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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Misery of thalassaemics Exercise with a medical condition EYESIGHT Health Notes
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Misery of thalassaemics TO create awareness about this genetic disorder in the northern region, the story of over 1000 children suffering from thalassaemia followed during the course of the last 40 years, highlighting a very touching narration. The experience was primarily linked with the management of these unfortunate victims ever since 1963 when some facilities were made available in the region for handling this problem. In this context, one has to look to the family of the victim, the pathetic story of the patient, his parents, their counselling before marriage, the family tree, their labelling as major and minor thalassaemics and facts relating to prevention, management and complications associated with therapeutic aspects. These patients varied in age, from 1 to 20 years, and depended primarily on the blood transfusion programme to meet the deficiency of haemoglobin, the leading problem in these children. As a result of the deficiency of haemoglobin and varying degrees of anaemia resulting in low vitality and resistance to fight the disease, they invariably become victims of infections and associated complications which had direct bearing on their growth and development. These children have a distinct thalassaemic face, boxy head, dark pigmentation and protruded abdomen as a result of the enlarged spleen. The enlargement of the spleen in some of them created physical disabilities and thus required surgical intervention. The availability of blood primarily from voluntary donors in this part of the country could be regarded as safest for transmissible infections. But with the best of intentions and care of these children, who had to be given transfusion once a month, they got transmissible infections. A review of these patients showed that many of them had received over 100 transfusions to ensure the optimum level of haemoglobin. Chelation therapy for the removal of iron deposition as a result of repeated transfusions requires constant attention. The answer to the problem lies in the establishment of thalassaemia clinics, where facilities can be provided for preventive, therapeutic and efficient counselling purposes. This would require coordinated efforts by experts in the field of paediatrics, haematology, genetics, psychology and transfusion medicine. It is, therefore, advocated that all centres where such facilities can be made available should initiate steps for setting up thalassaemia clinics to provide comprehensive services. Since thalassaemia is a genetic disorder, it is suggested that there should be screening for the thalassaemic trait for at least the family members before the matrimonial alliance. This would be of tremendous help in tackling this problem and also minimising the psychological trauma to the parents of the affected children. While advanced countries have started foetal screening for diagnosing before birth and management of these patients with the help of bone-marrow transplantation, these will continue to remain a distant dream for developing countries due to the paucity of resources. The writer is Emeritus Professor, Transfusion Medicine, PGI, Chandigarh.
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Exercise with a medical condition IT is not uncommon for individuals who are recovering from or dealing with a medical condition to avoid physical activity out of concern over finding the best form of exercise and proper guidelines. And if you’re letting a medical problem keep you out of the gym, doctors say you may be making your health worse. Having a medical condition or illness needn’t stop you from exercising. The prescription for recovering from or for dealing with a medical condition should always include physical activity. Exercising increases energy, strength, balance and coordination. It may also ease the pain and discomforts of your condition. Today, people with chronic, long-lasting problems are often advised to be as active as possible. There are times, of course, when illness makes some types of exercise difficult or unwise. On the other hand, there are specific exercises that can be used to help with particular conditions. If you have a health problem like heart disease, asthma or obesity, and you want to be physically more active, visit your doctor or physician before you start a new exercise programme. Ask for specific programming recommendations. Many physicians or physical therapists provide instructions for exercises unique to specific conditions (i.e., back exercises for low-back pain). He or she can give you information on what kinds of exercises are best for you, how often you can exercise, and what to do if you have a health emergency. If your case is more sensitive it is recommended that your fitness professional should discuss your case with your doctor before working with you. The trainer or instructor may require specific guidance on a safe range of motion for your joints, or a proper approach to deal with your particular case. Conditions that may require special exercise guidelines: Exercise programmes are modified so that you receive the benefits of exercise while minimising the risk of aggravating your health condition. A number of health conditions require exercise programme modifications. This list is not exhaustive, so speak to your doctor. Cardiovascular disease — hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol, diabetes, angina, post-heart attack or post-bypass, heart valve-disease, etc. Breathing conditions — asthma, emphysema. Bone or joint conditions — low-back pain, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc. Other conditions — psychological disorders, pregnancy, severe obesity, etc. You will need different types of exercises depending on your medical condition, but it is important to remember several things: l Regardless of whether you exercise in a group or alone, training should progress from an initial, easy effort level to one that’s more challenging. A group instructor should provide modifications, if necessary, specific to your condition. A personal trainer also should offer exercises performed at appropriate ranges of motion and intensities suited specifically for you. lYour doctor and fitness professional should be able to explain why they recommend certain exercises, and provide you with a plan that details the progress you can expect. lExercise can be an important, fulfilling part of coping with a chronic disease or recovering from injury. Coordinate with your doctor and fitness professional to make the most of your exercise experience, and to improve your ability to function throughout your life. The writer is a lifestyle and weight- management consultant.
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EYESIGHT A
patient came to us with acute pain and redness in the left eye — the problem he had for three days. The vision was also blurred. The patient has done self-medication and waited to improve for three days. She was examined and found to have an acute attack of glaucoma. She recovered partially after the management, but had lost two lines of vision as she did not come early. A red eye is attention catcher, and even if you don’t notice it somebody will most probably tell you about it. The common causes of red eye are:
Acute conjunctivitis is the commonest cause of the red eye problem. Often other conditions are assumed to be conjunctivitis, and there is delay in the initiation of proper treatment. This can lead to a loss of vision in conditions like acute congestive glaucoma and acute iridocyclitis. Acute conjunctivitis is usually associated with discharge, yellow in cases of bacterial conjunctivitis. It is highly infectious and transmitted by touch or by linen. Antibiotic drops usually help but one should consult an eye specialist. Viral conjunctivitis is associated with less discharge. It is common after the rainy season. Corneal ulcer usually has an acute presentation as the pain is severe and is associated with blurred vision. There is a history of injury before the redness. Corneal ulcer is an emergency condition as it has a risk of eye perforation if it is not treated in time or properly. So, one should get the eyes checked if there is any history of foreign body entry or injury to the eye. Acute congestive glaucoma is a condition where the eye pressure shoots up above normal because of the insufficient drainage of the fluid within the eye. This acute rise is injurious to the optic nerve. The ischemic damage to the optic nerve in acute attack is reversible only if it is treated in time. Otherwise it leads to permanent damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision. The patient also has associated acute pain in the eye, headache, nausea and vomiting. The treatment is done with pressure lowering medicines. The management of all these conditions is different. Steroids given in iridocyclitis will flare up conjunctivitis if it is not diagnosed correctly. The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. Email:
[email protected]
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Health Notes WASHINGTON: The American Academy of Ophthalmology has said that even though diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness, vision loss can be prevented if the disease is diagnosed and treated in time. According to the American Diabetes Association, most people are unaware that they have the disease. “This is a tragedy waiting to happen because people who are unaware they have the disease are at a substantially greater risk for vision loss and other complications,” said Jose S. Pulido, Academy clinical correspondent and professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “The first step in preventing complications is finding out if you have the disease. It’s important for all healthy adults over the age of 45 to have a blood sugar test once every three years,” he said.
— ANI Cane juice to avoid anaemia
NEW DELHI: Anaemia, a deficiency of red blood cells, which can lead to a lack of oxygen-carrying ability causing unusual tiredness and other symptoms, can easily be remedied by following basic Ayurvedic tips. According to the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), taking a glass full of sugarcane can prove tremendously useful for anaemic individuals. About 100-250 millilitre of sugarcane juice thrice a day can be quite beneficial for such a person. If the powder of dried ginger (sunthi) (about one to three grams) is taken twice a day with jaggery, it can be very effective. Carrot, radish, beet root (chukundar), banana, jamun, raisin, turmeric, butter milk or curd partaken as food can also benefit. Anaemia frequently occurs in elderly people though it may also be present in the young, particularly women. To produce red blood cells, the body needs, among other things, iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid (one of the B group of vitamins). If one or more of these ingredients is lacking, anaemia will develop.
— ANI Video games as fat busters
WASHINGTON: Mayo Clinic researchers put into perspective the amount of extra calories burned by children playing Dance Dance Revolution, and found that activity-based video games could burn up to six times more calories than traditional screen games. “We know if kids play video games that require movement, they burn more energy than they would while sitting and playing traditional screen games. That is pretty obvious even without our data. The point is that children — very focused on screen games — can be made healthier if activity is a required part of the game,” says Lorraine Lanningham-Foster, Mayo obesity researcher and study leader. The Mayo researchers suggest requiring activity in more video and computer games is one potential approach for reversing the obesity trend.
— ANI Good news for tired people
WASHINGTON: A University of Missouri-Columbia researcher, Daniel Vinson, a professor of community and family medicine, has found that patients who reported feeling sleepy were, surprisingly, less likely to be injured. Patients who reported better sleep quality in the previous seven days also were less likely to be injured, but patients who reported getting more sleep in the 24 hours before an injury than they did in the previous 24 hours were found to have a higher risk of injury. “It could be that people who feel sleepy change their behaviour. If I am feeling really tired, maybe I will stop driving, maybe I won’t play sports. If we are changing what we are doing when we are feeling tired, that may be what lowers our risk of injury,” Vinson said. Vinson interviewed injured patients and compared them to a separate control group who was matched by age, sex, and location of the injury and time of the injury.
— ANI Radiation for prostate cancer
WASHINGTON: Physicians at the Seattle Prostate Institute have found that a combination of radiation seed implants and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer may offer a potential treatment for the disease. Reporting their study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, the doctors said that they wanted to see whether the combination of two different types of radiation therapy was effective enough to prolong the long-term disease cure rated for prostate cancer.
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