Women and Wellness - Battling for breath

Did you know that after age 20, women are more likely than men to have asthma for the first time?
Dust and pollution can trigger off asthma. Inhalers may not be effective and a visit to the hospital becomes a must.
Even though asthma is more common in little boys as compared to little girls, this trend reverses after puberty. After age 20, women are more likely than men to have asthma for the first time. Women also have more problems with asthma, as compared to men. Due to hormonal changes around the time of the periods, women may find an exacerbation of the diseases during that time. Pregnancy too, can make asthma worse, and moreover it may complicate pregnancy. Between the ages of 20 and 50 women are nearly three times more likely than men to be hospitalized for asthma.
Not having asthma as a child is no guarantee against getting it as an adult. 30 to 40 per cent of people suffering from asthma will get it as adults.
In mild cases, the chest feels tight, but in severe cases there can be an intense feeling of suffocation. Being unable to breathe or feeling like you can’t breathe is one of the single most frightening situations to find oneself in.

WHAT CAUSES ASTMA?
The basis of an asthma attack is inflammation of the bronchioles, which are the narrow tubes which carry air into the lungs. The inflammation leads to constriction and narrowing of the bronchioles and results in wheezing, tightness of the chest and persistent dry cough. Substances like dust, mold, pollen and smoke trigger cell inflammation and mucous production. The basis for this is an allergic reaction. People who have a tendency to have allergies have a greater chance of developing asthma.
All asthma is not triggered by allergies. Women can also have asthma attacks after taking drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen. Some women develop asthma in the workplace due to exposure to certain chemicals or other substances. Some women have asthma which is triggered by exercise. Exercise-induced asthma is caused by dry air coming into the lungs or a change in the fluid balance of cells. Within five to ten minutes after beginning exercise, individuals experience asthmatic symptoms such as chest tightness, coughing or wheezing.
Breathing exercise like pranayama is excellent for asthmatics and complement medical treatment.

DEVELOPING ASTHMA IN ADULTHOOD
Adults will often develop asthma soon after a respiratory infection. Women who are prone to allergies may develop asthma when they move to a place where there is more dust, pollution or an allergy stimulating environment.
Asthma attacks can be unpredictable. A woman may get an attack when she is least expecting it. That is why all asthmatics are advised to always keep their medications with them. Asthma can also be exhausting. Women may find that they have no energy to carry on their daily routine after having spent a night fighting an attack. It also prevents women from exercising, leading to an increase in weight which in turn worsens the condition.
Asthma can sometimes be so severe that it requires hospitalization. Oxygenation of the brain can be hampered and in rare cases asthma can actually be fatal.

ASTHMA AND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE
More women have an asthma attack around the beginning of their period than at other times in the menstrual cycle. At this time, the oestrogen level in the body is very low and this may trigger the attack. 75 percent of adults hospitalized for asthma are women. The hormonal changes in women may account for this.

PREGNANCY AND ASTHMA
A particular concern for women is how pregnancy will affect their asthma. Some women find their symptoms get worse, while others find their symptoms stay the same or get better. Women with more severe asthma are more likely to have their asthma worsen during pregnancy than women with milder forms. Inhalers (both steroid and bronchodilators) are safe in pregnancy. Oral medications may be taken under physician supervision.
Most women with mild to moderate asthma can go through a pregnancy without complications. Women with severe, poorly controlled asthma may have the risk of delivering babies with low birth weight and premature babies
(The author is a Chennai – based obstetrician and gynecologist with a special interest in women’s health issues)
The supplementary: the Wellness
The Hindu date September 25 2008

Health Vs Weight

A majority of women are more cocerned abut their weight than overall health, says a recent US poll. The new poll has found, it is not health related issues that's weighing down most women, but weight-related ones - even among the 26 per cent of respondents whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is in the noal range.
Of the 1000 respondnts, just one-third said they didn't like their physical condition - despite the fact that obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of ailments like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
"So many women think more about the number on the scale than whether their blood pressure or cholesterol is normal," an American daily quoted registered dititian Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietic Association, as saying. "They really don't think about disese risk as much as they d about their wieight," Gans added.
The survey also revealed that women exercise for a median of just 80 minutes per week, which means that half the women do even less exercise. A mere eight per cent of the women surveyed said that they eat the minimum recommended servings of fruit and vegetables (five a day) and a full 28 per cent said they consume those five servings just once a week or less.

WOMEN & WELLNESS: Here's how to prepare your child about the arrival of another baby

NEW BABY, NEW BONDS

Telling your child about the new baby?

There are no real rules about how your break the news to your child about the new baby. If your first child is still very young, he or she might not quite understand the concept of waiting for a few months till the baby arrives. You might wake up every day to be bombarded by the same question, “Has the baby come yet”

How your child handles the news also depends on the age of the child and the size of the extended family. If the child has been the centre of attention in a small nuclear family, he may find it hard to give up his place. Sibling jealousy and rivalry is a fact of life. By preparing your child, you may be able to lessen it even if you cannot do away with it completely.

The age of the child

If your child is 2-3 years old he might tend to be more possessive of your affections and might find it hard to share you. A 4-5 year old child might find it easier to share because he has already learnt to deal with other children in school. If the child is 6 or older, he might want to be informed about all that is happening and might be very interested in helping out with the new arrival. Regardless of the age, parents have to be realistic and need to know that each child will react differently to the arrival of a new baby.

Involve your child during pregnancy

If your child is small but old enough to understand the concept of another baby, tell him around the third month of your pregnancy. Of course, if your child is older and understands your conversations, then tell him as early as possible so that he does not feel left out. Take your child with you to the antenatal checkups so that he can be involved in the process right from the beginning. Let your child help in picking stuff for the new arrival. Encourage your child to come up with names for his sibling. Either directly or by suggestion, does not influence the child to say that he specifically wants a sister (or a brother). Encourage him to stay that he wants a baby and it does not matter whether it is a boy or a girl. When your keep stressing that you want the baby to be of the opposite sex of your child, he might feel that you don’t appreciate him or that he was a disappointment. He will then resent the new baby.

Involve your child in the hospital

Make arrangements for your child to be take care of when you are in the hospital. You must also prepare the child for the separation and let him know that he is being very helpful to you by being mature and staying at home. Let your first child come and visit you as soon as possible. Your child will want to touch and fell the baby. Do not get agitated and angry. Let him gently touch the baby while you are holding it. Calmly explain that the new baby is very fragile and needs gentle handling. Do not be surprised if your first child regresses and wants to be held and cuddled by you. Give him all the hugs and reassurances he needs.

After bringing the baby home

When you come, reserve some special time for your first child. Have someone handle the baby for a while and give all your attention to the first one. If your child sulks and throws a tantrum, be patient and calm. Do not lose your temper or tell him that he is a bad brother. Be firm and allow the child to calm down. If the child continues to be aggressive, make sure that you do not leave him alone with the baby. The aggression will lessen eventually. You just have to be patient.

The Hindu the Wellness dated June 12 2008

Diet After Delivery

You have delivered your baby now!!!!!!! and with your baby comes a galore of advices for your diet pattern. It is very vital that you diet is a completely balanced. It is not required to eat large quantities just because you are nursing your baby. Your diet should basically contain carbohydrates, proteins, iron, vitamins and minerals. Calcium requirements can be compensated by consuming supplements.

To know more on your diet after delivery click here http://healthtips.in/eating-healthy-after%20delivery.asp

Manicure - Tips

Manus Cura(manicure) is the latin word for Manicure. Manus means hands and Cura means care. This has become an essential for today's mordern women. If you are doing it for the first time its adviced to get it doen from a pofessional.

Any manicure starts with the removal of old polish and trimming of nails. Regular manicures can do wonders for your hands. Gently push and trim your cuticles. Wash your hands with soap and water. Apply lotion and rub it in. Hand lotion is applied to the hands and massaged. Blood circulation is boosted and the muscles are relaxed too. Wipe nails once more with polish remover to eliminate residual lotion. Apply Nail polish. A base coat is applied on the nails. This works as a perfect layer for the polish to be applied. Once the base coat of nail polish is dry, its time for your favorite nail color. It must be applied with just 3 strokes and allowed to set before a second coat is applied. Nevert overwork the brush strokes.

An important routine in the manicure process is to soak the nails in a bowl of warm water to which is added some scented oil or nail cleanser. When the hands are thoroughly soaked, the nails are soft and ready to be cleaned and polished.
One can choose to pick up a home manicure kit and do it at home also. Ensure you get good quality set. Ensure sterilisation of the set after use. The best time to give yourself a manicure is after you have taken a shower or a warm bath. Your nails would be clean then and the skin would be well soaked.

A manicure done in a SPA can be reviving. The hands are exfoliated with essential salt and dipped in hot paraffin. The hands are hydrated with essential oils. This treatment would leave the hands relaexed and smooth.

All About Face Packs

Face Packs Clean your skin and help remove the dead cells removes dirt that is stuck to the facial skin. Prolonged usage of cleansers removes the essential oils from the skin and affects the natural PH balance of the skin.

Face pack recepies are different for different skin types. A face pack made out of a fruit blend is suitable for all skin types. These packs rejuvenate the skin and gives a natural and healthy glow to the skin. The cleanse the skin of dirt without harming the skin.

A face pack made of ripe banana and honey is very effective for all skin types. This pack makes the skin softer and also cleanses the skin. This is good for all skin types.

For pigmented skin, mix two spoons of powdered dried orange peel with curds and apply on the skin for about 30 minutes and wash off with old water. To rejuvenate the facial skin blend few papaya pieces with curd in a blender and apply on the face and let it dry once dry repeat application again and wash off after half an hour.

For a glowing face blend equal quantities of papaya, orange , apple and grapes with a dash of sweet lime juice in a mixer. Apply a thin layer of honey on the face and apply the pack after five minutes and repeat application after 15 mins and wash off with warm water in 20 mins.

To exfoliate the skin, mash a ripe banana with oat meal apply on the face wash it off gently by rubbing with luke warm water. This also improves the blood circulation.

Pain Relief in Labour

All Pregnant women are frightened about going through labour pain. Will I be able to tolerate it and overcome it? Is the common fear among them. The joy of giving birth is always clubbed with labour pain. The tolerance level differs for every individual.

There are many ways to reduce the labour pain during the birth. Mental preparedness is the first step in the birth process. The labour preparatory classes enable this. Your husband's presence in the labour room is also important and gives a strong bonding.
The pain relievers as injected to relieve pain. The type of pain relief that is apt depends on the pain threshold. some have higer tolerance capacities. The ability to bear the labour pain depends on the length of labour, intensity of the labour pains and the size of the baby.

Narcotic like pethedine are used as pain relievers int he first stages of labour. These are usually injected into the muscle or into the veins. There are newer methods like 'Epidural Analgesia' which completely blocks the pain in a specific part of the body. This cuts off the labour pain without interfering with action of labour contractions.

In this method the medicine is injected in the lower part of the back. Usually a small tube is inserted from which the medicine can be repeated. When lower doses are administred it eases the pain of contractions and numbs the birth canal during labour ad delivery. The contractions still occur but the pain is not experienced.

When drugs like Pethidine are administered it causes some side effects to the baby as well as the mother. However, these are eliminated when the 'Epidural Analgesia' is adopted. These do not pass to the baby.