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| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Family physicians to help smokers : Kick the habit by Shanika Sriyananda If you smoke like a chimney and are seeking someone's help, simply to
talk about the unhealthy addiction, talk to your family doctor. He is
Commencing May 31, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) 'World No Tobacco Day', all the health professionals in the health sector are geared to control smoking and will use their knowledge to educate the public, especially those who seek their medical advice, on the dangers of tobacco smoking. The newly issued Code of Practice on Tobacco Control for Health Professionals seek the active participation of all professionals, from consultants to nurses in all hospitals - the State and the private sector healthcare institutions - in reducing tobacco consumption. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) came into effect from February 25 and the signatory countries are compelled to tighten anti-smoking laws. The WHO implemented the FCTC following the high number of tobacco related deaths around the world. According to the WHO, tobacco related deaths will compete with deaths from TB and AIDS unless steps are taken to control tobacco smoking. A majority of Sri Lankan doctors, according to the Ministry of Health, are teetotallers. So it seems that educating the public through health professionals is more cost-effective and a very successful method as a majority of patients tend to 'obey' their doctors. It is not only health professionals, but healthcare institutes also need to join hands with the government's effort in making the country free of tobacco smoke. Strictly heeding to the provisions of the FCTC, the Sri Lankan government has taken several measures including the drafting of an Act, and declaring Government hospitals as tobacco free healthcare institutions. All state hospitals have become 'no smoking zones' from early this week and the Ministry premises was declared as another 'no smoking zone' by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. According to Minister de Silva, no canteen in any of the state hospitals can sell cigarettes and security has been alerted to monitor this. Minister de Silva requested the Ministry of Public Administration to take steps to declare all the government institutions as tobacco free zones. Several scientific researches by developed countries on the potential threat of tobacco smoking have identified smoking as the second major cause of death in the world. Over five million deaths every year are due to tobacco smoking and according to the World Health Organisation if the current rate of smoking continues, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people who smoke today -that is about 650 million people- will die prematually due to tobacco. The WHO is concerned about passive smokers who are compelled to breathe air polluted with tobacco fumes. They suffer from ailments ranging from eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea to life threatening sickness like cancer and even death. Several scientific studies have found that adults with asthma experience a significant decline in lung function when exposed to passive smoking. Dr. Lakshmi Somatunge, Director Non Communicable Diseases said that health professionals can play a vital role on tobacco control and they can use their knowledge to convince tobacco smokers to quit smoking. "Counselling by a medical professional about the dangers of smoking and the importance of quitting is one of the most cost effective methods of reducing smoking. So we need not only the support of the health professionals but also the support of the healthcare institutions in these endeavours", she said. Over 27 per cent males and one per cent females smoke cigarettes in Sri Lanka and a considerable amount of the total income of a majority of poor families in the country is wasted on tobacco. However, considering the social, economical and health problems involved in tobacco smoking, the government will bring laws to ban tobacco smoking soon. According to Minister de Silva the final draft of the 'Tobacco Control Bill' is now in the Attorney General's Department and would be submitted to the Cabinet soon. Under this new bill tobacco smoking would be banned in public places and within 100 metres of schools. Restrictions in advertising and sponsorships are also included in the new bill. Proven risks Long term exposure and addiction to the 'killer stick' can cause cancers in oesophagus, larynx, tongue, salivary glands, lips, mouth, pharynx, urinary bladder, kidney, uterine cervix, breast, pancreas and colon. Several studies have indicated that lung cancer is on the increase due to tobacco smoking. A study carried out in Spain revealed that voice can be changed due to the neurological effects of nicotine or some other chemical component of tobacco. Another study by a group of scientists from the USA and Sweden found that children or women who smoked during pregnancy had an increased incidence of brain tumours. The increase in risk was similar for benign and malignant tumours and was most apparent for astrocytoma. The effect of smoking and the occurrence of brain tumours was seen most strongly among 2-4 year old children. Children's exposure to tobacco smoke is high because of their fathers, who are strongly addicted to cigarettes. Research by the WHO shows that passive smoking increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children. This also causes a reduction in lung function and increased severity in the symptoms of asthma in children, while making them susceptible to middle ear infection, cardiovascular impairment and behaviourial problems. Infants of parents who smoke are more likely to be admitted to hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia in the first year of life. According to the WHO, over 700 million children are exposed to tobacco smoke due to exposure of adults who smoke and passive smoking is a cause of bronchitis, pneumonia, coughing and wheezing, asthma attacks, middle ear infection, cot death, and possibly cardiovascular and neurobiological impairment in children. You & your baby Minor ailments during pregnancy Most women think of backache, varicose veins and breathlessness as major health problems during pregnancy. But, they are very 'minor' ailments which should not be given serious thought to as they do not cause serious diseases. The retention of fluids, swelling of some body parts are considered normal. Swelling of the legs and feet is also normal. If it occurs in the evening, it is not serous, and all that the expectant would be mother needs to do is keep her feet up. Those who are overweight have a 50 per cent chance of developing swelling in the ankles and legs in the evening. However, those who develop swelling of the ankles overnight should read it as a warning sign of pregnancy - induced hypertension. If the fingers swell, that could also be a problem due to at increase in blood pressure. You need to consult your doctor and check your blood pressure soon. Feeling dizzy and uncomfortable is very common due to various changes in the body. Over 50 per cent of pregnant women experience some degree of nausea, and a few vomit. These conditions may be exaggerated if you are over-anxious or emotionally stressed. Back ache is another minor ailment during pregnancy. This is due to the enlarging of the abdomen and the creation of lordosis in the back bone because the womb props up and takes the spine in. As a result, the spine gets an abnormal shape, which causes pain. It is common and generally a local application of a balm will help ease the pain. But, if the pain gets worse you need rest. If you have a bad posture you need to correct it. Wearing high heels will also aggravate the strain on the back and should be avoided whenever possible. Taking paracetamol to ease the pain is not bad and would not cause harm to your baby. Varicose veins is another common minor health problem and the veins may appear at any time during pregnancy but will become more obvious in the later months. Proper bandaging with elastic bandages may give some relief. Enlarged veins may be helped by lying down as often as possible during the day. When you are sitting, try to rest your legs on a footstool. When enlarged, the varicose veins will look like tubes beneath the skin and are visible around the ankles and behind the knees. Most of the veins disappear once the baby is born and doctors do not recommend surgical treatment. During pregnancy the normal secretions which keeps the vagina moist are increased, and additional secretions derived from the glands of the cervix add to the quantity. This is common among expectant mothers but if it is increasing and thick you should consult the doctor because some times it is due to infection caused by fungus. As the baby grows and pressing on your vital organs, you may experience shortness of breath. This is also a normal condition and causes only minor discomfort. But if it interferes with your sleep you can prop your head and shoulders up with pillows. If your heart and lungs are normal, this is not a serious complication. Heartburn is an annoying and fairly common complaint. It is due to the passage of small amounts of stomach contents into the lower part of the food tube which leads from the mouth to the stomach. It often gets worse at night, and you can relieve heartburn by eating small meals more frequently. Holistic healing - Ayurvedic Concepts of Positive Health: Your behaviour by Dr. Danister L. Perera Health is greatly influenced by Lifestyle (Swasthavritta). According to Ayurveda, Lifestyle (the rules and guidelines) is divided into three parts: * Dincharya (Diet and regimen for the daytime) * Ratricharya (Diet and regimen for the night) * Ritucharya (Seasonal Dietary and regimen) Behaviour is very important in health. It is natural for someone to have pleasure seeking behaviours. Some attempt to get pleasure through various unwholesome practices. The purpose of the Ayurvedic way of healthy life is to change this into a health seeking behaviour. It is only then that a person can get both pleasure and health in one event. Therefore the daily routine must be tailored with your personal requirements and customised for better life. Ayurveda describes each individual as a state of balance of the three doshas, which govern the different aspects of the body. Vata dosha controls the principle of self-transportation, Pitta dosha controls internal processes such as digestion and metabolism, Kapha dosha encompasses our bodily protection, strength and growth. Because no two people have the same combination of these three doshas, everyone is a unique individual and personalised care and attention is needed for the treatment. When an imbalance occurs, proper diet and lifestyle changes can be implemented to bring the doshas back in balance. In such a case, one may be advised to force specific dosha-reducing/aggravating foods, activities and medications or may even opt for Pancha Karma, an internal cleansing system of Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic approach to diagnose the illness is very systematic and scientific. The logical thoroughness and minuteness of methods employed in Inquiry and Investigation of each and every factor or phenomenon of the patient concerning his habit, constitution, illness and environment are the prime factors for the perfect diagnosis. Tridosha (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) are the three Bio-Energies, which governs the body. The concept of these three Bio-Energies is unique. Balance of Tridosha means perfect health, and this is the basic principle of Ayurveda. |
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now
ready to listen and to give you some tips to help you give up the killer
'stick'. He will explain how this thin stick filled with toxic chemicals eat
your lungs and make you more addicted and pave the way for an early grave.
