Healthcare

How To Deal With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome At Home, Through Your Diet!

A number of women (1 in 10) suffer from PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This terrible disorder can wreak havoc on your confidence, affecting the menstrual cycle and causing acne and hair loss. This is because it is a hormonal disorder.

What’s worse, PCOS puts you at risk of an number of other health hazards like heart disease, endometrial cancer, diabetes and BP issues.

A suitable diet goes a long way in helping you recover from this disorder.

The Deal With Insulin And Carbs

Most sufferers of PCOS tend to be overweight or obese. Women with PCOS often have high insulin resistance, meaning that the insulin their bodies produce doesn’t get used effectively. It’s harder for them to lose weight because of this reason.

A diet that’s loaded with refined carbohydrates (that’s all the sugary and refined foods you eat) can make it hard for you to overcome insulin resistance.

Foods You Should Add To Your Diet

Foods rich in fiber are your highest priority: they actually slow down your digestion, meaning refined starch will find it harder to get absorbed into your system.

Pick items like broccoli, cauliflowers and such cruciferous vegetables. Other fiber sources include greens, capsicum, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

Lean proteins are another great choice. They help you feel full, and are much healthier than carbohydrates.

Foods that reduce inflammation are great choices. These include tomatoes, fruits, olive oil, and fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Foods You Should Avoid

All sorts of unhealthy foods need to be cleared off your dinner table. High up on the list are unhealthy fats, such as processed fatty items like mayo, and red meat.

Carbs are to be avoided for the most part, including refined flour, white bread, white rice and more. Generally, these all have high GI (Glycaemic Index). These are tastier, but that is done by removing healthy components such as fiber. Avoid all of these. No more feasting on pizza, burgers, pasta, muffins and pastries.

Dairy is another thing people with PCOS should avoid. Milk is known to increase testosterone levels, which is already a problem caused by PCOS.

Couple The Diet With Healthy Lifestyle Changes

A diet is a great way to deal with PCOS symptoms, but it needs to be paired with effective lifestyle choices if it is to have an effect.

Exercise regularly, try and manage the stress you go through, and treat yourself to the occasional indulgence. Make it a habit to share your burden within your trusted circle. Stress management goes a long way when you’re dealing with PCOS.

Know That There Is No Cure

Sadly, we don’t know of a cure for PCOS as of today. Following this diet and incorporating a few lifestyle changes will help you deal with the symptoms, though. And take courage in this fact: a number of women lead full, uncompromised lives even with PCOS.

References:

https://www.pcosdietsupport.com/the-best-pcos-diet/

https://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/12/12/pcos-nutrition/

Dealing With Dengue: How To Nurse Your Loved Ones Back To Health

With dengue doing the rounds, it’s pretty important that you know how to deal with it.

Knowledge is often key to treating this mosquito bite-induced disease. Hospital staff are trained to deal with severe cases, but if you’re helping a loved one recover at home, here’s some key information to help you out.

Make Sure They Get Enough Rest, And Professional Consultation

The key to recovering from any disease is to give your body the rest it needs, and this goes for dengue recovery as well. Your patient needs plenty of sleep; make sure they get just that.

Medical care by a doctor is crucial, even if you’re helping someone recover from a dengue episode at home. Accompany them on visits to the doctor, and take notes of their medication plan. The physician might need you to monitor the patient’s fever on a regular basis.

Keep Things Clean And Hygienic

The main concern when you have a dengue patient at home is to make sure that your house is mosquito-free. Why? Because dengue can be spread through mosquito bites, from the patient to someone else in the house.

If there’s a mosquito problem in your area, use mosquito nets, and screens on doors and windows. You can also use mosquito repellent on yourself and others at home.

Take Care Of The Dengue Diet

What does the dengue diet entail?

First and foremost, hydration: make sure they drink plenty of water, and supplement it with drinks like tender coconut water. Fruit juices and soups are great too. Use papaya leaves in a juice; this helps increase the platelet count, which is the what dengue attacks.

Avoid all manner of spicy or oily food, instead sticking to a diet rich in vitamin C, herbal teas and porridges.

Learn To Spot An Emergency

Certain signs mean that you’ll need to take the patient straight to the hospital; such situations are best handled by medical professionals. These signs include:

Red spots or patches appearing on skin
Continuous vomiting, or heavy stomach pain
Nosebleeds, or bleeding gums
Blood in vomit/stools
Breathing difficulties

If you see any of these symptoms, rush them straight to the doctor.

References:

https://www.mrright.in/ideas/home-and-garden/health/take-care-dengue-patient-advised-doctors/

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/factsheets/homecareenglish.pdf

http://www.india.com/lifestyle/dengue-fever-food-items-5-best-foods-for-dengue-patients-to-recover-quickly-2434132/

5 Tips On Living With Dependent Elders

Only a few people anticipate the task of caring for their aging parent.Adult caregiving can be strenuous , a lot of them seem to deny that it’s inevitable. To some it can provide a great sense of fulfillment and teaches the caregiver certain things about oneself. The nature of aging is such a process that we all must experience. And let’s admit it: it can be really, really hard sometimes!

If you are absolutely new to caregiving and are unsure where to start, these are a few tips, which will help you successfully ease into your new role and care for your aging parents without a hitch.

Accept that things have changed.

The roles are reversed when a parent starts depending upon their child. You should be prepared for that entirely new paradigm because old roles, old methodologies and old emotions may not apply.

Expect their anger.

Your parents lose that one thing they have always had in relationship with you after they become dependent on you – their ‘Authority’. Expect them, in one way or another, to lash out about that loss because that’s not going to be easy for them to give up.

3.Giving them options.

It is advisable to give your parent’s options rather than orders. It can help them feel valued and have a sense of running their own lives. Leave it up to them to decide on things that they can about their own self.

4.Patience.

Caring for your parents might be slightly more challenging and difficult to look upon initially. Honor your own heartfelt work of helping your aging parents and it is advisable to be patient because it takes a lot of courage to put up with the resistance that challenging parents put up.

Love your health care providers.

Treat well every person who plays any role whatsoever in caring for your parent during this phase of your life. Stay kind to your health care providers and little gifts here and there can go a long way toward ensuring that’s how they feel.

Keep doing whatever it takes to make their lives as well as you are able to. Sometimes, it can be very hard to make all of the decisions for another adult and you have to get it right because you owe them your care.

References:

https://www.aplaceformom.com/senior-care-resources/articles/caring-for-elderly-parents

http://dailycaring.com/5-top-caregiving-tips-for-keeping-aging-parents-at-home/

4 Tech Advancements That Promise Great News For Healthcare In 2017

Slice of Health brings you the latest and best news from the world of healthcare.

Today, we take a look at the latest advancements in healthcare. These promise a much improved and better mode of healthcare for patients in hospitals, homes, and palliative care.

Advancement #1: Robots Taking Over Surgery

The use of robots in complicated, risky procedures like surgeries may sound like the stuff sci-fi movies are made of, but they’re a reality today!

Recent surgical robots are designed to carry out surgeries with minimal invasion, which is great news for patients. They only need to make a single incision, or port. What this translates into for surgery patients: less pain, and faster recovery.

Advancement #2: Getting Closer To A Vaccine For Diabetes Type 1

Type 1 diabetes is a rarer type of the disease. Here, your own body’s immune system prevents your pancreas from producing insulin, a hormone essential in helping your body absorb glucose.

This vaccine will enter the human testing phase in 2018, and it’s a very promising prospect. It can also help protect your body against diseases like colds, myocarditis, meningitis, and also ear infections.

This isn’t available in 2017, but we sure have something to look forward to this year!

Advancement #3: Biopsies Won’t Always Require Tissues

Biopsies have always been a painful procedure, where a column of tissue is physically extracted from your body.

Liquid biopsies are a new and revolutionary method of genetic testing that use a patient’s bodily fluids such as blood, plasma, serum or urine instead of extracting tissue painfully. This technology makes painful biopsies considerably less painful.

Advancement #4: Fluorescent Lighting In Endoscopy

A fluorescent dye called indocyanine has been making waves in the department of endoscopy.

In endoscopy, doctor insert a flexible tube with a camera on it to check for malignant tissues in that area. The green indocyanine imaging can highlight malignant tissue quite effectively for your surgeon, who can then easily spot and remove any tumors/lesions you may have.

The future looks bright for healthcare today. These 4 are only a few key examples of a number of technological advancements in the field of medicine and especially healthcare.

References:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/life/entertainment/story/2017/oct/10/ask-doctor/453195/

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-vaccine-could-prevent-many-cases-of-type-1-diabetes

4 Ways That Telemedicine Is Affecting Healthcare

We’ve achieved major advancements in the field of telecommunications recently. It makes sense that we make the most of these breakthroughs in key areas, like healthcare.

Enter telemedicine.

Using the latest technology from the communications field, doctors can now diagnose and treat patients without even having to be in the same building.

Let’s take a look at 5 ways telemedicine is making healthcare better today.

Monitoring Patients In The ICU (Intensive Care Unit)

Telemedicine has made it possible for hospital staff to monitor a number of patients all at once. Aside from the technicians and bedside staff, you can have what’s called a tele-ICU.

This is a remote or centralized team that supplements the bedside team.

Tele-ICUs take healthcare to the next level: they improve critical medical care by providing extra eyes on your vital signs. This improves the reaction time to when a patient’s clinical condition deteriorates.

Aiding The Treatment Of Stroke Victims

Telestroke networks are set up across a number of hospitals for one reason: to expedite care to stroke patients, who desperately need it.

These networks bring specialized stroke diagnosis and treatment plans to regions where this may not be easily available, especially in rural areas with minimal healthcare infrastructure.

Dealing With Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is no joke.

Patients need to be in constant touch with their heart health specialist, regularly monitoring their diet, exercise routine, and medication. This often means a number of visits to the doctor.

With telemedicine, patients can comfortably exchange vital data with their heart doctors, getting advice and treatment plans on the go.

Helping You Deal With Chronic Health Conditions

By their very definition, chronic health conditions are those that people live with for a long time. This means that there is good scope for self medication.

If you’ve got occasional breathing problems or digestion-related chronic issues, you are a good candidate for telemedicine-provided solutions. These make for better patient management from the perspective of your healthcare provider.

For you, this means a smaller number of dreaded inpatient hospital visits.

This is barely scratching the surface of telemedicine-enabled improvements in patient care. With new technology like the Internet of Things (IoT), we’re living in a world where healthcare is getting better and better!

Think you have better examples of telemedicine in healthcare? Let us know!

References:

https://www.cisc-llc.com/8-amazing-ways-telemedicine-changing-healthcare/

http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/content/21/1/34.full

4 Wearable Devices That Are Changing Things

Wearable technology is one of the latest tech trends to take our world by storm. You probably own a fitness band yourself, or know somebody who does.

But wearables can offer so much more. Some devices (like the fitness bands) help you monitor vital physical signs, while others perform key functions of vital body parts. There’s even a wearable that can help you quit smoking!

Here, we take a look at 4 wearables that are revolutionizing the world of healthcare.

Wearable Device 1: Your Own Personal Diabetes Monitor

Diabetes can be a pain to live with. Having to rely on blood glucose monitors certainly doesn’t help, proving painful and inconvenient.

The Freestyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, on the other hand, works through a patch in your skin. It is fixed conveniently on your upper arm, so you won’t have to prick your fingers. The ‘reader’ device gives you an update in a second whenever you need one.

You simply hold it next to the patch on your arm.

Wearable Device 2: Your Own Pancreas Replacement

That’s what the MiniMed 640G Insulin Pump with Smartguard does for you: become your stand-in pancreas, providing the insulin you need in the right quantity, at the right time.

Controlling blood sugar levels is key for diabetes patients, and that’s where the Minimed helps.

Wearable Device 3: Drug Free Pain Relief

The Quell Wearable Pain Relief Device provides relief from chronic pain, and does not involve the use of a single drug.

Sounds too good to be true? Then maybe you need it.

This device is worn using a strap around your calf, and works by stimulating sensory nerves. By sending “neural pulses” that block pain signals to the brain, Quell helps you get some much-needed relief from aches and pains.

Wearable Device 4: Keep Tabs On Your BO Levels

Nope, not talking about Body Odor.

For patients of asthma, and those at risk of congestive heart failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), the WristOx2 from Nonin Medical is a heavensend. It can be used to remotely monitor your heart rate and oxygenation.

With more such wearables hitting the market everyday, healthcare is getting a lot better. With one of these devices helping you out, your hospital experience gets a convenient upgrade!

References:

https://www.wearable-technologies.com/2015/04/wearables-in-healthcare/

https://www.raconteur.net/healthcare/empowering-patients-to-track-their-health-through-wearable-tech

The 5 Things Nurses Wish You Knew

If only hospital corridors could speak!

Nurses might just be the unsung heroes of the world of hospitals and healthcare, but chances are that you won’t even know it. We turn the tables, and bring you some of the secrets nurses wish you knew, but aren’t encouraged to tell you.

Secret #1: Your Nurse Probably Needs A Break

Hospitals notoriously force more patients onto nurses than they should be expected to handle. Unless you personally know a nurse, this is probably a surprise to you. That’s the reality, though: most hospitals are understaffed.

Cut your nurse some slack.

They are often overwhelmed, but trying their best to give you the care you need.

Secret #2: They Are Fighting For You

Very often, when your nurse isn’t caring for you, she is fighting for your best interests.

Nurses fight against doctors’ orders. A lot. This isn’t a matter of rebellion, though. They often have to go toe-to-toe against doctors and other superior health care professionals, just for your benefit.

Secret #3: Bringing You Your Medicine Is Actually Complicated

Nope, this isn’t a simple matter of browsing through shelves, and bringing you the right pills.

Your nurse looks at your prescription, and makes sure she knows what each pill is for. It’s her job to look for any contradicting medication, effects of interplaying medicines, and to watch out for potential side effects.

Your nurse might try to make this look easy, but it certainly isn’t!

Secret #4: The Variables In Your Discharge Time

When your doctor gives you a discharge deadline like “tomorrow morning”, your nurse often knows that this is unlikely. Variables include: your doctor finishing his/her rounds, your vital signs and lab results, and other doctors consulting on your case.

Yet another secret nurses have to keep from patients!

Secret #5: You Might Be Disturbed Through The Night

Thought you’d get a night’s peaceful sleep before a surgery the next day?

That might not always go the way you expect it to. Especially with large hospitals, synchronizing the various departments can be tricky. Someone might wake you up for a blood sample at 11PM, and someone from the X-ray department might wake you up half an hour later, just when you’ve gone back to sleep.

The secret fix: get your doctor to write a note preventing such disturbances.

Armed with these secrets, you might have a different experience the next time you visit a hospital.

References:

http://nursecode.com/2016/09/10-things-nurses-want-patients-to-know/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brie-gowen/ten-secrets-that-nurses-keep-from-their-patients_b_8881808.html

7 Popular Lies We Tell Our Doctors

Doctors know about this before they even see their first patient.

Patients lie, and about a lot of things. The false information we give our doctors, and the true information we sometimes withhold, can have a nasty effect on our health.

Here’s a list of 7 lies doctors hear all too often.

Lie #1: “No, I Don’t Skip My Medication”

Often, doctors ask patients about the medication they prescribed. Often, patients lie about this.

If you stopped taking your pills, tonics, or shots, let your physician know. You’ll need to work with your doctor, and clarity is paramount. Only when you’re clear about your medication can your doctor ensure your speedy recovery.

Lie #2: “I Haven’t Smoked In Years”

Lying about smoking: a bad idea for so many reasons.

This interferes with your treatment. Especially with respiratory issues like bronchitis, doctors give smokers much heavier medication. This is to compensate for the smoking, which weakens your body’s protective mechanisms.

Lie #3: “Yes, I Exercise Regularly…”

You might avoid a slightly disapproving glance from your doctor, but you’ll also risk improper medication. If you can’t perform a particular exercise due to a certain condition, let your doctor know. They will usually recommend an alternative exercise that you can do.

Exercise is vital to good health and longevity, and lying about it can make you compromise on both.

Lie #4: “…And I Eat Healthy Too”

Lie about your eating habits, and you’re possibly headed for a misdiagnosis.

Especially with food-related diseases like type-2 diabetes, lying about food habits can get pretty dangerous.

Lie #5: “Sexual Problems? I.. Er… Don’t Have Those.”

This is more of an issue with men.

Lying about STDs, for instance, can result in crippling pain and even fatal infections. Most of these are treatable, but only if your doctor knows about it. Another area men have a problem discussing: a lowered libido, or trouble maintaining an erection.

This might spell embarrassment for you, but it could spell something else entirely for your doctor. Like heart disease, or a mental issue.

Lie #6: Exaggerating Your Symptoms…

Never a good idea. You could end up doing unnecessary tests. Worse, you might end up getting medication for an ailment you don’t really have.

Lie #7: …And Underplaying Them

Explain symptoms as they are: don’t exaggerate, and definitely don’t downplay symptoms that could be serious. For instance, a pain that’s been steadily intensifying needs the immediate attention of your doctor.

Avoid these lies, and you’ll make things better for yourself starting from the next doctor’s appointment!

References:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/top-10-lies-we-tell-our-doctors.aspx

https://www.texashealthyliving.com/single-post/2016/04/14/5-Lies-We-Tell-Our-Doctors-Why-Those-Fibs-Are-Dangerous

Bulimia: 5 Behavioral Patterns To Watch Out For

Bulimia.

An emotional eating disorder where sufferers feel an inexplicable need to binge eat, and purge themselves immediately after. Different from anorexia, where sufferers don’t feel like eating.

We all know about this eating disorder, or have heard about it in movies and jokes. The reality is that bulimia nervosa (its scientific name) is pretty dangerous, and very commonplace. 10 million new cases in India each year, in fact.

However, victims of bulimia are often careful to cover their tracks, and might look normal or slightly overweight. Here are 5 signs that often point to a case of bulimia, so you can tell if a loved one is suffering from this eating disorder.

Sign #1: A Tendency To Overeat, Then Guilt/Overcompensation

People with bulimia exhibit a worrying lack of control over their eating, but this doesn’t qualify as a bulimia symptom by itself.

Bulimic people will then try some compensatory behaviour. This includes clear red flags like self-induced vomiting and using laxatives. However, also watch out for seemingly innocent behaviour like extreme dieting or exercise to “undo” the calories gained.

Sign #2: An Obsession With Exercise

Exercise isn’t the first thing you’d look for in a ‘symptoms’ list, but such is the case with bulimia.

Victims of this disorder will be heavily fixated on their workout schedules. They feel a pressing ‘need’ to exercise. They may even get upset when something like rain gets in the way of their routine.

Sign #3: Inexplicable Tiredness/Thirst

Dehydration is one of the uglier signs of Bulimia nervosa. With frequent vomiting and other self-initiated purges, running out of fluids is the inevitable result. Pay close attention if someone is constantly tired, light-headed, or recently got weaker for no apparent reason.

Sign #4: A Dread Of Weight Gain

Everybody hates gaining weight, but someone with bulimia will often take it to another level. If you see someone you love getting unhealthily obsessed with weight loss, calorie counting, and their body type, bulimia might just be the explanation.

Sign #5: Dental Damage

Frequent vomiting wreaks havoc on your dental health. It causes an acid buildup, which can lead to tooth decay. Over time, teeth can get discolored, and even get eroded. Sufferers may even end up losing teeth.

If you see sudden signs of dental damage in a loved one, get them checked for bulimia.

Sign #6: Food Disappears

Bulimic people, embarrassed about others seeing their food addiction, may resort to eating food from the kitchen when no one is around. Sufferers have admitted to even stealing from friends.

Sign #7: Bathroom Smells

It’s not always the smell of someone throwing up. Sufferers may attempt to cover up the smell of vomit by overcompensating with soap, shampoo or room freshener sprays.

With bulimia, a full recovery is possible. Counselling often helps, but it’s important that the sufferer realizes that they have a disorder. Doctors may recommend antidepressants to combat symptoms like depression.

See any of these signs? Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

References:

https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/8-warning-signs-of-bulimia-nervosa/

https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eating-disorder/warning-signs-a-symptoms

Being Overweight May Be Okay; Being Obese Is Not

Debates have raged on in recent years over the matter of weight and self image. Words like ‘fat shaming’ and ‘body positive’ have suddenly become part of our vocabularies.

But we’re not discussing political correctness here. We’re talking about how, sometimes, it’s actually okay to be ‘fat’. From a health perspective.

Curiosity triggered? We certainly hope so.

The Problem With Our Definition Of Fatness

The thing to understand: what is considered ‘fat’ today might not be what was considered ‘fat’ years ago, or indeed what will be called ‘fat’ in the future.

We tend to rely on things like the Body Mass Index (BMI) to establish whether a person is ‘overweight’. Ironic, because the BMI scale is notoriously unreliable. In fact, 6’ 4” NFL player Michael Jasper weighed 375 pounds in his playing days. This would put his BMI at 45.65, classified as ‘obese class III.’

‘Obese class III’ sounds scary, but consider the facts. This is a man who could jump 28 inches into the air, and complete a 40-yard sprint in 5.53 seconds.

Few ‘fit’ people can claim stats like that, and that’s the issue. Depending on systems we don’t fully understand, we often panic even when things aren’t as dangerous as we think they are.

Okay, So What Should I Be Concerned About?

Most studies conclude that fitness and nutrition play a more vital role in your health than your weight. In fact, one study actually found that being ‘overweight’ (not obese) on the BMI scale is healthier than being in the “clinically normal” weight zone. Of course, other studies contradict this.

The logical conclusion, then, is that we can’t really rely on numbers like body weight to understand how healthy a person really is.

Bonus: Being Overweight (Not Obese) Provides Other Benefits Too

Having reserves of fat can actually come in handy. It can help you with a boost of energy when you’re sick, and has been shown to increase longevity.

What You Can (And Should) Do

Don’t worry about how much you weigh. Instead, focus on your lifestyle, fitness and nutrition habits. These, more than anything, dictate how healthy your life is.

Being fat isn’t necessarily unhealthy, nor is being slim necessarily healthy. If you’re ‘overweight and unhealthy’ or ‘slim and unhealthy’, change your lifestyle.

References:

https://www.sportingcharts.com/articles/nfl/what-is-the-average-bmi-of-an-nfl-player.aspx

https://greatist.com/health/why-it-okay-to-be-overweight

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