Understanding Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a disease that leads to inflammation of the liver. There is a chance of damage to the liver due to hepatitis with time.

Causes

·         Fat accumulation of liver
·         Alcohol consumption
·         Viral infection

Viral Hepatitis

The viruses that affect the liver are called hepatitis viruses. There are five types of hepatitis viruses – A, B, C, D, and E.

A & E Viral Hepatitis

A and E hepatitis viruses are most common in India. These affect people of all ages but are more dangerous when it affects pregnant women and children. Viral hepatitis is spread through water sources and unclean hygienic habits.

Also Read: What is Hepatitis?

B &C Viral Hepatitis

B and C hepatitis viruses are more dangerous since them because a condition called chronic hepatitis. These viruses are common in very significant pockets of India.

Chronic Hepatitis

• Chronic hepatitis does not affect the liver immediately since the infection spreads through blood and bodily fluids.
• Chronic hepatitis spreads from husband to wife and mother to children.
• The viruses reside in the body for a long time, slowly damaging the liver. Thus the symptoms appear only in the advanced stages

Prevention

Vaccination against hepatitis B is important to prevent the disease. Children have it in the vaccination schedule, and adults who do not have a memory of getting vaccinated against hepatitis B should get themselves vaccinated.

There is no vaccine till date for hepatitis C, but an effective treatment is available which can cure the disease caused by it.

Chronic hepatitis is a silent infection, and thus many people might be having it without their knowledge. The disease can be detected only when it gets advanced and show symptoms or when the patient gets checked randomly. Thus make sure to get tested for these diseases at one point in your life.

 

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Stroke Awareness

Dr. Bhuvaneshwari Rajendran, consultant, clinical neurophysiology and neurosciences of Kauvery Hospital, talks about stroke awareness.

                             

What is a Stroke?

A stroke is a medical emergency. It takes place when the blood supply to parts of the brain is stopped or decreased. This limits oxygen and nutrients from reaching the brain, and within minutes, brain cells begin to die. Prompt response and treatment are crucial after a stroke.

A stroke is one of the most common causes of death in India. An acute stroke is often called a brain attack as it damages the brain. To prevent permanent brain damage, the patient should be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible. Read More

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Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Being a chronic disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) damages the nerves in the spinal cord, brain, and the optic nerves. Sclerosis refers to scarring, and people with this disease get multiple areas of scar tissue s a result of the nerve damage. As per the location of the damage, symptoms may include problems with muscle control, balance, vision, or speech.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

There are a broad range of symptoms that are experienced by people who suffer from MS. It can vary from person to person, and the disease can rapidly change and evolve. It can manifest different symptoms, and the severity can change from day to day. Read More

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Taking Care of Your Heart

Your heart is a muscular organ with a fist’s size and comprises three layers of tissues.

• Pericardium – a thin outer lining that protects and surrounds your heart.
  
• Myocardium – a thick muscular middle layer that contracts and squeezes blood out of your heart.
  
• Endocardium – a thin inner lining.

Causes of Heart Problems

Development of fatty plaques in your arteries is the most common cause of coronary artery disease. This plaque build-up can be caused by:

• Unhealthy lifestyle habits
  
• Poor diet
  
• Lack of exercise
  
• Obesity
  
• Smoking
  
• Stress
  

Tips to Take Care of Your Heart

• Regular exercise
  
• Eat a balanced diet that comprises fresh vegetables, fruits, and fiber
• Avoid junk food, oily food and red meats
  
• Keep your blood pressure under control
  
• Maintain optimum levels of cholesterol and triglyceride levels
  
• Maintain a healthy weight
  
• Avoid smoking
  
• Limit your intake of alcohol
  
• Meditate and do yoga to reduce stress levels
  

Also Read: How can I keep my heart healthy in winter?

Importance of a Lifestyle Change

A cardiologist will tell you that adopting new and healthier habits will protect you from serious health problems like heart disease. Eating healthy and regular physical activity will help manage your weight, give you more energy and is good for your heart. Subsequently, if you stick with these changes, they will become part of your daily routine.

If you are looking for heart disease treatment in Chennai, you can find a multi-specialty hospital specializing in heart disease treatment in Chennai by searching online.

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Kauvery Hospital Performs a Complex Liver Transplant

The expert team of surgeons at Kauvery Hospital Trichy (Cantonment) performed a complex live donor liver transplant to help a patient overcome liver failure. Kauvery Hospital was very proud to announce that the surgery was performed smoothly and that the donor and recipient are doing very well after the surgery.

A Smooth Surgery with the Depth of a Noble Gesture

Karthikeyan, the donor for the surgery, is from Trichy, and the recipient was his mother, Yogambal.
When Yogambal fell ill, the family went to the doctor and was told that she needed a liver transplant surgery. They went to Kauvery Hospital in Trichy for the surgery.

The surgery was done by experienced doctors and went smoothly. Neither Karthikeyan nor his mother had any complications. Karthikeyan was told that he may have pain from ten days to about three months, but he said that he was already feeling much better and was getting discharged soon.

The doctors had told him that he can go back to work and do regular activities in a couple of days. The surgery left a small scar which they say would fade in a while.

Karthikeyan says donating a part of you to someone, especially a loved one, is one of the noblest acts of humanity.

Also Read: Who Can Be An Eligible Liver Donor?

Why Go for a Living Donor?

Karthikeyan wants to help raise awareness about the advantages of a living donor liver transplant. He says that if there is a close relative who can be the donor, then that is the best option. The risk of rejection or complications is minimized as a family member will be the best match.

Another reason to have a known, living donor for a patient who needs liver transplant surgery is knowing his/her medical history and providing proper treatment. Karthikeyan was also very grateful to the CM scheme through which he got the approval and the team at Kauvery Hospital Trichy that looked after him and his mother so well.

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“BE FAST” in a Stroke Emergency

A stroke is one of the most common causes of death in India. An acute stroke is called a brain attack and is a medical emergency. The patient has to be taken immediately to the hospital to get stroke treatment.

Acute Stroke Due to a Blood Clot

A clot in a blood vessel leading to the brain can cut off blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke. It is imperative to get the blood pumping to the brain again as soon as possible to prevent brain damage or other neural complications.

Acute Stroke Due to a Bleed

When there is a bleed in the blood vessel, it can cause a hemorrhage. This can lead to edema. The swelling around the brain, compressing it can also cause brain damage and neural complications.

Why Is Speed Essential After a Stroke?

When a person has a stroke, there is a small window of 3 to 4.5 hours by which time treatment for stroke should be administered.

If the reason for the stroke is a clot, a clot-busting medication will be administered immediately to dissolve the clot and get the blood pumping into the brain again. If it is due to a bleed, medication can be given or a procedure done to prevent or decrease the swelling in the brain to minimize the risk of brain damage.

In either case, immediate transfer to a hospital with a neurologist on call is important.

Also Read: What is a stroke? – Prevention, Treatment and Recovery

BE FAST

BE FAST is a mnemonic to help detect and enhance responsiveness to the needs of a person having a stroke. The acronym stands for balance, eyes, facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties and time to call emergency services.

Be fast and prevent stroke complications.

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Dialysis – what you should know

Our kidneys perform a vital function. They take care of excreting toxic substances from our bodies and keeping our blood purified. When the kidneys do not function properly, the toxic substances are not excreted. It mixes with the blood, raising blood toxicity levels which can be dangerous.

Dialysis is a treatment that uses a machine to filter and purify the blood.  When the kidney is weak and cannot function optimally, the dialysis machine can take over purifying the blood.

How is dialysis done?

There are two types of dialysis:-

Haemodialysis

In this procedure, blood is diverted to an external machine, where it is filtered and then returned to the body.

Peritoneal dialysis

In this procedure, the dialysis fluid is pumped into the abdomen's space to draw out waste products from the blood.

Both types are equally effective, but in the former, you will have to visit the hospital, while the latter can be done at home. Your doctor will help you figure out which method is better for you.

Also Read: What is the procedure for dialysis?

Tips to ensure a good prognosis

•         Take medication regularly

•         Follow diet and water restriction

•         Take dialysis as many times as prescribed

With the proper care and support, you should be able to manage kidney disease with dialysis till you can get a transplant done.

If you are looking for a good nephrologist, you can look for one by searching online for “nephrologist near me”. Type “nephrologist near me” into your search engine and you will find a good one.

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