RAK Hospital Newsletter June '10

Care n Cure

Health Newsletter from RAK Hospital…empowering the community

Inside

Snoring Why it happens and how to stop it?

Gallstones Painless Detection

Say ‘No’ to tobacco Staff, patients and the public join together on Anti-Tobacco Day Competition Win a free consultation at RAK Hospital

Giving up smoking

By Donna Milligan (Excerpts..)

Giving up smoking is never easy The idea of quitting might make you queasy But here are the benefits (there are plenty) Try these facts for a little incentive!

Did you know that when you quit Your body’s recovery is quite quick After one day, your lungs start to clear In two, the nicotine will disappear Then, your senses of taste and smell Will improve, you’ll be able to tell Breathing’s easier, energy will increase Physical cravings will soon cease

Snoring – the other half ’s problem

In this issue, we are tackling a very important condition of snoring. It causes problems not only to the person who snores, but also to those who are around them. The problem with snoring is it disturbs the sleep of the person and can lead to serious health conditions and reduced work efficiency. Read on to get a better understanding of the condition and how to prevent it.

Gastric disorders

The shift in eating habits on account of changing lifestyles has resulted in several problems which are commonly recognised, such as obesity; and some, not so commonly recognised yet quite prevalent. This issue, we bring to focus an understanding of what gallstones are, and how to overcome the problem.

In two weeks, your circulation improves In a year, your risk of heart attack moves In ten years, your risk of lung cancer will fall to half that which a smoker has to endure In fifteen years, your heart attack risk Will be as though you never even lit a cig There are lots of methods available to assist Support groups, patches, gum - take your pick!

Speak to your GP if you need more information He can help you on your way to smoking cessation You know it makes sense, and follow the plan To see how your body’s recovering, you can Notice the changes and see the effects Feel proud of yourself, and have respect!.

Log on to www.rakhospital.com

r x you han e nd by ter t I is oth I s st as (kg) grea r BM . In b ght, to e u I T ody Meight I is If yo bese wei but M B ur B ur w ur BMght. are o lose ring, yo yo f yo wei ou d to sno s sity k e r g ec idin ). I ove 30, y nee top eas obe h m s u C iv ² ( re is h d ht a than , yo elp er d wit y u h g s b ei yo er d t nce y to t oth iate h 5, a l a e 2 gr st on en oc in ot rev ass p n

SNORING

By Dr Magdy Thakeb, Senior consultant and HoD, Department of Otolaryngology Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The irregular airflow is caused by a passageway blockage, and usually, due to one of the following: • Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep • Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles • Fat gathering in and around the throat • Obstruction in the nasal passageway • The tissues at the top of airways touching each other, causing vibrations • Relaxants, such as alcohol or drugs, relaxing throat muscles • Sleeping on one’s back, which may result in the tongue dropping to the back of the mouth.

• Obstructions, such as enlarged tonsils, adenoids, etc can be surgically removed to cure the problem.

Test your snorability

Nose test Looking in a mirror, press the side of one nostril to close it. With your mouth closed, breathe in through your other nostril. If the nostril tends to collapse, try propping it open with the clean end of a matchstick. If breathing is easier with the nostril propped open, nasal dilators may solve your snoring problem. Test both nostrils.

Now, with your mouth closed, try breathing in through your nose. If you cannot breathe well through your nose, you may be suffering from nasal stuffiness caused by allergy. You may wish to consider the following causes: Feather pillows and bedding, pet hair, house dust mite, allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies, perfumes and body sprays, and household cleansers such as bleach.

Mouth breathing test Open your mouth and make a snoring noise. Now close your mouth and try to make the same noise. If you can only snore with your mouth open, then you are a ‘mouth breather’.

Try : chin-up strips which will keep your mouth closed, or a snore guard which will encourage you to breathe correctly through your nose.

Tongue test Stick your tongue out as far as it will go and grip it between your teeth. Now try to make a snoring noise.

If the snoring noise is reduced with your tongue in this forward position, then you are probably what is known as a ‘tongue base snorer’. The most appropriate control for this type of snoring is a mandibular device.

Palatal flutter If none of these tests has helped, it is possible that your soft palate is vibrating. ‘Palatal flutter’ is the vibration of the soft palate and uvula. This is often the cause in patients who are of normal weight.

Try medicine to tighten the tissue of the soft palate, or chin-up strips to keep your mouth closed. Also try apples, garlic, ginger and turmeric.

Stop snoring immediately with exercise Step 1 Sit straight and for the first exercise protrude the lower jaw teeth line out in front of the upper jaw teeth line. Count ten and repeat it ten times.

Step 2 Relax your lower jaw, move it sidewards many times, and start your second exercise for actually straining and strengthening the lax throat tube that is responsible for snoring, since it vibrates as you sleep, causing anoxia with risks of disturbed sleep and cardiac events.

Step 3 Now, hold your jaw on both the sides with your palms or fingers, or place your thumbs below sides of your chin firmly. Now, try to open your mouth and push your lower jaw downwards against the resistance you offer. Do it many times and increase its frequency as you go along. Then, relax your jaws again. Go to sleep with your bedpost raised by six inches towards the side you place your head. Try and sleep more on your sides.

Log on to www.rakhospital.com

GALLSTONES

If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.

By Dr Tushar Gandhi, Senior specialist surgeon The gall bladder is a small, bag-shaped organ on the right-hand side of your body, just below your liver.

It stores a green liquid called bile, which is produced by your liver to help your body digest fats and other substances.

When you eat, bile is released from your gall bladder into your intestines through a narrow tube called the bile duct.

Bile contains cholesterol, bile salts and waste products like bilirubin (a pigment formed from the breakdown of old red blood cells). Gallstones form when these substances are out of balance. Most cause no symptoms at all and you may not even be aware you have them.

However, these stones can irritate the lining of your gall bladder and they can get stuck in your bile duct, causing an attack of abdominal (tummy) pain that: • develops quickly • is severe • lasts about one to three hours before fading gradually • isn’t helped by over-the-counter painkillers Other symptoms may include: • feeling sick or vomiting • sweating • restlessness • jaundice (yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes)

If the stones aren’t removed, they can cause problems which include infections and blockages of your digestive tract. Sometimes, they are found by chance during medical tests for other conditions; you may be asked to have an ultrasound scan. Blood and/or urine tests may be done to check for signs of infection, inflammation, jaundice or problems with your pancreas.

People can usually live without a gall bladder, and the most common treatment for gallstones that are causing problems is surgical removal of the gall bladder. This is known as cholecystectomy (pronounced “co-lee-sist-ectomy”).

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a keyhole surgery done under general anaesthesia, usually as a day case. The operation lasts between 60 and 90 minutes.

Open cholecystectomy surgery is sometimes used if keyhole surgery isn’t possible and involves the removal of the gall bladder through a larger cut in your abdomen (tummy). This type of surgery is done under general anaesthesia, which means you will be asleep during the operation. You may need to spend a day or two in hospital to recover.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) removes gallstones and is often performed in addition to having your gall bladder removed. The procedure through your mouth is usually done under sedation - so you’re awake, but relaxed and comfortable.

DIET TIPS • Eat three well-balanced meals daily, with each meal containing some fat to ensure gall bladder emptying.

This prevents collection of bile in the gall bladder.

• Eat a diet that is high in fibre and calcium and low in saturated fats (fat that is solid at room temperature, such as butter, shortening, lard, meat fat etc).

• Maintain a normal body weight by eating an

appropriate number of calories and exercising for at least 30 minutes, five days per week.

Obese people (with and without known gallstones), who are planning a rapid weight-loss programme should be supervised by a healthcare provider, and may require treatment with oral bile acids to prevent gallstones from developing during weight loss.

Log on to www.rakhospital.com

NN O O I I T T I I TT E E P P M CCOOM

Varicosity of Veins According to Dr JM Gauer, CEO, RAK Hospital, nearly 50% of the global aging population could suffer from some level of varicosity of veins due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the rise in obesity. Dr Gauer was speaking to a gathering of Emirati ladies convened jointly by the Al Nahda Women’s Association and the hospital, on ‘Varicose Veins’. Dr Gauer also said that while the condition is not of immediate urgency among the local population, it has the potential to become a serious impediment to normal functioning, because of the shifting lifestyle in the region. Another major contributor to this condition is the genetic predisposition, which means if the incidence of varicosity runs high in the family, the chances are that the person will suffer from the condition too. The talk was followed by a question and answer session and a screening for those present.

Read the e-mag to bag some swag.

Prizes of FREE consultations at RAK Hospital for the best seven respondents.

Answer the following questions: • How is a gallstone detected?

• What is BMI?

Scarless surgery

Quit Smoking At a recently concluded series of talks by RAK Hospital to mark tobacco cessation, doctors from the hospital w a r n e d attendees about the effects of parental smoking on the teenagers who take to smoking. As many as 68% of those who displayed some semblance of a smoking behavior in their teens had at least one member of the family who consumed tobacco, they said. At close-knit interactions with select community leaders, the hospital team conducted presentations and open house discussions to dispel myths around tobacco consumption.

Nearly nine persons die every minute globally on account of tobacco related complications, and by the year 2030, it is estimated by WHO that this lethal substance will consume 10 million lives every year. UAE reports nearly one fourth of its adult population as consumers of tobacco.

Dr Anup Panigrahi, head of the Minimal Access Surgery department at the RAK Hospital, performed nation’s first scarless surgical procedure by operating a 13-year-old for gallstones. Using the latest technique of inserting surgical instruments through a single hole he removed the stones from the child’s gall bladder.

The child was brought to the hospital emergency with severe abdominal pain. The surgeon decided to adopt the breakthrough procedure as the boy had exams round the corner, and could not afford prolonged hospital stay.

RAK Hospital joins a select global league of hospitals providing this procedure.

RAK Hospital was given the “Highly Commended” award in the Best Healing Environment Category at the recently held 2nd Hospital Build Middle East Awards.

Al Qusaidat, P.O. Box 11393, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Tel.: 07 2074444 | Fax 07 2074455 mail@rakhospital.com | www.rakhospital.com

Created by Sterling Publications

Email your answers to the publishers at: info@sterlingp.ae