In humans there are mainly 4 types of blood groups, they are A, B, AB and O group. It is a tiny bit of protein, called the antigen which is on the surface of a red blood cell that helps determine which type of blood you have. If you have A antigen, then your type is A and B antigen means the blood type is B and so on. If you have both antigens then the blood type is AB and if there are no antigens then the blood type is O.

What is Rh Factor?

If you have the Rh factor on your red blood cells along with the antigen then you have a positive blood type. For example if you have A antigen and the Rh factor then the blood type is A positive. If the Rh factor is absent then you have a negative blood type. For example if you have no Rh factor but only B antigen then you blood type is B negative.

Lower heart disease

People having a certain type of blood group have lower risk of heart disease. Blood group  ‘O’ is most common and has lower risk of heart disease. On the negative side AB blood has higher risk compared to people with other blood types.

Memory problems

People who have AB type of blood group are more at risk of getting dementia than people of other types. While people with type ‘O’ have the lowest risk of developing the condition.

Universal Donor

It is best to check the correct blood type before receiving a transfusion otherwise it may cause problems. But in an emergency, O negative blood type can be used for any person. This is because it does not have any of the antigens, A, B, or Rh that can lead to immune system attack on it.

Universal Recipient

People having blood type AB positive is known as ‘universal recipients’ because their blood has all the antigens. This type of blood recognises any other blood type during transfusion in the body and will accept the blood without any sort of attack on the transfused blood cells.

Weight loss

There is a misconception that you can lose weight if you base your diet upon the blood type. There is no evidence to prove this. Studies show no health effects of specific foods on any blood type.

Rh Negative Danger

The blood of a pregnant mother will act upon the baby’s blood cells and destroy them if she has Rh negative blood type and the baby has Rh positive type. This is called as rhesus disease and some medications can prevent it. During pregnancy it is good to have a blood test for Rh factor done. If you are Rh negative, the doctor will recommend that you take the medications to be on the safer side.

How is your cholesterol, after a recent check-up your doctor has mentioned that you have high cholesterol, don’t worry you can still lower your cholesterol. The best way to lower your cholesterol is by changing your dies and lifestyle. Lowering your cholesterol automatically lowers your risk of a heart disease. You may be given medicines to lower your cholesterol but still you need to change your diet and become more active to have heart health.

What is good and bad cholesterol?

It is accepted that the body needs a small amount of cholesterol to function perfectly but many people have too much of cholesterol and especially the ‘bad’ kind or LDL cholesterol. When you consume too much saturated fat, found in animal products you increase the level of LDL in your body. When LDL level is too high it leads to build up in the heart’s arteries and leads to heart diseases. Actually if you have a fair measure of HDL or good cholesterol then it will help in clearing LDL from the blood.

The ‘handy’ portions

Overeating is now a widespread problem and especially you tend to overeat when you go to a hotel or restaurant. It is always best to stick to your home diet for a healthy life. But even at home you can keep track of what you are eating and how much with a simple trick. Use your hand to measure the food you are going to eat. One serving of meat or fish is about what fits into the palm of your hand. One serving of fresh fruit is about the size of your fist. Similarly a serving of nuts, cooked vegetables, rice or pasta should fit a cupped hand.

What to eat to lower cholesterol?

You need not look too far to know what to eat! Just load your plat with fruits and vegetables. Five to nine servings each day of fruits and vegetables can help bring down the LDL levels. Actually the antioxidants in these foods provide the benefits along with fibre. The trick again is to fill up with produce so that you eat less of fatty food. The double advantage is you will lower your blood pressure and keep weight in check if you have a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Prefer unsaturated oils

Your body needs some fat and it comes from your diet but not as much as you consume daily. Unsaturated fats like in canola, olive ans sunflower oil lowers LDL and may help raise HDL or good cholesterol. Saturated fats like those found in meat, dairy products and palm oil only goes to increase LDL. Good fats also has too many calories so we have to use them only a bit at a time.

The best carbohydrates

The best carbs are found in beans and whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat. They have more fibre and does not raise the blood sugar levels. These food lower cholesterol and make you feel fuller. Carbs found in white bread, potatoes, white rice and pastries boost blood sugar suddenly and so you feel hungry within few hours, which means you tend to eat more and increase your weight.

Exercise regularly

It has been seen that exercise can improve cholesterol. Very moderate physical activity can help to raise HDL cholesterol levels. A work out of atleast 30 minutes every day will do the job.

Give up smoking

Everyone knows the benefits of giving up smoking but it also helps to improve HDL cholesterol levels. Within minutes of quitting the blood pressure and heart rate decreases, in  a year’s time the risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker and in 10 years the risk is similar to a non-smoker’s.

Scientific studies have not yet pinpointed as to why we have earwax. Earwax is produced by glands in the ear canal. Earwax helps in trapping dust and other micro particles and prevents them from reaching or potentially damaging/infecting the eardrum. In normal conditions the wax dries and falls out of the ear along with the trapped dust and particles. Another interesting fact is that the amount of ear wax produced is genetic like our hair colour or height. Sometimes the smaller or oddly shaped ear canals make it difficult for the ear wax to get out of the canal and this causes earwax blockage.

Earwax Causes

Earwax blockage or impaction occurs when the wax does not get thrown out naturally and gets pushed deep within the ear canal. Earwax blockage is one of the most common ear problems doctors see. The most common reason for earwax impaction is the use of ear buds or similar objects including rolled napkin corners, hairpins etc. All these can remove the earwax superficially but at the same time pushes the rest of the wax deeper into the ear canal. Other reason may be the use of earplugs and hearing aids which can also push the wax deeper and cause earwax blockage.

Symptoms of blockage

There are many symptoms for earwax blockage or impaction which we can easily find out. The symptoms include decreased hearing, dizziness, ear pain, fullness in the ear, ringing in the ear, itching accompanies by draining from the ear. A couple of these symptoms or few of them together may be due to the earwax impaction.

When to see an ENT specialist?

At the first signs of earwax blockage it is advisable to see a specialist. Before trying to remove the block by yourself or using home remedies it is best to seek medical help and easily find relief from the earwax problem. By approaching a medical expert you can also eliminate other reasons and narrow it down to earwax impaction.

Earwax treatment

Depending on the severity of the blockage your doctor may recommend removal method at home or do a procedure in the hospital. If there are no perforation or hole in the eardrum then doctor may advise you to get an OTC wax softening drops and put a few drops in the ear which will drain the wax from the ear after sometime. A bulb type syringe may be used to gently flush the wax out with lukewarm water.

At the hospital the doctor may remove the earwax with a small plastic spoon called a curette or irrigate the ear with warm water, sodium bicarbonate or other prescription ear drops and use a gentle suction pump to remove the wax.

How to prevent earwax?

The frequent earwax blockage can be prevented by avoiding the use of cotton-tipped swabs or other objects including pins to remove the wax, since the wax gets pushed further inside and deeper into the ear canal.

According to medical knowledge mental illness is defined as a health condition involving changes in thinking, emotion or behaviour of a person. Many mental illnesses are connected to distress or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

It is apparent that many people who are afflicted with mental illness don’t want to talk about it to anyone. Actually mental illness is a condition that you should not be ashamed of and like any other health problem like heart disease or diabetes. Infact today most of the    mental illness can be treated expertly.

Mental illness can grip anyone regardless of age, gender, income, social status, race/ethnicity, religion or upbringing. Mental illness can take many forms, from mild ones like phobias that only interfere with daily life in a limited way to conditions so severe that a person may need to be cared in a hospital.

STRESS AND MENTAL ILLNESS

To a certain extent stress is a natural reaction of our body to a stressful situation and helps our brain and body to react to it. If the same stress gets out of control then it can lead to mental illness. Stress can be due to various reasons, right from morning exercise, to work, school, changes in life, traumatic events like death of a dear one etc. Stress can affect our health, it is important to know how stress affects us and how to deal with minor and major stress events so that we know when to seek proper help.

STRESS HAS NO DISTINCTION

Which means stress can affect everyone. It has been seen that some people cope with stress more effectively or recover from stressful situations more quickly than others. What ever the type of stress it is always risky for physical and mental health. Stress can be a one time occurrence or it can be an occurrence that happens continuously for a longer period.

ALL STRESS IS NOT BAD

As mentioned earlier, stress is not always a bad sign. Stress can motivate people to prepare themselves for a expected event or perform better is a life situation. Like a situation during a interview or a new job, a little stress goes a long way in improving your performance. In life threatening situations the body prepares to face a threat or flee to safety as a result of the stress response.

LONG TERM STRESS

If the stress response turn chronic or goes on for a long time it can cause major health problems. When the stress response is constant, or if the response continue even after the threat situation is over then it is called long term stress. With chronic stress the life saving stress response suppresses the immune system, causes digestive disruption, affects sleep and reproductive systems and finally proper brain functioning. This sort of physical and mental health problems will affect the efficiency and quality of life of a person.

When the stress is routine then what happens is that we fail to recognise it and its effects rather than when stress is acute or traumatic. In chronic stress our body does not receive signals to return to the normal. Thus over a period of time the stress or strain on your body and mind contributes to heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes and mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

HOW TO MANAGE STRESS?

Practical steps to prevent or manage chronic stress can help prevent majour health upsets in life. The following are few tips for managing long term stress.

Watch for the signs: Watch how your body responds to certain stressful conditions, it will usually show signs like sleeplessness, craving for alcohol, anger, depression and feel low in energy.

Have regular exercise: It is observed that you need not strain yourself but just do a minimum of 30 minutes brisk walking to feel relieved of your stress.

Take to a relaxing activity: It could be a good book to read, a game of golf or just driving the car out of town into the scenic countryside and spending time there.

Reset goals: Be more realistic about the goals you set for yourself decide what can be done and what else can wait. Say no to tasks if they are putting an overload on you. Always note what you have accomplished than what you were unable to do.

Stay connected: Try cultivating a network of people who make you feel great and provide you some sort of emotional support. If you feel stressed talk to your friends, family and even community leaders to find a way out of it. All these will help you either tackle stress or prevent it.