World stroke day – 29.10.2014

World stroke day – 29.10.2014

Life Style Changes to Prevent Stroke(Brain attack) Dr.M.A.Aleem.M.D.D.M.,(Neuro). Vice Principal HOD and professor of Neurology. KAPV Government Medical college. MGM Government Hospital Trichy -620017.

Introduction

Stroke has been and continues to be a widespread disease worldwide, afflicting over 15 million people each year. Of those 15 million almost six million die and a further five million are left permanently disabled. A new person suffers a stroke every six seconds.

The lifetime risk of stroke is 1 in 5 for women, 1 in 6 for men Every two seconds, someone in the world suffers a stroke Every six seconds, someone dies of a stroke Every six seconds, someone’s quality of life will forever be changed – they will permanently be physically disabled due to stroke.

World Stroke Day

World Stroke day is observed on October 29 to underscore the serious nature and high rates of stroke raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of the condition, and ensure better care and support for survivors.

Stroke Facts

Stroke (also known as cerebrovascular disease) occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it starts to die. The extent and location of the brain cell damage determines the severity of the stroke, which can range from minimal to catastrophic. Because different areas of the brain control difference functions, the specific effects of a particular stroke depend on which area of the brain is injured. A small stroke in a critical area of the brain can be permanently disabling. Because brain cells do not regenerate, damage to the nerve cells is permanent. Million of brain cells die each minute a stroke is untreated. Ruptured blood vessels cause hemorrhagic or bleeding strokes.
1. The vessel clogs within (ischemic stroke)

2. The vessel ruptures, causing blood to leak into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke)


Ischemic

Ischemic Stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all cases. Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. The underlying condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty deposits lining the vessel walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis. These fatty deposits can cause two types of obstruction:

Cerebral embolism refers generally to a blood clot that forms at another location in the circulatory system, usually the heart and large arteries of the upper chest and neck. A portion of the blood clot breaks loose, enters the bloodstream and travels through the brain’s blood vessels until it reaches vessels too small to let it pass. A second important cause of embolism is an irregular heartbeat, known as atria fibrillation. If creates conditions where clots can from in the heart, dislodge and travel to the brain.

Hemorrhagic

Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for about 13 percent of stroke cases. It results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. The two type of hemorrhagic stroke are intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. Two type of weakened blood vessels usually cause hemorrhagic stroke: aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

An aneurysm is a ballooning of a weakened region of a blood vessel. If left untreated, the aneurysm continues to weaken until it ruptures and bleeds into the brain. An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a cluster of abnormally formed blood vessels. Any one of these vessels can rupture, also causing bleeding into the brain.

Stroke Warning Signs

These are the warning signs that someone is having a stroke:

 Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
 Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

 Sudden trouble seeing in one both eyes

 Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

 Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

If you notice one or more of these signs, don’t wait. Stroke is a medical emergency. Call your emergency medical services 108 and get to a hospital right away!


What causes stroke

 High blood pressure (Hypertension is the most common and treatable risk factor in stroke)

 Smoking

 High cholesterol

 Diabetes mellitus

 Obesity

 Sedentary life style

 Atrial fibrillation

 Heart disease

 Carotid artery disease

 Alcohol

It is possible to prevent stroke

 Good control of blood pressure

 Good control of diabetes

 Lower cholesterol

 Regular exercise

 Quit smoking

 Lose weight

 Never ignore a small stroke

Learn How to Prevent a Stroke

Here are six steps anyone can take to reduce the risk and danger of stroke:

1. Know your personal risk factors: high blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood cholesterol.

2. Be physically active and exercise regularly.

3. Maintain a healthy diet high in fruit and vegetable and low in salt to stay a healthy state and keep blood pressure low.

4. Limit alcohol consumption.

5. Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, help to stop now.

6. Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke.



DIET:

Diet is one of the important lifestyle factors for the prevention of stroke, because we habitually eat three times a day. As mentioned in the Introduction, the following dietary factors have been related to stroke prevention: reduction of salt intake, increase in fruit and vegetable intake, and decrease in saturated and total fat intake.

Low Salt Diet

If is recommended that salt intake be reduced to less than 5g a day to lower the risk of having a stroke.

1. Salt raises our blood pressure

2. The higher our blood pressure, the higher our risk of stroke

3. Adults should have less than 5grams of salt a day, and children even less
4. It is particularly important than children do not eat too much salt, as blood pressure first starts to rise in childhood

5. Much of the salt we eat is in everyday foods such as bread, sauces, cheese and processed meat, as well as salt added at the table and during cooking.

6. Take time to get used to lower salt food, and you will enjoy it as much, if not more, than salty food.

Increase in the fruit and vegetable intake:

High fruit and vegetable intake reduces stroke incidence and mortality. The mechanism by which high intake of fruits and vegetables prevents stroke may involve the high levels of potassium, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and dietary fiber in these foods, since each of these components has been shown to individually prevent cardiovascular risk factors.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY :

That individuals engaged in physical activity have a 25-30% lower risk of stroke than inactive individuals. This association was mediated through beneficial effects on body weight, blood pressure, serum total cholesterol levels, and glucose levels. Recommended that adults should engage in at least 150 min per week of moderate-intensity or 75 min per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity

Amma is Amma

Jaya Amma announced Rs 3 lakes each for 193 people from all walk of life who died on hearing the news of amma's arrest till her release in Tamilnadu.

World Trauma Day — 2014 October 17

World Trauma Day — October 17

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), trauma is a major cause of death and disability across the world.

WHO research has shown that at least 50 percent of road deaths occurring in developing countries could have been prevented with effective interference after trauma has occurred, that is:

Immediate pre-hospital care

Adequate knowledge of handling emergency situations (involves training of personnel)

Adequate supply of pre-hospital care equipment and facilities (enough ambulances and other medical supplies)

Commemoration of World Trauma Day emphasises the importance of saving and protecting a life during the most critical moments and preparing and applying critical measures to deal with and avoid trauma fatalities.

Amma believe people and God

Our Jaya Amma got bail with suspension of case verdict by Karnataka court in supreme court today. God is great. People of Tamilnadu and myself welcoming our Jaya Amma a the chief minister of Tamilnadu. our Amma believe people of Tamilnadu and God only.

Health Hazards of Crackers

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Crackers contain toxic constituents, which are released into the Atmosphere and are thereby harmful for Health & Environment. Bursting of crackers deteriorates ambient air quality by releasing suspended particulate matter, oxides of metals along with carbon particles, poisonous/toxic gases and high noise level.

Constituents of crackers:

The following are the main constituents of crackers (Source-Bombay National History Society Laboratory, Mumbai.)

•               The highly toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead in addition to other metals like copper, manganese, zinc, sodium, magnesium and potassium are the main constituents in firecrackers.

•               Few of these metals are in the form of nitrates and nitrites. Both these radicals are oxidizing agents that are a ready source of oxygen in the process of combustion.

•               Oxides of sulphur, phosphorus are present in the form of Sulphate and phosphates respectively.

•               The average concentration of lead, copper is usually in the range of 462-744mg/100g with a maximum in green sparkle showing 850mg/100g. Magnesium was found in huge quantities when compared to other metals like copper, manganese and zinc. The mean levels of magnesium in about 2622 mg/ 100g. zinc is in the least concentration (324mg /100g) among the various metals.

•               The proportion of nitrite, phosphate and sulphate in the crackers is almost similar and ranged between 1160 to 1420 mg/gm, whereas nitrates which are strong oxidizing agents, are in considerable amounts as compared to the other three. Their mean levels were 1624mg/100g.

Effects of Pollutants on Environment & Health:

Large scale bursting of firecrackers results in deteriorating the environmental quality with respect to ambient air quality, noise levels and generation of solid waste. The constituents harmful to health are released when crackers are burst.

•               SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTER (SPM):

 The increase in level of suspended particles in the air causes eye, throat and nose problems.

 Chronic Pulmonary Diseases (Bronchitis, Asthma) get aggravated by sufficient high concentration of SPM.

 The particulate matter may contain some heavy metal oxide/salts, which get deposited in the lungs causing irreversible damage.

•               SULPHUR DIOXIDE (SO2):

 Sulphur Dioxide is readily soluble and dissolves in the larger airways of respiratory system. This stimulates a contraction. At higher concentrations severe contraction restricts the breathing process.

 Allergy problems are also caused to skin.

  Sulphur dioxide adversely affects plant growth and productivity by interaction with different physiological processes and damaging the licences and pigments.

•               OXIDES OF NITROGEN (NO3 )

 Nitrogen dioxide cause respiratory allergies like asthma especially to the susceptible population.

 Cause throat and chest congestion and are like to aggravate problems for these already suffering from coughs, colds and allergies.

•               CARBON MONOXIDE (CO):

 CO causes harm by binding with haemoglobin in our blood forming caboxy haemoglobin (COHb). CO attaches with haemoglobin roughly 220 times more strongly than the oxygen so that amount of CO in the air we breath can cause significant amount of our haemoglobin to be tied up has COHb. The haemoglobin thus tied up cannot serve its normal function to transport oxygen in the blood. Thus as the bloods ability to transport oxygen declines, various parts of the body suffer oxygen deprivation. 70% or more percent caboxy haemoglobin is normally fatal.

•               CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2):

  CO2  atmosphere CO2  is the major source of organic carbons in the biosphere. There has been steady increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is about 350 ppm. At this concentration it has no harmful effects to human, but increased emission of CO2 are the largest signal cause of global warming.

NOISE POLLUTION:

Noise is unwanted sound which is a dangerous pollutant hazardous to health. Noise magnitude is measured in Decibels (dB).

 Noise pollution can cause lead to hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart attack and sleep disturbance.

SOLID WASTE :

Large scale bursting of Fire crackers also generate huge amount of solid waste in a form of packing materials, remains of fire crackers etc.

DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY HON’BLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA: 

The following directions are issued for strict compliance by one and all-

 Imposed restriction on the manufacture, sale & use of firecrackers not exceeding Noise level 125 dB (A1) or 145 dB(C) peak.

 Use of high sounding instruments between 10.00 PM to 6.00 AM is not permitted.

 Bursting of fire crackers between 10.00 PM to 6.00 AM is not permitted.

 Bursting of fire crackers are prohibited at hospitals, educational institutions, places of worship.

This information will provide awareness to the public at large for control and safe use of fire crackers to make a happy and eco friendly DEEPAWALI

World Spine Day 16.10.2014- “Straighten Up and Move”

World Spine Day!

Every year on October 16th people from around the world join together to raise awareness on World Spine Day as part of the Bone and Joint Decade’s Action Week.  The World Spine Day (WSD) theme for the year 2014 is “Straighten Up and Move”, focusing on the importance of proper posture and movement in maintaining good spinal health.



Spinal disorders, such as back pain, neck pain, scoliosis and disc disease, to name a few are common, and they can have a profound effect on a person’s overall health, impacting a person’s ability to work, to enjoy everyday activities and even disrupting healthy sleep patterns.

Research has demonstrated that poor postures and inactivity can contribute to the development of back pain and other spinal disorders.

The good news is that many of these common problems can be easily avoided!

Approach Apex court like Mrs Indra Gandhi to get bail for Jaya Amma

In Jayalalithaa 's bail plea appearing lawyers should consider former Prime minister Indra Gandhi 's bail plea approach to get bail for Jayalalithaa Amma on her 21st day of jail that is on 17th October 2014 at the Supreme court of India

Nobel Prize for medicine 2014 for Neurology 'Inner GPS' Research

Nobel Discovery Opens Window Onto Alzheimer's Disease


The discovery of cells in the brain that act as the body's internal global positioning system, which won three scientists the Nobel Prize for medicine for the year 2014, opens an intriguing new window onto dementia.

Since these spatial cells are among the first to be hit in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia - explaining why sufferers often lose their way - understanding how they are degraded should shed important light on the disease process.

That is the belief of British-American researcher John O'Keefe, winner of the 2014 prize alongside Norwegians May-Britt and Edvard Moser, who plans to take his research to the next level as director of a new brain institute in London.

"We're now setting up to do much more high-tech studies where we hope to follow the progression of disease over time," he told reporters after hearing he would share the 8 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million) prize.

"This will give us the first handle as to when and where the disease starts and how we can attack it at a the molecular and cellular level."

The battle against Alzheimer's has been long and frustrating. Global cases of dementia are expected to treble by 2050, yet scientists are still struggling to understand its basic biology and drug development is littered with failures.

The work by O'Keefe and the Mosers will not lead to immediate breakthroughs but by explaining how cells function - and then fail to function - in two very specific regions of the brain it is seen as vital for unpicking how Alzheimer's develops.

"Understanding how the healthy brain functions, especially areas of the brain crucial to learning and memory, is incredibly important in understanding what changes occur during conditions such as Alzheimer's disease," said Doug Brown, director of research and development at Britain's Alzheimer's Society.

The Nobel Prize winners' work on the brain's navigation system stretches back more than 40 years, but more recently scientists have developed powerful new tools for studying brain circuits that O'Keefe plans to put to work at the new London research institute where his is director.

The first of more than 150 scientists will start work at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at University College London next year, using state-of-the-art lasers, molecular biology and computational modeling to explore the brain's intricate wiring.


The Group of Eight leading industrial countries set a goal last December of finding a cure or effective treatment for dementia by 2025.

It is a decade since the last drug was approved to treat Alzheimer's, and there is still no treatment that can slow the progression of the disease, with current drugs only easing some of the symptoms of the disorder.

"We all know there is a time bomb there," O'Keefe said. "We are starting to get a handle on it but that doesn't mean it is going to turn into a cure in the immediate future."

Focus on eye donation - The Hindu

Focus on eye donation - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/focus-on-eye-donation/article6495456.ece

World Mental Health Day 10.10.2014- “Living with schizophrenia”.

World Mental Health Day

10 October 2014

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.

The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

The theme for 2014 is “Living with schizophrenia”.
The focus of the World Health Organization will be living a healthy life with schizophrenia

Schizophrenia


Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, characterized by profound disruptions in thinking, affecting language, perception, and the sense of self. It often includes psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices or delusions. It can impair functioning through the loss of an acquired capability to earn a livelihood, or the disruption of studies.

Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Most cases of schizophrenia can be treated, and people affected by it can lead a productive life and be integrated in society.

World Sight Day 9.10.2014-No more Avoidable Blindness

World Sight Day 2014

World Sight Day 2014 is on 9 October 2014 (the second Thursday of October). World Sight Day 2013 saw numerous organizations putting together events of great verve and colour to draw attention to avoidable blindness and rehabilitation. 2014 is the first year of the WHO Global Action Plan and IAPB encourages our members and partners to continue with our rolling theme:

Universal Eye Health

This year, the 'Call to Action' for World Sight Day is:


No more Avoidable Blindness



Visual impairment and blindness

285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision.

About 90% of the world's visually impaired live in low-income settings.

82% of people living with blindness are aged 50 and above.

Globally, uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of moderate and severe visual impairment; cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness in middle- and low-income countries.

The number of people visually impaired from infectious diseases has reduced in the last 20 years according to global estimates work.

80% of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured.

Definitions

There are 4 levels of visual function, according to the International Classification of Diseases -10 (Update and Revision 2006):

normal vision

moderate visual impairment

severe visual impairment

blindness.

Moderate visual impairment combined with severe visual impairment are grouped under the term “low vision”: low vision taken together with blindness represents all visual impairment.

The causes of visual impairment

Globally the major causes of visual impairment are:

uncorrected refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism), 43 %

unoperated cataract, 33%

glaucoma, 2%.

Who is at risk?

Approximately 90% of visually impaired people live in developing countries.

People aged 50 and over

About 65 % of all people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and older, while this age group comprises about 20 % of the world's population. With an increasing elderly population in many countries, more people will be at risk of visual impairment due to chronic eye diseases and ageing processes.

Children below age 15

An estimated 19 million children are visually impaired. Of these, 12 million children are visually impaired due to refractive errors, a condition that could be easily diagnosed and corrected. 1.4 million are irreversibly blind for the rest of their lives and need visual rehabilitation interventions for a full psychological and personal development.

Changes over the last twenty years

Overall, visual impairment worldwide has decreased since the early estimates in 1990s. This is despite an ageing global elderly population. This decrease is principally the result of a reduction in visual impairment from infectious diseases through:

overall socioeconomic development;

concerted public health action;

increased availability of eye care services;

awareness of the general population about solutions to the problems related to visual impairment (surgery, refraction devices, etc.).

The global response to prevent blindness

Globally, 80% of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured. Areas of progress over the last 20 years include:

governments established national programmes and regulations to prevent and control visual impairment;

eye care services increasingly available and progressively integrated into primary and secondary health care systems, with a focus on the provision of services that are high quality, available and affordable;

campaigns to educate about visual function importance and raise awareness, including school-based education; and

stronger government leadership on international partnerships, with increasing engagement of the private sector.

Data over the last 20 years shows that there has been significant progress in preventing and curing visual impairment in many countries. Furthermore, the massive reduction in onchocerciasis- and trachoma-related blindness is part of a significant reduction in the disease distribution and has substantially reduced the burden resulting from these infectious diseases. This has been achieved through a number of successful international public-private partnerships.

Specific achievements include:

Brazil which in the last decade has been providing eye care services through the national social security system;

Morocoo which has launched a public effort to control glaucoma;

China which has invested over 100 million dollars in cataract surgeries since 2009;

Oman has completely integrated eye care service provision in the primary health care framework over the last decade; and

India since 1995 has made available funds for eye care service provision for the poorest at district level.

The largest civil society effort to prevent and cure blinding disease and rehabilitate people whose irreversibly visually impaired or blind is the SightFirst programme of the International Association of the Lions Club (LIONS). Among others, this programme supports the largest initiative to develop child eye care centres (45 national reference paediatric centres established in 35 countries so far), implemented in partnership with WHO.

Tipsy drivers continue to defy rules - The Hindu

Tipsy drivers continue to defy rules - The Hindu

மானிடராய் பிறத்தல் அரிது! - தி இந்து

மானிடராய் பிறத்தல் அரிது! - தி இந்து

People of Tamilnadu sacrifices their precious life for Jayalalithaa AMMA

A single judgment in Jayalalithaa case has indirectly given death sentence to 64 people in Tamilnadu .They died by hearing AMMA 'Sarrest on 27.09.2014

Hunger Strike for beloved Amma

2/9/2014

participated All Tamil Nadu and AIADMK Medical Wing Hungry Strike For Supporting Justice Of Our Beloved People CM Puratchi Thalaivi Amma