderly are vulnerable to heat illnesses to ensure they are protected from heat.

Hydrate: Drink enough water and fluids like rice water, lentil soup, lime water, salted buttermilk throughout the day to maintain adequate urine output and till thirst is quenched.

Keep your room cool: Keeping your living space cool is important according to WHO. Use drapes and curtains to limit sunlight during the day time. Keep the windows open early morning and night to conserve electricity. The daytime temperatures should be around 32 degrees C and night time temperatures should be around 24 degrees C. This is especially important for babies and elderly with chronic conditions.

Take breaks: Avoid going out in sunlight if you can If you can’t avoid it, work during cooler hours like early morning. Work in shaded areas and avoid direct exposure. Take frequent breaks and hydrate yourself.

7 Diabetes Myths you shouldn’t believe

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Diabetes is a household name these days. Almost all families have at least a member with diabetes in it. Changing diets and sedentary lifestyles have led to an explosion of diabetes in the country. There are 74 million diabetes patients in India, second to only China. The incidence of diabetes is increasing in both urban and rural parts of the country.

As common as it is, there are still many misconceptions about diabetes, from what causes it to how to manage it. We bust the most common myths about diabetes so that you can break the cycle of misinformation.

Diabetes is caused due to eating sugar

Given that it is called “madhumeha” in Sanskrit, literally translated as a condition that causes sweet urination, diabetes is attached to eating sugar in most people’s minds. This is not entirely true. When we eat carbohydrates, they are broken down as glucose. Our body then produces the hormone insulin so that this glucose is available to the cells for their energy needs. In diabetics, the body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin well leading to excess glucose in the bloodstream. Over time, the excess glucose in the bloodstream causes issues with the kidneys, heart, vision etc. This is why diabetics are asked to avoid foods that are sweet and high in simple carbohydrates which will be converted to glucose quite easily.

Diabetes isn’t that serious

Many believe since many have the disease, diabetes is something that comes with age and has to be lived with. Complacency is a wrong approach to have because diabetes harms indirectly through complications. Longer that you have diabetes and the more uncontrolled the diabetes, the higher is the risk for complications. Some of the most common complications of diabetes are cardiovascular problems, nephropathy or kidney damage, neuropathy or nerve damage, retinopathy or eye damage and foot damage that can cause amputations.

In 2015, 3.46 lakh Indians died of complications related to diabetes. This is why regular follow up with the doctor, managing blood sugar and regular check ups are important.

Diabetics should avoid sweets

Like we said earlier, diabetes isn’t caused just by eating sugary foods or sweets, but sweets do increase blood sugar drastically, so they need to be eaten once in a while and with consideration. For example, fruits also contain a lot of simple sugar, but they also contain fiber, various antioxidants, and vitamins that are good for the body. On the other hand, cakes, loaves of bread, and biscuits do not contain fiber and hence are broken down quickly increasing blood glucose level so they have to be eaten once in a while as a treat. Also recent research shows, it is not just what you eat, the order in which you eat also impacts the glucose spike. The recommended order is vegetables, followed by protein and fat and starches and other carbohydrates in the end. This also ensures that you remain full longer.

Herbal medicines can cure diabetes

People are attracted to herbal remedies because they are promised they are free of side-effects and can cure disease. However most herbal medicines that promise to cure diabetes have not been pharmacologically tested, do not have quality assurance and some are even toxic in nature. Yet, many believe these “cures” rather than relying on tested and evidence-based medicine that has been proven to work for decades often leading to serious harm. Remember, before you replace your diabetes medicine with something “herbal” or natural, speak to your doctor first.

Those who take insulin are more serious than those on oral medicines

Those who have type 1 diabetes need to take insulin as their bodies do not produce the hormone anymore. Others with type 2 diabetes may also need insulin shots as their disease progresses and is not controlled by oral diabetes medicines alone. Not taking insulin does not mean your diabetes is milder either, your doctor may choose to manage diabetes with whatever treatment option is the most suitable for you.

If your parents don’t have diabetes, you will not have it

While having diabetes in your family increases your risk for it, not all diabetics have a family history. Other risk factors for diabetes are: obesity, age, prediabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, gestational diabetes, and race (Indians have a higher likelihood of diabetes than Caucasians).

Only those who are fat are prone to diabetes

While excess weight gain and obesity do increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, it is not the only risk factor for diabetes. In India, diabetes especially happens at a much younger age and in people with lower body mass index. In diabetes, as with other metabolic diseases, abdominal fat is a more important marker than just your weight. So going for an annual health check which includes a blood glucose test is a good idea in your 30s.

Also, there is a condition called prediabetes where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. This condition is a precursor to diabetes. However, you can still make lifestyle and dietary changes to prevent diabetes at this stage.

Diabetes may not be curable, but it is manageable with regular health checks, the right kind of medication, a diet plan, exercise, and a change in lifestyle. At HCL Healthcare, we offer a complete care consortium to HCL employees and their dependents, through our health and wellness facilities right on your campus as well as in the comfort of your home.

“Diabetes is a great example whereby,
giving the patient the tools,
you can manage yourself very well.”
― Clayton M. Christensen.

Tips to Build Stamina and Conquer your Fitness Goals

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It is one thing to be accurate in your line and length and another to bowl at 150 km per hour. For South African pacer Dale Steyn, both came easy. Called one of the best and the “most complete” fast bowlers of his generation, Steyn dominated the number one spot in ICC Test rankings for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014 in his peak. Whatever the weather conditions or the pitch; Steyn’s bowling was accurate, lethal and a pleasure to watch.

What gave him an edge when other fast bowlers suffered near constant injuries?

“What bowlers should be doing is making sure they can train their muscles for taking part in battle for a long period. You want your quick bowlers bowling at 140km/h at the start of the day and just as quick in the late afternoon,” Steyn said in an interview once. He said rather than building muscles, bowlers need to train their muscles to bowl with endurance and durability rather than bursts of power.

What Steyn hinted to was building stamina which gives you the ability to sustain any prolonged physical or mental activity. It is not just fast bowlers who need to have good stamina to perform at their best. All of us need stamina in our day to day lives–be it to play with your children, shop for hours, not pant when taking the stairs or going for a hike.

Stamina is a combination of endurance (ability to endure a difficult activity without giving up) and strength (ability to lift heavy loads). With time and effort, you can build your stamina and watch your overall performance improve.

Here are some tips that can help you-

Long Walks:

One of the simplest ways to improve your stamina as a beginner is to go on long walks. Walking for 30 to 60 minutes improves your cardiovascular health, fitness, puts less strain on your muscles and can improve your mood. Start by walking for 20 minutes for a few days and keep increasing the time by 10 minutes after every few days. Do a light stretch before you begin walking and walk at a medium pace to get proper exercise.

Interval Training

Interval training which combines high energy bursts of speed with slow, recovery spaces is a powerful way to improve endurance and stamina. Interval training ( for example take small sprints of 30 seconds every 3-4 minutes and walk) twice a week helps you burn more calories, avoid injuries by repetitive movement and helps you increase training intensity without burnout. Some tips to begin interval training: assess your fitness level, start slowly, warm up before you start and keep a steady but challenging pace throughout.

Play Sports

A cool way to increase your stamina is to play sports. It also helps to break the monotony of workouts in the gym or running. Playing sports involve different movements for example playing badminton involves running, picking up the shuttlecock and hitting with the racquet. This kind of intermingling uses different muscle groups and improves your stamina.

Lift Weight

It may seem counterintuitive but weight training also improves stamina. A meta analysis of various studies has shown that lifting weights improves endurance and speed and economy of your workout (improves the time taken and energy required to finish your workout). If you have never lifted weight before, start with working out with a trainer who can assess your form and gradually increase the weights you lift. Also consult a doctor before weight training if you have pre existing diseases, injuries or illnesses.

Dance

Another fun way to break the monotony of workouts is to dance regularly. Dancing helps improve your cardiovascular health as well as improve your muscle strength. Dancing improves mobility, balance, increases agility, strengthens bones and reduces stress. What’s more, you can dance together with your family or friends and it would be a great activity to do together and de-stress.

Listen to music when you exercise

What pumps up your mood when you go to the gym or come home tired from home? Usually it’s the music. Listening to high-energy music while exercising helps you workout more, distracts you from the strain of the workout, changes your perception of fatigue and makes exercise feel easier. So keep a fast-paced playlist ready when you are lifting weights in the gym or go for a run.

Eat healthy and get adequate rest

Eating healthy food with an adequate portion of protein, fats and good carbohydrates is important to find the energy to workout. Also getting 7-8 hours of sleep is crucial for your body to rest and recover after a workout so do not scrimp on sleep. Also undergoing vitamin deficiency tests will also tell you if there are vitamin deficiencies that are making you feel lethargic and tired all the time.

With these tips, you will improve your stamina in no time and conquer your fitness goals.

Are you fatigued weeks after COVID? You may have Long COVID

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Are you fatigued weeks after COVID?
You may have Long COVID

In the last two years of the pandemic, more than 517 million were infected with COVID-19. Most of them recovered from the infection but some continued to face health issues even after months of testing negative. These symptoms are part of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PACS) which is commonly known as Long COVID. Those who suffer from Long COVID often call themselves ‘long haulers’.

Almost 40% of COVID survivors suffer from long-term impact of the infection one month after the infection, according to a University of Michigan study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases on 22 April 2022. According to its findings, it is estimated that there are more than 200 million people who are suffering from Long COVID across the world.

Who is likely to suffer from it?

Various studies show that those who have been hospitalised for COVID-19 had a higher chance of suffering from Long COVID. Also those who suffered from severe COVID-19 are more likely to suffer from it than those who had a mild infection. Similarly some studies suggest unvaccinated individuals are more likely to suffer from Long COVID than those who are fully vaccinated.

The Michigan study, mentioned earlier, reviewed 50 studies from 17 countries and found that Asians (49%) followed by Europeans (44%) and those in North America (39%) had more likelihood of suffering from Long COVID. It also found that women (49%) had a higher likelihood of suffering from it than men (37%).

Pre-existing conditions like Asthma increased the likelihood of Long Covid. Other risk factors identified in the study were initial illness, older age and underlying conditions like obesity and hypothyroidism.

The most common symptom in the review was found to be fatigue which was found in 23% of the survivors followed by memory problems (14%), shortness of breath (13%), sleep problems (11%), and joint pain (10%).

How long do the symptoms last?

Across the world, prevalence of Long COVID was 37% after 1 month of diagnosis, 25% at 2 months, 32% at 3 months and 49% at 4 months according to the Michigan study.

Another study published in the medical journal The Lancet in July 2021 showed that 91% of Long haulers took 35 weeks or about 9 months to recover. Researchers surveyed nearly 4,000 sufferers with confirmed or suspected COVID from nearly 60 countries, with illness of a month or longer. During their illness, survivors experienced symptoms across nine organ systems. The most frequent symptoms after six months were fatigue, post exertional weakness and cognitive dyfunction like memory loss, problems with attention span and problem solving.

What are the symptoms?

Long Covid can be varied and can impact different people differently. In the Lancet study, participants experienced anything from ear numbness, vision loss, reduced sensitivity to medicines, new allergies, suicide ideation and facial paralysis.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, following symptoms are reported by long haulers.

General symptoms

  • Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
  • Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”)
  • Fever

Respiratory and heart symptoms

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Chest pain
  • Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)

Neurological symptoms

  • Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
  • Headache
  • Sleep problems
  • Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)
  • Pins-and-needles feelings
  • Change in smell or taste
  • Depression or anxiety

Digestive symptoms

  • Diarrhoea
  • Stomach pain

Other symptoms

  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Rash
  • Changes in menstrual cycles

Source: US CDC

POTS

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS is a condition where heart rate increases by at least 30 beats per minute after a person moves from sitting or lying down to standing. This is because their autonomic nervous system is unable to control their blood pressure and heart rate to make for your change in posture. There is recent evidence that those who have had COVID-19 are vulnerable to be POTS.

Long COVID in children

It is now emerging that even children are affected by Long COVID. Some of the symptoms that children show are different from adults. Usually children have complained of chest pain, cough fatigue, joint pain, loss of smell or taste and memory fog.

Living with Long COVID

Treating Long COVID is not straightforward or simple since it manifests differently for different people. Some of the symptoms may get better with time and others would require medical assistance. With growing awareness, there are doctors and clinics that specialise in helping people with Long COVID manage their symptoms.

Some general tips:

Modify the way you work: You may need to take breaks between your work days to take care of your fatigue. Find what time in the day you feel most refreshed and aim to finish a major chunk of your work at that time. Speak to your colleagues and boss if you need more time to finish work and ask for help whenever you need it.

Get good sleep: In order to recover, you need to give your body good 7-8 hours of restful sleep. Use a fitness app to track your sleep to monitor if you are getting deep sleep. Reduce stress, keep away gadgets in the evening and exercise to maintain good sleep hygiene.

Seek help: Long COVID can leave you feeling tired, frustrated and lonely but know that help is available. Speak to a doctor well-versed with treating post COVID symptoms and ask for help. Seek help from a psychologist if you feel low. Get a physiotherapist’s help to begin working out gradually. Speak to your friends and family and tell them about how you are feeling, their support will be crucial in your recovery.

Get a health check up: If you find yourself suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above long after your infection, it is a good idea to go for a full body health check up that can give you a status update on the health of your body and help your doctors pinpoint the exact cause that is causing the symptoms.

Resources

To join the Long COVID India Survivors group on telegram:

https://t.me/+3SHOL_cmzpkyYzdl

Follow @LongCOVIDIndia on twitter for latest news

For more information on Long COVID, go to

https://www.wearebodypolitic.com/covid-19

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