Authored Articles

Authored by Dr. Girishchandra, Sr. Consultant, Psychiatry, Aster CMI Hospital

Maintain social distance. Practice self-quarantine by staying at home and limit physical and social contact with others. These phrases have now become common in our daily lives. With the world battling one of the biggest health emergencies in recent times, the coronavirus has also brought with it a mental health crisis. The uncertainty of the lockdowns across the world along with the fear and anxiety of the disease is expected to take a toll on the mental health of a great number of people.

Many mental health experts believe that lack of physical and social connections comes with a huge psychological cost and the impact could be severe in the long term. Today, many quarantined individuals have been complaining about short- and long-term mental health problems, including stress, insomnia, emotional exhaustion and substance abuse. Hence, amid the current scenario, experts contend the ongoing pandemic might also trigger Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among people. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is often associated with war, can also happen with people who have been through a traumatic experience like an accident, loss of a loved one or even a pandemic of this sort. It is mainly caused by some disastrous or disturbing event and the intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to the experience of the unusual can even last long after the traumatic event has ended. Experts anticipate a lot of people coming out of the lockdown have been showing symptoms that mirror those of PTSD. Even if they are not clinically diagnosed, they might suffer from strong emotional stress that can last a long while even after the pandemic is over.

 People might relive these times of uncertainty and fear through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people.  Therefore, in order to get past the pandemic with the least effect on one’s mental well-being, it has become important for individuals to be aware of what they might be feeling and if that may cause long term issues as well.

What are the symptoms of PTSD? 

PTSD affects everyone irrespective of age groups. Several issues such as cyberbullying, loneliness, job losses, pay cuts and seeing loved ones stricken by disease and suffering or seeing somebody die from the illness, coupled with fear for one’s safety and the safety of loved ones have further aggravated this condition among the youth, adults, parents, the elderly and even children during the ongoing crisis. 

Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, upsetting memories or flashbacks, insomnia and being stressed and irritable all the time. Individuals might also be hyper-vigilant and may also have trouble concentrating. However, one does not has to be diagnosed to experience these symptoms in isolation.

How long can PTSD last?

It usually takes a few weeks to months’ time for patients to recover naturally from the experience. However, in case of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trauma is persisting too long and can’t see an end point. 

There are times when patients do not recover within the stipulated time period. This is when, they need to reach out for help to their family and friends. A good lifestyle is the simplest thing which can help a person in the best possible way. In some of the situations the suffering is too much, and it requires a professional help. They might have to see a psychiatrist who might advise treatment which includes medications. Counselling and therapy will also be beneficial.

How can we overcome it?

In order to overcome PTSD, patients should concentrate on their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. They need to be aware of their thoughts are black and white or catastrophic and should concentrate on what they are telling themselves and how that is making them feel and what they do.  

People should also consider bonding emotionally with family and friends during this tough time. The best that they can do amidst the physical distancing norm is, to talk to people, and socialize with the help of the virtual mediums. Attending individual or group counselling sessions from a psychiatrist and finding and maintaining a strategy that is best suited to one’s mental state can make big differences.

Furthermore, individuals are also recommended to minimize watching, reading or listening to news about COVID-19, and must restrict their access news to only once or twice a day. The public too must amplify positive stories and images of local people who have survived the outbreak. The society at large should also take steps to refrain from referring to those diagnosed as “COVID-19 cases” or “victims”, and must identify them as “people recovering from COVID-19” to reduce social stigmatization of the patients which can help them in overcoming PTSD. 

Way Forward

The world is currently in an active trauma stage, where the battle towards strengthening our community’s mental health is yet to start. Fortunately, with increased awareness of methods to cope with psychological issues in recent times, the stigma surrounding mental health is now on a downward trajectory.

This has provided a window of opportunity for the society to undertake steps to mitigate the mental health crisis which is likely to follow the pandemic. In these testing times, even though it is difficult to train our minds into following a schedule or participating in productive activity. Nonetheless, taking one step at a time to ensure mental safety and emotional stability at an individual level can contribute to the health of society at large.

The importance of mental health and how we should prioritize it and keep it in good health condition should be our priority at this moment. 

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Brown food has now become the symbol for ‘healthy food with more fibre’ in the market and something that people often like to feel boosted or superior about. Hence, after brown bread and brown sugar the new initiative to make our breakfasts healthier is by replacing white eggs with brown eggs as the new norm. Thus, it is important to know why these eggs are more enriched nutritionally and by all the other aspects that are essential to know about them before we chose them.

One of the most popular kinds of brown eggs are free-range brown eggs and it is because of various environmental conditions and lifestyles of the hens that they are more flavorful and nutritious. Free-range brown eggs are grown from hens who are given a cage-free environment and are conscientiously preserved with a good health resulting in laying of flavorsome eggs, leaving no doubt in making a simple dish taste like a world-class delicacy. This is the result of the good health and diet of these hens who are given access to an outdoor space of nearly 108 sq ft of grass with all its pasture or forage. They are free to bask in the sunshine, play with the fresh air and are humanely raised with a better lifestyle. And they don’t have any extra add on of antibiotic or hormone injections in them unlike the factory-farm settings. Resulting in eggs of superior quality with heavy nutritional content and healthy egg yolks. It is known that pastured eggs contain more nutrients and lower bad fats and cholesterol than those of caged hens. 

 What makes the color of the egg-shell brown?

Chickens can lay eggs in a variety of colors, including white, brown, blue, or even green, it all depends on the genetic traits and species of the hen who laid them. Different genetic combinations due to varied breeds in hens under different environmental conditions, make them lay different colors of eggs. 

The reason most eggs in the store are white is because the leghorn breed producing these produce the most eggs per pound of feed consumed, making them the preferred choice for farms with a focus on efficiency, likewise, Plymouth rocks lay the brown eggs.

As the factory farms started to take off,  the hens were crammed into cages and fed with meager diets, while on more traditional farms the hens were able to free range, sunbathe, and engage in other natural behaviors. Such living conditions made all the difference in the quality of their eggs. 

While the colour of an egg is determined by the hen’s genetics, the quality of the egg is conditioned on her health and diet practices.

Why would free-range brown eggs be a wise choice next time you are in the store?

These large sized free-range brown eggs with a definitive standard of being organically raised outdoors without any added drugs or chemicals, comes with certain terms like USDA organic, Omega3 enriched and certified humane in its cartons at the store. These facets make them different from the rest and much more superior in both taste and their nutritional aspects.

The term USDA Organic tells that the eggs came from chickens raised without exposure to pesticides, commercial fertilizers, GMO feed, or any kind of antibiotics.

While Omega3 enriched means that these eggs come from chickens whose diets have been enriched with flax seeds, which are a natural source of these healthy fats in them. This can again help improve the cardiovascular health, reduce triglyceride levels, promote brain development, especially in early stages, decrease risks of dementia and sustain the eye health and its functions.

The term certified humane on cartons is a non- profit certification which makes it certified to be a part of a farm where the objective standards for the farm animal’s treatments were met. It also tells that these hens are habituated for a cage free lifestyle where they can roam and play as they wish and are humanely raised. Which will make you nostalgic with the farm fresh taste on your table. 

Besides, these eggs can aid weight loss and you can eat the whole egg even if you are on a weight loss regime. The egg whites are rich in protein and egg yolk contains other essential vitamins that are beneficial for you. Eating eggs can fill you up and make you eat fewer calories.

They are again enriched with Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, D, E, K Calcium, Zinc and Phosphorus which helps one increase the good cholesterol content in their body resulting a lower risk of heart disease, stroke or other diseases in them.

Studies have shown that the antioxidants in egg yolks that are good for the eyes can reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. 

These unadulterated, backyard, free-range brown eggs can give you some of the most delicious and finger licking recipes. Here are some that you can try while you explore your cooking skills during this pandemic lockdown: -

Hash brown egg bakes

Bacon and hash brown egg bake

Cheesy hash brown breakfast casserole

Ham hash brown egg casserole

Egg salad

Stuffed eggs

Egg crescents

Hence it is important to remember that all eggs are not created equal. They depend on their living conditions and the composition of feed to the hens. It is important to ensure a safe and healthy product.

When the hens eat well that means you will eat well, too.

Press Release

Bangalore, 1 November 2019: A 3 month old baby suffering from a potentially fatal immune defect underwent a life saving stem cell procedure at Aster CMI Hospital recently. The baby was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID), a dreaded disease that is 100% fatal in the absence of definitive treatment, with the only cure being a stem cell transplant.  As a part of its CSR initiative, the hospital was able to conduct this surgery at a cost of around Rs 10 lakh rupees, while the average cost of such complex surgeries is around Rs 30-40 lakh. Adding to this, a significant proportion of the Rs. 10 lakh required and post-transplant care was funded by Aster Sick Kids Foundation along with crowd-sourced funds.

Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) is a serious form of Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (or PIDs), a genetic disorder where children are born with very weak or defective immune systems. Children with PIDs are prone to develop repeated, unexplainable illnesses and often die at a young age. The underlying condition may often be missed unless evaluated by an Immunologist. 

At the tender age of just one month, the baby had already developed multiple infections and was suffering from loose motions, abscess on buttocks, cough, rapid breathing and high fever that could not be resolved with antibiotics and was progressively getting worse. Through specialized testing at Aster CMI Hospital, the Hyderabad based family found that their baby had a very low lymphocyte count (white blood cells that fight infections) and his T-cells (a type of white cell that is very crucial to fight infections) were absent altogether. “Upon reviewing the family’s medical background, we discovered that the family had lost their first child at the age of 3 months, likely due to the same disease,” said Dr. Sagar Bhattad, Pediatric Immunologist, Aster CMI hospital. 

“Through a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, we introduce healthy cells into the baby’s system which then start to create fully functional white blood cells that are capable of fighting infections. Such cases are challenging because the baby’s immune system is severely weakened and gives us a very short time frame to conduct the transplant to save the baby’s life. There is also a higher risk of mortality when the transplant is done while the child is simultaneously suffering from active infections. However once the transplant is done, in most cases the patient is able to make a full recovery and return to normal life,” said Dr. Stalin Ramprakash, Pediatric BMT expert, Aster CMI hospital. 

The baby was treated for 30 days in the bone marrow transplant unit and discharged once the new white blood cells from the donor stem cells started getting produced (engraftment). The hospital is also providing free Immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions every month. The child is now free of infections, has put on weight and is set for a healthy future. 

About Aster DM Healthcare

Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in multiple GCC states and is an emerging healthcare player in India. With an inherent emphasis on clinical excellence the Company is one of the few entities in the world with a strong presence across primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary healthcare through its 19 hospitals, 101 clinics and 207pharmacies. These are manned by our17,300+ employees from across the geographies that we are present in, delivering on a simple yet strong promise to its people: “We'll treat you well.” We reach out to all economic segments in the GCC states through our differentiated healthcare services across the “Aster”, “Medcare” and “Access” brands.

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