All About Positive Health

There have been several calls from hospital emergency staff in the recent past to alleviate retention of urine in elderly male and the associated pain. The urethral opening is completely closed by phimosed prepuce, the fore skin of penis. The common cause of retention of urine in elderly male is a prostatic enlargement. And in a situation where there is such type of phimosis remains associated, it gives rise to problem in introducing a silicon pipe through urethra to relieve the acute retention. Such type of peculiar situation probably is best encountered in India; where the people do not give attention to the phimosis they might be carrying from their childhood. Here, there is custom circumcision in Muslims and Hindus only go for it as a part of medical treatment. Perhaps there is no atheistic consideration, and people generally shy away from speaking about it. Even these people had enjoyed a good family life.

In this situation, first the prepuce is to be slit open to see the urethra, and glans is to be inspected for cancerous growths; as phimosis is associated with penile cancer in glans and prepuce. Many times there have been very much narrowing of urethral opening to obstruct the passage of urine. The urethra is to be dilated to allow the entry of a silastic pipe called catheter, and first of all the retention is to be relieved as it is a very painful condition, better known to a person who might had been compelled to postpone passing urine after the urge for it due to some reason. After that, a formal circumcision has to be performed. The stricture of urethral meatus may need a minor surgery to keep it open. All these can be performed under local anesthesia.

Though phimosis is apparently an innocent disease may a cause of grave concern.

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Present day life style of moving in air conditioned cars and remaining confined to AC rooms has been associated with increased incidence of cardiac diseases. It has also been seen that there is increase in cardiovascular events during the winter, particularly so, in the regions located in the high latitudes. Now researchers have found out that, these people have low vitamin D level in their blood; and correlated it to the increased incidence of heart diseases, asthma and many more diseases.

Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin by the activity of ultraviolet rays received from sun. Recent day life style leaves a little room for sun exposure. So there is low level of this vitamin in blood. Over protected children, not engaged in outdoor activity also get less exposure to sun and consequently a low vitamin D level in blood. Low vitamin D level decreases endothelial function. This decrease causes insulin resistance in type II diabetics and worsens diabetes status. It helps in formation of atheroma; a plaque composed of bad fat, calcium and some blood components; which may get deposited in the inner cell layer, the endothelium of coronary arteries. There is increase in blood pressure due to increase vascular resistance. All these factors combined together may be responsible for heart attack; whose incidence rises, particularly in the winter days in the region of high latitude.

Let us have a little sun each and every day by indulging in some outdoor activities.

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I got an e-mail as a news alert from “Panda antivirus” about an USB vaccine. As a doctor, I understand what a vaccine means. So, I went ahead, downloaded it and configured. I know that one potential route of entry of viruses to a computer is through the USB applications like a pen drive. Recently, the laptop of my younger son contacted some folder making virus in this way; and for which the laptop has to be formatted. After configuring, when I put my pen drive to one USB socket, a pop up emerged and vanished away quickly informing me that the device has been vaccinated. I do not know whether actually that has been done, but I believe so. It available in free. Possibly one should give a trial to it.

Saying no is a difficult affair for some and they suffer for it. People say yes, even to illegal works in order to be popular; sometimes to keep friendship and sometimes with hope of getting illegal gratification. These are the people with vested interest and they thrive well in their illegial sphere and go on expanding the network. But, sometimes may be cought red handed. Good people do say yes under some compulsion and keep grumbling, being unable to avoid it all together. And, these people atfer induldging in the activity,when refuse to oblige later on due to some or other cause, breed enimity to the severest extent. So, it is better to learn to say a big “No” when somebody does not approve the “Yes” from the inner corner of the heart. It may be unpleasant for time being, but there is no future problem associated with it. Again he will not be approached to gratify the illegal request. That keeps stress and strain out from the person. But, it requires a lot of courage to say “NO”. It is rather difficult but not impossible an act.

Some say a particular person is quarrelsome, angry and argumentative etc. But how those modes of expression came to existence? If those were not needed how come they have a place in our day to day life! Silent sufferers are more prone to heart attack as the bad feeling remains within and smokes inside. That creates stress followed by stress related hormone secretion. So, it is better ventilate the grievances or the bad feeling. One may quarrel even with the boss; of course, in a healthier way to express his stand on a particular issue. One may cry to relieve the tension. I support it.

Some years back, one of my friends asked me that a person known to him is having pain in the left arm while walking, compelling him to take a break; and gets back the pain sometimes after resuming his walk. I suggested an electrocardiogram (ECG), and as expected by me a coronary artery disease was diagnosed. This symptom is somewhat a tale tell story of angina pain of heart. In my childhood, I have seen dancing of some superficial arteries of old aged persons and surprised over it; now, I am clear about its cause i.e. it is due to thickening of wall of peripheral arteries from atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis; there occurs deposit of cholesterol, calcium, some blood cells and some other components in the inner layer of blood vessels called intima. This is equally seen larger as well as smaller blood vessels in the body. Smoking is an important cause of atherosclerosis.

Recently, researchers have found out the role of immune cells in the formation of atheroma after triggering an inflammation in the intima of blood vessels. Drugs targeting these cells also cause harm to useful effects of these cells. So, now they are targeting research, how to destroy the bad effect of cells leaving ahead the good effects. They also found out one molecule that switches on the harmful effect of these immune cells. The new research will be focusing more on blocking the action of the molecule.

Pot bellied persons due excess abdominal fat; the apples are prone to develop atherosclerosis than the pears; persons having fat deposit around hip, researchers say. Smoking, alcohol, sedentary life style and more saturated fat consumption are some of the contributing factors for atherosclerosis. Measurements of waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and Body mass index (BMI) are some of predictors of risk of heart attack. Waist circumference >32 inches in female and >37 inches in male have the risk of heart attack. Persons having WHR > 0.7 and BMI >30 are at the risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Constant acis reflux from the stomach may change the inner lining of esophagus from squamous cell to columnar cell. It is called Barret’s esophagus and cancerous changes may occur in ti in future; patient should remain under observation endoscopically.