For healthy celebration

This Diwali, don’t let health come in your way of celebrations. Follow these tips related to respiratory problems, burns and eyecare, says Sunday Pioneer

Breathe easy

Firecrackers is synonymous with Diwali even though the Supreme Court has recently come out with stringent guidelines. Here are a few health tips to follow to protect yourself from harmful effects of pollution

• Visit the doctor: Before the pollution affects your health, patients with asthma and other respiratory disorders should visit their doctors for a check-up and adjust the medication dose as per his advice if necessary.
• Healthy lifestyle: It is important that the patient maintains healthy lifestyle throughout the year. It includes good quality sleep, well-balanced nutritious diet, regular intake of water, regular exercise, breathing exercises, pranayama and yoga, stress reduction, avoiding smoking and alcohol intake. Medication dose should never be missed. A patient who follows a disciplined lifestyle will be able to cope up better with Diwali pollution. Control sweet intake and stay well hydrated by regularly drinking water during Diwali.
• Stay away from crackers: People suffering from asthma and other respiratory disorders should completely avoid areas and functions where crackers will be burst. When burnt, crackers emit harmful pollutants such as toxic metals, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide, which, along with the smoke in the air, can trigger an asthma attack in both children and adults.
• Avoid polluted areas: It is also advisable to avoid places with high levels of pollution, as well as the use of strong incense sticks and scented candles. If you absolutely must go out during this season, ensure that you're carrying a handkerchief or a cloth, when stepping out of the house. The patients must carry their inhaler all the time.
• Keep away from dust: During this time, try to avoid being a part of the cleaning, as dust that is swept up can trigger asthma attacks and breathing problems. Keep your inhaler handy at all times as a quick-relief solution for breathlessness, before visiting your doctor.
• Take a small holiday: If you find yourself unable to avoid situations or parties where crackers would be burst, get away from the city during Diwali. Take a short vacation to a hill station or the seaside where the air is cleaner and dust free.
• Keep emergency numbers handy: Respiratory symptoms are aggravated during and post Diwali. Hence, it is extremely essential to keep emergency ambulance numbers like 1298/ 108 and other local numbers within reach. Calling for help at the right time without losing valuable minutes can decrease the level of damage and raise chances of recovery and survival. 

To ensure a safe Diwali for all, as responsible individuals, one should ensure to celebrate it eco-friendly way. This will help make it a truly happy festival, for yourself, as well as the environment.

— Dr Santosh Datar, medical director, Ziqitza Healthcare Ltd

Eye care

Exposure to pollutants present in the smog such as carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide can cause itching, watering, unclear vision, redness, dry eyes and burning sensation. You are exposed to these harmful pollutants every time you step out of your home. Here are a few tips that can help you enjoy this festive season:

• Splash of cold water: Always wash your eyes with cold water every time you are back from an outdoor site.
• Minimalise outdoor exposure: The protection you can give your eyes is from trying to reduce exposure to smog. The Government has issued advisory — avoid early morning outdoor walks as that is when smog exposure tends to peak. Protection from eyewear like large size sunglasses is also not best suited, as the polluting fumes will find a way to get in your eyes.
• Cool down the inflammation: Using traditional methods like placing cold cucumbers on your eyes, you can cool down the inflammation and relax. You can also use eye drops for lubrication as per recommendations from your doctor.
• Strict no to eye rubbing: Don’t rub your eyes if any tiny pollutants enter. Immediately wash it off with clean water.
• Have a healthy diet: Eat healthy and include lots of carrots, almonds, green leafy vegetables, fish, berries etc in your diet. These are very beneficial for keeping the eyes healthy. Keeping yourself hydrated is of utmost significance. Do ensure that you keep yourself hydrated from water and non-caffeinated drinks.
• Blink blink: While doing office work, regularly blink your eyes. This will help in lubricating them. Take regular breaks from your screen every 30-40 minutes. You can also close the windows of your vehicles when stuck in traffic to avoid direct exposure to the smog.

The writer is Dr Sandeep Buttan, Global Technical Lead — Eye Health Asia, at Sightsavers

Dental care

With so much sugar sugar coming our way in beverages, sweets and chocolates, your teeth are going to bear the brunt of this excess and you shall be blamed you if they decay due to carelessness. There is no doubt that sugars form the perfect medium for cavity-causing bacteria to grow which are then responsible for tooth sensitivity or pain. Good oral hygiene habits like immediate rinsing after sweets or brushing daily before going to bed can surely ensure prevention of cavities,” opines Lt Gen (Rtd) Dr Vimal Arora, chief clinical officer, Clove Dental.

There are precautions that will  take care your teeth. “Ideally, we should avoid having sweets before going to bed as the bacteria affect our teeth throughout the night and fasten the process of decay,” says Dr Priyanka Mathur, Clove Dental. Hence, rinse your mouth immediately after snacking and meals to ensure that sweets do not get stuck in between your teeth. In case you feel, they do, chew a sugar-free gum.

Another solution is to brush the teeth after grabbing that laddoo. Eating and drinking food with sugar weaken the enamel on your teeth. You should first rinse your mouth with lukewarm water after you have had a heavy dose of sugary intake. Wait for an hour and then brush your teeth. Allow your teeth to settle, otherwise you could do more damage than good.

Dentists also advise to eat milk products and chocolates instead of sticky sweets. “You can keep stickiness in your teeth away by having your desserts before the meals,” adds Dr Mathur. This will reduce the risk of sweets staying stuck to your teeth which causes cavities. Have cheese after meal as this reduces the chances of developing tooth decay.

Treat that burn

Research suggests that women and children are more prone to burn injuries. Women usually wear loose fitting clothes such as sarees and dupatta which catch fire easily and make them susceptible to burn injuries. Children sustain burn injuries while bursting crackers-unsupervised and careless handling of firecrackers that leads to an increased incidence of injuries in their case.

India registers about 7 lakh to 8 lakh burn admissions annually. When it comes to burns, prevention is certainly better than cure. There are few things that one can do to manage burn injuries:

• Minor burns sustained during cooking or from fireworks can be treated at home. In such cases, the burnt part should be immediately placed under the tap water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once it cools and the pain starts to subside, the patient should consult a burn specialist who is mostly a plastic surgeon in India.
• For major burns of larger proportions, the burnt clothing is usually removed first and the patient is covered in a clean sheet and taken to the hospital. It is advised that no ointment or cream or anything like toothpaste or ink be applied to the burnt area as it makes it difficult for the specialist to identify the depth of burns.
• The process of cleaning the wound can further damage the wound, so it's important to seek treatment from a burn specialist, and if he/she is not available, then a general surgeon can provide the initial treatment.

— Dr Rajeev Ahuja senior consultant, plastic & cosmetic surgery, Sir Gangaram Hospital, Delhi