Focus on health on International Women's Day

CHENNAI: Anaemia, pregnancy risks, menopausal health and heart disease at functions across the city, held ahead of International Day for Women,
doctors focused on investing in women's health as prescribed by World Health Organization.

At a function organised by Merck, Dr Jaishree Gajaraj, consultant obstetrician gynaecologist, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, said iron deficiency in women was a cause for concern. A recent survey by National Family Health Survey 3 showed that more than 50% women in Tamil Nadu suffer from iron deficiency. "More than half of adolescent girls are anaemic," she said.

Senior cardiologist Dr G Sengottuvelu said cardiovascular disease is the leading killer in women. "Women with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have heart attacks. High blood pressure is also common among women taking oral contraceptives," he said.

World Vision organised a seminar to stress that men should assume equal responsibility in providing HIV/AIDS care. "When a couple is infected, the woman is doubly disadvantaged as she has to provide care though she is sick," said Karoline Davis of World Vision.

At the police hospital, director general of police KP Jain inaugurated a dental, hepatitis B and C screening and counseling camp for women staff. The dental camp will open to women prisoners of Puzhal. The 990 women prisoners across the state will get a special lunch that includes fried rice and a sweet on Sunday.

Family violence worsens older women's health

WASHINGTON: Older women exposed to high levels of family violence during lifetimes are likely to have poor health, according to a new study. In the study involving African American women aged 50 years or older, the researchers found that exposure to family violence, be it intimate partner violence or elder maltreatment, worsens their physical and mental health.

The authors suggest that a holistic approach to caring for older women should include greater awareness by clinicians of current and past violence exposure and the negative effects it may have on the health status of these women. For the study, the research team from Temple University School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine used a survey to assess lifetime family violence levels, including physical violence, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse, neglect, and coercion.

"This study provides further evidence of the enduring harmful effects that family violence can have on both mental and physical health, and in particular it highlights the association between such exposure and the health of older African American women," said Dr Susan G Kornstein, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, and Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA.

The research team included Dr Anuradha Paranjape, MPH, Nancy Sprauve-Holmes, MPH, John Gaughan, PhD, and Nadine Kaslow, PhD, from Temple University School of Medicine (Philadelphia, PA) and Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta, GA).

source:

Women Health: Pregnancy: a woman’s burden?

By Fawad Ali Shah

KARACHI: Lying unconscious in bed, Zuhra, 17, is unaware of her surroundings at Civil Hospital Karachi’s Intensive Care Unit.

The heart rate monitor beeps as the crests and troughs on the screen show her heart rhythm. Not even out of her teens, the young girl has given birth to a baby girl. “Doctors have told us that she is weak after delivering and it will take her a while to recover,” her sister-in-law, Zareena tells Daily Times as she squats on the floor beside Zuhra’s bed. However, duty nurses regard the condition of both, the mother and the newborn, as critical.

Zuhra is one of the thousands of women

who have never seen the inside of a health care centre or hospital. Their health suffers even more when they end up pregnant while unable to afford the basic healthcare costs during the crucial pregnancy period. Relying on traditional and home remedies, many a times these women end up in a worse physical and mental condition and this fate is passed on to their young children.

A woman is considered to play an important role in the development of her children but somehow things are different in reality as health issues mar their physical development.

Scholars claim that the mental growth, creativity and physical fitness of children are dependent on the behavior and physical health of mothers but no one cares about the health of a mother. In rural areas of Sindh, even bringing an infant female to a doctor for treatment is considered a taboo.

It is often said that there is a need to educate men about the importance of the health of female members, be it their mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, in order to ensure the happiness of their families.

Early child development is largely dependent on the physical health of a mother. An infant’s mental development, which at the end decides physical development, is decided by how well they are fed, what kind of environment they are given and on sensory stimulations.

Doctor Zulfiqar Bhutta at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is an expert in women and child health. He says that 70 percent of pregnant women in Sindh suffer from iron deficiency called anemia. “The ratio is pretty dangerous and if a mother herself is not physically fit, how will her child be?” questions Bhutta.

He says that during pregnancy, which is an important phase in the development of a child, only one out of five women gets proper medical treatment while adding that nothing is being done to redress the issue.

“Research in interior Sindh has shown that parents bring boys to health care centres while denying the same opportunity to their daughters. Right from the beginning, girls end up suffering from health problems and in response they then mistreat their own children,” he adds.

AKUH Rector Dr Camer Vellani says, “Medical research has proved that the human brain develops very early, even before birth and the first three years of life, when development is dependant on nutrition, sensory stimulation, health and the social environment, are considered a crucial growth period, in which it is the mother who takes care of the child.” Vellani went on to say on to say that if we want a healthy nation we will have to educate and provide health facilities to women in our society so in turn they give birth to healthy citizens. “Child nurture needs considerations well before conception, through pregnancy and childhood to enable development of the brain and ensure the child reaches full genetic potential,” Vellani goes on to say.

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, Zuhra is running out of energy. While the doctors give her a blood transfusion, her newborn daughter cries at full pitch because of hunger, oblivious to her mother’s agony. For now it seems, their fates are entwined as they stand in limbo.

souece: www.dailytimes.com.pk

Is Meditation For Relaxation Only?

by STEVE GILLMAN

Many people use meditation for relaxation, and it is easy to understand why. When you breath deep and calm your thoughts, stress is diminished. And this isn't just a matter of feeling better at the moment. Many illnesses are caused by or made worse by too much stress. So even if it is never more than a relaxation technique, meditation is a very healthy practice.

But meditation certainly has higher purposes than relaxation alone. One of the most valuable things you can get from it isn't temporary relief of stress, but a truer understanding of yourself. In fact, the self awareness that results can lead you to a whole new approach to life that is healthier in every way. Let's look at how this can happen.

Here's a simple experiment that you can do today, to see how limited your awareness may be. At some point when you are rushing around the house, or busy at work, stop and go outside for a short and slow walk. Look around as you walk, but say nothing, and try to ignore the thoughts going through your head. Stop at some point and sit quietly on a bench if possible.

What you may notice is that there are sounds, smells and activity everywhere that you were not aware of before you slowed down and quieted your mind. If you see a bird, don't think "bird." Just watch it. Allow yourself to hear the wind rustling the leaves without any mental commentary. For a moment don't try to think about what any of this means or make it into some new "theory." Just be silent and be aware. This is actually a kind of meditation itself.

Once you've done this and become aware of how much you normally miss, think about what is going on inside you. Then you can understand the possibilities such an quietly observant state has. All of the noise and activity that you see and hear outside you is also inside your mind. Sit in meditation and you start to see and hear that as well. Images, ideas, arguments, memories, dreams, demands and more.

The Promise Of Meditation

Meditate regularly and you learn how much incessant argument and explanation is going on just below the surface. Remain aware and you'll see how this internal dialog pushes you this way and that. We are so mechanical in our reactions, even as we tell ourselves that we are free and in control. Seeing this as an observer of your own thoughts, you'll feel less inclined to listen to the bad-advice from your own mind - you'll open yourself up to better ways.

The more you get past this identification you have (we all do) with your own thoughts, the more you'll begin to act intuitively and without so much conflict. Consider how you walk. You learned with great concentration, but now if you stopped to think about where to put each step you would probably fall. Similarly, many areas of life need less thought to stumble over, and more direct action which proceeds from what you see. Yes, there is an intelligence beyond words (though this in no way denigrates the power and usefulness of human language and thought).

Also, when you reach the point where your mind quiets even just a little, you begin to experience a self beyond thoughts. Normally, when you think of yourself you bring up a collection of flattering and/or condemnatory images and ideas. But you are not what you think you are - you are something beyond those thoughts. And though you can say such a thing intellectually, even then you're talking to yourself and experiencing a thought-self that is very limited.

Experiencing the reality of existence outside of your thoughts is something else entirely, and it helps you detach from the "created self" that gets us all into so much trouble. Metaphorically, we are asleep and under the spell of a mind that seeks to perpetuate itself without regard to our needs. This helps explain how after a lifetime of our own "lower self " misleading us, we still listen to its advice. It helps us understand why we do bad things even though we say we "know better." On some level we do know better - but we aren't always thinking or acting from that level.

Meditation has the potential to help us wake up and see reality more directly. "Right action" then proceeds from what is seen, and thought becomes a tool subservient to our true interests, rather than having a life of its own at our expense. Meditation for relaxation, then, might be a nice start, but consider these higher purposes it can serve.

Do You Understand A Child With Down Syndrome?

by MIKE SELVON

Cathy Morgan, a mother of a child with Down syndrome, recalls when she received the initial diagnosis of Down syndrome from the doctor: "Her message was 'Legally, you have 24 weeks to terminate the pregnancy and you should do it sooner rather than later because it will be more difficult on you if you wait,' and you're sort of taken aback." She said that she was scared, nervous and disappointed at first but abortion was never an option for her.

Now that she has three-year-old Eddie, she couldn't imagine life without him. Raising any child is not any easy job, whether they have 46 chromosomes or 47.

At home, your attitude is critical to your child's development. Here are some Down syndrome facts. While acceptance and social normalcy are a reality now more than ever, your child will still face hurdles with cruel children at school.

A Down child is also susceptible to depression, so your love and acceptance is very important. Many parents attend support group meetings through the National Down Syndrome Society to learn how to better care for their Down syndrome child and to address any negative emotions.

Patience is more than just a virtue here; it is an absolute necessity. While your child may learn to breast feed, roll over, walk and talk later than his or her peers, you will still find these achievements just as significant.

Set aside time each day to practice daily skills like getting dressed, using silverware or helping with chores. Being organized with a routine, as well as a system of lists, behavior contracts and rewards is the best way to encourage your child against the effects of Down syndrome.

As your child with Down syndrome gets older, grooming, hygiene and sexuality become very important issues. There are many books you can get that will help you explain these awkward topics to disabled children in ways they understand. Ensuring that your child attends school well-groomed and properly cared for will have a strong impact on how other adolescents perceive him or her, so this area cannot be ignored.

Boys must learn that erections are natural, and what to do when one arises. They must also learn that public masturbation is against the law, as well as socially unacceptable. Girls must learn about the changes their bodies go through as well and must understand how to use pads, as well as how to have respect for their bodies. Like any other teens, Down syndrome children will want to date, socialize and develop intimacy, so be sure to address these issues.

Know the health risks of your child with Down syndrome. Find a good medical practitioner who specializes in Down syndrome obstacles. Heart defects, visual impairments, hearing problems and difficulty breathing are all common ailments children with Down syndrome may face.

Diet is also very important for the disabled. Be aware that obesity can be a problem, and that high-sugar/additives/preservatives may be upsetting. Try a natural diet with alpha-ketoglutaric acid supplements. You may also need to limit dairy if your child is prone to ear infections.

Additionally, a Down syndrome child may sleep poorly, with frequent awakenings and interrupted REM sleep. This could lead to more difficulty focusing and learning, research suggests. Discuss treatment options with your health care practitioner if you suspect this condition may be prevalent.

Acne: Acne and its treatment

Acne is a menace. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify Acne skin care products into 3 broad categories – * Preventive or general acne skin care products * Over-the-counter, specialised Acne skin care products * On-prescription acne skin care products.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.

So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.

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