Stroke, Cerebrovascular accident

 

A stroke is caused by the interruption of the blood supply to the brain, usually because a blood vessel bursts or is blocked by a clot. This cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients, causing damage to the brain tissue.

The most common symptom of a stroke is sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, most often on one side of the body. Other symptoms include: confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech; difficulty seeing with one or both eyes; difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; severe headache with no known cause; fainting or unconsciousness.

The effects of a stroke depend on which part of the brain is injured and how severely it is affected. A very severe stroke can cause sudden death.

Tularaemia don't ignore symptoms..

Tularaemia

Tularaemia is primarily a disease of a wide variety of wild mammals and birds. Humans become infected mainly through the bite of arthropods, particularly ticks and mosquitoes, and through the skin, conjunctival sac or oropharyngeal mucosa, by direct contact with infected animals or animal materials and by ingestion of contaminated food or water or inhalation of contaminated dust or aerosols.

F. tularensis is easily transmitted by aerosols and inhalation of only a few organisms is likely to cause infection. Person-to-person transmission has not been documented.

Are you over weight, Obesity.

Obesity

 

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres).

 A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

 Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.

10 THINGS ABOUT DIABETES MANAGEMENT YOU MAY NOT KNOW

10 THINGS ABOUT DIABETES MANAGEMENT YOU MAY NOT KNOW

In India, over 72 million people are affected by diabetes. That makes everyone feel like they're somewhat of an expert. Especially when we have someone with diabetes in our own circle of family and friends, we tend to believe we know all about diabetes care.

The reality is most of us have an incomplete or incorrect understanding of this little devil of a disease. Here are a few lesser-known facts about diabetes and diabetes management that may surprise you, and some new information that may help you feel more empowered to take charge of your health.

1. Having a Sweet Tooth Doesn't Cause Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where blood sugar levels are high. Hence, people with diabetes are often advised to control their sugar intake. Merely having a sweet tooth or eating "too much" sugar, however, doesn't cause diabetes in a healthy person. The reality is your risk of diabetes increases due to many interrelated factors. Diabetes is a disease associated with other factors such as being overweight or obese, leading a sedentary lifestyle and having unhealthy eating habits, including a high intake of refined carbohydrates, saturated fats and trans fats. The risk of diabetes further increases for someone who has an immediate family member with diabetes, so eating too much sugar alone won't give you diabetes.

2. Diabetes Is a Lifelong Deal

Many people believe the medicines prescribed by their doctors will help cure diabetes once and for all. The fact remains, however, that diabetes, once developed, is a lifelong condition. While it can't be cured completely, it can be managed. With proper diabetes management, including medications and lifestyle modifications, you can lead a normal and fulfilling life.

3. Diabetes Can Affect People of Any Age or Lifestyle

Although being overweight and having an unhealthy lifestyle makes you more prone to diabetes, lean people can also face the condition. Similarly, diabetes is not restricted to the older age group. In fact, three-fourths of the people with diabetes belong to the working-age group. Many children and adolescents have type 1 diabetes, too.

4. Type 2 Diabetes Isn't Milder than Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes can be defined as type 1 or type 2 but not mild or severe. It is just about how well-controlled blood sugar levels and other risk factors are. Untreated or neglected diabetes can lead to serious and permanent complications. The complications of diabetes can be diverse, affect many organs and lead to vision loss, kidney problems or decreased ability to heal, for example.

The good news is proper diabetes management can help people not only lead a perfectly normal life but also avoid complications arising from prolonged uncontrolled diabetes. You can discuss with your doctor about what diabetes management methods work for you. Medications and/or insulin, along with regular blood glucose monitoring and lifestyle changes, can help you achieve these targets.

5. Diabetes Affects More Than Blood Sugar Levels

In India, the layman term for diabetes is 'high blood sugar,' and people seriously believe it to be so. However, diabetes management is not only about taking an insulin injection or declining a sugary dessert to keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Medical research has shown that diabetes can affect multiple body systems and can cause a variety of problems. For example, diabetes increases the risk of heart-related problems. Hence, while it's important to keep a check on blood sugar, it is also advisable to undergo a regular checkup to identify any other problems in a timely manner.

6. People With Diabetes May Not Need to Restrict All Sugar

It's a common notion that having diabetes and getting started on treatment means you have to refrain from absolutely all sweets. However, with well-controlled blood glucose levels and regular exercise, it's generally safe to have a sweet once in a while. The key is not to indulge and to keep your portion size small. Save the sweet treat for special occasions.

7. A Diagnosis of Diabetes Can Be Emotionally Challenging

Diabetes and depression often go hand in hand, with one increasing the risk of other. Research suggests that some cases of diabetes and depression share similar biological origins. Hormonal imbalance as well as high blood glucose in diabetes causes an imbalance in the neurotransmitters, ultimately causing depression. The feeling of "Why me?" at the time of diagnosis can begin the series of negative emotions like anger, denial, disbelief or depression. The emotional turmoil a person with diabetes undergoes adds to the weight of depression.

It's best to avoid such negativity and look for help from a counsellor when such feelings begin. And don't be afraid to reach out to your loved ones; a bit of emotional support from your friends and family will keep you motivated to lead a more fulfilling life.

8. Prediabetes Is Reversible

Unlike full-blown diabetes, prediabetes causes slightly high blood glucose levels. Without proper care, prediabetes can lead to a diabetes diagnosis and the serious issues that come with it. To preempt this development, it's important to keep an eye on your blood glucose levels during your regular medical checkups, especially if you have prediabetes or a family history of diabetes. If your blood sugar levels concern your doctor, talk to them about proper lifestyle changes, dietary modifications and ways to lose any excess weight to help you prevent a diabetes diagnosis.

9. Adequate Diabetes Management Can Prevent Foot and Leg Complications

An internet search on diabetes complications results in an array of visuals of foot complications. Fear of diabetes complications often creates anxiety and stress among people with diabetes. Do not get intimidated and overwhelmed! Foot-related problems in diabetes occur due to poor blood circulation, damage to the nerves and slower healing. Proper diabetes care and regular inspection of your feet can help to avoid such problems, so consult your doctor as soon as you notice any problem.

10. Insulin May Be Necessary Anyway

Despite being particular about your medications, diet and exercise, your blood glucose levels may be high and your doctor may tell you to start taking insulin. You may feel guilty — like you have failed to take care of your diabetes. However, the fact is diabetes progresses slowly with time. The disease that was initially manageable with diet and exercise may ultimately need insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level. The key is to keep your blood glucose levels in a normal range, be it with lifestyle or insulin, and one does not mean failure over another.

Understanding facts about the disease will help you achieve better control over diabetes. All you need is timely medical advice and the motivation to stay healthy!

Hypertension ,don't ignore.....

Hypertension

 

Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure.

 Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. 

Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.

Asbestos , dangerous for health.

Asbestos: elimination of asbestos-related danger

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals with current or historical commercial usefulness due to their extraordinary tensile strength, poor heat conduction, and relative resistance to chemical attack. For these reasons, asbestos is used for insulation in buildings and as an ingredient in a number of products, such as roofing shingles, water supply lines, and fire blankets, as well as clutches and brake linings, gaskets, and pads for automobiles.

The main forms of asbestos are chrysotile (white asbestos) and crocidolite (blue asbestos). Other forms include amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite.

Why is asbestos a problem?

All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans. Exposure to asbestos, including chrysotile, causes cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovaries, and also mesothelioma (a cancer of the pleural and peritoneal linings). Asbestos exposure is also responsible for other diseases such as asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs), and plaques, thickening and effusion in the pleura.

Currently, about 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace. Approximately half of the deaths from occupational cancer are estimated to be caused by asbestos. In addition, it is estimated that several thousand deaths annually can be attributed to exposure to asbestos in the home.

It has also been shown that co-exposure to tobacco smoke and asbestos fibres substantially increases the risk for lung cancer – and the heavier the smoking, the greater the risk.

What about asbestos substitute materials?

Many fibre substitutes for chrysotile asbestos  pose a relatively low hazard to human health, though, the carcinogenic hazard of some fibre substitutes was found to be high. However, there are many non-fibre low hazard materials that can substitute for chrysotile asbestos in various uses, such as conventional building materials.

What is Healthy Ageing?

Every person – in every country in the world – should have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. Yet, the environments in which we live can favour health or be harmful to it. Environments are highly influential on our behaviour, our exposure to health risks (for example air pollution, violence), our access to quality health and social care and the opportunities that ageing brings.

Healthy Ageing is about creating the environments and opportunities that enable people to be and do what they value throughout their lives. Everybody can experience Healthy Ageing. Being free of disease or infirmity is not a requirement for Healthy Ageing as many older adults have one or more health conditions that, when well controlled, have little influence on their wellbeing.

Healthy Ageing and functional ability

WHO defines Healthy Ageing “as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age”. Functional ability is about having the capabilities that enable all people to be and do what they have reason to value. This includes a person’s ability to:

• meet their basic needs;
• to learn, grow and make decisions;
• to be mobile;
• to build and maintain relationships; and
• to contribute to society.

Functional ability is made up of the intrinsic capacity of the individual, relevant environmental characteristics and the interaction between them.

Intrinsic capacity comprises all the mental and physical capacities that a person can draw on and includes their ability to walk, think, see, hear and remember. The level of intrinsic capacity is influenced by a number of factors such as the presence of diseases, injuries and age-related changes.

Environments include the home, community and broader society, and all the factors within them such as the built environment, people and their relationships, attitudes and values, health and social policies, the systems that support them and the services that they implement. Being able to live in environments that support and maintain your intrinsic capacity and functional ability is key to Healthy Ageing.

Key considerations of Healthy Ageing

Diversity: There is no typical older person. Some 80-year-olds have levels of physical and mental capacity that compare favourably with 30-year-olds. Others of the same age may require extensive care and support for basic activities like dressing and eating. Policy should be framed to improve the functional ability of all older people, whether they are robust, care dependent or in between.

Inequity: A large proportion (approximately 75%) of the diversity in capacity and circumstance observed in older age is the result of the cumulative impact of advantage and disadvantage across people’s lives. Importantly, the relationships we have with our environments are shaped by factors such as the family we were born into, our sex, our ethnicity, level of education and financial resources.