Month: December 2014

5 Tips to Keep Your Stomach Healthy This Festive Season

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Festivals mark the beginning of holiday season. Due to the unpredictable course of events that follow, our usual schedule goes for a toss. Every day parties and late night events lead to irregular eating patterns and outside food intake. This directly affects our stomach and causes various disorders like diarrhea, gastritis, indigestion, ulcers, etc. In case of these diseases, one should immediately consult a gastroenterologist who deals with the disorders of the digestive system. Vikram Hospital Bangalore has some of the top gastroenterologists of the town who are expert in their fields. But prevention is always better than cure. So here are some express tips to keep your tummy healthy:

1. Try to include fiber-rich foods in your meal whenever you can
A high-fiber diet helps to keep food moving through your digestive tract, making you less likely to get constipated. Limit foods that are high in fat as they tend to slow down the digestive process, making you more prone to constipation.

2. Choose lean meats
Protein is an essential part of a healthful diet, but fatty cuts of meat can lead to uncomfortable digestion. When you eat meat, select lean cuts, such as pork loin and skinless poultry.

3. Stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is good for your digestive health. Water in your digestive system helps dissolve fats and soluble fiber, allowing these substances to pass through more easily.

4. Skip smoking and avoid excessive caffeine & alcohol
Liquor, coffee, and cigarettes can interfere with the functioning of your digestive system, and lead to problems like stomach ulcers and heartburn.

5. Incorporate probiotics into your diet
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria naturally present in your digestive tract. They help keep the body healthy by combating the effects of a poor diet, antibiotics, and stress. In addition, probiotics can enhance nutrient absorption, help break down lactose, strengthen your immune system, and possibly even help treat irritable bowel syndrome.

With these tips in mind, celebrate this festive season with full vigor and enthusiasm. For if something goes wrong, you know where to come- Vikram Hospital Bangalore with some of the best Gastroenterologists in town.

Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore

Vikram Hospital

Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore

1 to 5 for a Healthy Liver Life!!

Your liver is the second largest organ in your body (second only to your skin), weighing at around three pounds and responsible for a myriad of essential body functions each and every day. Primarily, your liver’s job is to filter the blood that comes from your digestive tract, thereby metabolizing nutrients, drugs, alcohol and other substances consumed while helping to detoxify.

Your liver also manufactures proteins and produces bile to help break down fats and clear bilirubin, a potentially harmful substance formed from the breakdown of dead red blood cells, from your blood.

Tips to protect your Liver

1. Eat organic foods - as much as possible

Your diet represents one of the biggest potential burdens on your liver, as many foods are contaminated with pesticides, growth hormones and chemical additives.

Some food that clean your liver are: Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore

1) Garlic
2) Grape Fruit
3) Green Tea
4) Beans and Carrots
5) Apples and Olives

 

2. Use natural household products
The more chemicals you are exposed to, the harder your liver has to work to keep you healthy. You can reduce stress on your liver by choosing natural cleaning products for your home and natural personal care products for your body. Be sure your drinking water is free from contaminants and consider using an air purifier in your home, especially if you live in a high-traffic area. You’ll also want to avoid spraying pesticides in or around your home.

3. Be careful with medications
Taking medications in improper doses, for too long, or mixed with other substances, such as alcohol or other drugs, can harm your liver.

So do keep in mind that you need to be careful with medications as far as your liver is concerned, and this applies to over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol as well as prescription medications.

4. Exercise

Exercise is one straightforward way to lower your risk of fatty liver health disease, not only by helping you to maintain a healthy body weight (obesity increases your risk of fatty liver disease) but also by leading to liver health improvements independent of weight loss.

One study published in Hepatology even found that staying active for at least 150 minutes a week improved liver enzymes and other indices of liver function.

Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore Gastroenterology Hospital in Bangalore

 

5. Avoid smoking
Smoking may harm your liver’s ability to effectively process and remove toxins from your body. It can also make alcohol-induced liver disease worse. So quit smoking NOW!!

“Remember, a strong liver is one of your best defences against the toxins bombarding your body on a daily basis. A healthy lifestyle that lessens your toxic load while providing your body with high-quality sources of essential nutrients will keep your liver in top working condition.”

if you are searching for gastroenterology hospital in Bangalore you can visit the site www.vikramhospital.com/speciality-gastroenterology.php

Hepatitis

Vikram Hospital

Hepatitis and all you need to know about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Hepatitis?
Many people mistakenly think that Hepatitis means Viral Hepatitis, and that all forms of hepatitis are contagious. Actually, the word Hepatitis is a catch-all term that refers to any inflammation of the liver — the irritation or swelling of liver cells from any cause.

What are its symptoms?
Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to yellow discoloration of the skin, mucus membranes, and conjunctivae, poor appetite and malaise. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer. The condition can be self-limiting (healing on its own) or can progress to fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis.

Types and causes of Hepatitis?
Several viruses are known to cause Hepatitis. Common forms of Viral Hepatitis include Hepatitis A, B, and C:

Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a virus that causes liver disease. It is most commonly found in contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A is the least dangerous form of Hepatitis because individual affected by them almost always recuperate naturally. Also, it does not lead to chronic inflammation of the liver. But about 15% of people with Hepatitis A become so ill that they need hospitalization; that is why anyone at risk of infection, as well as all people with any form of chronic liver disease, should get the Hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis B: This form of Hepatitis causes liver damage. Most people recover from the virus within six months, but sometimes the virus will cause a lifelong chronic infection, possibly resulting in serious liver damage.
It can spread through sex (100 times more efficient than the HIV virus), blood transfusions (mostly before 1975), and needle sharing by intravenous drug addicts. The virus can pass from mother to child at birth or soon afterward; the virus can also pass between adults and children to infect whole families.

Hepatitis C:  Hepatitis C is the No. 1 reason for liver transplant. At least 80% of patients with Hepatitis C develop a chronic liver infection. It often does not show any symptoms. No vaccine is yet available to prevent Hepatitis C.
It is usually spread through contact with blood or contaminated needles, including tattoo needles. The disease can be passed on through blood transfusions. As opposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C is only infrequently spread through sex.

Prevention/Treatment

 

  • Hepatitis A
    Immunization of children (1-18 years of age) consists of two or three doses of the vaccine. Adults need a booster dose six to twelve months following the initial dose of vaccine. In order for the vaccine to be effective the individual has to be 15–20 years or more.

 

  • Hepatitis B
    Safe and effective vaccines provide protection against Hepatitis B for 15 years and possibly much longer. Currently, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all new-borns and individuals up to 18 years of age, and adults at risk of infection be vaccinated. Three injections over a six to twelve month period are required to provide full protection.

 

  • Hepatitis C
    No vaccine is yet available to prevent hepatitis C.

 

These measures would indeed be helpful when countering the disease. Further, it is always good to avoid any situation that would lead to Hepatitis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prostate gland treatment in Bangalore

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Prostate gland treatment in Bangalore

The prostate is a gland that produces the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation.The prostate gland surrounds the tube through which urine passes out of the body. Prostate gland enlargement is commonly seen in men as they get older. If the gland grows bigger it can cause urination and bladder problems. Sometimes it is mistaken to be cancer, but it is not. There are many treatments available but most of it has very big side effects. Vikram Hospital provides the most effective prostate gland treatment in Bangalore for prostate enlargement which has the least side effects.

The actual cause of prostate gland growing bigger is still unknown. A small amount of prostate enlargement. In men, urine flows from the bladder through the urethra. As the urethra narrows, the bladder has to contract more to flush urine through the body. Over a period of time, the bladder muscle may gradually become thicker, and overly sensitive. Then it begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing a need to urinate frequently. When the bladder is not completely empty, it can cause urinary tract infections and can lead to a sudden inability to urinate. The symptoms of an enlarged prostate are:

  • A slow urinary stream
  • Continued dribbling of urine
  • Urgency to urinate
  • Frequent urination
  • Difficulty Starting Urination
  • A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
  • Straining to urinate

The treatment for Prostate gland enlargement depends on how bad your symptoms are and a prostate surgery might be recommended if you have recurrent blood in the urine, bladder stones, decreasing kidney functioning etc. Most men who have prostate surgery have improvement in urination and symptoms.

Prostate gland enlargement occurs in most men as their age goes up. It is not always risky but if you do feel like you have the symptoms mentioned above, it would be a better option to consult a doctor soon.

Knee Replacement Surgery in Bangalore

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Knee Replacement Surgery in Bangalore

The knee joint is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. The knee joins the thigh bone to the shin bone and therefore is the most stressed joint in the body. It is this stress which can cause arthritis. Knee replacement surgery is an effective treatment for arthritis in the knee joint. Vikram Hospital is a specialist in Knee Replacement surgery in Bangalore and provides the best treatment for a victim of arthritis and any other problems related to knees. There are many reasons which lead to knee replacement but arthritis is the most common reason among them worldwide.

So who needs a Knee replacement surgery? Knee replacement is an operation that involves removing parts of one’s natural knee joint and replacing them with artificial ones and it is the most common type of joint replacement surgery. The main reason for having a knee replacement surgery is to ease pain cause by arthritis and other problems. In some cases it is also performed to correct deformity in a person’s knee.

Vikram hospital, before performing the Knee Replacement surgery, the joints adjacent to the diseased knee are carefully examined as it is important to ensure positive outcome and recovery from the surgery. Blood tests of liver and kidney function and urine tests are evaluated for signs of anemia, infection, or abnormal metabolism. There are also various kinds of arthritis and the types of arthritis that may lead to Knee replacement surgery are:

  • Osteoarthritis: It occurs when the cartilage on the gliding surface of the knee joint starts wearing away. It slowly starts to cause pain and stiffness. When the cartilage is completely worn out, the bones directly rub against each other causing chronic pain and decreased mobility. Osteoarthritis is most commonly seen in people who are above the age of 50 and also in people who have a lifestyle which stresses their knees too much (athletes, laborers etc.)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis:  It is when the body’s immune system begins to attack synovial membrane causing it to become inflamed and overproduce a fluid that lubricates to the joints. The process slowly wears out the cartilage and causes pain and difficulty in mobility.
  • Traumatic arthritis: It is cause by a serious knee injury and its impact can also cause a mini trauma which over a period of time develops into Osteoarthritis which causes pain and stiffness.

Knee degeneration can also be cause by a condition known as avascular necrosis or AVN. It is not common but is mostly seen in young adults or adolescents. The bones around the joints become soft and loses contact with the main bone. This can cause immense pain, instability and even joint locking.

Abnormal formation of the knee joint can also cause stress resulting in knee degeneration. If not treated before its late, it can wear out the cartilage over a period time. So make sure you don’t get your knee joints stressed too much and be sure that you get to relax your joints often. If you find that you have problems with your knees, do not wait! Have it checked out as soon as you can.

OCD- Just a Habit or a Neurological Disorder?

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Neurosurgery In Bangalore

Everyone double checks things sometimes. For example, you might double check to make sure the stove or iron is turned off before leaving the house.Vikram hospital which is famous for neurosurgery in Bangalore is researching over OCD, But people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) feel the need to check things repeatedly, or have certain thoughts or perform routines and rituals over and over. The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.
The frequent upsetting thoughts are called obsessions. To try to control them, a person will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions. People with OCD can’t control these obsessions and compulsions. Most of the time, the rituals end up controlling them.
Traditionally it has been thought that there are four main categories of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD):

1.Checking- the need to check is the compulsion, the obsessive fear might be to prevent damage, fire, leaks or harm. The checking is often carried out multiple times, sometimes hundreds of times, and for hours on end, resulting in the person being late for work, dates and other appointments. Common checking includes gas/electric stove knobs, water taps, door locks, lights, wallet and so on.
2.Contamination – The need to clean and wash is the compulsion, the obsessive fear is that something is contaminated and/or may cause illness, and ultimately death, to a loved one or oneself. For example fear of using public toilets, touching doors, shaking hands, visiting hospitals, eating in restaurants, being in a crowd and so on. Feelings of mental contamination can be evoked by times when a person perhaps felt badly treated, physically or mentally. The person will engage in repetitive and compulsive attempts to wash the dirt away by showering and washing which is where the similarities with traditional contamination OCD return.
3.Hoarding - Another obsession long considered to be part of ‘OCD’ is the inability to discard useless or worn out possessions, commonly referred to as ‘hoarding’.
4.Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts - In the context of OCD a rumination is actually a train of prolonged thinking about a question or theme that is undirected and unproductive. Many ruminations dwell on religious, philosophical, or metaphysical topics, such as the origins of the universe, life after death, the nature of morality, and so on. Intrusive thoughts, in the spectrum of OCD, are where a person generally suffers with obsessional thoughts that are repetitive, disturbing and often horrific and repugnant in nature. For example, thoughts of causing violent or sexual harm to loved ones.

OCD sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some people have it while others don’t. Researchers are also looking for ways in which stress and environmental factors may play a role. For many people, OCD starts during childhood or the teen years. Most people are diagnosed by about age 19. OCD is generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. So if you experience such symptoms too, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor. Control your obsessions before they take total control over you!