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Angina – Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatments
The heart’s functions play an important role in the body. Its malfunctions can lead to major medical threats. Heart attack and cardiac arrest count as cardiac emergencies and should be addressed at the earliest. Often these onsets due to the presence of some long-term unresolved cardiac conditions. Angina is one such underlying heart condition. Let’s understand all its aspects in brief.
Angina is characterized by feeling pain, discomfort or tightness in the chest. It occurs when the cardiac tissues do not get an adequate amount of oxygen.
Symptoms of Angina
Angina is easily recognizable due to the presence of the following symptoms, prominently on the chest region-
- Pain
- Tightness
- Burning Sensation
- Heartburn
- Pain that spreads to jaws, neck, shoulder or back
It can also be accompanied by secondary symptoms such as weakness, indigestion, nausea, cramping, sweating, etc. These discomforts may last in between a few minutes to several hours.
Diagnosis Of Angina
An accurate diagnosis of angina is crucial to resolve it for good. The following diagnostic approaches are carried out to diagnose angina and its degree of severity.
- Stress Test – It monitors the activity of heart performing under duress. It is estimated while the patient is in between physical stress.
- Chest X-ray – This imaging technique shows the structures inside the heart to look for the possible cause of the setting angina.
- Coronary Angioplasty – It uses special dye and x-ray technique to visualize the inside of the coronary arteries.
- Electrogram – It uses special equipment to record the electric activity of the heart to trace the amount of the oxygen it is getting.
Apart from these, the expert cardiologist or the pathologist will look for blood profile screening to evaluate the level of cholesterol and other factors. It often also involves evaluating family history and personal history.
Treatment Of Angina
The treatment approach of angina aims to treat the pain, ease symptoms, and discomfort, it also minimizes its chances of causing more severe threats in the future. It includes several lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, keeping cholesterol levels in check, dealing with stress effectively and other measures. However, often several medications are also advised to keep blood pressure profile in check. In fact, nowadays, coronary angioplasty and bypass are recommended for many patients dealing with persistent angina.
Angina itself is not a medical threat, but it is unwise to leave it untreated.
6 New Year Resolution To Have A Healthy Life Ahead
Another year passed and this new year is giving us yet another opportunity to stay healthy and disease-free. So, here we offer some new year resolutions to follow in order to have a healthy year ahead.
1. Lose Weight To Gain Health
Make this your 1st mantra this year. Unless your BMI is classified as normal, you should attempt to shed the extra pounds that are slowing you down and eroding your health away. Consider a bariatric surgery, if you fall under the morbidly obese category. It is completely safe, effective and many times resolves obesity-associated complications as well.
2. Go Smokeless
Let go off that burning cigar that is eating away your health. Quit smoking this year. Even if you have attempted and failed earlier, pledge to do it for sure now. Take help if required, considering nicotine patch and gums or even rehabilitation. Life is better without the smoke for you and for your loved ones.
3. Catch Up With Your Sleep
This one is going to be somewhat a piece of cake. It might come as a surprise that you might not be seeping as much as you ideally should. Sleep deprivation is a rather common issue among youth these days. Aim to get a sound sleep for about 6 to 8 hours each day. However, don’t overdo it on the weekend. It is equally bad for you.
4. Shoo Away The Stress
Stress is becoming the new best friend of many individuals that insists ‘never’ to leave our side, isn’t it! This new year try to keep stress away as much as possible. Find ways to cut stress away from your life. Try meditation, pursuing hobbies and other tips and tricks. Try everything that makes you smile more than you frown.
5. Dedicate 30 Mins For Health
In this 24 hour cycle, take out 30 minutes each day to make the best out of it for your health. Let it be cycling, jogging, yoga, swimming or gyming. Spend 30 minutes each day that will contribute towards a healthier tomorrow.
6. Seek Doctor’s Advice
Not every sore throat can be fixed with a ginger-honey tea, especially not if you are a chain smoker and also losing the sensation of taste gradually. No matter how small medical problem you encounter, seek advice from a doctor if a particular problem persists for more than 6 weeks.
So, are you ready with your new year resolution! Start as many as them you can. Stay healthy to be happy.
Importance Of Cath Lab and Cardiac Catheterization
Cardiac Catheterization Lab is an advanced diagnostic room equipped with several apparatus, which can help the technician to visualize the structure and condition of the arteries along with the chambers of the heart in order to detect the presence (and extent) of any abnormality. Let us understand its importance in details.
Cardiac Catheterization is a non-invasive procedure that uses a thin, hollow cannula to penetrate through blood vessels reaching the heart. The procedure involves using a contrast dye, and its effect can be seen through an x-ray imaging simultaneously. As this procedure uses a blood vessel originating from the wrist or leg towards the heart, it causes no trauma to the heart and its surrounding tissues at all. Thus, it is becoming a very popular diagnostic approach these days.
It is a crucial diagnostic approach for heart conditions involving a defect in cardiac muscle, coronary arteries or cardiac valves. It measures blood flow to the heart as well. During the cardiac catheterization, the pressure in all 4 chambers of the heart is also measured effectively. Simultaneously, some blood sample can be collected to evaluate the optimum oxygen level in each chamber along with the pumping capability of the heart. Apart from detecting any defect in the structure of the heart, it can also extract a small sample of cardiac tissue for biopsy.
Coronary angioplasty is performed during cardiac catheterization. Coronary angioplasty is a medical procedure that uses a catheter to resolve clogged arteries. It might use the inflating action of a balloon as well (a process is known as balloon angioplasty). Often it also employs the usage of a stent to stop the recurring of the problem in the future.
Being non-invasive in nature, it offers many advantages over its alternatives invasive procedure. Cardiac catheterization is extremely safe and involves almost no risk (only mild bruising on the puncture site). A few people might encounter some metabolism issue or itchy skin for a short period due to swallowing of the contrast dye, but it can be fixed with mild medication.
We, at ILS Hospitals, are proud to say that we have the first Cath lab in the north Kolkata. Our facility with this advanced diagnostic screening and expert technician offers the best treatment to people, suffering from several types of cardiac conditions.
To avail the Cath lab facility, contact ILS Hospitals Dum Dum at 033-40315000/01.
Medical Marvel – History and Evolution Of Surgery
‘Mrs. Majumdar, 48, suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen and after she was rushed to the hospital, the doctor performed an emergency surgery as it was a case of appendix burst.’ Thousands of surgical procedures are being performed each day, let it be elective or emergency, all across the globe. But did you ever wonder how old is this entire concept of surgery? Who came up with the idea of surgery? Let’s try to explore how the surgery evolved.
Despite having extremely effective medication, not every illness can be treated with it and we require surgery for the same. Surgery is a special branch of medicine that uses invasive approach (both manual and instrumental) to cure or manage illnesses.
Multiple evidence has been found from many regions across the world that surgical procedures had been carried out since neolithic and pre-catholic ages. However, as per many theories, that appears to be due to some religious or ritual purposes, instead of health reasons.
In ancient India and Greek, several surgical procedures were carried out for a range of health illnesses. In fact, as per evidence, Sushruta, (father of surgery, as said by many theories) performed and taught his disciples a wide range of surgical procedures. ‘Sushruta Samhita’ explains a great deal about the numerous illness along with detailed procedure of its treatment. These include hernia surgery, cesarean delivery, treating fractures and also procedures like cataract surgery and prosthetic surgery, which is considered as modern medical marvels.
Read More – History And Evolution Of Stethoscope
During middle ages and Renaissance, there were many ‘barber-surgeons’ offering surgical procedure (however, they are not medical professionals with a university degree). The surgical procedures were gaining popularity among people, and operations theaters were built to carry out the procedures.
Read More – Why an Operation Theatre Is Called So
However, the limitations of anesthesia and proper sterilization made people tremble with fear, even with the thought of having an operation. Patients were forced to witness their own operation and thereby, speed was considered as a more crucial factor than the output of the surgery. In fact procedures like amputation were carried out in less than 2-3 minutes, to reduce the pain and horror of the patients.
The modern surgery came into existence with enormous efforts and during this time, the correct anatomy of the human body was explored and understood, by dissecting the human cadavers. Also, sterility of the wound and surgical equipment were given prime importance along with proper anesthesia administration.
Read More – History Of Anesthesia
Currently, we are witnessing, probably the best phase of surgery. The introduction of laparoscopic surgery (which uses minute incisions to carry out several surgeries) is a medical marvel with no match. In developed nations, the scope of robotics surgery is being explored as well, which might be the next best thing in the near future. However, we at ILS Hospitals, pay our tribute to each and every physician, doctors, and staffs who contributed towards shaping the realm of ‘surgery’ as we see today.
Angioplasty in Nutshell – What it is and Where Should you Avail it?
The heart is a muscular organ that acts as a pumping device for the circulation of blood in the body, along with the other elements of the circulatory system. Many times, some complications lead to a cardiac emergency and a timely action of good hospitals can deal with it effectively. To avoid such mishaps, it is always recommended to seek routine consultations, screenings, and treatment from a descent cardiologist, from time to time.
Let’s understand about a very special cardiological procedure, the angioplasty, in details.
What Is Angioplasty?
Angioplasty is a non-invasive procedure, used to unclog the blocked or narrowed blood vessels and ensure the blood flow in the circulatory system stays effective.
Why And When Angioplasty Is Needed?
At first, let’s understand the working function of the heart in a nutshell. The coronary arteries pump oxygenated blood first to the heart and then throughout the body, while the veins collect the deoxygenated blood back to the heart and then to the lungs. It seems like a pretty simple procedure, but the double-circulation system is quite complex in structure.
Because of high cholesterol and other medical conditions, prolonged plaque built up, which in turn narrows or blocks the blood vessels entirely. As a result, the heart either gets the blood supply at a much slower rate or none at all. If left untreated, the plaque built up hardens and can lead to cardiac cell damage, triggering a heart attack. A timely Angioplasty is required to unclog the blocked blood vessels and to restore the heart’s function.
How Is Angioplasty Carried Out?
Angioplasty is a non-invasive procedure, but a clear explanation is required to understand it correctly. The angioplasty uses a thin, tube-like structure to unclog the plaque build up in the blood vessels. The procedure is minutely surgical in nature, as the probe is inserted like a needle, through a suitable blood vessel (wrist or leg). It is then moved gradually towards the clogged blood vessel and with little force, the blood vessels are cleared.
Even though it involves piercing the needles, it is rightly referred to as non-invasive, as it involves no piercing of the blood vessel of the heart directly.
Where Should You Consider Getting An Angioplasty?
Angioplasty required specialized skills and advanced medical technology to be safe and effective. It can only be done in hospitals or diagnostic center that offers catheterization laboratory (cath labs) facility. At ILS Hospitals, we offer advanced cath labs along with other diagnostics services. For more information, get in touch with http://ilshospitals.com/hospital-locations.php?location=dumdum
Gestational Diabetes And Its Consequences On Mother & Baby During Pregnancy
A successful pregnancy ends with a safe childbirth from where you take a new step to the journey of motherhood, this time, holding your child in your arms. Almost every maternity hospitals in Kolkata offers both Cesarean and natural delivery and the suitable birthing option is chosen by the help of both parents and the doctor. Several conditions during the pregnancy, sometimes leave a very little room for the choice and compel people to go for a particular procedure. Gestational diabetes is one such condition. Let’s see what it is and how it might influence birthing options.
What is Gestation Diabetes?
Gestation diabetes is a unique kind of diabetes that onsets only during pregnancy. Thankfully, it often resolves on its own after childbirth, but it complicates several aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Unmanaged or undiagnosed diabetes often has severe consequences.
How It Affect The Fetus?
The large fetal size is one such common complication, in which the size of the fetal baby is abnormally large. In medical terms, they are referred to as Large for Gestational Age (LGA), Macrosomic infants and they can often weigh up to 12 pounds. This happens when the baby starts producing a high level of insulin as an auto response to a high level of glucose produced by the mother’s body. This exceptionally large size makes the natural birthing option a risky procedure for both the baby and the mother.
How It Complicates Childbirth?
Delivering the baby naturally, through the birth canal is challenging because of the large body structure, which might get wedged during the childbirth. In fact, ‘shoulder dystocia’ is a common complication that is found in such cases. This complication arises when the shoulder of the baby gets stuck in the mother’s pelvic bone due to large shoulder and upper body fat. It can lead to fracture and other injuries to the baby’s neck or collarbone. Moreover, due to prolonged and more strained labor, the baby often does not get enough oxygen during labor and that might lead to severe life-threatening consequences as well.
How It Is Risky For Mothers As Well?
It brings challenges to the mother as well. Delivering the large baby significantly increases the chances of having labor-related bruises, tear, pain and bleeding. Often a cesarean delivery is opted to ensure a safe childbirth, but it has risks of its own.
What Can Be Done?
Thus, as it is clearly indicated, having gestational diabetes can have several effects on both mother and the baby, it is crucial to seek consultations and care from reliable maternity hospitals to ensure a safe pregnancy and childbirth ahead. Seek consultation from experience Gynaecologist of ILS Hospitals for any such complications to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth.
6 Tips To Stay Healthy During This Season Change
The scorching summer is finally bidding goodbye now, as we are done with the fans and AC for some time now. We are welcoming the winters gradually with the warm and cozy winter wears. This seasonal change is beautiful and thrilling, but it also makes many of us queue in hospitals for various reasons. Relying on soups, herbal tea and over-the-counter drugs become inevitable for many of us, but following some tips can help you mitigate the ill-effects of seasonal shift effectively.
So, check out the following tips to stay healthy during this ongoing season change.
Keep Personal Hygiene In Check
Regardless of the season, hygiene always acts as the first line of defense for many contiguous and pathogenic conditions. Doing simple, yet crucial hygienic practices such as washing hands properly, taking regular showers, using a handkerchief while coughing and sneezing and ensuring sanitation hygiene itself can keep several complications at bay.
Stay Hydrated
The fluid and ion balance is a crucial factor for a healthy body. Even though drinking water seems a little challenging during winters, staying hydrated is crucial. Try to have adequate water each day and also try to have other beverages such as tea, soups, and broths to meet the requirements.
Catch Up With Your Zzzs
Sleeping for 7-9 hours is crucial, during every season. Sleep deprivation can not only make you feel lethargic and weak but also slows down your immunization. Thankfully, sleeping adequately during winters is not difficult, is it!
Breathe The Nature
The changing weather should not restrict your movement in the outdoors. In fact, try to blend with the changing nature. Not only it will boost your immunity, detoxify your body but also uplift your mood in several ways.
Eat Seasonal Fruits And Veggies
Every season brings some challenges, but nature also brings several delicious and nutritious fruits and veggies with every season. They are all enriched with crucial nutrients to help you have a better health.
Stay Dressed Accordingly
Of course, enjoying the winters is crucial, but so is suitably getting dressed. Consider carrying winter wear to your office or school, which you can drape while returning to your homes, as the temperature drops significantly during nightfall.
As you can see, staying in good health is quite effective if you follow these simple, yet helpful tips for the season. However, in case you fall into the traps of illness, don’t hesitate to seek medical consultation at the earliest to make a speedy recovery. You can always visit ILS Hospitals for any such conditions.
Asthma – All You Need To Know About
‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’. This is a common tip we offer to one another every now and then, to cope up with our stressful lives. However, did you ever wonder that how much our lungs are working 24/7 to keep providing this air supply? Lungs have alveoli, which are expanding and contracting to facilitate the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. However, many a time, due to some malfunctions, the lungs cannot perform well and as a result several respiratory conditions onset.
What Is Asthma?
Asthma is one very common inflammatory type respiratory illness that is caused by the obstruction of the airway, which eventually leads to mild to severe breathing difficulties. Let’s understand all about asthma in details.
How Lungs Work?
Lungs are a set of organs that facilitate the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen for the body. The windpipe progressively branches into smaller tubes and buds throughout the lungs, like a channel. As we breathe in, we inhale air through the nose and it travels all the way into the lungs, where it diffuses into the bloodstream. Simultaneously, it absorbs carbon dioxide and expels it from the body through the same passage.
How Asthma Occurs?
Asthma onsets when this passage gets blocked and it reduces the amount of air passing through the windpipe. It happens due to the swelling of the lungs mucus lining, which in turn, results in tightening of the muscles around it. Its degree of severity varies from people to people. For some people, it is managed effectively with minor medication, while for others, it poses severe threats in the form of asthma attacks. Moreover, the repetitive occurrence of the same causes a nuisance by interfering daily-life activities.
What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma?
Asthma can often be characterized by chest congestion, chest pain, breathlessness, whistling or wheezing while breathing, trouble sleeping due to the high severity of the other symptoms. Often the symptoms heighten up even more with cold and flu. For some patients, the symptoms trigger with a certain condition like exercise or exposure to a certain type of chemicals or so.
Treatment Of Asthma
Most asthma cases can be effectively managed with timely, medical measures. Often it requires either or both, rescue inhalers (to treat symptoms) and prevent inhalers (to prevent the symptoms). In severe cases of asthma attacks, using asthma shots might be inevitable as well.
Read more – Early symptoms of Lung Cancer
ILS Hospitals offer quality treatment for asthma along with the best care for a wide range of other respiratory and chest conditions.
Busting 6 Myths About – Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement surgery that is executed in the leading Orthopaedic clinics. Sadly, several misconceptions and myths surround the same. It’s time to burst 6 most common myths that surround knee replacement surgery.
Fact – The success rate of both partial knee replacement surgery and total knee replacement surgery are exceptionally high. In fact, availing it from experienced doctors, through the advanced medical approach, and at a decent Orthopaedic clinic, has as high as a 95% success rate.
Fact – One can drive with much ease and comfort, within 6-8 weeks after the laparoscopic knee replacement surgery.
Fact – It is a common and frightening misconception. Having natural movements like bending knees, or sitting on the floor can be done, with proper guidance post recovery and rehabilitation. It greatly depends upon the quality of surgery and implant.
Read more – Which Orthopaedic Joint Replacement should you consider for yourself.
Fact – This happens in very rare cases when pain and discomfort arises. Usually, such cases happen, if an inexperienced doctor makes any error while implanting, but the same can be corrected accurately. Many eminent Orthopaedic clinics perform revision surgeries on outpatients, on a regular basis.
Fact – Well, often people prefer to have these replacement surgeries done for one knee at a time, mainly due to financial constraints. However, from a medical perspective, getting them both done together is not only safe but has its perks too. Just undergo the surgery in one go and no need to pause for a double recovery period either.
Fact – It greatly depends on the quality and type of surgery. While open surgery takes about a couple of months to make a complete recovery, the advanced laparoscopic surgery enables the patient to resume most of their daily work within a couple of weeks.
In a nutshell, Knee Replacement Surgery is an extremely safe and effective surgery. For most of the patients, it is a procedure that gives them a second chance to make the best out of life.
Facts About C-Section Every Expecting Mother Should Know Of
Bringing a life to the world is both amazing and challenging. A successful term of pregnancy ends up with a successful birth, which occurs either naturally or surgically. Most maternity hospitals nowadays assist in both natural and caesarean birth. Earlier the number of caesarean birth (also known as C-section) was very limited, but nowadays more and more cases are being noted. This advanced procedure helps many complicated births, but several myths surround it that makes many pregnant women avoid it on purpose.
Let’s burst 5 common myths regarding the same.
Myth 1 – It is Risky
Fact – Like any surgical procedure, it has certain risks attached to it. But so is with natural birth, where the use of forceps can cause injury to both mother and child. It is safe to conclude that a C-section from the hands of experts is possessed no long-term threats whatsoever. In fact, in many cases, it is a lot safer than natural birth.
Myth 2 – It is Always An Emergency Procedure
Fact – Many C-sections are indeed done on an emergency procedure. But, it can be elective as well. Maternity hospitals are observing that many women these days actually prefer the C-section due to its benefits.
Myth 3 – It is Only For High-Risk Pregnancies
Fact – Most high-risk pregnancies and breech babies are advised for C-section to mitigate risks associated with natural birth. But there is no thumb rule for it. Any women can choose to have her baby through this procedure if she feels it is the right one for her.
Myth 4 – It is Impossible To Deliver Naturally After A C-Section
Fact – Earlier, it was quite a changeling and considered so. These days, it is not only possible but actually is practiced by many women. It is more professional called VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Caesarean).
Myth 5 – C-Section Makes a Less of a Mother
Fact – No. Absolutely not. No matter how a baby is born, a mother is a mother. She is every bit of strong and commendable.
So, don’t let the silly myths stop you from considering the C-section for your baby if you feel it is the better option out of the 2.
Always remember the quote, by Laura Stavoe Harm: “There is a secret in our culture and it is not that birth is painful but that women are strong”.