THURSDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2012

| HEALTH |5

MIND MATTERS

NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK SEPT 1-7

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS Nutrition plays key role in making country stronger The new silent epidemic
Will be the leading cause of disease globally by 2030
NAGA SUNDARI id you know that depression is expected to be the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030? The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in our country is estimated as 58 per cent. The surge of psychiatric diseases have spread like a silent epidemic in the present day society. It extends to many people irrespective of their age, caste, colour, gender, poor or rich. Depression, anxiety and personality disorders are more rampant in mental illnesses and suicide is real possibility in almost all depression cases. Failure in academics, love, career, life and professions is leading youngsters and school going children to fall into serious psychiatric ailments such as anxiety, personality disorders, bipolar, attention deficit disorders, emotional stress, severe mood swings and so on. Work-induced depressions and stress and family responsibilities take a toll on many middle aged people, particularly women. Age phobia is rendering senior citizens mentally feeble and making them fall into psychiatric ailments such as Alzheimer, depression, dementia and schizophrenia.

As part of National Nutrition Week, programmes like exhibition on health and nutrition have been held to educate the public about the importance of nutrition in everyday life
A deficiency anemia. According to one survey, malnourished females are 25.2% as compared to males (20.2%). Large number of women and children are mainly suffering from micro nutrient and calcium deficiency. Womens nutritional needs keep changing at different stages of their life time such as at reproductive stage, menopause time, during pregnancy and menstruation times etc. Many women and teenage girls are prone to anemia and suffer from severe iron and vitamin deficiencies. For example, menopausal women lose more calcium and their bone density weakens with age. This could lead to severe osteoporosis. Lack of vitamin D affects the bone density and renders the bones softer and deforms them. During pregnancy lack of nutrition in women impacts severely on the growth of foetus and on mothers health. Iron is necessary for formation of hemoglobin and vitamin C develops immunity power in human beings. As part of national nutrition week, programmes like exhibition on health and nutrition, demonstration of different nutri-

The change in behaviour is main indicator of many psychiatric disorders.

To prevent mental disorders:

a. Changes in lifestyle are necessary b. Sufficient sleep is must. c. Get relaxation through breathing exercises for 15 to 30 minutes every day d. Consume balanced and nutritious rich diet daily e. Physical activity like walking, cycling, jogging five day a week for 45 minutes daily. f. Take up stress out activities, develop interest beyond your work and inculcate the habit of sharing your things and difficulties with others

Mental disorders more in youngsters

In children, we observe the psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, autism, growth and development disorder etc. In urban areas, multi personality disorder escalates severely with age. Gender discrimination, multi tasking and distress make many women aged between 25 to 35 years fallen into depression, stress and anxiety. Youngsters with low tolerance, impatient towards delays and constantly seek stimulation have anti-social personality disorders and will go for extreme acts such as killing etc. Lack of balanced food and nutrition aggravate the mental disorders in the younger generation. The people who suffer from chronic disease such as diabetes, TB, cancer also fall into mental illness. In older people, dementia and depression cases are more. In west people suffer from mental health seek help from qualified professionals. That culture is yet to develop in our country, says Dr Praveenkumar, psychiatrist, Tranquil Minds, Jubilee Hills. In fact mental disorders will get a very low priority in developing countries like India. Its incidence in our rural areas is 70.5 per 1000 people whereas in urban population its pervasiveness is 73 per 1000 people. In our country children are as vulnerable to psychiatric disorders as adults. In cities

depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, emotional stress and attention deficit disorders etc. Students are getting subjected to severe mental pressures more. As they are unable to cope up that mental and emotional stress, simply resort to extreme steps and go to the extent of committing suicides. Severe competition in career and lack of love and strong family bondages and nuclear family culture lead them to severe mental disorders.

Depression takes big toll

Minor mental ailments occur due to lifestyle pressures and work-induced stress. Many of these get aggravated if they dont get proper medical attention in time. For example we can notice in them delusions, fear suspicion or mistrust. They lose their functional and judgment abilities. According to one survey, it is estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of population suffer from either a major or minor emotional problem at any given time. The people who suffer from depression always withdraw from social activities, suicidal thoughts cross their minds very frequently and blaming themselves for all problems, feeling of worthlessness etc., Suicide is genuine possibility in them. Bio-psycho-social perspectives play a significant role for the magnitude of psychological disorders. Depression, neurosis, addiction to drugs and alcohol finally direct them to mental health problems. Many people are ignorant

like Hyderabad IT, corporate people, women in jobs and the students studying professional courses are victims of depression and stress related mental disorders at higher levels. The change in behaviour is main indicator of many psychiatric disorders. Healthy lifestyle is sole solution for prevention of mental illness and fostering of good health and to contain the premature deaths. According to Lancet study, one in five adolescents has emotional, learning or developmental disorders. Besides, in every two adolescents globally suffer from neuropsychiatric disorder. Meanwhile one in every eight has a serious mental disorder. Youngsters in the age group of 10-24 are more prone to the psychiatric disorders. They suffer largely from schizophrenia, personality disorders,

about their mental disorders in our country. Meanwhile social stigma also prevails at length. Even educated people also prefer to take their children to neurologist rather than go for trained psychiatrist for medical checkup. Though India took a step forward to advocate mental disorders as one of the non-communicable disease at the health ministers meet very recently, in our country mental health gets very low priority. In India, modern psychiatric facilities are available only in cities. For rural people it is a distant dream till today. Psychiatric experts are very less in number to compensate the demands of psychiatric patients in our country. Many rural people approach even witchcraft to cure their dear ones who suffer from mental illness. In fact mental disorders require long term treatment. But it is not taking place in the case of many patients especially in rural areas. Proper counselling and family support are needed so much to a psychiatric patient for his early recovery, adds Dr Praveenkumar.

very year, the National Nutrition Week is observed from September 1 to 7. The theme this year is Nutrition Promotion for Stronger Nation. Its aim is to bring awareness and educate the public, especially mothers, about the importance of food and nutrition and various factors which lead to malnutrition in children and women. Nutrition is linked to the development of human resources and national growth also. As part of nutrition week, more emphasis is laid on timely intervention for immunisation of children. If a child is not immunised in time, he or she is prone to many diseases. In our country, malnutrition in children is at high level with the 42.5 per cent. Half of Indian infant deaths are related to malnutrition and often associated with infectious diseases. In India, gender inequality in nutrition is present from infancy to adulthood. The major nutritional problems affecting women in our country are Protein energy malnutrition (PEM), iron deficiency anemia, Iidine deficiency anemia and Vitamin

tious recipes and lectures on breast feeding and nutrition food for mothers and children are being taken up in Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad. The Healthy Food exhibition conducted at the hospital focused on diet essentials like Vitamins we eat, Role of Antioxidants to fight against all deadly diseases and How to take care of food and maintain hygiene. In this context, doctors advised women to take balanced food comprising fruits, pulses, grains, vegetables, green leaves and the food filled with rich micro nutrients, vitamins and irons. Modifications in food habits along with lifestyle changes can significantly delay or avoid the onset of diseases like heart attacks, strokes, cancers etc. Today, advice on nutrition forms an integral part of disease management and will only have an enhanced role in the days to come says Dr Aftab Ahmed, General Physician, Apollo Hospitals Secunderabad. Doctors also stressed the importance of breast feeding . Mothers milk develops a great immunity power in children the doctors add.

Healthy food exhibition at Apollo Hospital, Secunderabad

TIP OF THE DAY

HEADACHE - MIGRAINE
Dip your hands including forearm in the warm water for 23 minutes

HOMEOPATH

Sepia for psoriasis

medicines work towards impeding the proliferation of skin cells which inevitably alleviates excessive scaling and stimulate the bodys own healing potential by restoring balance of the immune system and countering the genetic predisposition some of commonly used homoeopathic medicines in psoriasis are Graphitis, Natrum Mur, Lycopodium, Sulphur, Sepia, staphysagria, Baryta carb, prosperous, pulsatilla but should be taken under strict medical supervision. Psoriasis is an obstinate and chronic disease. There is no shortcut to its cure.The length of treatment varies form case to case, depending of the following factors: l Duration of Psoriasis l Areas affected. Affection of scalp and nails takes longer. l Extent of spread Psoriasis only on skin is easier to treat. Joint affection (Psoriatic Arthritis) require longer duration. l Previous medication (Extensive use o oral cortisone may delay the course of treatment) l General health and associated diseases (The doctor is with Genetic Homoeopathy, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. Ph: 81251 08108)

DR NITIN HUNDRE

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

How to get rid of heavy metals

Make sure you give them what they need by drinking plenty of water. Drink plenty of clean water, at least eight glasses of filtered water a day. One of the first signs of dehydration is the colour of urine. Urine should be mostly clear (clear enough to read a newspaper through) or with only a slight tinge of yellow. But, if it is dark yellow or has a strong odour, chances are you arent drinking enough. In general, tap water is not safe to drink and bottled water isnt much better. The best option is to filter your own water and carry it with you in stainless steel bottles. If possible, install a reverse osmosis filter in your house, at least for your drinking water or use a carbon filter

soriasis is a chronic, autoimmune, non-contagious disease characterised by inflammed lesions covered with silvery-white scales of dead skin. In psoriasis, the skin becomes inflamed and red eruptions appear on the surface of the skin that begins to itch excessively. Psoriasis being a constitutional trouble, it requires deep acting genetic constitutional remedy along with other genetic combination medicines. This by acting at genetic level stops the progress of complications of psoriasis and nullifies them completely. Further the

MEDI NEWS

DR PRAVEEN KUMAAR SAXENA e need to optimise our bodys ability to rid it of toxins. If your bodys detoxification tools arent good, waste will build up. Over time, the damage is similar to what happens when garbage collectors go on strike and dont pick up the garbage off the streets. Detoxification is the bodys way of breaking down and eliminating anything that doesnt belong.

Traumatic images mar Fitness trumps fat physical health bese people who are otherwise physically
Drink at least eight glasses of filtered water a day for good digestion

Water and more water

One or two well formed bowel movements every day is one of the best ways to get toxins out of your body. To avoid constipation drink plenty of water. The body is very good at conserving water. Sometimes its almost too good. When the walls of the colon suck too much moisture out of stool, it dries and hardens, which can lead to hard stool and constipation. Hence, drinking more water and other liquids during the day can make your stools softer and easier to expel.

Detoxification
While its true that we live in a toxic world, its important to remember that there is a lot you can do to enhance your bodys natural ability to detoxify. The body has four main exit routes for toxins. They are urine, stool, sweat and respiration. These collectively help to mobilize, transform, and excrete toxins. The kidneys are responsible for flushing waste from the blood.

youre maximising the detox -potential of your pores by working up a sweat at least three times a week. Consider using a sauna, steam or detox bath to trigger the bodys natural ability to detoxify itself through sweat. People have long gravitated towards heat as a means of cleansing the physical and emotional body. Some research indicates that sauna therapy increases excretion of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, and fat-soluble chemicals PCBs, PBBs, and HCBs). Taking saunas or steam baths also helps reduce stress and balance the autonomic nervous system.

each breath, they bring in fresh oxygen and help transport it throughout the body. Unfortunately, the air we breathe is not always clean. Every day the lungs filter out carcinogens in gas fumes, allergens from pets and plants. Restricted or shallow breathing can diminish the power of the lungs by preventing oxygen from reaching all of your tissues. Breathing deeply and fully will oxygenate your brain, body, and spirit, transforming your health in the process. Chelation Therapy also helps a lot to remove many toxic heavy metals from the body via the kidneys. (The doctor is associated with Centre for Progressive Medicine, Himayathnagar, Hyderabad. www.healthyheart.in)

Perspiration
Your skin is your single largest organ of elimination. Make sure

Pranayama
The lungs are the unsung heroes of the bodys detox squad. With

n a new study, researchers have tried to lean to light on the lingering effects of "collective traumas" such as natural disasters, mass shootings and terrorist attacks on people. According to study author Roxane Cohen Silver from UCI Irvine, a steady diet of graphic media images may have long-lasting mental and physical health consequences. The researchers of the study found that repeated exposure to violent images from the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the Iraq War led to an increase in physical and psychological ailments. People who watched more than four hours a day of 9/11- and Iraq War-related television coverage reported both acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms over time. I think it's important for people to be aware that there is no psychological benefit to repeated exposure to graphic images of horror," felt Silver. Researchers conducted follow up assessments in the three years after 9/11. They tried to measure stress nine to 14 days after 9/11 and within a few days after the start of the Iraq War. Almost 12 percent of the 1,322 participants reported high levels of acute stress related to 9/11 and about 7 per cent reported high levels of acute stress related to the Iraq War.

fit had no greater risk of dying prematurely than those whose weight is normal, according to a research by the US National Institutes of Health and Coca-Cola Co. (KO), the worlds biggest soft-drink maker. The study found that obese people with heart disease have a lower risk of dying early than underweight or normal-weight heart patients. Obesity may carry a benefit up to a certain degree, and it should be recognized that obesity is not necessarily associated with abnormal metabolic function say Stephan von Haehling and Oliver Hartmann . The findings dont give people license to expand their waistlines, said Amy Thompson, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. Instead, the studies serve as reminders that carrying fat around the belly and how fat affects your fitness may be more important than the numbers on the scale, Thompson said. Previous studies have said if youre obese, youre always in a higher risk group but what they didnt look at was fitness. This brings fitness into the picture says Francisco Ortega, the lead author of the study.