Women’s Health

Women are the pillars of strength of any family. In the different roles they play of being a mother, wife, sister or daughter they nurture their family members. As they are busy managing their professional and personal lives they often ignore their own health. It’s time that women prioritise their health too and do not procrastinate doctor visits. As families we must encourage and treat women equally so that their health is not ignored.

Today women are juggling their work, family and social life; with most of them feeling constantly worn out and stressed. While playing multiple roles, they ignore their own health and well being.

Here are some common health mistakes which women make and how they can be corrected:

• Never ignore severe leg pain – Working women and housewives must never ignore severe leg pain since it can be an indication of peripheral artery diseases (PAD), caused due to blockages in the blood vessels.
• Monitor your BP – Signs could be misleading. There is a common misconception that an easy to recognize indication of low and high blood pressure is feeling dizzy or fatigued. The truth is that both hypotension and hypertension are silent diseases and often go undiagnosed.
• Not exercising or walking during pregnancy – It is very important that you do some activity during this time. Exercise during pregnancy does wonders for you. It helps prepare you for childbirth and gets your body back in shape once the baby is born.
• Improper use of contraceptives and hygiene products – Taking good care of your vagina is an important part of staying healthy. When it comes to vaginal care, women can misconstrue serious symptoms such as abnormal bleeding or pain, two things that should never be ignored.
• Use hygiene products carefully – Contraceptives and hygiene products such as diaphragms, cervical caps, tampons, condoms and- spermicides, may cause vaginal irritation and infections, more so, if used improperly. These products should be used according to the ections given with each of them to avoid vaginal irritation and infection.
• Learn to live with menopausal symptoms – One of the biggest mistakes women make during this time is thinking they have to learn to live with menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, vaginal dryness and urinary problems. Seek medical help and counselling of required.
• Pay attention – Don’t ignore even common symptoms such as sweat spells, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort, right arm pain, tiredness – these all could indicate an underlying heart disease
• Get your numbers checked – Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease significantly more in women than in men. Get your numbers checked – cholesterol level, blood pressure, sugar level, ejection fraction (echo test); knowing your heart health goes a long way to ward off heart disease.
• Exercise to avoid osteoporosis – Women tend to take exercising lightly which makes them prone to developing osteoporosis. No weight control, especially after pregnancy, leads to joint and back pain. Women must engage in regular exercising and jogging.
• Take vitamin D supplements – Do not ignore the ill-effects of imbalanced Vitamin D in the body. So keep your Vitamin D levels checked at all times.

Being a women does not mean ignoring your health or sacrificing for others. Treat yourself equally important as other family members and take good care of your health. For any concerns about your reproductive health please consult our Gynaecology and Obstetrics department on the below link:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/gynaecologyobstetrics.html

Dengue is one of the most common diseases to plague the people of India. Dengue is caused by the  Aedes aegypti mosquito and is caused by one of the four dengue viruses. Once you’re infected with the dengue virus, you develop resistance against it and are immune to it for the rest of your life. However you can still be infected by the other three viruses. It’s also possible to get infected by all 4 viruses in your lifetime. The virus’s symptoms may start appearing within 3-4 days of it entering your body and stay till about at least 10 days.

The symptoms include the common ones such as fever, nausea, vomiting, body ache, fatigue as well as redness and rashes and mild bleeding from the mouth and gums. The symptoms range from mild to severe depending upon your immunity and the severity of the infection. Getting your blood tested is the only one way to diagnose a patient for Dengue.

A more severe form of dengue fever is dengue hemorrhagic fever, which begins much like the “mild” form but then progresses to symptoms that can include nosebleed and signs of bleeding under the skin, known as petechiae. This form of dengue can be fatal. The more severe versions of Dengue need more attention and sometimes the patient needs to be hospitalized. The patient may need IV drip hydration, blood pressure control, blood transfusions and platelets transfusions.

Dengue is a growing threat to public health in India and is thought to kill at least 20,000 people a year, while infecting many millions more. India suffers particularly from dengue, especially during the monsoon period. The puddles of still water in the cities become breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito, the vector responsible for spreading the illness. There is a misconception that all mosquitoes only breed in dirty, stagnant water. In fact, the dengue mosquito also breeds in water that is clean enough to drink.

Prevention is always better than cure and in the case of Dengue this statement holds true. While there is no vaccine for dengue yet, so the best way is to avoid mosquito bites and areas heavily populated with mosquitoes. It is a wise idea to cover your windows with anti-mosquito nets and keep the doors closed especially during dusk. If you can’t stop the mosquitoes from entering your home, use a mosquito net while sleeping.

India has the world’s highest dengue burden, with 34% of the dengue cases in the world occurring in India. Rather than 20,000 annual cases it is estimated that 5.8 million Indians suffer from dengue every year. The disparity in cumbers is due to the fact that many cases are unreported or treated in private hospitals. Cases of dengue fever usually rise during and just after the rainy season, or June through October.

Here are a few measures, which can help to avoid dengue:

1. The best way to guard against the disease is to make sure there are no containers outside the house such as on a balcony or in a garden where rain water can collect. Hygienic surroundings are less likely to breed mosquitos. So don’t let trash like tires, tubes, and coconut shells sit outside the house.
2. If you do have pots of water, be careful not to leave them uncovered: Keep a lid on buckets and especially overhead water tanks. Check that the water emitted from air conditioners does not collect and become a breeding place for mosquitos. If you do keep potted plants, ensure that water does not accumulate in the pot.
3. Unlike other mosquitoes, the Aedes aegypti is a daytime feeder, meaning  it’s  important not to become exposed at peak biting times in the early morning and just before dusk.
4. The mosquito generally bites below the knee, so wear clothes that at least cover your calves, ankles and feet. Make sure children going out wear clothes that cover their arms, legs and feet completely. You could also use mosquito repellent creams and lotions on exposed skin, and sprays on clothes for extra protection. One can also use mosquito-repellent patches and mosquito nets when sleeping.
5. Dengue, also known as “break bone fever” causes very severe joint and muscular pain. Consult a doctor if you have any symptoms of dengue such as fever, severe headache particularly in the forehead, nausea or vomiting.

In more than 90% of the cases, dengue is treatable. There isn’t any treatment for the virus, but because the patient’s platelet count can drop significantly – in some cases causing fatal internal bleeding – they must be closely monitored by a doctor. Medicines can be given for other accompanying infections like fever and relief from pain. It is also important that dengue patients stay hydrated at all times.

It’s best to stay smart and avoid mosquito bites to stay away from dengue. If you or a loved one is suffering from Dengue, get in touch with our doctors for further assistance. Please find below website details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/patients/makeanappointment.html

Motherhood is the greatest of all joys. The journey from pregnancy to infant stage to toddlers till teenagers is a great experience but can get difficult at times especially taking a toll on your health. Mothers have to juggle between many responsibilities irrespective of being a working or a stay at home mom. From the seemingly endless sleepless nights and toil of the new-born weeks to the patience-testing times of toddlerhood and then the grey-hair inducing times of parenting teenagers. Being a mother can be exhausting. Taking your kids to loads of extracurricular activities, reading stories, packing school tiffins, looking after their overall development, assisting them in school projects, the list is endless. This Mother’s Day take a break, spend a few minutes by yourself and pay special attention to your health too.

Mothers across the world are conditioned to put the needs of children and family ahead of their own. However, it’s good, occasionally, to put yourself first – and this is also good for your family! Mother’s tend to ignore their fitness routine, ignore healthy meals, and overall health issues. They tend to procrastinate a doctor visit or take medications only when it is the last resort. This often harms the body and may make the disease even more serious and difficult to treat. While juggling between motherhood, work life and social commitments a mother’s health often takes a backseat and manifests as a host of different medical conditions. With the kind of hectic lifestyles and sedentary jobs that many of us have, there are many lifestyle diseases that mothers are being affected with.

Here are a few health precautions to take care of your health :

• Manage headaches better. Headaches are a classic manifestation of stress, dehydration and sleep deprivation, all conditions that are common among mothers. Many women are starved of adequate sleep because of workplace priorities and responsibilities at home. Make sure you are well rested and sufficiently hydrated.
• Eat a healthy diet and take minerals and vitamins if necessary. Treat yourself to some basic skin care routine. Avoid junk foods and focus on multi coloured fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Make to do lists. It helps you manage work and home life better without forgetting things. Thus avoiding stressful situations.
• Long hours spent hunched over a desk and the weight of carrying your tot around may cause backaches. Regular movement is key to preventing deep-seated back pain. It is important to avoid dropping your shoulders while seated and keep changing positions, to avoid stressing specific areas of your body.
• Are you anxious all the time? A combination of motherhood and corporate life can stir up a wealth of overwhelming emotions. Multi-tasking can take a toll on mental health and peace of mind and lead to stress and frenzy. You may have a million priorities that leave little time for self-care. Whether it is unwinding with a coffee, connecting with a friend or hitting the gym it is important in keeping anxiety at bay and connecting with your inner self.
• New moms, are you facing the dreaded Mastitis? Working moms who are still nursing may find it a challenge to pump breast milk regularly at the workplace. However, if breast milk is left to accumulate for long periods, it can lead to engorgement, blocked milk ducts and mastitis. Mastitis is a painful condition that can warrant an antibiotic-based treatment plan. Setting aside time to pump milk is essential.. Seek medical help immediately if you are suffering from Mastitis.
• Balancing a home life, career and kids can compromise eating habits of moms, leaving many deficient in iron and vitamin B12. For moms who are still nursing, this depletion exhibits amplified effects. A nutritious meal plan is the best way to stock your body with essential nutrients. However, if you still fall short on the nutrition scale, speak to your doctor about seeking multivitamin and iron supplements.
• Take care of your maternal health. Pregnancy complications lead to many maternal deaths of which a majority of the cases could be avoided if women received timely and effective care.

This Mother’s Day, gift yourself a resolution to make your health a priority. As the backbone of your family, nobody deserves this more than you do. So this mother’s day, celebrate motherhood and support improvements to maternal health.