Our Guide to Proper Eye Care and Avoiding Cataracts!

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye and blurs our vision, causing near-sightedness (myopia) and decreasing our ability to detect the color blue. Left untreated, it may even cause full blindness. Many people develop cataracts later in life, but there are ways to avoid developing it, especially at an earlier age. Adhere to these tips and you may prevent a cataract ever forming on your lens!

Protect the eyes from the potential side effects of certain medications. Prolonged use of steroids, tranquillizers, and psoriasis medication may cause cataracts when taken in large doses over a long period of time.

Those suffering from diabetes should keep their blood sugar under control. This is because diabetics tend to develop cataracts faster and at an earlier age than other adults. 

Protect your eyes from ultraviolet sun rays as these rays speed up the development of cataracts. Whenever out in the sun, wear sunglasses.

Studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene slow the development of cataracts. Make sure your body doesn't lack any of these vitamins and if it does, take supplements.

If there is uncontrolled diabetes, injury to the eye, or visual symptoms of decreased reading vision, consult an ophthalmologist to evaluate the problem to help restore sight and prevent blindness.

Foods like butter, oils (except olive oil) and salt, and increased fat consumption in general has been associated with a higher risk of developing cataracts. So, avoid using or limit the intake of such foods.

 

A diet rich in spinach, cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli), tomatoes, peppers, citrus fruits and melons help prevent cataracts.

Avoid exposure to heavy metals, particularly cadmium, copper, lead, iron and nickel as they may also increase cataract formation as these metals have been found in cataractous lenses.

Cataracts that occur due to the ageing process cannot be prevented as the ageing process itself cannot be prevented, but they can be delayed and fought against, so that you may not have to deal with them when you get older.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Black Fungus Infection: Govt Releases Dos & Don'ts For COVID-19 Survivors

The Central government on Sunday released an advisory for screening, diagnosis and management of mucormycosis or ‘black fungus’ infection that is being widely reported among COVID-19 survivors in the country. According to the Union Health Ministry, mucormycosis is a fungal infection that mainly affects people who are on medication and reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens. Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected after fungal spores are inhaled from air and it may turn fatal if not cared for.

The Health Ministry and ICMR that have been in the frontline of the government’s battle against the pandemic have prepared guidelines to prevent or manage the disease.

Sign and symptoms of mucormycosis/black fungus

• Pain and redness around eyes and/or nose
• Fever
• Headache
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Bloody vomits
• Altered mental status

What are the predispositions

• Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• Immunosuppression by steroids
• Prolonged ICU stays
• Co-morbidities – post-transplant/malignancy
• Voriconazole therapy

What should you do?

• Control hyperglycemia
• Monitor blood glucose level after COVID-19 recovery and also in diabetics
• Use steroid judiciously – correct timing, correct dose and duration
• Use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during oxygen therapy
• Use antibiotics/antifungals judiciously

What should you not do?

• Do not miss warning signs and symptoms
• Do not consider all the cases with a blocked nose as cases of bacterial sinusitis, particularly in the context of immunosuppression and/or COVID-19 patients on immunomodulators
• Do not hesitate to seek aggressive investigations, as appropriate (KOH staining & microscopy, culture, MALDITOF), for detecting fungal aetiology
• Do not lose crucial time to initiate treatment for mucormycosis

How to prevent mucormycosis/black fungus?

• Use masks if you are visiting dusty construction sites
• Wear shoes, long trousers, long sleeve shirts and gloves while handling soil (gardening), moss or manure
• Maintain personal hygiene, including thorough scrub bath

When to suspect the fatal infection?

(in COVID-19 patients, diabetics or immunosuppressed individuals)

• Sinusitis – nasal blockage or congestion, nasal discharge (blackish/bloody), local pain on the cheekbone or one-sided facial pain, numbness or swelling
• Blackish discolouration over the bridge of nose/palate
• Toothache, loosening of teeth, jaw involvement
• Blurred or double vision with pain; fever, skin lesion; thrombosis & necrosis (eschar)
• Chest pain, pleural effusion, haemoptysis, worsening of respiratory symptoms

How to manage mucormycosis?

1. Control diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis
2. Reduce steroids (if the patient is still on) with the aim to discontinue rapidly
3. Discontinue immunomodulating drugs
4. No antifungal prophylaxis needed
5. Extensive Surgical Debridement - to remove all necrotic materials
6. What is the medical treatment for mucormycosis?
7. Install peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line)
8. Maintain adequate systemic hydration
9. Infuse normal saline IV before Amphotericin B infusion
10. Antifungal therapy, for at least 4-6 weeks (follow guidelines)
11. Monitor patients clinically and with radio-imaging for response and to detect disease progression

Whom should you consult?

• Microbiologist
• Internal Medicine Specialist
• Intensivist Neurologist
• ENT Specialist
• Ophthalmologist
• Dentist Surgeon (maxillofacial/plastic)
• Biochemist                                                                            
  

  This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
  

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25 Ways of Preventing Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s strikes fear in all of us. The thought of losing your mind as you grow older is terrifying and made worse by the fact that, before now, there appeared to be little we could do to slow down or avoid Alzheimer’s, which is the most common form of dementia. Today, research has found many factors that raise or diminish the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Following these tips, you could slash your chances of developing the disease:
 1. Check out your ankle

Low blood flow in your foot is a clue to trouble in your brain and a simple test can reveal its cognitive state and your likelihood of stroke and dementia. The theory is that the health of your blood vessels is similar throughout the body. The degree of clogged arteries and blood flow in the feet can suggest atherosclerosis in cerebral blood vessels. Ask your doctor for an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test which involves an ultrasound device and a blood pressure cuff that compares the blood pressure in your ankle to that in your arm. To remedy any impairment of blood flow your GP may advise stepped-up exercise or a change in diet/medication.

2. Antioxidant-rich foods

Certain foods infuse your brain with antioxidants that can slow memory decline and help prevent Alzheimer’s. All fruit and vegetables are good but at the top of the list are black raspberries, elderberries, raisins, and blueberries.

3. Beware of bad fats

The type of fat you eat changes your brain’s functioning for better or worse. Stay away from saturated fats which strangle brain cells causing them to become inefficient. Buy low fat or fat-free dairy products including milk, cheese, and ice cream. Cut down on deep-fried foods.

4. Chocolate Treat

Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, has sky-high concentrations of antioxidants called flavanols, which possess strong heart and brain-protecting properties. Drinking cocoa increases blood flow to the brain. Cocoa powder has twice as many flavanols as dark chocolate, which has twice a many as milk chocolate. White chocolate has zero.

5. Grow a bigger brain

Your brain starts to shrink when you reach 30 or 40 so it takes longer to learn. However, scientists now believe you can increase the size of your brain through learning. Try studying, learning new things or broadening your circle of friends for stimulation.


6. The Estrogen Evidence
68 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are women, possibly because midway through life, they lose the protection that is provided by estrogen, which boosts memory. Unless your GP says otherwise, start taking estrogen immediately at the time of menopause – starting any later opens you up to the risk of dementia and stroke.

7. Raise good cholesterol

It’s well known that having a high level of good-type HDL blood cholesterol protects you from heart disease, but it can also save your brain. Researchers claim it blocks sticky stuff that destroys brain cells and acts as an anti-inflammatory to lessen brain damage. Ways to ramp up good cholesterol include exercise, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol and losing weight.

8. Google something

Doing an internet search can stimulate aging brains even more than reading a book. And MRI scans show that savvy surfers have twice as many sparks of brain activity as novices. Go online to search for information, things to buy, or games to play. Although it’s not known how much it will benefit your brain, it’s better than passive pursuits.

9. The ApoE4 gene
One in four of you reading this has a specific genetic time bomb that makes you three to ten times more susceptible to developing late-onset Alzheimer’s. The gene is called apolipoprotein E4. If you inherit a single variant of ApoE4 from one parent, your Alzheimer’s risk triples. If you inherit a double dose from both parents, your risk rises by 10 times. Ask your doctor about a DNA test to reveal your ApoE4 genotype.

10. Say yes to coffee
Coffee is emerging as a tonic for the aging brain. It is anti-inflammatory, helps block the ill effects of cholesterol in the brain and cuts the risks of stroke, depression, and diabetes, all promoters of dementia. It is also high in antioxidants and caffeine which stop neuronal death and lessen diabetes, high blood pressure, and strokes that bring on dementia. For most people, a moderate daily intake of coffee, two to four cups, won’t hurt and may help.


11. Dangers of weight loss
Unexplained weight loss after age 60 or so maybe a sign of Alzheimer’s. A study showed that women with the disease started losing weight at least 10 years before dementia was diagnosed. Among women of equal weight, those who went on to develop dementia slowly became thinner over three decades and, when diagnosed, weighed an average 12lb less than women who were free of Alzheimer’s. Talk to your doctor about unexplained weight loss after 60.

12. Drink wine

A daily glass of wine may help delay dementia. Research says that alcohol is an anti-inflammatory and raises good cholesterol which helps ward off dementia. High antioxidants in red wine give it additional anti-dementia clout. Such antioxidants act as artery relaxants, dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow which encourages cognitive functioning.

13. Know the early signs

Memory problems are not the first clue. You may notice a decline in-depth perception, for example, you reach to pick up a glass of water and miss it. Or you misjudge the distance in walking across a street.

Doing a jigsaw puzzle or reading a map may also be confusing. Losing your sense of smell can also be an early clue, as well as asking the same question repeatedly or misplacing belongings in odd places (like putting keys in the fridge). Be aware of memory problems as the earlier the signs are spotted, the more successful lifestyle changes and medications are likely to be.

14. A Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet, no matter where you live, can help save your brain from memory deterioration and dementia. Studies consistently find that what the Greeks and Italians eat is truly brain food. Following this diet – rich in green leafy vegetables, fish, fruits, nuts, legumes, olive oil and a little vino – can cut your chances of Alzheimer’s by nearly half. Rather than depending on just one food or a few nutrients, it is a rich menu of many complex brain benefactors, including an array of antioxidants, which shield brain cells from oxidative damage.

15. Middle Age Obesity

Your brain cares if you are fat. A study showed obese people had 8% less brain tissue and overweight people had 4% less brain tissue than people of average weight, which according to some scientists hugely increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. Moreover, brain shrinkage occurred in areas of the brain targeted by Alzheimer’s, which are critical for planning, long-term memory, attention and executive functions, and control of movement.

Tackle signs of rising weight early, when you are young or middle-aged. Oddly, being obese after the age of 70 does not raise the risk of Alzheimer’s but that doesn’t mean you should neglect exercise as it is the best way of stimulating cognitive functioning and may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s at any age.

16. Get a good night’s sleep
A lack of sleep is toxic to brain cells. Sleep has surprising powers to protect your brain against memory loss and Alzheimer’s. It is a wonder drug that helps manipulate levels of the dreaded brain toxin peptide beta-amyloid, a prime instigator of Alzheimer’s, which according to one scientist puts you at accelerated risk. Research has also found that sleeping an average of five hours or less a night is linked to large increases in dangerous visceral abdominal fat, which can cause diabetes and obesity that can lead to Alzheimer’s. Take naps and seek treatment for sleep disorders.

17. Have an extended social circle
Studying the brain of a highly sociable 90-year-old woman who died from Alzheimer’s, researchers in Chicago found that having a large social network provided her with strong “cognitive reserve” that enabled her brain not to realize she had Alzheimer’s. Why this happens is a mystery, but interacting with friends and family seems to make the brain more efficient. It finds alternative routes of communication to bypass broken connections left by Alzheimer’s. So see friends and family often and expand your social network. The stronger the brain reserve you build through life, the more likely you are to stave off Alzheimer’s symptoms.

18. Deal with stress

When you are under stress, your body pours out hormones called corticosteroids, which can save you in a crisis. But persistent stress reactions triggered by everyday events like work frustration, traffic, and financial worries can be dangerous. Over time, it can destroy brain cells and suppress the growth of new ones, actually shrinking your brain. Sudden traumatic events like the death of a loved one or a life-changing event like retirement can leave a hangover of severe psychological stress that precedes dementia. Be aware that chronic stress can increase older people’s vulnerability to memory decline and dementia. Seek professional advice. Antidepressants, counseling, relaxation techniques and other forms of therapy may head off stress-related memory loss if treated early.

19. Take care of your teeth

Bad gums may poison your brain. People with tooth and gum disease tend to score lower in memory and cognition tests, according to US dental researchers who found that infection responsible for gum disease gives off inflammatory byproducts that travel to areas of the brain involved in memory loss.

Consequently, brushing, flossing and preventing gum disease may help keep your gums and teeth healthy but may also make your memory sharper. In another study, older people with the most severe gingivitis – inflamed gums – were two to three times more likely to show signs of impaired memory and cognition than those with the least.

20. Get enough Vitamin B12
As you age, blood levels of vitamin B12 go down and the chance of Alzheimer’s goes up. Your ability to absorb it from foods diminishes in middle age, setting the stage for brain degeneration years later. Researchers at Oxford University found that a brain running low on B12 actually shrinks and a shortage can lead to brain atrophy by ripping away myelin, a fatty protective sheath around neurons. It can also trigger inflammation, another destroyer of brain cells. Take 500 to 1000mcg of vitamin B12 daily after the age of 40. If you or an older family member has unexplained memory loss, fatigue or signs of dementia, be sure to get tested for vitamin B12 deficiency by your GP.

21. Vinegar in everything
There is plenty of evidence that vinegar decreases risk factors that may lead to memory decline, namely high blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes, pre-diabetes, and weight gain. Researchers in Phoenix, Arizona, have noted in studies of humans and animals that the acidic stuff packs potent glucose-lowering effects. Studies have also found it can curb appetite and food intake, helping prevent weight gain and obesity, which are associated with diabetes, accelerated dementia, and memory loss. Pour on the vinegar – add it to salad dressings, eat it by the spoonful, even mix it into a glass of drinking water. Any type of vinegar works.

22. Have your eyes checked
If you preserve good or excellent vision as you age, your chances of developing dementia drop by an astonishing 63%. And if it’s poor, just visiting an optician for an eye test and possible treatment at least once in later life cuts your dementia odds by about the same amount. Exactly how vision problems promote dementia is not clear but impaired vision makes it difficult to participate in mental and physical activities such as reading and exercising, as well as social activities, all believed to delay cognitive decline. Be aware that your eyes reflect and influence how your brain is functioning, especially as you age. Don’t tolerate poor vision, as often it can be corrected.

23. Eat curry or take curcumin pills

Curry powder contains the yellow-orange spice turmeric, packed with curcumin, a component reported to stall memory decline. One study showed elderly Indians who ate even modest amounts of curry did better in cognitive tests. Curcumin works by blocking the build-up of Alzheimer’s-inducing amyloid plaques (deposits found in the brains of sufferers) then nibbles away at existing plaque to slow cognitive decline.

It is recommended to eat two or three curries a week and make it a yellow curry. Otherwise, sprinkle the spice on your food. Read more about the many benefits of Curcumin.

24. Diabetes control

Having type 2 diabetes makes you more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s. Studies show it may double or triple your risk and the earlier diabetes takes hold, the higher the odds of dementia. Some experts refer to Alzheimer’s as “diabetes of the brain”. The two disorders have similar causes – obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high fat, and high sugar diets, low physical activity as well as high blood sugar. In short, diabetes can deliver a double whammy to the brain, destroying neurons and increasing inflammation. Do everything possible to keep blood sugar levels low and stick to a low-saturated-fat diet and regular exercise.

25. Drink more tea

Evidence suggests that tea stalls the cognitive loss that precedes Alzheimer’s and that the more tea you drink, the sharper your aging memory is. Tea’s secret is no mystery. The leaves are packed with compounds able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and block neuronal damage.

One particular green tea antioxidant can block the toxicity of beta-amyloid, which kills brain cells. Make a point of drinking black and green tea. Don’t add milk - it can reduce tea’s antioxidant activity by 25%.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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5 smart ways to add vitamins to your morning coffee (without popping pills)

Is coffee healthy for you?

Starting mornings without coffee is a very hard for some. While caffeine gives the body and brain the much-needed kick to start the day, it does not sound good when you think about the number of empty calories you are taking in. Plus, you miss out on all those vitamins and minerals you should be taking in every day for a healthier living.

Don't miss out on the benefits
However, there are ways you can ensure you don't miss out on vitamins and make your drink super nutritious. From boosting your mood, improving heart health, aiding weight loss and actually waking you up, there are benefits aplenty. Try these for a healthier and vitamin-infused start to the day, without the need of popping in additional pills!
 
Cinnamon
Adding a dash of cinnamon can be a great hack for those who want to avoid sugar in their morning cup of coffee. Cinnamon contains the chemical, cinnamaldehyde which when comes in contact with cells boosts the metabolism rate. It also has a powerful anti-diabetic effect, several antioxidants, traces of vitamin B, K, beta-carotene, lycopene as well. Sounds super healthy, doesn't it?
 
Ginger
Ginger, again, is a game-changer. The root contains strong anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties which can come in handy in boosting your immunity. Plus, the aromatic spice is used for treating muscle tension, nausea, bloating, aid digestion and best of all, lower cholesterol and even fight diabetes levels. You can add dry ginger powder to coffee to extract more benefits.
 
Turmeric
Turmeric is our humble kitchen ingredient. Not just for the curries, but it can also act as a wonderful addition to coffee too. Turmeric has traditionally been used to boost immunity, heal wounds and boost anti-oxidants in the body. Its healing properties come from curcumin, which is the main active ingredient present in it which gives it the goodness. Adding just a pinch of the powder can prove to be very helpful.

Coconut oil/ ghee
Both coconut oil and ghee are amazing for your body and are gaining more popularity now. They can also be added to your coffee every day. Using a nutritious fat like ghee or coconut oil can suppress the production of the hunger hormone, slow down digestion, make you eat less. While coconut oil weighs super high on Vitamin E content, ghee, on the other hand, is loaded on vitamins like A, D, E, K and Omega 3 and Omega 9 fatty acids.

Cardamom
Elaichi does not just go great with your chai, but with java too. Yes, cardamom pods have been backed as a traditional medicine which contains anti-microbial properties, boosts flavour, essential minerals and even cancer-fighting compounds. It also comes packed with some fibre, which can help regulate your digestive system. Ground up a few pods into the brew or add cardamom powder to your daily cup to get the best benefits. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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