News

Do you have pets at home, especially cats? If yes, here is an important piece of information for you!! It is true that cats are superb companions to many. There are many people who like to play with cats and their paws etc. Not many would be aware of the fact that we could get one disease through the cat scratches. Shocking isn’t it!! A zoonotic infection called Cat Scratch Disease or CSD caused by bacterium Bartonella Henselae could be transmitted through cat scratches, bites or through saliva from the infected cats. So, please be careful and take care. Those with CSD would show several symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, fever etc. This was mentioned by a Neurologist working in Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. In certain severe cases, the person could develop brain encephalopathy with symptoms like confusion, seizures, headaches etc. How can CSD affect brain health? Mostly, CSD affected persons would show mild symptoms only. Brain encephalopathy occurs when bacteria affect the brain. The person affected would have altered mental state and other severe symptoms. To manage the symptoms well, early diagnosis of CSD and prompt treatment would be essential. Prevention methods: Especially those with weak immunity must follow preventive measures. Kittens would carry Bartonella Henselae and rough play with kittens must be avoided. Maintaining good hygiene is very essential after playing with cats. In this regard, we must wash our hands well after handling cats and clean any scratches or bites etc. Never pick up stray kittens from roads etc. Finally, fleas on cats must be controlled as they can spread the disease. Medical attention: It is necessary that we must seek a doctor immediately if we get symptoms like persistent fever, swollen lymph nodes and neurological issues etc. Blood tests are done on the affected persons and antibiotics would be provided. Those with CSD can manage the symptoms at homes also by taking OTC medicines for pain relief. Warm compress can be applied to swollen lymph nodes. Note: There are less chances of getting CSD from indoor cats as the cats would get B. Henselae infection through fleas only.

How many of us are aware of what kiwi fruit is? A small oval shaped fruit with brown skin and loaded with many ingredients like fibres, antioxidants, vitamin C etc is kiwi fruit In Tamil it is known as Kiwi Pazham and it is a powerhouse of nutrients. It is native to China but developed in New Zealand. It is true that we can get numerous health benefits from eating this kiwi fruit. The health benefits are Boosts immunity: Not many would know that one kiwi fruit has got more vitamin C than orange. Kiwi fruit is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C.  By consuming this kiwi fruit, our immunity would get boosted and we would be able to avoid infections, diseases etc. Especially during changing weather, intake of this fruit would be superb. Helps digestion: The enzyme that is present in kiwi fruit is actinidin and this would break down proteins more efficiently. This would help in easier and smoother digestion. The fibre present in kiwi fruit would help in maintaining gut health. Point is that those persons who have indigestion must eat atleast one kiwi fruit daily. Good for heart health: For our lives to be normal, it is essential that we must have good heart health. In this regard, the intake of kiwi fruit would be superb for us. Being potassium rich, kiwi fruit would help in balancing sodium in the body and BP would get controlled. It has been brought to light that eating kiwi fruit would help us to prevent heart diseases. Good for skin: Collagen production would get supported by the presence of vitamin C in kiwi fruit. Our skin would be firm and glowing. The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles etc would get slowed down due to the presence of antioxidants in the kiwi fruit. Improves sleep quality: Many these days have insomnia or poor sleep. It is worthy to note that eating kiwi fruit would improve sleep quality. It must be noted that persons who suffer from restless nights must eat this fruit. Good for weight management:  Intake of kiwi fruit would help us to manage weight. Point is that we would feel full by eating kiw fruit and by this we would avoid eating unnecessarily. This would help p us to lose weight in a healthier manner.