Heart and Cardio-vascular

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Quick and fast intervention helps. Dr. Shital Raval recommends first aid tips for cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating suddenly commonly due to some electrical malfunction. The victim becomes unresponsive, unconscious with no signs of breathing or movement. Death can occur within minutes as blood stops flowing to the lungs, brain and other…

Meenu Agarwal, a clinical dietitian and nutritionist based in Singapore, advises on controlling consumption of junk food to stay fit and free from ailments like diabetes, cholesterol, acidity, hypertension and other complications and offers healthier options. Junk food is defined as “any food, which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else - calories and sodium". Junk foods contain little or no proteins, vitamins or minerals but are rich in salt, sugar, fats and are high in…

Do you sometimes get sudden cramps in your calf or toe muscles? Dr. Shital Raval explains the causes and tips to get rid of leg cramps and to prevent them  Leg cramps or Charley horse (term used mainly in Canada and the US) is a common but harmless condition experienced by most individuals. These are sudden painful contractions of the leg muscles often in the calf area. They can last for seconds to a few minutes and rarely last more than 10 minutes. हिंदी में पढ़ें: पैर में ऐंठन -…

Shaloo Sharma, the head of a school in Gurgaon committed to inclusive education and Sunil Bhatt, a certified physical instructor for children with special needs from Ancramdale, New York share their views on the importance of Adaptive Physical Education for children with disabilities. Adaptive Physical Education - A rights-based approach to accessible play. Every child has the right to play. According to the Right To Education, it is mandatory for every school to have a robust Physial Education…

 A new study published in the journal BMJ Open compared the health outcomes of people prescribed Proton Pump Inhibitors(PPI) and H2 blockers for Heartburn/Acid Reflux and this is what they found. The people who were prescribed PPIs (for eg. esomeprazole, or Nexium, and lansoprazole, or Prevacid) had a 25% higher risk of dying during the study period than those who took the H2 blockers (such as famotidine, or Pepcid, and ranitidine, or Zantac) In a new study published in the journal…

This time in our Health by Numbers/Medical Tests series, Dr Shital Raval takes a look at the importance of Chloride levels in the electrolyte panel. Read the first part on Sodium Levels and second part on Potassium Levels An electrolyte panel is a blood test that measures the common minerals in the body such as sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Electrolytes are essential for the proper functioning of the heart, muscles and brain as they are needed to…

Dr Prakash C. Gupta, Director of Healis-Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, has researched public health in India extensively over decades and shares with us his valuable opinions on tobacco use and cessation. Scroll down to sign the pledge The Age when it all begins Even when it may be difficult to ascertain the age in which people start smoking, the mean age of initiating tobacco use in any form in India is determined at 17.8 years: 18 for males, 17.1 for females. For smoking, it is 17.9 (…

Hypertension has few symptoms, and often none. Yet, it becomes a lifetime companion after detection, requiring care and often medication, without which it runs the risk of turning serious. Dr. Shital Raval busts common myths and misconceptions here:  It only happens to old people! High blood pressure is not a problem that is only associated with old people anymore! Young people these days are also suffering from blood pressure problems. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), one…

Exercise and yoga can improve quality of life for people with mental illness and reduce risks of strokes, diabetes, auditory hallucinations and other health problems, informs Dr R Padmavati, Additional Director, Schizophrenia Research Foundation. World Health Organisation defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is not just "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned,…

#WorldLaughterDay A good, hearty laugh comes with myriad health benefits. We speak to Dr Mahesh Parikh, founder of the Laughing Club at Mahemdavad, the 321st Club in Gujarat, who has witnessed people recover from severe respiratory problems, high blood pressure, and other health complications with laughter yoga. Why do we need a Laughter Club? A club means an association of people with common interest. The Laughter Club is a gathering of persons interested in maintaining their health, because…