Varicose
veins in your leg : Never ignore them
Dr K K Pandey
 Comfortable &
sedentary lifestyle, modern fashion,
special postures adopted while performing
professional duties have contributed to
increased incidence of a set of diseases
unheard in past. Various vein disease is
one of them and is a direct result of
sedentary life style, adopted by modern
youth today. The problem of varicose
veins has become very common during these
days. According to one estimate, 15 to 20
per cent of population in our country is
suffering from varicose vein problems
these days.
What are Varicose Veins ?
Varicose veins are actually abnormal
veins lying just beneath the skin of your
leg & thigh. These varicose veins are
prominently visible, corkscrew like,
entangled in one another. It looks as if
a number of earthworms or blue-colored
spiders are lying under your leg skin.
Veins are those blood pipes, which
collect impure blood from your lower
limbs and carry it back to heart and then
lung for purification. The job of vein is
difficult, as it has to push blood
upwards from leg against gravity towards
heart. Thi function of vein is made
possible by valves which open up &
allow blood to flow only in one
direction, but when a person stands up
these valves get closed to prevent blood
from going down towards feet. In other
words, these valves of veins constantly
maintain a unidirectional flow of blood
that is always towards the heart. When
these valves are absent or become
defective, these varicose veins fail to
control blood flow in one-way direction
& in the process they become dilated
and swollen under the skin due to high
backpressure and this results into
pooling of impure blood into the feet.
What causes Varicose Veins ?
In forty per cent of patients, varicose
vein are due to hereditary & run into
families and generations. The other
important causative factors are obesity,
lack of exercises, abnormal pressure on
veins during pregnancy, abnormal life
style, prolonged standing and prolonged
sitting with legs down.
In today’s modern age, a lot of
occupations and professions have sprung
up where a person is required to either
constantly standup for a long time or
made to sit with legs hanging down for a
considerable time. Computer professioals,
receptionists, security guards, traffic
policemen, salesmen working at counters
in shops and departmental stores and
persons doig desk jobs day in and day out
are the worst sufferers of varicose
veins. Previous fracture of bone during
road traffic accidents, previous deep
veins thrombosis or previous incidence of
clotting in the veins is the significant
contributor to development varicose veins
and varicose ulcer.
Why ladies are more susceptible to
Varicose Veins ?
Among females, due to some hormones, the
walls of veins becomes enlarged and
dilated. Besides, during pregnancy
because of lot of pressure on leg veins,
veins become weak and varicosed. In
majority of women after delivery
varicosity disappear on its own and veins
assume normal diameter and shape. In some
ladies duento tumor of uterus or tumor in
abdomen, varicose veins are likely to
develop. One should be vigilant in such
cases.
What to do if you have Varicose Veins ?
In our country people are quite ignorant
of this disease of varicose veins.
Patients of varicose veins due to
ignorance, either goes to a general
surgeon , a general physician or a bone
specialist for consltation. When varicose
veins gets complicated and turns into a
varicose ulcer, these patients then go to
either a skin spcialist or a homoeopath
for treatment of so-called eczema and
skin problem. Sometimes varicose vein is
misdiagnosed as arthritis or sciatica.
Because of ignorance and misdagnosis, a
patient of varicose vein keeps on
shunting from one specialist to another.
This leads to a considerable delay in
treatment and disability increases.
If any person is having blue colored
visible spider like veins or
blue-coloured long threads under skin and
dark colored patches or ulcer in legs,
immediately consulta Cardiovascular or a
Vascular Surgeon instead of a general
surgeon. If suspicion of varicose vein
arises, never make delay in seeking
consultation and treatment by a
Cardiovascular Surgeon/Vascular Surgeon,
so that timely intervention may prevent
further complicatios.
Dr K K Pandey is a Senior Consultant in
the Department of Cardiothoracic and
Vascular Surgery at IApollo Hospital, New
Delhi. Email : drpandeykk@gmail.com
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In
pursuit of Beauty
Chitra Thakur
 Narcissus
is the newest god to which a growing
number of city dwellers in India now pay
their routine obeisance. And so, the
beauty parlours are awash with cash.
Recent studies show that India has become
the largest hairdressing and beauty
market in the world, employing many
hundred thousand hairdressers,
beauticians and cosmetologists.
In March this year candy floss and tinsel
and glamour received another boost when
Barbara Cartland, the grande dame of
romantic fiction, flew in to specifically
inaugurate a health outfit at Suraj Kund,
an idyllic spot in the neighbourhood of
Delhi, It has since become weekend home
for a section of the city's upwardly
mobile whose beauty care incorporates
Ayurvedic (herbal) treatment under the
franchise rights of Shahanaz Hussain, the
high priestess of India's beauty world.
Sparks are flying all round, the charm
world is agog with excitement at the
prospect of Pivot Point soon coming to
India. Headed by Blossom Kochhar, the
president of the Indian section of the
Confederation Interntionale de Coeffure,
Paris, it hopes to bring to India the
world's finest and most advanced hair and
beauty education programme through its
American affiliates - Pivot Point
International Inc. Chicago.
In a world where brand names are
talismans, foreign tie-ups are not only
chic but de riouer. In summer 2009 Indian
Institute of Aesthetics is going to
collaborate with its United States
counterpart to launch a workshop in New
Delhi which promises the participants a
hang of the elaborate affair that beauty
care has come to be. At a cool Rs. 2,500
for a month-long course the takers are
already too many on the roaster.
The last few months have in fact been
most hectic. Until last year there was no
forum to represent the beauticians and
bring them together to promote their
professional and financial interests.
With the launching of the National
Hairdressers and Beauticians Association
this lacuna has been removed.
A survey revealed that some of the
maidservants employed with the embassies
spent as much as 10 per cent of their
salaries at the beauty parlours.
But by far the most significant chunk of
the new clientele comes from the
office-going working women -secretaries,
receptionists, travel agency and hotel
girls and computer operators. Among the
housewives the number is still restricted
to high middle-class. The mushroom growth
of beauty parlours in Delhi's posh
residential quarter like Defence Colony,
Vasant Vihar and Sough Extension tells
its own story.
And so, gone are the days when young boys
and girls spent their pocket money on
ice-cream and stamps.
Many of them now spend as much as 75 per
cent of it in beauty parlours. Mothers
and daughters visiting the same parlour
together is a common sight. And many
brides now step into the marriage venue
straight out of the beauty parlour. In
fact, some of the shops specialise in
bridal make-up and boast of long waiting
lists in the marriage season.
Beauty parlours of the five-star hotels
remain unfazed by rapid proliferation of
competitors down the lane and continue to
be exorbitantly expensive. Although craze
for the bouffant and corkscrew curls a la
some of the Mumbai film stars are out
there are those feather touches of the
fingers and those mysterious routes the
pair of scissors take that have earned
some of the hairdressers a place in the
beautician's folklore. Ask Habib of the
Oberai Intercontinental for a booking and
the likelihood is that he will call you
after a year. After all he has his
clients coming from the film world and
the Gulf. So wait for the magic touch.
But the one beautician who has driven her
point home with the crusader's zeal is
Shahzaz Hussain whose herbal treatments
have won her world clientele. With her
counterculture concoctions and no-hype
cosmetics she, alone among the votaries
of outlandish claptrap, has emerged as
the stoutest champion of back-to-nature
beauty care.
The virtues of washing hair in mud and
rubbing turmeric and coconut on bad
skin-the native concoctions that worked
wonders in granny's time-are about to be
re-discovered in India. (INAV)
|
Jammu
Pride Colour revolution in the making
Dr. Manoj Nazir
Gladiolus an origin of South
Africa as majority of species were found
growing there and a few species in Asia
minor (Afghanistan. Arminia and Caucasus
in U.S.S.R , Syria, Persia etc).belongs
to the family iridaceae, sub family
ixiodeae, tribe 3, sub tribe gladoline.
The herbaceous plant sprouts from
Axillary buds of an under ground
structure the corm that is made up of
fleshy substance that supplies food for
the growing plant. In India its
cultivation dates back to 19th century,
as Firmingers manual of gardening in
India published in 1863 mentions that
Charles Grey of coonoor grew some
gladiolus from corms and seeds in his
garden..
Gladiolus cultivation under Jammu
conditions has a potential to change the
economic scenario of farmers of Jammu as
well as of the entire state. For
generating both money as well as
employment in rural areas gladiolus is
such a crop suitable for establishing
floriculture industry by progressive
farmers and entrepreneurs and undoubtly
the best bulbous flower in India. Its
magnificent spikes in dazzling colours
remain fresh for 10 to 22 days. Its
cultivation in Jammu region has become an
important sector as consumption of
flowers is rising associated with
economic development. Jammu division of
has a wide range of climates and micro
climates different production system,
socio economic diversity and consumer
requirements. Mostly farmers belong to
small and marginal category.
Diverfication to horticulture crops is
now the major option to improve
livelihood security of small farmers and
improved employment opportunities. Jammu
division of the State is going to play a
vital role in floriculture trade which
will turn the economy of the state.Now
Every year 25 -50 farmers take up its
cultivation in Jammu region. In 1999
40,000 spikes of gladiolus were produced,
from 1999-2002. 1, 00,000 spikes were
produced .From 2002-2004. 1, 20,000
spikes were produced and from 2005-2007
3, 00,000 spikes were produced from the
plains of Jammu region (from October to
April).Despite all this Jammu import 85%
of gladiolus spikes and other cut flowers
from rest of the country. Floriculture
sector is experiencing a rapid change the
world over due to globalization and its
effect on income generation. Consumption
of gladiolus spikes in Jammu region has
increased manifold. Now every corner of
city has a flower shop with upright
spikes of gladiolus and this trend will
continue to increase because of its
demand in the market and improvement in
purchasing power. A gladiolus spike has a
potential to change economic scenario of
poor farmers. As per the status of
2006-2007(village Karloop) Jammu. A
farmer has earnt a net profit of Rs.2250
per kanal from his wheat crop:Rs. 1000
from paddy crop:Rs.3000 from Radish cro:
Rs. 1000 from cabbage : Rs. 250per kanal
from Spinach and Rs. 14,000 per kanal
from gladiolus spikes.
Jammu division is going to play a vital
role in floriculture which will turn the
economy of the state. It has shown a
tremendous potential to produce gladiolus
spikes of export quality. Gladiolus spike
of Jammu is better in every respect in
comparison to temperate regions of India
as it bears 18 - 25 florets per spike of
diameter 11 to 14.5 cm. (basal floret)
and minimum 5-6 florets remain open at a
time. Such type of gladiolus is called as
Prims. And are liked by European
countries. The soil of Jammu has also
potential to produce Exhibition large
flowered gladiolus (21 florets per spike
and 7 florets open at a time).
Two cultivars of gladiolus were developed
at directorate of agriculture Jammu viz
Jammu Pride (Congo song x Red beauty).
This cultivar is Dedicated to the soil of
Jammu and is presently under
multiplication. It bears 18.14 florets
per spike with 5.62 florets remain open
at a time and has a potential to produce
3 spikes from a corm. This spike has vase
life of 13- 15 days (November sowing) and
Durga anew hybrid gladiolus is an
improved cultivar has a potential to
produce 2.06 spikes per corm having 15
florets per spike. The spike remains
durable for16.02 days and has been found
profitable genotype for plains of Jammu
and western U.P. a farmer can earn a net
profit of Rs.245-405 per square meter
from fist year and for subsequent years
it is Rs. 380-540 per sq. meter.
consumers are becoming more aware of what
to buy. They are becoming professional
buyers. They tend to ask for higher
choices in product quality levels
depending on purpose of purchase, as well
as for higher levels of service and a
wider and deeper assortment. Now the
trend has shifted from seasonal to year
round production of flowers and the soil
of Jammu has a potential to make spikes
of gladiolus available when they are most
wanted (like mothers day, Valentines Day)
besides marriages , birthdays and other
occasions.
The FAO-sponsored project on green house
technology for small scale farmers should
be implemented in Jammu which will give a
confidence to farmers for green house
production of flowers. Government of the
state should be instrumental in setting
up of floricultural units both for export
and domestic markets. Cold storage
facilities for flowers for export should
be set up.
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ESSENCE OF YOGA
By Yuri Rajput
 '
Health is Wealth ' , is an old saying and
rightly so ill health is a drag on life.
If one has to have a smooth sailing in
life, he must possesses a good health.
Good health means a strong will power , a
disease free body, a mind under control
and senses disciplined. It leads to
success,happiness and inner peace as mind
is free from feelings of mistrust,
egoism, greed and hatred and there reigns
only love and feeling of brotherhood. As
is will known 'Prana' , the vital
universal energy force, does not function
systematically when the mind is diseased
or even perturbed. It naturally effects
the functioning of nerves, cells and
tissues of the body. The malfunctioning
leads to production of toxins in the body
and if steps are not taken to get rid to
toxins, they go on accumulating in the
body and a situation comes when one falls
ill. Negative thoughts and anger are
equally responsible for spoiling one's
health. Negative thoughts cause tension
in mind and raise blood pressure level
and anger leads to toxin in blood.
Medical science has confirmed these
findings.
Our ancient sages had realized that life
on earth was full of pain and sorrow. The
body was a prey to all sorts of diseases
and the mind was wavering. So the sages
find a way in the shape of Yog. Yog is
not merely a science dealing with various
body postures; it is, apart being a
source of sound health, gives eternal
peace of mind.A regular practice of Yog
not only adds years to life but leads to
meaningful life.
As per various scriptures Yog has been
defined as the Kathopanishad says Yog is
a ' state of steadiness and full control
over senses a well as mind and the
intellect'
"Shvetaashvatara Upanishad"
tells us that a ' Yogi does not suffer
from old age, disease and death. His body
is healthy , mind free from greed and is
peaceful. In 'Yogavasesta' , Yoga is
described as an instrument for reaching
the other shore of the stream of sorrow.
In the " Gita Ji", the Lord
Krishna describe Yog a state of equipose
where a Yogi is not affected by a pair of
opposites and has reached the state of
happiness for excellence. Although he
continues to act, his actions are
directed for the good of others. He does
not look for rewards for his virtuous
deeds. Thus he frees himself from
bondage.
Patanjali’s ‘Yog Sutra’
has said Yog is a state where one is free
from thought and modifications of the
mind are complete.
Yog is not just a physical exercise but a
complete medical science and philosophy
of life. It is the path to gain eternal
wisdom, ultimate truth and to unite the
inner soul with the supreme soul through
self-realization. It is a spiritual
journey from ignorance to knowledge,
mortality to immorality, obvious to
hidden and peace to ultimate tranquility.
Thanks to Baba Ramdev Ji Maharaj due to
which present Yog revolution has taken
place in India as well as in other part
of world. ' Ramdev Ji' describe Yog
revolution is like reviving the past, as
at present millions of people are
practicing and getting its benefits. We
want that yog should become a philosophy
of life for everyone and people with any
disease should take to Yog for regaining
health. Those feeling dejected, insecure
and , therefore suicidal, may get on the
path of self awareness. A self aware
person cannot take his/her own or
somebody else's life. A Yogi is above
crime, corruption and violence and
contributes to building a creative,
positive, qualitative and productive
society.A Yogi is beyond terrorism,
casteism, regionalism, communal divides
and follows the path of nation building.
Today, through Yog, the strong
humanistic, nationalistic, spiritualistic
forces and those standing for truth and
righteousness in the world are coming
together, paving the way for world peace
and welfare. Yog is a blessing for those
who because of financial constraints are
unable to afford allopathic treatment not
only in India but also abroad. Yog is a
solution for incurable diseases and this
truth shall be unraveled through
practicing Yog. A yogic mind is
enlightened with the dutifulness, which
directs all retrogressive energies
towards creativity. Sense of dutifulness
is the starting point of
self-realization.
|
Beijing springboard
to London 2012
Mahendra Ved
One gold and two
bronze medals may look like nothing for a
nation of India's size. It stood in 50th
position in the final medal tally -- way
behind tiny Jamaica, Georgia and Cuba.
But if you look at India's track record
of having only four Olympic medals other
than in hockey, then Beijing 2008 is
something to be happy about. Could it be
that this across-the-board improvement in
Indian sporting standards has something
to do with nearly two decades of economic
growth? Are improvements in living
standards, education awareness and
urbanization narrowing the gap between
raw talent and opportunity?
The Beijing Games provide a road map for
2012 -- if the Indians do not fall
asleep, as they generally do after each
major sporting occasion, only to wake up
a few months or at best a year before the
next one. For that, Bindra would need to
get back to his shooting range right
away. And all those boxers, those who won
and others who did not make it, need to
get back into the ring under the right
coaching. There is need to draw a
four-year plan that I garner from others'
informed analyses -- no marks for
originality here:
- Shortlist disciplines that have
potential for Olympics 2012, although
there will be a lot heart-burning among
those left out.
- Identify the best available talent in
the short-listed sports and keep
updating, since the four-year period
should not keep out the teenagers.
Remember, Saina Nehwal, who made it to
the badminton quarter-final at just 19,
was a budding beginner, just 15, four
years ago.
- Draw a plan of action and stick to it,
no matter what. Don't let the sports
bureaucracy indulge in
"can't-do-shan't-do".
- Look after the athletes well and
provide them with the best possible
training and support. Money should not be
a constraint.
- Make coaches and officials accountable
for the performance of the athletes. One
would have to start from scratch on this
score.
The three disciplines -- shooting, boxing
and wrestling -- that provided India the
medals represent the very areas where
India needs to focus, for they could
provide even more in the future. Boxing,
for one, could become a big sport for
India in the next few years. Others,
where bad preparation or bad luck
prevailed, are not to be neglected. The
big disappointment of the Games was the
16-member athletics contingent. There was
not a ripple from them. Not one of them
came close to their best, or even what
they achieved to earn a berth to the
Games.
Indians also fared badly in swimming,
wrestling, archery, tennis and many other
areas, but there were patches of great
work in boxing, where Indian pugilists
defeated big names before going down.
Apart from medalists Sushil Kumar and
Vijender Kumar, the others to stand out
were boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender
Kumar, who reached the quarter-finals,
and Saina Nehwal, who stunned the World
No 4 en route to the last eight, where
she led in the decider before going down
to Indonesian Marie Yulianti.
Sushil, who bagged a bronze in wrestling,
is the son of a bus driver. He travels by
bus for two hours every morning from his
home in Baaprola village on Delhi's
outskirts to reach his training centre.
It's the same grind back home in the
evening. It's a monotonous routine and
can kill most minds.It's amazing that he
kept at it for years without breaking
down. Rural folk have a deep-rooted
attachment to their village. Which is
also true of Sushil. A man of few words,
Sushil remembered to thank his parents
and coaches and the entire village of
Baaprola who urged him to go get the
medal for the country. Vijender, who
bagged a bronze in boxing (75kg category)
has made Kaluwas village in Haryana
state's Bhiwani district famous. He has
done most of his training at the local
Bhiwani boxing club.
Outside this club where young boxers are
training hard, there is graffiti on the
wall: "No pain, no gain... if you
don't bleed, you don't succeed".
This message needs to spread to swank
gyms and plush sporting arena in the
cities and everywhere, if India has to
make its mark in sports and games. (CNF)
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Abhishek is playing a superman in his recent
release 'Drona'. Don't you too want to play a superwoman
in future?