Blue Haven Hospitalities

Archive for the ‘Prevalent diseases’ Category

Food poisoning is a less dangerous, yet more common disorder seen in the day to day lives of many people. When an individual, consumes food that is contaminated with toxins, dangerous chemicals or bacteria they get affected by food poisoning. Small children and old people are often a prey to this disorder because of their weak immune system, which does not have sufficient resistive power against the entry of harmful toxins and bacteria into their body. Food poisoning causes vomiting, headache, stomach ache, diarrhea and fever in the affected persons. Food poisoning can be prevented, if we are more cautious about the hygiene factor of the food we consume. The equipments used for cooking like cutlery, knifes and forks should be kept clean. Bacteria are usually invisible to the human naked eye and they even stick to hands while working. So, it is advisable to wash your hands before you eat or cook. Bacteria can also be present in the vegetables so it is necessary to wash them before you eat it raw. Dairy products, meat, pork, fish etc are also home of disease causing bacteria. While buying these products, care should be taken to check the expiry date. They should be properly refrigerated before cooking and it is necessary to cook them completely before we consume. It is advisable to drink only boiled water. If the symptoms of food poisoning are observed in an individual, proper medication should be taken before the condition becomes worse. Thus by adopting a hygienic lifestyle the reasons for food poisoning can be greatly minimized.

The skeletal framework of the body consists of bones, one of the rigid parts of the body, which are capable of growing from childhood till certain period of life. The bones have to be strong enough to prevent fractures and joint problems. Osteoporosis is a condition occurring in the bones, where the bones become weak, tender and brittle and are hence often prone to fracture easily. This condition is often seen in aged people, particularly aged women. The bones need sufficient amount of nutrients like calcium and phosphates to support their growth. This condition affects almost all the bones in the body but the areas, where the bones become more porous are, the hip, wrist and the femur that is the thigh bone which is the longest bone in the body. Osteoporosis can occur due to many reasons. The main reason is aging. Due to aging the bones de-mineralize and develops pores inside the bones thus making it brittle. Estrogen is a hormone secreted in women, which is responsible for the growth of bones. Due to menopause, estrogen secretion stops thus leading to osteoporosis. Hence this condition mostly prevails in women rather than men. Smoking and alcohol are also one of the reasons. Control measures include hormone therapy and healthy diet. The diet should be rich in calcium and phosphate such as dairy products especially milk. In hormone therapy estrogen will be supplied to women. Addiction to smoking and alcohol must be stopped. Osteoporosis is nor curable but it can be prevented by strictly adhering to the above control measures.

Peptic ulcer is a more common, painful yet less dangerous condition of the digestive tract, especially stomach and duodenum. Peptic ulcer causes the lining of the digestive passage to be affected and eroded by the secretion of acidic digestive juices. Depending on the area in the digestive tract, which gets affected, peptic ulcer is generally classified into stomach or gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and esophageal ulcer. There are a number of reasons for the occurrence of peptic ulcer. The main reason is due to the bacterial infection in the lining of stomach wall or duodenum. Acidic digestive juices and pepsin, a digestive enzyme can also cause the erosion of digestive tract. Alcohol consumption also leads to peptic ulcer. Cigarette smoking also adds on to this cause, as it contains nicotine in excess, which is capable of causing damage to the lining of the digestive tract. The symptoms of peptic ulcer, varies depending on its nature, intensity and cause. The symptoms include severe stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss, indigestion etc. When these symptoms are observed, then it is advisable to visit a doctor and take necessary tests and treatment. Peptic ulcer can be confirmed by, taking blood test and doing endoscopy. The preventive measures include, avoiding junk food and food stuffs which are acidic. Alcoholism and cigarette smoking should be quitted as soon as possible. If the peptic ulcer is diagnosed in the initial stage, then it can be cured by proper medication else surgery will be required if the condition worsens.

People all over the world, will be definitely familiar with diabetes mellitus because, it is one of the most popular disorder seen in people of all age groups, in recent years. Diabetes is generally caused if the sugar level in blood is high. This disorder can be hereditary. Pancreas are responsible for producing insulin in our body. The role of insulin is to take up glucose from the blood and use it for metabolic activities of the body. But, in a person who has diabetes, the metabolic activities will be disturbed because, the pancreas stop secreting the needed level of insulin. Hence the sugar will not be utilized for metabolic process and the sugar level in the blood will be greatly increased leading to diabetes. There is no complete cure or recovery from diabetes instead it can be controlled. Diabetes is classified into 3 types as Type1, Type2 and Gestational diabetes. A person suffering from Type1 diabetes will be recommended to take insulin injections daily. This is caused because the pancreas secrete less insulin. Type2 is likely to occur more commonly than the other types, where there is an abnormal level of insulin secretion. There are more chances for pregnant women getting affected by Gestational diabetes. But after the delivery of child, the insulin level becomes normal. Diabetes can lead to other complications like skin infections, cataract in eye, vision problems, renal diseases. In extreme cases, it can cause kidney failure and even death. Since diabetes is the most prevalent disorder, awareness should be created to diagnose and control it at an early stage.

Common cold, as the name indicates is the most commonly prevailing condition, causing a great discomfort to the nose and throat. Common cold is simply an infection that occurs in the respiratory passage. Rhinovirus is the most common virus responsible for causing common cold. Common cold affects people with a weaker immune system, having poor resistance against such infectious viruses. Normally, kids often fall a prey to this infection. The symptoms of common cold are running or blocked nose, frequent sneezing, headache, body pain, sore throat etc. There is no treatment available for the permanent cure of cold. Cold can be controlled by certain remedial measures, which gives a temporary relief. Alcohol should not be taken at all, as it may increase the cold and soreness in throat. Soups can be of great help to relieve blockages in nose and thus prevent the virus from being in contact with the mucous membrane of the nose for a long period of time. Salt water gargling is believed to be the best remedy from ancient times to get rid of sore throat. Steam bath helps to get relief from running nose. Common cold is usually accompanied by headache and body pain, so painkiller tablets can be used. Cough syrups are available, but the dosage should not be high as it can make you feel sleepy. Nasal sprays can also provide a temporary relief from cold but if should not be used often. All these should be strictly used after the consultation of doctor as per the prescribed dosage and duration.

Anemia is condition that occurs in the blood due to deficiency of iron or decrease in the red blood cells. The red blood cells, consists of a pigment called hemoglobin which is responsible for supplying oxygen to the various organs and tissues of the body. Due to lack of hemoglobin the muscles, tissues and body parts will be deprived of oxygen thus making the person anemic. RBC is usually produced by bone marrow. Excess alcohol consumption and diet which lacks iron, also causes anemia. There are different types of anemia like sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin deficiency anemia. The symptoms of anemia will be unseen in early stages and will be observed when the condition becomes severe and will vary depending on the type of anemia. A person who is anemic will have pale skin with pale eyes, lips etc. Increased heartbeat, brittleness in nails, loss in weight, chest pain, chillness of hands and feet will also be observed in anemic conditions. An anemic person becomes extremely tired, which is one of the major symptoms, that is commonly observed in all the cases of anemia. The treatment to anemia includes healthy diet, which is rich in iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Hence dates, fish, meat, green leafy vegetables, etc should be a regular part of diet. It is also advisable to take iron tablets as per the dosage and duration prescribed by the doctor. Anemia can also be one of the root causes for other health ailments, which can have severe effects, if left untreated.

The life of people is fully loaded with burden due to increased work pressure and busy schedule. They don’t find time to avoid stress and relax their minds. So more and more people, are undergoing a condition called hypertension or high blood pressure. The blood, as it flows through the blood vessels exerts little pressure on the arteries and veins. But this normal pressure increases in the case of hypertension. High blood pressure increases the chances of heart attack. The major factors that cause hypertension are high fatty diet causing obesity, smoking and stress. Cholesterol level should be monitored regularly. Healthy diet has a major influence on controlling high cholesterol level in blood and also to control obesity. Though various techniques are available to lose weight, planned healthy diet and regular exercise, are obviously the best. High oily and fatty food should not be taken as it may lead to obesity and high cholesterol level. High sodium content food stuffs should also be avoided. Calcium is essential to reduce blood pressure. So, dairy products rich in calcium especially milk should be a part of diet. Fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables contain potassium and magnesium which is also needed to keep blood pressure under control. Smoking causes hypertension, if it is not quitted, it can ultimately lead to stroke. Stress, one of the major cause of hypertension, can be controlled by regular yoga and exercise. Hypertension can thus be brought under control by proper medication along with change in lifestyle and healthy diet.

In recent years, obesity is considered to be one of the biggest problems worldwide, since it causes other serious health ailments. Obesity is nothing but excess fat deposition in various areas of the body. Obesity is found by calculating the body mass index that is, by dividing the weight of a person by age. If the calculated BMI is above 30 then the person is said to be obese. Obesity is mainly caused due to unhealthy diet rich in fat and modern lifestyle. Excessive intake of food rich in fats and carbohydrates will cause obesity. Due to lack of exercise the extra calories in the body will not be used or burnt up, thus causing the person to become obese. Excess alcohol consumption also leads to obesity. It may also be caused due to hereditary. Obesity increases the risk of other disorders in the body. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, fertility and complications in pregnancy. Obesity can be controlled by some of the control measures and surgery. High fat and calorie intake food should be avoided. Regular diet should be rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals and hence it is advisable to eat green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. Consumption of junk food and soft drinks should also be avoided. Addiction to alcohol must be quitted. Daily exercise like walking or jogging will be beneficial to burn the excess fat from the body, thus reducing the chances of obesity. Thus obesity can be prevented by the above measures along with medication, after the consultation of doctor.