Tips to Keep Your Lungs Healthy

The global pandemic has made us pause our fast lifestyle and think about our health. We know that the Covid virus predominantly affects our lungs and the increasing pollution is definitely not helping. Learn what Dr Srinivas Rajagopalan, Senior Pulmonologist, Kauvery Hospital has to say about lung health.

What are some of the tips to keep our lungs healthy?

•        Avoid smoking. Smoking is one of the factors that damage the lungs. Even if you do not smoke, you should avoid exposure while others smoke. Exposure to smoke can also affect our lungs and this is called passive smoking.

•        Avoid smoking especially while you are near children. The lung capacity in children is less and it only reaches the peak capacity in the second decade of their lives. When exposed to smoking, the lung capacity of the children might not reach the peak level and cause problems in the future.

•       Exposure to dust particles can also cause damage to the lungs. Biomass fuel is one factor that has been causing lung damage especially in people living in rural areas. It is important to avoid wool fuel stoves and kerosene stoves, especially in a poorly ventilated place. The particulate matter when entering our body can cause damage to our lungs with time.

•       Poor air quality can affect the lungs. Monitor the air quality index and while it is above the permissible level, avoid going out or wearing a mask.

•       Adequate cardiopulmonary exercise can maintain the health of the lungs. If you are over the age of 40, brisk walking is recommended and people lesser than 40 years can choose jogging.

Also Read: What Happens Before a Lung Transplantation?

Kauvery Hospital

Usually, it is possible to treat lung complications but when it is severe beyond treatment, a lung transplant is recommended. At Kauvery Hospital, we are equipped to provide our patients with the immediate care and treatment that is needed.

 

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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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