Health News

In those days, when so many electronic gadgets etc were not available, the kids used to go out and play games with their friends. Kids also play some indoor games like ludo, carom, chess etc. Now, in this digital generation, kids don`t go outside to play but stay at home and play games on their electronic gadgets.  As a result of this, the kids get exposed to the blue light etc from the digital screen. Bitter fact is that screen time has become an integral part of the lives of the kids now. It is really shocking to note that by constantly watching the digital screens the kids would not only get eye issues but back issues and oral issues also. That leads to an important question: Is there any link between screen addiction and tooth decay etc? The answer is yes. It was explained by a famous doctor belonging to Avana Healthcare in Delhi that excess screen time would have a huge impact on dental health. The two important reasons for this are dietary habits and poor oral practices. It must be taken into account that the kids while being absorbed into the digital screen would eat more junk and sugary items etc. By this, the kids are prone to issues like plaque formation and tooth decay etc. More screen time also is associated with a more sedentary lifestyle where the kids do not drink enough water resulting in oral infections etc. It is known that dry mouth would provide an ideal environment for the bacteria to thrive. What is the impact of screen time on teeth health? It is worthy to note that while being busy on the smart phones etc many kids would not brush their teeth also. Moreover, there is huge stress now in this modern digital world. The kids try their best to keep up with the latest trends in the social media, increase the number of followers etc and these would lead to mental issues for the kids. Point is that it would lead to conditions like teeth grinding, gum disease, clenching etc in them. Continuous exposure to the screen time would lead to jaw pain, TMJ disorders also. The kids might keep their mouths open while watching the screen and this could result in mouth breathing etc. Prioritising oral hygiene: The kids and adults can enjoy the technology benefits while protecting their dental health by giving importance to their oral hygiene and by making mindful choices regarding their screen time. Balancing screen time with healthy eating habits, regular dental checkups etc must be guided by the parents to their kids.

Is there any simple soothing way to wrap up the food that not only refreshes our taste buds but also helps the body to digest the food better? No more bloated feeling after eating meals!! Yes, there is indeed a simple way in the form of a superb drink that can be highly effective post meal as it would create a calming or soothing effect plus would help us to digest the food well. It is none other than the ginger lemon tea. Reasons why we must drink this ginger lemon tea post meals are Improves digestion and lowers acidity: It is worthy to note that ginger would stimulate digestive enzymes and this would lower issues like gas, bloating etc. Lemon would help in liver detoxification plus enhancing bile production. By this, fats would be broken down well. Post meal sluggishness would be avoided. Helps in weight management: It is true that drinking ginger lemon tea could help in weight loss. Point is that ginger would boost metabolism and would help the body to burn more fat. On the other side, lemon would help in detoxification and would curb the food cravings. This would finally help us shed a few kilos. Flushes out toxins: Toxins would build up post meals. Intake of ginger would help in circulation and lemon would act as diuretic. The combo of ginger and lemon would help in flushing out of toxins and this would make us feel energised etc. Keep us hydrated: There are times when we forget to consume water and by drinking this tea we could feel more hydrated. Especially in the winter season, drinking this tea combination would be superb. Boosts immunity in us: When we drink ginger lemon tea then we would be able to fight against many infections like cold, cough etc. The reason is that ginger has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and lemon is full of vitamin C. Hence, this drink would improve our immunity Better skin health: Inflammation would get reduced well by ginger and collagen production would be boosted by lemon. By drinking this superb combo, our skin health would get better. Mood booster and stress reducerer: The mood lifting properties of ginger lemon tea combination would help in the reduction of mental fatigue and it would boost our concentration. We would feel calm after drinking this tea.

If you are of the view that coconut water would be suitable for all, then this article might shock you!! We all love to drink coconut water as it is very tasty.  The coconut water has got calories, electrolytes etc and it is a superb drink post workouts etc. In some persons with underlying health conditions drinking coconut water could trigger health complications and that is due to its sugary content, electrolytic profile and cooling nature etc. Drinking coconut water might not be good for these people. Not suitable for those with diabetes or high blood sugar levels It must be noted that coconut water has natural sugars around 6gms to 7gms per 200ml of serving. Though this is less than that present in soft drinks etc but still it could affect our blood sugar levels. Point is that those with diabetes or insulin resistance natural sugars could lead to increase in the blood sugar levels.  Not suitable for those who are prone to allergies etc: In some sensitive persons, drinking coconut water could cause allergies etc.  Various common allergy based symptoms are hives, swelling, redness, itching etc. In some persons, drinking coconut water can lead to respiratory issues plus digestive discomfort and even anaphylaxis. It was published in the Asia Pacific Allergy that 90% of children with coconut allergy had skin related issues. Ten percent developed anaphylaxis also. So, please be careful. Not suitable for those who have kidney issues: Potassium is an important mineral that plays a huge role in maintaining fluid balance and heart function. Those with chronic kidney disease or CKD must not drink coconut water as it can be dangerous. It must be noted that when the kidneys are unable to filter the potassium efficiently then potassium would build up in the blood. This can result in hyperkalemia conditions. This can cause muscle weakness, nausea plus irregular heartbeats etc. Not suitable for those with flu or cold etc: It must be taken into note that by drinking coconut water during cold or flu etc issues like nasal congestion and throat irritation etc could get worse. This would lead to delayed recovery. Those with weak immune systems or prone to frequent cold must not drink coconut water during illness or in the winters. Not suitable for those with high BP: It is true that coconut water with potassium can be a heart healthy drink. By counteracting with sodium, potassium would help to reduce the blood pressure in us. Pont is that those persons who are taking medicines (ACE inhibitors etc) for high BP must not drink coconut water as it can be risky. Potassium levels would increase in those who take these medications as their bodies would retain potassium. This can lead to hyperkalemia conditions. Those persons who are taking medicines for high BP must consult their doctor before drinking coconut water. Fact is that unsupervised use could lead to health complications also. Please take care.

How many are aware of the fact that every year 27th of July is celebrated as the World Head and Neck Cancer Day? One of the most common types of cancer is Head & Neck cancer. The main objective behind the above said date is to create awareness regarding head and neck cancers.  What is head and neck cancer? It must be noted that head and neck cancer is a group of cancer that would develop in the head and neck region. This includes mouth, throat, voice box, nose, salivary glands and sinuses etc. It is noteworthy that head and neck cancer would be classified as squamous cell carcinomas arising from thin flat cells present in the linings of head and neck. Symptoms: Those with head & neck cancer would show several symptoms like persistent sores, lump, swelling difficulty in swallowing, pain etc. The shocking piece of information is that head and neck cancer would not only occur in smokers but also in the non-smokers and youngsters etc. Various causes for head and neck cancers are HPV infections: Oropharyngeal cancer could be due to HPV or HPV-16 and it would also include cancers in the tonsils and at the base of the tongue etc. It is learnt that more youngsters (who have no history of smoking or drinking etc) are getting affected with this cancer. Exposure to environment and occupation etc: Point is that prolonged or continuous exposure to industrial pollution, traffic, exhaust etc could result in head and neck cancers in us. For a long time, these reasons were overlooked but in recent times these have been regarded as major carcinogenic or cancer causing agents especially in the urban industrial places. Nutrition and oral hygiene: Inflammatory conditions would be formed in the mouth if we eat food that has inadequate nutrients and lacks antioxidants etc. This inflammatory condition would suggest a pre-cancerous tendency in the mouth cavity. Alcohol and genetic predisposition: Even when we do not smoke but consume alcohol moderately etc, the enhanced probability of this cancer would be advanced. Truth is that genetic mutatations could be passed on from parents to their children. That is even if the child maintains a healthy lifestyle he or she could get head and neck cancer. Awareness and early action needed; It is worthy to note that delayed diagnosis in non-smokers is an important issue. Those who have never drunk or smoked would not even think about cancer in them. This could lead to delay in the detection of cancer and further treatment etc. Note: It is possible to cure head and neck cancer if it is detected in the early stage itself. The patient would be subjected to several treatment options like surgery, radiation therapy chemotherapy etc. Primary treatment for early stage cancer is surgery. Often used alone or in combination with surgery is the usage of high energy rays used to kill cancer cells. In chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill cancer cells. By targeted therapy, more accurate treatment could be achieved.

Our memory, thinking and everyday life are affected by one important condition named dementia. Many elderly persons these days have Alzheimer`s disease or AD, which is a leading form of dementia and they find it very difficult. We could lower the chances of dementia in us by means of physical activity, especially cycling. It is noteworthy that cycling is a low impact physical activity that would improve our heart as well as brain health. It was brought out by a research study that those who do cycling in their middle age have low chances of developing dementia in their later stage. Point to be noted is that cycling daily would reduce dementia risk by 19 percent and the risk of AD would be reduced by 22 percent. How can cycling lower dementia risk in us? It has been revealed by research that regular cycling could Improve cognitive ability: By cycling, cognitive function in elderly persons would get improved and this includes memory attention and processing speed etc. Lowers inflammation in us: One important risk factor for dementia is inflammation. It must be noted that by cycling we would be able to lower inflammation in us. Promote blood flow to brain: By cycling, blood flow to the brain would get better. This would help us to have healthy brain function. Boost mood and lower stress etc: By cycling, endorphins would get released and cortisol levels would get reduced. By this, issues like stress, anxiety and depression would get alleviated. Conclusion: Cycling would improve our brain health by boosting our cognitive function, by reducing the risk of dementia in us plus by boosting our mood and by increasing BDNF or brain derived neurotrophic factor

More than 830 million across the world are suffering from one important health condition. Guess what? It is the diabetes condition or high blood sugar levels. It was brought to light by WHO or World Health organisation that in 2022 14percent of adults above the age of 18 have been living with diabetes. An important method by which we could manage this issue in us would be by keeping a check on what we consume. Point is that foods we eat have a direct impact on our blood sugar levels. There are some foods that could spike our blood sugar levels. There are many diabetic people who are confused regarding whether dates could be good for them or not. Can diabetic persons eat dates? It is true that dates when consumed in moderate amounts are good for the health. These reddish coloured dry fruits have fibres plus others like vitamins and minerals etc.  The natural sugar content present in dates would lead to confusion regarding eating for the diabetic persons. It is noteworthy that dates have high GI but the fibre content in the dates would slow down sugar absorption by the body. Therefore, eating dates are considered to be better when compared with refined sugar or sweets. Those who have control over their diabetes condition would not get any issue if they eat one or two dates per day. There would not be any significant rise in the blood sugar levels in them after eating dates. It must be noted that the fibres plus antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids etc in the dates would help in blood sugar level management and lower inflammation. Portion control is important: It is worth mentioning here that control over portions is very important as excess intake of dates could result in the spike in blood sugar levels. Dates could be consumed in combination with nuts, yoghurt and high fibre foods etc and digestion would get slowed down. Those with diabetes must monitor their blood sugar levels after consuming dates. By this, these diabetic persons would come to know about how their body would react. Conclusion: For those with diabetics, it is good to eat dates in moderate amounts in small portions as they could be natural healthy snacks. Point is that it is essential to consult a healthcare provider etc before making changes in the diet. Please take care.

For a healthy and comfortable environment, it is necessary that we maintain optimal humidity levels indoors. This would be required in the cold climates or in dry climates etc. What is a humidifier? It is a device that has been designed to add moisture to the air. By this, the overall quality of air inside the office or home could get better. It must be noted that humidifiers would combat the effects of dry air. We could get many health issues due to this. Various types of humidifiers are central humidifiers, steam vaporizer, ultrasonic humidifiers, impeller humidifiers and evaporator etc., There are certain health benefits of using a humidifier inside hoes and these are Bring relief to respiratory issues: Respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis etc would get exacerbated due to dry air. By using a humidifier, moisture would be added to air and this would clear our nasal congestion etc. Our breathing would become nice and smooth. Moisturises skin and hair: Our skin could become dry, itchy and flaky etc due to dry air. The reason is that dry air would rob the skin of its natural moisture. Our skin would get hydrated due to humidifiers and promote healthier hair and skin. Lowers the chances of respiratory infections: The virus and bacteria would spread easily in dry air. When we use humidifiers at homes, moisture would make it tough for these microbes to thrive. Improved sleep quality: It is noteworthy that dry air could lead to nasal congestion, dry throat and itchiness etc. By humidifiers, a more favourable environment would be created for sleep. Prevents dryness and irritation in eyes, nose etc: It is worthy to note that by using humidifiers inside homes dryness and irritation in eyes, nose etc would be avoided.

When was the last time you went for your health check up? While some people go for medical screenings or health check ups often, many others avoid citing reasons!! It is worth mentioning here that medical or health screenings are essential as they would help us to track our overall health. Not only do we get to know about the health issue or disease present in us by means of health checkups, but also prevent or avoid them. These are the health check up or medical screenings every male above the age of 40 must undergo for the sake of their overall health and well being. Blood pressure: Usually, high blood pressure or hypertension might not show any symptom but the fact is that it would harm our heart health, kidney health etc. Therefore, men above the age of 40 must get their BP done frequently to track their cardiovascular health. Cholesterol test or lipid profile: By this test, we would be able to get details about bad cholesterol levels or LDL, good cholesterol levels or HDL and triglyceride levels in us. High cholesterol is shown by higher levels of bad cholesterol. By this, we might get heart attacks etc due to clogged arteries. It would be possible to maintain our cholesterol levels by health checkups. Screening for diabetes: Without causing any major symptom, type 2 diabetes is a very common health condition that can occur in those who are above the age of 40. Pre-diabetes or diabetes could be detected by fasting blood sugar tests. It is noteworthy that detection of diabetes by health check up would help us to avoid health complications. PSA test or prostate cancer screening: Prostate cancer could be detected at an early stage itself through this PSA test. Those with family history are advised to undergo this important test. Liver function test or LFT: A simple blood test would be enough to detect liver damage or fatty liver disease in us. It is true that this LFT would help us to detect early signs of liver stress and would help us to avoid liver damage. Colon cancer screening: The fact is that colon cancer is one of the common types of cancer in men. Hidden blood that is a possible sign of colon cancer could be detected by a yearly stool test or FIT. Men above 40 are advised to undergo colonoscopy also. Eye examination: Annual eye checkups are necessary and these could help to detect issues like cataract, glaucoma etc. It must be noted that these could lead to vision problems. It is known that after the age of 40 men might get these eye issues.

Improving health related outcomes like cancer etc would depend on the oral health care. This was revealed by a recent study done by AIIMS or All India Institute for Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It must be noted that oral health care must be done not only at the primary levels but throughout all health management. Information is that the study was published in the Lancel regional Health- SE Asia in July month. Poor oral health could be related to several health issues in us and these would include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer`s disease or AD etc. This was according to cancer specialists like Dr. Abhishek Shankar and Dr. Vaibhav Sahni. Truth is that oral health is connected to cancer risk and its prediction especially regarding cancer in head and neck based cancers or HNC. There is a relation between periodontal disease or gum disease and various cancers of the digestive tract, prostate, pancreas, breast, uterus and lungs etc. Cancer incidence could get elevated due to the presence of pathogenic oral bacteria lie Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Prevotella Intermedia etc. Overall survival would get affected. It has been confirmed by the recent systematic review that radiotherapy or RT to the head and neck region would alter the oral microbiome. Beneficial bacteria would be reduced and potentially harmful species would get increased. This would result in post RT complications. This was as per the research study. It was later brought out by some researchers that patients with severe periodontal disease undergoing IMRT or intensity modulated radiotherapy along with or without chemotherapy have higher chances of post treatment bone healing complications. Therefore, it is highly essential for the patients to maintain good oral health before/during/post RT because the oral health would play a huge role in survivorship outcomes.  Routine dental visits are associated with lower cancer deaths and this was as per the research study. The necessity of integrating oral health practices must be done not only at the primary levels but also throughout all healthcare settings. This has been confirmed by the doctors.