HEART CARE -Q AND A

Heart Care - FAQs

Here is a chart, arranged by WIPRO for its employees, with Dr. Deviprasad Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Famous Heart Specialist) Bangalore.

The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone. Read it, Forward it and follow it.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:-

What are the five thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?
Ans:-
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar


Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
Ans:- NO.

It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans:-
This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Are heart diseases hereditary?
Ans: Yes.

What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
Ans:- Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
Ans: -Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.

You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
Ans:- Mother Theresa, who was my patient.

Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
Ans:- Extremely rare

Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age (I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
Ans:- Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

How do irregular eating habits affect the heart?
Ans:- You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
Ans:- Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Can yoga prevent heart ailments?
Ans:- Yoga helps.

Which is the best and worst food for the heart?
Ans:- Best food is fruits,chapathi's(without oil) worst are oil.

Which oil is better - gingili, groundnut, sunflower, saffola, olive?
Ans:- All oils are bad; the so-called best oil company has the largest marketing budget. try to consume less oil whilecooking.

What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?
Ans:- Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?
Ans:- Help the person into a sleeping position, put an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?
Ans:- Extremely difficult without ECG.

What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters?
I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
Ans:- Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?
Ans:- Yes.

Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
Ans :- Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?
Ans :- When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?
Ans :- Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
Ans :- No.

Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
Ans :- No.

How would you define junk food?
Ans :- Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds, samosas, and even masala dosas.

You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?
Ans :- Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
Ans :- No.

Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?
Ans :- Yes. Lie down comfortably and put a n aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?
Ans :- No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
Ans :- Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
Ans:- Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?
Ans :- Diet, exercise, drugs on time. Control cholesterol, BP, weight.

Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
Ans :- No.

What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
Ans :- There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
Ans :- No

Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
Ans :- Nature protects women till the age of 45.

How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
Ans :- Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for a health checkup if you are past the age of 30 for at least once in two years. And work very hard and Enjoy Your Life.

THE GIANT OXYGEN PRODUCER

PIPAL TREE GIVES YOU PLENTY OF OXYGEN DAY AND NIGHT

'THE GIANT OXYGEN PRODUCER'

The Pipal tree, also known as Bo or Bodhi tree, is considered sacred in India. The founder of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama sat underneath a Pipal when he was enlightened. Pipal also plays a big role in Hindu weddings and it is widely depicted in the ancient art and architecture of India. The leaves of pipal tree are known to emit a lot of oxygen into the environment....the amazing thing is that unlike other plants and trees, that emit oxygen through photosynthesis during daylight, the Pipal continues to give oxygen even in the night.

The tree itself can grow to a height of 30 meters with a trunk as wide as 3 meters in diameter. The main height of the tree is from its branches while the tree trunk can be the height of a human being. It is found mostly in India and its English name is the Fig tree (Ficus religiosa). The tree can become leafless for a brief period in dry habitats. The trunk has smooth gray bark and with age this trunk becomes irregularly shaped, fluted and often has low buttresses. The bark can have brownish specks and peel off in irregular rounded flakes.

The Pipal tree has aerial roots which seek out cracks and crevices where soil, water and rotting organic matter accumulate.

"SO,IF YOU NEED MORE OXYGEN GROW MORE PIPAL TREE'S"

KNOW YOUR CAUSES OF BACK PAIN AND PREVENT IT.

PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN CURE.

ONE CAN EASILY AVOID/PREVENT BACK PAIN BY KNOWING ALL THE CAUSES OF THE BACK PAIN.THIS GIVEN PICTURE IS TO SERVE THIS PURPOSE.THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY HAVING BACK PAIN SHOULD CONSULT THE RELEVANT DOCTORS ADVISE FOR A PERMANANT CURE/ MEDICAL ADVISE OR MEDICATION.

"MANY TIMES WHEN ONE PHYSICAL HABITUAL PATTERN LEADS TO ONE'S BACK PAIN MEANS BY SIMPLY ALTERING ONE'S PHYSICAL HABITS CAN LEAD TO A CURE."

THE OSTEOPATH'S CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER TIPS FOR BACK PAINS

(Because thay are the therapist who manipulates the skeleton and muscles)

BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer

is a dreaded disease that affects women .There are a few reasons that can be attributed for the cause of breast cancer in women. However safe the are the cancer sets in.They have to follow the tips and advices of the doctors to ward off the disease.

The experts come out with a finding. Women who consume excessive alcohol run the risk of getting the breast cancer.

Normally people getting attracted to alcohol for various reasons.

-For celebration , to forget themselves and many such things.they start with a small dosage and it goes on increasing as the time passes.After a while they dont have any control over the consumption.Finally the damage is done. Should the culture be blamed for this?

THERE ARE OTHER REASONS TOO CAUSES BREAST CANCER.

AFTER A MEAL DON'T DO...?

SEVEN - Dont's after meal

• Don't smoke
  Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).


• Don't eat fruits immediately
  Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.


• Don't drink tea
  Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest. Try avoiding it for 30 minutes after your meal. Even though, some researches suggests that Green Tea after the meal will help you losing weight.


• Don't loosen your belt
  Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted &blocked.


• Don't bathe
  Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.


• Don't walk about
  People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.


• Don't sleep immediately
  The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.
  

PROFESSIONAL PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH

About Professionals Health

Six software professionals under the age of 33 have died and 2 top executives from renowned software companies have become paralyzed because of stress-related heart ailments in the last six months in Chennai, says a study by Mitran Foundation, a Bangalore-based voluntary association of practicing doctors. "All the six who died, and the two who became invalid, had no family history of heart attacks or any pre-history of heart ailments or paralysis. They were all in their prime, between 27 and 33 years, and handled challenging projects at work in their respective companies.They worked long and continuous hours. The end struck them very suddenly, and it looked as if their hearts refused to take any more stress," said Dr Dwarakanath, director of Mitran Foundation, who has studied stress components in 40 software companies in Chennai during the last six months.

The study, conducted at a cost of Rs 45 lakhs, covered more than 4,000 software professionals from 80 companies who were in service for a minimum of three years. The email responses were scientifically tabulated and the findings were ready in 2002. Dr Dwarakanath, who was the late Dhirubhai Ambani's personal stress management consultant, said questionnaires extracting every minute detail were sent to the respondents. The personal background, family history and personal characteristics of these individuals were assessed and it was found that the stress in these professionals was only due to work pressure. All other factors were eliminated. "Our study confirmed that the number of suicides, divorces, heart ailments, BP and diabetes patients and mental depression are the highest in the software industry. The fancy salaries of software professionals are no longer something to rejoice about," DrDwarakanath said.

"We found that the software industry has simply no routine. Deadlines hang before them and every day they chase new problems. During weekends more than 60 per cent of the vehicles are found parked in the office complexes. There is no physical exercise and new food habits favoured by pizza culture fuel the problem. Cervical spondilitis and wrist problems due to uncomfortable handling of the computer mouse, eye problems and discomfort in bowel movements are common. The stress for couples where both are employed in the IT industry is the worst. The simple step of taking time off from work for three months allowed an IT couple wanting a child for years to conceive one," Dr Dwarakanath said.

M.T.R. Venukopalan, senior training coordinator, Covansys India, acknowledged that IT professionals were the most stressed individuals."Even if the company sponsors a movie or self-care lecture, not many attend them," he said. Jyothsana, a travel coordinator for TemenosIndia Pvt Ltd, expressed concern for the young employees who complain of back and knee pains. She acknowledged that IT professionals require a specific eating and physical exercise routine to ease their stress."Our lives are becoming mechanical, guided only by deadlines,"she said.

So think again if you are staying late in the office regularly. Think again about your family. Think again about your social life and health.

Work is essential. Your contribution to the goal should be great.But, please don't make it a habit to stay late.

Don't skip your Break Fast/Lunch/Dinner. None of these are equated by Pizza, BREADS / Biscuits / Wafers / Chat items.

This will save your life, as life is not worth living without the eyes. During a recent visit to an optician, one of my friends was told of an exercise for the eyes by a specialist doctor in the US that he termed as 20-20-20." It is apt for all of us and also for people who spend long hours in front of the computer for various activities.

Thought I'd share it with you. 20-20-20

Step I: After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away.This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II: Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III: Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood Circulation for the entire body.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH FIRST, PLEASE .

A QUALITY LIVING IS ESSENTIAL FOR EACH ONE OF US.

"HEALTH IS WEALTH"

"EAT BANANA"

Banana Facts

Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.

In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature .

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.

When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,

"A banana a day, keeps the doctor away!"