A simple scoring system to check if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the
Stop Bang Scoring System .
1/
S - Do you SNORE while you sleep?
T - Do you feel TIRED on waking up or sleepy for most part of your day?
O - Has anyone OBSERVED you having choking spells/stop breathing while you were asleep?
P - Do you have high blood PRESSURE?
2/
B - Is your BMI (Body Mass Index) >35kg/m2
A - Is your AGE >50 years?
N - Is your NECK circumference >40 cms?
G - GENDER , if you are a male or a post menopausal woman.
3/
Many male patients complain of blackouts/fainting post urination after deep sleep .
This is known as Post-micturition syncope and occurs due to a severe drop in blood pressure. Micturition syncope is most common in older men and occurs at night after a deep sleep.1/
The exact cause of micturition syncope isn't fully understood. But it may be due to opening of the blood vessels that occurs when standing at the toilet after emptying of bladder. This is thought to result in a sudden drop in blood pressure. 2/
Other causes are
Alcohol,
Dehydration,
Infections.
Use of alpha blockers in men with prostate problems.3/
Falls are a threat to the health of older adults and can reduce their ability to remain independent.
Common causes of falls in elderly are :
Poor vision or hearing .
Diseases like Diabetes , Heart Disease.
Side effects of medication.
Lack of exercise .
Environmental hazards. 1/
To prevent falls older adults have to ensure :
They remain active .
Get regular eye/hearing checks.
Get regular medical checks.
Know side effects of medications.
Limit alcohol intake.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Use a cane/stick.
Be careful when walking on wet surfaces. 2/
Having healthy bones won't prevent a fall,but if you fall,it might prevent breaking a hip/other bones.Getting enough calcium/vit D can help keep your bones strong.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Light up your living space.
Remove tripping hazards.
Install grab bars/handrails .3/
I have never liked the idea of young people taking protien powder to build muscle.
Here's why:
A protein powder is dietary supplement.The FDA leaves it to manufacturers to evaluate the safety/labeling. So,there's no way to know if the powder contains what manufacturers claim.1/
There is limited data on the side effects of high protein intake from supplements.Researchers screened 134 products for toxins and found that many contained heavy metals (lead,arsenic,mercury), bisphenol-A used to make plastic,pesticides.Though not all powders contain toxins.2/
It's best to get protien from natural sources like nuts, seeds, dairy products (yogurt, milk, cheese), legumes, fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meat.
Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein intake is 46 grams per day for women and 60 grams for men approx.
3/
Breaking down Behavioral Economics in a Pandemic:
In an ideal world, people wil always make optimal decisions that provide them with the greatest benefit and satisfaction.Rational choice theory assumes that people are capable of making rational decisions effectively. 1/
The rational person has self-control and is unmoved by emotions and external factors and, hence, knows what is best for himself. Alas behavioral economics explains that humans are not rational and are incapable of making good decisions.2/
Behavioral biases affect our daily decision making. Those biases are aggravated by stress/fatigue/uncertainty.Our biases are affecting the decisions we make during this pandemic, both during lockdown and unlocking. 3/
Covid Vaccine: So as everyone knows we are racing against time to make a vaccine for Covid 19.
Producing effective vaccines is a lengthy process and takes years.
So what is the different thing being done now.1/
Typically a vaccine is made by creating a weakened virus/bacteria which has lost its ability to make you sick.Once injected,the immune system recognizes it as foriegn entity &produces antibodies.
The antibodies can fight future infections as long as the virus doesn’t evolve 2/
For Covid 19,scientists think that we don't need to be exposed to the full virus,just exposing the immune system to the spike protien through mRNA should be enough.The vaccine contains snippets of viral mRNA, a molecule with instructions for
making proteins.3/