• Muscle strains. Pain due to overuse of muscles, such as too much time spent hunched over a steering wheel, often triggers muscle strains. Neck muscles, particularly those in the back of your neck, become fatigued and eventually strained. When you overuse your neck muscles repeatedly, chronic pain can develop.

Though snow covered landscape looks like wonderland, but winter is also the deadliest time of year according to Harvard Medical School.  Various serious cardiac problems and hip fractures are more common in winters as compared to other seasons. Here I would like to discuss some chilly facts and tips to get you through the season safe.

1.     Heart Attack

Heart attacks, chest pain and other heart symptoms are more common in winter.

Reason:  When your body gets cold, your blood vessels constrict. If you already have plaque built up in your arteries, that constriction can decrease blood flow to the heart, leading to cardiac symptoms and a heart attack.
Caution: If you have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and worrisome cholesterol levels, take extra care to stay warm and consult with your doctor. It has also been seen that some people have heart attacks while shoveling snow. So take it slow and easy out there.

2.    Hips Fracture

Though there has been a debate that falls and hip fractures occur more during winter, however, a recent study confirmed 66,346 hip fractures in New York City during winter, especially on the coldest and windiest days.

Reason: Winter inactivity may lead to weaken muscles, making falls more likely, indoors and outdoors.  Low vitamin D levels linked with weak muscles and brittle bones
might also play roles.
Caution: In any case, its wise to practice “defensive walking”. If you need a walker or cane, use it. Get rid of loose rugs inside your home along with other clutter and install a night light.

3. Cold Hands: Raynaud’s phenomenon

We all feel cold hands during winters which are a common nuisance. But for 5% to 10% of people, hands and other extremities (feet, ears, nose, etc.) that overreact
to cold are part of a sometimes-painful condition, known as Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Reason: In such case exposure to cold brings on attacks in which blood vessels constrict and skin changes color, often going from white to blue, then red. Pain and
numbness can last minutes or hours.
Caution:  Though, for most people, the condition is harmless and best controlled by dressing warmly and avoiding cold. But it may cause some underlying conditions
such as lupus and others. Always discuss with your doctor if you have any pain occurring due to winters.

4. Dry Skin: Don’t skimp on moisturizer

The most common problem faced by people during winters is dryness. People having dry skin, like me know well how uncomfortable winters are for their skin even after all the skin care.

Reason:   It happens due to excessive exposure to dry, heated indoor air; mix with dry, cold outdoor air and long hot showers.
Caution:  Always moisturize your skin with cream or body lotion, especially after washing your hands or showering. The moisturizer doesn’t have to be anything fancy
according to dermatologists. Sometimes the more expensive products have perfumes in them and may be irritating. The best practice is to keep your showers short and your soap mild.  And try not to scratch: That can lead to infection

5. Fluid content

We all know that we need plenty of water to keep our body hydrated in order to perform well but most of us forget to drink water during winters because we don’t feel thirsty and as a result become dehydrated.

Caution: Drink plenty of water all day long, and especially before and during workouts. I already mentioned about dry, heated indoor air which can be even more dehydrating than warm sunshine, drinking enough water is a must.

Winter in Minnesota brings in its own disease called cabin fever, as you are stuck in your home most of the time.  Sitting at home is usually the best option that roaming outside in cold weather. Beside sthe problems mentioned in the post, in my view depression is also prevalent during winters. Usually the snow looks great initially, but become monochromatic and monotonous. On top of that short days, lack of sunlight and early darkness can lead to more cases of depression. Entertain yourself if you are home, catch up on your hobbies like playing guitar, reading books or watching movies. Prepare your self for bright and vibrant spring ahead and keep yourself out of trouble with the easy winter tips.

Healthy Holidays!

A team of researchers from Newcastle University experimented on mice to provide scientific evidence for the Brazilian mint tea.  It was interesting to read that the Newcastle team conducted a survey to gain insights about the proper method of preparation of tea for medicinal purpose, which also helped them to determine the amount the tea (dose) required to relieve pain.  They found that the most common method was to boil the tea leaves in water for 30 min and let it cool before drinking it.  I was bit surprised at this fact, as in most cases, it is recommended to drink tea in heated form. 

Lead researcher Graciela Rocha said: “Since humans first walked the Earth we have looked to plants to provide a cure for our ailments – in fact it is estimated more than 50,000 plants are used worldwide for medicinal purposes.” He further stated “besides traditional use, more than half of all prescription drugs are based on a molecule that occurs naturally in a plant.” The research is being presented at the International Symposium on Medicinal and Nutraceutical Plants in New Delhi, India. Now the team wants to conduct a clinical trial to analyze effectiveness of the Brazilian tea in human beings. 

The researchers at Newcastle University have taken the first step of scientifically proving effectiveness of the mint tea.  The next step involves deeper understanding of the molecule responsible for this pain relieving effect.  Dr Beverly Collett, chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, said: “Obviously further work needs to be done to identify the molecule involved, but this is interesting research into what may be a new analgesic for the future.”  

Dr Collett also revealed that aspirin like substances can be found in other ancient cultures such as Greeks used willow bark to treat fever.  The leaves and bark of the willow tree contains a substance called as Salicin, a natural occurring substance similar to acetylsalicylic acid, the chemical name for aspirin. 

I am sure if you dig through ancient Chinese and Indian cultures, you will find many more natural analgesics.  Ayurveda is a bible of such natural remedies.  Nature has played key role in uncovering basic ingredients not only for medicine but for engineering as well.  As more such molecules are unfolded by scientist, hopefully, we can be treated by natural substances than current drugs, which have tendency for side effects. 

Healthy treating!

If your job includes good amount of conflict with co-workers or your manger and you have been suppressing anger then it could be fatal for you as per a Swedish study.  The study done on men, revealed that men who do not express their anger if they are unfairly treated at work can increase their risk of heart attack by two fold.  Although the study was conducted on men, I think it will be applicable for women as well.  Dr Constanze Leineweber, who was the lead researchers from the Stress Research Institute in Stockholm, said: “There has been research before pointing in this direction but the surprise is that the association between pent-up anger and heart disease was such a strong one.” 

The study was published in Epidemiology and Community Health, let us take a look at the study in somewhat details:  

What was the mix of population under study?
The researchers selected 2,755 male employees in Stockholm who did not have history of heart attack at beginning of the study.  They were checked for smoking, drinking, physical activity, education, diabetes, job demands and their freedom to take decisions.  Their blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and cholesterol levels were measured and they were aged 41 on average at the start of the study between 1992 and 1995. 

Details of whether any of the men subsequently had a heart attack or died as a result of heart disease in the period up to 2003 were gathered from national registers of hospital treatment and deaths.

What was the observed behavior for the study?
These men were asked about their way of coping with conflict at work, either with superiors or colleagues.  The methods included: whether they dealt with things head-on, whether they let things pass without saying anything, walked away from conflict, developed symptoms like headache or stomach ache or got into a bad temper at home.

What are the main results of the study?
The men under study 47 of the 2,755 men had a heart attack or died from heart disease up to 2003.  The study revealed that the men who coped by sometimes or often walking away or who often let things pass without saying anything, had two fold increase in risk of a heart attack or dying from serious heart disease compared to men who challenged and dealt with the situation head-on.  

If men developed a headache or stomach ache or got into a bad temper at home, it did not increase the risk of heart attack or heart disease.  

The simple theory behind the increased heart attack with suppressed emotions was attributed to the fact that anger can produce physiological tensions.  More than likely, if the anger was not released by challenging the situation head-on, it leads to increases in blood pressure which eventually damages the cardiovascular system.

Is increased stress main factor for increased heart attack?
Judy O’Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse for the British Heart Foundation, said: “Stress itself is not a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease, but some people’s responses to stress, such as smoking or overeating, can increase your risk. “ 

“We all find different things stressful and symptoms of stress canvary, but the important thing is that we need to find ways of coping with it in our lives in a positive way, whether at work or home.” 

It is evident that the way you respond to the stress is important than the stress itself in increasing your chances for cardiovascular disease, which is the top most killer in the US.  Tensions are bound to arise at your work place, but learn to cope with issues in more open manner, so that it has minimal or no impact on your health. 

Healthy Working!

 

Electric cars are one of the options that show promise as a green alternative to current cars.  Almost all the major automotive giants are working towards launching and improving electric car technology.  I read a article in USA today that grabbed my attention.  General motor is working on electric cars that are friendly to vision impaired people.

Is there a need for vision impaired electric cars?
Current versions of electric car’s engine are silent and do not make noise as gasoline run cars. Therefore, electric cars have potential to sneak up on vision impaired pedestrians.  GM is working with the National Federation of the Blind on technology to make sure that near-silent electric cars and hybrids don’t sneak up on unsuspecting walkers or runners.

Have there been more accidents with hybrid cars?
Directive of increasing safety of hybrid/ electric cars is coming from bill that was passed earlier this year – the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that Walkers and bicyclists are being struck at a greater rate by hybrid vehicles than by conventional cars, which is based on one study. 

NFB President Marc Maurer said that “I’ve had probably 25 blind people in the country tell me they’ve almost been hit by these cars.”  He further added that vehicles brushed up against some or crushed their white canes. 

So there is a clear need for technology to help vision impaired people along with bicyclists to reduce their chances of being hit by a hybrid car.   Maurer says he believes electric cars of the future will need to be equipped with a forward-directed sound device that operates without interruption while the car is in motion. All electric vehicles will have to make roughly the same artificial noise, he says, so that blind people will be able to distinguish them as moving vehicles.

Are there any leads on such technology?
GM has developed a driver-activated warning system for its new Chevrolet Volt extended range electric cars.  The technology involves emission of short audible horn pulse as loud as the ring of a telephone when the driver pulls back on the turn-signal switch. Other automakers such as Toyota, Nissan are studying the issue and working on possible solutions.

Tesla, which as around 900 all-electric Roadsters in market is reluctant add noise in the vehicle.  “One of the top attributes that our customers bring up is that (the car) is so quiet,” says spokeswoman Rachel Konrad. “The majority of the sound is not from the engine. It’s tire noise and wind resistance.”  She said, they won’t add a noisemaker unless there is a “compelling reason.”

Well, every technical advancement brings its own problems and challenges.  When it comes to cars, safety of driver, passenger and people on the road is of equal importance.  I am glad that the concern for pedestrians and vision impaired people has been brought up in advance and Government has issued a bill to take action regarding this problem.  I look forward for more innovations in green technologies without compromising safety of the people. 

 

More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs made by the Canadian-based Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S. history, after reports that four infants suffocated in them.

What is the main problem with drop-side cribs?
The cribs made by Stork Craft had problems with their hardware, which is liable to break, deform or be lost after use.  CPSC indicated that the problem can arise due to user also, if the user does not properly assemble the cribs. I think this could also be called as design fault in the cribs made by the manufacturer, which allows users to assemble in wrong manner.  Due to these problems, the drop-side can detach and create a venerable space between the drop-side and the crib mattress.  This space is dangerous as child can get trapped and can cause major injury or death.

Since when and where are these cribs sold?
These cribs have been in use since January 1993 until October 2009.  The drop-side cribs were sold by major retailers including Sears, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, etc.  Typical cost for the cribs is between $100 to $400. The commission is urging parents to stop using the cribs until receiving a free repair kit from Stork Craft.

Why was this problem detected in 16 years after first manufacturing?
There have been complaints about the drop-side cribs for many years. From past two years more than 5 million of cribs have been recalled, which are associated with deaths of dozen of children.  

What are measures taken to ensure safety of drop-side cribs?
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International is an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards including disparate products as toys and steel used in commercial buildings.  Recently, ASTM approved a new standard that requires four immovable or fixed, sides for full-sized cribs which essentially eliminated the manufacture of new drop-side cribs. CPSC is also thinking along the same lines to make cribs safer and could adopt the ASTM voluntary standard as a mandatory one, which would outright ban the cribs.

Like I mentioned before it is surprising for me that drop-side cribs have been in existence for past 16 years and have become a subject for recall now.  I still question the decisions made in the past to keep this product in market in spite of the dozen of deaths reported earlier.  As they say better late than never, I hope regulatory bodies will take action sooner with regard to safety of infants in the foreseeable future. 

Healthy Parenting! 

 

How does Outbreak Near me works?
Outbreaks Near me works like a GPS and provides real time information about H1N1 outbreak. As you request information through Outbreak Near me, it finds your location and displays pushpins on the map of near by area pertaining to H1N1 outbreak and other infections.  A simple click on the pushpin will give news reports and personal accounts submitted by users.  You can set up alert system to get a heads-up of the H1N1 flu case in your area, as it arrives.

John Brownstein, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Children’s hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School developed the apps in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab.  Dr. Brownstein said that “Our app is all about giving people real-time alerts. We didn’t develop this to increase fear. It’s about helping people arm themselves.” 

How many people have used Outbreak Near me?
Outbreaks Near Me was launched in Sept. 1.  As per Dr. Brownstein, about 100,000 people have downloaded it. The apps can also be used for tracking E. coli, malaria and other outbreaks, but H1N1 has been the most popular tracked disease, which is expected given its epidemic nature.  It was interesting to read that apps has received more than 2,000 submissions and Dr. Brownstein said “People share thier photos while they are sick and inform others when schools are closed or shortage of vaccine in their area. 

Is Outbreak near me more useful than CDC website?
Influenza expert William Schaffner, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville said that apps will give you more focused information and for bigger picture, majority of people may get information from traditional way such as CDC reports.  He adds, if you want to know what’s happening at your grandma’s place while you are planning to spend your weekend or Christmas time at her place, apps may be more efficient way to look for information.

Outbreaks Near Me co-developer Clark Freifeld, a graduate student in media art and sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says developers are analyzing submissions now and say the information appears to correlate with CDC data.  

Are there more apps similar to Outbreak near me?
Harvard Medical School has developed more flu related apps including HMSMobile Swine flu center.  Others include flu games and jokes such as Swine Scan, Microsoft online tool, which supposedly scans your body to detect infection.  There are several other applications for iPhone and Google Android apps are in prototype stage, which are using mobile text messaging.  CDC is in phase of implementation of one of such apps and to sign up text HEALTH to 87000 and a mobile website (http://m.cdc.gov)
and get flu updates.

This would not have been possible in Roman times, wherein news would have spread through people travelling on horses. Dissemination of information through mobile phones is booming and is supposed to be next growth engine of the web technology.  I hope either you are already using mobile technology for various needs or are planning to get connected to the world through a small piece of handset. 

Healthy Mobiling!

 

 

The digestive system is an intricate system that can be disturbed by disease, diet, and emotional and environmental stress. The most common digestive problems include stomach gas stomach ache, heartburn and so on. Almost all digestive problems arise due to improper digestion. Our food habits such as eating junk foods are one of the most common factors of the problem. Some blame may go to our today’s environment. The water we drink is chlorinated and may be polluted with industrial waste; and the vegetable, fruits we eat may have some pesticides residues.  All of these play a crucial role in causing indigestion. Here I would like to leave you with some simple home remedies that have been in use for several decades. These can treat or cure common digestion problems without hurting the environment and are affordable, won’t cause side effects and won’t interact with other drugs. 

Indigestion or dyspepsia is a condition of the stomach in which digestive juices are not secreted properly and results in discomfort.

·  Add a spoonful of lemon juice, one spoonful of ginger and two spoons of honey in a glass of lukewarm water. Mix them well and drink if you are facing indigestion.

· Mix equal parts of baking soda and water in a glass for immediate relief.

· Mix one teaspoon of cumin seeds (jeera) in a glass of water and drink it.

· A teaspoon of carom seeds or bishop’s weed (ajwain) with a little rock salt is a good home remedy.

· Chewing a small piece of fresh ginger with salt, five to ten minutes before meals, stimulates digestion.

Gas and gas pain are often caused by air you swallow when you eat or drink fast and breakdown of some indigested food by harmless bacteria. It is also made by the food you are digesting. High fiber foods such as beans, vegetables, fruits and grains can create a lot of gas. So can dairy foods for some people.

· Take one glass of boiling water and put two tablespoons of peach leaves in the water. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and drink it. Repeat it 3 times in a day.

· You can drink peppermint tea or chamomile tea.

· Eat coriander seeds. It relieves you from both gas and gas pain.

· Drink carbonated water

· Take a cup of boiling water; add grinded ginger root and honey. Enjoy it as herbal tea.

Constipation refers to infrequent bowel movement or passage of small amounts of hard and dry bowel movements. It is the disturbance in the digestive tract that gives rise to many other ailments in the body.

· Chronic constipation can be cured with high intake of figs dipped in water and taken in the morning time. This constipation remedy is very effective

· Mix 1/2 cup olive oil with 1/2 cup orange juice and drink.

· Drink hot water with sour lime juice and half a teaspoon of salt.

· Dip 10-12 seedless dry grapes in milk and boil the milk. Drink the milk separately and chew the grapes. This is more beneficial when taken at night.

Heart Burn

· Fresh ginger can be ground and added to foods or taken in tea or capsule form. Herbalists recommend consuming 500mg of ginger with a full glass of water after each meal.

· Green tea has been used for centuries in Japan as an after dinner drink. Green teas aid the body in the digestion process, and help soothe the stomach’s sensitive tissue.

· Before meals, mix the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt into an 8 ounce glass of water and drink. After meals, try a teaspoon of honey to soothe your heartburn.

Stomach ache

· Pomegranate seeds are used for your normal stomach ache. Take the seeds out of the pomegranate and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle the seeds with salt and black pepper and eat the seeds making sure to chew them all the way.

· Make regular hot tea and add honey or some freshly squeezed lemon juice. This will help in relaxing your stomach ache. Avoid adding sugar to your tea as it can take away beneficial effects of tea..

· Drink plain soda water, if your stomach ache is due to acidity. It will provide immediate relief from your pain.

· half a teaspoon of baking soda with 4 ounces of warm water, and then drink it. In an instant, it will make you belch.

Digestive health is vital to the overall health of our body. These home remedies have been in use for several decades and can do miracles in no time.  People in India are inclined towards home remedies not only for improper digestion but for other common problems also. If I have complaint of digestive disorder, my first option usually is home remedies which are not only easy to use but poses no risk of side effect. 

Healthy digestion!

 

The conversation got me thinking that is there any popular vegetarian dish for Thanksgiving.  I found an article on New York Times that says about a Vegan dish for Thanksgiving.  The title itself grabbed my attention as vegan is more stringent diet than vegetarian.  Vegans don’t even eat any dairy products like milk, butter, etc.  I thought I should share the dishes with my readers, so that they have some options as special Thanksgiving dish while they are enjoying Thanksgiving with their carnivorous friends (no pun intended).

Couple of dishes was mentioned in the article, namely mushroom roulade and gnocchi with pumpkin sauce.  If you have the pumpkin left over from the Halloween party, may not be a bad idea to put it to use.  These dishes are specialty of a chef from Phoenix, Jason Wrick, who runs an online magazine for vegans called Vegan Culinary Experience.  Actually, at the young age of 28, Mr. Wyrick was detected with Type 2 diabetes. In a matter of eight years he has been able to reverse his diabetes by restricting himself to a low-fat, vegan diet.  

Mushroom roulade as the name suggests the main ingredient is Portobello mushroom.  The preparation starts with marinating the Portobello mushroom in red wine along with chopped garlic and nutmeg for at least four hours.  These mushrooms are charcoal grilled or baked.  Along with it prepare a filling for the mushroom, which involves frying onion in olive oil and adding French bread to it along with vegetable stock. The dish is more involved that it sounds.  For full recipe, I would recommend that you go through the New York Times article.   

Whole wheat gnocchi sounds like an Italian dish and caught my eye more than the mushroom roulade.  I like Italian food, but I had no idea what does gnocchi mean or how does it look like.  Well, my friend Google helped me out.  I was right about the Italian part and I learned that gnocchi is an Italian variety of soft noodle or dumpling.  In
fact, gnocchi means lumps and is derived from nocchio, which means knot in wood. In Roman times, gnocchi were made from semolina porridge-like dough mixed with eggs, but our chef Mr. Wrick has used gnocchi made from whole wheat. 

The sauce for the gnocchi dish is made out of the pureed pumpkin which is mixed with the almond milk, nutmeg and salt.  Simply boil the gnocchi in water and strain it and sprinkle cold water.  Serve gnocchi in plate with sauce.  To garnish the dish, our chef suggests making a cream out of basil, which is a blend of soaked cashew, water, basil and pepper.  Blend it until it becomes creamy and make patterns of your liking from this cream to garnish your gnocchi.  The article describes full ingredients and recipe for whole wheat gnocchi. 

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, I am sure you will enjoy these special Thanksgiving dishes from our Phoenix chef.  As far as I see, mushroom dish is more involved and time consuming than the gnocchi dish.  If you are running out of time, make whole wheat gnocchi for your vegan friends as our chef says “It’s hearty, tasty and a huge hit during the holidays.”

Healthy Thanksgiving!

 

Where and how many patients were detected with Tamiflu resistant H1N1 virus?
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff informed that three out of five patients that were infected with swine flu have shown Tamiflu resistance.  They are believed to be first case of person-to-person transmission of a Tamiflu-resistant strain in the world.  Two of the University Hospital Wales patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospital.  Whereas one is in critical care and two are being treated on the ward.  

Professor Peter Openshaw, a respiratory physician at Imperial College London, said of the spread: “It’s not surprising that this has happened, indeed it has always been anticipated”.  

Have we seen it before and why is it serious issue?
There have been several reports around the globe on people developing resistance to Tamiflu while these patients were on the drug.  But the key is the Tamiflu resistant strain was not passed to other people from these affected patients.  One possible case of person to person transfer of Tamiflu resistant H1N1 virus was reported in the US, but was never confirmed.  Health officials are looking into the reason for the spread of Tamiflu resistant strain among the three patients. 

It can not be stressed enough that any spread of this Tamiflu resistant strain would be of grave concern.  H1N1 strain was first reported in April and virologist had expected the new resistant strains to emerge.  

Is Tamiflu still a viable option to treat swine flu?
Dr Tony Jewell, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said “We know that people with suppressed immune systems are more susceptible to the swine flu virus, which is why they are a priority group under the first phase of the vaccination program in Wales which is progressing at pace.” He further said that stringent processes were in place to monitor antiviral resistant in the UK so that such resistance can be spotted early, causes investigated and cases managed.  Also he mentioned that “Treatment with Tamiflu is still appropriate for swine flu and people should continue to take Tamiflu when they are prescribed it.  

Although, it was not an un-expected that Tamiflu resistant strain was seen in some patients, but still it is concerning as it spread from one person to another.    I think the problem becomes more concerning due to shortage of the swine flu vaccine.  Dr Ronald Cutler, deputy director of biomedical science at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “Shortening the time taken to produce new vaccines and improving the methods to control and treat the disease while vaccines are being made would be a way forward”. The health officials stressed there was no risk to anyone else. So, follow basic flu hygiene and keep yourself away from the flu.