Prepare your skin before heading for holiday getaways

April 17, 2017

New Delhi, Apr 17: If you are packing your bags for an exotic travel destination, make sure your skin is prepared to face the environmental onslaught of that place.holiday

Holiday getaways can be refreshing for the body and soul, they can de-stress our minds, but as we loosen our knots and blast out on a travel plan we often ignore the needs of our skin.

So, as you step out on a vacation, do not forget the needs of your skin, as you certainly do not want a dull, dry and patchy skin while returning from the holiday.

Here're some advice Dr Rashmi Shetty, celebrity cosmetologist and anti ageing expert, Ra Skin and Aesthetics, offers to travel lovers:

- Make sure you moisturize and hydrate your skin in advance of your travel plans. When we travel we often get busy in other details and forget our skincare regime. Moisturize your skin and hair, at least a week in advance - coconut oil is a good option for a skin and hair massage that will deeply hydrate the body and scalp. Some hydrating cosmetic procedures can also help; hydrating facials can be beneficial, so will a session with hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers like Juvederm. This will provide you enough deep hydration to last for a few months.

- It is always good to take oral supplements of vitamins and omega 3 for your skin. If you are going on a long haul, carry the supplements with you and consume them daily. Vitamins have powerful anti-oxidants that prevent free radical damage.

- If you are heading to a sun abundant destination, it would be good to take a Botox shot for your frown lines a week in advance because dun glare accentuates the frown lines and you do not want to return from the vacation with accentuated frown lines. This will also make you look fresh and relaxed at the holiday.

- If you have to spend the day out in the open, you should be taking care of removing the layer of dust and pollution or even bacteria that settles on top of it. Make sure to carry a facewash and a moisturizer in your handbag and keep washing and applying 2-3 times a day. Also carry quality wet face wipes that can come to your help in case you do not have clean water. When travelling you want to look good 24/7, so you are bound to wear make up most of the time, but no matter however tired or busy you are, do not forget to remove your make up at the end of the day.

- If you are on a holiday you are bound to spend most of the time outdoors even it is a humid and hot destination. Excessive sweating in such situations can be a problem. It would help if you undertake a Botox procedure to cut underarm sweating. When administered under the arm, Botox can control the sweat glands and prevent sweating that can cause discomfort, patches on the clothes and body odor.

- Carry an emergency kit. Travelling, even for leisure and meeting relatives, can also give you a lot of stress. Add to it the food you are eating, the sleep you are being deprived of, all this gives extra stress to the skin too. In such a situation you may have breakouts, so an emergency kit with anti breakout applicants is important.

- It is also very important to ensure you are taking sufficient rest. Plan your itinerary in such a way that there is enough time for rest.

- Don't forget to carry a good protective pair of sunglasses on a summer destination. They are vital to protect the eyes against the glare of the sun and also the delicate skin around the eyes. Better go for a UV protection offering product.

- Always carry a hand sanitizer, because we keep touching our faces with hands and you certainly do not want to infect your face skin.

- If you face sweats a lot, carry a spring water mist and keep spraying on your face and wiping with a tissue to keep yourself fresh. Also, do not keep reusing your hand towel.

- Drink enough of water so that if you are drinking a lot of alcohol or junk food, your body should be cleansed. And if you are eating junk food or binging, make sure you take your vitamins and ensure some crucial workouts to keep the body and skin fine.

- It is important to take care of your hair too. If on a beach, oil your hair well or use a sun protection serum, even plain coconut oil acts as a very good sun protection agent.

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Agencies
June 4,2020

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) will return to the solidarity trial for the potential treatment of coronavirus disease.

At a press conference in the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "On the basis of the available mortality data, the members of the committee recommended that there are no reasons to modify the trial protocol. The Executive Group received this recommendation and endorsed continuation of all arms of the solidarity trial, including hydroxychloroquine."

The world health body had temporarily suspended the usage of HCQ from the solidarity trial for coronavirus treatment on May 25 soon after a study published in one of the most reliable medical journals, which had suggested that the drug could cause more fatalities among COVID-19 patients.

However, the WHO chief said that the decision was taken as a precaution while the safety data was reviewed.

Ghebreyesus also said that the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee will continue to closely monitor the safety of all therapeutics being tested in the solidarity trial.

"So far, more than 3,500 patients have been recruited in 35 countries. WHO is committed to accelerating the development of effective therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics as part of our commitment to serving the world with science, solutions and solidarity," he said.

Soon after HCQ was suspended from the trial, the Indian government had said that the antimalarial drug has been known for its benefits for a long time and its usage will be continued on the frontline workers, including police and healthcare professionals, as prophylaxis. The government had also said that studies were being conducted and the drug would be included in the clinical trial also for the treatment of coronavirus disease.

US President Donald Trump also had strongly advocated the use of HCQ and called it a "game-changer". He went to the extent of saying that he had taken the medicine.

Launched by WHO and partners, solidarity trial is an international clinical trial to find an effective treatment for COVID-19, including drugs to slow the progression of the disease or improve survival. The trial, which enrols patients from different countries, "will compare four treatment options against standard of care to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19", said WHO. 

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Dr G K Sudhakar Reddy
August 4,2020

Being overweight or obese is now recognised as a serious cause of ill health and disability. There is a significant positive association between orthopaedic disorders and the level of obesity causing pain, deformity and difficulty in walking.

Excess body weight accumulation increases pressure on joints, particularly the hips, knees and ankles.

Here are a few type of  arthritis:

Osteoarthritis

It is a condition of damage/ wear and tear of the joint lining or cartilage. Obesity triggers this by loading excessive weight on the weight bearing joints like the knee and the hip. 

Knee Osteoarthritis

This is the most common arthritis especially in the Indian subcontinent.

While walking, an individual exerts 3 to 6 times pressure that of the body weight on the weight-bearing knee joint, which means in an obese with excess body weight, larger forces are exerted, which lead to higher risk of deterioration of cartilage.

In addition, there are excessive fat tissues that produce hormones and other factors that affect the joint cartilage metabolism and cause inflammation of the joints giving rise to joint pathology.  Leptin is one of the hormones causing knee osteoarthritis. 

Hip osteoarthritis

The force exerted across the hip is 3 times that of body weight. Hip osteoarthritis is caused by factors such as joint injury, increasing age and being overweight.    

Hand osteoarthritis

The observation that obese individual has a higher risk in having hand osteoarthritis has led to a hypothesis that the metabolic effect produced by fat tissue is the underlying factor. 

Osteoporosis

It is a progressive bone condition of decrease in bone mass and density (Bone Mineral Density or BMD) which can lead to an increased risk of fracture. Recent research suggests that obesity may accelerate bone loss. It is the amount of muscle mass which is seen in an active person, which accounts for bone strengthening effects and not due to the fat seen in a heavy person.

Low back pain

Low back pain from degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is one of the most disabling conditions in the community and overweight and obesity have the strongest association with seeking care for low back pain.

Managing Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

Life style changes

If one is overweight, try to lose weight by doing more physical activity and eating a healthier diet. Regular exercise keeps you active and mobile and builds up muscle, thereby strengthening the joints and can improve symptoms. 

Pain Killers

Painkillers help with pain and stiffness for short term. They don’t affect the arthritis itself and won’t repair the damage to your joint. Creams and gels can be applied directly onto painful joints.

Nutritional Supplements

Glucosamine and chondroitin are nutritional supplements. Animal studies have found that glucosamine can both delay the breakdown of and repair damaged cartilage. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of glucosamine in humans and one can expect only a mild-to-moderate reduction in pain

Joint injections

If pain from osteoarthritis is severe joint steroid injections are injected into the joints that can reduces swelling and pain. The injections can start working within a day or so and may improve pain for several weeks or months. 

Hyaluronic acid injections, which help to lubricate your knee joint also give short term relief. In early stages. Stem cell treatment or cartilage regeneration procedures are being tried in young people with small defects, however it is still experimental and lacks long term evidence.

Surgery

May be recommended if you have severe pain or mobility problems.

Arthroscopy

If one has frequent painful locking/stiffening episodes especially in the knee joint, an operation to wash out loose fragments of bone and other tissue as joint can be performed by a minimally invasive key hole procedure called Arthroscopy.

Arthrodesis

If hip or knee replacement is not suitable, especially in young people who do heavy manual work, one can consider an operation known as an arthrodesis, which fuses your joint in a permanent position. This means that your joint will be stronger and much less painful, although you will no longer be able to move it.

Osteotomy

In young, active people in whom a knee joint replacement would fail due to excessive use one can consider an operation called an osteotomy. This involves adding or removing a small section of bone either above or below your knee joint.  This helps realign your knee so your weight is no longer focused on the damaged part of your knee. An osteotomy can relieve your symptoms of osteoarthritis, although you may still need knee replacement surgery eventually as you grow old

Joint replacement surgery

Joint replacement therapy is most commonly carried out to replace hip and knee joints. It involves replacing a damaged, worn or diseased joint with an artificial joint made of special plastics and metal.

For most people, a replacement hip or knee will last for at least 20 years, especially if it is cared for properly and not put under too much strain.

Dr G K Sudhakar Reddy is a Sr Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Citizens Speciality Hospitals, Hyderabad

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Agencies
March 15,2020

Should you let your babies "cry it out" or rush to their side? Researchers have found that leaving an infant to 'cry it out' from birth up to 18 months does not adversely affect their behaviour development or attachment.

The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, found that an infant's development and attachment to their parents is not affected by being left to "cry it out" and can actually decrease the amount of crying and duration.

"Only two previous studies nearly 50 or 20 years ago had investigated whether letting babies 'cry it out' affects babies' development. Our study documents contemporary parenting in the UK and the different approaches to crying used," said the study's researcher Ayten Bilgin from the University of Warwick in the UK.

For the study, the researchers followed 178 infants and their mums over 18 months and repeatedly assessed whether parents intervened immediately when a baby cried or let the baby let it cry out a few times or often.

They found that it made little difference to the baby’s development by 18 months.

The use of parent’s leaving their baby to ‘cry it out’ was assessed via maternal report at term, 3, 6 and 18 months and cry duration at term, 3 and 18 months.

Duration and frequency of fussing and crying was assessed at the same ages with the Crying Pattern Questionnaire.

According to the researchers, how sensitive the mother is in interaction with their baby was video-recorded and rated at 3 and 18 months of age.

Attachment was assessed at 18 months using a gold standard experimental procedure, the strange situation test, which assesses how securely an infant is attached to the major caregiver during separation and reunion episodes.

Behavioural development was assessed by direct observation in play with the mother and during assessment by a psychologist and a parent-report questionnaire at 18 months.

Researchers found that whether contemporary parents respond immediately or leave their infant to cry it out a few times to often makes no difference on the short - or longer term relationship with the mother or the infants behaviour.

This study shows that 2/3 of mum's parent intuitively and learn from their infant, meaning they intervene when they were just born immediately, but as they get older the mother waits a bit to see whether the baby can calm themselves, so babies learn self-regulation.

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