Focusing on screens, such as of computers, tablets and smartphones, for longer duration can cause your eyes feel dry and tired. Here are some tips to relieve your eyes.

 

1. Take breaks after every 20 minutes, by looking at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. It is known as 20-20-20 rule.

 

2. Blink! Blink consciously as often as possible. This keeps the surface of your eyes moist.

 

3. Stop using devices before bed.

 

4. The computer screen should be at an arm’s length, about 25 inches away. Position the screen so your eye gaze is slightly downward.

 

5. The screen brightness should be equal to surrounding light.

 

6. Use artificial tears whenever your eyes feel dry.

 

Related Post: How to Prevent Eye Strain in Computer & Mobile Users

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

American Academy of Ophthalmology infographic about kids and screen time. Things what the parents can do to prevent eye strain.

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

Dr. Faheem Younus is Chief of Infectious Diseases at University of Maryland, USA and  belongs to Lahore, Pakistan. Since the start of pandemic, he has been sharing facts and explaining myths about Covid and its vaccines on his Twitter profile. He has also been interviewed by many leading media channels, clips available on twitter. Here I am sharing a collection of his tweets which are highly valuable in understanding Covid, its spread, who can take them etc. Some of his tweets are in Urdu for the common people of Pakistan.

 

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

Pakistan has been going through a heatwave for the last few days with temperature averaging between 40-45 degree celsius in most cities. A similar heatwave struck Pakistan back in 2015, which killed almost 800 people.

Here are a few tips to lessen the effects of high temperature on the body;

• Drinking plenty of fluids. The color of urine is a good indicator of the hydration status of the body. The light color the urine, the better the hydration status.
  
• Wearing damp clothes, which will help lower the body's temperature.
• Sticking one's hands in cold water.
• Placing fans next to windows as this will draw air from outside, which should be cooler.
• Wearing looser clothes.
• Having a lukewarm shower rather than a cold one. 
• Fanning the face rather than other parts of the body.

 

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

 

World Thalassemia Day was observed on 8th May, 2021 to spread awareness about this inheritable blood disease.

Thalassemia is a blood disorder characterized by abnormal form of hemoglobin, a blood protein whose function is to carry oxygen to the tissues.

It is a inheritable disease, means it is transfered from the parents to the children if either of the parents is affected.

According to Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan, there are more than 50,000 thalassaemia patients registered with associations and treatment centers all over the country.

Types

 

Hemoglobin protein has got two types of chains,

Alpha chain : whose deficiency results in Alpha Thalassemia.

Beta chain : whose deficiency results in Beta Thalassemia.

Thalassemia major results from complete absence of either of two chains, and in Thalassemia minor there is decreased production of one of them.

Symptoms

Growth Failure

Abnormal Bones

Shortness of Breath

Yellow Skin

Investigations

A complete blood count shows small , abnormal shaped red blood cells.

Treatment

Thalassemia major requires frequent blood transfusions

While Thalassemia minor doesn't require any treatment.

Complications

They include Heart and liver problems like Heart Failure & Hepatitis C. Iron overload commonly occurs due to frequent blood transfusions.

Prevention

A simple blood test called Hemoglobin electrophoresis can detect this abnormal form of hemoglobin. It should be done by both of the partners who intend to marry. If any one of them is detected to be having Thalassemia, genetic counseling should be availed from a health care professional to prevent the transmission of Thalassemia to their future offsprings.

What you can do:

We can help them by donating blood. Donating blood at least once a year won't harm you & will also make their life easy.

 

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

India has been going through horrible times amid the second wave of coronavirus. It has reported the world's highest number of cases in 24 hours, i.e., 360,000. The death toll has risen to around 2600 in a day. Some say that the real numbers are much higher than this. Hospital beds are fully occupied, oxygen availability is almost zero, patients are lying in the corridors waiting to be seen by doctors.

This terrible situation is attributed to Indians dropping the guard, attending festivals and the deadly mutated Indian version of coronavirus.

 

A BBC article quotes the situation as India Covid surge: Hospitals send SOS as record deaths registered.

 

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

The new variant of Covid-19, which started spreading in UK during the past few weeks, has arrived in Pakistan. Sindh Health Department took samples of 12 UK returnees, out of which 6 came out to be positive. Three of them had the new variant of Covid-19. Health Department is tracing contacts of these patients and they are being isolated.

The new strain is 50% more transmissible than the strain, which caused the pandemic and took around 1.78 million lives. This means that we have to be more careful now. Till the vaccines become readily available in Pakistan, people should be even more diligent about preventive measures, i.e., avoiding large gatherings, wearing masks, physical distancing and washing hands.

More details of Preventive Measures can be found at Center of Disease Control website.

Source: Dawn News, Geo News

 

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

I am breaking my silence of more than a year by the sad news that, Pakistan's current heatwave has claimed around 800 lives. The government is being held responsible for it because of their lack to provide uninterrupted water and electricity supply.

How the body responds to extreme heat

The body's normal core temperature is 37-38C.

If it heats up to 39-40C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down and fatigue sets in. At 40-41C heat exhaustion is likely - and above 41C the body starts to shut down.

Chemical processes start to be affected, the cells inside the body deteriorate and there is a risk of multiple organ failure.

The body cannot even sweat at this point because blood flow to the skin stops, making it feel cold and clammy.

Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and if not treated immediately, chances of survival can be slim.

How to stay safe against extreme heat

wearing damp clothes which will help lower the body's temperature.
sticking one's hands in cold water.
placing fans next to windows as this will draw air from outside, which should be cooler
wearing looser clothes.
having a lukewarm shower rather than a cold one.
fanning the face rather than other parts of the body.

Source: BBC Health

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

Few days ago, I had root canal  treatment of my molar tooth. It took around 3 sessions for the procedure to complete, of which second session was the most painful. As I went to the dentist's clinic on alternate days from a patient's perspective, few important things tinkered my mind, which I would like to share.

- The environment of the clinic, doctor himself, clinic assistant etc. should be clean and tidy.

- Be straight forward about the state of the disease and don't give false hopes.

- Be fair in telling what you have encountered during the procedure and the results should be properly explained.

- The words should be very careful chosen while talking to the patient.

- Anesthesia should be effective, otherwise the patient will be surely angry at you.

- Don't hurry to finish the case while you get to know that the next patient is waiting.

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

Abnormal blood vessels are the characteristic feature of cancer, neovascular AMD and atherosclerosis.

Previous studies have found Vascular Endothelial Factor (VEGF) to be responsible for the development of abnormal blood vessels but now a new protein LRG1 has also been identified to be the cause of abnormal angiogenesis, according to a study published in journal Nature.

As LRG1 is characteristically responsible for abnormal blood vessels, developing a target therapy against it wouldn't harm the normal vessels, which seems to be very promising.

Read more at Medical News Today.

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

Every year, World Thalassemia Day is observed on 8th May to spread awareness about this inheritable blood disease.

Thalassemia is a blood disorder characterized by abnormal form of hemoglobin, a blood protein whose function is to carry oxygen to the tissues.

It is a inheritable disease, means it is transfered from the parents to the children if either of the parents is affected.

According to Thalassemia International Foundation, currently there are 150890 people living with Thalassemia in south asia and 45346 babies are born with this disease every year.

The theme for 2013 is ' The right for quality health care for every patient with thalassemia major and beyond '.

Normal Taste Receptor Location On Tongue

Last week, one of my cousin called and said I have been having very bad taste in mouth for the last few days & it has made my life miserable. I have been eating chocolates, sweets etc but of no use. They all give the same bad taste ( known as dysgeusia ). 

Upon inquiring, he told me that he has quit smoking, which he was doing for last 15 years, & after that he was facing this problem. Actually he has damaged taste receptors on his tongue due to smoking, so all things felt the same. I reassured & told him that Thanks to Almighty Taste Receptors have got ability of regeneration & you will soon get your taste back in 2-3 weeks time, meanwhile you have to

- Avoid artificial flavors, spices and all the synthetic chemicals.

- Take fresh fruits, vegetables & yogurt.

Now, he has responded that 80% of my taste is back in a week's time.

Read more about Bad Taste at MSN health.

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

In a recent study published in The Lancet journal, it is now advised to check blood pressure in both the arms of the patient. A disparity of 10 mm Hg or more denotes an increased chance of peripheral vascular disease, which can make the patient prone to cerebrovascular & cardiovascular accidents. A quick blood pressure check up on both the arms can early identify &  help in the correction of the problem.

If you like the post, follow me on twitter @DrAhsan or join my facebook fan page at Facebook.com/DoctorAhsan

In a study conducted by the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Denmark on 350,000 people which followed them for 18 years, it was concluded that there is no link between mobile phones & cancer.

As the usage of mobile phones have soared up during the last few decades, many people started discussing that they might be causing cancers but the latest study has proved otherwise.

It is still said that mobile phone usage should be kept less as much as possible to avoid any other unknown  effects on the body.

World Hemophilia Day was celebrated around the world on 17th April to increase awareness about this inherited disorder, which affects around 1 in 10,000 births every year. This year's theme was 'Be inspired, Get Involved in Treatment for All', telling affected people to inspire others by sharing their stories of success and getting everybody treated.

What is Hemophilia?

It is an inherited bleeding disorder, which affects only males. In this disease, the blood fails to clot after an injury & the bleeding continues for much longer.This is because of a clotting factor deficiency, which are needed for the formation of a blood clot after trauma. It is two types, Hemophilia A in which there is deficiency of clotting factor 8 and, Hemophilia B in which there is deficiency of clotting factor 9.

A recent study published in American Journal of Internal Medicine says that working for more than 11 hours a day increases the risk of heart disease by 67 percent, compared with working a standard 7 to 8 hours a day.

The study followed 7,100 British workers for 11 years. The researchers stressed that a question about the duration of work should be a regular part of history taking by the doctor.They recommended that people who work long hours, should be particularly careful in following healthy diets, exercising sufficiently and keeping their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood (sugar) within healthy limits.

World Water Day is internationally observed today,i.e., on 22nd March, 2011 to increase awareness about the provision of Safe & Healthy water for drinking & everyday use for everyone. The history of this day dates back to 1992 when a resolution was passed in Brazil and was then announced by UN council to be observed annually on 22nd March.

The theme for this year is 'Water for cities - Responding to the Urban Challenge'.

Some Facts

-One out of four city residents worldwide, 789 million in total, lives without access to improved

sanitation facilities. 

-497 million people in cities rely on shared sanitation. In 1990, this number was 249 million.

-27%of the urban dwellers in the developing world do not have access to piped water at home.

-In Pakistan, 44 percent,i.e., 72 million people out of total 180 million dont have access to safe drinking water. The situation is more worse in rural areas where almost 90 percent of the people have no access to clean water.

Every year World Kidney Day is observed on the second Thursday of March, to raise awareness about the importance of Kidney & its associated disorders. The slogan for this year's campaign is 'Protect Your Kidneys and Save Your Heart'.

What is the function of kidneys ?

The main job of our kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood. Kidneys also help to control our blood pressure, to produce red blood cells, to keep our bones healthy & to maintain blood acidity.

Who are the main culprits causing damage to the kidneys ?

The common disorders causing damage to kidneys are,

-Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

-Diabetes

-High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

In a recent study published in Science Translational Medicine, researches have showed that benefits of painkillers can be boosted or completely wiped out by manipulating the expectations of the patients.

Heat was applied to the legs of 22 patients, who were asked to report the level of pain on a scale of one to 100. They were also attached to an intravenous drip, so drugs could be administered secretly.

The initial average pain rating was 66. Patients were then given a potent painkiller, remifentanil, without their knowledge and the pain score went down to 55.

They were then told they were being given a painkiller and the score went down to 39.

Then, without changing the dose, the patients were then told the painkiller had been withdrawn and to expect pain, and the score went up to 64.

So even though the patients were being given remifentanil, they were reporting the same level of pain as when they were getting no drugs at all.

Chris Wild, Director of the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer - IARC, talking on World Cancer Day ( Feb 4th ) said that the research over the last 20 years indicates that low levels of physical activity are associated with a high risk of colon cancer and there is also reasonably strong evidence that the same is true for breast cancer.

It is estimated that between 165,000 to 330,000 cases of cancer could have been prevented in 2008 if the population had maintained sufficient levels of physical activity.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008. Tobacco, alcohol, poor diet and too much sun exposure are linked to cancer. Chronic infections with viruses such as those which cause Hepatitis B and C or human papiloma virus are also risk factors for cancer.