Bobmedicare Forum

Experts say the tongue’s condition speaks volumes about one’s hygiene consciousness and also reveals one’s health status. Clean Your Tongue Daily — Cleaning your tongue daily should be a natural part of your everyday oral health care routine, along with brushing, flossing, and rinsing. Here are tips that will help you to keep you tongue clean: 1. Clean the tongue on a regular basis to prevent bacteria from growing. You can use toothbrushes designed for cleaning the tongue or the ones which have an attachment on the reverse side of it. Don’t use the front part (the one you use for brushing teeth) to clean the tongue. 2. Another way is to scrape your tongue with a thoroughly washed tongue-cleaner or scraper. While scraping, don’t apply too much pressure. Scrape it in a downward motion at least two to three times. If the pressure is too much you may hurt your tongue. 3. You can use toothpaste to coat your tongue before scraping. Toothpaste neutralizes bacteria on tongue and helps to remove them easily. 4. Rinse your mouth with water thoroughly after scraping. 5. Occasionally, you can use a mouth wash after scraping. Mouth wash can help to remove the bad odour caused by deposition of bacteria on the tongue. But don’t use it daily as it may cause over drying of mouth. 6. You can also rinse your mouth with saline water. Take a half glass of lukewarm water and pour a half teaspoon of salt in it. Rinse your mouth four to six times a day with it. 7. Drinking green tea can help to eliminate oral bacteria. 8. Avoid eating foods such as black grapes and berries. These foods can also be the culprits for unwanted colour on your tongue. 9. If you have a high fever, a white layer may get to form on the top of the tongue. It can be removed by regular cleanup, but if that can’t be done, it may be a fungal infection. There are ointments for such cases to keep the tongue clean. 10. Drink loads of water, about 2 – 3 liters daily. Sometimes dehydration can cause changes in the colour of the tongue. Reference www.thehealthsite.com

A stroke, also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or brain attack, occurs when an area of the brain is damaged following interruption to its blood supply. This results in deterioration of the mental and physical functions controlled by that particular area of the brain. What is the cause? There are three main causes: • thrombosis: a clot forming in the artery to the area • embolus: a small clot from elsewhere blocking the artery • haemorrhage: bleeding into the brain (unlike the others, where the artery is blocked). The risk factors for stroke are: • high blood pressure • high cholesterol • diabetes • smoking • heart disease • abnormal rhythms of the heart such as atrial fibrillation (AF) What are the symptoms? The symptoms depend on the area of the brain affected and the cause. A haemorrhage usually has a sudden onset and a less favourable outlook. Sometimes a stroke is mild and the effects pass off in a day or so. Symptoms include: • unconsciousness • confusion • loss of power of speech • loss of movement of part of the body (e.g. on one side of the body) • double or blurred vision • difficulty understanding questions • headache • dizziness • difficulty walking or using arms • numbness or a weak feeling on one side of the body (face, arm or leg). How can strokes be prevented? The risk factors need to be checked, especially high blood pressure and cholesterol, which must be kept under control. Other things to do are avoid smoking, avoid excessive alcohol intake, eat a low-fat healthy diet, keep to an ideal weight and have regular exercise. If you have been found to have hardening of the arteries to the brain, you may be advised to have tablets to prevent blood clots (thrombosis) forming. Aspirin can do this, and only a small dose is needed. Special blood-thinning tablets called anticoagulants (commonly warfarin) may also be prescribed by your physician to help prevent clots. Reference Murtagh's Patient education. 6th Edition

Why bother to lose weight? If you are overweight or obese, you have much to gain by losing weight. You will feel so much better & your self-esteem will return, and it will reduce your risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, gall bladder trouble, hiatus hernia, high blood pressure and arthritis, especially of the hips and the knees. Taking your obesity into old age creates many uncomfortable problems. The two keys to success • Eat less fattening food (especially fats and alcohol). • Burn off the kilojoules with exercise. If we eat more fuel (joules) than we burn, we get fat. Remember that to maintain a steady weight, energy intake must equal energy output. Fattening foods It is essential to cut down on high-kilojoule foods. These include: • fats (e.g. oils, butter, margarine, peanut butter and some nuts) • alcohol • refined carbohydrates (e.g. sugar, cakes, soft drinks, sweets, biscuits, white bread). A good rule is to avoid white food, those containing lots of refined sugar or flour. Instead go for complex carbohydrates: grains and vegetables. Physical activity • A brisk walk for 20 to 30 minutes each day at least 5 times per week is the most practical exercise. Walk at every opportunity. • Other activities, such as tennis, swimming, golf and cycling, are a bonus. Play a sport that you enjoy. • Take stairs instead of lifts. A plan that works! Breakfast • oatmeal (soaked overnight in water); after cooking, add fresh or dried fruit; serve with fat-reduced milk or yoghurt or • muesli (homemade or from a health-food store) medium serve with fat-reduced milk; perhaps add extra fruit (fresh or dried) • slice of wholemeal toast with a thin scraping of margarine, spread with Vegemite, Marmite or sugar-free marmalade • fresh orange juice or herbal tea or black tea/coffee Morning and afternoon tea • piece of fruit or vegetable (e.g. carrot or celery) • freshly squeezed juice or chilled water with fresh lemon Midday meal • salad sandwich with wholemeal or multigrain bread and a thin scraping of margarine (for variety use egg, salmon, chicken or cheese fillings) • drink, as for breakfast Evening meal • Summer: lean meat cuts (grilled, hot or cold), poultry (skin removed) or fish; fresh garden salad; slices of fresh fruit • Winter:  lean meat cuts (grilled), poultry (skin removed) or fish; plenty of green, red and yellow vegetables and small potatoes; fruit for dessert Weight-loss tips • Have sensible goals: do not crash diet, but have a 6-to12-month plan to achieve your ideal weight. • Go for natural foods; avoid junk foods. • Avoid alcohol, sugary soft drinks and high-kilojoule fruit juices. • Avoid non-hungry eating. • Strict dieting without exercise fails. • If you are mildly overweight, eat one-third less than you usually do (only). • Do not eat biscuits, cakes, buns etc. between meals (preferably not at all). • Use high-fibre foods to munch on. • A small treat once a week may add variety. • Don't skip meals. • Avoid seconds and do not eat leftovers. • Eat slowly, spin out your meal and enjoy it. • Ask your doctor about medicines that claim to remove weight. Reference Murtagh's Patient Education. 6th Edition