Brain strokes: time is of the essence
Dr Harsh Rastogi
Brain stroke has come under sharp focus after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered from it recently. Compared to a heart attack, the awareness about a brain stroke, which is even more debilitating, is very limited.  People either are not aware of the symptoms of a brain stroke or, if they are, they do not know how to cope with the illness.

Get moving for a longer life
NEW YORK: The results of a new study may motivate couch potatoes to get moving in the New Year. According to the study, people who are physically active live longer and spend more years free of diabetes than people who are inactive.

Leg artery disease: walking helps
NEW YORK: Walking at least three times per week seems to significantly slow down the functional decline seen in people with peripheral artery disease, a condition that involves hardening of the blood vessels in the legs and elsewhere, according to a new report.

AYURVEDA & YOU
Eat vegetables and stay healthy
Dr R. Vatsyayan
Vegetables are an important part of human diet. The number of plant families we used to eat thousands of years ago was greater than the restricted range we eat today.

EYESIGHT
Blood-supplying layer of the eye
Dr S. Mahipal Sachdev
Uveitis means “inflammation of the uvea,” or the middle layer of the eye. The uvea is the blood-supplying layer of the eye. The uvea consists of three structures: the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid.

AYURVEDA & YOU
Eat vegetables and stay healthy
Dr R. Vatsyayan

Vegetables are an important part of human diet. The number of plant families we used to eat thousands of years ago was greater than the restricted range we eat today. Ayurveda has dealt with vegetables under the classification of ‘shaka-harita varga’ in the eatables category, whereas modern science incorporates every type of cereals, roots, tubers, leaves and nuts under the major head of vegetable food.

The green vegetables consist of leaves, buds, young shoots and often the entire plant. They contain plenty of vitamins, certain proteins, cellulose and water. Roots and tubers can be stated a source of nutrients for the plant itself and may have different nutritional value for humans. Though some of the vegetables can be eaten raw, cooking these with a reasonable amount of oil or ghee and the common kitchen spices is an established practice in most parts of the world.

Vegetables are a delightful way to lighten up a meal, and they combine well with most other food items like cereals and grains. Being, in general, light and moist, they are some of the easiest foods to digest when properly prepared. Like other eatables, ayurveda classifies vegetables as cool or warm and light or heavy. It means they can be used in a variety of ways to heal. The warming vegetables tend to be most advantageous for “vata” and “kapha,” and the cooling ones for “pitta”. Researchers have found that regular and more use of vegetables can help in preventing serious health hazards like cancer, heart disease and obesity.

Not only are vegetables a rich source of vitamins, minerals and many other essential nutrients, they are also one of the natural foods for mankind which act as a good anti-oxidant agent. Iron is an essential constituent of our blood chemistry and is needed to maintain a healthy level of haemoglobin. Some of the vegetables like spinach (palak), lettuce (chukander), tomatoes and peas are a good source of natural iron and their regular use, especially by women, is a great nutritional help. Since vegetables are low in calories and help to lose weight, one should, while increasing the level of activity, escalate their consumption. Using them in main dishes and snacks in the place of fried and fast food cuts the gain of calories.

Vegetables contain a sufficient amount of fibre to keep the gut clean and healthy, and it is best to get it from natural sources than taking in the form of pills and other supplements. Vegetables are also very low in the kind of fat linked to heart disease and they do not raise cholesterol. Health scientists have shown their concern that due to the change in the life-style, the average Indian is now more prone to heart disease. An easily digestible diet made of simply boiled or freshly cooked vegetables with a minimum amount of oil is the recommended way to keep body fit and healthy.

Deep frying and using too much of oils negates many of the health advantages offered by vegetables. Frozen and canned vegetables should also not be consumed frequently.

Cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, capsicum, broccoli, green beans, spinach, mustard leaves, peas and tomatoes are some of the vegetables which have very good nutritional value. Apart from their consumption as a dish, some other of these like onion, garlic, coriander, mint, reddish and cucumber are also used as household health remedies. Due to the increased use of pesticides, all the vegetables should be sufficiently washed before cooking. Eating of salads and raw vegetables require more careful cleansing.

The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior ayurvedic physician

EYESIGHT
Blood-supplying layer of the eye
Dr S. Mahipal Sachdev

Uveitis means “inflammation of the uvea,” or the middle layer of the eye. The uvea is the blood-supplying layer of the eye.

The uvea consists of three structures: the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid. The iris is the coloured structure, visible in the front of the eye. The ciliary body is a structure containing muscle and is located behind the iris which focuses the lens. The choroid is a layer containing blood vessels that line the back of the eye and is located between the innermost layer called the retina, and the outer white eye wall called the sclera. Inflammation occurring in any of these three structures is termed “uveitis”.

Inflammation in uveitis may involve any of these three structures. Depending upon which structures are inflamed, uveitis may be further subcategorised thus:

*Iritis or anterior uveitis

*Iridocyclitis or intermediate uveitis

*Choroiditis or posterior uveitis

Symptoms

Depending on which part of the eye is inflammed in uveitis, different combinations of these symptoms may be present.

*Redness

*Light sensitivity

*Floaters — black floating spots in vision

*Blurry vision

*Pain

*These symptoms may come on suddenly, and you may not experience any pain. The symptoms occur in one eye usually but may occur in both eyes simultaneously. The symptoms are known to recur as relapses are common.

Causes

The causes of uveitis can include autoimmune disorders, infections or exposure to toxins. However, in many cases, the cause remains unknown.

Uveitis may develop following eye trauma or surgery, in association with diseases which affect other organs in the body, or may be a condition isolated to the eye itself. Uveitis, affecting one or both eyes, can be associated with tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, AIDS, rheumatic arthritis, anky losing spondylitis, psoriasis, and herpes zoster infection.

Course of disease

Uveitis is a disease known to recur. In anterior uveitis or iridocyclitis, most attacks last from a few days to weeks with treatment. In posterior uveitis, the inflammation may last from months to years.

Severe and permanent visual loss can result from uveitis. In addition, uveitis can lead to other ocular complications, which may produce vision loss, including glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal damage. Early detection and treatment is necessary to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.

Treatment

Prompt treatment is necessary to minimise any loss of vision. Treatment depends on the cause and the severity of the disease. So, before starting the treatment complete evaluation of the patient to rule out the common causes is required.

Treatment may include steroid drops, drops to dilate the pupil and reduce pain. For deeper inflammation, oral medications or injections may be necessary. More severe cases of uveitis may even require treatment with chemotherapeutic agents to suppress the immune system.

Complications such as glaucoma, cataract or new blood vessel formation also may need treatment in the form of laser or surgery in the course of the disease.

The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi.