healthcare Archives

November 12, 2024 By Neha Sharma Leave a Comment

Can You Die From Pneumonia? 6 Serious Complications You Should Know

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs which can be caused by bacteria, fungi or a virus. It can range from mild to life threatening – when you require medical intervention at the earliest. When the air sac of one or both lungs are filled with some fluid or pus, it leads to inflammation which causes chest pain while breathing, cough with phlegm or pus, fever, chills and difficulty in breathing. Newborns up to 2 years of age and older people above 65 yrs of age are more prone to pneumonia as their immunity is not strong enough to fight the infection.

Types Of Pneumonia

There are four types of Pneumonia.

CAP (Community Acquired Pneumonia): It is a type of pneumonia that occurs outside the hospital or other healthcare facilities and is caused by bacteria, bacteria like organisms, fungi or a virus like COVID-19 as well.
HAP (Hospital Acquired Pneumonia): This type of pneumonia occurs during a hospital stay and can be serious as the person is already sick.
Health Care Acquired Pneumonia: This type of acquired pneumonia occurs when patients stay for a long term in hospitals or go to outpatient clinics for dialysis or chemotherapy.
Aspiration Pneumonia: This type of pneumonia occurs when you inhale food, liquid, saliva or vomit in your lungs and that causes an infection and it also occurs when there’s a brain injury.

What Are The Complications That Occur?

Even with treatment, some people with Pneumonia, who have other health ailments, suffer complications. Here are some of them:

Bacteremia: When infection is caused by bacteria, it travels down to the bloodstream and can lead to septic shock that lowers the blood pressure and the heart cannot pump blood into the organs and organs may stop working altogether. So, if you are having symptoms like fever with chills, low blood pressure, stomach upset, fast breathing with a fast heart rate, you need to consult a doctor immediately.
Lung Abscesses: Sometimes, due to pneumonia, pus pockets are formed in the lungs and give rise to fever, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and coughing. This basically happens when a person is having bacteremia, gum disease, weakened immune system and regular intake of alcohol.
Pleural Effusions, Empyema and Pleurisy: There are two types of layers surrounding your lungs called pleura. One from the outer side and one lines the part of your chest where the lungs sit. They help the lungs to move smoothly when one breathes. Sometimes, pain occurs while breathing and this is because the pleura swells and sometimes a fluid forms in between the layers and that is known as PLEURA EFFUSION. And if the fluid gets infected it leads to EMPYEMA.
Respiratory Failure: With pneumonia, your lungs get infected and they will not be able to transfer oxygen to organs and won’t be able to get rid of carbon dioxide from the body which leads to this condition. Symptoms are fast breathing, irregular heart rate, anxiety, fatigue, losing consciousness or bluish tint on your skin, fingertips or nails.
Kidney Failure: It’s not a common complication of pneumonia but when you are having bacteremia or septic shock, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to your kidneys and they might stop functioning. Chances of kidney failure are high if it is coupled with other metabolic disorders.
Heart Failure: Chances of heart diseases are higher if you have pneumonia as the heart may not be able to pump enough blood and oxygen as the heart itself doesn’t have enough supply.

All the complications of pneumonia are not to be taken casually. If you experience any of the above symptoms or complications, seek medical help immediately. You can also track symptoms such as low blood oxygen, low blood pressure, increased heart rate and high body temperature with Smart Devices from GOQii. Tracking these symptoms early can help you avoid any unnecessary complications and get medical assistance on time.

We hope this article helps you. For more on Pneumonia and other medical conditions, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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August 7, 2024 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Improve Sleep and Sleep Quality with these Lifestyle Changes

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function at best. It has been estimated that more than half of the working population in India have experienced some or the other form of sleep deprivation or alteration during their lifetime.

Globally, the prevalence of insomnia ranges from 10-15%.

Sleep deprivation reduces your cognitive processes like thinking, learning, attention, concentration, etc. Chronic sleep deprivation increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, etc. Over time, lack of sleep can contribute to symptoms of depression and kills your sex drive. And yes, lack of optimum sleep can make you gain weight.

How to Improve Sleep and Sleep Quality

1. Stay away from gadgets
Using electronic devices before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect your sleep. The more electronic devices a person uses in the evening, the harder it is to fall asleep or stay asleep. Using TV, tablets, smartphones, laptops or other electronic devices before bed delays your body’s internal clock, suppresses the release of sleep-inducing hormones & makes it difficult to fall asleep. Along, with increase in alertness at the time you should sleep, it, in turn, delays the onset of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and compromises energy levels the next morning. Over time, these effects can add up to a significant chronic deficiency in sleep.

2. Take a Lukewarm Bath Before Bed
Taking a bath or shower before bedtime is a well-known sleep remedy. This is because a warm bath can help us relax. Our body temperature tends to drop after a warm bath, which can induce better sleep. Research suggests that the best time for taking a shower is 1-2 hours before going to bed. The duration of the bath does not need to be longer than 10 min. This will improve blood circulation and stimulate “temperature circadian rhythm” helping you fall asleep, improving sleep and sleep quality.

3. Perform Deep Breathing Before Sleep
Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes including moods. By simply focusing your attention on your breathing and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation. The 4-7-8 breathing exercise also called “the relaxing breath” promotes better sleep. Here are the steps:

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
This is one breath. Repeat 20 times.

4. Sleep Inducing Foods
There are certain foods which can help induce better sleep.

A glass of warm milk is a perfect beverage to induce sound sleep. Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin. Serotonin is known to have soothing effects in the brain and helps you sleep well. Adding a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom and some crushed almonds will improve taste and sleep.
Chamomile tea: Refreshing, revitalizing and fragrant chamomile tea has soothing effects on nerves and helps induce sleep.
Almonds could help you support sound sleep. Almonds also contain tryptophan and magnesium which are helpful in keeping your heart rhythm steady.
Avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and other stimulating foods after dusk.

5. Eat Your Dinner Early
When you eat late, you are unable to sleep because of improper digestion. An early dinner is good for digestion, helps in reaching your satiety value earlier and the body is able to utilize the food better and induce sleep. Eating late at night leaves the body on a high alert state which interferes with the circadian rhythm. Minimum 2-3 hours of gap between Dinner and sleep is good.

We hope these tips help you improve sleep and sleep quality! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below.

For more on sleep, check out Healthy Reads or get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

May 15, 2024 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Identifying Trigger Foods and Avoiding Unnecessary Dietary Limits: The Role of Food Diaries in Managing Atopic Dermatitis

It’s widely recognized that Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic condition prone to flare-ups, making it a persistent challenge for those affected. The question arises, can we enhance the quality of life for AD patients? The resounding answer is YES! A crucial step in this direction is mastering trigger management, which can significantly simplify life for AD sufferers.

Triggers, which can range from airborne pollen to specific food allergies, are essentially any factor that can precipitate an AD flare-up. Stress, physical activity leading to sweating, infections, and changes in weather can all exacerbate the condition, making the condition area redder, itchier, and significantly disrupting the lives of those with AD. For individuals without AD, managing these triggers might seem straightforward, but for those afflicted, it can feel overwhelmingly daunting.

So, how do we tackle these triggers? The solution lies in journaling in other words keeping a detailed skin diary or log, documenting daily skin conditions. This practice benefits not just the patient but also the healthcare provider managing the AD, allowing for the identification of personal triggers through regular tracking.

Diet also plays a crucial role in managing AD. Certain foods, especially those with added colours like Chinese dishes, seafood such as shellfish, citrus fruits, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and sometimes eggs, can trigger flare-ups. It’s essential for individuals with AD to consume these foods cautiously if the specific triggers are unknown.

Implementing these strategies, coupled with the support of a dermatologist and a nutritionist, can significantly improve life for an AD patient, making it more joyful and free from the constant irritation of itchiness. For further information or guidance, reach out to your GOQii Skin Coach.

#BeTheForce

References –

Tamagawa-Mineoka R, Katoh N. Atopic Dermatitis: Identification and Management of Complicating Factors. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Apr 11;21(8):2671. doi: 10.3390/ijms21082671. PMID: 32290423; PMCID: PMC7215488.

Girolomoni G, Busà VM. Flare management in atopic dermatitis: from definition to treatment. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2022 Jan 13;13:20406223211066728. doi: 10.1177/20406223211066728. PMID: 35070252; PMCID: PMC8771745.

All guidance above with respect to elimination of foods is as per dietary guidance and not as per dermatologist

March 21, 2024 By Arooshi Garg 6 Comments

Celebrate a Skin-Friendly Holi With Natural Colors

Holi is the festival of colours in India that also marks the arrival of spring – a season of joy and hope. The festival is famous for its colours and how people apply them to each other’s face. I remember one horrendous incident a few years ago that left my face scarred due to an allergic reaction and I was on anti-allergens for over a month. The culprit was a toxic paste colour that my skin came in contact with. I, therefore, thought I should share some good ways to enjoy a safe and non-toxic Holi this year.

In the last couple of years, chemical colours are being used to celebrate Holi as they are cheaper than natural colours. Chemical colours can be very harmful to the health and skin of individuals as well as the environment.

Use of safe, natural and eco-friendly colours, can help to save our environment and conserve our biodiversity. Natural colours are obtained from skin friendly sources such as turmeric, flower extracts, sandalwood powder, mehndi (Henna), etc and are safe to use.

Here’s How You Can Create Safe, Non-toxic Colours

Brown color: Brown is one color that is never spotted anywhere in the color markets during Holi. So go ahead and surprise your visitors with this different and amazing color! Acacia catechu (Kattha) – which is commonly consumed with betel leaves (pan) gives a brownish color when mixed with water.
Other methods: Boil tea or coffee leaves in water. Cool it and use it.
Saffron: Soak a few stalks of Saffron in 2 tablespoons of water. Leave for a few hours and grind them to make a fine paste. Dilute that with water as per the desired color strength.
Other methods: The Flame of the Forest, commonly known as Tesu, Palash or Dhak, is the source of the wonderful, traditional color for Holi. For fragrant yellowish-orange colored water, the flowers are soaked overnight in water and can also be boiled.
Green: Save a trip to the parlor by using green colored henna powder (Mehendi) this Holi. Either use it separately or mix it with an equal quantity of any suitable flour to get a lovely and natural green shade. Make sure to use pure henna that does not have Amla (Indian Gooseberries) mixed in it, as this would be brown in color. Dry henna will not leave color on your face and can be easily brushed off. When mixed with water, it will leave a slight color, thereby making it a fast color.
Other methods: Dry and finely powder Gulmohur tree leaves or crush the tender leaves of the Wheat plant to obtain a natural green color for Holi. The color can also be obtained by mixing a fine paste of green leafy vegetables like spinach (Palak), Coriander (Dhaniya) or Mint (Pudina) in water.
Blue: Dry Jacaranda flowers (Neeli Gulmohar/Jungle Badam) in the shade and grind them to obtain a beautiful blue powder.
Other methods: The Blue Hibiscus, which is found in Kerala, can be dried and powdered just like the red hibiscus, or crush berries of Indigo plant and add water to it as per the desired colour strength.
Yellow: Mix two teaspoons of Turmeric powder with twice the quantity of gram flour (besan). Turmeric and gram flour have magical qualities that are very good for the skin. Ordinary wheat flour (Atta), refined wheat flour (Maida), rice flour, ground nut powder, fuller`s earth (Multani Mitti) and even talcum powder can be used as substitutes for gram flour. Other methods: Flowers like Cassia Fistula (Amaltas), Marigold (Gainda), Yellow Chrysanthemums and Black Babul yield different shades of yellow. Dry the petals of these flowers in the shade and crush them to obtain a fine powder. Mix an appropriate quantity of the powder with gram flour or its substitutes and see your festival come alive without any harmful effects of chemically-loaded colors.
Pink: Slice or grate one beetroot and soak it in 1 liter of water for a wonderful magenta. Boil or leave overnight for a deeper shade and dilute it before use.
Other methods: Boil the peels of 10-15 pink onions in half a liter of water for a pinkish color. Remove the peels before using them to remove any unneeded smell. You can also soak pink Bauhinia variegate (Kachnar) flowers in water overnight or boil them for a bright pink color.
Red: Red Sandal Wood Powder, which has a beautiful red color, is extremely beneficial for the skin and can be used in place of Red Gulal.
Other methods: Dry red hibiscus flowers in shade, powder and add any flour to increase the bulk. For a bright orange-red, mix a pinch of lime powder with 2 spoons of turmeric powder and a few drops of water. Use the resulting paste only after diluting it with 10 litres of water. Peels of Red Pomegranate boiled in water, juice of tomatoes and carrots diluted with sufficient quantity of water to remove the stickiness also give a natural yet beautiful red color.
Black: Last but not the least, comes black. Often derived from very dangerous sources like used batteries, this color may cause a lot of trouble later. However, for a safe black color, boil dried fruits of Indian Gooseberry (Amla) in an iron vessel and leave it overnight. Dilute with water and use.
Other methods: Extract juice of black grapes and dilute with sufficient quantity of water to remove stickiness.

Tips For a Skin-Friendly Holi

Cover up: Nothing can beat covering the maximum part of your body with full sleeved clothes and trousers. But the old remedy of using Mustard Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Vaseline over your entire body on the morning of Holi does wonders in removing the colours easily
No warm water: Do not use warm water for bathing/removing colours. This can lead to the fastening of colours. Instead, always opt for cold water to wash the colours off. You should also try to remove the dry colour powder with dry hands rather than using water as it spreads even more after water application.
Stay Hydrated: Drink lots and lots of water as skin tends to get dehydrated with the use of chemicals. You can try other refreshing water-based drinks too. For instance, a virgin mint mojito, or fresh lime and buttermilk, to beat the heat out of your body!
Hair Care: Before you use a shampoo, rinse your hair with water to allow the additional colours to wash off. It is extremely vital to condition your hair to prevent any hair damage. Make a simple hair pack by soaking a few Fenugreek (Methi) seeds in four tablespoons of curd. Apply this pack or egg yolk on your scalp and wash your hair with a good shampoo after 30 minutes. You can also apply a mixture of honey and olive oil for deep conditioning.
Face: Do not scrub the colour off with soap. Opt for a mild cleanser and follow it up with lots of moisturizing cream. If you feel any skin irritation during the process of taking off the colours then take 2 tbsps. of calamine powder and mix it with a few drops of honey and rosewater to make a paste. Apply this on your face and once it has dried up, wash it off with water and apply a moisturizer. You can also take off the colour with a mixture of Gram Flour (besan) and Milk. If you are unable to do anything else, simply apply a generous amount of Multani-Mitti on the entire face and body to revive your skin.
Natural body scrub: You can use a homemade scrub by mixing the following ingredients: 2 tbsp. Wheat Bran, 1 tbsp. Sandalwood Powder, 1 tbsp. Rice Flour, along with some Poppy Seeds (khus-khus), few drops of Honey and a mashed tomato. Scrub your body with this to clear off the colours and to bounce back to your fair and glowing skin. You can also rub a piece of papaya on coloured areas of the face and body to get rid of the colours. There is another good body scrub you can use to wash off colours. Mix curd, gram flour, orange peel powder along with little turmeric, a few drops of lemon and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. This will help clean your skin.

Post Holi Skincare Regime

For the next two weeks, apply a Multani Mitti face pack every alternate day to ensure that your skin remains soft and supple. Do not go for any skin treatments like waxing, threading, facials, or apply any other external medication on the skin for 2-3 days after Holi. Your skin is very sensitive after Holi. These treatments may cause an adverse reaction.