AVOID JUNK FOOD

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Created on 18 June 2013 Written by Dr. Rachna Pande
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“Junk” food is the type of food which has no nutritional value and is high in calories and also poses health hazards. This term was first used by Michael Jacobson in 1972 and has been in usage since then. “Junk”, literally means something useless and worth throwing out, for example like garbage. Various studies have shown that this type of food is as useless and harmful as junk.

Over the past few decades, along with development, there has also been increase in the use of junk food, all over the world. In the past, women would cook or supervise preparation of fresh meals for the family. Meal times were sacred. The whole family would sit and eat together after saying grace.

But now the scenario has changed completely. With more women joining the work force, nobody has the time to prepare a fresh whole meal at home. Reliable domestic help is not easily available as before. Long distances, makes it difficult for people in big cities to go home for lunch. Hence majority of the working people take to eating fast food in canteens or restaurants during the day. They land up eating burgers, sandwiches, fried potatoes, e.t.c.

Children and youngsters’s taste have also changed. Burgers and fries, instant ready to eat chips, noodles and puddings, have become their favorite meals. Ready to eat fast foods, processed and canned foods have become the favorite of most people. Most of the times, it has become substitute for a whole meal, particularly mid day meal in case of office workers.

But now scientific studies have demonstrated the health hazards of these fast foods as many are suffering from adverse health due to junk food. Junk or fast food is tasty, and does not need many efforts in preparation. It has a good shelf life due to the preservatives, hence easy to store for many days. There are multiple chemicals involved in processing and preserving it. Fried foods have lot of saturated fats which are harmful.

The good taste of junk food comes from hydrogenated fats. These fats lead to obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases. Obesity even among children in developed countries is due to consumption of this kind of fast food. White sugar used in many fast foods, is a source of obesity and has no nutritional value whatsoever. Thus it accelerates atherosclerosis (deposition of fat on inner layer of blood vessels) and also diabetes, hence increasing risk for cardiovascular diseases. Apart from this it is damaging to the teeth.
A study done few years ago suggests that using fast food chronically lead to alteration in brain activity similar to abusive substances, thus one gets addicted to them, after some time. A person after eating any of these substances few times craves to eat more. Artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame are implicated to be producing cancer.

Monosodium glutamate(MSG), used in ready to eat instant foods and snacks, is a very controversial chemical and is known to be a cancer producing substance. Butylated hydroxyl toluene(BHT) and BHA(Butylated hydroxyanisole), have also been proved to be carcinogenic in experimental animals and these 2 chemicals are widely used in fast foods.

Junk foods are implicated in causing liver diseases and also cancer of the liver, pancreas, e.t.c. Studies have shown them to be more damaging to the liver than alcohol. The wide range of chemicals used as food preservatives, additives, flavoring and coloring agents are a source of allergy in susceptible people. There is increase in prevalence of bronchial asthma and related allergic disorders like allergic rhinitis, eczema, e.t.c., in developed countries, where there is an increased consumption of this kind of food. Statistics show rising prevalence of bronchial asthma in western countries, reason being consumption of junk food.

One individual can develop bronchial asthma due to fast food consumption. Due to alterations in the genetic material, this asthma is passed on to next generation. Therefore it is high time that people become aware of the health hazards of fast food. It is O.K. to eat it once a while for a change. But by consuming fast food regularly or very frequently, after some time, one spoils his/her health apart from the money spent.

The author is a Specialist internal medicine-
Ruhengeri Hospital

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The Importance of Hygiene in Hospitals

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Created on 15 March 2013 Written by Dr. Rachna Pande
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IMPORTANCE OF HYGIENE IN HOSPITALS
By Dr. Rachna Pande
Good hygiene or cleanliness is a basic requirement for good health. The importance becomes much more in a hospital setting, where sick people come to restore their health.

Hospitals provide cure for all types of sickness of the people. But, they also become a potential source of spread of infection if people concerned are not vigilant enough. A person may be hospitalized for some other problem say cardiac failure and may become more sick after acquiring some infection in the hospital. Infections occurring in a hospital setting or nosocomial infections as they are called, usually occur by 3 modes.

The infection can spread from one patient to another, from patient to doctor or nurse. A doctor or health care personnel can also infect a patient. The microbes responsible for hospital acquired infections usually cause more severe illness and are resistant to the more conventional antibiotics being used. Germs like pseudomonas, kliebsella, etc. which produce grave illness are mostly implicated in nosocomial infections. Hence it is important for all concerned to be aware of these infections and take utmost precautions to prevent them.

Hospitalized patients are more prone to these infections as compared to those who just consult and go home. Immune compromised people (patients of HIV/ AIDS, uncontrolled diabetes, renal failure, etc.) acquire infections easily and in more severe form. The common diseases acquired and spread in a hospital are urinary tract infections, pneumonia, diarrhoea diseases and even chronic infections like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Apart from this, skin diseases, common cold and cough can also be transmitted and acquired.

For prevention of infection from one patient to another, the beds are separated by a suitable distance. Those suffering from contagious illness like cholera, T.B., etc. are put in isolation. Regarding part of the hospital it is very important to maintain very good hygiene. Every room should have good amount of sunlight as most of the disease producing germs present in the environment are killed by strong sunlight. It should be remembered that a hospital room is always full of infectious agents of various kinds Adequate aeration and cross ventilation helps to minimize the concentration of germs inside the rooms. Daily washing and mopping of the hospital rooms with some antiseptic solution helps to kill the microbes prevalent in the rooms.

One should be vigilant enough to see that cobwebs and dust do not settle over the doors and windows and even on the furniture, because these harbor germs. Hygiene needs to be observed even for the hospital linen and clothes, as these also tend to gather germs. These should be always clean and changed regularly. This linen includes the bed sheets and other bedding used by the patient as well as the uniforms and coats used by doctors and other health personnel. They need to be washed and dried in strong sunlight or ironed by a hot iron. Proper disposal of the fluids of the patient like urine, blood, etc. and laboratory samples should be such that it does not become a source of infection for others. For this purpose, antiseptic solution is poured over the liquids before they are disposed off.

Every hospital designs its own infection control program which includes measures for cleanliness, hygiene and waste disposal. Ministry of health, in Rwanda has effectively taken measures to implement this in all hospitals. As people become more aware of the need for good hygiene in the hospitals, these measures will become more effective. This will definitely reduce incidence of hospital acquired infections and ensure that sick individuals visiting the hospital do not get any infection.

The author is a Specialist internal medicine-Ruhengeri Hospital
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Teeth: the precious pearls in your mouth

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Created on 28 December 2012 Written by Dr Sandeep Goyal
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Have you ever thought that the teeth are the gems of your mouth and an important part of your body? Not only the teeth help in chewing & eating food, but also they contribute to your beauty & smile. You will frequently note that people turn away their face from the person with bad smell coming from his mouth. Thus a good care of your teeth is important to maintain them in healthy condition. Good teeth are of great value in eating; talking; & appearance. Yellow teeth, decayed or missing teeth spoil the appearance of the mouth and face, especially when you laugh or smile. They also contribute to good health. Bad or decayed teeth often cause toothache and other kinds of illness. Sometimes they cause bad breath. If we cannot chew our food well, we may get indigestion.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PEARLS
Eat good and healthy food: Foods which stick to the teeth lead to their decay. Thus chocolates, bon – bon; biscuits etc which taste good to eat but are the enemies of the teeth. Our teeth have rough surface in which bacteria live which start making acids when sticky food is there, thus softening and damaging the teeth, leading to cavities. Milk is one of the most important foods which provide calcium for teeth. Many fresh or “green” vegetables e.g. spinach, carrots, fresh cabbage, lettuce, collards, and turnip and beet tops are good for teeth. Oranges, pineapples, and other raw fruits give vitamin C for your teeth.

Brush Your Teeth: Cleaning the teeth daily 2 times is a must for their health.. Brushing helps to remove the particles of food that may lodge in the teeth or between the teeth to remove film and harmful germs which may collect on the teeth. It is better to brush before going to bed. Most decay takes place during the long hours of sleep. Visit the dentist for choosing our brush and   for learning how to brush properly. Use mouthwashes, dental floss etc as advised by your dentist to keep your teeth healthy.

Exercise the Teeth and Gums: Exercising the teeth and gums makes them stronger by increasing the blood supply and cleaning them. Best foods for exercise are to eat raw vegetables like carrots, turnip, reddish, lettuce, and raw cabbage. Protect the Teeth from Injury: Eating very hard things like nuts may injure the teeth by breaking the outer most covering of the tooth called enamel which is brittle. Do not attempt to open bottles with your teeth. Caution should be taken while playing contact supports like football, karate, basket ball etc.

Visit the Dentist: You should visit a dental doctor every 6 months for proper check up and to maintain the teeth and gums in proper health. If you wait until your tooth hurts you before going to the dentist, then it may be too late and you may either loose your teeth or pay a lot of money for its treatment.

Take care of baby teeth: There is a notion among parents that baby teeth are ultimately going to fall, thus there is no need to take care of them. But this attitude is very wrong. Don’t you wait for the first tooth of your child; don’t you enjoy when your child laughs. Baby teeth set the foundation for the permanent teeth. it is very much possible that if baby tooth gets an infection, the underlying permanent tooth may also get an infection. Baby teeth help in growth of jaws and maintain the space for the permanent teeth so that they can come in proper place when child grows. The kids cannot take care of their teeth so the parents should be proactive and vigilant to clean their teeth; avoid giving them sticky foods and take them to dentist regularly for check up. If you stay in an area where drinking water does not have fluorides, then you should give fluoride supplements to your child in the form of fluoride tabs, fluoridated tooth paste, fish and coffee, but under the guidance of your dentist. Thus, be vigilant, do not ignore your teeth, take care of the precious pearls and keep smiling.
The Author is an Orthodontist and Dental Surgeon at the King Faisal Hospital, Kigali
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