World Alzheimer's Day September 21st

The World Alzheimer's Day falls on September 21st of each year and is dedicated to raising awareness about this disease as the most common form of dementia that impairs mental functioning. As of now there is no cure for the disease but considerable progress in medical research has offerd relief by reducing symptoms. Stem cell research is a promising area in medical resea4rch that raises hope for the cure of this diease in coming future.

What is Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to impairments in the business of daily living due to memory loss and cognitive changes. It is a degenerative disease which progresses from mild and irregular memory loss to acute neurological disorder. Changes in the neural settings and its degenaration results in the patient being unable to learn, remember or even relate to others.

Who Suffers from Alzheimer's

It is widely acknowledged that more than 25 million people around the globe suffer from Alzheimer's and mostly affects older people over the age of 65. The genetic factor also comes into play as having a parent, brother, or sister with Alzheimer's increases the risk factor of developing the disease. There are also instances of early onset of familial Alzheimer disease but is is rare and only accounts for a small percentage of Alzheimer disease cases.

Symptoms of Alzheimer

• Substantial memory loss such with delays in prompt recall, short term, or long term memory


• Substantial thinking inadequacy in expressing or comprehending language, figuring out familiar objects, poor coordination, and muscle function


• Confusion with time or place


• Difficulty in reading judging distance or determining color and contrast
  confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious

Treatment of Alzheimer's

Although there is currently no cure for stopping the progression of Alzheimer's there are encouraging advances that include both medications and non-drug approaches to improve symptom management. From the medication point of view cholinesterase inhibitors increase the levels of acetylcholine which postpones the postpones the worsening of symptoms and is most commonly prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease . Similarly Mematine is used to regulate glutamate in brain which plays a key role in processing information and is found to effectively delay symptoms in patients. Pleases visit the link for animation on Alzheimer's disease. http://www.healthscout.com/animation/1/7/main.html

Health Check Plans at Shalby

(For Appointment/Queries Please Call/SMS 9714813800)

With regard to maintaining good health, preventive check ups are the first and one of the most important steps. No wonder the wisdom of the proverb "prevention is better than cure" is so widely acknowledged.

The health check up plans at Shalby are comprehensive, detailed and help in prognosis of any symptom/ change/deviation from standard bodily parameters. Thus any disease can be nipped while still in the bud by just making suitable lifestyle changes instead of undergoing drastic medication and other medical processes later on. However, if treatment is required it can begin without delay at Shalby's super specialty departments with world class medical equipments and technology. The check ups also give you a record of your bodily functions indicated through several parameters that can also be referred to in the future.

There are four different check up plans 'Premium', 'Comprehensive', 'standard' and 'Basic' which the patient can choose from. The Check up plan includes Primary test, Diabetic Profile, Kidney function test, Liver Function Test,Cardiac Check, Infection screening, Thyroid screening, Cancer detection, Radiological investigation, Mammography, Lung infection test. Along with this there is provision of one or more of the various consultation such as those of physician , surgeon, dental, Gynaec, ENT, Eye, orthopedic, dermatology, diet/wellness in the plan categories.

Tests included in Medical Checkup

Primary Test	CBC, CBC with ESR, Urine Routine and Micro, Stool routine and micro, Blood group
Diabetic Profile	Fasting Blood Sugar, PP Blood Sugar, RBS, HBA IC, Urine Micro albu
Kidney Function Test	Blood Urea/BUN, Uric Acid, S. Creatinine, S calcium
Liver Function Test	S.bilirubin, SGPT, Gamma GT, Alkaline Phosphatese,Total protein, SGOT.
Cardiac Check	Lipid Profile, ECG, TMT, 2D Echo with Colour Doppler Study, Extended Profile
Infection Screening	HIV, HbsAg
Thyroid Screening	TSH, Free T3T4
Cancer Detection	PSA (for Males), PAP Smear (For Females)
Radiological investigation	X ray Chest PA view, USG whole Abdomen, CT CT scan Brain, BMD
Mammography Bilateral
Lung Efficiency Pulmonary Function Test

For more information or to make an appointment, call the hospital at 079 - 40203000

Also, visit the link http://www.shalby.org/healthcheck.html at Shalby website for details and pricing of various check up plans.

Vantocil Kills Swine Flu Virus

US Research Shows common hospital Disinfectant Vantocil Kills Swine Flu virus within 10 minutes

Vantocil, an antimicrobial product long used as a hospital disinfectant, is also highly effective in controlling the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu, according to research conducted in the US. Research done by ATS Labs, Eagan, Minnesota, showed Vantocil FHC was effective within 10 minutes in controlling the H1N1 virus.

Vantocil FHC is a non-staining, disinfectant detergent concentrate for cleaning all hard surfaces in hospitals. It can also be used in domestic settings and food processing. Vantocil FHC is based on the active ingredient poly hexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride, PHM, .which provides both broad spectrum bactericidal and virucidal activity in a diverse range of hygiene products.

Breast Feeding Week falls between 1st and 7th August

Celebrating Breast Feeding Week
The breast feeding week will be celebrated from 1st t to 7th August, 2009 in more than 120 countries. World organizations like World Health Organization WHO, UNICEF etc in alliance with various government and non government organizations across the globe will apply concerted effort to create and sustain an environment that encourages breast feeding for children up to 2 years of age.
The week every year commemorates the declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breast Feeding : Offers Protection to Babies
Medically it has been proven that mother's milk is complete nutrition for the baby for first 6 months and the child needs to be exclusively breastfed during this period of time without any outside supplements like milk from source other than mother, formula, food, drink or even water. The baby should be breastfed immediately after birth preferably within 1/2 to 1 hour of birth so that colostrum- the first yellowish liquid in mother's- should necessarily go into the baby's system.

The First Milk Colostrum and its Significance
Colostrum is yellowish or creamy in color and is high in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and immunoglobulins. Colostrum feeding is necessary for health of the baby as it contains immunoglobulins which are actually antibodies that provide immunity providing protection against a wide variety of bacterial and viral illnesses. High concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells, present in colostrum have the ability to destroy disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Also, the baby's suckling reflex is most active in the first few hours which can make the whole process easier for the mother as well as baby.

Transitional & Mature milk
Transitional milk occurs after colostrum and lasts for approximately two weeks. The transitional milk includes high levels of fat, lactose, water-soluble vitamins with more calories than the colostrum. Mature milk is the final milk that is produced 90% of which is water. It helps the child remain well hydrated. The other 10% constitutes carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which supply energy for the body's s growth.

Validated Facts on Advantage of of Breast Feeding
Several studies validate the fact that mother's milk induces an infant's immune system to mature more quickly than in a child fed artificially as is observed in breast-fed babies in whom there is higher production of antibodies in response to immunization. Also, certain hormones in milk such as cortisol and Epidermal Growth Factor, Nerve growth Factor, etc act to close up the leaky mucosal lining of the newborn, making it relatively impenetrable to to unwanted pathogens and other potentially harmful agents.

The Disadvantages of Formula
As compared to mother's milk the formula and other artificial milk exposes the infant to infections. Also, the infant is put at increased risk of some chronic diseases. When cow's milk breaks down, the curd that forms is hard for human babies to digest. Breast milk, on the other hand, forms more whey than curd, and the curd is softer and more easily digested. The breastfed babies often have fewer digestive troubles than bottle-fed babies because fats in formula aren't as well absorbed, and is the reason why bottle-fed babies have more unpleasant smelling bowel movements. Along with this, abstaining from breast feeding puts a woman at increased risk of anemia, breast and ovarian cancer.

Breast Feeding Tips

The new mother should start breast feeding as soon as possible after birth. Avoid artificial nipples with out setting a limit on the length or frequency of breastfeeding. Feed the baby as and when she feels hungry. Intake of fluids or a glass of water at the start of every feeding session will ensure enough fluids in the mother's body. Use of pillows to support the baby while feeding will ease posture pains and avoidance of tight fitting inner wear on the chest will allow easy healing of sore nipples. The mother should consult a doctor or lactation consultant if the pain during breast feeding persists beyond the first few feeds.

Treat Obesity with Bariatric Surgery

Obesity is not a Minor Health Issue, Shortens Lifespan
A recent study conducted by researchers from Oxford University's Clinical Trial Service Unit, concludes that obesity shortens a person's lifespan by 10 years and is comparable to effect of a life time spent smoking.

What is Obesity?
In the simplest of terms, obesity is defined as presence of body fat, far in excess of requirements of the body. Obesity is not just a cosmetic issue of bad appearance. It increases risk of diseases and health problems, the most common and well known among which are diabetes and high blood pressure.

Determining Obesity through Body Mass Index
Doctors use the ratio of height and weight — called the body mass index (BMI) — to determine obesity. Adults with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. Extreme or severe or morbid obesity is aid to occur when the BMI is 40 or more. A BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 falls within the normal body weight range, 25.0 to 29.9 is the range for overweights and between 30 to 40 is the range for obese.

Symptoms Associated with Obesity
Obesity in itself is a visible symptom of bad health. However, obesity too brings along with it a subset of symptom . Obesity has several symptoms like snoring, sleeping too much or difficulty in sleeping, pain in neck or joints, excessive sweating, feeling hot with inability to exert, lethargy and fatigue depression etc.

Reasons for Obesity
Lack of physical activity, high calorie unhealthy diets, genetic predisposition, family history etc. are some the common factors that lead to obesity. Certain medical conditions like Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovary, under activity etc. also lead to weight gain and thus obesity in the long run.

Bariatric Surgery Solution for Obesity
Following a healthy diet with lots of greens and fruits along with frequent water intake and regular exercise, serve to keep one healthy. However, in case of extreme obesity medical help is required. Bariatric surgery is a gastrointestinal operation that cause therapeutic weight loss. Shalby has a team of experts in bariatric surgery who combine their skills and experience to help patient's obesity problem. Bariatric Surgery is an effective alternative to treat severe obesity.