BLOOD PRESSURE; SIX SUMMER FOODS FOR MANAGING BLOOD PRESSURE.

HIGHLIGHTS,

 • Blood pressure is one of the most common conditions in India

 • All berries are loaded with heart-healthy compounds called flavonoids

 • Skimmed milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D helps reduce BP

Blood pressure is one of the most common conditions in India. It is said that one in every three Indians are suffering from hypertension and heart ailments. High blood pressure is a silent killer; in fact, according to the National Centre For Biotechnology Information (NCBI), blood pressure shows seasonal variation. It is the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. It tends to damage the body's blood vessels, thus causing kidney diseases, heart afflictions and other health problems. Blood pressure should be taken care of, especially during summers as it tends to fluctuate more often. We give you some expert tips on managing blood pressure with healthy summer foods.

"The hypertension diet should have foods with high magnesium, potassium and fibre content in it. They should be necessarily low in sodium."

Here are the summer foods for managing blood pressure;

1. Berries

All berries are loaded with heart-healthy compounds called flavonoids. The antioxidant rich fruit may help lower blood pressure, as per a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Add blueberries, strawberries, et al to your daily diet.

2. Skimmed milk

Skimmed milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D, two of which work as a team to help reduce blood pressure naturally. According to National Health Service, UK, drinking a glass of skimmed milk a day can cut blood pressure by upto a one third. So gulp down a glass of skimmed milk daily in order to reap maximum benefits.

3. Yogurt

According to a study presented at the American Heart Association (AHA), women who consumed five or more servings of yogurt a week had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than similar women who hardly ever ate yogurt. So load up on chilled yogurt every day and enjoy a healthful life.

4. Watermelon

According to a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, watermelon could significantly reduce blood pressure in overweight individuals both at rest and while under stress. The pressure on the aorta and on the heart reduced after the consumption of watermelon.

5. Bananas

This tropical fruit is super rich in potassium and even more easy to include in your daily diet. One banana provides one percent of calcium, eight percent of magnesium and 12 percent of potassium that you need every day.

6. Kiwi

According to a report presented in the American Heart Association (AHA), kiwis may naturally lower blood pressure. Three kiwis a day could keep high blood pressure at bay. So toss kiwis in your salads and stave off any risk of high blood pressure.

This summer, ensure that your blood pressure is regulated and well-maintained.

Namaste,

Dr Padamjeet Gulia,

Consultant Pediatrician,

www.thepaediatricin.blogspot.com

TOUCH SCREEN OF DEVICES AND CHILDREN

_*Use Of Touch Screen Of Devices By Children Hamper Their Growth Many Children Hamper Their Growth Many W_ays_ays**

.         Nowadays, Parents provide their toddlers and children to use mobile phones, tablets, computers and other gadgets where they use these touching their screen with their fingers, a new study has established that it leads to their holding capacity to hold a pen or pencil while writing by fingers as depicted in the attached picture. In fact, many parents use the tactic of giving their gadgets to their kids to them busy, while they go about their day without disturbance. Little do they know, that this habit is actually hampering their growth in a lot of ways. Confirming the same, UK doctors have explained how the excessive use of phones and tablets is preventing children's finger muscles from developing sufficiently, thereby making it increasingly hard for them to hold pens and pencils.
Children are not coming into school with the hand strength and dexterity they had 10 years ago," said Sally Payne, the head pediatric therapist at the Heart of England Foundation NHS Trust in the UK. "Children coming into school are being given a pencil but are increasingly not able to hold it because they do not have the fundamental movement skills," the researcher said. "To be able to grip a pencil and move it, you need strong control of the fine muscles in your fingers. Children need lots of opportunities to develop those skills," she said. "It's easier to give a child an iPad than encouraging them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks, cutting and sticking, or pulling toys and ropes," She quoted as saying by the 'Guardian'. The person, who runs a research clinic at Brunel University London investigating key skills in childhood, including handwriting, said that increasing numbers of children may be developing handwriting late because of an overuse of technology. "One problem is that handwriting is very individual in how it develops in each child," she said. "Without research, the risk is that we make too many assumptions about why a child isn't able to write at the expected age and don't intervene when there is a technology-related cause," she said. Although the early years' curriculum has handwriting targets for every year, different primary schools focus on handwriting in different ways – with some using tablets alongside pencils, she said.                             This becomes a problem when same the children also spend large periods of time on tablets outside the school.

ABUSIVE PATIENTS

Every clinic has their share of unhappy patients. Patients get upset for many reasons. They may not be getting better or the treatment is costing much more than they thought they would or they feel that the doctor's not paying enough attention to them; or that they have to wait too long; or that the staff is unfriendly. This is quite natural. After all, no one likes being sick, and no one enjoys spending money in a doctor's clinic. The outcome of any treatment is uncertain, and when you are sick, your head and your heart often don't work properly. Every little incident can upset you, and you often need to vent. While you may want to scream at the doctor, you are too scared to do this ; and in any case, the doctor is not easily accessible. This is why angry patients will often use the clinic staff as their punching bag . The staff is often at the receiving end of the patient's ire, no matter what the underlying reason for his anger may be. This can be hard for the poor clinic staff, because they have to put up with a lot of emotional abuse for no fault of theirs. Even worse, often the doctor will also take the patient's side because he doesn't want to upset his paying patients. It can be extremely hard to listen to a lot of rubbish from an angry patient when you are not at fault. We doctors need to learn to empathise with our clinic staff because they have an extremely difficult role to play. We need to support them and teach them that when a patient starts shouting at them, they need to keep their cool and not treat this as a personal insult. An angry patient needs to release his bile, and the clinic staff is the easiest target, which is why they often will be at the receiving end of verbal abuse. Yes, it's not fair on them, but they need to learn not to take any of these insults personally. It's hard to have to listen to the emotional tirade of an abusive patient, but just because a patient is throwing a temper tantrum, there's no need for them to lose their temper - this will just escalate the problem, and make matters worse. If the staff listens to them patiently, most patients will come to their senses, and will apologise when they realise how badly behaved they have been. When confronted by an irate patient, your staff need to behave in an extra mature fashion. They should feel sorry for the poor patient , who is unhappy and scared, and is expressing his emotions in an immature fashion. When a child throws a temper tantrum, a parent doesn't respond by having a temper tantrum himself. He understands his child's emotional distress, takes a deep breathe, cools down, and tries to get the child to see reason. This is exactly what the clinic staff needs to learn to do when a patient is angry. It's not easy, but it's a skill which can be learned, and the doctor can help them to do this. Your staff needs to have the confidence that you will back them up. If you learn to be a role model of patience and forbearance, your staff will also learn to behave in the same fashion.

7 Ways Restaurant Food Can Kill You Slowly but Surely

Nowadays, people just don't feel like cooking at home. Ordering takeout is the way to go today. It has become a regular part of your diet. But it is extremely detrimental to your health. You may lick your fingers and savor the moment after that lip smacking bucket of fried chicken or the burger you just polished off, but in the long run, a whole lot of health problems are going to follow suit.

1. Restaurant food is extremely fattening and can raise your cholesterol levels sky high. Obesity is now a major modern health problem, which is affecting children since the young age. In adults, it increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. To our brain, this food is often very rewarding, and we tend to overeat as a result.
2. The meat in your burger is so laden with artificial chemicals, that it is hardly nutritive. It is essentially scrap meat that is fattened up and flavored to suit your taste buds. It contains high amounts of ammonia, a chemical that is found in your bathroom cleaning liquid and that is hardly fit for human consumption.
3. It is extremely addictive, where the more frequently you eat it, the more you crave it, until you lose all self-control. If you eat restaurant food more than once a week, you have fallen prey to the most common trend of today.
4. Restaurant chains are nowadays trying to lure customers with healthier options like salads or soups, but they're hardly healthy and are instead full of preservatives
5. The desserts and sodas that you love are full of artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is hardly nutritious and only adds to energy levels, which when not burnt off lead to all the oodles of fat in your belly. It can also increase your resistance to insulin.
6. A lot of the ingredients in restaurant food are processed foods that contain artificial chemicals like colorants, preservatives, artificial flavors and textures. Its harmful nature can never be stressed upon enough.
7. Eating refined flour on a regular basis is a big no-no. Its carbohydrates are difficult for the digestive tract to break down, once again leading it to being accumulated. Don't get mislead by promises of 'whole grain' items; for even they are whole grain, they are broken down to finer flour that hardly retains its nutritive value.

No wonder it's called 'junk food', it only brings harm to your body. Make a conscious effort to replace it with real, fresh food that actually contains nutrients and not artificial chemicals.

MONSOON--CARE--FOR--YOUR--LITTLE--ONES

·                                 Clothes

·                                 Hygiene

·                                 Food and Drink

·                                 Keeping your home and surroundings clean

·                                 Pre-monsoon check

·                                 Child safety and other tips

·                          

We all have fond memories of the rains from our growing up years - impromptu holidays from school, splashing about in muddy puddles, or maybe simply getting wet in a pouring shower. Like you, your little one will love the rains, the fresh new leaves on the trees, the smell of the damp wet ground, and perhaps a little scared of the thunder and lightening which accompany the rain many a time. But will all the joyous moments, the monsoon also brings with it humid weather,flooded roads, mosquitoes, diseases, and lots more. With a little care and forethought you can let your child enjoy this beautiful season and also keep him safe from illnesses. 

Clothes 

Rainy days bring with it sweat and heat that is different from the hot summer days, but are nevertheless as uncomfortable. Make sure your child is not wrapped in layers just because the weather has cooled down a bit after the rains. Avoid synthetic clothes and make him wear loose cotton clothes that will absorb the perspiration when he plays around allowing the skin to breathe easily. Keep his skin dry to avoid prickly heat. Pick up a few extra underclothes for him since clothes take a lot of time to dry in this weather; making him wear damp clothes or socks can lead to fungal infections. 

Once he has begun to walk and prefers to move around on his own most of the time, get him well-fitting closed rain shoes or gum boots which will keep his feet dry. Don’t buy cheap plastic rain shoes as they can cause skin allergies. Look for shoes made of good quality vinyl or rubber with skid proof soles so that he doesn’t slip and fall. Some raincoats which are of inferior quality can also causeallergies, so choose his raincoat with care. Dry him off as soon as he comes home after getting wet in the rains, and change him into dry clothes while you wait for his hair to dry. 

Hygiene 

The monsoon brings with it a host of diseases. Drains that have not been cleaned can overflow and cause flooding. The water which flows on the roads not only gets mixed with sewage and muck, but also contains rags, paper, vegetable and fruit waste, and even broken glass. Make sure your toddler wears covered shoes while walking outside and doesn’t stay bare-feet even in your own garden or balcony because they can be breeding grounds for infections. Slugs, leeches, earthworms, and other insects often come into the house during the monsoon, so make sure he doesn’t try to pick up or play with any of them. 

Bathe him twice a day if possible; especially if he goes outside to play, or at least ensure he washes his hands and feet thoroughly with soap and water after he is back in the house. Wash his clothes in hot water with rinse them with water mixed with a few drops of disinfectant mixed in it. Clean his footwear, socks, umbrella, and raincoat and ensure they are dried immediately and free of all moisture, else they might become a breeding ground for germs and moulds. 

Incidences of waterborne diseases increase during the monsoons. Hence, apart from other things you will need to take special care that your food is prepared hygienically. Make sure your babysitter/maid washes her hands and feet thoroughly as soon as she enters your home. If you have a cook, ensure she washes her hands before handling any food and check regularly if her nails are trimmed. Ensure that all cooked food is covered to keep away flies and other insects. 

This is the time when contagious diseases are on the rise. Ensure that you and your family are not in close contact with someone who is suffering from a flu, viral infection or conjunctivitis. Children are especially vulnerable to weather changes and infections, so keep them at home for a few days if you know that their playmates are suffering from an illness. Cut their nails regularly and do not allow them to put their hands into their mouths. Make sure they wash their hands with soap before eating anything and after visiting the toilet. 

Food and Drink 

Contaminated food or water is the most common way many diseases spread in the monsoon. Make sure your toddler drinks only filtered or boiled water. Carry a bottle of water from home or rely on branded bottled water when you go out. Avoid giving him “fresh” fruit juices, drinks with ice, food and drinks from street vendors like chaat, pakodas and ice lollies (golas or chuskis). If you eat outside, choose a restaurant which is clean and hygienic and opt for dishes which are boiled and served fresh. 

Use filtered water for cooking, kneading the dough and for washing vegetables,dals and meat. Clean leafy green vegetables several times over in filtered boiled water and steam them to get rid of any germs and bacteria. Soak green leafy vegetables as well as vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli in warm water containing 1 tsp of salt for about 10-15 minutes to get rid of insects. Don’t keep raw meat and fish products at room temperature for a long time, always refrigerate or freeze. Bacterial growth increases rapidly during hot and humid weather. 

Frequent power cuts, a common occurrence during monsoons could spoil food in the refrigerator easily, exposing it to bacteria. As far as possible, ensure that you eat fresh food; prepare it in small quantities so that you do not need to store it in the refrigerator for very long. Food stored in the refrigerator needs to be heated thoroughly before eating. Tap water may be contaminated by overflowing ground water that gets mixed with it during the monsoons; rinse your plates and dishes with filtered water before use. 

Keeping your home and surroundings clean 

The monsoon season is marked by the outbreak of many diseases; most of which are either waterborne or are spread through mosquitoes. Your child is especially vulnerable to infections because he is still developing his immune system. One precaution to protect him would be to keep your home and surroundings clean and germ-free. 

Air your home frequently and keep windows open for maximum cross ventilation. Avoid collection of stagnant water in open vessels, flower pots or coolers as these are a perfect breeding ground for mosquito larvae which cause malaria, dengueand chikungunya. Dispose garbage hygienically in garbage bags that will not open and spill out. Keep the kitchen dustbin covered at all times so that wet garbage like vegetable peels and food waste are not left exposed. 

If you have indoor plants, ensure that there is no water logging and change water in the flower vases everyday. Use herbal insect repellents like citronella based oils or sprays to get rid of mosquitoes and other insects. Use mosquito nets over your child's bed or install wire meshes on the windows. Dress him up in long-sleeved shirts and trousers, especially when he goes to the park to play. 

Keep your home fresh and clean and use a good disinfectant to clean the floors and bathrooms. Get pest control for your home to ward off flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites, and other disease carrying insects. Many choose to burn camphor or dry neem leaves which are said to purify the air. Keep a small mesh bag of cloves near your window or in your cupboard for a fresh natural scent. 

Pre-monsoon check 

Ensure that your home is clean, germ-free and safe before the monsoons arrive. Be watchful of any seepage especially on the roof and walls and near electrical fittings, as it may cause electrocution. Carry out thorough pre-monsoon checks in your home and get an electrician to fix all faulty wiring and switches. Have your plumber fix any leaking fixtures and get your drains cleaned and de-silted well before the rains. Check and repair cracks or fissures in the house. 

Child safety and other tips 

• Ensure that your child is always supervised when he goes out, even to the neighbourhood park, especially while walking on roads that usually have deep potholes and many open manholes during the monsoon. 

• Your toddler can get pretty bored sitting at home when it's raining outside; think up some indoor games that can keep him occupied, such as hide and seek, carom, and dancing to some fun music. Puzzles and books are also a good way to keep your toddler busy. More ideas in our Let's play! Games for toddlerssection. 

• Invite children from your apartment block for a play date at your house so he can have some company. Help them make paper boats, put on their gum boots and raincoats and float the boats in the puddles outside your building. And after they run out of things to do at indoors, make some onion pakoras or hot chocolate

 

ORAL HEALTH FOR CHILDREN.(IN QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT)

How Do I Help My Children Care for Their Teeth and Prevent Cavities?
Teaching your child proper oral care at a young age is an investment in his or her health that will pay lifelong dividends. You can start by setting an example; taking good care of your own teeth sends a message that oral health is something to be valued. And anything that makes taking care of teeth fun, like brushing along with your child or letting them choose their own toothbrush, encourages proper oral care.

To help your children protect their teeth and gums and greatly reduce their risk of getting cavities, teach them to follow these simple steps:

• Brush twice a day with an ADA — accepted fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque-the sticky film on teeth that's the main cause of tooth decay.
• Floss daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and under the gumline, before it can harden into tartar. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed by a professional cleaning.
• Eat a well-balanced diet that limits starchy or sugary foods, which produce plaque acids that cause tooth decay. When you do eat these foods, try to eat them with your meal instead of as a snack-the extra saliva produced during a meal helps rinse food from the mouth.
• Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste.
• Make sure that your children's drinking water is fluoridated. If your water supply; municipal, well or bottled does not contain fluoride, your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe daily fluoride supplements.
• Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups.

What Brushing Techniques Can I Show My Child?
You may want to supervise your children until they get the hang of these simple steps:

• Use a pea-sized dab of an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Take care that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.
• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the inside surface of each tooth first, where plaque may accumulate most. Brush gently back and forth.
• Clean the outer surfaces of each tooth. Angle the brush along the outer gumline. Gently brush back and forth.
• Brush the chewing surface of each tooth. Gently brush back and forth.
• Use the tip of the brush to clean behind each front tooth, both top and bottom.
• It's always fun to brush the tongue!

When Should My Child Begin Flossing?
Because flossing removes food particles and plaque between teeth that brushing misses, you should floss for your children beginning at age 4. By the time they reach age 8, most kids can begin flossing for themselves.

What are Dental Sealants and How Do I Know if My Child Needs Them?
A dental sealant creates a highly-effective barrier against decay. Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of a child's permanent back teeth, where most cavities form. Applying a sealant is not painful and can be performed in one dental visit. Your dentist can tell you whether your child might benefit from a dental sealant.

What is Fluoride and How Do I Know if My Child is Getting the Right Amount?

Fluoride is one of the best ways to help prevent against tooth decay. A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride combines with the tooth's enamel to strengthen it. In many municipal water supplies, the right amount of fluoride is added for proper tooth development. To find out whether your water contains fluoride, and how much, call your local water district. If your water supply does not contain any (or enough) fluoride, your child's pediatrician or dentist may suggest using fluoride drops or a mouthrinse in addition to a fluoride toothpaste.

How Important is Diet to My Child's Oral Health?
A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. In addition to a full range of vitamins and minerals, a child's diet should include plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and proper levels of fluoride.

If fluoride is your child's greatest protection against tooth decay, then frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many foods and snacks like cookies, candies, dried fruit, soft drinks, pretzels and potato chips combine with plaque on teeth to create acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and may lead to cavities.

Each "plaque attack" can last up to 20 minutes after a meal or snack has been finished. Even a little nibble can create plaque acids. So it's best to limit snacking between meals.

What Should I Do if My Child Chips, Breaks or Knocks Out a Tooth?
With any injury to your child's mouth, you should contact your dentist immediately. The dentist will want to examine the affected area and determine appropriate treatment.

If your child is in pain from a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, you should visit the dentist immediately. You may want to give an over-the-counter pain reliever to your child until his/her appointment. If possible, keep any part of the tooth that has broken off and take this with you to the dentist.

If a tooth is completely knocked out of the mouth by an injury, take the tooth to your dentist as soon as possible. Handle the tooth as little as possible — do not wipe or otherwise clean the tooth. Store the tooth in water or milk until you get to a dentist. It may be possible for the tooth to be placed back into your child's mouth, a procedure called reimplantation.

TEEN TROUBLE....OR TROUBLED TEEN?? A TROUBLESOME AGE....!

Parenting is tough! Make no mistake about that, but there are a few things one must keep in mind to help the child grow into an adult. The most daunting time in a child’s life is adolescence. This is the cusp of a child being an adult. They don’t belong to the world of fantasy, nor are they ready to go face the real world.

Mistakes Parents Make with Teens Lecture rather than discuss. We want our teens to grow into responsible adults who are able to make decisions. Why then do we fall back on the old lecture, when we should be using any problem area as an opportunity to teach the child the process of making a good decision? This is not to say, they no longer need guidance, it just has to be handled in a more adult manner, with discussion, negotiation, and understanding of the conflicting needs of maturing teens.  Ignore the obvious: Your teen is suddenly sleeping late, missing classes, missing curfew, not introducing new friends, and we write it off as "normal teen behaviour."  Never assume! Just because grades are good, does not mean everything is okay with your child. Just because they do not confide in you with problems, does not mean they do not have any. Just because they do not seek you out to talk, does not mean they do not want to. It is important to talk to your kids and really spend time with them, to get to know them. Not following through on rules and consequences "You are grounded!" "That's it – no allowance this week!" Most parents have no problem creating punishments for breaking the rules. It's what happens a few days or so later, that creates the cycle of defiance: your teen drives you nuts until you back down on the consequences. If you set a rule, it is important to make clear in advance, the consequences for breaking that rule. If that rule is broken, and if you do not enforce the consequences you set, your teen has just learned that getting away with breaking the rules is really a piece of cake. Set expectations that allow the child to succeed, based on his or her abilities. Pointing out only the negative, expecting only the positive Some parents believe a job well done, is its own reward. While this is true, there is nothing that encourages a child more, than the positive feedback of a parent. This is not to say, you should jump up and down with joy just because your child didn't skip class this week. If you set consequences for bad behaviour, the reward is getting to do the things they normally enjoy. Leaving the educating up to "Someone Else" Assuming your child will learn about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and other risky behaviours at school or elsewhere, is a risky assumption at best. Studies have shown that kids whose parents talk to them about high-risk behaviours and who set clear guidelines about the consequences for engaging in these behaviours, are less likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, or have sex. Giving up on family time  Setting time aside every day, for the family to eat together and talk, is one of the best defenses against negative peer influences on your teens. Make time for your children on a daily basis, to keep communication open. Parents who spend time with their children will be more aware of changes in their demeanor and behaviour.