Sunday, October 30, 2011

20 different ways in which OBESITY can kill YOU!!

1.       Brain: Stroke also called cerebrovascular stroke. The arteries supplying blood to the brain can become clogged by fatty deposits causing blood supply to the brain to be cut-off leading to death of brain cells and stroke.
2.       Heart: Heart attack. The arteries supplying blood to the heart (called coronary arteries) can become clogged by fatty deposits causing blood supply to the heart to be cut-off leading to death of some of the heart cells leading to a Myocardial Infarction or heart attack.
3.       Lungs/Airway: Breathing difficulties, sleep apnea (condition where there is a pause in your breathing for a short period and/or shallow breaths while your asleep). Asthma is also more common in people who are obese
4.       Arteries: Elevated blood pressure
5.       Wrist: Carpal Tunnel syndrome (caused by the compression of a nerve in the wrist) leading to pain, numbness, tingling, and significantly reduced grip strength
6.       Breast: Cancer, particularly in women who have entered menopause
2 SIMPLE MEASURES OF OBESITY
7.       Liver: Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver along with reduced liver functioning) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver cells)
8.       Gallbladder: Gall stones. Studies have linked higher cholesterol levels to development of gall stones
9.       Esophagus: Cancer
10.   Stomach: Cancer
11.   Immune System: Reduced resistance to diseases and disease-causing micro-organisms
12.   Kidneys: Increased weight increase the load on your kidneys leading to an increased incidence of kidney failure in the obese.
13.   Pancreas: The obese are at a greater risk of developing increased blood sugar levels and Type-II diabetes
14.   Colon and Rectum: Bowel cancer
15.   Reproductive System: Reduced fertility, labor complications in pregnant women, development of endometrial cancer
16.   Urinary Bladder: Incontinence (Leakage of urine when you laugh, lift weights etc.)
17.   Bones: Arthritis
18.   Vein: Deep vein Throbosis (DVT) - Blood clots in the veins that can be fatal
19.   Feet: Pain particularly in the heel
20.   Lifespan: Being obese reduces your lifespan by 3 to 10 years





Friday, October 28, 2011

The lymphatic system and lymphedema following breast cancer: Part-3 -Simple tips to manage lymphadema.

Post written by Ramesh Venkatraman
In part-1 we looked at the role and functions of the lymphatic system [CLICK TO READ Part-1] and in part-2 of this series we discussed lymphadema in women who have undergone treatment/surgery for breast cancer [CLICK TO READ Part-2]. In this final section we will discuss ways and methods to prevent and manage lymphedema. A few simple yoga exercises for the hand are also included which should help in reducing constriction around the affected area, improve blood circulation, any flush out any collected fluid. Always consult your physician before trying any exercise.

        I.            Avoid infections and injury:

a.       Keep your hands soft and moist with the help of a moisturizer
b.      Keep your nails short but remember not to cut your nails too close to the skin
c.       Always keep your hands and fingers clean
d.      Wear protective gloves while doing household chores particularly when you are cutting vegetables, washing dishes, gardening etc.
e.      Always wear a thimble while sewing
f.        Avoid burns (chemical, fire, oil, sun-burn)
g.       Avoid extremes of weather (extreme cold or extreme heat) - Dress appropriately when you cannot avoid going out during extreme weather conditions
h.      Avoid constrictive, tight clothes, jewelry
i.          Carry briefcases, bags in your hand, avoid using the shoulder strap as it can constrict your shoulder area
j.        Wear a compression sleeve during long flights as cabin pressure may trigger lymphedema
k.        If your blood has to be drawn (for testing) or if you have to take an injection do it in the unaffected arm. If both arms are affected, see if the injection can be given in the thigh
  
      II.            Caring for cuts, abrasions, and burns:

a.       Wash and clean the affected area with soap and water and also with a antiseptic solution like Dettol or Savlon
b.      Apply an over the counter topical ointment (like Soframycin). If you are not sure, talk to your doctor
c.       If the injury is extensive wrap a gauze bandage and change the dressing every day. Call your doctor if the bleeding persists
d.      Observe the injury to see if there is any sign of infection, pus formation, inflammation (swelling), increased redness and/or heat or if fever develops - Cal your doctor immediately
e.      In case of burns, hold the affected under running water or apply a cold water pack for 15 minutes and then apply a dressing as above - If the burn is sever, go to your doctor immediately
  
    III.            Exercise moderately but avoid muscle strain:

a.       Exercise regularly and moderately but do not overstrain
b.      If your arm starts to ache lie down and keep your arm raised above the level of your chest/heart till the discomfort goes away
c.       Avoid sudden, jerky, vigorous, repeated activity. Also avoid any heavy lifting, or pulling
d.      Avoid weight gain

A few simple yoga exercises you could do on a daily basis:

        I.            Mushtika Bandhana (Hand Clenching):

1)      Sit either cross-legged on the floor or if you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor sit in a chair
2)      Hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder level
3)      Open your palms wide, facing down, and stretch your fingers as far apart as possible
4)      Inhale deeply and hold for a few seconds (you should feel comfortable, you can increase the duration as you become more regular in your practice)
5)      Now slowly close your fingers into a fist, with the thumb inside the other four fingers (see figure). Clench and hold
6)      Exhale
7)      Repeat 5-10 times

      II.            Manibandha Naman (Wrist Bending):

1)      Sit either cross-legged on the floor or if you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor sit in a chair
2)      Hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder level
3)      Bend your hand at the wrist with palms open and fingers pointing upwards. Imagine you are pushing against a wall
4)      Inhale deeply and hold for a few seconds (you should feel comfortable, you can increase the duration as you become more regular in your practice)
5)      Now slowly bend your hands in the opposite direction so that in the final position your fingers are facing down. (see figure)
6)      Exhale
7)      Keep your elbows straight throughout the exercise, do not bend your fingers
8)      Repeat 5-10 times

    III.            Manibandha Chakra (Wrist Rotation):

1)      Sit either cross-legged on the floor or if you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor sit in a chair
2)      Hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder level
3)      Clench your fingers into a fist with the four fingers wrapped around the thumb (as in the hand clenching exercise)
4)      With the fist facing downwards, slowly rotate the fist around the wrist. The elbows and arms should remain perfectly straight, only your wrists should move
5)      If you find this difficult initially, you could start with one hand supporting the other and then repeating with the other arm
6)      Breathe normally
7)      Repeat 5-10 times


    IV.            Kehuni Naman (Elbow bending):

1)      Sit either cross-legged on the floor or if you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor sit in a chair
2)      Hold your arms out in front of you at shoulder level, with the palms facing up and inhale (Take a deep breath)
3)      Bend your arm at the elbow and slowly bring it up towards your shoulders so that the fingers gently rest on your shoulders
4)      Exhale
5)      Straighten your arms slowly and go back to the starting position (See figure)
6)      Inhale
7)      Repeat 5-10 times


      V.            Skandha Chakra (Shoulder rotation):

1)      Sit either cross-legged on the floor or if you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor sit in a chair
2)      Place the fingers of your left hand on your left shoulder and the fingers of your right hand on your right shoulder
3)      The arms should be at the same level as your shoulder (See image)
4)      Now slowly rotate your arms first in the clockwise direction and then the anticlockwise direction (3-5 times each)
5)      See if you can touch your elbows during the forward stroke (Do not strain yourself, it will happen on its own with practice and improved flexibility)
6)      See if you can touch the back of your palms to your ears during the upward stroke (Again, do not strain yourself, it will happen on its own with practice and improved flexibility)
7)      See image for greater clarity
8)      Inhale during the upward stroke and exhale during the downward stroke (If you find it hard to coordinate your breathing with the exercise initially, do not bother, focus on the exercise, the breathing will fall in place on its own

All images courtesy: http://rashmirastogi.blogspot.com
Links to original images:Wrist exercises  Shoulder/Elbow exercises

Friday, October 21, 2011

The lymphatic system and lymphadema following breast cancer: Part-2 -Infections of the lymph nodes & lymphadema

Post written by Ramesh Venkatraman

As we saw in part-1, the lymph nodes play an extremely important role in filtering out harmful bacteria, abnormal/cancerous cells, and other harmful substances from our bodies. CLICKTO READ PART-1
Usually this biological filter works perfectly but in certain cases, the lymph nodes can themselves become infected by the very same bacteria that they trap! A slice-of-life example is when a child has an injury/infection in the hand and the pediatrician feels the elbow or armpits - he is actually feeling the lymph nodes to see if there is any swelling and/or tenderness which are usually signs of an infection.
In women the breast is an organ that is richly innervated by the lymphatic vessels [See illustration showing lymphatic drainage of breast]. It is because of this rich network of lymphatic vessels that quite often cancer of the breast spreads quickly to the lymph nodes as well requiring (in some instances) removal of affected lymph nodes and lymph vessels as well along with the breast, a procedure called mastectomy.
Image Source: American Cancer Society; www.cancer.org
Removing lymph nodes and vessels makes it harder for the lymphatic fluid in the region of the breast, armpit and arm to flow out of this area. If the remaining lymph vessels are able to compensate and cover for the loss of these lymph vessels then the drainage of the breast and upper arms continues as before. However if the remaining lymph vessels cannot drain all of the fluid from these areas, then the excess fluid builds up and causes swelling of the arm, shoulder etc. This condition is called lymphedema.
Even if surgical removal of the breast/lymph nodes is not indicated and the breast cancer is treated with chemotherapy and radiation it can lead to destruction of certain lymph nodes/vessels. This may again lead to the same condition called lymphedema.
The swelling in lymphedema can range from mild to severe and may start soon after surgery or radiation treatment. In some women it may begin months or even years after surgery/therapy. As a general thumb rule women who have had many lymph nodes removed and women who have had radiation therapy for breast cancer are at a greater risk of developing lymphedema.  There is no cure for lymphedema, but it can be controlled (we will read more in the concluding part of this article). 

Symptoms of lymphedema include:

  1. Swelling in the affected part, usually the arm in case of women who have undergone mastectomy or radiation therapy for breast cancer
  2. Restricted range of motion in the affected limb along with a general feeling of heaviness
  3. Numbness and ache
  4. Recurring infections
  5. Sometimes there may be a hardening or thickening of the skin in the affected limb.
End of Part-2. In part-3 we will look at some simple tips and home remedies for managing lympedema

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The lymphatic system and lymphadema following breast cancer: Part-1 - Lymph & lymph nodes, their role in human health

Post written by Ramesh Venkatraman
Breast cancer among women is on the rise across the world and also in India. In this 3-part article we will look at the lymphatic system and its role in human health (part-1), lymphadema following breast cancer therapy (part-2),and in part-3 we will look at some simple and natural methods in managing lymphadema, a common condition that occurs in women post breast cancer therapy.

The circulatory system:
Before we look at the lymphatic system, let us briefly look at the normal blood circulatory system in humans. The circulatory system consisting of the blood vessels and blood (along with its constituents) plays a vital role in carrying oxygen and nutrients to the various parts of the body and also in transporting and removing waste products of metabolism. The actual exchange of substances (food and waste) occurs at the level of the capillary beds (a dense minute network of blood vessels). The capillaries are microscopically minute blood vessels made up of only one layer of cells. The capillary walls are so thin that they are actually translucent - It is this “thinness” that makes it possible for substances such as oxygen, glucose, and waste materials to quickly (an easily) pass through their walls, while on their way to or from tissue cells.

The lymphatic circulation:
While the exchange of substances mostly takes place through the circulatory system, certain large substances that cannot enter or return through the micro pores of the capillary including excess of fluid and large-sized protein molecules forms what is called the lymph or lymphatic fluid. Due to the pumping action of the heart, blood pressure is created and blood oozes out of the capillaries into the spaces between tissue cells - In the tissues this fluid is called interstitial fluid or tissue fluid. Most of this fluid goes back into the circulatory system via the same capillary pores. The remainder of the interstitial fluid enters the lymphatic circulatory system flows through the lymphatic ducts and finally is returned back to the circulatory system.

Once the interstitial fluid enters into the lymphatic system it is called lymph. The lymphatic system is made up of a network of tubes similar to the blood vessels but with one major difference. These tubes are “blind-ended” i.e. they are unidirectional; the lymphatic fluid does not take the circular route of blood (going round and round). The lymphatic capillaries are similar to the blood capillaries in that they are also made up of a single layer of cells but differ from the capillaries in the size of their micro pores - These pores are larger and allow larger molecules to enter inside and eventually return back to the general blood circulation.
Image Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Illu_lymphatic_system.jpg

From the lymphatic capillaries, the lymph flows through progressively enlarging vessels lymphatic venules, followed by lymphatic veins. Finally the lymph is emptied into two large lymphatic ducts called the right lymphatic duct and the thoracic duct. 75% of the lymph is emptied into the thoracic duct and the remaining is emptied into the right lymphatic duct. From these ducts, the lymph is emptied into the large veins present in the neck region from where they go back into the general circulation. The lymphatic vessels appear like a string of beads traversing across the body. The bead like appearance is caused by the presence of valves that help the one way flow of lymph.

Lymph nodes and function:
Scattered along the pathway of the lymphatic system are several clusters of lymph nodes. These lymph nodes filter the lymphatic fluid as they traverse across the lymphatic system. This filtering function of the nodes plays an extremely important role of removing dead cells, abnormal, cancerous cells, and bacteria. Without this important biological filtration function dangerous bacteria, cancerous cells etc. would enter the circulatory system and play havoc causing life-threatening infections and diseases. The fact is that in spite of such robust in-built protection infections and diseases do occur.


End of Part-1. In Part-2  we will look at infections of the lymph nodes in general and lymphadema post breast cancer therapy in particular. Click here to go to Part-2

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