Education fair a big hit with students
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana January 21
The two-day 63rd Education Worldwide India Fair was a success here as 5,600 students visited the fair. With several reputed institutes coming to the doorstep of students, it became easier for them to select their career option and get on-the-spot admissions.

Educational institutions and consultants from countries like Denmark, Canada apart from India had put up stalls at the Expo. Students interacted with counsellors to learn about courses that would suit their individual interests. Students from a number of schools like DAV School, Sacred Heart Convent School, Ryan International, Government College For Women, Delhi Public School, Guru Nanak Girls College etc visited the fair.

Koge Business School, Denmark, took admissions on-the-spot. Mr Deepinder Singh, CEO, Indo-European Educational and Commercial Services, said Denmark had emerged as a hot spot for Indian students. Students preferred Denmark instead of the UK because it was more cost-effective. "We have got very good response from the city and we will soon open our office in Ludhiana", said Mr Deepinder Singh.

A number of girl students enquired about the procedure to join the Indian Air Force. Wing Commander Pandey of the Indian Air Force, present at the fair said though there were so many openings in the Air Force, youngsters often missed out on opportunities because of lack of awareness about the eligibility criteria.

HEALTH

Laser hair removal technology has come of age
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 21
The Department of Plastic Surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), has got the facility for the removal of hair with the latest Nd YAG Laser machine, which is very safe and has almost negligible side effects on the skin.

This was stated in a guest lecture delivered by Dr Sanjeev Uppal, Professor, of plastic surgery, DMCH, at Mumbai, at the recently concluded 'International Aesthetic Surgery CME and Plastic Surgery Update', organised by the West Asia Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons under the auspices of the Medical Council of India.

Dr Uppal said till recently, shaving, plucking, waxing, and electrolysis were the only methods of removing unwanted hair. In the early 1990's, the first reports of using laser energy to selectively damage and disable actively growing hair follicles were published, and since the late 1990's, laser hair removal has become the 'gold standard' for the management of unwanted hair .

Citing technical data on Laser hair removal, he said it was based on the principle of selective photothermolysis, in which energy was delivered to the treatment area in such a manner as to maximize tissue damage to the hair follicle while sparing the skin and surrounding tissue. "The black hair is the target as it contains maximum melanin , the coloured pigment. The treatment is spread in stages after 4-6 weeks interval as all the hair in the body are not growing at the same time. An average of 4-6 sittings are required to get the maximum results."

Though many other lasers like IPL, Diode and Alenderite were traditionally being used for this purpose, the long pulse Nd YAG laser was the 'latest' hair removal laser. This particular laser had an edge because its 1064 nm infrared beam was poorly absorbed by skin and surface pigment and it could be safely used in all skin types, including tanned patients. Moreover, it was painless and merely gave an impression of hot air touching the area. Many patients will experience some erythema, or redness, in the treated areas, which rarely lasted more than an hour or so.

According to Dr Uppal, hair should not be plucked or waxed for at least 3 weeks before treatment for best results, as this removed the hair shaft, leaving the laser energy without a target, and would render the treatment much less effective. The area to be treated should be shaved or trimmed just before laser treatment.

Cold weather ‘can spell doom for heart patients’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 21
In extremely cold weather conditions when the temperature drops significantly, there is one place where the mercury actually rises - in blood pressure gauges. A survival mechanism in people and other mammals constricts the blood vessels in cold weather, to conserve heat and maintain body temperature. But with less room for blood to move, the pressure rises, so does the risk of fatal heart attack and stroke, which peaks during winter.

According to Dr R.P. Singh, consultant cardiologist at SPS Apollo Hospitals here, many of the fatalities caused by heart failures and strokes could be prevented with simple precautions. "Everyone should bear in mind that cold temperature is a risk factor (for heart attack and stroke). People especially at risk include those with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and patients with health conditions that require strict blood-pressure maintenance, such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease. But even comparatively healthy people are not entirely immune."

Dr Singh cautioned that patients with hypertension should be very careful when they go out (in the cold). But at the same time, those with no risk factors should also take necessary precautions. People whose job requires prolonged or repeated exposure to cold, such as farmers, construction workers, and police personnel, should be particularly mindful of precautions.

Blood pressure, he said, considered a key indicator of overall health, was the force the blood exerted against artery walls. Many Indians are believed to have hypertension, but ironically, about two-third of them are unaware of it.

In a word of advice, Dr Singh pointed out that for now, physicians treating hypertensive patients with medication should be alert to seasonal changes in blood pressure. "You ought to watch them (patients) more closely, because if you use the same dose of anti-hypertensive drugs as in the summer, they may not be able to control hypertension in cold weather. The patients, at their own level, can take other simple precautions to help lower risk."

Stressing the need to take adequate preventive measures in winters, he said cold-weather care included dressing in layers to conserve body heat, easing into outdoor physical activity to minimise sudden changes in the workload of the heart and avoiding extreme exertion or heavy lifting.