Health and medical news blog

Q. If hard work can produce problems in old age, would it not be correct to give up active work altogether ? A. No, one should try and remain active as long as possible in order to maintain physical and mental health and one’s dignity. Inactivity is not conducive to good health, neither physical nor mental. Activity within one’s capacity should be undertaken. However, long hours of continuous work should be avoided; there should be adequate periods of rest in between.Q.   What about recreation ?A. Recreation is equally essential, but it also demands more physical effort or less depending upon its nature. Recreation should be such that it is not too much of a drain on the limited energy available. It has become fashionable these days to advocate almost unlimited physical activity for old people including those who have sustained a myocardial infraction. The pendulum has swung far too much from almost complete inertia to unlimited physical activity. It is time we realise that the physical activity is beneficial to a certain extent, but when the limits are exceeded it can prove really harmful. Therefore, too strenuous recreational activity, skiing for example, may be left to the younger people to enjoy. Cinema, theatre, television, reading and writing for pleasure, non-competitive games are the activities to indulge in. Holidaying should be comfortable and enjoyable. If in the hills, climbing steep heights should be avoided.*85\328\8*

The progestational agents, medroxyprogesterone acetate and megestrol acetate, are claimed to be of benefit in relieving the pain related to metastatic disease in patients with breast, prostate, endometrial and renal cancer. Progestogen therapy may have an antitumour action in some patients with these diseases, but the co-analgesic action is claimed to occur in a significantly larger proportion of the patients. The mechanism by which progestogens might exert this effect is unknown.     The usual dose is 200-500 mg/d of medroxyprogesterone acetate or 160 mg/d of megestrol acetate. Side effects include nausea and vomiting, fluid retention leading to weight gain, oedema, cardiac failure and hypertension, and vaginal bleeding.     Neuroleptic-The neuroleptic drugs such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol have no analgesic action but are of benefit in treating patients with pain by reducing anxiety and improving night-time sedation. However, unless specifically indicated for the treatment of delirium or nausea, the same benefits can be obtained with a benzodiazepine which will not have anticholinergic and extrapyramidal side effects.*60\55\2*

Green leafy vegetables are good source of vitamins. Seasonal green vegetables are good source of Vitamin B complex and minerals.Vegetable provides —Vitamins Minerals Antioxidants FibresLow calories (Carbohydrate) etc. PROTEINProtein are complex organic molecules which consist of amin’oacids. Protein allowance = 15 to 20% of total caloric consumption per day and an adult needs 0.8 per kgm body weight of protein per day. Sources:    1    First class proteins (Animal proteins)a.    Non-vegetarian – egg, mutton, chicken, fish, porkb    Vegetarian – milk, curd, paneer2. Second class proteinsSoyabeans, grams, dals, peas, nuts (dry fruits)30 Third class protein :Cereals – oats, barley, ragi, wheat and rice Meat has got high fat content while dal has got high protein content. Protein intake should be reduced in renal failure while increased during pregnancy stage.*30\329\8*