Nephrotic Syndrome in Children

Nephrotic syndrome in children refers to the set of symptoms that indicate the improper working of the kidneys. It is often known as "oothukamalai" locally. This is often noticed in children aged 1-10 and usually occurs after the child suffers from cold or such conditions. You must consult with a nephrology doctor to cure this condition.

Causes

Nephrotic syndrome is caused by the leakage of protein in the urine. Nephrons are the basic units of the kidneys, and there are filters present in them. When there is a problem with these filters, the proteins needed by the body start to leak through urine. This results in insufficient protein levels in children leading to this syndrome.

Symptoms

The nephrotic syndrome usually manifests itself by the swelling in the child's legs, feet, abdomen, and face.

Treatment

Nephrotic syndrome can easily be cured. There are different types of nephrotic syndromes in children.

Usually, steroids are prescribed for about 8-12 weeks to treat the condition. But there is a chance of recurrence in some children, which can also be treated with medications. There is only a meager chance of this syndrome leading to kidney problems in the future.

Also Read: High Protein Diets: Keep Your Kidneys Happy and Healthy

Kauvery Hospital

Nephrotic syndrome is a common problem in children, and thus there is no need for the parents to panic. Kauvery Hospital has some of India's best kidney doctors and can therefore provide you with premium care.

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Telemedicine in Monitoring Heart Health

September 29 every year is designated as World Heart Day by the World Heart Federation. This was initiated to increase awareness about heart diseases among the general public. Knowing the problem would help the people address it more efficiently and get timely help from the cardiologists or respective specialists.

Heart diseases, also known as cardiovascular diseases, constitute the majority of the deaths among adults. Thus creating awareness about it is crucial. Every year the world heart day has a theme, and for 2021 it is “Use heart to connect”. This theme is selected to encourage people to use digital technologies to get awareness and diagnosis, treatment and prevention of heart diseases.

The importance of digital technologies had never been more apparent than during the Covid pandemic. People stuck in their homes, especially the elderly, needed healthcare. Telemedicine has greatly helped the patients communicate efficiently with the doctors without leaving their homes. Even people in remote areas greatly benefitted by using telemedicine and telehealth.

Other devices like smartphones, wearable healthcare technology can track heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and more. These wearable technologies, when used properly, can help the patient maintain a healthy lifestyle and even prevent the occurrence of heart diseases.

Some heart failure patients might have implants like pacemakers, defibrillators, and ventricular assist devices. These devices have a backup Memory, and this data can be used to check the condition even without the patient visiting the hospital.

Also Read: The different stages of Heart Failure

Kauvery Hospital

Advancements in the digital world impact every other field, and healthcare is no exception. We at Kauvery Hospital have the best technologies for our patients to go through the treatment process comfortably. Even after the pandemic, our cardiologists and other specialists use telemedicine to treat patients at remote places.

 

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Breast Conserving Surgery - Part 1

Breast cancers are common cancers in women. In this Breast-conserving surgery, the oncology doctors remove the cancer tissues and some normal tissues surrounding it but leave the rest of the breast intact. Watch Dr. Kriti Katherine Kabeer, Breast specialist and oncoplastic surgeon in Kauvery Hospital, explain this surgery's details.

1.   Who is recommended to get breast conservation surgery?

Breast conservation surgery is usually recommended for people with:

•       Early-stage cancers (stage 1 and 2)
•       Cancer located in a single place. Usually, the breast is divided into four quadrants, and if the tumor is located in a single quadrant, breast conservation surgery would be recommended.
•       Other than this, the size of cancer in tandem with the size of the breast is also evaluated.

2.     Should the whole breast be removed after a patient is diagnosed with breast cancer?

This is one of the common misconceptions that people have. If diagnosed with breast cancer, it is not mandatory to remove the whole breast. And not doing so will not increase the chance of recurrence of cancer.

There is no difference between a person who has removed the whole breast and the person who treated only the lump in terms of survival rate and cancer recurrence.

3.     What are the benefits of breast-conserving surgery?

The only difference between the person who underwent breast conservation surgery and the person who removed the whole breast is the quality of life. Women who underwent breast conservation surgery have better confidence to return to their routine life and consequently a better quality of life. With time the woman who underwent surgery might even forget that she had surgery, but this might not be the case with the person who removed the breast as a whole.

Also Read: Breast Cancer: Early Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment

Kauvery Hospital

Cancer is not a taboo topic, and there have been a lot of innovations happening. It is time to get more people aware of these advanced treatments. In Kauvery Hospital, we have the best oncology doctors and oncoplastic surgeons who have years of experience in this type of surgery.

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One Life One Spine

Every year, September 5th is celebrated as International Spinal Cord injury day. The aim is to make people aware of the risks of spinal injuries and the treatment options available. Watch Dr. Balamurali, Head of Spine Surgery at Kauvery Hospital, talk about the importance of awareness about spine injuries.

      What are the functions of the spinal cord?

The brain is similar to the motherboard of a computer, and it is responsible for all the major operations happening in our bodies. The spinal cord is the extension of the brain and thus is important for the proper functioning of the brain. For any function to happen, like touching or lifting an object, the brain sends the signal through the spinal cord, and then the action is performed.

The functions of the spinal cord include movement, sensation, breathing, bowel movements, and more. When there is an injury to the spinal cord, it affects all these activities. The patient might be aware of the surroundings, but they cannot function. Spine injuries can make a person bed-ridden, wheelchair-bound, or permanently disabled.

Also Read: Types of Spinal Surgery

Why is awareness about spinal cord injury important?

Spinal cord injuries are very common in India. Most people might ignore this topic, thinking that it wouldn’t happen to them, but being present at the wrong place at the wrong time can easily lead to an unfortunate accident.

Road accidents, especially two-wheeler accidents, commonly cause spinal cord injuries. You might be a safe driver, but that is not assured for the one opposite you. Other than collision accidents, some accidents happen due to potholes, bad roads, wet roads during rainy days, and more.

The minute an injury happens to the spinal cord; your life can change. There is no medicine or procedure like spine surgery to date that can fully fix a spinal cord injury.

Kauvery Hospital

A person suffering from a spine injury might need immediate treatment but needs to be handled carefully. You can search for “Spine doctor near me” to find the nearest possible professional care.

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Is swelling in the breasts a symptom of cancer?

While the incidence of breast cancer is low in India compared to many other countries, the figure seems to be increasing. This makes awareness about cancer and cancer treatment imperative among people. But not all lumps and swellings in the breast are cancer. Watch Dr. Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan and Dr. Kriti Katherine Kabeer talk about abnormal lumps and swellings in the breasts.

   Occasional tenderness and pain in the breasts – Is it something to worry about?

• Pain in the breasts around the menstrual cycle period is very normal among women. The pain might occur in one breast or sometimes in both. Often you might also experience swelling of the breasts when the menstrual cycle is around the corner. The breasts might look engorged than usual, and the veins might look more prominent.
• Some women might get extra fat in the armpits, especially during pregnancy, which can also be painful during the menstrual cycle. You don’t have to panic since this is not something to be treated. Doctors usually advise the women to wear supportive bras.

Also Read: Raising Breast Cancer Awareness – Answers to questions you always wanted to ask

Is there any connection between the type of bras we wear and the incidence of breast cancer?

• No, there isn’t any connection between the type of bra you wear and the incidence of breast cancer. You can wear any bra if it supports your breasts correctly and without causing your pain.
• People sometimes complain of pain (non-cyclical) in the breasts, primarily because of the bras. Choose the ones that would provide proper support to the breasts.

     Watch the full video at 

Kauvery Hospital

Self-examination of the breasts regularly might help you be cautious and prepared at all times. Even if it is cancer, early cancer treatment can save you from a lot of stress, and this is possible only with regular breast examination and timely diagnosis.

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Organ Donation – Heart

Awareness about organ donation is rising in India, but we have a long way to go. For example, while about 50,000 people suffer from heart failures every year, the number of heart transplants in India remains 10-15 per year.

Covid and heart failures

The advent of Covid19 and some other factors have increased the number of young people suffering from a heart attack followed by severe heart failure or post-covid myocarditis with heart failure.

While there is an increasing number of patients waiting for a heart transplant, the number of transplants available is insufficient. Heart transplantation in India is rare when compared to counties like Spain and other European countries.

The lack of donation is the main reason for the reduced number of heart transplantation in India. While the heart donation number in European countries stands at 40 per million, India has a much lesser rate of 0.8 per million.

Organ donation by one person (including heart, pancreas, liver, kidney, lungs, etc.) can save up to 8 lives. Through organ donation, you can give a second life to a dying person.

 Also Read: What is the difference between a heart attack and a sudden cardiac arrest?

Kauvery Hospital

August 13^th is celebrated as organ donation day to increase awareness about the donation procedure among people. At Kauvery Hospital, we have been taking the initiative to spread the message among more people and remove the taboo surrounding the topic.

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Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment

Chronic Kidney Disease, also known as CKD, involves a gradual loss of kidney function and eventually leads to Kidney failure. Chronic kidney disease treatment will focus on slowing the progression of kidney damage by controlling the cause. In severe cases, a kidney transplant might be needed.

      What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?

The kidney performs some of the critical functions in the body like filtering the waste, BP control, RBC production, bone, and mineral metabolism, management of acidosis, and more.

When the kidney is affected, all these functions are affected, producing symptoms. People having stage 1 and 2 chronic kidney disease would not experience any symptoms. After stage 3 there might be symptoms starting to occur. Here are some of the symptoms involved with Chronic kidney disease.

·         Anemia

·         High blood pressure that is hard to control

·         Bone weakness

·         Reduction in urine

·         Inflammation in legs and arms

Chronic Kidney disease treatment is available, and if the patient is in stage 3 or less, they are monitored so that the disease does not progress. But people who usually come to the nephrologist only do so when the condition is at stage 4 or 5. Thus, if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above or suspect a kidney problem, it is best to consult with a specialist immediately.

Also Read: Dialysis: Is it the End of Life?

      What are the treatment options for chronic kidney disease?

There are 3 treatment options for Chronic kidney treatment.

·         Kidney transplant

·         Hemodialysis

·         Peritoneal dialysis

When the disease progresses from stage 4 to stage 5 in a person, these treatment options are presented to the patient.

To know more about Chronic kidney disease and its treatment options, then watch the full video at 

Kauvery Hospital

Diagnosing Chronic kidney disease at early stages is important to treat and manage it. At Kauvery Hospital, we have experienced doctors and equipment which can help the patients at any stage of the disease.

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Mental Health in the Elderly

According to WHO, depression, and dementia are the most common mental and neurological conditions present among the elderly. The most common complaint that geriatricians get from people over the age of 60 is losing sleep and depression. Changes in eating and sleeping habits are some of the symptoms you should consult with a specialist. You can use search options like geriatrician near me or get suggestions from your family doctor.

      What is the reason for these pattern changes in the elderly?

Usually, at the age of 60, most people undergo not able changes in their life. This is the age of retirement and when the children tend to settle in their own lives. Age-related mobility restrictions are common during this age. Other than the resulting loneliness, there is also the inclusion of health ailments.

All these drastic economic and health change scan be responsible for the loss of sleep and increased stress in the elderly. These stressors do not always lead to mental health problems.

But in India, a study has found that about 30% of the people above the age of 60 suffer from mental health problems that often go undetected.

      What are the symptoms that we should look out for?

Prolonged stress in the elderly can result in mental health problems like depression. Depression in the elderly can be undetected since most people consider being withdrawn as part of aging. Also, we are more ignorant towards mental problems and thus do not immediately get help. Here are some of the symptoms that you should look out for in the elderly and, if noted, should get help.

•       Somatisation - Prolonged pain in a specific part of the body without any medical reason
•       Loss of interest in usual activities for over 2 weeks
•       Loss of energy
•       Change in eating and sleeping patterns

If you notice any of these symptoms for more than 2 weeks, it is important to consult with a doctor.

To know more, watch the full video at

Also Read: Maintaining a Good Mental Health in Our Silver Years

Kauvery Hospital

People need to understand that depression is not a part of aging, and with the right help, older adults can lead happy and healthy life. At Kauvery Hospital, we have the best geriatricians and psychologists who can help older people get over their problems.

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Simple Home Exercises for Elderly

Every year October 1 is celebrated as World Elders day, and we take this opportunity to remind you of the old saying, “Age is just a number”. With simple rules and precautions, it is possible to improve the quality of life for the elderly. Exercises are essential for muscle fitness, and thus our bone specialists have listed some of the activities that the elderly can do at their homes without much effort.

Rising from the sleeping position

Postural hypotension is a common condition in older people, and thus while rising from the lying position on the bed, it is best not to make sudden movements. The correct way to rise from the bed while a person is lying on his back is given below:

•          Take deep breaths twice while lying on your back
•          Now turn on your side and take deep breaths.
•          Now let your legs down from the bed and then rise from the bed.

When you follow this procedure to rise from the bed, it is possible to reduce postural hypotension in a person.

Strengthening the neck muscles

To increase the range of motion in the neck muscles, here are some exercises to follow.

•          Move the head slowly from one side to another side.
•          Repeat this motion about 5-10 times.
•          Now move the head from to look up and down.
•          Repeat this motion about 5-10 times.
•          Now move your head sidewise so that your ears touch your shoulders, and then move the head to the other side.
•          Repeat this motion about 5-10 times.

Also Read: What are the benefits of doing cardio exercises like Running?

Shoulder raising exercises

Raise your hand to chest level and then move your shoulders back to widen your chest area. You can move your shoulders back to the range of your movements and then bring the hands back to the original position. Repeat this exercise about 5-10 times.

To know more, watch the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2mwvWYAjrs

Kauvery Hospital

Injuries due to falling are one of the major causes for which the elderly visit the hospital. Strengthening the muscles using these simple home exercises can avoid weakness and consequently falling. Kauvery hospital has some of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country and immediately provides you with the proper care.

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Blood in stools

Blood in stools is a common problem and can occur in people of any age group. Blood can appear in stools for various reasons, but the most common among them are piles and anal fissures. Other reasons may include colon cancer, rectum cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, stomach ulcer, and more. To find the right cause and choose an appropriate treatment, it is important to consult with a doctor or an expert. You can use options like a Gastroenterologist near me to find immediate care.

Most people assume the reason to be ‘piles’ when they notice blood in stools. But when you visit the doctor, the diagnosis is made considering various symptoms, and then the treatment is done. For example, those who suffer from constipation have the risk of developing anal fissures. For some people, there might be a lot of blood, and it might be due to leakage of blood from different organs like the small intestine or large intestine.

When the stool is black or dark in colour it might indicate GI bleeding, which means bleeding in the stomach, esophagus, or small intestine. Blood mixed with stool might be a symptom of cancer.

Diagnosis

First, the symptoms are evaluated, and then a physical examination is done. Then for piles diagnosis, an assessment using an instrument called a proc to scope is done. To examine the rectum and lower part of the large intestine, a test called sigmoidoscopy is done. If there is a problem suspected CT scan, MRI and angiogram are done.

Also Read: Testing for Abnormal Blood Flow with Doppler Ultrasound

Treatment

Simple problems like fissures and piles can be treated with medications and diet changes in the early stage. In severe cases, surgery might be needed. For cancer, different treatments like surgical procedures and radiation are done.

Kauvery Hospital

If you notice blood in stools, do not assume the reason yourself. Instead, please consult with a doctor and get it diagnosed properly. If you don’t get satisfactory results, with search options like Gastroenterologist near me, visit our hospital since we have experienced experts with advanced treatments.

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High BP and Its Causes

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure is a condition where the pressure of the blood against the artery walls is too high. High BP often has no symptoms but, if left untreated, can cause health conditions like heart disease and stroke.

Causes

•          Smoking
•          Alcoholism
•          Obesity
•          A sedentary lifestyle where the patient goes for long hours without moving from the place

Since the pandemic and the rise of IT jobs, the sedentary lifestyle has become a part of our daily life.  But according to the cardiologists, “Sitting is second smoking,” and thus, this can be one of the causes of high BP even if you do not have any of the first three risk factors.

High BP and its effects

High BP can lead to other health risks like

•          Renal failure
•          Stroke
•          Heart attack

Also Read: Pulmonary Hypertension – Symptoms and Treatment

Treatment

High BP needs more preventive factors rather than treatment. Here are some things that you can include in your lifestyle to manage and prevent high BP.

•          Meditation
•          Regular exercise
•          Diet changes
•          Lifestyle changes
•          Yoga

Kauvery Hospital

The risk of developing high BP has increased in recent times. Thus it is important to choose the proper lifestyle to avoid its risk. Kauvery Hospital has the best cardiologists in Chennai, and we can help you manage high BP or any other conditions about it.

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