Hypertension or high blood pressure, as it is more commonly known, is regarded as the silent killer. It is a disease of the modern age. The fast pace of life and the mental and physical pressures caused by the industrial and metropolitan environments give rise to psychological tensions. Worry and mental tension increase the adrenaline in the blood stream and this, in turn, causes the pressure of...
Gout refers to a certain form of inflammation of the joints and swellings of a recurrent type. Although chronic in character, it breaks in acute attacks. It is a disease of the wealthy and chiefly affects the middle-aged men. Women, after menopause, are also sometimes affected by this disease.
Gastritis is an inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It is a troublesome condition which may lead to many complications, including ulcers if not treated in time. Constipation aggravates the condition more than any other disorder.
Glaucoma is a serious eye condition, characterised by an increase of pressure within the eye ball, called intraocular pressure. It is similar to high blood pressure in the body. The condition is therefore, also known as hypertension of the eye.
The main problems which afflict the gall-bladder are an inflammatory condition known as cholecystitis and gallstones. The inflammatory condition often leads to cholelithiasis or gall-stones which are usually caused by disturbances in the combination of the bile. A change in the ratio of cholesterol and bile salts may result in the formation of deposits.
Fatigue refers to a feeling of tiredness or weariness. It can be temporary or chronic. Almost every person has to work overtime on certain occasions, sacrificing rest and sleep, which may cause temporary fatigue. This condition can be remedied by adequate rest. Chronic or continuous fatigue is, however, a serious problem which requires a comprehensive plan of treatment
Epilepsy refers to a chronic condition in which repeated fits or attacks of unconsciousness occur with or without convulsions. Known as ‘falling sickness ‘ it is a serious disorder of the central nervous system. It occurs in both children and adults. Most attacks however, occur in childhood and in early adult life. Attack rates show a progressive decline in frequence with age.
The term ‘Eczema’ is derived from a Greek word meaning ‘to boil’. It refers to an inflammation of the skin which results in the formation of vesicles or pustules. It is the most common and most troublesome of all skin diseases.Eczema is essentially a constitutional disease, resulting from a toxic condition of the system. The disease covers a wide variety of forms, the majority of them, being of a...
Dyspepsia is a word of Greek origin meaning indigestion or difficulty in digestion. Any gastrointestinal symptom associated with taking of food is called dyspepsia. It is one of the most common ailments today and results from dietetic errors. The stomach, which is the most used organ of the body, resembles a pear shaped pouch. It forms part of the digestive tract which is a tube coiled in loops,...
Diarrhoea refers to the frequent passage of loose or watery unformed stools. It may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as " loose motions", it is perhaps the most common disease in India. The intestines normally get more than 10 litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and from the secretions of the stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines. In the cause of diarrhoea, water is...
Diabetes mellitus is a nutritional disorder, characterised by an abnormally elevated level of blood glucose and by the excretion of the excess glucose in the urine. It results from an absolute or relative lack of insulin which leads to abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism as well as in the metabolism of protein and fat.
Constipation is the chief cause of many diseases because such a condition produces toxins which find their way into the blood stream and are carried to all parts of the body. This results in weakening of the vital organs and lowering of the resistance of the entire system. Appendicitis, rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, cataract and cancer are only a few of the disease in which chronic...
Cataract is one of the most common eye diseases. The word literally means a waterfall. It refers to an opacity in the lens of the eye which obscures the vision. Blindness ensues when no light rays can enter the eye through the capacity of the lens.
The term coronary heart disease covers a group of clinical syndromes arising particularly from failure of the coronary arteries to supply sufficient blood to the heart. They include angina pectoris, coronary thrombosis or heart attack and sudden death without infarction.There has been a marked increase in the incidence of heart disease in recent years. Heart attacks have become the number one...
The term stress has been borrowed by biology from engineering, where it implies an ability to withstand a defined amount of strain. Dr. Hans Selye, a great medical genius and noted world authority on stress has described stress as" a state manifested by a specific syndrome which consists of all the non-specifically induced changes within a biological system."