THREE COMMON CONDITIONS THAT LEAD YOUNG MEN TO OT: 2007

THREE COMMON CONDITIONS THAT LEAD YOUNG MEN TO THE OT

You’ve got it all going for you – a well-paying job, dream house, fancy four-wheeler and a bank balance that gives you good sleep at night. But there’s one thing you’re losing your health. Well, like thy say, you’ve got to give something to get something else. But how vital is that something you’re forsaking for a good life? In fact, it’s more important than most other things you’re running after.

Young executives on the fast lane of professional life sometimes experience declining health. Long working hours, erratic and improper dietary habits and regular smoking and drinking can cause serious harm to your health in the long term. As a result, more men in their 30s and 40s require medical attention. Here are the three most common reasons for which you could land on the operation table, if not diagnosed and treated on time. They are mostly lifestyle related and can be prevented.

HEARTBURN

Symptoms: There is a burning, sensation in the chest, particularly at night, You cannot sleep or it gives rise to cough and disturbed sleep. If the symptoms persist, you try to catch up on lost sleep during the day and lose productivity.

The usual recourse: You go to the neighbourhood pharmacist and pop a pill for acidity.

The real reasons for heartburn: Often heartburn is the result of eating late and consuming too much of junk food. Smoking adds to the problem. With junk food you would put on weight and that, in turn, would increase heartburn. It’s kind of a vicious cycle.

The consequences: Popping pills cannot be a solution. Regular heartburn needs proper examination. A doctor would examine you with an endoscope to look for problems in the gullet. Heartburn could not just diet related or it could be the consequence of anatomical defects, like hiatus hernia in the lower part of the gullet (esophagus). Sometimes ulcers could be the reason, and if left untreated, they could turn malignant.

What needs to be done: If you suffer from regular heartburn, do not neglect it. Visit a doctor immediately. If it is diet related and is in the early stages, medication could work. Or else, you would be recommended for surgery. Through minimal access surgery, problems in your gullet, like hiatus hernia, strictures or ulcers can be effectively corrected or removed. You would also need to take your meals on time and eat better. Take special care at night; no junk food and eat three hours before bedtime.

OBESITY

Symptoms: Excessive weight gain with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 25.

The usual recourse: There is a tendency to neglect weight gain till it’s too late. After they’ve become excessively heavy, they look for an easy way out. Instead of controlling diet and exercising, the person starts looking for instant solutions like pills that dissolve fat, liposuction or devices that promise miraculous cure.

The consequences: The common cause for obesity is diet. Statistics released in November 2006 say that in Karnataka 10.8 per cent of the adult population is over-weight and 2.9 per cent is obese. Given our population, it comes to a sizeable number. The main health concerns with obesity are joint pain, breathlessness while walking, sleep apnea and abdominal hernia. The person also has more chances of developing diabetes, coronary artery diseases, hypertension, infertility and sexual disturbances. The risks reduce significantly with intentional weight loss.

What needs to be done: Diet control and diet correction with an adequate amount of exercise can reduce weight substantially. Medicines can work in selected cases. There is also a surgical method of correcting obesity – that’s through minimal access. A band is inserted in the stomach that does not allow the stomach to expand. It helps improve the person’s eating habits by controlling hunger pangs. When he loses all the extra weight, the band is removed, again through minimal access surgery. This method is better than other surgical procedures that are non-reversible.

ULCERS IN THE STOMACH

Symptoms: Another manifestation of today’s lifestyle is ulcers in the stomach. It is often diet-related that get aggravated due to anxiety. Ulcers cause pain in the upper abdomen before and after food. It causes disturbed sleep, nausea and vomiting that sometimes have blood stains. Ulcers can lead to weight gain or loss.

The usual recourse: over the counter medication for indigestion and acidity.

The consequences: If left untreated, ulcers can turn cancerous.

What needs to be done: Endoscope can clearly establish the presence of ulcers in the stomach and assess the extent to which they have spread. If diagnosed early, ulcers can be effectively treated by medication. You would also need to control your diet and eat on time. If the ulcers are in an advanced stage, surgery may be required. Again, the minimal access method is highly effective in the removal of ulcers.

Most of these conditions are lifestyle-related and can be prevented with proper diet and exercise. If you do develop any of them, do not delay a visit to the doctor. What could have been possible with medication may now require surgery. If surgery is the mode of treatment recommended, it’s better now than later.

THREE COMMON CONDITIONS THAT LEAD YOUNG MEN TO OT

Monday, July 9, 2007

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