Awareness & prevention of cervical cancer.

In India every year around 134,420 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 72,825 die from the disease. Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of uterus which opens in the vagina. The main cause is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Other co-factors for progression from HPV infection to cancer are tobacco smoking, long term hormonal contraceptive use & co-infection with HIV. Early detection can reduce the incidence & mortality from this disease. For this, all women over the age of 20 should have cervical screening at least every five years. In cervical screening, cells from the surface of the cervix are collected painlessly & examined for any abnormalities. Some symptoms of cervical cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding ( between periods ), vaginal discharge tinged with blood & more rarely discomfort during intercourse. Women from low income population are at high risk as they have less education about safe sex practices & poor excess to health services. As HPV virus can stay in the body for years & after 15-20 years can develop as cancer, so it is advisable to administer preventive vaccine from the age of 9-24 years. So by the time a girl reaches her late 40s, she is safe-guarded. A one time dose of vaccine is given thrice in a span of year, with per dose coming at a price of Rs 2800 only. It is very expensive & to prevent the incidence of cervical cancer, it is very essential to vaccinate as many as possible. To vaccinate the underprivileged please donate so that we can do mass vaccination for better tomorrow.

Breast cancer....for early detection, do regular self examinations.

Breast cancer is rising rapidly in India, pushing cervical cancer to the second spot. According to ICMR report, 1 in 22 women suffer from breast cancer. Breast cancer is a uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the breast. It can occur either in the ducts or in the tissue where the milk is formed.

Common symptoms are:-

-Painless swelling ( lump) in the breast or the armpit region

-Nipple retraction

-Nipple discharge

Change in size & shape of the breast and the nipples

Change in the look of the skin surrounding the nipples, looking reddish in colour.

Usually, the early stage does not cause any symptom. Thus self examinations once in a month are very helpful.

Besides, yearly mammogram X - ray after the age of 40 and with a family history from the age of 35 should be done, as early detection is the only cure. Various factors of breast cancer include late age at first childbirth, fewer children, shorter duration of breast feeding with a lifestyle which involves excessive smoking & alcohol consumption.

Regular breast feeding is a boon to prevent breast cancer.

Pneumonia in children.....causes and prevention.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by different types of micro-organisms. In babies & children who develop Pneumonia often do not have any specific signs of chest infection but develop a fever, appear quite ill and can become lethargic. In children Pneumococcus & Hib ( H. influenzae type b ) bacteria are responsible for 30 - 50% & 10 - 30%  of Pneumonia cases respectively followed by S. Aurea's & K. pneumoniae. Besides, respiratory Syncytial virus & HIV epidemic have also a very significant role in childhood Pneumonia.

In developing countries most common causes of childhood Pneumonia are as follows:-

1.Definite risk factors :-

A. Malnutrition. B. Low birth weight. C. Non-exclusive breast feeding D. Lack of timely immunization of measles. E. Indoor air pollution. F. Crowding.

 2. Likely risk factors :-

A. Parental smoking. B. Zinc deficiency. C. Mother's experience as a care giver. D. Concomitant diseases like diarrhoea, heart disease, asthma. Besides, some possible factors like humidity, birth order, vitamin-a deficiency, mother's education, day care attendance & outdoor pollution etc also play a very significant role.  

Diabetes in children.

Diabetes impairs the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. That can lead to damage to the kidneys & blood vessels through the body. In Type - 1 diabetes ( formerly known insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes ) occurs when the immune system attacks & destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. General symptoms of it - increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision & unusual behaviour etc. Type - 1 diabetes in children is treated with lifelong insulin injections, along with strict adherence to diet & lifestyle advice which help to live a near-normal life & avoid complications. Type - 2 diabetes referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is silently assuming epic proportions & holding an entire generation to ransom, affecting children from all income groups. In Type - 2 diabetes, person still produces insulin but the body does not response to it normally. This causes the blood sugar to rise, making the pancreas produce even more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas can wear out from working overtime to produce extra insulin & may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. Symptoms of Type - 2 diabetes include frequent urination, drinking lot of liquids, feeling tired, sometimes developing thick, dark, velvet like skin around the neck, armpit, groin, toes etc, girls may develop poly cystic ovary syndrome, which often shows irregular periods or may stop having periods & more likely to get excess facial & body hair growth, it can also result in fertility problem. The main cause of Type - 2 diabetes  considered is overweight. A study has found that around 15% school children in India are obese. According to, " Obesity & Cholesterol Foundation", 8.8% of adolescent have abdominal obesity, which is directly linked to Type - 2 diabetes. Around 68% of urban children lead a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any involvement in outdoor games, about 47% play for less than an hour & sit most of their free times either watching TV or on computer. Around 70% of these obese children are likely to be obese adults with increased susceptibility to diabetes, high B.P. & heart disease. This means the diabetes epidemic, we are facing now is only going to magnify & life expectancy is likely to fall in the next 20 years. Experts feel intervention at the level of school & families can be the sole remedy to deal with the issue, by encouraging regular physical activity, curtailing activities like TV viewing & cutting down on junk foods, fried items, soft drinks etc and increasing intake of fresh fruits & vegetables. On the eve of the World Diabetes Day which will be celebrated on 14th November 2011, our programmes will include seminar & diabetes check up camps in schools with free insulin distribution to poor children.

Malnutrition in India.

India is one of the growing countries in terms of population & economics. Though most of the population is still living below the poverty line, its economic growth indicates new opportunities &  movement towards increasing in prevalence of chronic diseases. The combination of people living in poverty & the recent economic growth of India has led to the co-emergence of two types of malnutrition :- under nutrition & over nutrition. Under nutrition includes both protein - energy malnutrition & micro nutrient deficiencies. Undernourishment not only affects physical appearance & energy levels, but also adversely affects many aspects of children's ability to learn & process information & grow into adults that are able to be productive & contributing members of society. Child malnutrition is responsible for 22% of India's burden of diseases. Micro nutrient deficiencies are also a widespread problem in India. More than 40% of preschool children suffer from iron deficiency anemia & 57% children have sub - clinical vitamin A deficiency. Most growth retardation occurs by the age of two, and most damage is irreversible. The prevalence of underweight in rural areas 50% versus 38% in urban areas & higher among girls ( 48.4% ) than among boys ( 45.5% ). At the same time as a large number of population suffers from malnutrition, more than 11% of  population in India are over nourished. Over nutrition can be defined as consuming either too much or the wrong types of calories such as saturated fat, trans fat etc which leads to obesity & many other chronic diseases such as diabetes. India is considered as the country with the largest population of diabetics ( ard 51 million ). Over nutrition is most prevalent in the cities among affluence from demographic transition due to sudden economic growth in India. This tells that indeed, underlying causes of over nutrition would be significantly high rate of economic growth. In general, those who are poor are at risk of under nutrition, while those who have high Soc - economic status are relatively more likely to be over nourished . So simply over nourished should control on their diet & render their alms to the undernourished. 

Girl child and child marriage in India.

India has the worst record in South Asia when it comes to the sex ratio, its 927 girls for every 1000 boys under the age of six. UN figures out that about 750,000 girls are aborted every year in India. Amniocentesis started in India in 1974 to detect fetal abnormalities. But these tests were used to detect gender & became a major contributor to bias against a girl child. Though sex detection is prohibited, there are still illegal health care facilities which offer services related to sex detection. Every sixth girl child's death in India is due to gender discrimination. Female feticide and infanticide is not the only issues with a girl child in India. At every stage of life, girl child is discriminated & neglected for basic nutrition, education & living standard. The issue of illiteracy & lack of education to girls is closely related to poverty. These poor people don't have enough funds to educate all their children, so they prefer giving education to boys & keep the girls away from schools, so that they can help in the fields of work to support the family. Apart from Metro cities & big Towns, the higher education to girls is still a big question, as most of the school giving higher education are situated out of the villages or small towns, in such cases parents are afraid to send their girls to long distance of the fear of molestation or sexual harassment. One more major concern in India is child marriage which is a curse to women of the society. When a girl is in growing state, she doesn't have a completely developed & functional reproductive system and at such a state, getting pregnant is the worst as it increases drastically the chances of female sterilisation, infant deaths, complication in child birth & maternal mortality etc. This also increases the cases of HIV & STD. In short, it leaves a deepening impact on the physical, psychological & emotional development of the girl child & thus snatching their childhood & innocence from them. We should solely condemn the child marriage and encourage being born as a girl child a privilege.

Smoking kills.... the dreaded lung cancer !!

The most common cause of lung cancer is long term exposure to tobacco smoke....smoking accounts for 20% of all male & 5% of all female deaths among Indians between the ages of 30 & 69. On an average men who smokes bidi shorten their lives by about 6 years & who smokes full - sized cigarette lose about 10 years of life. Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer related death in men & women & is responsible for about 1.3 million death annually. Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of lung. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing ( including coughing up blood ), weight loss, wheezing or hoarseness and repeated respiratory infections etc. Lung cancer was uncommon before the advent of cigarette smoking, it was not even recognised as a distinct disease until 1761. The time a person smokes ( as well as rate of smoking ) increases the person's chance of developing lung cancer. If a person stops smoking, the chance steadily decreases as damage to the lungs is repaired & contaminant particles are gradually removed. Non smokers account for 15% of lung cancer cases & these cases are often attributed to a combination of genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos & air pollution including second hand smoking. On average, people with untreated lung cancer survives 6 months. Early diagnosis improves survival ( 5 years of 60 to 70% ). Prevention of lung cancer includes quitting smoking & avoiding exposure to potentially cancer - causing substances in the work environment.