Dr Harsh Vardhan’s plans to fight
diarrhea
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Monday
said health personnel at both the central and state levels will be mobilised to
boost diarrhoea-control measures. He was speaking at the launch of the
nationwide ‘Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF)’. ‘The measures are
a set of activities which include enhancing advocacy, stepping up awareness
generation, establishing more ORS-zinc corners, enthusing ASHA volunteers to
reach oral rehydration solution (ORS) packets to families with children as well
as detecting kids in need of treatment,’ the minister said.
Diarrhoea kills more than 200,000
children annually, the third biggest cause of child mortality. Harsh Vardhan
said a wider role for the community will be sought in generating awareness
about the simple steps that can help avoid such tragedies.
What’s causing the diarrhoea?
Most commonly, diarrhoea is caused
due to an infection, either by eating contaminated food (food poisoning),
drinking unclean water or through transmission from a person who is suffering
from the condition. Apart from this there are certain non-infectious conditions
that can be the cause of diarrhoea. Inflammation in the stomach lining,
irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis (a condition where a pouch forms in
the wall of the stomach and gets infected), lactose intolerance (allergy to
milk), allergies to certain foods, certain medications, side effect of certain
surgeries (gallbladder removal or the removal of some part of the intestine)
could also cause diarrhoea.
Treatment and self-care of
diarrhoea:
Keep yourself well hydrated: According to the WHO 760,000 children under the age of
five die globally every year due to diarrhoea. And most of these deaths are due
to dehydration. During a bout of diarrhoea one loses a lot of
essential electrolytes from the body very quickly, dehydration can set in if
these electrolytes are not replaced adequately. So, it is a good idea to have
water with either an electrolyte solution available at any chemist shop or with
salt and sugar at regular intervals. If one suffers from vomiting along with diarrhoea,
it is important to have a few sips of water every twenty to thirty minutes.
Avoid fatty and spicy foods: These kind of foods are difficult to digest and can
lead to further inflammation of an already troubled stomach. So, stick to
easily digestible foods likekhichdi or curd rice.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
30.07.2014
Why a fist bump is better than a handshake!
Fist
bumps are more hygienic than handshakes and drastically reduce the risk of
spreading infectious diseases, researchers in Britain have found. The study
discovered that a handshake transfers 10 times as much bacteria as a fist bump,
following a series of tests at Aberystwyth University on the west coast of
Wales.
Doctor
Dave Whitworth, who led the research, said the study could have a serious
impact on public health. ‘People rarely think about the health implications of
shaking hands. But if the general public could be encouraged to fist bump,
there is a genuine potential to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.’
Researchers were able to measure the movement of germs using sterile rubber
gloves, one of which was dipped into a coating of the potentially deadly E.
coli bacteria, before exchanging a range of greeting gestures.
The
results of the research, published in the American Journal of Infection
Control, showed that handshakes passed on far more of the dangerous
bacteria than fist bumps or high fives. The number of germs moving between
people was reduced by more than half during a high five and 90 percent in a
fist bump. Experiments also found that a firmer handshake increased the level
of bacteria shared between palms.
Fist bumps, famously employed by US
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, are thought to be more hygienic
due to their shorter duration and smaller contact area. The study was inspired
by the increasing promotion of cleanliness in the workplace, including the
growing use of hand-sanitisers and keyboard disinfectants.
Source: www.thehealthsite.com
30.07.2014
Knowledge is the only kind of wealth that multiplies when you
give it away
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