Posts Tagged ‘Loss Of Appetite’

Food poisoning

August 15th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

Food poisoning is defined as a sickness caused by the utilization of food or water contaminated with toxins or chemicals. Usual symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that happen rapidly after taking an impure and dirty food or drink.
The main cause of traveler’s diarrhea is Escherichia coli bacteria. E. coli enteritis is swelling of the small intestine. It is also called food poisoning or E. coli diarrhea. The main causes of food poisoning are eating unsanitary food, or drinking untreated or impure water. Sometimes it is due to traveling to the places that may not have clean drinking water.
The time between infection and development of symptoms is generally 24 – 72 hours. The symptoms due to food poisoning: abdominal Pain, diarrhea (sudden and severe), sometimes bloody, fever, gas, loss of appetite, stomach cramping and vomiting. The doctor will generally take a physical examination. A stool test can be done to check for severity of the disease. This type of food poisoning has no treatment. The sickness typically completes its course in a few days, without treatment. Only few patients may need to be admitted to the hospital if they become highly dehydrated.
Carefully wash your hands, do not drink unprocessed or impure food or water, Always cook meats properly and cook meats at high temperatures to kill germs
Always make your first aid kit while traveling to fight against food poisoning. The first aid kit should contain bamboo charcoal sesame seed. This is made by heating bamboo and then mixed with sesame seed and other components. It has minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It has the capacity to soak chlorine from drinking tap water.
First Aid: If you are under food poisoning – take 50-100 grams if you are adult (10-25 grams for children) to wash out the toxic stuff from your body because bamboo charcoals can absorb toxins from our body.

Advantages of consuming bamboo charcoal sesame seed are: relieves pressure, anxiety, nervousness and promotes blood circulation, prevents from harmful bacteria and toughen the body immune system

Use it like other seasonings. Add to rice, salads, noodles, soups, dishes, pastas, vegetables etc.

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Altitude Sickness

July 30th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

Altitude sickness is a disease that can affect peak climbers, trekkers, skiers, or travelers at high altitude normally above 8,000 feet.
Travelers face mild altitude sickness at an altitude of 6,000 feet and moderate altitude sickness more than 8,000 feet .The risk becomes greater between 10,000 and 14,000 feet where travelers experiences harsh indication of the sickness. There is extremely damaging to traveler’s physical and mental health if they stay at altitudes over 18,000 feet for few weeks.
Symptoms of mild and moderate altitude sickness typically consists of headache, shortness of breathe, sleeping trouble, loss of appetite, nausea and rapid pulse. These symptoms normally increase after 2 days of arrival.

When altitude sickness turns into harsh altitude sickness then most travelers have trouble in balancing, feel difficult to walk uphill or climbing stairs. It is essential to identify a worsening case of altitude sickness and seek medical help immediately. Worsening symptoms of altitude sickness are difficulty in thinking and reacting, confusing state, pale complexion, cough, congestion and also excessively tiredness or sleepiness.
If a traveler refuse to visit to a doctor or just ignore it then he or she can experience high altitude pulmonary edema or high altitude cerebral edema. High altitude cerebral edema is a state where the brain swells and high altitude pulmonary edema is a state where fluid collects in the lungs. Both these situation are serious but curable.
The main treatment for all forms of altitude sickness is to climb down to a lower altitude as soon as possible. People with serious altitude sickness may be admitted to a hospital. Extra oxygen should be given to the patients if required.
Acetazolamide (Diamox), a drug used to reduce mild symptoms of altitude sickness. Drink plenty of fluids and do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine. Pulmonary edema is treated by giving oxygen with the help of a breathing machine. The steroid drug dexamethasone helps in reducing swelling in the brain.
Teaching of altitude travelers before climbing is the key to prevention. Basic principles include: slow ascent, rest after each day for each 2,000 feet; sleeping at a lower altitude whenever possible; and knowledge of how to get familiar early symptoms of altitude sickness so that you can come back to lower altitude before symptoms get poorer.

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Dealing with Air Sickness

January 16th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

The main problems that occur while traveling by plane are the air sickness and jetlag. But what are they and how they can be prevented and dealt with, really takes a lot in having knowledge about them. So let us know first what air sickness is.

Air Sickness

Most people think that air sickness is mental disorder but it is not so. It is the feeling of nausea which is caused by motion when the plane lands or takes off. This is due to the steep attitude of the airplane, the sudden increase or decrease in speed and height. The common signs of air sickness are loss of appetite, vertigo, burping, stomach awareness, nausea, and increased swallowing and salivation. Airsickness is due to the difference between what people see with their eyes and the data that they get from the hearing organs of the ears. Thus, this makes your brain confused to process efficiently.

Let us discuss how to deal with it.

  1. Do not be stressed and try to be relaxed. Even if you fear the take-off then its better that you divert your mind and take a mild sleeping pill an hour before the scheduled take-off. Do not think much about the air sickness because the more you will think the more you will feel sick.
  2. Do not be full stomach but eat and drink sparingly before getting on the plane.
  3. While taking-off try to be in your seat belts so that even slightest motion may not cause you air sickness.
  4. Take anti-air sickness and special wristbands from the airport.

Jet Lag

Jet lag becomes a dread feeling for those who travel for hours for their work and business meetings. It is because of jet lag, sleep patterns get disturbed. This really occurs when ones body clock is confused and symptoms include sleeplessness, tiredness; lack of concentration, headaches and a general feeling of disorientation. Jet lag is usually at its most horrible condition when crossing several time zones particularly in an easterly direction.

Let us discuss how to deal with jet lag.

  1. While flying towards east, sleep as much as you can. Try to have meals, drinks and try to relax.
  2. In order to avoid disorientation change the watch timings according to the destination you are heading to.
  3. On arrival to the destination have fresh air, evening meals and do not try to go to bed.
  4. If you were not able to sleep in the plane, then sleep for few hours at your destination but make sure that you set your alarm clock and do not sleep for so long.

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