healthy body tips

Jaundice is a common disease in which the skin turns yellow in color. Hence sometimes it is referred as yellow jaundice by novice. Sometimes a Jaundice patient also has somewhat yellowish eyes. It is also called as ecterus in english. Yellow Jaundice itself is not a diseases, instead suggest that something is wrong with liver or the gallbladder.

Cause of Yellow Jaundice

Yellow Jaundice is caused by excess presence of bilirubin pigment in the blood of an individual. Bilirubin is converted into bile in the liver which further aids in digestion. However, if the process of conversion slows down then the excess bilirubin pigment gets deposited under the skin , eye thus changing the color to yellow. As said earlier jaundice is a condition rather than a disease and can be caused because of cirrhosis, hepatitis, tumors of kidney or gallbladder and gallstones. Bad habits or addicts to smoke, drugs or alcohol are also prone to Jaundice.

Symptoms of Yellow Jaundice

The foremost symptom is yellow color of the skin or the white part of the eye i.e. the sclera of the eye. Stool color turns white. The skin might turn itchy. The nails, teeth color might change to yellow or brown. Urine color goes brown. Fever, bad breathe, cramps, live pain may also accompany Jaundice.

Diet during Yellow Jaundice

Jaundice when taken proper care can cure itself. A friend who was recently suffering from Jaundice was advised by his doctor to follow a strict diet of milk, rice and only fruits. He was rightly suggested so because this is light food, not too heavy for the body to digest. Non-Veg, Junk Food, salt, oily food should be totally avoided. The body needs to produce more bile to digest these heavy substance and hence can be harmful during Jaundice. The above die can be followed till the 5th day of the jaundice infection or till the skin color returns to normal.

Thanks to media hype about H1N1, several people who trust me have either approached or called me to advise. The hype in media about the utility of face masks and N95 respirators as a tool for general protection against H1N1 can't be deplored enough. Yesterday, a friend who listened wanted me to write down briefly what I advised so that he could tell others in similar words. Hence this short email to friends whom I have advised recently (and others whom I haven't yet). Please realize that this is not an official advice, especially the one about face masks or N95.

Most N95 respirators are designed to filter 95% particulates of 0.3µ, while the size of H1N1 virus is about 0.1µ. Hence, dependence on N95 to protect against H1N1 is like protecting against rain with an umbrella made of mosquito net.

Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation till the virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle). H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and proliferates (only) there. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/ throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps - not fully highlighted in most official communications - can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds
dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.

Happy breathing!

Following are the symptoms of Swine Flu. If you feel you have the same get yourself test if you are been infected by Swine Flu. The symptoms occur immediately within a day after the person has been infected by the virus. Symptoms of Swine Flu are not very different from any normal flu in human beings. Still it is worth to note them down for reference.

Symptoms of Swine Flu
1) Fever
2) Cough
3) Sore Throat
4) Body Aches
5) Headache
6) Chills
7) Fatigue
8) Diarrhea and Vomiting : This symptom is not shown by everyone who has been infected by swine flu but 10% of them has reportedly been having diarrhea and vomiting.


Get yourself to the doctor immediately if you face any of the above symptoms.

We are all aware that Swine Flu is spreading across fast and there is a panic almost on every street of the country. However let us first clear some misconceptions about the Swine Flu which every person should be clear of.

Here is what one should know.
1) Swine flu, i.e H1N1 flu is not something which has suddenly arrived from God knows where. There is actually a history behind it. First case of Swine flu was detected in 1987. So chill guys this is something which was there.
2) There are 5 days of the infective stage. The first day when the person gets the symptoms and the rest 4 days after the onset of the symptoms.
3) So how can we stop Swine Flu from spreading? The person who is infected or with the symptoms of swine flu should take complete rest at home of 4 days and avoid contact with anyone.
4) Masks which are being used on huge scale these days to avoid swine flu are being sold at out of proportion value. ( please don't crap on supply demand guys). Besides these masks are of little to no use. To avoid getting infected from swine flu one should avoid visiting public places like shopping malls, cinema halls. Avoid air conditioned enclosures as the virus multiplies at such places.
5) Swine flu has been bold ed out by the media on a out of proportion scale. The death in case of swine flu is very rare. 1 out of 10k infected suffers life loss. This proportion is less than a person being hit by a lightning.

Almost everyone from my family is suffering from diabetes except me. Yesterday while talking, a person told me he love sweet so much that he has been eating so much sweet right from his childhood but has managed to keep away from diabetes. When I argued about physical work being a contribution factor in his good health, the person responded that he had never worked on physical level. I was surprised to hear this and started hunting the real caused of Diabetes.

Causes of Diabetes

There is no such thing which can be reasoned to cause diabetes. Scientists are still hunting for the causes. However there has been certain observations when it comes to diabetes

a) Inheritance : People who have a family history of diabetics are 25% more prone to being diabetic.
b) Diet : Diet plays a major role in diabetes. One should never take nutrients like carbohydrates, fats and proteins in excess as they hamper the secretion of insulin, the hormone which maintains the blood sugar level.
c) Obesity : Excess fats in a person's body deprecates the functionality of Insulin to allow the sugar in the blood to enter the muscles and tissues of the body. This can lead to diabetes.
d) Virus : Cocksakie B Virus affects the pancreases, indirectly affecting the insulin levels and thus increasing the blood sugar levels.
e) Age : Age can be a factor because a person according to the age grows less active and grows overweight.

Other factors leading to diabetes are stress, grief, anxiety, worry, death etc.

It is true that the HIV prevalence all over the world has started getting under control but the people who keep on worrying about HIV are not reduced. I was thinking of dedicating a post to the worried people who keep on worrying about their HIV status.

I have seen a couple of forums where people keep on asking the same question again and again after having an HIV exposure. Let me tell you a short story of how one of my friend wasted almost a year of his life thinking he was infected with HIV. Once Ashok( one of my friend) was exposed to the virus and yeah he went paranoid as well. Ashok kept on worrying and even went paranoid to think how many years of life, he will be living from now. All day, all night long he was unable to think anything else than to worry. With HIV in mind, he was not interested in work, neither interested in playing games. His work seniors started to doubt his abilities. Finally he got tested after 6 weeks of exposure and the result turned out to be negative. He was happy, went to Goa (a tourist place in India) and enjoyed a lot. But the fear returned when he started thinking about the 3 month period which is know as window period and most of the doctors suggest testing after 3 months of exposure to HIV virus. Ashok got tested again and this time too the result was negative.

You might think this all ended up here but no there's a lot more to this. When Ashok went to get tested for the second time, he was accompanied by many HIV +ve people who were there for CD4 count ( regular blood checkup once diagnosed with HIV ). Both were made to sit on same chair. Due to Ashok's paranoid nature , he started thinking of all the possible scenarios in which he could get infected from the earliar patient sitting on the same chair. The cycle of 3 months started all over again. Finally he was able to fight to this non sense fear for 3 months and get rid of the HIV fear all together.

What do you think Ashok gained> He gained very less compared to 9 months of life, he wasted due to fear and worry, which he will never get back compared to the HIV knowledge he earned during these months. So I want all you people to try and not worry if you are not sure about your HIV status till your results are out and I beg you people to use protection whenever having ... you know what I mean.

Those who want to read more about HIV can take a look at HIV INFO

What is Crohn's Disease? Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract. It primarily cause ulcerations ( breaks in the lining ) of small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from mouth to anus.

What are the causes of Crohn's Disease?
Research shows that the inflammation seen in the gastrointestinal tract of people with Chrohn's Disease involves several factors like heredity, environment and the patients immune system.

Symptoms of Crohn's Disease include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss and rectal bleeding.