Perhaps the greatest punishment for man would be to make him bed ridden. Dependency more than the sickness makes the patient mentally weak. This deteriorates his condition more than the illness itself. Imagine your plight if you would have to wait for someone’s help to change your position, getup, drink water and even using the bathroom. Many diseases today cause this kind of a dependency. What worsens the condition of these patients is that they are prone to a more brutal situation…they are susceptible to form bed sores! These are ugly looking sores which are infectious holes which run deep till the bones and other visceral organs surrounded by redness and soreness.

Why are bed sores formed?

Many people shift in their chair during meetings, fiddle with the radio when driving, turn a dozen times in their sleep. Every day, without thinking, they make hundreds of subtle postural adjustments that help stave off problems arising from inactivity. But for people immobilized by paralysis, injury or illness, those problems — including bedsores — are a constant threat.

Bedsores, more accurately called pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are areas of damaged skin and tissue that develop when sustained pressure — usually from a bed or wheelchair — cuts off circulation to vulnerable parts of your body, especially the skin on your buttocks, hips and heels. Without adequate blood flow, the affected tissue dies.

Although people living with paralysis are especially at risk, anyone who is bedridden, uses a wheelchair or is unable to change positions without help can develop bedsores. They’re especially common in areas that aren’t well padded with muscle or fat and that lie just over a bone, such as your spine, tailbone (coccyx), shoulder blades, hips, heels and elbows. Because your skin and the underlying tissues are trapped between bone and a surface such as a wheelchair or bed, blood flow is restricted. This deprives tissue of oxygen and other nutrients, and irreversible damage and tissue death can occur.

Other causes of pressure sores include:

§ Friction. Frequent shifts in position are the key to preventing pressure sores. Yet the friction that occurs when you simply turn from side to side can damage your skin, making it more susceptible to pressure sores.

§ Shear. This occurs when your skin moves in one direction, and the underlying bone moves in another. Sliding down in a bed or chair or raising the head of your bed more than 30 degrees is especially likely to cause shearing, which stretches and tears cell walls and tiny blood vessels. Especially affected are areas such as your tailbone where skin is already thin and fragile.

The patient may not even realize the development

Many a times the paralyzed patient has a poor nervous system and is unable to sense of discomfort or pain which signal the development of bed sores. This may make the identification of initial stages of the bed sore difficult. However if the care taker is aware enough the initial stages may be caught. For this purpose, the following stages in the development of bed sores are discussed:

§ Stage I. Initially, a pressure sore appears as a persistent area of red skin that may itch or hurt and feel warm and spongy or firm to the touch. Stage I wounds are superficial and go away shortly after the pressure is relieved.

§ Stage II. At this point, some skin loss has already occurred — either in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in the dermis, the skin’s deeper layer, or in both. The wound is now an open sore that looks like a blister or an abrasion, and the surrounding tissues may show red or purple discoloration. If treated promptly, stage II sores usually heal fairly quickly.

§ Stage III. By the time a pressure ulcer reaches this stage, the damage has extended to the tissue below the skin, creating a deep, crater-like wound.

§ Stage IV. In the most serious and advanced stage, a large-scale loss of skin occurs, along with damage to muscle, bone, and even supporting structures such as tendons and joints. Stage IV wounds are extremely difficult to heal and can lead to lethal infections.

Treatment for bed sores:

Specific treatment of a bed sore is determined by your physician and based on the severity of the condition. Treatment may be more difficult once the skin is broken, and may include the following:

• removing pressure on the affected area

• protecting the wound with medicated gauze or other special dressings

• keeping the wound clean

• transplanting healthy skin to the wound area

• medication (i.e., antibiotics to treat infections)

Tags: blood pressure, remedies, medicine, herbal, acupuncture

Gray hair is no more the symbol of advanced age. Don’t be surprised if the next few generations are familiar to gray hair and only gray hair in all age groups. This is no more an exaggeration as more and more people in the young and middle age group are suffering from premature graying. On one hand, only people beyond forty five are expected to have gray hair, but on the other hand more and more people in young thirties are prone to this sickness.

Before we understand the pros and cons of premature graying, lets understand the hair nourishment aspects which provide normal health.

The hair is nothing but an extension of the skin. It is the outer layer of the skin in form of epidermis which have the hair follicles. The roots of the hair start from the hair follicles and it is through these follicles that the nutrients are supplied to the hair shaft from the blood stream. Iron, zinc, copper and iodine are some of the minerals which are involved in the maintenance of the health of the hair. Moreover the oily secretion called sebum secreted by the hair follicles nourishes the hair and provides natural luster. However in those with oily skin where excessive sebum is secreted, regular washing of hair becomes indispensable to avoid excessive oily look and feel to the hair which could even encourage fungal infections on the scalp.

Causes of Premature Graying of Hair:

• Diet errors: A faulty diet and mental worries are the two primary causes of premature graying of hair. Lack of some of the B vitamins, iron, copper, and iodine in the daily diet is said to be a contributory factor.

· Worries and tension : Mental worries produce extraordinary tension in the skin of the scalp; this interferes with the supply of vital nutrition necessary for the health of the hair.

• Lack of certain vitamins in the body
• Genetic factors
• Unhygienic habits like unclean scalp: when excessive oil or dirt gets accumulated in the scalp, the follicles are clogged and this prevents adequate blood supply to the hair shaft through the root.
• Excessive heat to the hair: If hot water is used to wash hair often, the proteins get damaged and the roots are also destructed to cause premature graying.

Home Remedies for Premature Graying of Hair

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Indian Gooseberry

The use of Indian gooseberry is the foremost among the home remedies found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair. This is a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth and hair pigmentation. The fruit, cut into pieces, should be dried, preferably in shade. These pieces should be boiled in coconut oil till the solid matter becomes like charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful against premature graying. The water in which dried Indian gooseberry pieces have been soaked overnight is also nourishing for the hair. This water should be used for the last rinse while washing the hair. Massaging the scalp every night with a teaspoonful of Indian gooseberry juice, mixed with a teaspoon of almond oil and a few drops of lime juice, also proves beneficial in the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair.

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Amaranth

Amaranth is another effective home remedy for hair disorders. Application of the fresh juice of the leaves of this vegetable helps the hair to retain its black color and prevents it from premature graying. It also helps the growth of the hair and keeps it soft.

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Curry Leaves

Liberal intake of curry leaves is considered beneficial in preventing premature graying of hair. These leaves have the property of providing vitality and strength to hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier and contain a normal pigment. The leaves can be used in the form of spicy condiment, or may be squeezed in buttermilk. When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil, the oil forms an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation.

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Ribbed Gourd

Ribbed gourd boiled in coconut oil is also an effective remedy for premature graying of hair. Pieces of this vegetable should be dried in the shade. These dried pieces should be soaked in coconut oil and kept aside for three or four days. The oil should then be boiled till the solid is reduced to a blackened residue. This oil should be massaged into the scalp. It will help enrich the hair roots and restore pigment to the hair.

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Butter

The butter made from cow’s milk has the property of preventing premature graying of hair. A small roll may be taken internally and a little quantity may be massaged into the hair roots twice a week.

Premature Graying of Hair treatment using Vitamins

The vitamins considered useful in guarding against premature graying of hair are pantothenic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), inositol. The minimum daily requirement of these vitamins appears to be 10 mg of pantothenic acid, 100 mg of para-aminobenzoic acid, and 2 gm of inositol. To obtain satisfactory results, all three of these vitamins belonging to the B group should be supplied at one time, preferably in a form which supplies all the B vitamins, such as yeast and liver. The three anti-graying-hair vitamins can also be produced in the intestinal tract by bacteria. Thus, taking a sufficient quantity of yogurt daily and a tablespoonful of yeast before each meal is an excellent remedy for the prevention and treatment of premature graying of hair. If one wishes to take tablets of calcium pantothenate and para-aminobenzoic acid (paba), they should be taken in addition to the yeast and yogurt, and not as a substitute for them.

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Tags: weight loss, Ayurvedic, herbs, remedies, acupressure

Once, a senior colleague started a Women’s Exercise Center in our office. After the office hours, all the women staff who were “interested” in abdominal work-outs were to meet in the common room for exercise. It was an enlivening but painful experience for some people including me. During those mornings we usually greeted each other with a convulsive smile and would involuntarily ask “how’s the pain today?” perhaps to ensure that the pain was not individual. While it helped a few ladies to lose their extra fat, it triggered the food cravings and hunger in some others. To every body’s amusement, my friend would sneak in to the nearby store and discretely relish bars of chocolate after her ‘abs’.

Our sessions would certainly begin with warm up exercises and would end with a relaxing Shavasana of 10 minutes, often guided by the Lady-trainer. Well, during the Shavasana session I would go in to a trance not discernible from sleep. Lying ‘dead’ thus on the cold tiles of the silent building brought a lot of peace and tranquility within.

As a child, I had seen Shavasana being practiced by my father and believed to be a joke. Only when I grew up did I know that it was a real Asana!

Generally practiced to remove strain, exertion and fatigue, Shavasana is said to be the best exercise for cardiac problems, hypertension and insomnia. Shavasana relaxes every muscle and nerve of the body and helps significantly in lowering high blood pressure. Any individual who has been restricted from doing other asanas due to hypertension can perform Shavasana without trouble.

Most of the people term it as a simple exercise while some experts call it a challenging but highly rewarding posture. Shavasana, known as Corpse pose in English, is one of the most important positions in Yoga. It can be done to prepare yourself for a harder exercise and also after any strenuous physical activity to relax.

Shavasana calms both your body and the mind and promotes energy flow. Shavasana eliminates both mental and physical tiredness while preparing you for the conservation of positive energy. Shavasana essentially relaxes every nerve of your body and improves your respiratory and circulatory system. Mental worries and nervous tension are relieved as problems like headache, dizziness, mental weakness, hot flushes and sciatica are eradicated. To an extent it also benefits people with neurosis and fear complexes.

Shavasana is effective only if it can transform you to a spiritual world. At the same time, on the physical level it should bring you complete rest. Always remember to wear loose garments while doing Shavasana. Do not sleep off during your Shavasana. It is required to do Shavasana on empty stomach and for a month. For optimum benefits, it is said that Shavasana has to be practiced for 10-15 minutes 2 or 3 times a day. But there is no fixed duration as the ultimate aim is to relax. While practicing Shavasana for Blood Pressure, you should check your blood pressure regularly. If you find that you find your blood pressure dropping to the normal level, discontinue your practice. Shavasana, however, is not recommended for people with low blood pressure.

Shavasana embraces all the three realms of the physical, spiritual and the philosophical.

-Aparna K V

The statements here are suggestions and we do not offer any medical advice. You should always consult your doctor or any qualified medical practitioner before practising Shavasana.

Tags: chinese, alternative, medicine, diabetes, remedies

It was in my early college days that I got to hear about Reiki. I used to have a pen pal from the USA who promised me to send some powers to heal my diarrhea. I did not believe him much at that time and can’t remember if he did send some healing powers which cured me. But later on, an uncle of mine spoke to me at length about the invincible powers of Reiki.

Though not scientifically accepted, Reiki is getting popular in India as days pass on. It is estimated that more than a lakh of Indians practice Reiki in the present times. Reiki and Pranic healing are two no-touch therapies gaining fame and appreciation all over. Reiki is said to cure many ailments by healing the whole body, mind and the spirit. And the best thing is that, it can be practiced along with any medications, even when you are pregnant, or when you are in plasters or while undergoing chemo.

Reiki is a natural and simple way of healing and it is quite safe. It is holistic as it deals with the entire person (the body, the mind and the spirit) and uses the universal life energy as the medicine. Experts say that it can effectively heal anything in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Reiki is capable of strengthening the