World Diabetes Day 2009

14th November is celebrated as the “World Diabetes Day” around the globe. There will be workshops about diabetes everywhere, speeches about diabetes, walks for diabetes patients, and tv shows about diabetes.

World diabetes day organization has set the theme for the year 2009-2013 “Diabetes Education and Prevention”. The key messages of the campaign are:

• know the diabetes risks and know the warning signs
• know how to respond to diabetes and who to turn to
• know how to manage diabetes and take control

This puts responsibility on doctors, patients and common people too. The doctors need to inform their patients about diabetes, even those who are not diabetic but have the risk factors of diabetes. The diabetic patients need to know about their disease, its risk factors and complications and how to manage the disease to keep away from the complications. And the common people need to know the risk factors and warning signs of the disease.

Diabetes is a disease that affects our pancreas, the organ that produces insulin which is required for the utilization of glucose by the body. Alternatively it can affect the mechanism to utilize insulin. This simply means that if you have diabetes, pancreas will not produce insulin and body would not be able to utilize glucose. So one will have excess amount of glucose in the blood. this excess glucose in the blood has harmful effects on different organs of the body.

Diabetes is a disease that requires great degree of motivation on the patient’s part to get along with it. One has to modify his whole lifestyle. You have to modify your diet, which really is a very difficult thing to do. Then you have to modify different habits, like increase exercise or start exercising if don’t do it before. And many more things. This all requires lot of hard work, both physically as well as  mentally. This puts more responsibility on the patient as well as people around him. The patient has to be motivated and the people around him have to help him in doing so, by motivating him and making the environment and living conditions more appropriate for him to get along with his task of changing.

Now diabetes is not an easy disease, so one has to be very careful and try to avoid it as far as possible. Type I Diabetes cannot be prevented. The environmental triggers that are thought to generate the process that results in the destruction of the body’s insulin-producing cells are still under investigation. Type II Diabetes, on the other hand can be prevented by dealing with the modifiable risk factors for the disease.

There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes. They include:

• Obesity and overweight
• Lack of exercise
• Previously identified glucose intolerance
• Unhealthy diet
• Increased age
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol
• A family history of diabetes
• A history of gestational diabetes
• Ethnicity - higher rates of diabetes have been reported in Asians, Hispanics, Indigenous peoples (USA, Canada, Australia) and African Americans.

 

Among these; family history, ethnicity, and history of gestational diabetes are the ones that are not modifiable, while all the rest are modifiable factors and you can prevent diabetes by dealing with these factors.

People, particularly those having these risk factors should know the warning sign of diabetes, so that they come to know that they have got the disease as soon as it begins.

The warning signs of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
• A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections
• Slow-healing wounds

As soon as someone notices these signs he should seek medical attention at its earliest, so that the disease can be managed and controlled and don’t let it progress further and lead to complications.

One thing that diabetes patients need to understand is that Diabetes is not a disease that can be completely treated like infectious diseases. It can only be controlled and managed with the goal of having normal blood glucose levels at all times. For that one has to reduce amount of sugar in diet, and also take diabetes medications. There are two kinds of medications. One is insulin which is available in injectable form and the other are oral hypohlycemic drugs. Taking these aaccording to doctor’s advice along with lifestyle changes, a diabetic patient can live a normal healthy life.

There is a long list of complications that arise as a result of uncontrolled diabetes. A few of them are as follows:

• Diabetic retinopathy is a significant cause of blindness, and occurs as result of long- term accumulated damage to the small  blood vessels in the retina. After 15 ears of diabetes about 10% of patients develop severe visual impairment.
• Diabetic neuropathy is damage to the nerves as result of diabetes, and effects  up to 50% of people with diabetes. Common symptoms are tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness in the feet and hands.
• Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy in the feet increases the chance of foot ulcers and eventual limb amputation.
• Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure; 10-20%  of people with  diabetes die of kidney failure.
• Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke; 50% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease primarily  heart disease and stroke). 

Diabetes and its complications impose significant economic consequences on individuals,  families, health systems and countries.

People living with diabetes and their families feel the impact of diabetes most directly,  often through the expenses of diabetes treatment and loss of family income when diabetes interferes with work.

Hope my blog would have provided you with enough information to encourage you to change your lifestyle and to help people with diabetes.

Security at Stake

          Operation "JANBAAZ" had been concluded yesterday and, to be said, was a success. Today D.G. ISPR debrifed the media and answered their queries, which were meant to satisfy the answer hungry society. I salute the security forces for conducting this operation in a smooth manner and rescuing the hostages with a minimum of  casualties. I salute our soldiers who gave their lives for other's security. 

          But what do we mean when we say minimum casualties? Eight soldiers and three civilians were killed including high officials of security forces. Is this a minimum of casualties? Can we call the loss of a single person as a minimum of casualties? Anyone with that thought should go and ask the relatives of any one of those martyred in this crisis, and they would tell you that their whole world is finished. So there is no minimum of casualties. Even a single casualty is maximum of casualties. Many more casualties could have been saved if this action had been postponed and non-offensive techniques were used to buy more time. It seems that this action was done in haste to maintain the dignity of the armed force, as this attack was a direct blow in the face of army. If this notion had been set aside and more value was given to human lives, many more casualties could have been avoided.

          The crisis we have just experienced at the GHQ (General Head Quarter) of Pakistan Army, has left behind many lessons, many regrets and many questions to be answered.

          The commencement of this crisis has revealed a TOTAL FAILURE of intelligence agencies. If some people can plan and conduct a terrorist act, sitting at a locality within 15 km of the GHQ of armed forces, and  the head quarter of the chief intelligence agency of Pakistan, then they can do it at any place. If our intelligence  has failed to discover and stop someone from planning a plot to attack GHQ, how can our agencies come to know of any one planning another attack sitting in the mountains or across the border?  

          This crisis has shown us that none of our security institutions are capable of stopping events like this beforehand. They can only respond after such an attack has commenced. And even in that situation all hopes lie upon SSG, which seems to be the only force capable enough to tackle situations like this.

          The issue of using uniforms of security agencies by the bandits is very old. Since long we have heard stories of looting being conducted by robbers wearing police uniforms, but using army uniforms is a new technique. And this is only a start, we can suspect many more incidents like this. Nothing has yet been done to  curb the robbers and terrorists from using uniforms of security agencies. As police and army uniforms are freely available in the markets across the country, even a street thug has access to get hands on one and use it the way he wants to use it. In my opinion these uniforms should only be issued by the respective departments and these should not be available in the markets.

          Then we have to improve the status of our police department. We see police men having big tummies hanging below their belts. How can such a person be tolerated in any of security providing institutions. If someone cannot run for half a mile, how the hell is he going to fight for the people, or even patrol the streets. All he can do is eat a good meal, and when he is finished, wait for the next meal and make preparations for it. 

          Then, our police men (officers as well as jawans) should have continued physical and academic training. There is no such system in police department. Many of the soldiers have not fired a shot from a gun after police training school. How can we expect them to shoot at target. Also they need to be trained time by time according to the latest developments. As the thugs and terrorists get state of the art training with latest technology and equipment, while our soldiers have been trained in the era of revolvers. They dont even know how to boot a computer, or use the various functions of their cell phones, let alone use sophisticated weapons and technology gadgets.

                                                                     OUR POLICE

                                                                 FORIEGN POLICE

Officially Beggars

Our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said: "A person begs and begs, eventually, he appears on the Day of Judgment with no flesh on his face.", "A person who begs money when he does not need, collects fire."(al-Hindi, VI/495; Ibn Hajar, Bulugh`1-Maram, (Exp) N/144).
            Yesterday PPP announced listed 43 points of the success stories of President Asif Ali Zardari’s govt. among the top ones were few that I would like to mention as quoted in the newspaper(Daily Times).
·         Success in getting IMF loan and minimizing the effects of economic recession.
·         An increase in the American non-military aid on a yearly basis.
·         Urging the international community to offer help instead of demanding ‘more’.
·         Promises of $5 billion in aid from the Friends of Democratic Pakistan.

Any government represents its people, and its acts reflect those of the nation as a whole. As you can see from the above mentioned points that the success of our govt is being denoted by the fact that how well it can beg and succeed in getting aid. So this means that now our nation is officially beggar.
This is a time to think again what we are supposed to be and where we are heading. Pakistan came into existence on the name of Islam, but Islam always discourages begging and always insists upon utilizing the resources available, and to keep our needs contained according to the present resources.
Why is it that whenever our leaders visit the developed countries, everyone asks them, upon their return, what have they got in the begging bowl. Why can’t our leaders focus their attention towards finding ways to exploit the present resources, instead of thinking which country of ‘friend of Pakistan’ to beg for aid. This way other nations will have to see us with a different eye and even our own people will start thinking differently.
We should focus on building dams to exploit the surplus water of our rivers for producing electricity and irrigation instead of being wasted into the oceans. We should focus on ways to increase the yield of our crops and stop illegal smuggling of essential commodities like sugar and flour, to end the food crisis. We should pay attention to producing electricity from coal instead of oil, as we have got vast reserves of it in the Thar deserts. We should focus on alternative sources of energy, as our country has got a rich supply of bright sunlight, and winds in our coastal areas. We should focus n finding oil and other gifts of nature buried beneath our soils. We should focus on improving our health and education to prosper and break the begging bowl.

Ramadan and Mental Health

Being muslims it is our duty to observe a fast during day time through out the holy month of ramadan. Ramadan has got its own blessings upon those who observe a fast, in addition to the blessings promised by Allah (S.W.T). You must have read many times the health benifits of observing a fast from every one who writes about the health and fitness in ramadan. Today I am going to share with you a different aspect of health benifit gained in ramadan, and that is mental health.
In today's fast pace tech world, almost every individual is experiencing some sort mental illness ranging from minor mood changes to full blown depression or anxiety problems. Allah (S.W.T) has blessed us with this month to take care of this issue. One can acheive mental health in a variety of ways by observing fasts during ramadan.
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1. Shortened working hours
Due to our long work hours one cannot spend enough time with his family. As in ramadan work hours are shortened to respect ramadan and the people having fasts, one gets to spend more time with family which definitely leaves a positive impact on our mental health. Also due to the same facility we get to relax more, and the result of which needs no explanation, as even just thinking of being away from work place has such soothing effect on our brain.

2. Abstain from lies
In ramadan we are bound to abstain from telling a lie. Whenever we tell a lie to anyone, be it a monetory reason, to sell a product or just to save our ass, it leaves behind a guilty conscience. And we feel burden on our heart until the time we are able to forget the incidence. So ramadan has come to our rescue as we try our level best to not to lie in ramadan, and avoid situations where we might have to lie. This surely leaves a guilt free conscience.

3. Abstaining from Sins
In addition to abstaining from lying, we have to abstain from any sinful activity we might be indulging in our every day life, including cheating, dishonesty, vulgar speech, porn, and many a things included to be a sin. And it also leaves behind a guilty conscience. So ramadan has helped us once again.

4. Socializing with people
Our religion tells us to talk to every body politely, help each other, be honest in our dealings and to respect every one's rights. So in ramadan taking care of all these things we get to better socialize with people around us, make friends and acquaintances. Having many friends helps us in many ways. It helps us in our everyday work as well as we get more people to hang out. Being with friends is always fun, and fun in leisure time is the prime key to having a healthy mind.
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5. Benifits of offering prayers
In ramadan every muslim tries his best to offer his five times a day prayers, and that too in a mosque. What one could reap out of this activity needs no words. It will give us a sense of satisfaction, purify our soul, leave positive impact on our body, and we get to meet many people from the neighbourhood at the mosque.

6. Zakat

Another responsibility that Allah (S.W.T) has bestowed upon the wealthy muslims is to give 2.5% our wealth to poor and needy near us. Most of us like to give away zakat in this holy month. So, the credit again goes to ramadan. Helping someone in need leaves behind such a satisfied heart and soul.


7. Early to rise, early to bed
Many scholars and pious people including Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) have told us about the benefits of this phrase. Even science has proved it. In ramadan we have to take our breakfast (sehri) early in the morning, and to wake up early in the morning we have to sleep early, and it comes with all the benefits of this phrase.

This is just a small list covering only a few of the many benefits of ramadan upon mental health.
hope you find it informative, and worth reading and sharing.
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Why am I here?

Dear All! Assalam-o-alaikum!
I have recently graduated and got a degree from the university telling me that I have become a doctor. After graduation I completed my house-job (internship) and now working in a med school as a demonstrator, and struggling to pass my exam to enter the residency program.
Lately I had become very frail, so I wanted to get into some activity, and thought of blogging as a good one, as this is a medium where I can continue to study in order to post something informative, as well as share my views with others.
The very first task was to choose a name. So I tried several words related to "info", but all were taken. Then i added "your" before "info", and it worked, and I got the name "Your Info Point". Reason for choosing the word "info" was that I actually wanted to provide information pertaining to daily matters, be it health matters, as this is my field of expertisse, OR, social matters pertaining to sciety at large, because we the doctors get to see the society very closely. People share with us the things they don't want anyone else to know, so we can see the world with a different eye. Hoping I could succeed in delivering the things seen by my eye to other people of society I started this blog.
I think that's all as an intro, so lets get started.