the family physician

Family physician.


Twenty year old Swati had problem, if she took anything before 9 am she would bring it out. For three years she went various specialists and alternate therapists nothing seemed to work. When she went to her hometown of Halsnaad, she went visiting Dr.Halsnaad a senior doctor who treated her family since the days of her great grandfather.

He told her a simple remedy, gargle with warm water first thing in the morning drink a glass of warm water after an hour you’ll be fine. Following his Swati has been rid of her symptoms five years now, her life is normal. Dr.Halsnaad says he could give the exact treatment as he knew the family history of nocturnal nasal drip resulting in fluid accumulation this would get dislodged and irritated when she took milk, coffee or tea, the gargling and warm water flushed out the secretion relieving her off the symptoms.

This is the need for a family physician many of you born post 1980 may not even the know the existing of this extinct tribe. They came home on calls, they knew your family and environment usually they belonged to the town where they practised. A kind of demi-god.

A family physician is a general practioner or doctor consulted by the family regularly.

The family medicine is re-invention of the family physician, though how much of sense it makes with the floating and migrating population one does not know.

Family medicine deals with the comprehensive health care of individuals of all age, and sex while placing particular emphasis on family.

Their basic aim is to provide persona, comprehensive and continuing care for individuals in the context of family and community.

Family medicine practioners are trained in all aspects of medicine.

They tend to know their patients on a personal level and are also are aware of their emotional and physiological state, they are also aware of the environment that the patient comes from. The practioner would refer a patient to a specialist only if the need arises, and with his knowledge he would guide the patient to the right specialist.

The tradition is the referring doctor sends the history to the specialist bringing down the consultation time.

Having a family physician and regular health check up would definitely keep your health care bills down.

When choosing your family physician it makes sense to keep in mind

• Location of the doctor

• Your comfort levels with doctor.

• Office hours

• Other doctors associated with the practise.

• Does he listen to you, and then explain options to your satisfaction

It is always a good idea to put down what actually bothers you health wise when you visit your doctor. It is also perfectly alright to ask your doctor questions.

You definitely need to check these with your doctor

• What is exactly wrong with you?

• What caused it?

• How serious is it?

• Will it require long term treatment and does it have other complications?

• Can I prevent it from recurring?

• What do the prescribed medicine do?

• How long should I take the medication?

• What are the side effects of the medications?

• When do I see you for a follow up?

Ultimately it’s our health we are talking about it makes more sense to talk to the person who knows it from prologue to epilogue than someone who reads it mid chapter.

Incidently this vaccum is being filled by the Ayurvedic and Homeopathy doctors in many places.

bifocals

1700 AD this day i.e. May 23rd Benjamin Franklin discovered the bifocal lenses.


Bifocals are eyeglasses or contact lenses having two portions one for near reading and one for far vision. This is used to treat Presbyopia.

Presbyopia means “age of sight” when there is a gradual loss of accommodation. It can start as early as 36yrs or as late 50yrs. But usually becomes noticeable in mid forties.

It becomes recognizable as difficulty in reading fine prints begins.

It takes about 1 to 2yrs before treatment is required for before that adjusting illumination or distance helps.

Reading glasses are an option for correcting presbyopia; this is great for people who do not require distance vision correction. Reading glasses are also bought able over the counter without tests thought this is not advisable.

Bifocals requires practise to be used, for the person needs to get used seeing through the proper part of the glass.

From 1700’s ground glass bifocals to today’s seamless ones the bifocals have travelled a long distance.

garlic

Garlic or Allium Sativum as it is scientifically known belongs to the plant.


The plant is erect, and belongs to the same family as onions i.e. it is an annual herb. Entire plant that is the bulb, leaves, flowers are all edible though the cloves of the bulb are most popularly used. These are used either raw or roasted.

Early documents speak of garlic implying that it was grown in England, despite this it is not found in English cuisine.

It is medicinal ayurveda uses this extensively. Cherokee Indians use garlic as an expectorant. It is a potent antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal.

Medical use:

• In treating common colds, asthma and bronchitis. A study conducted in 2001 where 146 volunteers for 12 weeks 24 of the garlic users showed reduced attacks of common cold as compared to the 64 in the placebo group.

• Arthrosclerosis,

• It reduces cholesterol level as per the study conducted in 2009 comparing it with placebo.

• A possible reduction in cancer on regular intake of garlic was demonstrated by 19 studies in 2001

• Can cause vasodilatation

• Decreases platelet aggregation

• Regulates blood sugar level on regular use as in lowers homocystiens. This also helps in reducing the complication of diabetes mellitus.

Adverse effects being Halitosis, irritable bowel diahorrea, oral ulcers, anaphylaxis, thin’s blood particularly during pregnancy. It can also interfere with some drugs.

Storing garlic: has to be stored in a dry open container. If at all it has been stored in vegetable oil then refrigerating is a must to avoid Botticelli formation.

Cooking garlic: the thumb rule when cooking garlic is the finer it is cut the stronger is its aroma and flavour.

Raw garlic has maximum smell

When cooked whole the flavour mellows to a sweet, nutty flavour.

While sautéing beware for it turns bitter on slightest of over frying.

Growing garlic:

Garlic grows well with other plants and flowers. For symbolic or practical reasons it is sowed on the shortest day of the year. It needs plenty of sunlight, and should not be very damp.

Cloves should be planted 4” apart from each other, and rows should be 18” apart.

Tolerates a pH range between 5.5 acidic to 8.5 alkaline.

It is not commonly troubled by pests, though if the root turns pink then the growth is stunted.

Kingdom Plant

Angiosperm

Monocot

Order Aspargates

Family Alliacea

Subfamily Alliodeae

Tribe Alliene

Genus Allium

Congo fever,

 Or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Is a rather rare diseases. 

This is a zoonosis transmitted through ticks of the Hyalomma species. The larvae and nymphs feed on small mammals, like rabbits, and ground frequenting birds like hen, crane etc. while the adult ones prefer larger animals.  This would mean humans are bitten by the immature ticks, but by the adult ones. Even the adult ticks are not so fond of humans. This is why the cases are rare.

Then how do the humans get infected? It is either occasionally by the tick bite or from contact of infected blood/tissue through broken skin either from other infected humans or animals. Farm dwellers and stockmen are more prone to get infected, humans working in the slaughter house or abattoirs are other susceptible people.

Typically it has an incubation period of 1-3 days. Flu like symptoms appears which resolves in a week, in few cases however hemorrhagic signs appear between 3-5 days. There is mood instability, agitation, mental confusion, throat petechiae, nose bleed, bloody urine, vomiting, and black stools. The liver wells and becomes painful. As the disease progresses kidney failure, shock and sometimes acute respiratory distress syndrome follows.

Recovery begins 9 to 10 days after the onset of symptoms though 30% tends to get fatal

Treatment is symptomatic and supportive  invitro Ribavirin is effective but there is no trial evidence found.

Prevention focuses on agricultural regulations like de-ticking the farm animals before slaughter. Use of adequate clothing and footwear, use of insect repellent would be personal avoidance measures.

Infected patients should isolated particularly when evidence of bleeding is seen.

No matter how well cared the rest of your body is it is important to keep your legs and hands groomed.

This routine can be done once a week.

Daily routine.

·         In a foot bath or bucket take warm water, and pour a cup full of marbles. Then run your feet on it. Try to pick the marbles with your toes and let it loose.

·         Use a moisturizer or foot cream every night and cover your feet with socks.

Pampering your feet.

This routine can be done once a week.

1.      Soak feet in a bowl of hot water. add two three drops of essential oil.

2.      Dry the feet and clip the toenails.

3.      If your nails are very stained then use a nail whitner.

4.      Rub the feet with an exfoliating body sucub,

5.      Support the feet

6.      Work lotion between the feet,reactivating the pressure points

7.      Put your feet up for a while.

Buying a footwear seems so simple actually it is and it is not,  you need to spend a little while on it. Style and colour apart, it would be good to go through the following routine.

1.      Have your feet measured by a salesperson.
Many people jump ahead to trying on the shoes without checking the length and width of each foot. It is important to know to proper size of your feet and if your feet are slightly different sizes.

2.      Shop for the larger foot.
If your feet are different sizes, buy a shoe that best fits the larger foot. If you need, buy an insole to fill space in the other shoe.

3.      Make sure the shoe fits your heel and your toes.
The toebox should provide ample wiggle room, and the heel should not slip up when walking.

4.      Go for a walk in the store.
Make sure the shoe is comfortable for a short walk around the store--any pain is only going to be worse on a long walk.

5.      Don't think a shoe will 'break-in.'
This is a common misconception that shoes should be purchased snug so they can break-in. Wrong! Shoes should fit when you buy them.

Tips:

1.      Stand up when measuring your feet.
Do your footwear shopping towards the end of the day after you've been up and walking for a few hours. Under these conditions your feet will be slightly larger than in the morning. End-of-the-day shopping is the best way to buy footwear.

2.      Remeasure your feet each time you buy new shoes.
Measure your feet each visit as your shoe size can change over time. And never buy a shoe based on size alone--try them on!

Foot Facts~ How Foot Smart Are You? DID YOU KNOW... More than 70% of all people have painful foot problems at some time during their lifetime.    Foot pain is not normal. Take these quizzes to see how much of a Foot care Expert you are! (Answes can be found at the bottom of the page.) Quiz I Some famous people down through the ages have made memorable statements about feet or have otherwise influenced the way we think about feet and shoes. Can you identify the person connected with the following? Which Greek philosopher said, "When our feet hurt, we hurt all over"? Plato Socrates Aristotle Which Renaissance artist called the foot "a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art"? Leonardo da Vinci Raphael Michelangelo What hero of ancient Greece gave his name to the largest and strongest tendon in the foot? Ulysses Jason Achilles DID YOU KNOW... The average person, engaging in non-strenuous activity, walks approximately 4 miles every day or about 115,000 miles in a lifetime. Quiz II Use these numbers to answer the following questions about parts of the foot - 5, 20, 26, 33, 100 How many of the body's 206 bones are located in each foot? How many joints hold these bones together? How many muscles are used to move the bones of each foot? How many ligaments join these bones? (This one's easy...) How many nails protect the toes of each foot? DID YOU KNOW... During a typical day, the feet endure a cumulative force of several hundred tons. Answers to Quiz I: 1)B 2)A 3)C Answers to Quiz II: 1) 26, 2) 33, 3) 20, 4) 100, 5) 5 YES, IT'S TRUE... The human foot is a highly specialized structure containing 26 relatively small bones, more than 150 ligaments and an intricate network of muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

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camphor

Camphor- The effective & healthy mosquito repellent! 

Malaria and Dengue are on a steep rise. We all must be using liquid or the old blue tablet type of mosquito repellents sold under various names. Despite their use, it is common to see mosquitoes hovering around with the best of repellents in action. Secondly, we cannot use these mosquito repellents whole day – be they be of any brand. Thirdly, many people land up with -------- due to them.

In the past, man would light diyas and burn camphor on a regular basis as a part of daily puja. These helped to purify the air and keep harmful bacteria, viruses and mosquitoes away! We can definitely have a better and healthy environment with the use of camphor.

Camphor or Kapur is a waxy, white or transparent substance extracted from the wood of the Camphor Laurel tree found in Asia. Camphor has many known medicinal uses-
It relieves nasal congestion and cough when rubbed on the chest as an oil. Camphor is used as an ingredient inthroat lozenges and cough syrups and in Vicks. Camphor is also used in some anti-itch ointments, creams and cooling gels because it is can be absorbed through skin and is effective at treating pain locally. It has an ------- effect which makes it a favorite oil to be used in pain relieving massage blends for sore muscles and arthritic ------. Camphor is known to improve the quality of air making it a better for our lungs and heart.

Many people are not aware of the Mosquito repellent power of Camphor - a simple solution without side effects and very cost effective. CAMPHOR IS A NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENT With effect round the clock! You do not need to burn it for that. There are three easier ways to do it -

1.        Put 2 tablets of commercially available camphor on any warm surface. Plug it for an hour and see the results! You can do it twice a day- morning and in the night as well!
2.        Place 2 tablets of camphor on different corners of the room or at places where mosquitoes seem to love to stay! Leave them there and they will evaporate in a day or so keeping the air purer and mosquito free.
3.        Take a wide opened cup or plate with water. Drop 2 tablets of Camphor into the water. Keep the cup with water and camphor in your sleeping room. The quantity of water and camphor may differ from room size. Water evaporate at normal temperature. Camphor slowly started dissolving in water. The water evaporates with Camphor smell. Adding little bit hot water gives instant action.  

You will be amazed at the results! Do experience it and help spread these healthy tips!

Thanking you

           

Buson Yosa