Your Spine Health is Crucial

Have you ever wondered why is the spinal cord given so much importance? It is one of the most parts of the human body. The nervous system runs electrical impulses up and down the spine to areas that feel sensation. A damaged spinal cord can disrupt neural responses, disabling sensations in parts of your body.

Let us look at some other vital functions below:

• Your spinal cord gives you the ability to bend and twist. When your spine is injured, your mobility is limited.
• An injury to the spinal cord can make walking, bending, sitting straight, twisting your spine, or moving your neck difficult.
• Your oesophagus is parallel with your spine. If you accidentally injure your spine, it can press against your oesophagus, obstruct it, or puncture it and hamper food intake.
• Incorrect movement, intense exercises and bad posture can add unnecessary pressure to the spine, which over time can lead to degenerative diseases.
• Without your spine working properly, your quality of life can greatly deteriorate. You won’t be able to enjoy many of the activities you love.

Spinal problems can begin as early as the late twenties. To prevent injury to your spine or further deterioration, it is important to strengthen your spine with exercise. Millions of people are affected by back pain every day. It affects their quality of personal and professional life. In fact, lower back pain is the leading cause of job-related disability.

Here are simple yet important tips to maintain your spine health:

1. Lift correctly – Improperly lifting heavy items can put your lower back muscles in abnormal positions and cause muscle strains. Additionally, improper lifting may cause your spinal joints to lock or your spinal discs to rupture.
2. Walking – The benefits of walking are plentiful, including strengthening the core muscles that keep your body upright, improving flexibility, and strengthening your bone structure.
3. Match your pillow to your sleeping position – When you lie down to sleep, you want a pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck. This means that people who prefer different sleeping positions will need different kinds of pillows.
4. Choose your food wisely – Your daily diet plays an important role in maintaining the health of your spine. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. over processed foods and unhealthy sweets.
5. Exercise in the water – Exercising in a pool reduces the downward stress of gravity as the buoyancy of water helps to support your spine, thus reducing the risk of injury.
6. Quit smoking – Smoking increases your likelihood of developing degenerative spinal disorders and back pain.
7. Sleep well – Sleeping well is important to your overall health. Your body needs a good night’s sleep to repair itself. Sleep on your side, not your stomach as it puts too much pressure on your spine.
8. Stretch out – Regular stretching and being flexible helps maintain normal joint functions and also reduces the risk of injury.
9. Maintain a healthy weight –  Being overweight or obese a risk factor for low back pain.
10. Work smart – Proper ergonomics can help reduce a lot of stress on both the lower and upper back.  Ensure your desk is set up for your height and functionality. Take regular breaks to periodically get up and walk around the office or home.

Some risk factors that contribute to back aches:

• Back pain is more common as you age, you may first have back pain when you are 30 to 40 years old.
• Poor physical fitness leads to spine ailments.
• A diet high in calories and fat can make you obese, excess weight can stress the back and cause pain.
• Some causes of back pain, such as ankylosing spondylitis can have a genetic component.
• If you have to lift, push, or pull while twisting your spine at work, you may get back pain.  A sedentary job with a bad posture may also lead to back pain.

What Are the Causes of Back Pain?

Some of the common mechanical problems which cause back pain are:

• Disk breakdown
• Spasms
• Tense muscles
• Ruptured disks
• Injuries from sprains, fractures or accidents.

Back pain can also occur with some below conditions:

• Scoliosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Arthritis
• Spinal stenosis
• Pregnancy
• Kidney stones
• Infections
• Endometriosis

Do not ignore spinal problems or pain. Pay attention to any warning signs. If left untreated, problems with your spine can worsen and become serious. The Centre for Bone and Joint at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital offers comprehensive solutions for various spine disorders. Please refer below link for more details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_bonejoint.html

A stroke is a brain attack which occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off.  Stroke’s are a leading cause of disability globally. Depending on which part of the brain is affected and how quickly the treatment is received, the effects of stroke can be devastating to a person’s body, mobility, speech and overall mental health. During a stroke, 1.9 million neurons are lost every minute, making the identification of warning signs essential to receiving timely treatment.

Types of stroke:

1. Ischemic stroke: This happens in about 87 percent of all stroke cases. It  occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. The underlying condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty deposits lining the vessel walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis.

2. Hemorrhagic stroke:

Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for about 13 percent of stroke cases. It results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue.

Strokes can strike anyone, anytime. Acting in the golden hour can help save a patient’s life. Strokes are the second leading cause of death, 17 million people suffer a stroke each year and 6.5 million die as a consequence. A stroke can happen at any age, it affects one in six people experiencing a stroke during his/her lifetime.

Although no one can predict when a stroke might happen, there are some common signs that may indicate someone is having a stroke. The FAST test is an easy way for everyone to remember and recognize the signs of stroke.

FAST stands for Face, Arms, Speech and Time to act:

Face –Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?

Arms – Can they lift both arms?

Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?

Time – Is critical. If you notice any of these warning signs, act FAST. Call your local emergency medical services or get to the nearest hospital immediately.

Disorders after Stroke

The following disorders can occur in the aftermath of a stroke and they affect the majority of stroke patients:

Pain
Paralyzed shoulder muscles are not able to help tendons keep the upper end of the arm in the shoulder joint. As a result the arm drops from the joint which is very painful and can prevent rehabilitation of the hand and arm.

Depression
Depression after stroke, as after any severe illness, is very common, often goes without diagnosis, reduces the patient’s capacity for rehabilitation, and impairs his/her quality of life. Furthermore this affects not only stroke survivors but also their spouses or care takers.

Cognitive decline
Stroke can lead to cognitive decline, and it is even more common after a recurrent stroke. This is also the case after recurrent subclinical strokes which are often not diagnosed due to missing classical symptoms of stroke. Yet, they cause more and more damage and reduce the mental capacity of patients.

Spasticity
Brain injury from stroke sometimes causes paralyzed muscles to involuntarily contract (shorten or flex) after trying to move a limb. This creates stiffness and tightness. The contracted muscles often freeze the joints of the hand and arm permanently into an abnormal and often painful position.

How to reduce your risk of stroke

90% of strokes are linked to 10 avoidable risks, take care of these risk factors to avoid Stroke:

• Control high blood pressure
• Do moderate exercise 5 times a week
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Reduce your cholesterol
• Maintain a healthy BMI or waist to hip ratio
• Stop smoking and avoid second-hand exposure
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Identify and treat atrial fibrillation
• Reduce your risk from diabetes, talk to your doctor
• Get educated about stroke

Meet our Stroke specialists at our Centre for Neurosciences for any Stroke concerns. Our comprehensive stroke program gets activated when any Stroke emergency calls are received. For more information visit:
https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_neurosciences/stroke.html

Are you recovering from post Diwali binging? Have you fared badly in your recent medical reports? It is time to do a reality check and make some changes in your lifestyle as well as in your diet. Now that the festivities are over it is time to take some control of your health. It not only benefits you internally but also makes a huge difference to the way you look and your overall energy levels.

It is best to keep it simple and follow some basic rules. Create a balance in your life and eat all food groups equally. Instead of going on a crash diet it is recommended that you promise to keep up to your diet daily by creating a life-style change.

The extra sweet treats this Diwali have not gone very well with your bodies. Apart from the extra weight the body’s digestive has found it difficult to assimilate the festive diet- rich in fats, sugar and carbohydrates as well as alcohol for some. This leads to indigestion, bloating or heaviness. Here are some tips to give your body a break and up your health quotient:

• Say no to white foods, yes you got it right, stay away from all white breads, rice, maida, sugar and any kind of white processed ingredients. This is challenging but worth the effort.
• Always be hydrated and have enough water daily. It helps flush out excess sugar and fats in the body. Stick to a minimum of two litres and maximum of four litres.
• Start your day with some lemons and warm water. From bloating to indigestion, lemons can naturally cure everything related to your digestive system.
• Instead of having full meals, choose large bowls of vegetable soup to fill yourself. Add a variety of vegetables and spices. Vegetable soup provides the liver with a swell of antioxidants as well as potassium which creates an alkaline atmosphere required to eliminate toxins from the body.
• Practise yoga. It helps strengthen your body and breathing purifies your complete organ system.
• Avoid skipping meals, instead stick to small frequent meals throughout the day and have plain roasted, steamed, grilled vegetables.
• Avoid those so called diet munchies & chips. They are ultimately processed and high in sodium adding to the next day puffiness.
• You can also include lots of fluids in the form of water , green tea, vegetable juices, coconut water, buttermilk in your daily meals.
• Have light meals like khichdi ,or porridge. They are all easy to digest and help in keeping the system light. They are not only nourishing and filling but also prevent you from reaching out for that packet of chips. Along with being light, they also aid the body in digestion, provide energy and strengthen the immune system.
• Fruits are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibres; hence you should include at least 3-4 servings of colourful fruits through the day. These nutrients act as building blocks for the body as growth of each cell depends upon them. The fibre in fruits specifically helps cleanse the toxins lining the intestinal walls.

For a detailed plan and personalised diet plan do visit the Nutrition department at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Please refer below link for more details.

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/nutrition.html

Diwali – the festivals of lights and happiness is here. Let us celebrate Diwali in a healthy way and by following simple ways in which we can spread happiness to others too. This Diwali say “No” to crackers. Celebrate an eco -friendly Diwali to reduce noise, sound and air pollution. Also, the weather is playing havoc this festive season spreading various illnesses due to the sudden change in temperatures.

Eat mindfully this Diwali.

Here are few ways to eat healthy this Diwali:

1. Avoid bingeing food at odd hours.
2. Say “No” to sugary beverages and sweets that add unnecessary calories and result in disastrous health outcomes.
3. Eat at regular intervals to keep your metabolism revved up. Have mini-meals rather than large meals at one go.
4. Choose baked or air fried Diwali goodies over deep fried ones.
5. Dry fruits are also an extremely healthy option and go well with the festive mood.
6. Try to include a small 20 minute exercise schedule in your busy day.
7. Be hydrated with natural drinks like buttermilk, lemon juice, and fresh fruit juices to be high on energy.
8. Have a mini-meal at home before stepping out for  Diwali dinner, that makes you eat small portions outside.
9. Stay away from alcohol this season to ensure less calorie intake.
10. Avoid ‘chhena’ and ‘khoya’ sweets and milk products from outside shops. Mithais are best when made at home.

Diwali and Pollution

Respiratory ailments rise up during Diwali days. It is sad to see elderly, infants, pets and asthma patients suffer with various kinds of pollutants. Avoid crackers completely and if it is not possible then reduce the numbers. A visual cracker show must be arranged for groups of people to reduce overall usage of crackers.

Some of the precautions to take during Diwali:

1. Take care of the elderly, asthma patients, cardiac patients and infants during Diwali.
2. Limit the use of crackers and abstain from using loud explosives.
3. Never burn rockets facing buildings or windows.
4. Pay attention to the health concerns of the society and be sensitive towards your neighbours.
5. Wear face masks to prevent inhaling the poisonous mix of gases  and ear plugs to minimize the impact of the high decibel explosions.
6. Never leave the crackers half burnt; always douse them in water before disposing.
7. Always burn crackers in an open area.
8. Wear cotton clothes while burning crackers.
9. Children must be accompanied by adults while burning crackers.
10. Keep any inflammable substance away from crackers to avoid accidents.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Diwali. Stay healthy and happy this Diwali! In case of any medical emergencies please contact our team of doctors at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.  Our Full Time Specialist System ensures availability and access to the best medical talent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please visit our website for more details: https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/

How important is your heart?

Your heart is the most crucial organ in the functioning of the entire human body. Your heart is the centre of your cardiovascular system. It is responsible for just about everything that your body does — ranging from the transportation of oxygen, supply of nutrients to maintaining a good immune system. Your heart is a pump, composed of muscle which pumps blood throughout the body, beating approximately 72 times per minute of our lives.

Heart disease describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. The term “heart disease” is often used interchangeably with the term “cardiovascular disease”.

Some of the most common types of heart diseases are highlighted below:

• Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease.  The  arteries carrying blood to the heart muscle are lined with plaque, which contains materials such as cholesterol and fat. This plaque build-up causes the arteries to narrow, allowing less oxygen to reach the heart muscle than required. This lack of oxygen to the heart leads to chest pain (angina) or heart attack.
• Heart failure occurs when the heart is not able to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood to meet the needs of the rest of the body. This may be due to lack of force of the heart to pump or as a result of the heart not being able to fill with enough blood or both.
• Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the four valves in the heart do not function properly. Heart valves help to ensure that the blood being pumped through the heart keeps flowing forward.
• Arrhythmia is when the patient suffers irregular or abnormal heartbeat.
• Congenital heart disease is a birth defect, where there is a problem with the heart structure.  This defect can be simple or complex, some defects may require immediate correction by surgery while some defects may also cause varying degrees of disability.
• Rheumatic Heart disease begins with a bacterial infection in childhood affecting joints and heart valves. The heart disorder appears many years later and may need surgical intervention.
• Heart muscle disease or Cardiomyopathy causes the heart to become enlarged or the walls of the heart to become thick. This causes the heart to be less able to pump blood throughout the body and often results in heart failure.
  Hereditary factors, our diet and our fitness levels can severely affect the overall health of your heart and the many other tissues that make up your cardiovascular system

Know the risk factors of getting a heart disease:

• Family History
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Unhealthy diet
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Stress
• Poor hygiene

You might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, however food habits are tough to change. Same is the case with fitness and lifestyle.

Listing down some heart healthy tips:

1. Control your portion size

Control your portion sizes, use small plates, avoid overloading your plate and eating till you are stuffed.

2. Eat more vegetables and fruits

Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily to boost your heart health. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals and are also low in calories and rich in dietary fibre.

3. Select whole grains

Whole grains are good sources of fibre and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products.

4. Limit unhealthy fats

Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to  build-up of plaques in your arteries, risking your heart health.

5. Choose low-fat protein sources

Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good choices.

6. Reduce the sodium in your food

Eating a lot of sodium can contribute to high blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Healthy adults must have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of salt)

7. Exercise

Include 10 minutes of moderately intense physical activity in your daily routine. Try to slowly increase your physical activity to 30 minutes, even simple workouts help eg. take the stairs, take a walk, get moving.

9. Get enough sleep

Quality sleep is good for your heart. Sound sleep of 8 hours is important for your body to recover.

Take great care of your heart health. For any heart related discomfort or complain contact us immediately. Call our emergency helpline 022-30919191 or visit our Cardiac centre for expert advice. Please find below link for further details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_cardiacsciences.html