We know that SAN (Sino Atrial Node) and AVN (Atrio Ventricular Node) are the natural pacemakers of the heart that maintains the rhythm of the heart. But in some patients, the impulses from the SAN become inconsistent or weak resulting in irregular heartbeats. For that purpose, a Pacemaker needs to implanted into the patient that can provide the necessary electrical impulse to the heart to beat normally.

Let us know understand the different types of Pacemakers and how they function:

Single Chamber Pacemaker: These types of pacemakers have only one lead in them. This lead is inserted into the right ventricle

Double Chamber Pacemaker: Here there are two leads. One lead is present at the Right Ventricle. The second lead is inserted into the Right Atrium. This actually mimics the actual signaling system from the natural pacemaker of the heart.

Biventricular Pacemaker: This Pacemaker has 3 leads. One lead is in the Right Ventricle, Second lead in the Right Atrium and the Third Lead is inserted into the Left Ventricle. Therefore the name Biventricular Pacemaker as it is pacing both the ventricles. This is required in those patients whose right and left ventricles fail to contract simultaneously. This happens if there is a Left Bundle Branch block. Therefore for such kind of patients, a Biventricular Pacemaker is used. A Biventricular Pacemaker is also called as CRT-P (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Pacemaker).

ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator): An implantable defibrillator is designed to monitor the heart rhythm 24 hours a day. If the heart is beating too fast or irregularly, the device will first send small painless electrical signals to correct your heart rate. If the fast heart rate continues, the defibrillator will deliver a shock to restore your heart to a normal rate. ICDs can have One lead-into the Right Ventricle, Two Leads-Right Ventricle and Right Atrium or 3 Leads. So essentially, ICDs along with pacing the heart is also capable of delivering a shock (defibrillation) if there is ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation

CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator): This is nothing but an ICD with three leads. The third lead is inserted into the Left Ventricle ( same as we saw in CRT-P), but unlike CRT-P, if the heart rate rises abruptly to more than 180 beats per minute, then it will attempt an ATP (Anti-tachycardia pacing). But if still, the heart rate further increases to greater than 240 beats, this condition is called Ventricular Fibrilation which is a life threatening condition and there it delivers a shock which lasts for few milliseconds which can be felt by the patient. This brings back the rhythm of the heart.

•                         An Overview: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition that causes infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods which is very common among women of their reproductive age. Women with PCOD may have excess male hormone (androgen level) The ovaries may develop innumerable follicle that fails regularly release egg.

There are 4 types of PCOD subsequently as follows,

Insulin resistance, Adrenal PCOS, Post pill PCOS, Inflammatory PCOS.

•                         A guide to PCOD, Causes: Usually the symptoms of PCOS are developing during puberty but it will develop later, you need to consult with the doctor when symptoms occur below,

1.                       Period with abnormalities, Irregular and infrequent menstrual cycles are one of most common symptoms of PCOD. If you have less than 9 periods in a year or heavy periodic cycle that is more than 35 days, doctor consultation is mandatory.      

2.                       Polycystic ovaries, in this situation ovaries might get enlarged resulting ovarian function has become improper.

3.                       Increment in Androgen, increased levels of androgen resulting physical appearances such as, excess body and facial hair or severe acne problems.

Other symptoms like high blood pressure, sleep disorder, skin allergies, infertility, acne, pelvic pain, dandruff, depression and so on.

•                         What are the common symptoms of PCOD?

Missed or irregular periods or very light period.

Ovaries has become very large possess many cysts like appearance.

Weight gain especially around the abdominal area.

Sometimes infertility, acne prone or oily skin.

Excessive body hair including stomach, chest and hirsutism.  

•                         Diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome

PCOD is not curable completely. Apart from the treatment methodologies, lifestyle changes like weight loss, birth control can decrease the chances of PCOD. Multidisciplinary approach should be needed which is involves the gynecologists, dietitians, dermatologist, endocrinologists and infertility expert. 5% reduction of weight can help a lot in treating the disease. PCOD patients must maintain healthy diet along with exercise. The diet should be sugar and carbohydrate free, where as high protein and high fiber is good enough for PCOD patients. Rest of the treatments can be based on,

1.                       Proper medications to treat insulin resistance and balanced hormone to correct menstrual phase.

2.                       Skin treatments is mandatory for face hair, acne and pigmentation.

3.                       Fertility drugs are administered to the patients who are infertile.

4.                       Some oral medicines and injections are important for egg rupturing and ovulation.

5.                       However, second line therapy is needed for laparoscopic surgery or ovarian drilling.

PCOS! … It’s not a disease, But a lifestyle disorder….!

•                         An Overview: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition that causes infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods which is very common among women of their reproductive age. Women with PCOD may have excess male hormone (androgen level) The ovaries may develop innumerable follicle that fails regularly release egg.

There are 4 types of PCOD subsequently as follows,

Insulin resistance, Adrenal PCOS, Post pill PCOS, Inflammatory PCOS.

•                         A guide to PCOD, Causes: Usually the symptoms of PCOS are developing during puberty but it will develop later, you need to consult with the doctor when symptoms occur below,

1.                       Period with abnormalities, Irregular and infrequent menstrual cycles are one of most common symptoms of PCOD. If you have less than 9 periods in a year or heavy periodic cycle that is more than 35 days, doctor consultation is mandatory.      

2.                       Polycystic ovaries, in this situation ovaries might get enlarged resulting ovarian function has become improper.

3.                       Increment in Androgen, increased levels of androgen resulting physical appearances such as, excess body and facial hair or severe acne problems.

Other symptoms like high blood pressure, sleep disorder, skin allergies, infertility, acne, pelvic pain, dandruff, depression and so on.

•                         What are the common symptoms of PCOD?

Missed or irregular periods or very light period.

Ovaries has become very large possess many cysts like appearance.

Weight gain especially around the abdominal area.

Sometimes infertility, acne prone or oily skin.

Excessive body hair including stomach, chest and hirsutism.  

•                         Diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome

PCOD is not curable completely. Apart from the treatment methodologies, lifestyle changes like weight loss, birth control can decrease the chances of PCOD. Multidisciplinary approach should be needed which is involves the gynecologists, dietitians, dermatologist, endocrinologists and infertility expert. 5% reduction of weight can help a lot in treating the disease. PCOD patients must maintain healthy diet along with exercise. The diet should be sugar and carbohydrate free, where as high protein and high fiber is good enough for PCOD patients. Rest of the treatments can be based on,

1.                       Proper medications to treat insulin resistance and balanced hormone to correct menstrual phase.

2.                       Skin treatments is mandatory for face hair, acne and pigmentation.

3.                       Fertility drugs are administered to the patients who are infertile.

4.                       Some oral medicines and injections are important for egg rupturing and ovulation.

5.                       However, second line therapy is needed for laparoscopic surgery or ovarian drilling.

What is sore throat?

Sore throat is a painful, scratchiness or irritation of the throat which is occur with or with out swallowing which is often accompanied with pharyngitis, cough and cold. Most of the sore throats are not serious as well but severe symptoms can make someone difficult to breathe.
A study revealed that most common cause of sore throat is caused by viral infection such as cough and cold along with flu. A sore throat caused by virus which is resolved buy its own whereas strep throat (streptococcal infection) less common type of infection which is caused by bacteria, hence required treatment with antibiotics.

What is bacterial tonsilitis?

Tonsilitis is an inflammation of tonsils which is usually caused by bacterial infection. Tonsilitis is a condition in children, teen agers and young adults and the symptoms includes sore throat and pain.
The most common bacterium which is the cause of tonsilitis is streptococcus pyogenes, others species are includes Staphylococcus aureus, Chlamydia pneumoniae.
What are possible complications occurred of untreated bacterial tonsilitis?
Untreated or incompletely treated tonsilitis can lead to life threatening complications among the human individuals. Acute oropharyngeal infections can extend distally to the deep neck region and then towards mediastinum. Rheumatic fever may develop after strep throat if that are not treated properly. Bacteria commonly known as group A streptococcus which is the main cause of rheumatic or scarlet fever.
Rheumatic fever commonly known as inflammatory condition which is occurred after tonsilitis caused by group A Streptococcus. This kind of fever commonly affects joints, guts and heart. It usually takes about 1 to 5 weeks after strep throat for rheumatic fever to develop. Rheumatic fever is most common among the children aged 5 to 15 which can lead to permanent damage to the heart and heart failure in some cases.

Can tonsilitis caused vulvar heart disease?

The heart valve damage may start shortly after untreated or under treated streptococcal infection, hence the damaged heart valves can also lead to an irregular heartbeat. Lung problems may also develop because the blood starts building up there. This can resultant high blood pressure in the lungs or rebuild fluid substances with in the lung tissue.
However, there are so many people never realize that they have mild valve problem. Left untreated, advanced valve disease can cause heart failure, blood clots, stroke or death due to sudden cardiac arrest.

What Is Exclusive Breastfeeding?

Exclusive breastfeeding means that a baby is fed only breast milk for the first six months of his life, with no additional food or drinks. This is the best nourishment for the baby, who is not even given water.

Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding for Mother and Baby

The importance of exclusive breastfeeding can never be understated. It minimises the dangers of infections and diseases. Furthermore, it is also considered beneficial for the mother, too. Read on to understand the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding for a baby and his mother.

Scientific studies have revealed that the healthiest babies are those that have been exclusively breastfed.

For the first six months of a baby’s life, breast milk is all that a baby really needs.

Exclusive breastfeeding is one of the best ways to minimise the chances of a baby getting diarrhoea, allergies, pneumonia and suffering from malnutrition, the addition of any other food will considerably increase the risks of the same.

• Exclusive breastfeeding is known to considerably decrease infant mortality on account of common childhood illnesses.
• Exclusive breastfeeding delays fertility assisting appropriate time intervals between pregnancies.
• Exclusively breastfeeding mothers are less prone to the cancer of the breasts and ovaries.
• Exclusive breastfeeding is also economical as it eliminates the need to purchase supplements and expensive formulas and equipment.
• Colostrum in breast milk cleans the stomach and promotes a healthy gut, eliminating the need for medicines.
• Exclusive breastfeeding helps the new mother to lose weight after delivery.
• Mothers who breastfeed exclusively are less likely to experience postpartum depression.
• The more a baby suckles, the more milk will be made in the breasts; this natural mechanism helps make exclusive breastfeeding a viable choice.
• Exclusive breastfeeding is also possible for working mothers via expressed breast milk. Expressed breast milk remains good for up to ten hours at room temperature and approximately three days in the fridge.

Diabetes Mellitus or Type II Diabetes or NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) is the condition which exhibits hyperglycemia (a condition where there is excess blood sugar levels).

The reason of the high blood sugar can be attributed to either of the two or both conditions. First, the Pancreas does not produce sufficient Insulin. Insulin acts as a carrier of Glucose into the cells of the body. Therefore if there is insufficient insulin levels in the blood, it wont be able to transport the glucose from the blood into the cells of the body.

The food that we eat, is finally converted to energy in the form of glucose and it is the food for each and every cell. If the cells do not receive the sufficient amount of glucose, it will start to starve.

Another reason for hyperglycemia is that, the insulin receptors on the cells get damaged or the structure changes such that, even though there is sufficient insulin levels in the blood, it cannot help transport the glucose into the cells of the body. In this case, over a long period of time, the cells of the body pass messages to the pancreas to secrete more insulin because it feels that it is not getting the glucose supply because of lack of Insulin. Therefore in such conditions, there is an elevated level of Blood Glucose (Hyperglycemia) and also elevated levels of Blood Insulin (Hyperinsulinemia).

So now we got to know what causes Diabetes. Now let us look at the subtle signs and symptoms that the body gives while suffering from Diabetes and it is highly warranted that when you are suffering from one or more of these symptoms, you should immediately get your blood sugar levels checked.

As discussed before, in Diabetes, the Glucose from the blood does not reach the cells of the body. So when the cell is deprived of the food, what will happen, it will get weak. Therefore the early symptoms of diabetes is unexplained weight loss and also chronic fatigue. You may get tired very soon and always feel like taking a short nap or sleep.

The other symptoms include,

Polyuria (you will have frequent urge of urination).

Polydipsia (frequent Thirst)

Polyphagia (Too much hunger)

Wound will take a longer time to heal. Generally small cuts and bruises will also take much longer time than usual to heal. This is a warning sign of elevated blood sugar levels.

We are all aware that we are passing through the Covid-19 pandemic which has wreaked havoc across the length and breadth of the country. Mass scale immunization remains the key to develop sufficient immunity against the virus. In the light of the above, Government of India has started the vaccination drive for all adults above 18 years of age. As we are undergoing the process of vaccination, there are sporadic news being circulated that the Vaccine is causing adverse reactions and many people who have taken the vaccine are developing the infection themselves.

Therefore it is necessary to demystify the myths surrounding Covid-19 vaccination. Let us look at the top 5 myths and place the facts:-

MYTH: The Vaccine itself contains the Virus. Therefore after taking the vaccine, many people are getting infected

FACT: The Vaccine does not contains the Virus. It just contains the immunity triggering component that helps the body develop antibodies so that when the Virus will enter our body, it is prepared to generate a cascading immunological process to fight the Virus.

MYTH: Many people have reported adverse reactions after taking the Vaccine

FACT: As per MOHFW data, more than 43 Crore Indians above 18 years of age have taken at least one dose of the Vaccination and so far the AEFI (Adverse Effect Following Immunization) is just 0.007%. So one should not panic or deter from taking the vaccine.

MYTH: I have developed fever and body pain after taking the vaccine. This is a side effect of the vaccine

FACT: Developingfever and body ache after taking the Vaccine dose is actually very normal. As mentioned before, the vaccine contains specific immunity triggering components, so once we take the vaccine, the body triggers an immunological process to build specific antibodies against those components. The fever, body pain, malaise etc. are just part of the immunological response and in fact such a response actually means that the body is working on the response to the vaccine.

MYTH: The Vaccine may cause impotency

FACT: Till date, in the numerous studies conducted across the globe and in India, there is no data that suggests any link between Covid-19 vaccination and impotency.

MYTH: Covid vaccine contains animal serum

FACT: No animal serum is used in the manufacture of the vaccine. Some vaccine used animal serum only for the preparation/ growth of the vero cells and the actual vaccine does not contain any animal serum  

How should you seat when you are working from home?

In the era of Covid 19, many of us have become habituated with the word ‘Work from Home’. With almost of third of the lockdown phase most of the corporate offices rapidly shifted to working from home strategy. However, at the time of sitting a lot in front of the computer, some tips should be followed by us to avoid complications like muscular dystrophy.
• Adjust your chair by supporting your back and head right above shoulders and hips.
• Feet supported on the ground with adequate lumber support.
• Have the system in Infront of you and place the screen at eye level.
• Try to seat evenly without leaning on one side.

What will happen when you seat with bad posture?

As we get older our bad habits like slouching, inactivity resultant muscle fatigue and tension leading to poor posture. Complications like back pain, joint degeneration, spinal dysfunction, rounded shoulders will have to experience. Apart from that neck pain, headache, poor sleep and lack of motivation may also occur due to poor body posture. There are long-term effects like poor circulation, impaired lung function, Constipation, Incontinence, Heartburn, and so on. Affected muscles like the occipital, trapezius, adductors, piriformis, pectineus can relocate among all individuals with bad posture habitat.
How do you know if you have good or bad posture?
Well, think about how you sit during the daytime. Let’s try answering the question are there any aches or pain you feel at the time of sitting? If it is yes then it could be related to posture. According to physical therapists rounded shoulders, excessive curvature in the spine, forward head posture, a better way to assess those symptoms like aches or pains. If you feel uncomfortable in sitting or standing then you have to change or adjust your position. You have to consider having your posture which is assessed by a professional.

How can you make work from home more ergonomic? (Dos and Don’ts)

Do customize a space that can fit you
Don’t turn your couch into a workstation.
Do use your office chair if there is any possibility
Don’t swing your feet
Do work at a proper height
Don’t hunch over the laptop

Can you improve/ rectify your posture of sitting?

Most of us spend time 8 to 9 hours on regular basis at the time of working in front of our system. At the time of working from home, we are unaware of how poor posture we are sitting like. A correctly adjusted chair can help to reduce the risk factor of back pain. One easily adjusted chair is enough leading to change your height back part and tilt. Place the foot flat on the floor having footrest prohibit leg crossing.
Place the keyboard in front of you at the time of typing by leaving a gap of 4 to 6 inches in front of the desk. Place the monitor about an arm’s length by keeping your arm L-shaped and elbows by your side. Do back exercise every day to maintain strong postural muscles. For stretching the arms make sure the opening up of the chest. Hence these stretches will help you to release your tension by being allowed the shoulders to come back into better posture.

What is Long Covid?

Long covid is a condition where people diagnosed with Covid 19 long term symptoms. Featuring symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, joints aches, neurological, respiratory problems along with hypertension and so on.

How much Long Covid lasts?

Post-acute covid 19 seems to be a multisystem disease extending 3 weeks up to 12 weeks. Around 10% patients tested positive who remain unwell even after three weeks.

What tests are required?

Blood tests like C   reactive protein, ferritin, troponin, D dimer, chest X ray are done as well.                

Does Vaccination help to prevent long covid?

Vaccination process helps to prevent long covid symptoms by contracting the virus. An important role of vaccination is to maintain safety and efficacy level which is intended to human use.   As WHO is working along with their partners around the world to facilitate equitable safety access against Covid 19.

What are long Covid problems?

According to WHO, patients who have gone through severe covid infection experience problems in several body organs like eye, throat, lungs, heart and brain.

Case study reveals that 81% of covid 19 patients reported ocular issues with in just two weeks. 18% patients are reported photophobia where as 17% are reported itchy eyes.

A recent survey of general practitioners reveals sore throat, runny nose, headache, nasal problems along with cough, fever and shortness of breath.

Covid 19 can cause lung complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia along with long term damage to the tiny alveoli within the lungs. The scar tissue can lead to long term breathing problems in the affected individuals.

Even within the youth individuals Covid 19 can cause strokes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease where as some children experience multi system inflammatory syndrome.

Covid 19 can also affect prolonged damage with in the blood cells more likely to clotting and clumping off. Large clots can cause heart attacks, strokes.

Which safety measures should be taken by us to restrict Long Covid?

One thing needs to be kept in mind while recuperating from Long Covid. You are not contagious neither do you carry the virus in your body. But that should not restrict us from wearing masks, practicing social distancing and following Covid appropriate behaviors. A proper discipline in our lifestyle is the best possible way to come out from the clutches of Long Covid.

Right Diet: Always consult your dietician/Doctor before altering your food habits, but in genral, your food should be rich in protein, take sufficient leafy vegetables and fruits. Minimize proteins from animal source and increase from plant based sources. Soyabean, Legumes etc are good options. Eat atleast two helpings of fresh fruits daily. Drink atleast 8 glasses of water.

Exercise: Although fast fatigue is one of the major symptoms of Long Covid, at least try some mild to moderate aerobic exercises to improve your lung and heart function. Yoga is another very good practice for overall health recovery post Covid

Manage Stress and Sleep Patterns: 8 hours is great but a 7 hours of sound sleep should be bare minimum on a daily basis. This helps keep the cortisol levels in check and helps the body recover faster and better.