Blood Donation

Blood donations are a boon to mankind and can save a million of lives. The noble step can also help patients recover from serious injuries, complex operations, and childbirth. Unfortunately, as a result of lack of knowledge, there is a serious shortage
of blood donors. On this World Blood Donor Day, observed on the 14 th June every year, let us all pledge to actively take part in blood donation. Spread the message of this noble act with your family and friends.

Did you know?

Every two seconds someone needs blood in India and each year our nation requires about 5 crore units. Sadly out of this only a meagre 2.5 crore units of blood are available. Myths about blood donation stop potential donors from considering donating. This World Blood Donor day let’s bust these myths so you can make an informed choice about blood donation.

Here are some blood donation myths and facts:

• You can’t donate blood if you’re diabetic.
  If you take insulin, you are not eligible to donate. The rationale is that donating could interrupt the glucose control of the body, and potentially lead to a hypoglycaemic reaction in the clinic or on the way home. However, if you manage your diabetes with lifestyle or diabetes pills, you may be eligible, depending on your overall health. Ask your doctor about your eligibility.
• You can’t donate blood if you’re a smoker.
  Smokers are indeed eligible to donate, but there are a variety of other eligibility guidelines for donation that may decide your eligibility. Its best to consult a doctor. Note – After donating, it is recommended you avoid smoking for at least 3 hours and not consume alcohol for 24 hours.
• Donating blood is painful.
  Among other important things to know about blood donation , this one is crucial. Giving blood does not hurt. There is a slight prick when they put in the needle, and then you don’t feel much of anything during the donation; maybe an odd feeling in your arm, where the needle is inserted.
• Immune system becomes weak when you donate blood.
  Research suggests that other than a temporary drop in certain immune cells, like circulating serum proteins and antibodies red blood cells return to normal within a few days and white blood cells in a few weeks. If the body needs more antibodies in the bloodstream, it will produce them extremely quickly therefore there is no danger to the immune system.
• Blood donation is a time-consuming process.
  All it takes is 45 minutes to one hour to donate. The donation procedure itself takes about 10 to 12 minutes. But it also takes time to fill out the donor registration form, conduct a mini-medical exam, and rest and enjoy refreshments following a donation.

Know the eligibility criteria:

• Any donor, who is healthy, fit and not suffering from any transmittable diseases can donate blood.
• Donor must be 18 -60 years age and should have a minimum weight of 50 kgs.
• Donor’s Haemoglobin level must be 12.5% minimum.
• A donor can again donate blood after 3 months of the last donation.
• Pulse rate must be between 50 to 100mm without any irregularities.
• Blood Pressure Diastolic 50 to 100 mm Hg and Systolic 100 to 180 mm Hg.
• Body temperature should be normal and oral temperature should not exceed 37.5 degree Celsius.

What makes you Non-Eligible:

• Patients of cardiac arrest, hypertension, kidney alignments or epilepsy.
• Women with a miscarriage history should avoid blood donations for the next 6 months.
• Have undergone malaria treatment within the last three months.
• Any immunization taken within the past one month.
• Consumption of alcohol within the last 24 hours.
• HIV + status
• If donor had a major dental procedure the wait for one month.

Some facts about blood dontion:

• One in 4 people need blood tranfusion once in their life.
• One unit of blood donated can save upto 3 lives.
• Trauma victims can need upto 50 red blood cell units
• Liver transplant patients need 20 red blood cell units
• Heart surgery patients need 6 red blood cell units.
• You can’t make blood, but what you can do is donate. It forms 7% your body weight.
• Blood donation is extremely safe and either sterile needles or disposable needles are used for the purpose.
• If you start donating blood at 18, once every three months by the age of 60 years, you would have saved over 500 lives – being a super hero is sure an extraordinary feat, but you can achieve it by donating blood regularly, thus saving their lives.

How blood donation benefits the donor:

• Lowers cancer risk
• Reduces risk of heart attack
• Maintains weight
• Prevents premature aging
• Maintains balanced iron levels

Our team will be glad to assist you with your blood donation. The Blood Bank at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, thus enabling use of advanced techniques for processing/screening of blood and its components. All mandatory screening for the transfusion transmissible diseases like HIV1 and HIV2, HBV, HCV are done with the more sensitive and specific CMIA and ELISA method. All units are screened for VDRL and Malarial parasite. Feel free to

visit us for any blood donation queries. Please find below link for further details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/clinicaldepartments/transfusionmedicine/blooddonation.html

What is a brain tumor? It is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in your brain. Many different types of brain tumors exist. Some brain tumors are noncancerous (benign), and some brain tumors are cancerous (malignant). Brain tumors can begin in your brain (primary brain tumors), or cancer can begin in other parts of your body and spread to your brain (secondary, or metastatic, brain tumors).

How quickly a brain tumor grows can vary greatly. The growth rate as well as location of a brain tumor determines how it will affect the function of your nervous system. The treatment options depend on the type of brain tumor you have, as well as its size and location.

Over 120 different types of brain tumors have been identified, making universally effective treatments complicated. Both malignant and benign tumors can be life-threatening. The average survival rate for all malignant brain tumor patients is 34.2 percent.

Types of brain tumors:

Primary brain tumors

Primary brain tumors originate in your brain. They can develop from your:

• brain cells
• the membranes that surround your brain, which are called meninges
• nerve cells
• glands

Primary tumors can be benign or cancerous. In adults, the most common types of brain tumors are gliomas and meningiomas.

Secondary brain tumors

Secondary brain tumors make up the majority of brain cancers. They start in one part of the body and spread, or metastasize, to the brain. The following can metastasize to the brain:

• lung cancer
• breast cancer
• kidney cancer
• skin cancer

Secondary brain tumors are always malignant. Benign tumors don’t spread from one part of your body to another.

What are the risk factors for a brain tumor?

• Risk factors for brain tumors include:
• Family history – Only about 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are genetically inherited.
• Age – Risk for most types of brain tumors increases with age.
• Race – Brain tumors in general are more common among Caucasians. However, African-American people are more likely to get meningiomas.
• Chemical exposure – Being exposed to certain chemicals, such as those you might find in a work environment, can increase your risk for brain cancer.
• Exposure to radiation – People who have been exposed to ionizing radiation have an increased risk of brain tumors. You can be exposed to ionizing radiation through high-radiation cancer therapies. You can also be exposed to radiation from nuclear fallout.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor vary greatly and depend on the brain tumor’s size, location and rate of growth.

General signs and symptoms caused by brain tumors may include:

• New onset or change in pattern of headaches
• Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe
• Unexplained nausea or vomiting
• Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision
• Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg
• Difficulty with balance
• Speech difficulties
• Confusion in everyday matters
• Personality or behaviour changes
• Seizures, especially in someone who doesn’t have a history of seizures
• Hearing problems

How are brain tumors diagnosed?

Diagnosis of a brain tumor begins with a physical exam and a look at your medical history. The physical exam includes a very detailed neurological examination. The doctor may also evaluate your:

• muscle strength
• coordination
• memory
• ability to do mathematical calculations

Your doctor may order more tests for examination:

• CT scan of the head
• MRI of the head
• Angiography
• Skull X-rays
• Biopsy

Treatment of brain tumors

The treatment of a brain tumor depends on:

• the type of tumor
• the size of the tumor
• the location of the tumor
• your general health

The most common treatment for malignant brain tumors is surgery. The goal is to remove as much of the cancer as possible without causing damage to the healthy parts of the brain. While the location of some tumors allows for easy and safe removal, other tumors may be located in an area that limits how much of the tumor can be removed. Even partial removal of brain cancer can be beneficial.

Risks of brain surgery include infection and bleeding. Clinically dangerous benign tumors are also surgically removed. Metastatic brain tumors are treated according to guidelines for the type of original cancer.

Surgery can be combined with other treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy can help you to recover after neurosurgery.

Few facts about this dangerous disease:

1. Brain tumours can occur at any age.
2. We don’t know what causes brain tumors. Family history and high dose radiation like X-rays increases your risk.
3. Doctors group brain tumors by grade which means the way the brain cells look under a microscope. A higher grade number means the cells appear more abnormal and the more aggressively the tumour usually behaves.
4. Brain tumors are graded as grade I, grade II, or grade III, or grade IV.

For any brain tumor related symptoms, do consult our neurologists at the centre for Neurosciences, please see below link for details:

https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_neurosciences/braintumor.html

Its result time or India and students across the country are getting their exam results one by one. As they await their results, elements of anxiety and stress may start to emerge. Months of hard work and sustained focus coupled with the pressure of having to make crucial decisions about the immediate and long-term future can leave students feeling overwhelmed. The experience of selecting the right career path, the right university, the right course, deciding whether to have a gap year and how to finance it, devising a realistic Plan B and worrying about what one’s friends will be doing can all play a part in the build-up of stress.

Stress is a natural and essential survival response that can enhance performance at optimal levels. However excess stress can also have a negative impact on health and well-being. Although the effects of long-term stress on the mind and body vary for each individual, common features include muscle tension, palpitations, pain, fatigue, low mood, attention difficulties, and poor concentration and decision-making.

Learning how to manage stress is an invaluable tool crucial, especially on the day, for those who do not achieve the grades that they expected or needed. It is always difficult to cope with negative emotions and perceptions, but it is even harde but with support from family and friends it is possible.

Stress can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. Every hour, one student commits suicide in India, and India has one of the world’s highest suicide rates for youth aged 15 to 29. Suicide is preventable. If you know someone who is feeling suicidal or is emotionally distressed, tell them that you care for them and be an active listener. Being empathetic helps the person feel understood and heard. It is important to realise that feeling suicidal is not the nature of the person but a mere state of mind. Counselling helps in such a situation.

Conversations with counsellors revealed that young people find it difficult to cope with failure in examinations and careers and neither families nor other social institutions offer adequate support or solace. Family background has an important role in determining how young people cope with despair. Students from “happy” families suffer from less depression.

Stress-management techniques

One of the most effective stress management techniques is the understanding of the biological and psychological mechanisms that contribute to stress. Take deep breaths to calm the sensations in the body and acknowledge that these are natural stress responses that will soon pass.

It is important for parents and teachers to be extra careful during the exam result declaration time.

Here are a few tips to beat the Exams Results stress:

• Taking long walks in early morning sunlight boosts the level of the hormone Serotonin. Low levels of Serotonin are associated with Depression.
• Reduce your stress by taking dietary supplements such as omega 3 fatty acids. Low levels of Omega 3 fatty acids are linked to a host of mental/emotional issues such as Depression, suicide, violent behaviour etc.

• Have a healthy diet including dry fruits, flax seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables to improve mental health as well as physical health.
• Light exercises help boost your mood, it helps release the  feel-good brain chemicals that ease Depression (neurotransmitters, endorphins, and endocannabinoids).

• Talk to a loved one or friend. Often, the simple act of talking to someone face to face can be an enormous help to someone suffering from depression. Talk to a friend, family member or a relative about what is bothering you.
• Relax and take time to chose the right course/college for your future. In order to relax and unwind, do one small thing which makes you happy.

• Handle peer pressure well. Comparison with peers is one of the major reason why people end up in an engineering college without having the aptitude or interest for it. Take time out to understand where your interest lies.
• Pet a dog or cat (if you have any). Pets are extremely therapeutic. Nothing beats the experience of putting a cuddly dog or cat, and it is good for you, while facing results anxiety.

• Understand that these marks do not define you, there are tons of examples of successful people who did not do well in academics. So please do not take hasty decisions in anxiety.

If you feel that you have tried everything to deal with your Depression on your own and nothing seems to work, then consult a professional counsellor. Exam results declaration can be a challenging part of school life for students and their parents. So do not lose hope and always look at the bright side! Seek help if you have to and be optimistic about your future. Please find below link of our psychiatry department for counselling :

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

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