Fitness

What is osteoporosis and what are the signs and symptoms of osteoporosis ?

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and loss of bone tissue that may lead to weak and fragile bones. Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone micro architecture is disrupted, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered.
Osteoporosis is most common in women after menopause, when it is called postmenopausal osteoporosis, but may also develop in men.

Causes of Osteoporosis

- Osteoporosis occurs when there is an imbalance between new bone formation and old bone resorption.
- The body may fail to form enough new bone, or too much old bone may be reabsorbed, or both.
- The leading cause of osteoporosis is a lack of certain hormones, particularly estrogen in women and androgen in men.
- Other factors that may contribute to bone loss in this age group include inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, lack of weight-bearing exercise, and other age-related changes in endocrine functions.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis can be present without any symptoms for decades because osteoporosis doesn’t cause symptoms until bone fractures. he symptom associated with osteoporotic fractures usually is pain; the location of the pain depends on the location of the fracture.

Risk factors of Osteoporosis

- Getting older.
- Being small and thin.
- Having a family history of osteoporosis.
- Taking certain medicines.
- Being a white or Asian woman.
- Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass.
- Cigarette smoking, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, low amounts of calcium in the diet, heavy alcohol consumption, inactive lifestyle, and use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants, are also risk factors.
- Rheumatoid arthritis itself is a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Facts and Figures

- Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 44 million Americans, 68 percent of whom are women.
- One out of every two women and one in four men age 50 and older will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.
- Osteoporosis can strike at any age.
- Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually, including approximately 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures at other sites.

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How to stay cool in hot summers ?

Experts say, the temperatures recorded last weekend have been the highest in five years. Staying healthy during summer requires more than just eating the right foods. It is important to take care of your health to protect yourself against the heat. Also, make time to rest, relax and take a nap whenever possible. So enjoy a fun-filled and healthy summer with these natural health tips.
Fitness: A hot workout
• Avoid dark colours while working out as they absorb heat. Wear apparel that’s breathable. Give track pants a miss, wear shorts instead. Stop tying your sweat shirts around your hip, you are just trapping heat.
• While gymming, your feet sweat, so avoid wearing synthetic socks.
• Have a glass of water before you start as it takes time for fluids to get absorbed into the system.
• 21-220 celcius is the best temperature at which you should exercise.
• Best time to get your body moving is before 8 am or just after sunset.
• If you are working out outdoors, try and pace the intensity.
• Avoid steam and sauna as your normal body temperature is 370 degree C and a sauna will work adversely.
Health
• Headaches and migraines get precipitated by heat. Avoid walking in the sun or wear a hat.
• Those who do not sweat a lot are prone to heat-related exhaustion — manifested in fatigue, light-hotheadedness, etc. At an extreme level, it leads to a heat stroke or you may be paralyzed or unconscious.
• Skin allergies like psoriasis too get aggravated because of dehydration.
• Do not let your body dehydrate.
• Excess sun causes nose bleeds because of excess pressure of heat on the nostrils. Boils and sun burn are also common. The best way to counter them is drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and smoking. Have instant energy boosters such as honey, electrolytes or glucose.
• Maintain immunity with fruits such as papaya and pineapple.
Diet: Eat cool
• Take electrol twice a day. Mix it with coconut water, khus sharbat or lemonade. This will replenish minerals lost due to excessive sweating.
• Have more succulent veggies that rehydrate — bottle gourd, turai, pumpkin, lotus stem and the like.
• Avoid oily and fried stuff.
• Adopt different cooking techniques — steaming, grilling, baking and roasting.
• Avoid coffee as cocoa activates sweat glands further leading to dehydration.
• Have poha, porridge, fruits or idli for breakfast instead of dosas and parathas. Khichdi with multi-grain dal, chaach and green chutney is a good option for lunch and dinner.
Clothing
• The obvious choice of fabric for summer has to be natural ones such as cotton, linen and its derivatives such as mul, voile, or bamboo fabric.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing, preferably of a light color. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.

Beauty: Keep it fresh
• Kokum sharbat is the best way to beat prickly heat from the inside.
• To remove a tan, powder masoor daal and soak it in milk for an hour or half. Massage it over your body and let dry. Rub it off in circular motions. This bleaches and exfoliates your skin.
• Put papaya pieces through a mixer and massage the pulp into your hair, section wise. Rinse after two hours to get shiny, smooth hair.