Disease Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

It’s time to talk now-Does menstrual leave actually help women or does it just further stigmatise the period?

InnoHEALTH magazine digital team — Thu, 18 May 2023 05:18:00 +0000

Utilizing menstrual leaves might violate some cultural norms in a nation like India where menstruation is still stigmatised and connected to ideas of imperfection and pollution.

Menstrual leave policies are in place in nations around the world like Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Zambia, and Mexico. This policy was first put into effect in 1947 in Japan. Japan as a nation was very concerned about the significant population loss that occurred during World War II. Because they could bear children and repopulate the country, women in their “reproductive ages” came under the protection of the government. The exploitative and abusive working conditions, which include long, hard hours without breaks, are a common theme in these nations. Therefore, women did not require rest while they were menstruating; rather, it was the lack of it.

It is not a new initiative to implement such policies in India. The Bihar government has provided two days of menstrual leave each month since 1992. The Menstrual Benefits Bill 2017 was introduced in Parliament in 2017 by Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering to give both public and private employees two days of menstrual leave each month. Gozoop and Culture Machine, two Mumbai-based businesses, were the first private businesses in India to offer first day of period (FOP) leave in 2017. Zomato will begin offering its female and transgender employees up to ten days of menstrual leave annually starting in 2020. Since then, similar policies have also been implemented by private businesses like Swiggy and Byju’s.

To understand the debate over menstrual leave’s wider implications, it is necessary to situate it socially and historically. Utilizing menstrual leaves might violate some cultural norms in a nation like India where menstruation is still stigmatised and connected to ideas of imperfection and pollution. The disclosure of a woman’s menstrual status may increase her vulnerability to subtle discrimination because it is seen as impolite and meant to be kept private. Many times, a woman’s role in childcare and housework is blamed for her absence from the workforce. Previously, the Maternity Benefit Act’s (1961 and 2017) enactment demonstrated how such a policy could also support myths that women are more difficult to work with, unreliable, and expensive to hire than men. It has been demonstrated that these harmful beliefs have an effect on how many women participate in and are employed in the formal labour force.

But how does it actually work out in a masculine society like India, which is already widespread with negative stereotypes about women who are menstruating?

People experiencing difficulties should be encouraged to consult a doctor, as the feeling of extreme pain and difficulty during this time should not be normalised.

Menstrual leaves are helpful for people with a variety of menstrual cycle-related illnesses, including mood disorders, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and polycystic ovarian disorder (PCOD). A policy like this might also promote more candid conversations about women’s health and menstruation and lessen the stigma associated with these subjects.

Menstruation is being medicalized and treated as a “disease” or a “illness” by creating a separate category of leave for a natural biological process. This supports the notion that menstruation is “difficult and painful” for most women, which prevents them from functioning effectively at the time. While having a menstrual leave policy may help some women who struggle with menstrual disorders, it’s important to realise that not everyone who menstruates experiences their period the same way. It is important to raise awareness of menstrual health and related issues rather than viewing menstruation as a “disorder” in and of itself.

People experiencing difficulties should be encouraged to consult a doctor, as the feeling of extreme pain and difficulty during this time should not be normalised. While the majority of women do not want to disclose that they are on their period, some wonder why this should always be the issue. A special period leave might be used as yet another justification for discrimination in a traditional society like India where menstruation is still taboo.Instead of framing the issue as one of menstrual health, the policies should aim to enhance working conditions and increase access to healthcare.

“Dr. Sahya S. Dev is a medical practioner with an MD in Community Medicine. “

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17 startups, five student innovators win bio-entrepreneurship contest

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 01:32:59 +0000

New Delhi, Dec 20 (India Science Wire): Seventeen startups and five student innovators have been declared winners in this year’s National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC). Now in its 5 th year, the competition is an annual showcase of promising business ideas with commercial, innovation, and impact potentials in the life sciences and biotech domain.

NBEC is organized by the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology’s
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) to identify and nurture game-changing deep science ideas with business potential. It receives support from national and international partners with some of the biggest names in the biotech industry in India coming on board. This year, 34 of such enterprises supported it.

The winning startups stand to receive a cumulative sum of Rs. 8.6 crore in cash prizes and investment opportunities, while the student-led teams swooped up a sum of Rs. 14.5 lakhs in cash prizes. Additionally, C-CAMP will conduct a one-year Programme for the winners, which will comprise of mentorship including one month of incubation. Among other ecosystem support, the competition will provide access to industry mentorship in tie-ups with key industry leaders to all winners.

Forty-six finalist pitches were judged for novelty, scalability, and business potential parameters. These were culled from 322 in a regional qualifying round. The winners join an illustrious cohort of 39 winners since the NBEC launch in 2017. Many of them are already in the market with globally acclaimed and investor-backed healthcare, agriculture, or environmental technologies.

Minister for Higher Education, IT & BT, Sci & Tech, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Govt. of Karnataka, Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, in his Keynote address, said "It is heartening and encouraging to see that such a good amount of investment has been made in innovative ideas at NBEC. I convey my best wishes to the winners and going ahead, we will together build more innovations along with C-CAMP.”

Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP, Dr Manish Diwan, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Entrepreneurship Development, BIRAC, and Mrs. G.K. Krupalini, General Manager – Biotech Karnataka Innovation & Technology Society, Dept. of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka congratulated the winners and urged them to continue to innovate to reduce the burden of diseases, increase crop yield and contribute to bioeconomy. (India Science Wire)

ISW/SP/DBT/20/12/2021

Credits: India Science Wire

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Smart Toilet Detects Cancer, Diabetes Through Urine

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 10:17:05 +0000

FitLoo: MIT’s smart toilet detects cancer, diabetes through urine

The findings could have a major impact on the lives of those who are affected by some neuro-logic disease, injury or limb loss. The results of this study demonstrate how communication, mobility and independence can be partially restored to those with otherwise limited control over their environment. There is also no dire need to use expensive or specialized equipment for such cases making it readily available to more such candidates.
Experts at the European Space Agency and MIT have teamed up with sanitation specialists to create the FitLoo. The high-techlavatory will screen urine for the presence of extra proteins and glucose, gathering data through sensors located inside the bowl. These will detect fluctuations in levels of these substances and presence of other markers that might be an early warning sign of cancer or diabetes. The data gathered could then be beamed on the users’ smartphone or even directly to general practitioners so that they can keep a close eye on their patients.
Smart toilets are already present in countries like Japan with a focus on greater comfort and hygiene with additional features like warm-water washing, air drying and heated seats. Companies like Toto and Matsushita have released Wi-Fi connected toilets that measure body mass index, biochemical makeup (sugar, protein), flow rate and temperature of urine.
In a similar direction of work, the scientists at Stanford University have also developed a color changing paper test that can detect diseases or spot signs of a urinary tract infection with the help of a smartphone camera.
All these works are the space of preventive healthcare and the idea is that people will connect their phone to the toilet and get information about their health. If anything is of concern, they would seek their doctor’s help for more detailed tests and retain their good health in time.
Researchers also state that by putting these sensors in public toilets would allow health officials to track and gather data on prediction of spread of diseases in communities, giving an important early warning of outbreaks.

SOURCE: www.inshorts.com

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Faster Diagnostic Tests Developed for TB

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 09:10:58 +0000

Tuberculosis (TB) claims two million lives each year globally. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent spread, outbreaks, and development of resistance. Scientists at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) Haryana and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi have jointly developed highly sensitive and rapid tests for detection of tuberculosis infection in lungs and surrounding membranes.

TB spreads from one person to another through inhalation of infected air. When the bacteria attacks the lungs, the disease manifests itself in a pulmonary form. It is the most common form of TB. But about 15% of new patients in 2016 were found infected with extrapulmonary TB where organs other than lungs may be affected. Till now, detection of all forms of TB is mostly based on sputum smear microscopy and culture tests. While smear microscopy is simple and rapid, it has low sensitivity. Culture test is highly sensitive but takes 2 to 8 weeks to get results.

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Also read: India aims to eliminate TB by 2025

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Conventional diagnostic tests use antibodies for detection of bacterial proteins in sputum samples. However, such tests suffer from limitations including batch-to-batch variability, limited shelf-life, and cost.

To address these problems, the researchers have now developed two DNA aptamer-based tests – Aptamer Linked Immobilized Sorbent Assay (ALISA) and Electro-Chemical Sensor (ECS) for detection of a bacterial protein in the sputum.

Aptamers are DNA, RNA or peptide molecules that bind to specific molecular targets. They are known to bind the right target (which defines sensitivity) and at the same time rule out any non-specific binding to other targets (specificity). The performance of the newly developed tests was compared with antibody-based tests in 314 sputum samples. ALISA showed 92% sensitivity while the antibody-based method was 68% sensitive.

The research team used ALISA to detect a bacterial protein, HspX. This method, however, took five hours to yield results because it requires sputum immobilization which is a time-consuming step. So the team made efforts to develop a simplified ECS test. In this, aptamer was immobilized with an electrode and upon binding to HspX in the sputum sample, a drop in the electrical signal was recorded.

The ECS test can be used for screening of samples in the field as it takes as less as 30 minutes to deliver results. It is highly sensitive and could detect HspX protein in 91% of the samples tested in this study. In addition, there is no need for sputum sample preparation which is a complex and time-consuming process.

The aim is to develop aptamers for detection of multiple bacterial proteins simultaneously which is expected to lead a more robust test said Dr. Tarun Sharma, a member of the research team. The aptamer-based screening tests for pulmonary TB, pleural TB, and TB meningitis hold immense promise for a country like India, where the disease burden in high and primary healthcare is only a dream for many. The ECS platform could be used in a mobile screening van at the point-of-care explained Dr. Jaya Tyagi, who led the research team AIIMS hoping that these tests are adopted by the TB programs in the country.

The group used the aptamer-based test also for the detection of pleural TB, the second most prevalent form of extrapulmonary TB. Early diagnosis of pleural TB is limited by the availability of a sensitive and rapid test. The performance of existing DNA-based tests varies widely due to low bacterial load in the pleural fluid sample.

There is no test for making a confirmed diagnosis of pleural TB. Even WHO-endorsed Gene Xpert has a poor sensitivity of 22%. On the contrary, the aptamer-based test for pleural TB has shown 93% sensitivity and is cost-effective explained Dr. Sagarika Haldar, a member of the research team.

The research teams were led by Dr. Jaya Tyagi (AIIMS), Dr. Tarun Sharma and Dr. Sagarika Haldar (THSTI) including other colleagues from the institutes. The pulmonary TB results were published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases and the pleural TB results were published in Analytical Biochemistry. The studies were funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, and THSTI.

By India Science Wire

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Ultimate Solution for all Non communicable Diseases

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 06:38:33 +0000

The chair introduced the discussions explaining how the session was planned to further motivate the delegations as it was a hugely important session on non communicable diseases. Utmost importance to be given in spreading awareness. Ongoing efforts to medicate the impacts as NCD constituents to both economic and human well being throughout the world.

NCD accounts for 40% and 60% deaths by NCD, according to the statistics Jesper found and he compared with statistics of his country where 90% of deaths occur due to NCD. Danish organizations are raising awareness about NCD and Jesper to engage in the project around the world that aid to build necessary health infrastructure to combat these NCD.

Dr. Gupta shared his views on 3D healthcare as he felt the practical model of health is the 3D approach to healthcare which can address all problems. He suggested changing the perspective of looking a human being as a whole instead of a particular disease.

3D in healthcare was termed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at an event. Dr. Gupta then compared the important factors in two frames which were before and after lifestyle interventions in which he found drastic changes. He showcased how they trained people by various enthusiastic activities promoting 3D healthcare.

The 3 Dimensions of 3D healthcare are Spiritual care, mental care, physical care and recommended a holistic approach to healthcare.

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Digital India Healthy India

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:34:46 +0000

New India, Digital India, Make India, Innovate India in making a ‘Healthy’ India

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India is a country of diversity with 1.3 billion population of which 70 per cent resides in villages and have access to 30 per cent of medical assets of the country. Poverty is a significant issue of the country, despite having one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, clocked at an economic growth of 7.6 per cent in 2015. It is estimated that 23.6 per cent of Indian population, or about 276 million people, live below $1.25 per day.

As Health is a state subject-there is lot of mismatch in states like Kerala and Punjab have best health indicators, while Uttar Pradesh is the poorest as per the NITI Aayog report. Indian government spends approx. 1.5 per cent of its GDP on health sector and mplans to make it 2.5 per cent which is much less than many developing countries while the USA has dedicated 16 per cent of its GDP. India is riddled with very basic public health issues leading to disease burden. Keeping this in mind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched six initiatives: Open Defecation free country by 2019, Swachh Bharat Mission, National Health Policy 2017, Digital India with e-health, medical device manufacturing and door-to-door screening of chronic diseases.

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The healthcare needs holistic approach which depends on multiple factors. The present government has taken many positive steps including launching of National Health Policy 2017 after the gap of 12 years. It has announced many initiatives like health insurance of people who cannot afford basic healthcare and upgrading of health infrastructure.

The regulation of medical devices have been brought out and is applicable w.e.f January 1, 2018 ending uncertainty of medical device manufacturers having global market of 220 billion US dollar. Challenges bring opportunities such as Indian healthcare market is around US$ 100 billion while it is expected to grow US$ 280 billion by 2020. The healthcare IT market is US$ one billion and is expected to grow 1.5 times by 2020. There is requirement of 7 lakh hospital beds which need investment opportunities of 25-30 billion US dollar. We need to bring innovations in hospital planning,devices, diagnostics, drugs and use of technology to reduce healthcare delivery cost and yet quality.

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We failed targets of Health for All by 2000, National Rural Health Mission, and Millennium Development Goals and now launched Universal Health Coverage; its success would depend on providing healthcare facilities and strict accountability. We need to focus on primary health care and customise our healthcare delivery system by learning from experiences of other countries.

The concept of Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) making financial package for group of diseases which is known to patients, providers and third party payors should be considered by improving deficiency found in its execution by the USA.

The various schemes of present government are appreciable but success would depend on strict monitoring, corporate hospitals have high cost and many unethical practices are reported every day in media. Public hospitals to National Rural Health Mission have not delivered as required because of corruption, lack of resources and application of management practices. The need is not old wine in new bottle but strict control in implementation of various schemes launched.

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Read all the issues of InnoHEALTH magazine:
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 1 (July to September 2016) – https://goo.gl/iWAwN2
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 2 (October to December 2016) – https://goo.gl/4GGMJz
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 1 (January to March 2017) – https://goo.gl/DEyKnw
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 2 (April to June 2017) – https://goo.gl/Nv3eev
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 3 (July to September 2017) – https://goo.gl/MCVjd6
InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 4 (October to December 2017) – http://amzn.to/2B2UMLw
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 1 (January to March 2018) – https://goo.gl/fksdQx
InnoHEALTH Volume 3 Issue 2 (April to June 2018) – https://goo.gl/grbtRo

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Clove Dental launches dental health plan

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 08:38:02 +0000

Oral health is a window to your overall health. It is medically proven that prevention and looking after your teeth will save you from many medical problems such as heart disease, sleeping disorders, pre-term delivery, etc. So, clove dental has come up with a plan keeping in mind how preventive dentistry play a key role in maintaining your overall health.

Clove Dental, the largest dental chain in India promoted by Star Dental Centre Pvt. Ltd. recently launched the first of its kind ‘Platinum Dental Membership Plan’, pan India which is a complete annual dental health plan for the entire family that includes a complementary oral care kit, with required toothpaste, brushes, mouthwash, floss, etc., delivered to your doorstep every few months.

Members get Clove vouchers up to Rs. 5000 for any treatment in Clove clinics. Also included are many preventive treatments at no cost and discounts on all other treatments.

Platinum Dental Membership Plan is offered to individuals, couples and families of four. The plan offers Clove Vouchers, 4 complementary kits, biannual scaling and polishing, Dental X-rays, and fluoride treatment for a child of the family. The Platinum members can also avail 10 % discount on all treatments, 5% discount on Implants, and priority consultation with specialist doctors from Clove. This is one of its kind membership plan that no other dentist or dental chain offers. Another first from Clove Dental, which is India’s largest dental chain.

Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them healthy to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and other dental problems. Preventive dentistry includes regular dental care routine at home like brushing twice a day, flossing etc. Also, to maintain optimal oral health, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends visits to the dentist at regular intervals determined by a dentist. These practices are designed to ensure that our teeth stay clean, strong, and white. Children should be taught proper oral hygiene at an early age to prevent tooth decay. Preventive dentistry can help avoid dental disease, protecting our smile and saving us from expensive dental procedures.

Clove Dental has set an ambitious target to launch 200 Clinics by the end of this year. For the next phase, they will launch 600 clinics over the next 3-4 years. The company has so far made an investment of $25M and plans to invest another $25-30M, till they reach the 600-clinic target.

Clove Dental is the only player in the Oral Care space in the country who holds a membership of the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine, UK. Backed by advanced technologies the Clove clinics offer International Standards of Dental Care to the patients. Clove has introduced transparent, ethical, patient friendly delivery with focus on Global standards of sterilization, treatment protocols across all disciplines of Dentistry. Clove Dental plans to build community awareness programs to improve appreciation towards Oral Hygiene and Preventive Oral Care to ensure other diseases linked to poor oral health like Diabetes, Heart ailments, Pre-term birth etc. are eliminated.

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Glenmark Launches Apremilast

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:03:25 +0000

Glenmark Launches ‘Apremilast’ – A Revolutionary Advanced Oral Treatment for Psoriasis

Globally, about 3% of the world population has some form of psoriasis. Another study reveals that the prevalence of psoriasis in countries ranges between 0.09% and 11.43%, making psoriasis as one of the serious issues.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, a research-led global integrated pharmaceutical company which has been in the field of dermatology for more than four decades, now has announced the launch of Apremilast under the brand name ‘APREZO’, the first advanced Oral Systemic treatment for psoriasis in India which is also DCGI approved. Apremilast is a phosphodiesterase4 (PDE4) inhibitor which is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. The launch of Apremilast will revolutionize the treatment of psoriasis impacting close to 33 million Indians suffering from the condition.

Apremilast is an advanced oral treatment for psoriasis which addresses the limitations of the current available therapies in India. It acts in a targeted manner at an early stage of the disease progression and is also an immunomodulator which treats the condition at an intracellular level whereas the other available drugs in the country are immunosuppressant. It is an oral therapy which can be self-administered unlike some of the currently available injectable therapies which have to be administered by paramedics. Further, Apremilast is a safer drug having no effects on other organs like the liver and kidney and does not require routine laboratory diagnostic tests like CBC, liver and Kidney test or TB screening as required in the case of other therapies used currently.

India has now become one of the largest patient pools in the world and is estimated to have around 33 million psoriasis patients. As per a study on psoriasis in India, based on data collected across various medical colleges located in Lucknow, Dibrugarh, Kolkata, Patna, Darbhanga, New Delhi and Amritsar. It was found that the incidence of psoriasis among total skin patients ranged between 0.44 and 2.2%. It was also found that the ratio of male to female (2.46:1) was very high and the highest incidence was noted in the age group of 20-39 years.

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AYURVEDA: MOTHER OF ALL HEALINGS

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:27:56 +0000

The fundamentals on which the Ayurvedic system is based are essentially true for all ages and so can be easily adopted time after time, century after century – By Indu S Arya

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Ayurveda is generally understood as ‘Science of life’ translating ‘Ayuh (r)’as life and ‘Veda’ as science. Ayurveda is an ancient system of life and also the oldest surviving medical system in the world. Dating back almost 5000 years, it is also considered to be an ancient science of healing that enhances longevity. It has evolved from the quest to have a happy life, through a deep understanding of creation and its maintenance, perceived and conceived by the rishis or seers of ancient India. Ayurveda emphasizes upon life in general with bit more emphasis on human life.

Its influence can be found in many ancient traditional methods of healing including Tibetan, Greek, and Chinese medicines thus making it the ‘mother of healing’.

The fundamentals on which the Ayurvedic system is based are essentially true for all ages and so can be easily adopted time after time, century after century. The philosophy of Ayurveda teaches a series of conceptual systems characterized by balance and disorder, health and disease. It teaches that am person’s mental, emotional and spiritual being are all interconnected and any kind of imbalance between them results in health disorder and diseases. Therefore, to be healthy, harmony must exist between the purpose for healing, thoughts, feelings and physical action.

Health and disease are defined in a very special way in Ayurveda. Ayurveda’s central tenant is that life is a manifestation of mind, body, soul and spirit. Body and mind are prone to suffering while the spirit is free of any such trappings of life. Thus to remain healthy and happy, efforts are required to be made in the direction of maintaining harmony among all these elements and only then can one get closer to the goal of longevity and disease free life.

Science of Ayurveda

Ayurvedic science is not merely a traditional Indian form of medicine but a perennial naturopathic system of healthcare that has survived the test of time as well as onslaught of modern science and methods of treatments. Based on wisdom acquired through the centuries, the main aim of Ayurvedic science is to achieve perfect health by creating an equilibrium of perfect harmony between human body and the environment it habitats.

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Ayurveda is also known as the science of living a healthy and disease free life. It is built on the premise that in olden days, man used to live close to nature and whenever he got exposed to some disease, he used to cure himself using resources and material provided by the Mother Nature. It therefore would not be wrong to say that Ayurveda charts out a health patter based on nature and its natural resources.

The Vedic philosophy believes that human beings are all a part of nature. Just as animals and plants are interdependent on each other to create balance within their beings, there is a concurrent and inherent connection between the universe and human beings. The complex world that the human beings reside in, is perpetually exposed to environmental changes. Any amount of change in weather, lifestyle, diet, work, emotions and relationships can easily tip the balance and negatively influence an individual’s state of mind, body and soul.

Ayurveda calls for a complete harmony of human body with the elements of nature and the surrounding environment for a stress free and healthy life. The Ayurvedic science does not merely deal with medical science but its scope goes much beyond the universe of the conventional science. It also includes factors like herbal medicine, body works, and surgery apart from social, psychological, ethical, spiritual and intellectual life of human beings.

Ayurvedic Body Types

According to Ayurveda, each one of us has a unique mix of three body principals that constitutes our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. These three principals are known as doshas, which are further classified as Vatta (air ether), Kapha (water-earth) and Pitta (water). But each individual has its own unique constitution that is usually governed by one or two of the doshas predominantly. It means that that our Ayurvedic constitution is mainly be either of these doshas or a mixed constitution of two doshas like Vatta & Kapa, Kapa & Pitta or Vatta & Pitta.

Kapha:

Kapha governs all structure and lubrication in the mind and body. It is the principle that holds the cells together and forms the muscle, fat, bone, and sinew. It controls weight, growth, lubrication for the joints and lungs, and formation of all the seven tissues — nutritive fluids, blood, fat, muscles, bones, marrow and reproductive tissues. It helps build excellent stamina but when it goes out of balance it can also cause a person to become overweight, sleep excessively, and suffer from the problem of diabetes, asthma and depression.

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Pitta:

Pitta dosha controls digestion, metabolism, and energy production. The primary function of Pitta is transformation. Those with a predominance of the Pitta principle have a fiery nature that manifests in both body and mind. Pittas have a lustrous complexion, perfect digestion, abundant energy, and a strong appetite. When out of balance, Pittas may suffer from skin rashes, burning sensations, peptic ulcers, excessive body heat, heartburn, and indigestion.

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Vatta:

Vatta dosha is known to govern all the movements of mind and body. From controlling the blood flow to elimination of the waste and harmful toxins to breathing and the flow of thoughts in the mind; the vatta dosha is like a predominant force that minimizes stress and feeds the creativity within you. If the vatta dosha is in balance, you will feel energetic, enthusiastic and lively, but the moment it becomes imbalanced, it manifests in the body problems like constipation, hypertension, fatigue, digestive challenges and restlessness among others.

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Ayurvedic Herbs

Ayurveda understands health as a reflection of a man living in harmony with nature and disease arises when this harmony gets disturbed. In the ancient times, rishis and sages believed in Ayurvedic herbs as the solution to cure a number of health problems and diseases. The conducted thorough studies and experimented with these herbs before arriving at any conclusion regarding the accuracy of the medicinal values of these herbs and their effectiveness in treating various ailments and diseases. Due to their natural Ayurvedic herbs are considered to be free of any side effects and thus enjoy a global appeal.

Ayurvedic medicines are mostly formulated using a mix of herbs and other plants, including oils and common spices. By combining several kinds of plants and herbs to get benefit of the drug or therapeutic value, Ayurveda has proven itself capable of overcoming various health problems that occurs in the human body. Today, Ayurveda is being widely used in modern medicine systems. This was triggered by a number of research-conducted by scientific research and has proved how effective and positive the role of plants or herbs can be on human health.,/p>

Herbs play a vital role in the Ayurvedic system and a small herb is known to dissolve stones in the kidney, bladder and gall-bladder easily and effectively. Apart from timely cure, Ayurvedic herbs are also know to provide permanent relief from a disease by removing the metabolic toxins from the body. Know more about the various Medicinal Plants and Their Uses.

Ayurvedic Home Remedies

Ayurvedic home remedies are considered safe as they are natural and herbal in nature, therefore, free from any side effects. They have an advantage over other methods of treatment as Ayurvedic remedies are known to cure the disease form the root, effectively. Treating an ailment or a disease using Ayurvedic remedies will not only help you get rid from it permanently but also aid you in leading am healthy life in the long run.

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Some of the major benefits of using homemade Ayurvedic remedies include:

• Ayurvedic remedies are preventive as well as protective and curative in nature.

• As the emphasis is on using herbal and natural ingredients or things that can be easily found in the kitchen, it does not pose any danger of being toxic.

• These remedies are free of any side-effect and provide long term or permanent cure from the disease.

• The remedies also emphasize on the need for a lifestyle change with modification required in one’s diet, sleep pattern and other basic everyday activity. Therefore, the holistic approach towards the overall well-being of a person is much effective as compared to other conventional forms of modern day science.

Ayurvedic Medicines

Ayurvedic Medicines are fast gaining popularity across the world. One of the major reasons for it being that Ayurveda seeks to normalize body functions with varied techniques including advice on food and activity, internal herbal preparations, purification treatments (panchakarma), and surgical methods (shalya chikitsa).

Ayurveda is based on the belief that the delicate balance of mind, body and spirit determines health and wellness of the body. The goal of Ayurveda is prevention as well as promotion of the body’s own capacity for maintenance and balance. Ayurvedic medicines are non-invasive and non-toxic in nature and therefore are free from any side effects.

Using Ayurvedic medicines in your daily life enables you to re-establish balance and harmony in body’s system, aids in detoxification and cleansing of the body by removing accumulated toxins and normalize body’s functions. Products made using Ayurvedic plants have a stronger action on the body as they help in stabilizing the doshas.

Tulsi, Guduchi, Ajwain, Brahmi, Shilajit and Ashwagandha etc., are some of the most commonly used herbs in Ayurvedic preparations. Each of these herbs or spices hold a multitude of benefits — for the mind, body, and spirit and can be easily used internally or externally, depending on the need.

Ayurveda to the rescue

The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:

Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to Maharishi Ayurveda.

Meditate daily any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies.

Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: “Without proper diet. Medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need.” Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality.

The post AYURVEDA: MOTHER OF ALL HEALINGS appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.

BLUESTAR APP LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE DIABETES CARE

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 10:36:18 +0000

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WellDoc’s Bluestar App launched in India to Improve Diabetes Care
Dr. Avantika Batish is working as Director Strategy and Healthcare at International Health Emergency Learning and Preparedness. Also, guest faculty for MBA (HR) and MBA Healthcare Management at various B-Schools and is a soft skills trainer.

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The International Diabetes Foundation has made predictions that diabetes could affect 123 million Indian citizens by 2040 and also their statistics show that the treatment for diabetes complications costs more than 670 billion US dollars a year globally, and that the disease claims the lives of five million people worldwide each year.

In this light IFC, a member of the World Bank Group; WellDoc, a US-based digital health startup and Max Healthcare, a leading Indian healthcare provider recently launched a cutting-edge mobile application in India to improve diabetes care.

The app will initially be piloted with a select group of patients in New Delhi, which allows them to transform their smartphone, tablet or personal computer into a personal health advisor.

The app will be tailored to the Indian market to account for specific medications and local diets, allowing patients to enter details of their meals and receive instant advice on the optimal medication and dosage.

WellDoc’s BlueStar® application is a mobile health monitoring tool that helps adults living with type 2 diabetes and their doctors drive behavioral and clinical change. The app analyzes diabetes data entered by the patient, including blood glucose levels and medications, and delivers curated analytics to a patient’s healthcare team to improve decisions and better manage the disease.

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The post BLUESTAR APP LAUNCHED TO IMPROVE DIABETES CARE appeared first on InnoHEALTH magazine.