Epley Maneuver

What is it?

Epley Maneuver is a series of positions to relieve symptoms of benign positional vertigo (BPV). Healthcare providers around the world use various modifications of the original Epley Maneuver.

Vertigo is a feeling of dizziness that makes you feel that everything around you is spinning. BPV (or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)) is a common type of vertigo. It may occur in episode of less than 60 seconds, when you move your head in a certain direction. 

Why Will you Have the Procedure?

BPPV occurs due to an inner ear (labyrinthine cavity) abnormality. Inner ear fluid moves in semi-circular canals. Sometimes, if small pieces of bone (canaliths) float in the fluid, it disturbs the sense of balance. In the year 1992, John M. Epley, MD described canalith repositioning maneuver. The provider holds patient’s head in different positions to move the small bone pieces. This maneuver eases symptoms almost immediately. 

Are There any Risks?

If this procedure is not performed by a specifically trained professional, there may be a risk of neck or back injury. If not performed correctly, the small bones may move into another canal and cause other types of vertigo. You can expect mild nausea, dizziness, or light-headedness post this procedure. Your provider may prescribe medicines to relieve these symptoms.

How do I Prepare? 

Inform your provider of any medical conditions that you may have. Person with certain health conditions are not considered eligible candidates for Epley Maneuvers.

How Will I feel?

You should stay erect or semi-erect for at least 1-2 days after the procedure. You will have to keep your head above your shoulder level at all times during these days. Consider using multiple pillows while sleeping.

How Soon Will I get Better?

Epley Maneuver cures vertigo immediately in most people. Some people may need a repeat session to cure the symptoms. In case the vertigo recurs, provider may teach people how they can perform the Maneuvers at home.

Eat Right to Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

Your body is preparing itself to create a life within. It is obvious that you will have to take great care for your body. A balanced diet is essential. Ensure that your body gets a steady supply of rich nutrients to build a healthy life.

Here are some ways you can ensure essential nutrition while you’re trying to conceive:

Eat Plenty of Greens

Fertility experts have established an inverse relationship between animal protein and fertility. According to a leading health magazine, eating one portion of red meat, turkey, or chicken everyday can increases ovulatory infertility by 33%. One portion of fish or eggs however do not impact ovulation. One portion of green and leafy vegetables and nuts on the other hand protect you from ovulatory infertility. Therefore, ensure that majority of your protein intake comes from vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and little measures of nuts and seeds.

Maintain a Strategic Distance from Bad Fat

Keep a close eye on your intake of trans fats. Eating trans fats normally prompts higher glucose and insulin levels and hurt your capacity to clear sugar from your circulatory system. Higher glucose and insulin levels lead to infertility. Eating trans fats can prompt inflammation in your body, which can delay ovulation and thereby conception. The most widely consumed trans fats in the North American are margarine, shortening, French fries, deep fried chicken, doughnuts, biscuits/cookies, and cakes/pastries. Some foods that are rich in good fats, and can be eaten to build your possibilities of getting pregnant are:

• ·         Olives and olive oil
• ·         Organic eggs
• ·         Avocados
• ·         Crisp, unroasted nuts and seeds
• ·         Coconut and coconut oil.
• ·         Fish

Eat simple Carbs and Avoid Processed Carbs

Polycystic ovary disorder (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. Foods that are rich in processed carbohydrate increase blood sugar and insulin levels which interfere in chances of getting pregnant. Types of processed carbohydrates that you should avoid while trying to get pregnant include:

• ·         French fries and potato chips
• ·         Soda pops, aerated drinks, and bottles juices
• ·         Foods made with white flour
• ·         Beer and wine

Carbohydrates that you can safely consume are vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Take Adequate Folic Acid and Iron

Folate (folic acid) is an essential element for building and replicating DNA. Folate also keeps your homocysteine level healthy; an increase in homocysteine level can increase chances of hypertension and miscarriage. Some foods that contain folate are:

• ·         Lima beans
• ·         Asparagus
• ·         Chickpeas
• ·         Romaine lettuce
• ·         Lentils
• ·         Broccoli
• ·         Spinach
• ·         Oranges
• ·         Beet roots

Nonheme iron, a component of vegetables, legumes, fruits etc, can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Some food you can include in your diet to increase nonheme iron are:

• ·         Spinach
• ·         Lima beans
• ·         Lentils
• ·         Goji berries
• ·         Navy beans
• ·         Avocado
• ·         Potatoes

      Eat healthy, stay happy, and create life :)

Delay in Pregnancy: The Possible Reasons and What You Can Do

There comes this time in life when you feel content and satisfied with your achievements in life. Gratified with your performances as a daughter, sister, friend, colleague, lover, and partner, you decide to take a step towards motherhood. When you finally start trying to get pregnant, more often than not, you turn to ladies who have recently or in the past gotten pregnant. Most of who might end up telling you how it was a big mistake to have waited this long. Form their personal experience and that of others, they convince you that your body (and that of your partner’s) is no longer ideal for pregnancy.

The fact is, your body is ideal for pregnancy for as long as you ovulate. Of course it is harder to conceive as you age. You can still get pregnant when you are in your late 30s and early 40s. Listed

here are five conditions, (some age related, some not) which might delay pregnancy. Read on to find out what you can do to get pregnant.

Polycystic Ovarian Disease (aka FIBROIDS)

The main thing you need to think about fibroids is that they not cancerous. Almost 80% of all ladies have fibroids. There is no specific cause for developing fibroids.  But it happens to run in families. Can you still get pregnant? Women who have fibroids can still get pregnant naturally. However, some women with fibroids may find it difficult to conceive and may need medical help. If you have a history of irregular periods, you may consider a gynaecologist consultation.

How active the sperms are

Your chances of getting pregnant is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of your partner’s sperm.  Age, smoking, drinking, drugs, untreated sexually transmitted diseases, viral/bacterial infections, unnecessary exposure to heat, active infection etc. can have negative influence on sperms.

Gum Diseases

This one may come as a surprise to many. Gum disease in either of the partners is known to delay pregnancy by two months or more. Infection or inflammation of gums is usually a result of poor oral hygiene.  Brush twice daily using a soft-tufted brush and floss after each meal. Change your toothbrush every 3 months to maintain oral health.

Scarring In the Fallopian Tubes

Scarring or blockage in the tubes prevent the egg from reaching the uterus. Blockage could be a result of a previous surgery, ectopic pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition. A few smart lifestyle changes should help you improve your chances of pregnancy. Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, avoid alcohol and too much caffeine, and take a balanced diet.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition when the tissue from inside the uterus covers the outer surface of the uterus. Women with mild to moderate endometriosis do not require any invention. Though if the condition affects your ability to conceive, your doctor may suggest a drug therapy or a laparoscopic surgery to remove the abnormal tissue. Most gynaecologists prefer drug therapy as compared to surgery because the latter carries the risk of adhesion or scaring.

If you are trying to conceive for a year or more, consult a fertility expert to begin an evaluation. If you are 35 or older, you can consider speaking to your physician after 4-6 months of unsuccessful trial. The chances of getting pregnant vastly depend on the cause of infertility. But the good news is that more than half the couples who undergo fertility treatment in one way or the other eventually get pregnant.

Higher the Heel - Higher the Standard

I love my shoes. Who doesn’t? I am a self-confessed materialistic shopaholic who is hopelessly in love with her shoes. Especially the heels that make me look sexy. The pump highs, the black heels, the platform highs, and the very cute pink heels that I had to buy because the store was offering 50% off! I remember I was walking past this shoe store on a lazy afternoon, I entered just to kill some time and came out after spending half my month’s earning.

People around me always told me that owing to my relatively tall stature, I don’t really need to wear heels. I could always go easy on the heels and buy shoes that are more comfortable. But let’s face it, comfortable shoes never made anyone look young and attractive. And I am one person who believes that ladies should always keep their heels and standards high. The other day my mom called me to inform that my fashionista aunt who herself kept her heels high all her life, was in for a knee replacement surgery. It was then that I came face-to-face with the fact that looking young is very different from feeling young. I figured, along with being not comfortable, my stilettos were creating permanent health damage. Taking a close look at my shoe closet I realized it was time to shop for some not-so-sexy shoes. 

Here’s list of the things that are going wrong:

Shoes that tend to restrict the natural shape of our feet cause pain and discomfort. Over a period of time such restrictions cause Bunions that need to be removed surgically.

Ill-fitted shoes, that do not have proper arch support, cause plantar fasciitis and heel spur.

Wearing high heels regularly, strains the Achilles tendon (the part that attaches the calf muscles to the heel) can contribute to Achilles Tendonitis.

Heels that are taller than 3.5 inches prematurely age knee joints. This aging leads to chronic pain and osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The only treatment for a severe OA knee is a replacement. BTW, having steel inside your body won’t be very comfortable.

We need to arch our back awkwardly to stand straight on a high heeled shoe.  Improper posture causes the back musculature to contract and cause back pain. 

The fact of the matter is that the small joints in our body are designed for mobility. Whereas, the bigger ones are designed to bear weight. When we wear high heels, we shift the body weight on the smaller joints of feet and toes. Thus, making them work against the law of nature. 

You don't really have to give-up wearing heels, but the next time you go shopping, you could pick sensible heels with soft insoles. 

Wear heels on days when you’ll be walking or standing less than usual.

And whenever we hurt your feet, make sure you relax them. Stretch and care for your feet. Maintain a good posture.

Love thy feet more than thy shoes J

Dos and Don’ts of Weight Management

Whether you decide to reduce, control or increase weight the most important step is to measure your weight on a regular basis. Do you often feel that your weight is inconsistent with the diet or workout plan you take up? Did you find your weight actually increasing after a month of rigorous exercise and strict diet? Don’t get demotivated. The reason can be the time of the day you chose to hop on your weighing scale. There are multiple reasons for which your weight check may not be accurate.

The ideal way to measure weight:

• The best time to measure weight is early morning. Before you have your breakfast and your morning cup of coffee.
• Right after urination, your body contains only the minimum required amount of water. This is to ensure that fluctuation of water weight in the body does not impact the overall body weight. 
  
• Measure weight with no clothes on.
• Measuring weight once a week is enough.
• Check weight on a fixed day and time every week.
• Use the same scale every time. Digital weight machines display more accurate and consistent weight.
• Set a realistic goal.
• Stick to your weight loss regimen.

What you should not do:

• Never measure weight after a heavy meal.
• Avoid heavy shoes and clothes.
• Do not weigh right after rigorous exercise.
• Do not measure weight while menstruating.
• Keep your bathroom scale directly on the floor and not on a carpet or floor mat.

Understand that diet and weight loss exercises take time to show results. Keep calm and stay motivated.

Fibromyalgia: A Disease or a Symptom?

Have you been tired and lethargic lately? Did you blame the weather or the workload at office? Think again! This might be Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a bunch of symptoms that include chronic pain and pressure throughout the body. The pain is literally everywhere; neck, shoulder, back, torso, jaw. It gets unbearable when the pain is associated with nausea and insomnia. Lack of sleep in-turn causes fatigue and lack of energy. Migraine headaches, inability to focus, and inexplicable neurological symptoms are usually results of overwhelming fatigue.

When you visit your doctor, he might tell you that stress, sleep disorder, and possible depression usually lead to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The disease on the other hand causes all these symptoms. It is almost like a vicious cycle with no escape. The truth is, we still know very little about fibromyalgia. There is no solid theory to explain what causes the disease.

The good news is, we know the risk factors. Females are said to be more prone to developing the symptoms. Like most other arthritic diseases, this one also seems to be predisposed by genetic history!

While the doctors are working on finding the causes and treatment for fibromyalgia, here’s what you can do if you are suffering from it:

Exercise Regularly: Make exercises such as swimming, cycling, walking, or stretching a part of your daily routine. Here's a list of exercise for fibromyalgia.

Do not Over-exert: Realize the limitations this disease is going to put on your body. Avoid taxing your body or mind unnecessarily.

Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is essential to counter the fatigue.

Keep Calm: Researches have indicated that over-activity of neurotransmitters cause the pain. Therefore it is necessary to keep calm.

Good Posture: Maintain good posture at work as well as during your activities of daily living.

Over-the-counter medications: Try pain meds like Tylenol, advil, acetaminophen, or aspirin.

Eat Healthy.