6 Signs that your lungs are in trouble

Chest pain, prolonged breathlessness and chronic cough are some of the common symptoms of lung damage.

But how can you know that your lungs are in danger?

While we consciously take care of most of the organs, we seldom do anything to care for our lungs. Isn’t it wrong to take for granted the organ that is responsible for supplying oxygen to the blood cells? Any infection or injury to the lungs not only affects our breathing but can also increase the risk of various respiratory tract diseases like asthma and tuberculosis. Dr Gyanendra Agrawal, Consultant, Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, shares a few key signs that indicate your lungs are in danger and that you need to consult a respiratory specialist.

1. Prolonged breathlessness: Whether climbing stairs or performing day-to-day chores, if you feel breathless after physical exertion, it could be a cause of concern. Also, if you find it difficult to run or suffer from breathlessness most of the time, even when lying on a bed, then it is a sign of lung problem. Prolonged breathlessness can be a sign of many respiratory ailments, it can be due to bronchitis, asthma, COPD or cardiac ailments (in severe cases).

2. Excessive mucus production: We usually ignore a productive cough or a cough with sputum. However, if you suffer from productive cough for more than three months, then consult your doctor as it could be a sign of chronic bronchitis. If this is coupled with wheezing or shortness of breath, then it could be a sign of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Hence, if you have been coughing for long, consult your doctor immediately.

3. Blood in the sputum: Another key symptom that indicates lung disease is the presence of blood in the sputum. While changes in the colour of the sputum or mucus can reveal a lot about the health, right from bacterial infection to pneumonia, presence of blood can be a sign of tuberculosis. If you suffer from prolonged cough, low-grade fever and have found streaks of blood in the sputum, get tested for tuberculosis.

4. Chest pain: You are wrong if you thought that chest pain always signifies heart attack as there’s more to chest pain than a heart attack. If you experience a sharp shooting pain in the chest when you breathe, cough or sneeze, it can be due to a lung infection caused by bacteria or virus. In rare cases, it can signify a blood clot in the arteries of the lungs, blocking blood flow to the lungs, knows as pulmonary embolism. Find out the causes of chest pain and deal with it accordingly.

5. Wheezing: A whistling or rattling sound in the lungs or wheezing is undoubtedly a symptom of decreased lung function. It indicates that the lungs are finding it difficult to breathe due to narrowing of the airways or arterial block due to foreign particles. In most cases, wheezing is associated with inflammation due to asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergic reaction or physical obstruction caused due to a tumour or a foreign particle.

6. Chronic cough: Last but the most important sign that the lungs are in danger is a chronic cough. While a cough is a common occurrence due to a viral infection or common cold, it should start to improve after two –three weeks. However, if it fails to do so and lasts for more than eight weeks, then it is a sign of concern. This is the time you should go to a respiratory specialist and get tested to diagnose the underlying cause of the condition. Some of the common causes of a chronic cough include bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Doctors say excessive use of electronic gadgets can trigger early ageing

Excessive use of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones and tablets, can cause ‘tech neck’ that leads to early signs of ageing, health experts have warned.

Excessive use of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones and tablets, can cause ‘tech neck’ that leads to early signs of ageing, health experts have warned. According to experts, ‘tech neck’, which leads to sagging skin, dropping jowls, and creases above the clavicle, seriously affects facial looks of the person by causing frown lines, undereye bags, and horizontal lines on the neck along with fat prominences.

‘People who bend down constantly for long hours while using any handheld electronic device, like smartphones, tablet or computers, are more likely to get wrinkles. The bending position while texting on mobile phones can cause neck, back and shoulder pain, apart from headache, numbness, tingling in the upper limb and pain in hands, arm, elbows and wrists,’ said Vinod Vij, Cosmetic Surgeon, at Mumbai-based Fortis Hospital. 

A recent report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) had revealed that the number of mobile internet users in the country was expected to reach 371 million by June 2016. As much as 40 per cent of the users consist of youngsters between the age group of 19-30. Experts have said that the frequent forward flexion causes changes in the cervical spine, curve, supporting ligaments, tendons and musculature, as well as the bony segments, commonly causing postural change. 

Mohan Thomas, Senior Cosmetic Surgeon, Cosmetic Surgery Institute, said: ‘As people do not realise the negativity they are causing to their neck bone and the skin, tech obsessed people should take necessary steps to avoid the overuse of the electronic gadgets.’ 

He said the overuse of smart phones causes shortening of the neck muscles. ‘Apart from shortening of the neck muscle it also increases the gravitational pull on the skin. Ultimately, this results in sagging skin, double chin, marionette lines (vertical lines from lips to chin) and loose jowls (drooping jawline). All these signs have been collectively labelled medically as ‘smartphone face,’ he said.

Women who work for more than 60hrs a week, at risk of life-threatening diseases

Women who work 60 hours or more per week during the bulk of their careers have been found to be at high risk of diabetes, cancer, heart trouble and arthritis, says a study.

Women who work 60 hours or more per week during the bulk of their careers have been found to be at high risk of diabetes, cancer, heart trouble and arthritis, says a study. 
Women — especially women who have to juggle multiple roles — feel the effects of intensive work experiences and that can set the table for a variety of illnesses and disability,’ said lead author Allard Dembe from the Ohio State University. 
The risk begins to climb when women put in more than 40 hours and takes a decidedly bad turn above 50 hours, the study found. 
The researchers found that women who worked an average of 60 hours or more over three decades had three times the risk of getting diabetes, cancer, heart trouble and arthritis than those who worked 40-hour weeks.
People don’t think that much about how their early work experiences affect them down the road,’ Dembe said. ‘Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s are setting themselves up for problems later in life,’ he added. 
Men with tough work schedules appeared to fare much better, found the study published recently in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
In the study, the researchers interviewed 7,500 people and analysed the relationship between serious disease and hours worked over a 32-year period. 
Women tend to face more pressure and stress than men when they work long hours because they undertake the lion’s share of family responsibility, an earlier study suggested.
Moreover, work for women may be less satisfying because of the need to balance work demands with family obligations, Dembe added. 

Home Remedies to Control Bad Cholesterol

Good cholesterol or HDL is useful for the development of hormones, appropriate use of food within the body, removal of bad cholesterol from the body, etc. 

Bad cholesterol or LDL builds right up in the coronary arteries and obstructs the flow of blood. This in turn puts a pressure on the heart and results in strokes and heart diseases. 

As a result, steps should be taken to control LDL and increase HDL. There are many home remedies for reducing bad cholesterol levels and controlling it. 

 ⦁ Make a paste of cilantro and mix it in water and consume it each day for about 30 days. 

⦁ Take a glass of milk. Add a clove of garlic to it and boil. Drink this for a day or two to reduce heart pain as well as to reduce cholesterol. 

⦁ Make a habit to eat a clove of garlic every morning. This procedure takes some time, but is very efficient in reducing cholesterol levels.  

⦁ Have dry fruits like almonds and walnuts daily. 

⦁ Add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm water. Drinking this helps reduce cholesterol. 

⦁ Some researches show that routine workouts help reduce cholesterol levels. Two and a half hours of exercise every week works wonders for the body and raises good cholesterol levels. 

⦁ Drink sufficient water regularly. Water helps to flush out toxins and unwanted matter from the body. 

⦁ Avoid consuming ice-creams, chocolates, red meat, buffalo milk products, groundnut oil, fried food and junk food. 

⦁ Eat soy and soybean products along with green leafy fruits and veggies. 

⦁ Eat fish regularly. Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It is healthy for the heart. 


⦁ Reduce the intake of butter and ghee and instead increase the consumption of olive oil. 

⦁ Last, but not the least, get rid of stress in your life. Meditate, go for long walks, spend some time alone and take care of yourself. These things help in lowering cholesterol levels.

Why you should not drink coke or any other aerated drinks

Well you will come across a number of reasons for not drinking coke, if you just type on Google. All of us are well aware of its side effects and its health related issues, but we just cant get enough of these cold drinks and sodas. So why is it so addictive and why cant we just supplement it with plain and healthy juices.

I came across this video on youtube, would just like to share another example of how harmful these aerated drinks are to us and what exactly goes into our stomach. Check it out: