Health Wikipedia

The harmful effects of smoking. Studies show that smokers are five times more likely than that of the nonsmokers to have gum disease. For smokers with diabetes, the risk is even greater. If you are a smoker, diabetic and age 45 or order, you are 20 times more likely than a person without these risk factors to get severe gum disease.

Smoking increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes
Some recent research shows there is a significant relationship between diabetes and smoking. The more you smoke, the more chance you have of getting diabetes. If you smoke 16 to 25 cigarettes a day, your risk for type 2 diabetes is 3 times greater than a non-smoker. When you quite smoking, your risk decreases during the years that follow.

Smoking affects the way insulin works in your body
In type 2 diabetes, the body does not respond to insulin made by the pancreas. Insulin helps blood glucose enter into the cells for fuel. When you smoke, your body is less able to respond to insulin. When your body resists insulin, your glucose level increase in the blood. Resistance does not start to reverse until you do not smoke for 10 to 12 hours.

Smoking makes it harder to control your diabetes
Studies show that smokers have poorer glucose control than non-smokers do. Smokers who quit have the same blood glucose control as non-smokers. When you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, glucose control is very important. The HbA1c test checks how well you control your glucose level over 3 months. The goal is to keep your A1c at 7 percent or less. When you have diabetes and you smoke, your A1c level increases. If you quit smoking, your A1c level may decrease to the same level as a non-smokers.

Smoking increases your risk for getting other problems from diabetes
When you have diabetes and smoking habit, your chances are greater for getting other health problems form diabetes — complications. You can get serious eye problems, kidney problems, nerve problems, heart and blood vessel disease and so on.

Even for people who do not have diabetes but smoke, the risk of getting other health problems is greater. The more and the longer you smoke, the more your risk increases. Smoking and diabetes together greatly increase the danger of getting complications. To lower your risk, you must control your glucose levels and quit smoking. Diabetic people will be benefitted in many ways when they quit smoking.

Experts’ views
All smokers need stop smoking in a clear, strong and personalised manner. Ask every tobacco user if s/he is willing to make and attempt to stop smoking at this time (within the next 30 days for example).

Assist all people with smoking cessation. For those unwilling to attempt cessation at this time, stress the 5 R’s.

Relevance: provide individualised information on the hazards of smoking.

Risks: Emphasise the increased risks of heart disease and diabetes complications arising from the combination of smoking and diabetes.

Rewards: Review benefits of smoking cessation.

Roadblocks: Assure people of your willingness to assist in their efforts to stop smoking.

Repetition: Review people’s thoughts about cessation during their following visit.

Key messages
* Review major steps of smoking cessation

* Set a date to stop smoking

* Identify likely relapse triggers and make specific plans for coping with them before stopping smoking

* Assess for nicotine replacement therapy

* Discuss any concerns about weight gain and other concerns related to diabetes

* Make referral for additional smoking cessation support, prescribe nicotine replacement, provide self-help materials, or otherwise assist in a specific plan

* Arrange for ongoing contact

* Schedule follow-up contact either in person or via telephone

* Follow-up contact should occur soon after the date set to stop smoking, preferably within the first week.

Adopting a healthy vegetarian diet is not as simple as scraping meat off your plate and eating what is left. You need to take extra steps to ensure you are meeting your daily nutritional needs. Find out what you need to know about a plant-based diet.

Vegetarian diet planning
A healthy vegetarian diet consists primarily of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Because the emphasis is on nonmeat food sources, a vegetarian diet generally contains less fat and cholesterol, and typically includes more fiber.

Meat alternatives
Milk: Drink fortified soymilk, rice milk or almond milk in place of cow’s milk.

Butter: When sautéing, use olive oil, water, vegetable broth, wine or fat-free cooking spray instead of butter. In baked goods, use canola oil.

Cheese: Use soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, which are available in health food stores.

Eggs: In baked goods, try commercial egg replacers a dry product made mostly of potato starch.

Ensuring adequate nutrition
A vegan diet, for example, eliminates food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are a good source of calcium. Other nutrients, such as iron and zinc, are available in a meatless diet, but you need to make an extra effort to ensure they are in yours.

Protein: Your body needs protein to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Vegetarians who eat eggs or dairy products have convenient sources of protein. Other sources of protein include soy products, meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Calcium: This mineral helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Low-fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli, are good sources of calcium. Tofu enriched with calcium and fortified soy milk and fruit juices are other options.

Vitamin B-12: Your body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. Vegans can get vitamin B-12 from some enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin.

Iron: Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.

Zinc: This mineral is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. Good sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ.

Since no single food provides all of the nutrients that your body needs, eating a wide variety helps ensure that you get the necessary nutrients and other substances that promote good health.

A huge number of people develop foot pain in their 60s. Usually they think that foot pain is a part of the aging process and accept it walking with pain. But it can start as early as the 20s and 30s as well. With simple measures like proper footwear and regular exercise can play an important role in preventing foot problems.

On an average, healthy people walk the equivalent of three times around the Earth in their lifetime. That is a matter of enormous wear and tear on the 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles that make up the foot.

Excessive weight, diabetes and circulation problems can contribute to foot pain. The most common foot conditions that occur with age are arthritic joints, thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the sole), bunions (enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe), poor circulation and fungal nails. The following questions will help you assess whether you should take more preventive action as you age.

Are you overweight? The force on your feet is about 120 percent of your weight. It can lead to plantar fasciitis and heel pain and can worsen hammertoes and bunions. It is also a risk factor for diabetes, leading to the next question.

Are you diabetic? Being farthest from the heart, the feet can be the first part of the body to manifest complications like poor circulation and loss of feeling, both of which can lead to poor wound healing and amputation. Diabetics should have their feet examined annually by a doctor and avoid shoes that cause abrasions and pressure.

Do you have poor circulation? If you suffer from peripheral artery disease — a narrowing of veins in the legs — your feet are more susceptible to problems. Smoking also contributes to poor circulation.

Do your parents complain about their feet? Family history is probably your biggest clue to potential problems.

Do your shoes fit? Feet flatten and lengthen with age, so if you are clinging to the shoe size you wore at age 21, get your feet measured (especially mothers — pregnancy expands feet).

Do your feet ever see the light of day? Fungus thrives in a warm, moist environment. Choose moisture-wicking socks (not cotton), use antifungal powders and air out your toes at home.

Do you walk? Putting more mileage on your feet is the best way to exercise the muscles and keep them healthy.

– Dr Md Rajib Hossain –

Fitness programmes abound, from yoga and Pilates to step aerobics and strength training — either at home or in a gym. So which type of fitness programme is best for you? Use these 6 simple steps to find out.

Step 1: Assess your fitness level
You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can help you set your fitness goals and measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording:

* Your pulse rate before and after a one-mile walk

* How long it takes to walk one mile

* How many push-ups you can do at a time

* How far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you

* Your waist circumference at the level of your navel

* Your body mass index

You may also want to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise programme, especially if you have been sedentary or you have any chronic medical conditions.

Step 2: Determine your fitness goals
Keeping your fitness level in mind, think about why you want to start a fitness programme. Perhaps your doctor has suggested that you start a fitness programme to lose weight. If you are already active, perhaps you want to rev up your fitness programme to prepare for a 5K race or get ready for a favorite sport. Having clear goals can help you stay motivated.

Step 3: Consider your likes and dislikes
Next think about the types of physical activities you enjoy most. After all, a fitness programme does not need to be drudgery. You are more likely to keep up with a fitness programme you enjoy.

If you love riding your bicycle, consider a spinning class. If you have a blast on the dance floor, an aerobics class that includes dance moves would be a good bet. If you are a social person and like to be active with others, a gym or health club membership may be the ticket. If you prefer to exercise alone or you find health clubs intimidating, exercises you can do at home may be best.

Step 4: Think variety
Varying your activities (cross-training) can keep exercise boredom at bay. Cross-training also reduces the risk of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint.

When you plan your fitness programme, consider alternating among activities that emphasise different parts of your body — walking, swimming and strength training, for example.

Step 5: Do the math
By now, you probably have a sense of which type of physical activities might be best for you. But you also need to make sure that your choices are in line with your budget.

If a gym membership or home exercise equipment is too pricey, consider cheaper options for getting in shape. You can base a fitness programme around brisk daily walks and inexpensive hand-held weights or resistance bands. You might consider buying used exercise equipment — or sharing the cost with a friend.

Step 6: Go for it!
You have thought through your likes and dislikes and the pros and cons of various types of fitness programs. Now it is time to get physical! Remember to start slowly and build up intensity gradually.

Each workout puts you one step closer to reaching your fitness goals. If you get bored or lose interest in your fitness programme, do not be afraid to try something new. Reassess your fitness level and set new fitness goals. The result? A future of improved fitness and better health.

Knowing the symptoms of a heart attack can save your life, the life of a loved one, or even the life of a complete stranger. When it comes to a heart attack, time is everything. The sooner you get medical treatment, the better your chances of surviving a heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, the classic warning signs are:

* An uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, then disappears and returns.

* Pain that radiates to the shoulders, stomach, back, arms, neck, or jaw.

* Chest discomfort with dizziness, fainting, nausea, sweating, fluttering heartbeat, or shortness of breath

Women may also have these warning signs, which are less common:

* Unusual chest pain, stomach, or abdominal pain, which may feel like indigestion or the need to belch.

* Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.

* Unexplained weakness, fatigue, or anxiety.

* Palpitations (an irregular heart beat), rapid heart beat, paleness, or breaking into a cold sweat.

* Pain in the jaw or back.

If you or anyone you know is having these symptoms, get to a hospital immediately. Not all the symptoms show up in every attack. Do not wait, because the heart muscle starts to die during an attack and every minute counts. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

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.