Your heart is at more risk in winter

The plummeting mercury raises the risk of getting a heart-attack and it is the time when one needs to remain extra cautious. 

As viscosity of blood increases with the drop in temperature, the number of cases of heart attacks and other coronary artery diseases increase during winters. The limited awareness about the triggers that lead to heart attack and precautions which can be taken to avoid it during winters is a major cause of worry. 

Dr Vanita Arora, Associate Director and Head, Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab and Arrhythmia Services, Max Hospital, discusses vulnerability of the heart in order to empower people suffering from cardiovascular diseases with the right kind of prevention, more so during the winter season. "People become more prone to heart attacks in winters. The arteries that arise from the aorta become constricted with the fall in temperatures, as a result of which the heart has to put more effort to pump the blood. This makes the heart stress out and it leads to a heart attack. It is more risky for those who do not have any inkling about pre-existing heart conditions," says Dr Arora.

Keypoints:

-Intake of too much alcohol can lead to atrial fibrillation, a common form of Arrhythmia
-Avoid binge eating and focus on eating small quantities at regular intervals 

What to do:
It is important, she says, to keep a constant check on cardiovascular risk factors, and make sure that the winter season brings no harm to your health.

Cholesterol levels fluctuate significantly with the change in the season, which may leave people with borderline high cholesterol with greater cardiovascular risk during the winter months. Apart from managing cholesterol levels, it is crucial that we keep small things in mind and do not stress the heart.

Do not indulge in overdoing anything and exhausting yourself. Give yourself a break and take frequent rest breaks so that you do not overstress your heart; even if that means alteration in your otherwise intense workout regime.

Avoid going for a walk in the morning in extreme chilly days and you can shift your walks in the evening when it is still sunny.

People also end up eating more than the normal quantity in winter, but eating a large meal at one go can put an extra load on your heart. Avoid! It is rather preferable to eat small quantities at regular intervals.

Do not over indulge in alcohol, thinking that it will only help you in keeping warm and cozy. Too much of alcohol intake can cause atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat problem called Arrhythmia that is suffered by millions of people.

On consultation of the doctor, one can also keep pills with them and can consume it on confronting breathlessness or chest pain.

Heart failure leads to most deaths in hypothermia. To keep hypothermia at bay, it is advisable to cover yourself with layers of warm clothes. Besides this, it is advisable to take a bath with warm water only.

Also, never ignore any discomfort in chest; severe sweating; pain in neck arms, jaws and shoulders; or shortness of breath. All this might give you a warning signal. Visit a doctor if you come across any of these symptoms.

Regular check-ups are always advisable. It will help you pre-empt any big health trouble. It is rightly said that 'prevention is better than cure'!

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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Surgical treatment for sleep apnea

The standard treatment for people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is a mask worn at night that helps them breathe without interruption. The mask is unwieldy and uncomfortable, however; one study found that 46 per cent to 83 per cent of patients with obstructive sleep apnea do not wear it diligently. 

Now scientists may have found an alternative, at least for some patients: a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest that stimulates a nerve in the jaw, helping to keep part of the upper airway open. The device, called a neurostimulator, helped reduce breathing interruptions and raise blood oxygen levels in about two-thirds of sleep apnea patients participating in a trial, researchers reported on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. 

“This is a new paradigm of surgical treatment that seems to effectively control obstructive sleep apnea in selected patients,” said Dr Sean M. Caples, a sleep specialist in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It’s very exciting.” 

Still, Dr Caples, who was not involved in the new study, noted that “a third of patients were not improved when all was said and done,” even though they were chosen because they were seen as likely to benefit. 

The new trial was funded by the maker of the device, Inspire Medical Systems.

At 22 sites internationally, in 126 patients, doctors surgically implanted a remote-controlled neurostimulator that, activated at night, sends regular electric impulses to a nerve inside the jaw. The impulses cause the tongue to move forward during inhalation, opening the airway. 

Patients experienced a decline in breathing pauses after using the device for a year, to 9 per hour on average, from 29.3 episodes per hour. The number of dangerous drops in blood oxygen levels also declined, to 7.4 per hour on average, from 25.4 per hour. 

There was no control group during this phase of the study, however, and other experts said that diet, exercise or other factors may have contributed to the reductions. 

At a year, only two of 126 patients stopped using their upper airway stimulator at night, and 86 percent reported daily use. But sleep apnea worsened in about 20 patients using the device, though it is unclear why.

 In the second phase of the study, 46 patients doing well with the stimulators after one year were randomly assigned to either continue with the therapy or have it withdrawn for a week. The therapy-continuation group had little change in the number of breathing pauses per hour or drops in blood oxygen levels. But in the patients from whom the stimulation therapy was withdrawn, the number of such breathing pauses increased sharply, to 25.8 per hour on average from 7.6 per hour. The episodes of blood oxygen level drops rose to 23 per hour on average, from 6 per hour. 

“That rebound was compelling evidence that this device did something for their sleep apnea,” said Dr Christine H. Won, , the medical director of the Yale Sleep Center. 

An alternative therapy for patients who can’t or won’t use standard continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) masks diligently would be “very valuable,” Dr Won said. 

The neurostimulator is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration and may only benefit a subset of sleep apnea patients, including those with a body mass index of less than 32 and people whose obstructions stem from airway collapse behind their tongues. Only patients who could not or would not use mask therapy participated.

 Less than 2 per cent of study participants experienced serious adverse events. Still, more than half reported discomfort from stimulation, tongue abrasion, incision discomfort and other issues. 

After her chin incision became inflamed after implantation of the neurostimulator in 2011, Jackie Kopplin, 45, who runs a housecleaning business in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, was “blown up like a basketball” and in pain for six weeks. “I was regretting it at first,” she said.

 But she now sleeps eight to nine hours at night, is not bothered by the tongue thrusting, and no longer dozes off while driving. 

As long as she remembers to turn on the stimulator nightly, Kopplin said, “I wake up and I have energy to make it through the whole day.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ARTICHOKE

Globe artichokes are a rich source of dietary fibre & have more antioxidants than most vegetables. Some studies show that a diet rich in flavonoids present in artichokes reduces the risk of breast cancer. They're supposed to be good for the liver & digestion. The chemicals present in artichokes can reduce nausea, vomiting, spasms & intestinal gas. Regular consumption of artichokes helps raise good cholesterol (HDL) & lowers bad cholesterol (LDL).

for artichoke feta dip, see my recipe blog

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com

Best Cholesterol Reducer- Olive Oil

Olive Oil

Antioxidants found in olives have been shown both to raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, making olive oil a doubly potent protector against cardiovascular disease.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are free to mail me for the same.

HOW TO PREVENT VARICOSE VEINS

Do not sit or stand for long periods without interruption.

Do not cross your legs while seated.

Elevate your legs when sitting or lying down, keeping them raised above your heart.

Get plenty of physical activities, which help to strengthen your leg muscles.

Shed extra weight to help improve blood flow.

Do not wear tight fitting clothes, especially those that are constricting around waist, thighs or groins.

If you doctor says it is a good idea, wear compression hose to help keep blood from pooling.



ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are free to mail me for the same.

TESTS TO DETERMINE IF ONE HAS STROKE

Three commands, known as the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale (CPSS), may help to determine if the potential for stroke exists. Ask the patient to do the following:

1. Smile: the face should move symmetrically
2. Raise both arms: looking for weakness on one side of the body
3. Speak a simple sentence

If a potential stroke victim cannot perform these tasks, 9-1-1 should be called to activate the emergency medical system. Ideally, a person suspected of having as stroke or stroke-like symptoms should be taken to a hospital certified as a stroke treatment centre.


ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are free to mail me for the same.