Health Wikipedia

Childlessness may be a tragedy for the married couple and a of marital upset, personal unhappiness and ill health. Infertility often plays a major role in breaking the marital bridge and important cause of separation between partners.

According to the experts, infertility is considered when a couple is unable to achieve conception after one year of unprotected coitus. If you have been trying to conceive for more than a year, there is a chance that something may be interfering with your efforts to have a child.

Infertility may be due to a single cause in either you or your partner or a combination of factors that may prevent a pregnancy from occurring or continuing.

In any series of infertile marriage, the main etiological factor is found in the female in about 40 percent of cases; about 35 percent of the husbands concerned have some degree of infertility. In 10-20 per cent of cases a combination of factors operates and rest has unexplained infertility.

In majority of cases female infertility is due to the obstruction in fallopian tube, loss of motility of tube, polycystic ovarian syndrome diabetes, thyroid disorder etc. Whereas in case of male, factor implies a lack of sufficient numbers of competent sperm, resulting in failure to fertilise the normal ovum. Other important causes are varicocele, genetic predisposition, occupational and environmental factor.

Sexual inadequacy is one of the important factors contributing to infertility. It is important to realise that the age of a woman is a factor to be considered and there should not be any delay in offering suitable treatment for the couple.

Over the past decades, there has been much improvement in the treatment of both infertile female as well as the male. Assisted conception is one of them. It is the facilitation of natural conception by some form of scientific interventions.

In Bangladesh assisted reproduction technology has become a promising one. Technologies available in the country include IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) and ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection).

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the most effective ART technique. IVF involves retrieving mature eggs from a woman, fertilising them with a man’s sperm in a dish in a laboratory and implanting the embryos in the uterus three to five days after fertilisation. IVF often is recommended when both fallopian tubes are blocked. It is also widely used for a number of other conditions, such as endometriosis, unexplained infertility, cervical factor infertility, male factor infertility and ovulation disorders.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique consists of a microscopic technique (micro-manipulation) in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg to achieve fertilisation in conjunction with the standard IVF procedure. ICSI has been especially helpful in couples who have previously failed to achieve conception with standard techniques. For men with low sperm concentrations, ICSI dramatically improves the likelihood of fertilisation.

IUI technique attempts to assist the implantation of the embryo into the lining of the uterus. With this advancement it is possible to treat the vast majority of subfertile couple successfully and give them the child they so desire.

Kidney stone is one of the most painful disorders that lead a person to expensive and unpleasant emergency visits, hospitalisations and undergo surgical procedures.

Half of all untreated people will form additional stones and some will form stones chronically. Preventing kidney stones is the primary goal and we have peer-reviewed clinical data for last 20 years proving that the treatment guideline can help reducing kidney stone formation rates up to 80 percent.

Kidney stones form when urine has too many crystal-forming chemicals and/or not enough substances that protect against crystal formation. If the crystals do not rapidly pass through the urinary tract, they can accumulate and form stones. When the volume of urine is too low, stone-forming materials become concentrated helping to promote stones.

Kidney stones can be prevented if measures taken properly. During the last 30 years, treatment plans incorporating diet, fluids and medications have been developed to prevent or stall the formation of new stones.

The primary treatment have been proven in controlled clinical trials. Your preventive treatment may consist of fluid, diet, and/or medications. Diet changes are just as essential as any medications your urologist may prescribe.

General kidney stone prevention guidelines
Increase fluid intake: A very common question is how much water should I drink each day? You should be producing at least 2.5 liters of urine a day. How much you need to produce that much urine will vary depending on many things.

1. Activity level (The more active you are the more you perspire and need to replenish your body with fluids)

2. Living/working in a hot/dry environment

3. Frequent flying (Pilots, flight attendants, business travelers etc.) and flying all day can cause dehydration

4. Salt intake (High salt intakes increases water retention)

Increasing your fluid intake keeps urine diluted and helps keep crystals from forming.

Low oxalate diet: Unfortunately, oxalate is found in healthy plant foods. High oxalate containing foods are tea, beans, nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, soybean curd (tofu), sunflower seeds, chocolate milk, pepper, ginger, soy sauce, blackberries, grapes, lemon peel, bread, whole wheat etc.

If you have other medical conditions like heart related problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. you may have been advised by another physician to eat a diet low in fat and sugar but rich in vegetables that may contain high oxalate.

Then your key to diet should be everything in moderation. Cut on the portion size of the high oxalate containing foods and the number of times a day or week you are eating these foods.

Here and there you will indulge and when you do, make sure you flush out the extra oxalate with an added 8 ounce glass of water – before and after your treat.

Low salt diet: Your sodium intake should be between 2300-3300 mg per day.

Sodium is added to many of our foods that we buy in restaurants or at the store. A single restaurant meal can contain anywhere from 1000 to 4000 milligrams of sodium! It is important to read the nutrition labels on all packaged foods and to look at the ingredients listed. As a rule, if salt and several sodium compounds are listed as ingredients, the product contains more salt than is advisable on a low-sodium diet.

Low purine diet: Purine is a compound that is mainly found in animal protein and when metabolised, breaks down into uric acid. When you eat a diet that is high in protein (beef, poultry, pork and chicken), you have higher uric acid levels.

The normal diet contains from 600 to 1000 milligrams of purines daily. A low-purine diet is restricted to approximately 100 to 150 milligrams daily.

Current treatments
The current treatments available for kidney and ureteric stones include conservative management (waiting for spontaneous passage), extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), endoscopic techniques (rigid and flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy), and percutaneous treatments.

The American Urologic Association Stone Guidelines Panel has identified ESWL as a potential first-line treatment for both proximal and distal ureteric stones and for Kidney stones smaller than 2 cm.

ESWL is a noninvasive procedure that uses shock waves to break up the kidney stone into small pieces that can more easily travel through the urinary tract and excreted from body. However, complex presentations frequently are treated best endoscopically.

Following its introduction in 1980, ESWL dramatically changed the management of Kidney stone disease. ESWL is a procedure in which kidney and ureteric stones are pulverised into smaller fragments by shock waves. These small fragments then can pass spontaneously in urine.

ESWL can not be performed in patients with acute urinary tract infection, uncorrected bleeding disorders, pregnancy, sepsis, and uncorrected obstruction distal to the stone. Otherwise, this noninvasive approach allows patients to be rendered stone-free without surgical intervention or endoscopic procedures.

Mouth sores are small ulcer patches that grow on certain areas around oral cavity. They can appear very red or white, may have a tendency to bleed and can become infected if left untreated.

Mouth ulcer is very painful and discomforting especially while eating or drinking. Many people suffer from mouth sore repeatedly. The factors that can lead to mouth sores are:

* Poor oral hygiene

* Infection: Viral, bacterial, fungal

* Trauma: Ill fitting braces and dentures

* Immuno deficiency like HIV infection

* Dietary: Vitamin C deficiency, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Zinc deficiency

* Cancer: Squamous cell carcinoma

* Excessive intake of alcohol

* Cigarette smoking

* Medical conditions: Behcet’s disease, Bullous pemphigoid, oral lichen plamus, oral thrush

Although painful, most of the ulcers in the mouth are benign in nature and resolve within week. But in certain instances this painful ulcer remains unresolved for a longer period. If anyone has ulcer for a longer period s/he must consult with a physician. Biopsy and histopathology is mandatory for long term painful mouth ulcer.

The first line treatments of oral ulcers are symptomatic. The treatment guideline includes:

i) If cause is known, then treatment of the cause is recommended

ii) Adequate oral hygiene using anti-bacterial mouthwash

iii) Apply topical paste on mouth sore directly. These topical application should be done according to doctor’s advice to avoid complications

iv) Visit your doctor for some oral medications

v) Brush your teeth with soft-bristled toothbrush

vi) Use appropriate toothpaste to clean your teeth and mouth surfaces. Make sure to apply mild to moderate toothpaste that contain fluoride. Strong toothpaste should be avoided

vii) Take your dentures off and clean them between meals

viii) Keep your mouth and whole system well-hydrated. Drink adequate water everyday to fight dehydration. Adequate moisture allow your sore to heal fast

ix) Avoid spicy foods, cigarettes and other aggravating factors.

Water for good health is an idea that goes back centuries. It is an old belief that an average person should drink at least ’8 glasses of water’ a day.

A lot of people believe that drinking water throughout the day can cure many diseases. But the ’8 glasses of water’ per day is just a rule of thumb, not an absolute standard.

Some people force themselves to drink water throughout the day and facing some small problems as well.

According to some kidney experts of the Pennsylvania University, drinking increased amount of water throughout the day is not beneficial for health. Moreover, they said (Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, April 2008), “since water is cleared from the gastrointestinal tract very quickly, it is likely that people who try to diet by not changing their food consumption and just drinking water, will be hungry between meals”.

There has yet to be a study that compares two groups of people and weight loss through water consumption.

In general, to remain healthy one need to drink enough water to replace the amount we lose daily through excretion, perspiration and other body functions. But that amount can vary from person to person. Different things are important like surrounding weather, physical condition and one’s activity level.

In fact, total water intake includes water in other beverages, and the water in food. But how do we know whether we are drinking enough water or not? Some experts say, “If you are not thirsty, your fluid intake is probably ok.” That is why marathon runners and bikers all need to recognise the signs of dehydration.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice. And certainly people in hot or in dry climates have increased need for water. They need to understand the importance of dehydration.

A German physician, Wilhelm Hufeland (1764-1836), who practiced natural medicine and vitalism, was one of the early promoters of ’8-10 glasses of water’ a day. He and some other practitioners encouraged their followers to drink lots of water for curative properties and to flush out toxins and impurities. He wrote, “fresh spring or mineral water, was the best drink and an excellent means of prolonging life.” He also added, “Many special curative properties were attributed to fresh, cold water – which was a fortifier of the stomach and nerves.”

Drinking 8 glasses water was rarely questioned until Dr. Valtin’s important investigation in 2002. He tries to find any scientific justification for drinking so much water. Dr. Valtin conducted a 10-month review of the scientific literature and historic documents and interviewed many medical experts. He also tried to uncover a definitive science-based origin for the above conventional recommendation.

Than again, it does not mean that we do not need to drink water. Water is important to maintain a healthy body.

Our body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Water transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs. Blood is mostly water, and our muscles, lungs and brain also contain a lot of water. Our body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs.

Anyhow, these views about water have certainly helped the plastic bottled water industries. But remember, bottled water available in our local markets is mostly purified waters. They are not mineral waters. And clearly, we need better sources of information about this bottled water as well.

Time has come to say, few cups a day — keep the doctor away. I am talking about green tea.

It is produced from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis by some special processes. High in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and a whole swing of anti-aging and cancer fighting compounds, green tea is great. It is wildly being used as a significant part of a healthy diet.

Antioxidants are an important factor in achieving finest health. An antioxidant known as Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is at least 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells from harmful influence.

Ancient Chinese people have always used it for medical purposes and it is a part of Chinese history. In Japanese tradition, learned scholars wrote whole volumes on the importance of green tea.

Recent studies show that green tea restrains the spread of disease. It has a variety of antibacterial and antiviral properties. It is good to fight against cold to food poisoning. It is good for oral hygiene as it destroys bacteria that cause plaque and bad breath. It closes main receptors that produce allergic reactions.

Studies show that drinking green tea is related to reductions in body fat. According to one Study, green tea can burn 35-43 per cent more fat during the day when one drinks 3-5 cups.

The University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medical study shows that it reduces the fat deposits under the skin and in our belly area. Researchers found that Green tea prevents one from gaining weight by stopping the movement of sugar into body’s fat cells and also burns fat by increasing body metabolism.

The International Journal of Obesity states that green tea contains polyphenols which causes body to produce heat that burn body fat. Several polyphenols also keep cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body. Study after study has found that drinking regular green tea can decrease the risk of breast, stomach, esophagus, colon, and/or prostate cancer. Some green tea studies prove that it lowers blood sugar.

Green tea is involved in reducing thrombosis cases — one of the main causes of strokes and heart attacks. It reduces the level of cholesterol in blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. It also reduces high blood pressure by repressing angiotensin-II. Polyphenols keep blood vessels from contracting and raising blood pressure. It is said to be useful to treat impaired immune function and rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea also destroys free radicals that cause aging.

The New Year has just started. It is the perfect time for a fresh start. Many people are planning to make resolutions in health for the New Year to improve their life such as losing weight, exercising more, getting more organised or quitting smoking. But none of these will be effective without a proper health checklist, something that prioritises the important things you need to do this year, this decade and for the rest of your life. All you require is a roadmap to hit the highway to better health. The following things can help you to make 2009 your year of good health.

Control your weight
Measure your height and weight to figure out your body mass index (BMI). Or just measure your waist. Abdominal fat is a major health hazard for men. Risk mounts with waist sizes above 37.5 inches, and measurements of 40 inches and above are truly dangerous. Eat fewer calories and burn up more in exercise.

Eat right
Cut down on saturated fat and cholesterol by limiting red meat, whole-fat dairy products and egg yolk. Avoid fats in stick margarine, fried foods and many snack and junk foods. Eat lots of fishes. Load up on whole-grain products instead of refined grains and simple sugars. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Cut down on sodium (salt). And if you need to shed excess pounds, reduce your portion size, avoid calorie-dense foods, and cut your overall caloric intake.

Avoid tobacco
If you are a smoker, quitting is your first priority. Counselling and support groups can help in this regard. With physician’s advice you can use nicotine-replacement therapy or prescription medications, such as bupropion and varenicline (drugs used for cessation of smoking). Even if you do not smoke, you should resolve to help a buddy or relative who needs to kick the habit. And remember to protect yourself and your family by steering clear of secondhand smoke.

Exercise regularly
You do not have to hit the gym or train for a marathon to benefit from exercise. Build physical activity into your daily schedule. Take the stairs, do household chores, play active games with your kids. Above all, walk whenever and wherever you can. Aim for at least 30 minutes of walking a day, either all at once or in smaller chunks. If you have diseases like asthma that do not allow more exercise or need special precaution then consult with your physician.

Reduce stress
Figure out what makes you tense and then try to change the things you can control. Talk over your problems and worries. Get enough sleep. Do things that are fun, especially with people you like. Avoid TV broadcasts and tabloids. Exercise to burn off stress. Avoid caffeine if it makes you jittery. Do not try to medicate yourself with alcohol or drugs. Learn to appreciate and enjoy life’s many little pleasures. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing. Talk to your doctor if you need more help.

Protect yourself from infection
Be sure your immunisations are up to date. If you are ill, protect others by avoiding crowds and coughing into a tissue. Wash your hands often, and use an alcohol-based hand rub. Protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases.

Prevent accidents and injuries
Many result from careless behavior. Wear seatbelts and drive defensively. Check your house for clutter and cords that might trip you up. Hold the handrail when walking stairs.

Avoid environmental hazards
These include air pollution, pesticides and toxins, contaminated food and radiation. Remember that excessive sunlight is toxic to your skin. These include air pollution, pesticides and toxins, contaminated food and radiation. Remember that excessive sunlight is toxic to your skin.

Get good medical care
See your doctor regularly. Know your numbers cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and weight. Take your medication as directed. Keep a record of your major illnesses and tests, your medications, and your allergies. Listen to your body and let your doctor know if you do not feel well.

If it seems like a lot, it is. But there are 12 months in 2009 and only 10 resolutions. Pick the ones you need most, change slowly, and get your family and friends to sign on to your resolutions for health. Above all, do not give up if you slip from time to time. Your goal is not perfection, but health. Take the long view and keep plugging away. Any progress you make in 2009 will give you a leg up for 2010 and beyond. If you make 2009 your health year, it will be a happy new year.