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Bhel’s air pollution control tower prototype unveiled in Noida

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

On Wednesday, Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey inaugurated the Air Pollution Control Tower (APCT) prototype developed by state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) in Noida.

“Inaugurating the APCT, the Minister said that air pollution in urban areas especially National Capital Region, remains a serious problem, adversely affecting the health and quality of life of citizens. He further stated that efforts are being made to eliminate the pollution at the source itself,” Ministry of Heavy Industries said in a statement.

This comes in the backdrop of Delhi NCR pollution, caused due to crop stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, becoming an annual political flashpoint between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. According to the government, an acre of land produces around two tonnes of stubble.

“The APCT operates by pulling polluted air through its base and capturing the particulate matter in filters installed in the tower. Clean air is then released from the top of the tower. The captured particulate matter gets collected in the hopper at the bottom of the APCT for periodic removal for disposal,” the statement added.

The crop stubble burning season has started this year again, after the national capital saw clear skies during lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“National Capital Region is plagued with the problem of air pollution especially in winter months, with Air Quality Index deteriorating to hazardous levels, which is a matter of serious concern for the health of the local population,” the statement said.

Thick smog, now an annual phenomenon in northern India due to burning of husk by farmers in the states of Punjab and Haryana, combined with pollution has exposed the region to the risk of power blackouts annually during this season as reported by Mint earlier.

 

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covid
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Philippines approves use of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in emergency

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

MANILA, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of emergency in the The Philippines has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax Inc (NVAX.O), its food and drug administration chairman said on Wednesday, making it the Southeast Asian country’s eighth vaccine approval.

The nanoparticle vaccine, known as Covovax, will be developed by Serum Institute of India and is licenced for use on individuals 18 and older, according to the agency’s chief Rolando Enrique Domingo during a press conference.

Covovax, which had efficacy of 89.7% in clinical trials, will be administered in two doses not less than 21 days apart, Domingo added.

The Philippines has inoculated more than a quarter of its 110 million population.

Early this month, Novavax received its first emergency use authorisation from Indonesia. Novavax also filed an application for approval of the vaccine in Canada and with the European Medicines Agency.
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For 1st time, number of fully jabbed outnumbered partially vaccinated

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

Data reveal that for the first time since the start of India’s immunisation campaign, the number of persons fully immunised against Covid-19 has overtaken those who are just partially vaccinated.

The development follows many weeks of second dose administration outpacing that of first doses, a pattern that became quite obvious in October and November when vaccination coverage surpassed 80 percent of the eligible population (at least one shot), a level at which experts expect it to reach a ceiling.

As of Tuesday night, of the 755.4 million people who have received at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in India, 380.7 million people are fully vaccinated (have received both shots) and another 374.7 million have received only one shot, according to data from the CoWIN dashboard. When seen alongside India’s estimated population of 940 million adults, this means that 40.3% of the country’s adults have been fully vaccinated while another 40.2% have been given a single jab so far.

The mathematical significance of this number is that, in combination with non-pharmaceutical interventions such as masking and social distancing, 40% was the level of exposure (or vaccination) at which herd immunity was expected to set in according to a model created by researchers at the University of Nottingham and the University of Stockholm.

On Tuesday, India recorded 10,351 new cases of Covid, pushing the case rate to the lowest in 274 days. Thus far, the country has reported nearly 34.5 million Covid-19 cases and 464,213 deaths from the viral disease.

According to data maintained by the website Our World in Data, on average, 54.1% of India’s population (the entire population, not just those above 18 years) have received at least one shot of the vaccine, while 26.8% are fully vaccinated. The global average for these figures is 52.2% and 40.9%, respectively. This means that while India leads the global average in total coverage, it is considerably behind in the proportion of people fully vaccinated.

The gap can be partly attributed to the revision of the prescribed gap between the two doses in the case of Serum Institute of India’s Covishield (a vaccine that accounts for nearly 90% of all doses administered in the country). On May 13, the Union health ministry announced the widening of the gap between the doses of Covishield from 4-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks. And due to the large proportion of those vaccinated having received Covishield, this change in policy has had a cascading effect on the number of people getting second doses. It has ended up having a plateauing effect on the total number of people completely vaccinated in the country (see chart) after mid-May, even as more people received first doses.

The country, however, has been closing this gap since the start of October, when administration of second doses started outstripping that of first doses. The number of people who have been administered just one dose of the vaccine have been steadily dropping since the first week of October, data shows.

Officials fear that a drop in first doses with nearly 20% of the country yet to be given even a single dose can dent the larger goal of fully vaccinating all of India’s adults by the end of the year — holding on to their aim of universal vaccination, something no country has managed to achieve.

On Tuesday, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya stressed that the completion of the Covid-19 vaccination drive with 100% administration of both the doses to India’s adults is an “immediate necessity.”

“We have to all ensure that everybody is vaccinated,” he said. Mandaviya was interacting with stakeholders helping the government in furthering the reach and coverage of vaccination under the government’s ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ drive under which officials are conducting door-to-door vaccinations of people eligible for second dose as well as those who are yet to be administered their first jab.

As part of this push earlier this month, the Union government directed all states to plan to achieve at least 90% first dose coverage by the end of the November, stressing on the need to accelerate the immunisation drive in several regions with relatively lower coverage rates.

Experts said that a brief drop in vaccination rate for first dose administration was expected due to the festive season and may not immediately be a cause for concern. “People who are yet to receive even a single dose of the vaccine generally tend to be a little more wary of any side effects they may get from their first shot. I have a feeling that since there have been so many festivals in the country from October onwards, many people would have delayed getting their first jabs because they did not want to experience side-effects like fever that may hamper their celebrations… Hopefully should see the first dose administration pick up again soon,” said Dr Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research.

But at 80.5% coverage, India may have well hit saturation coverage of all those willing to take the vaccine.

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TV debates creating more pollution, Can see plight of farmers: Supreme Court

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana stated that there had to be some accountability and that not everything could be accomplished by court judgments.
On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana stated that there had to be some accountability and that not everything could be accomplished by court judgments.

The declaration was made by the CJI while the Supreme Court was hearing petitions from the Centre and state/city governments addressing the pollution situation in Delhi and the national capital area. The case will be heard the following Wednesday.

He asked why were firecrackers burnt for 10 days after Diwali. Hitting out at those putting the blame on farmers for stubble burning that is being said to be a major contribution to the air pollution, the apex court said firecrackers were being burst despite a ban on the same.

The CJI said debates on television channels were creating more pollution than anybody else. It said everybody had their own agenda and statements were taken out of context during such debates.

The court said what it saw was the plight of farmers. “People sitting in Delhi in five/seven-starred hotels criticise how they contribute four, 30 or 40 per cent to pollution. Have you seen their (farmers) earnings per landholding? We ignore the fact that firecrackers are burning despite the ban?”

The court’s comments came after advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, said the figures on stubble burning would be much higher in November and should be ignored. However, he added that source-based breakup of contribution to pollution was yet to be done.

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a meeting of the commission for air quality management for Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas was held on Tuesday and mandatory directions were issued to all chief secretaries of NCR states.

“All governments in NCR have been directed to put a ban on construction activities except four exempted categories till November 21. The commission also directed use of smog towers, sprinklers, and dust suppressants in vulnerable hotspots at least three times a day,” the SG was quoted.

Mehta further informed the court that the commission had directed the NCR states to strictly ban the use of diesel generator sets except for emergency services.

Regarding vehicular pollution, the commission asked state authorities to ensure diesel vehicles that were over 10 years of age and 15-year-old petrol vehicles should not be allowed to ply. “Have asked Delhi government to put on road adequate number of CNG buses at the earliest,” he added.

Also, industries using unapproved fuels should be closed with immediate effect and industries having gas connectivity should be immediately shifted to gas, the SG said.

The Delhi government then informed the court that 90 per cent of what the Centre proposed had been done by it already and the suggestions were modelled on its measures.

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Research: Air pollution didn’t drop during Covid lockdown in India as thought

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

Although the absence of apparent pollution and beautiful blue sky during the first Covid-19 shutdown in India provided considerable comfort, a recent study says that air pollutants did not reduce as expected, rather ozone levels increased, which might contribute to possible health risks.

According to observational data, the first nationwide shutdown due to Covid-19 last year, from March 24 to April 24, dramatically reduced emissions since cars and projects were halted.

But the study by researchers at York University in Canada claimed that as the air looked much cleaner, it allowed more sunshine to get through, creating conditions for ozone (03) to increase up to 30 per cent.

Air pollution results from a complex mix of interactions between emissions, meteorology, such as wind direction and rain, as well as chemistry, but looking only at observational data as many recent studies have done without taking meteorology into account, skews the numbers, the researchers stated.

“To accurately quantify the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry needs to be considered in addition to emissions,” said Leigh Crilley, postdoctoral researcher at York University.

“Our research shows the decline in local emissions had less influence on the decrease in air pollutants than first thought,” Crilley added.

When only taking observational data into account, nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) fell by up to 57 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, but when meteorology was factored in, those percentages fell to less than eight per cent for PM2.5 and between five and 30 per cent in both Delhi and Hyderabad, while 03 increased.

Further, the study published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, revealed that local sources of emissions, such as vehicles and the burning of fuels, had less influence on air pollution levels than regional emissions sources, while weather events and atmospheric chemical processes contributed independently to air pollutant levels.

“We demonstrate that regional sources, such as rural and agriculturally based emissions, that may have been less affected by the lockdown, have a significant influence on PM2.5 levels in Delhi and Hyderabad after weather-normalisation. This indicates that future PM2.5 mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources,” said Cora Young, Associate Professor at the varsity.

“Overall, this study highlights the impact of emissions, meteorology and chemistry on air pollution and that all three should be considered when assessing the effects of any short-term intervention on air pollutants,” Young added.

In addition, the research team found that ozone production in Delhi is likely volatile organic compounds (VOC) limited and, as such, attempts to mitigate it should focus on dominant VOC sources. Common examples of VOCs that may be present in our daily lives are: benzene (used in plastics, resins, and nylon), formaldehyde (furniture and cosmetics), among others.

The researchers said this really points to the need regulators to understand the complex factors involved in air pollution if they are going to make policies to reduce pollutants and ozone.

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Air pollution, sworn adversary of healthy lungs

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

With the arrival of autumn, Delhi, the national capital, becomes a gas chamber containing highly polluted toxic air, with emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning adding fuel to the fire, and breathing the thick smog enveloping the lower atmosphere, which is full of harmful particles and gases, is enough to send shivers down the spine of those exposed. As usual, the sight and fury of contaminated air incites public outrage, and the government machinery awakens from its slumber to take some emergent steps to quell the outrage, but the rage of air pollution remains unabated. The repercussions of both acute and chronic pollution exposure are listed below.

Air pollution began the day man started exploiting nature and the industrial revolution, accelerated the process by the way of unregulated emissions from burning fossil fuel such as coal and oil, the major sources of energy and now the world is on the thresh hold of a major disaster with global health and well-being in a severe crisis, warranting urgent implementation of effective measures to curb the growing menace.

Air Pollution is a global phenomenon and as per WHO, 8.7 million died worldwide in the year 2019 that is exceeding the combined mortality due to smoking and malaria with India contributing 2. 5 million to the mortality figure and nearly 4 million deaths occur annually due to indoor air pollution alone.

Air pollution is a major cause of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which makes lungs weak and unhealthy and as one celebrates ‘World COPD Day’ on November 17 this year, one is made aware of this year’s theme “Healthy Lungs-Never More Important” that is aiming to highlight the burden of COPD, a leading cause death worldwide, even in the light of COVID-19 pandemic. There is no doubt that there is never a more important time than now to focus on lung health by preventive measures such as exercise, vaccination, avoiding pollution and smoking cessation since respiratory illnesses like COPD is man-made disaster and is eminently preventable and even treatable when detected at an early stage.

COPD is a progressive and debilitating disease that is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations that is due to abnormalities in the air way or air sacs, usually caused by significant exposure to noxious particles or gases. Smoking is an important risk factor but what is often less emphasized is the role of environmental pollution and occupational exposures as major risk factors. Even though cigarette smoke is harmful what is often ignored is the fact that persistent high-level exposure to polluted air is equivalent to smoking 10 to 15 cigarettes a day and air pollution causes more premature death than tobacco smoke in India. Therefore, it is not surprising that for one with a weak chest, even mild exposure to highly polluted air is sufficient to precipitate an acute respiratory emergency.

The prevalence of COPD is on the rise, affecting about 12 per cent of the global population with more than 3 million annual deaths and is associated with a high incidence of serious co-morbidities that are linked to air pollution and chronic smoking such as heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, malignancy, anxiety and depression. Though it is commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly smokers, even non-smokers including women and children are affected especially those who live in congested and ill-ventilated dwellings.

The problem due to COPD is acute in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) that account for 80 per cent of global deaths and the indoor air pollution due to coal or biomass fuel such as wood, animal dung and crop residue that are used for cooking and heating remaining the major risk factor.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis of COPD is often missed in the early stages of the disease as most affected remain relatively asymptomatic and early respiratory symptoms are often ignored by the patient. Advanced COPD is difficult to treat and an acute exacerbation is associated with a high risk of death and the only treatment, lung transplantation is extremely difficult to get. Despite many advances in the management of COPD, the only intervention that works favourably for the patient is smoking cessation and breathing unpolluted air that is colourless, odourless and tasteless with life-giving oxygen in the right amount to rejuvenate both the body and the mind. There is no doubt – prevention is key and avoiding risk factors, regular medication and rehabilitation are vital to maintaining the quality of life of the affected ones. The burden on health care and the costs involved in the management of COPD is huge that even the most advanced countries just cannot afford.

Experts know the adverse impact of air pollution and climate change on human health and disease, yet there is no full-proof solution in hand to replace highly polluting conventional energy with sustainable green energy and the global measures taken so far in this regard are grossly inadequate to reduce toxic emissions. World health organization’s action plan to promote clean and safe intervention for COPD prevention by clean household energy solutions toolkit (CHEST) can only succeed in realizing the mission with the collective will of all stakeholders.

Time is running out and the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the climate change during the 26th annual conference this year have agreed to cut down CO2 and methane emissions, to phase- out subsidies on fossil fuel, to stop deforestation and to switch over to green energy sources to prevent the climate catastrophe. Breathing pure air, is a fundamental right of each and every creature, that cannot be wished away by cosmetic changes and concrete preventive actions should begin straight away.

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Delhi pollution: SC slammed bureaucracy

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

The Supreme Court chastised the bureaucracy on Wednesday for its “inertia” in waiting for the court to issue directives ranging from “how to halt an automobile to whether to fight a fire by using a bucket or a mop” in order to clean the Capital’s air.

The comment was made by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana, who was leading a Special Bench comprised of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant, during an emergency meeting organised to reduce pollution levels in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby districts.

“In the entire country, what I have observed as a judge, and earlier as Advocate General, is that the bureaucracy has developed an inertia, an apathy… They wait for the court to pass an order even on things like how to stop a car or a fire by using a bucket or a mop… This is the attitude developed by the Executive. The meeting should have decided on the steps and said these are our directions to be implemented. We could have completed this hearing in two minutes… It is unfortunate the Executive has come to this… They just say ‘let the court pass the order and we will sign’,” Chief Justice Ramana observed orally.

On November 15, the court asked the Centre to call an emergency meeting of the CAQM quickly.

The CJI’s remarks came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta briefed the court about the measures adopted by the CAQM to curb pollution caused by industry, thermal power plants, dust, vehicular transport, including entry of trucks carrying non-essential goods into Delhi. He informed the court that schools and colleges have been closed. Work from home had been encouraged.

Central staff work

The court asked why the Central employees have to come to work.

“You do not need 100% staff, all coming in their cars. You had restricted during COVID-19. Instead of 100 people coming, you can have 50,” the CJI stated.

Mr. Mehta said restricting the attendance at Central offices in Delhi would have “pan-India ramifications”. The contribution to pollution caused by Central government employees attending office would only be minimum. The government was open to car-pooling and arranging public transport for them.

Meteorological Department scientists, who were a part of the emergency meeting, had assured that the “situation would be better after November 21”. He suggested waiting till then before taking “harsh steps” like a complete lockdown in the Capital, he submitted.

“So you are saying, nature will come to the rescue by November 21?”, Justice Kant queried.

Mr. Mehta acknowledged that “something has been done and more needs to be done”.

The CJI said the court would consider the prospect of ordering a complete shutdown after November 21, but asked why the government had not taken steps earlier to rein in industrial activity, construction debris, etc, which spew pollutants 365 days a year, unlike stubble burning, which is only a seasonal occurrence.

The law officer complained of “nasty and irresponsible utterances” made in the media that he had submitted in the last hearing that stubble burning contributed only 10% to the pollution. The government affidavit had clearly pegged the impact of farm fires at 35% to 40% in October and November.

The court said it was not interested in a blame game. Every media organisation has its own statistics. “Debates on TV are creating more pollution… Statements are made out of context. Everybody has their own agenda… We are focussing on a solution here,” the CJI advised course correction in the submissions in court.

Stubble burning

Justice Kant said that irrespective of the percentage of contribution, the cardinal question was what the government had done to incentivise farmers to stop stubble burning. “Whether it is 10% or 5%, have you looked at the plight of farmers and what prompts them to resort to stubble burning? Under what circumstances they do that? People sitting in Delhi in five-star and seven-star hotels need to understand…”, he stated.

The CJI said, “We cannot penalise farmers. We have asked the States to persuade the farmers against stubble burning… Farmers do not have the money… Firecrackers also see a spurt after Diwali for 10 to 15 days… Can you say firecrackers is not a contributor to pollution?”

Justice Kant asked, “Every October and November we assemble on this problem of pollution. Every time the court has to take the initiative”.

Justice Chandrachud queried, “Apart from enforcement, what positive steps have you taken that will have an impact on the ground in the next few days”.

The Delhi government said it had done 90% of what the Air Quality Commission has adopted. Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, for Delhi, pointed out that the steps recommended by the Commission were “modelled” on Delhi.

Road sweepers

Justice Chandrachud asked how many new mechanised road sweepers have been purchased.

Previously, the court found that only 69 sweepers were operational.

Mr. Singhvi said the municipal corporations have asked for 15 and the government had assured financial support.

“Just 15 for thousands of km?”, Justice Chandrachud wondered.

Justice Kant, referring to a measure to ban vehicles above 10 to 15 years from the Delhi roads, asked how long it would take to even identify these vehicles.

“We are talking about immediate measures… Why can’t you insist only on public transport plying for now. Stop private vehicles,” he suggested. He asked who would be responsible for stopping trucks entering Delhi and how.

Peripheral States’ role

The court, however, acknowledged Mr. Singhvi’s submission that Delhi’s measures would be fruitful only if the peripheral States joined in the effort.

But Haryana, in turn, claimed to have, like Delhi, implemented “90%” of the measures, including work from home.

Punjab said it had formed over a 1000 teams to travel to villages and stop farm fires, at times extinguishing them.

“And what happens to the stubble left in the fields. Have you left farmers to the mercy of God,” Justice Kant asked.

Punjab’s submission

The Punjab counsel stressed that it was in the process of purchasing more machines to remove the stubble. The State was working hard to change the “mindset” of farmers. The number of farm fires had considerably lessened.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh observed that the problem of stubble burning was endemic. The problem started in 2016, which saw the highest farm fires, and this year threatened to echo 2016. Farmers should be compelled to switch to stubble removal machines, as burning was not good for them in the long run. “Delhi is gasping,” he pointed out.

The court scheduled the next hearing on November 24.

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Pfizer requesting emergency approval in United States for COVID-19 pill

by Medically Speaking
written by Medically Speaking

According to CEO Albert Bourla, the tablet might significantly reduce fatalities and hospitalizations. The Biden administration is expected to declare that at least 10 million doses of the drug would be ordered.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Tuesday that the pharmaceutical firm was seeking accelerated approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its newly developed COVID-19 tablet.

The company said that the pill had been shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by 89% amongst newly-infected high risk patients.

“With more than five million deaths and countless lives impacted by this devastating disease globally, there is an urgent need for life-saving treatment options,” Bourla said.

“We are moving as quickly as possible in our effort to get this potential treatment into the hands of patients.”

Pfizer is seeking what is known as an emergency use authorization (EUA) on the basis of initial results from a clinical trial comprising hundreds of COVID-19 patients who were not hospitalized but considered at high risk of progression to severe disease.

Biden administration to order millions of doses

The pharmaceutical giant is the second company to ask the FDA for an EUA after German firm Merck made its request a few weeks ago.

Pfizer said that its pill, which is called Paxlovid, led to side effects in one out of five patients, but that they were mild.

Paxlovid treatment takes five days. The company has said it will deliver 180,000 courses of its Paxlovid pill this year and at least 50 million by next year.

President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to announce that it is purchasing 10 million courses of the pill, according to The Washington Post. They’ve already made an order for 3.1 courses of the Merck pill, Molnupiravir.

Given the timeline between application for an EUA and subsequent authorization, the pills could be available to at-risk patients by late this year or early next.

The pills’ development has been hailed by experts who see strong COVID-19 treatments, alongside vaccines, as necessary to ending the pandemic.

 

 

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How lifestyle changes can prevent ovarian cancer death?

by Dr Meenu Walia
written by Dr Meenu Walia

Article by: Dr. Meenu Walia, Senior Director, Max Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi.

Noting that ovarian cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer in Indian women, doctors have cautioned against the rising number of cases. As estimated by 2035, the country may witness 371,000 cases every year, which is a 55 per cent increase from the current incidence, while the death rate may touch 254,000 per annum, an increase of 67 per cent. The risk of this deadly disease in women starts increasing from the age of 35 and reaches a peak between the ages of 55–64. This is primarily because most often it is diagnosed in Stage III or IV. It has the worst prognosis amongst gynaecological cancers which has a 5-year survival rate of 45 per cent. Most cases are diagnosed in the late stage where the 5-year survival rate further drops to 28 per cent.

Only 15 per cent of cases are diagnosed in the early stage where the 5-year survival rate can be as high as 94 per cent. Women with late marriages, late pregnancy, no pregnancy & obesity were found to be more vulnerable to ovarian cancer. This is a worrying trend that is likely to continue in the coming years due to poor lifestyle choices and the level of awareness regarding ovarian cancer. Even in big cities like Delhi, lack of awareness has been found to be one of the major contributing factors to ovarian cancer cases and their poor prognosis.

Being unmarried increases ovarian cancer

Early menarche (the first occurrence of menstruation), nulliparity (never been pregnant) and late menopause are some of the key risk factors that increase the risk of ovarian cancer. The other risk factors include family history of ovarian cancer especially in last degree, carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, belonging to families with LYNCH II syndrome, history of breast cancer, post-menopausal hormone therapy, obesity, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Tell-tale signs of ovarian cancer include bloating and abdominal discomfort, change in bowel habits, indigestion, tiredness, weight loss, loss of appetite, increase in abdominal size, nausea and vomiting, swelling of the leg due to a deep vein thrombosis. In India, the incidence of ovarian cancer is between 0.9 – 8.4/1,00,000. According to a report, unmarried women were found to be at a significantly higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Early diagnosis is the key

However, the good news is that timely diagnosis of ovarian cancer can lead to speedy recovery and reduces chances of mortality. The treatment of ovarian cancer depends on the stage, size of the tumor, location, and various other factors at the time of diagnosis which vary from person to person. There are multiple types of ovarian cancers. Only three out of these are the main types of cancer: epithelial, germ cell, and stromal. Germ cell and stromal tumors have a much better prognosis and are often curable because they are more likely to be detected at early stages. Approximately 20 per cent of women with advanced ovarian cancer survive beyond 12 years after treatment and are effectively cured. Therapy for ovarian cancer comprises surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy among others. These are given in different sequences and combinations as per the patient’s diagnosis with the goal of eradicating as many cancer cells as possible.

Make those lifestyle modifications

Lifestyle changes can work as preventive measures against ovarian cancer, such as exercising daily, eating a well-balanced diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and regularly breastfeeding the child. Detailed investigations such as scans and biopsies when something looks suspicious are still not routine in most parts of India. We need to make sure every woman and general practitioner (GP) knows about ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Currently 90 per cent of women don’t know about symptoms and until we sensitize the women & their physicians this is one of the ways we can ensure more cases are diagnosed early

Even the World is navigating a new normal. But, every day the same cancer threat remains. During Covid times – even women with cancer symptoms did not get their checkup done.  Cancer isn’t waiting for things to go back to normal. If you have symptoms; if you have paused treatment or cancelled routine health check-up, contact your doctor.

 

 

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Everything you need to know about work from home and spine issues

by Dr. Shubhang Aggarwal
written by Dr. Shubhang Aggarwal

Article By: Shubhang Aggarwal, Senior Joint Replacement Surgeon, NHS Hospital, Jalandhar

While working from home has many personal and professional benefits, but have you ever thought that it is actually making you susceptible to spine related issues due to your poor posture during work. Since most of us are working long hours in this new set up, the uncomfortable chair and no break within the work are all leading to back pain.

Here are some of the things you need to keep in your mind:

Posture

One needs to take care of his/her posture to relieve the stress from the elbows and neck. When we sit for a long time, our ‘S’ curve of the spine changes into ‘C’ curve, thereby putting more stress on your muscles, ligaments and tissues. Below are the tips for right posture:

• Your ears should be over your shoulder

• Elbows should be by your sides with wrists comfortably resting on a round or soft surface

• Support your back with your chair, using a small lumbar pillow or towel roll.

• Feet should be flat on a surface. If they don’t reach the floor comfortably, use a footrest.

Adjust your seat

When you are working on a laptop, it’s necessary to adjust your seat so that it can be comfortable for your eyes as well as your back. Your eyes should be lined up 3 inches below the top of your screen if using a desktop computer, or tilt your laptop screen back to 120 degrees. The screen should be at least an arm’s length away.

Change your position frequently

Don’t get immersed in your work. Take small breaks. Instead, try to get up every 45-50 minutes, even if it’s just to walk around the room. Our body comprises 360 joints and they all need to move in order for the proper circulation of blood. Therefore, stretch breaks are important and try out these stretching exercises:

• 3 big shoulder circles moving shoulders backward.

• 3 neck rolls from neck to shoulder; roll forward along the chest to the other shoulder.

• 2 large breaths to fill your lungs and then blowing air forcefully out.

• 5 squats in front of your desk chair.

Exercises for a stronger back

Exercise can help strengthen and support your back. A scheduled walk, every day for 30 minutes, can do a lot to strengthen your lower back and the muscles that support your spine. Other great exercises for your back include:

• Knee to Chest Stretch

• Chin to Chest Stretch

• Ear to Shoulder Stretch

• Hip Stretch

• Back Flexion Exercise

One needs to make exercise a priority to get rid of the spinal issues. There are many great and effective home workouts that you can do with basic household items. These are just a few simple steps you can take to help relieve back pain. If you still are struggling with pain that interferes with your daily life, consider talking to a specialist.

 

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