Doctor Bari

Health tips

1. Fish, Beef liver and Poultry are all good sources of B6 that helps to form hemoglobin (part of your red blood cells), thus prevent anemia.

2. Many people feel that donating blood makes them week. It is not true. It takes 1-2 days to replenish the fluid volume and 3 months for regeneration of red cells.

3. The highest concentration of vitamin-A is found in sweet potatoes. Beef liver, spinach, fish, milk eggs and carrots are also good sources.

4. Vitamin K in green and leafy vegetables is a crucial ingredient for blood clotting. Without in, your body would not be able to stop bleeding.

5. Vitamin-B1, in nuts and fish, helps body to turn carbohydrates into energy. It is also an important nutrient for brain and nervous system to run properly.

6. Zinc is important for immune function and is also important for your senses of taste and smell. Include zinc rich food like meat, shellfish and nuts in your diet.

7. Numerous foods provide Vitamin-E. Nuts, seeds and vegetable oils are the best sources and significant amounts are available in green leafy vegetables and cereals.

8. Yogurt is a great source of protein. The protein keeps you feeling full a little longer. It does have some liquid so it provides some hydration also.

a. Eat heart-healthy diet. Include potassium and fiber and drink plenty of water. Stay at a healthy body weight. Thus you can control your blood pressure.

b. Children between the ages of one and three need to have around 350mg of calcium a day. About 300ml of milk would provide this.

c. Unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol and provides us essential fatty acids needed to stay healthy. Oily fish, nuts, olive oils are unsaturated fat.

d. Fats and sugar are the sources of energy for the body, but when we eat too much of them we consume more energy than we burn and this means that we put on weight.

e. Eggs are a good choice as part of a healthy, balanced diet. As well as being a source of protein, they also contain vitamins and minerals.

f. Eating a healthy diet is a key step to feeling your best every day and supporting your immune system to avoid poor health in the future.

g. People with low back pain should avoid sit-ups and crunches. Improper posture during these exercises can actually do a lot of harm.

h. Smoking delays healing of peptic ulcers increases the risk of osteoporosis, cataracts, gallstones and male impotence. Quit Smoking today.

Diabetes Prevention and Control is in your hands.

1. Regular exercise helps your body respond to insulin and known to be effective in managing blood glucose. Exercise lowers blood glucose and reduce medication amount.

2. Women with diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes later in life. Regular screening is recommended.

3. Eating, exercising and taking diabetes medicines at a fixed time everyday gives better control of blood sugar.

4. Adding garlic to your daily food will help to lower blood sugar and decrease cholesterol levels.

Hardening of the Arteries (Atherosclerosis)

Angina

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease. Progressive narrowing of the arteries, due to plaque formation supplies inadequate oxygen rich blood to the heart muscle, during exercise or stress. This condition is called “ischaemia”. When ischaemia of the heart muscle occurs, “angina” is the pain signal from the heart asking for rest.

Angina Pectoris

It means chest pain. This pain is often not confined to the chest. It is often a referred or radiating pain in the upper body, left arm, jaw or upper back. The pain can also show symptoms like heaviness in chest or indigestion.

An angianl attack normally lasts for less than five minutes. The effects of ischemia on the heart muscle are reversible and do not result in the death of cells. An angianl attack can be relieved by rest and medication.

Diagnosing Angina

Certain tests have to be conducted, besides the medical evaluation.

Medical Evaluation

Diagnosis of angina can be made on the basis of your medical history. The relation of your symptoms to your physical activity or emotional stress, identify the risk factors for atherosclerosis. Also certain laboratory tests, a resting electrocardiogram and chest X-ray are needed to help make the diagnosis of your disease.

Medical History

Your pattern of discomfort or pain along with a review of your medial history will help your doctor make a provisional diagnosis of angina.

The priority will be given to the nature of your discomfort or pain. Its location what brings it on and what relives it.

Your risk factors will be identified by your doctor.

Your family history will be assessed – what kind of illnesses do you have in the family, etc.

Women and Heart Disease

Many woman experience short bouts of recurrent chest pain (angina), but routine tests like ECG pick up no abnormality.

Recent research based on a 10 year multicentre study in the United States has stated that women should be examined under “Women’s Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation” or Wise. Women’s pathophysiology is different from that of men.

Women have blood vessels of smaller diameter as compared to men. Blockage in minor vessels deprives the heart of oxygen, causing a condition called ischaemia. Over a time major blockages in the minor vessels and capillaries are not even picked up on an angiogram.

In the case of premenopausal women, due to the presence of estrogen hormone, stress ECG too can give a false test. For women suffering from chest pain and having a clear angiogram, the recommendation is of a stress echo or stress thallium.

Plaque Formation

Plaque is a fatty substance in the blood which often builds up in and around the smooth arterial muscles. Clot forming platelets can accumulate on this. Due to the formation of the plaque, blockage of the vessels starts, restricting the blood flow.

The atherosclerosis plaque can block a part or whole of the “affected” artery and “atherosclerosis” is the result. The partial blockage of oxygen rich blood to the heart often results in chest pain. When the blockage is total, it can result in a heart attack.

Facts about the heart

Some Facts about the heart

v The heart beats approximately 100,000 times each day.

v About 7000 liters of blood flows through the heart.

v Like other parts of the body, the heart receives its food through a system of arteries, known as coronaries.

v The chances of a smoker suffering from a heart attack are three times more as compared to a non-smoker. On quitting, the risk is out to half in about a year’s time. After 10 years your odds nearly return to normal.

Coronary Arteries

Normal coronary arteries are similar to clear pipes and possess smooth linings. Therefore, the flow of blood through these arteries is smooth and free. Risk factors like high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the lining of the arteries.

Heart attack

Heart attack occurs when there is a total blockage of a coronary artery. Heart attack, unlike angina lasts longer. It is a pain of more intensity and is not relieved by rest or medication. Heart attack causes damage to the heart muscle, which is permanent.

Medication often relieves the symptoms of angina. Different types of drugs are available, but they all have one purpose- to reduce the contraction and rate of the heart. All medications have possible side effects, which if needed can be discussed with your doctor.