Sleep disorder -- Do you have it ?

If you are over weight, in mid 30s or above, snore loudly, feel un refreshed after a  night's sleep and feel sleepy during the day you may have a Sleep disorder.
The possibilities include from simple sleep un hygiene to Sleep apnoea.
Whatever the reason may be, un refreshing sleep is not something to live with especially for a long time whereby it affects the quality of life significantly.
Moreover, if it is because of a disease for example, Sleep apnoea, the impact on health is far much more and grave.
If you think you may have a sleep disorder, consult a Pulmonologist with interest in sleep medicine and get yourself assessed before it affects your physical and mental health.

Acute cough in children ... What to do ?

•Simplest and cheapest advice may be home remedy.(*)

 

 * Role of  night time honey in children with nocturnal cough with an URTI. Pediatrics August 2012

What does a cigarette contain

Why cigarette cuases harm

 

The answer is in its constituents.

A cigarette is composed of the following,

 

Nicotine :  An insecticide and the main reason for addiction to cigarette smoking.

Cadmium : used in batteries

Stearic acid: found in candle wax

Acetic acid: found in vinegar

Hexamine: used in barbecue lighters

Taulene: an industrial solvent

Ammonia: toilet cleaner

Arsenic: a poison

Methane: sewer gas

Carbon monoxide: a toxic gas that makes oxygen binding to blood difficult.

 

 

               Don't start smoking if you don't and don't delay quitting if you do

90% cure rate for Lung cancer !!!

Annual deaths have increased from 18,000 in 1950 to 158,000 in 1997 in US and roughly 900,000 deaths worldwide with >50% of those in developed countries.

More deaths than the next 3 most common cancers combined (colon/rectum, breast and prostate).

One single measure can leadto 90% cure from this sinister disease ........

              "Do not start smoking"
         if you do, don't delay quitting.

Why I dont wake up fresh

Refreshing sleep is one of the gifts given to us by our creater. The consequences of non refreshing sleep are not only day time sleepiness and lethargy but serious effects on vital organs of the body including heart and blood vessels.

If along with day time sleepiness, one is overweight and also has history of choking during sleep (may be observed by partner) then the chances of having Sleep Apnoea, one of the common and most important cause of non refreshing sleep, are very high.

If present, Sleep Apnoea may lead to diseases of heart, high blood pressure which is difficult to control with medicines, Diabetes and high risk ot road traffic and  occupational accidents.

If you think you may have this condition, consult a Pulmonologist (Chest specialist) and get your self assessed. You might have to under go an overnight sleep study, to confirm the diagnosis.

The treatment of this condition is very effective and  includes life style modification especially, weight reduction and if required, mechanical assistance with a device (CPAP/BiPAP) to be used while sleeping.

Don't do these things while in flight

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which the blood gets clotted inside the deep veins of the body more so in the veins of the legs.
While on board a flight the chances of blood to get stagnated and thus form clott are more.
Few simple precautions may reduce the chances of DVT for eaxmple,

• Avoid excess alcohol and caffeine containing drinks,
• Remain mobile and avoid awkward sitting and lying postures,
• Leg excerices.

Those who have high risk of DVT or history of DVT in past should consult their doctors and in addition to above may be given caliberated (graduated) compresion stockings to be used in flight.  

Asthma treatment during Pregnancy

Asthma symptoms during pregnancy are not only bothersome but elevate the anxiety level as well. In case of a severe attack the developing baby, totally dependant on the mother for oxygen supply, may also be affected.
It is important to be in contact with your pulmonologist or treating physician througout the pregnancy who may help you with re assurance and education about the medications and their use.
In most of the cases Asthma during pregnancy can be effectively treated so much so that the course of pregnancy remains essentially the same as in individuals without Asthma.

Weight gain after quitting smoking

Quitting smoking is associated with a mean increase of 4 to 5 kg in body weight after 12 months of abstinence.

 

Most weight gain occurs within 3 months of smoking cessation.

 

It is mainly because of improved appetite and better metabolism.

 

There are effective ways of dealing with weight gain.

To reach the same health risk as smoking one pack of cigarette per day, the average smoker would have to be roughly 125 pounds overweight!

Inhalers are not addictive

It is a common misconception that inhalers given for the treatment of Respiratory (Chest) diseases cause addiction and thus should be avoided.
In fact, they have been designed to avoid side effects which might result if same medications are given orally or through veins and thus have revolutionized treatment of these diseases.
If some one requires these inhalers for longer period of times, it is because of the nature and requirement of the medical condition and not because of addiction to inhalers. 

Chronic cough - difficult to hide easy to treat

Chronic cough is not only a bothersome symptom but a social stigma as well. If one is otherwise healthy and non smoker, it is most commonly secondary to one of the three following conditions namely,

1. Asthma (Cough variant Asthma)
2. GERD
3. Upper airway cough syndrome.

Diagnosis may be clinched with proper history taking and doing few tests usually performed under supervision of a Pulmonologist (Chest Specialist). 
After making the diagnosis effective treatment may be offered. 

Chest (Respiratory) diseases you may easily avoid

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Lung cancer are two of the most common causes of signifant illness and death in current era.
Fortunately, both are preventable to a great extent as the cause is cigarette smoking in most of these cases.
Though, earlier the better, its never too late to quit smoking as 10 years after quitting ones risk is back to the level of a non smoker.
Dont start smoking if you dont and dont delay quitting if you do.

Difficulty in Asthma diagnosis

Asthma is usually diagonsed with the help of history obtained from the patient, clinical examination and checking the pattern of airflow in the lungs known as Spirometry.
However, it is not a straightforward diagnosis in everyone.
For eample in children especially less than 6 years (most common age group of Asthma patients) Spirometry can not be performed. Luckily a new method has been developed, Impedance Ocillometry which allows to assess the airways in children and special group of adults as well.
Secondly, patients with Asthma can be normal between the attacks so much so that their Spirometry results also appear normal. In such patients a special test can clinch the diagnosis known as "Broncoprovocation (Methacholine challenge) test".

Dont kill yourself with your own hands

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease of lungs caused by smoking.

• Currently it is 6th leading cause of death worldwide.

• In the year 2020 it is estimated to become the 3rd leading cause of death !!!

 

 

Smoking and Lung cancer

Since 1987 more women die each year of lung cancer than die of breast cancer.

90% cases of Lung cancer are secondary to smoking.

Women have higher risk per given exposure (1.5 fold) to smoking than men, possibly due to hormonal factors.

Asthma diagnosis and treatment

Asthma is one of the most common diseaes in children and adults.
In majority of cases starts to menifest below the age of 6 years thus making it difficult to diagnose as children can not be subjected to the required diagnostic test, Spirometry.
In recent past a new diagnoistic test has been approved namely, Impedance Oscillometry which can be easily done by young children and provides objective measurements to correlate with clinical impression and thus making the diagnosis and monitoring of Athma easy.

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