World's first medical networking and resource portal

Articles
Category : All
Medical Articles
Jun03
DUMPING OR RAPID GASTRIC EMPTYING
Dumping syndrome refers to a group of GI and vasomotor symptoms that occurs following ingestion of a meal post gastric surgeries. Alterations of gastric anatomy by surgery including resection or bypass of the pylorus and interference with gastric innervation effects the rate of gastric emptying.The accomodation and cyclic contractility of the stomach in response to distention are abolished after partial gastrectomy allowing immediate dumping of gastric contents into the jejunum.
There are two types of dumping. Early dumping which occurs as a result of rapid emptying of sugars or CHO from the gastric pouch (post gastric bypass) into the small intestine which causes the release of hormone (gut peptides) that effects the B.P, heartrate, skin flushing & intestinal transit.
The symptoms occur 30-60min after eating and can last upto an hour. Sweating, flushing lightheadedness, tachycardia, palpitations, desire to lie down, epigastric fullness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and active audible bowel sounds are seen.
Late dumping which occurs 1-3 hours after a meal is related to increased insulin with subsequent reactive hypoglycemia. Symptoms include sweating shakiness, loss of concentration, hunger fainting or passing out. Severe dumping can lead to malnutrition .
The diagnosis is primarily made by obtaining a history of the presence of classic symptoms related to food intake. Dietary compliance with avoidance of refined sugars, high glycemic carbohydrates or other food associated with the syndrome would be the primary treatment. Late dumping that persists may be treated with small amount of sugar about an hour after a meal. Medications such as sandostatin or octreotide may be helpful. May need surgical management where it cannot be managed medically.


Category (Cosmetic Surgery)  |   Views (8711)  |  User Rating
Rate It


Jun02
Ortho-Molecular Acupuncture - OMA
OMA - Ortho-Molecular Acupuncture. Sounds complex - it means Using Right Molecules/ Nutrition along with Acupuncture.

Orthomolecular medicine, as conceptualized by double-Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, aims to restore the optimum environment of the body by correcting imbalances or deficiencies based on individual biochemistry, using substances natural to the body such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and fatty acids.

The term "orthomolecular" was first used by Linus Pauling in a paper he wrote in the journal Science in 1968. The key idea in orthomolecular medicine is that genetic factors affect not only the physical characteristics of individuals, but also to their biochemical milieu. Biochemical pathways of the body have significant genetic variability and diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, schizophrenia or depression are associated with specific biochemical abnormalities which are causal or contributing factors of the illness.

It is rare to find cancer, arthritis, or other degenerative diseases in cultures considered "primitive" by Western civilization. Is it because of diet? In the 50s you had 8-10 psychiatric diseases but now there are hundreds! Is this a clever invention of drug companies? The fact that degenerative diseases appear in these cultures only when modern packaged foods and additives are introduced would certainly support that idea. Max Gerson said "Stay close to nature and its eternal laws will protect you." He considered that degenerative diseases were brought on by toxic, degraded food, water and air.

The OMA Therapy seeks to regenerate the body to health, supporting each important metabolic requirement by flooding the body with nutrients from organically grown fruits and vegetables daily with weekly Acupuncture treatments. Raw and cooked solid foods are generously consumed. Oxygenation is usually more than doubled, as oxygen deficiency in the blood contributes to many degenerative diseases. The metabolism is also stimulated through the addition of thyroid, potassium and other supplements, and by avoiding heavy animal fats, excess protein, sodium and other toxins.

Degenerative diseases render the body increasingly unable to excrete waste materials adequately, commonly resulting in liver and kidney failure. To prevent this, the OMA Therapy uses intensive detoxification to eliminate wastes, regenerate the liver, reactivate the immune system and restore the body's essential defenses - enzyme, mineral and hormone systems. With generous, high-quality nutrition, increased oxygen availability, Acupuncture detoxification, and improved metabolism, the cells - and the body - can regenerate, become healthy and prevent future illness.

No treatment works for everyone, every time. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not giving you the facts. We know that when you have been diagnosed with a life-threatening ailment, choosing the best strategy for fighting your illness can be a bewildering task. Everyone claims to have either "the best treatment", "the fastest cure", or "the only therapy that works." In most cases your trusted family physician only has knowledge of conventional treatments, and is either unaware of, or even hostile toward alternative options. No matter how many opinions you receive on how to treat your disease, you are going to make the final decision on what to do, and you must be comfortable with your decision. Choose a treatment that makes the most sense to you.

Most therapies, conventional or alternative treat only the individual symptoms while ignoring what is ultimately causing the disease. The reason the OMA Therapy is effective with so many different ailments is because it restores the body's incredible ability to heal itself. Rather than treating only the symptoms of a particular disease, the OMA Therapy treats the cause of the disease itself. Although we feel the OMA Therapy is the most comprehensive treatment for disease, we don't claim it will cure everything or everyone.

If interested to learn more please visit www.medaku.com

Dr. Vaman JN MD (Acu) FASLMS PGAc ( Harvard)


Category (General Medicine)  |   Views (13381)  |  User Rating
Rate It


Jun01
Aphim (Aphu)
Aphim is a vish-dravya.
Guna – sukshma, ruksha
Ras – tikta kashay
Vipak – katu
Veerya – ushna
Prabhav – maadak
Doshagnata – kaphavaatshaamak, pittaprakopak
Overdose – ojakshay and tadjanya vaatprakop- pralapadi lakshanas and mrutyu.
Dose - 1/4 to 1 gunja. (in less dose – uttejak. In large doses – avasaadak)
Kalpa – ahiphenasav, nidroday vati, karpur ras, dugdha vati etc.
Aphim shuddhi - Firstly dissolve in water, filter it and boil it on low- flame. After that give 21 bhavanas of ardrak swaras to dried aphim. By this aphim get shudhdh but vishatava does not vanish.
Chemical composition of Aphim –
There are 29 active principles in aphim, mainly morphin, codeine, thebaine and narcotine .

Rogaghnata –
1) As it is vyavaayi-vikasi-maadak and ushna in guna, acts well as vedana-sthaapak, nidrajanan and akshepaghna. Useful in udarshool, ashmari-shool, grudhrasi-shool, parshwa-shool. Useful in Nidranaash. As it is akshepaghna so useful in Apasmaar, apatantrak, kampavaat, dhanusthambh, kuchala-vishbadha.
2) Useful in ati-lala-straav. Aamashayshoth, pakvatisaar, vaatatisaar, vishuchika-prarambhik avastha.
3) Hrudbalya. Raktastambhak, hrudayksheenatajanya shwaas, hrudshool.
4) Shwasankendre avasaadak. Kaphanashak , shwasaghna, vaat-kaphaja kaas, phuphphusavaran-shoth, peenas
5) Purushatva-ghatak. But shukrastambhan is there due to aphim. So in shighra-patan it is useful

Absorption and Excretion –
Amashaye – mand-shoshan
Antra – shighra – shoshan
90% of aphim is excreted by mutra and remaining 10% through purish, sthanya, amashaygat ras and sweda.
Generally within 6 hours, aphim is excreted from body. 75% of aphim is excreted within 24 hours through mutra.
Aphim – where should not be given ? –
1)phuphphusavaran-shoth
2)chhinna-shwaas
3)mastishkavaran-shoth
4)jwar and ati-shramjanya mastishkagat raktastraav
5)Serious vrukka vikruti specially uremia
6)In baal rugna and vrudhdha rugna
7)Generally addiction of aphim is seen if given for long time in jeerna-vyadhi

Lakshana of aphim-vish-badha -
1)tandra
2)nidra
3)sanyaas
4)avasaad
5)shwasavarodh
6)mrutyu

Firstly netra-tarakaa (pupils) sankuchan (pin pointed) is seen. But before few minutes of death they are dilated. Generally avasaad is seen in 4-6 hours and death is seen in 6-12 hours.
Death by aphim is not so painful. On the contrary, patient of phim death doen not know that he is dying.
Upachaar for aphim-vish-baadha –
1)shodhan - arishta(ritha)- jal or sarshap sidhha jal for vaman. Stomach wash till clean water returns.
2)antidotes of aphim – Ritha, Hing, Amalaki, Erand, Karpaas, Dronapushpi, Ghrut, Tejapatra, Nimb, Patha
Take care - the patient should not sleep till aphim vish-badha vanishes.


Category (General Medicine)  |   Views (13288)  |  User Rating
Rate It


Jun01
Granth- Vaachan
Everybody daily goes trough our valuable different granthas and reading them. But many times and many vaidya read grantha indivisually.
Here I am suggesting that Group – Granth – vaachan is more beneficial for vaidya as well as “Ayurved-Utkarsha”.
In nashik, we – group of 10-12 vaidyas - meet for Grantha-vaachan on every Friday and Saturday for two hours. And this is since last 4 years.
We are reading ashtaang-hruday with arunadutta and hemadri tika since 4 years. And then we realise the importance of our grantha. Till date we have completed only half grantha. It is so vast for study and proves that we are very less (“Alpa-budhhi”). When we go through any shlok – everytime we get new meaning from it and we get surprised by “deep vision” of our aacharyas.
Also another benefit of Group-grantha-vaachan is during grantha-vaachan , exchange of experience, case-discussion, knowledge is more easier.
And everybody knows – “Two heads are better than one”
So I am kindly requesting everybody to start Group-Grantha-vaachan.
It is never too late to mend……..


Category (General Medicine)  |   Views (12695)  |  User Rating
Rate It


Jun01
What is Bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery denotes surgical operations on the stomach to drastically reduce its size and capacity in an attempt reduce body weight in patients who are morbidly obese.

Obesity has become an important medical problem in India now. Over weight is a phenomenon which is on the rise . Childhood obesity seen in affluent classes evetually leads on to adult obesity. It is now not uncommomn to see plump and overweight children in every classroom in convent schools. This phenomenon is due to overeating and eating all the wrong foods. Quite often this is due to parental pressure to eat well and these children are generally force fed.

There are many medical conditions which develop in obese individuals like diabetes, hypertension, osteo-arthritis, breathing problems , sleep apnoea, snoring.

There is no medical treatment for obesity. Diet restriction is the main stay and curtailing the volume of food intake definitely reduces weight. But then to maintain a lower weight for longer times is often difficult. Physical exercise on a daily basis benefits obese patients immensely.

Definitive treatment for morbid obesity is surgery. There are many operations for obesity but the commonest ones are the gastric bypass and sleeve resection of stomach. Effectively these operations reduce the capacity of the stomach drastically thereby curtailing the volume of food intake leading on to reasonable weight loss.

So please get your height and weight checked and you'll know whether you are overweight. If you are obese - then do something about it - today.


Dr.Patta Radhakrishna MS MCh
Con surgical gastroenterologist & Lap surgeon
Apollo Hospitals, Chennai.


Category (Gastrointestinal Problems)  |   Views (8216)  |  User Rating
Rate It


May30
DIARRHEA AFTER BARIATRIC SURGERY
Diarrhea or loose stools is mainly a potential side effect of sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch.Diarrhea may be seen with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass,but would not be associated with lap adjustable gastric banding.Post Duodenal switch( DS ),the usual alteration is soft or loose stools.Frank diarrhea is related to fatty acids directly passing into the colon which normally would have been absorbed in the small intestine.Once in the colon they induce irritation.It can also be due to relatively undigested food passing rapidly through the GI tract.A third contributing factor is sorbitol,found in fruits,berries and artificial sweeteners.In the colon it gets fermented.This causes increased gas and diarrhea .The number of loose stools after DS may vary from 2-3 upto 10--20 per day when it becomes really problematic and very inconvenient.Diet is a major influence on bowel movements after DS.Reducing the amount of fat will have a direct beneficial effect on the number and quality of bowel movements.Usually with close questioning some trigger type foods can be identified and avoided.
Both the DS and RNYGBP(Gastric bypass)may unmask previously unidentified lactose intolerance.An early step is to eliminate dairy products completely from the diet. Management of diarrhea(provided there is no identifiable pathologic or dietary factors)is varied.A dose of imodium at bedtime can reduce the early morning onset. If beneficial,some patients stay on a maintainance dose for long term control under doctors supervision.
Many patients may benefit from a course of probiotics.They are a form of natural colonic flora that is administered orally to restore the natural bacterial milieu towards a normal state.In any post operative patients with watery diarrhea,foul flatus and abdominal cramping the doctor may also consider clostridium difficile(c-diff)colitis or antibiotic associated diarrhea.


Category (Cosmetic Surgery)  |   Views (13743)  |  User Rating
Rate It


May28
Stress and Solutions Dr. SHriniwas Kashalikar
Even if we are prone to get dragged by the beast within us, and make life miserable for ourselves and the others, we still have potentials to blossom together; and they can be manifested!

Even as we are individuals and hence fallible; and make mistakes; we still have freedom to make efforts to be objective and accurate.

Even as we have limitations to our capacities, and are unable to achieve miraculous feats, we have freedom to make choices in terms of actions; from the options in front of us.

Even if it is true that the options available to us are depressing, degenerating, deteriorative, disastrous and destructive, we still have freedom to blossom through NAMASMARAN and make benevolent options available for ourselves, the people of the world and the subsequent generations.

This is exactly why I am writing this. I am convinced that; even as we are shackled in casual, petty, superficial, piecemeal and ad hoc approach on a variety of problems causing stress (and mismanage the stress); we still can develop holistic approach and work for individual and global blossoming and overcome stress! Some of the examples of how we can do this; in brief; (as the details are described in many books and articles; of mine and others); are as follows.

Thus;
For health problems; our solution is; more hospital buildings, more gadgets and more equipments.

Actually we need a thrust on study, practice and training of Holistic health and Holistic medicine. For example training in NAMASMARAN, byhearting hymns from different languages, learning about the medicinal uses of common foods and herbs, yoga, pranayama etc.

For the lack of education; our solution is licensing more institutions and greater use of learning aids and stationary.

Actually we must emphasize on Holistic Education (One which includes development and training in spiritual and productive domains in addition to cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains)

For unemployment and beggars on the road; our solution is payment to unemployed people and anti–begging law.

Actually we require to eradicate; with priority; the causes of unemployment such as policies, which destroy the self employment and small scale and home industries (e.g. excessive production of water coolers, air conditioners, auto rickshaws etc) and restrictions on traditional jobs (such as pot making, cane work, circus and others).

For traffic jam our solution is; building more flyover bridges.

Actually we need to reinforce the public transport system and curb the production and import of private cars and two wheelers, besides taking adequate measures to reduce the movement of people from villages to cities.

It is true that stern actions must be taken against rule and law breakers. Discipline must be enforced. Condition of roads must be improved. But these steps have their limitations and can not be heavily depended on. In fact corruption, cutting of trees, congestion, chaos and crimes can multiply, besides pollution.

For suicides of farmers; our solution is subsidy package.

Actually the solution is; to resort to empower the farmers and reorient them from market oriented harvests to what can be called soil friendly and health friendly harvests. The farmers have to be reoriented to the traditional wisdom of culture, agriculture and organic farming. They have to be reminded of; the use of neem, cow urine, cow dung etc. What is required; in addition; is making; water and electricity available with topmost priority. The ban on slaughter of animals would go a long way in improving the farmers’ conditions.

For price rise; our solution is import.

The actual solution is; to ban all deceptive, aggressive and imposing advertisements, which create artificial demands leading to wasteful and luxurious economic (apparently pleasurable but effectively poisonous) activity in a small section of the society; leading to price rise; at the cost of the rest. For example; cold drinks, ice creams, fast foods, bars, restaurants, five star hotels, wines, alcoholic drinks, cosmetics and other luxuries are thriving but the vast majority is deprived of basic needs. In fact; the policy of production of and “marketing” for few, has to be reversed to; production and “exchange”; for the vast majority.

For socioeconomic backwardness; our solution is reservation policy.

Actually we require “productive and earn and learn” kind of education for all; so that unproductive unemployed and needy population would become empowered, productive, self sufficient and dignified in every way.

For the growing injustice and crimes; our solution is increasing the number of laws and police.

Actually we require simple and honest laws drafted in peoples’ language and understandable to people so as to discipline the people for their growth; and simultaneously remove all the laws, which were created to suppress and exploit the people by the previous alien rulers. We require policies by which the traditional and ethnic art, sports, cuisine, remedies and skills are NOT ALLOWED to be suppressed by the tactics of the exploitative and individualistic marketing culture. In fact in the interest of everyone, the concept of individual and global blossoming; which we call SUPERLIVING or Total Stress Management has to be universalized; to overcome the globally disastrous individualistic, exploitative globalization!

For so called “lack of progress”; our solution is more foreign investment.

Actually; we must define progress in terms of holistic health and restructure our policies in every field such as health care, agriculture, industry etc rather than stooping and surrendering to the culture of pettiness, glamour and glitter.

For shortage of electricity; our solution is load shedding.

Actually we are required to shift our priorities from “appeasing the exploitative and luxurious few”; to the “welfare of all”, by stern energy saving measures; coupled with development of pollution free, low cost, low investment alternative energy sources.

For road accidents; our solution is compulsion of helmets.

Actually the number of private vehicles on the road has to be reduced, the number of public vehicles has to be increased, the weekly offs have to be different and the working hours also have to be different so that most people do not travel at the same time. Moreover, the on campus or nearby residence has to be insisted as and when feasible. Most importantly, holistic education and rejuvenation of traditional jobs must be ensured so that the helpless and forced movement of people to the cities and the inhuman crowding of cities can be reduced.

For shortage of fuel; our solution is; generalized sermons to common people (who in no way consume fuel) to reduce fuel consumption.

Actually the fuel needs can be reduced if public transport in improved and the bicycles are promoted. There has to be shift of policies from development of airports; to the improvement in public transport and the infrastructure in the villages, such as solar energy, wind mills, gobar gas and such many, food storage etc.

We can cite hundreds of examples to show how we; by NOT going to the roots of the problems; work brilliantly and artistically but in a superficial and petty manner, with individualistic, fragmented, sectarian and divisive perspective, in misguided direction of increasing stress! Hence our work is rendered ineffective and/or counterproductive! Further our talents are drained in extremely selfish and cheap entertainment options such as gambling, drinking, casinos, prostitution etc.

All the solutions provided can possibly be modified, or refined in terms of details, because, they are not the solutions provided by experts from those fields. But they surely indicate the most essential core or the crux of the solutions. There could be many more holistic solutions also. All these can be cooperatively and complementarily implemented universally; if the third eye of cosmic consciousness is opened through the ways of self development; such as NAMASMARAN.


Category (Psychology, Stress & Mental Health)  |   Views (10017)  |  User Rating
Rate It


May25
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CAPSULE I SWALLOWED FOR THE ENDOSCOPY?
The pill sized capsule passes naturally through your digestive tract transmitting video images to a data recorder worn on your abdomen for approx 8 hours.At the end of the procedure the recorder is removed so that the images can be put on a computer screen for the physician to review.
Most patients consider the test comfortable.The capsule endoscope is about the size of a large pill until it is excreted you should not be near an MRI device or schedule an MRI examination.Vigorous physical activity is not advised during tjhe study.
You will be able to drink clear liquids after two hours and eat a light meal 4 hours following the capsule ingestion unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.


Category (Gastrointestinal Problems)  |   Views (11607)  |  User Rating
Rate It


May25
CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY
Capsule endoscopy lets your doctor examine the lining of the middle part of GI tract.Your doctor will give you a pill sized video camera to swallow.thats wierd isnt it?This camera has its own light source and takes pictures of your small intestine as it passes through and these are sent to a small recording sensor device which you wear on the outside of your body.
The most common reason for doing a capsule endoscopy is to search for the cause of bleeding from the small intestine.it may also be useful for detecting polyps,IBD(Crohn's disease),ulcers and tumors of the small intestine.
An empty stomach allows for the best and safest examination.


Category (Gastrointestinal Problems)  |   Views (11792)  |  User Rating
Rate It


May25
What is endoscopy?
Upper GI endoscopy or Gastroscopy is a procedure by which a flexibile tube, the thickness of a fountain pen is passed through the mouth into the food pipe and stomach.
It is always done on an empty stomach because presence of food in the stomach will interfere with good interpretation of the endoscopic findings. Moreover there may be chance of the patient aspirating food into the lungs during the procedure.

It is not painful when some local anesthetic spray is used in the throat. If you insist it can be done under a short genral anesthetic which of course is the most comfortable way of getting it done.

The duration of this procedure can be anything from 3 to 10 minutes. Pictures are taken for the records during the procedure. If necessary small bits of tissue will be taken for examination. This will be absolutely painless.

If not under an anaesthetic the procedure may cause discomfort and maybe breathlessness for a shortwhile.

One can start taking food an hour after an endoscopy. So if indicated or advised by your doctor donot hesitate or postpone your upper GI endoscopy.

Dr.Patta Radhakrishna
Surgical Gastroenterologist


Category (Gastrointestinal Problems)  |   Views (13952)  |  User Rating
Rate It


Browse Archive