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| Sunday, 13 July 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Health Compiled by Carol Aloysius Over-population : Youth can make a difference World Population Day fell on July 11. With the global population exceeding 6 billion, the health hazards of over-crowding, poor sanitation and poor hygiene cannot be over-estimated. Ignorance of basic facts regarding Reproductive Health on the part of the rapidly growing youth population has further endangered the health of especially young people. The emphasis at this year's World Population Day was Reproductive Health and Youth participation and involvement in issues that have an impact on their health and well-being. The UNFPA is currently promoting Reproductive Health to help fight HIV/AIDS infection which was affected the lives of a large number of young people. Out of 14,000 people newly infected by the disease each day, half of them are aged between 15 to 24 years, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases. This year's World Population Day has also put the spotlight on the Reproductive Health needs of young girls, due to the large increase in teenage pregnancies and abortions. Among girls aged 15 to 19, 15 million give birth each year and four million undergo abortions worldwide, due to limited knowledge about their bodies. Only 17 per cent of sexually active young people use contraceptives. Protecting and empowering girls and boys before it is too late is this year's theme for World Population Day. Adolescents are greater risk and vulnerable to a number of health hazards. The Health Ministry is thus working closely with the Education Ministry to raise awareness and promote responsible Sexual Behaviour among young people in Sri Lanka. Adolescent reproductive health Ignoring young people's sexuality does not solve their problems. Among girls aged 15 to 19, 15 million give birth each year and 4 million undergo abortions - many unsafe. Only 17 per cent of sexually active young people use contraceptives. With limited knowledge about their bodies, adolescents are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, exploitation and violence. Both girls and boys suffer when denied access to needed information and services. Gender has a major impact, however, 82 million girls in developing countries will be married before their 18th birthday. Early marriage often leads to early childbearing, which not only limits life opportunities but carries serious health risks. Protect and empower girls and boys before it is too late - Provide sexuality education, Delay marriage, Prevent unwanted pregnancies, Ensure affordable, accessible and youth-friendly services, Combat gender stereotypes, Treat pregnancy-related illnesses such as obstetric fistula, Establish national policies for youth, Conduct better research, Raise awareness of the dangers of early childbirth, Protect adolescents at greater risk because they are female, poor, refugees, living on the streets, out of school or otherwise vulnerable. Fighting HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS can be stopped - and can only be stopped - by educating, empowering and mobilizing young people. The life skills that enable young people to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are, in the era of HIV/AIDS, a matter of life and death. Every day nearly 6,000 young people become infected with HIV Half of all new infections occur among young people aged 15 to 24. Young women and adolescent girls are highly vulnerable. We know that prevention works: trends are reversing where national programmes aim to prevent infection among young people. At different ages and stages, advocate abstinence to delay the start of sexual activity, being faithful in sexual relationships and, for sexually active young people, correct and consistent use of male and female condoms - Support sexuality and HIV/AIDS education, Safeguard young people's human rights, Welcome actions by young people to mobilise their peers, families, communities and governments, Ensure access to voluntary testing and counselling, and early treatment, Involve boys and men in ending violence against women and protecting their sexual partners from infection. *********************** Is butter really better than margarine ? by Dr. D.P. Atukorale Until very recently the general public was firmly convinced that margarine was healthier than butter. Both doctors and the general public believed that margarine was good for the heart because it was believed to be low in saturated fat. Now however people are concerned that margarine may actually be bad for the heart because it is made up of partially hydrogenated oils that contain transfatty acids (trans fat) which are worse than saturated fat and cholesterol. Transfatty acids (trans fats) are artificial fatty acids created by technology. Trans fats are foreign to human body and are, unlike that natural fatty acids needed for good health. Trans fats cause our cells to "freeze up" and make the cells dysfunctional. The more trans fats we eat, the greater the cellular damage until the entire tissues and organs become seriously affected. Shortening and margarine are partially hydrogenated oils. In some margarine trans fats may run as high as 30 percent. Not all trans fats come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or margarine. Small amounts of trans fats are present in fat derived from ruminant animals, beef, lamb, mutton, and dairy fats including butter. However the amount of trans fats in these animal fats is very low as compared to margarine. Butter contains 2.9 per cent of trans fats as compared to 25 - 30 per cent in solid margarine and 13 - 20 per cent in tub margarine (The latter type of margarine as far as I am aware is not available in Sri Lanka). Foods containing trans fats As mentioned earlier margarine is not the only food that contains trans fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These trans fats are also found in vegetable shortening, commercial deep frying fats, baked goods such as cookies, cakes and crackers and salted snacks such as potato and corn chips. In most of these food products, partially hydrogenated oils are used as substitutes for saturated fats such as lard, beef tallow and coconut oil. Health concerns Trans fats have aroused concern as they are known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol. The kind of margarine which comes in a tub is better than solid margarine which has a very high percentage of trans fats. As mentioned earlier the margarines which come in a tub are not available in Sri Lanka at present. The products called spreads are better than true margarine because they are lower in total fat and calories. Unlike butter and margarine which consist almost entirely of fats, spreads contain substantial amounts of non-fatty ingredients such as dairy whey. These ingredients contribute to the flavour of the products but not to their fat content. Trans fats affect more than just our cardiovascular health. Trans fats have been linked with a variety of adverse health effects which include heart disease, MS, Cancer, diverticulosis and other degenerative diseases. When you choose margarine, soft tub-style products are better than hard margarine which contains more saturated fats and more trans fats than soft tub style products. Spreads contain a substantial amount of non-fatty ingredients such as dairy whey and these non-fatty ingredients contribute to the flavour of products but not to their fat content and calorie content. ********************* When men lose their sexual urge...
Impotency is generally under diagnosed and consequently under treated, with only approximately 10 per cent of men with impotence having discussed their problem with their doctor. Many affected men visit their doctor for other illnesses and may present for a check up, hoping to be asked about impotence. Especially in countries like Sri Lanka, where talking about sexuality is culturally a taboo subject, both the doctor and the patient generally refrain from talking about sexual difficulties. When a patient's presenting complaint is one of a loss of interest in sexual activity, this may be secondary to physical or psychological impotence. Middle-aged men may have significant anxiety in dealing with loss of youth and emerging old age. Impotence or erectile dysfunction is defined as the persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. Erectile dysfunction affects men of all ages, from very early adulthood to old age. Erectile dysfunction is mainly due to . Physical (due to illnesses) In physical impotence, the man is usually over 40 years of age and the impotence is more likely to be progressive. There is usually loss of early morning erections and masturbation is not possible. As the majority of these men are usually in stable long-term relationships, the impotence is not situational. A man under the age of 40 years with anxiety related impotence might have early morning erections or be able to masturbate without difficulty. The impotence may have come suddenly, and occur in some situations and not in others. Generally both physical and psychological causes are often present. Physical causes account for the vast majority of cases of impotence and it is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Impotence may be an early predictor of heart disease. Studies show that 64 per cent of men hospitalized for heart attack had previous impotence and 57 per cent of men who had bypass surgery had previous impotence. Long standing diabetes is also associated with impotence and oral tablets for impotence is not effective in this condition. Generally 75 per cent of patients with diabetes will develop impotence. Severe depression can cause impotence due to associated reduced desire and due to the antidepressant drugs. Performance anxiety and other anxiety related circumstances also cause impotence, especially in men under 40 years. More severe psychological disorders, such as body image problems may require psychological referral. Most of the drugs used in impotence acts by releasing a chemical called nitrous oxide, which causes erection by series of reactions. Because of this, a person who is taking medications, which contains nitrous oxide had to be careful in taking drugs for impotence, because too much nitrous oxide can lower the blood pressure to a dangerous level. A relative contraindication to the use of these anti impotence medication is the patient's heart risk. It has been shown that if a patient can, for example, walk 1 kilometer in 15 minutes on the flat and climb two flights of stairs in 10 second without chest discomfort, pain or undue breathlessness, the risk for heart attack during sexual activity is low, provided that the patient is with the usual sexual partner in a familiar setting, and without the added stress of a heavy meal or alcohol. Most of the drugs (sidenafil) used for impotence are generally well tolerated. Adverse effects such as headache, flushing, dyspepsia and nasal congestion occurs in some people. These anti impotence drugs are generally taken 1 hour before sexual activity and it lasts for 3-4 hours. A person should be advised to refrain from taking any medicine containing nitrous oxide for 36 hours. Other ways of treating impotence are Cognitive therapy, injections and inflatable penile prosthesis. But these are not patient-friendly. Impotence is a common disorder in middle aged and older men. Although less common in younger men, it is usually a more urgent condition for these individuals. *********************** Exercise and your feet Many muscles, tendons and ligaments connect the 26 bones and many joints in each of your feet. If any of these parts fails, your foot is thrown out of balance and the other parts must compensate. Balance means that each muscle group is equally as strong as its opposing muscle group so that your muscles can contract, stretch and relax. If any muscle or tendon becomes tighter or more developed than its opposite, the whole system changes and your bones are pulled into a different position. The best way to enhance muscle balance is to stretch and exercise. Stretching should be done daily. The more perfectly your bones and connective tissue are aligned, the more flexible and strong your feet and ankles will be. Strong, flexible feet are less vulnerable to injury. Remember to exercise gently. Never work a muscle until it hurts and don't work out to the point of exhaustion. If you start with just a single repetition today, you might be able to do each exercise three or four times tomorrow or the next day. Foot exercises may be done barefoot or in sturdy running shoes. Vigorously shake out your feet for a full minute before you exercise them to relax muscles and to warm them up. Standing foot stretch This is a very simple exercise and you should do this for a few days if the others are too painful at first. 1. Stand facing a wall, hands at chest level. Your feet should be parallel and six inches apart. 2. Tuck your buttocks down to elongate your wait. Stand up straight pushing up through the top of your head, keeping your chin down. Tense your thighs and keep your knees facing forward. Spread your toes, and then relax them. 3. Inhale and lift your heels, rising onto the balls of your feet. Hold the position for ten seconds or as long as you can. 4. Exhale and descend slowly to your heels. Be sure your toes are relaxed. Kneelng foot stretch 1. Begin on your hands and knees, resting the weight of your feet on your toes which are turned under. 2. Keeping your feet parallel, slowly sit back on your heels until your buttocks touch your feet. Sit tall but allow the weight of your body to gently stretch the soles of your feet. You can wear knee pads or do this exercise on a mat or on a piece of foam you've spread on the floor to protect your knees. Of course, common sense must be used in doing this and all exercises. If you have pain, stiffness, swelling, and any other signs of muscle or joint overuse, discontinue exercising and take a rest. Courtesy: Easy Foot Care |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
In Sri Lanka, men who have impotency problems, avoid talking about it
and either suffer silently or take non-effective medicines. A person with
this problem should go to his family doctor and seek his advice as to how
he could overcome this difficulty, rather than being shy and suffering
silently, says Dr. R. A. R. Perera.
