Health Tips....

1. Keep your blood sugar steady by having a lean prootein along with a whole grain at every meal, instead of items loaded with sugar and simple carbs.

2. Waking with puffy eyes? Refrigerate a couple of teaspoons and place them under your eyes for magical results.

3. Kiwi's high level of potassium helps keep our electrolytes in balance and maintain blood pressure.

4. Sore after a long walk or run? Roll your foot over a tennis ball to massage and stretch the plantar fascia.

5. Tulsi has potest germicidal, fungicidal, anti-bacterial and anti-biotic properties that work well in resolving fevers.

6. Studies of diabetic patients show that saturated fat as found in cashews, when added to a low-fat diet, can help reduce high triglyceride levels.

Via:- AIAIPASP 

New HIV Guidelines Released by WHO

July 23, 2014 (MELBOURNE, Australia) -- Five groups of people are driving the global HIV epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) says in its new guidelines.

Men who have sex with men, sex workers, injection-drug users, transgender people, and people in prisons are among the groups targeted for prevention and treatment efforts.

HIV rates are "going down all over the world, with the exception of key affected populations," Fabio Mesquita, MD, said during a news conference at the 20th International AIDS Conference. Mesquita is the director of the HIV and viral hepatitis program at the Ministry of Health in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

"If we don't address key affected populations, we won't reach our goal of controlling the epidemic by the year 2030," he said.

Recent statistics indicate that men who have sex with men are up to 19 times more likely than people in the general population to be infected with HIV. Female sex workers are up to 14 times more likely to be infected. Transgender women are almost 50 times more likely to be infected.

"In all parts of the world, these populations have compromised access to good [HIV-related] services," said Gottfried Hirnschall, MD, director of the WHO Department of HIV/AIDS.

'Hostile Environment' for People at High Risk

Laws that stigmatize people and penalize sexual orientation drive risky behavior underground, making it hard, if not impossible, for people at high risk for HIV to access HIV prevention and care services, speakers at the news conference explained.

As a consequence of this hostile environment, rates of new HIV infections are increasing in all these groups, but especially in men who have sex with men, a group in which "explosive epidemics" of HIV are occurring in many parts of the world, Hirnschall said.

It's estimated that up to 50% of all new HIV infections occur in these groups, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Guideline Recommendations

One of the major recommendations in the guidelines is that an HIV-prevention method called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, be part of prevention efforts for men who have sex with men. PrEP involves taking a daily pill containing two medicines, and it can help protect an uninfected person against HIV -- although it's not 100% effective.

"There is strong evidence for this recommendation," said guideline chair Chris Beyrer, MD. He's the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights in Baltimore, and president-elect of the International AIDS Society.

Beyrer stressed, though, that PrEP treatment is not recommended for all men who have sex with men -- only those who want the treatment and who are at risk for HIV. He explained that PrEP must be used with other prevention methods, such as condoms, condom-appropriate lubricant, and education.

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) – FAQ’s

FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS ABOUT CGHS

1. Who are entitled for CGHS facilities

1. All Central Govt. employees and their dependant family members residing in CGHS covered areas.
2. Central Govt Pensioners and their eligible family members getting pension from Central Civil Estimates
3. Sitting and Ex-Members of Parliament
4. Ex-Governors & Lt. Governors
5. Freedom Fighters
6. Ex-Vice Presidents
7. Sitting and Ex-Judges of Supreme Court & High Courts
8. Employees and pensioners of certain autonomous organizations in Delhi
9. Journalists (in Delhi )Accredited with PIB ( for OPD & at RML Hospital)
10. Delhi Police Personnel in Delhi only
11. Railway Board employees

2. In how many cities CGHS is presently operative?

CGHS facilities are available in 25 cities in India

1. Ahmedabad
2 Allahabad
3 Bengaluru
4 Bhopal
5 Bhubaneswar
6. Kolkata
7. Chandigarh
8. Chennai
9. Dehradun
10.Delhi & NCR
11.Guwahati
12. Hyderabad
13. Jabalpur,
14. Jaipur
15 Jammu
16. Kanpur
17. Lucknow
18. Meerut
19. Mumbai
20. Nagpur
21 Patna
22.Pune
23. Ranchi
24. Shillong
25. Thiruvananthapuram

3. For CGHS cards , as dependant , what is the meaning of the word “ family”

The term ‘family’ means and includes:-

1. Husband or wife as the case may be and other dependant family members.

2. Dependant Family Members:

parents, sisters, widowed sisters, widowed daughters, minor brothers and minor sister, children and step-children wholly dependent upon the Government Servant and are normally residing with the Government Servant.

Also now included , dependent divorced / separated daughters ( including their dependant minor children) and step-mother.

3. The term dependency means that income from all sources including pensions and pension equivalent of DCRG benefit is less than Rs.3500/- plus amount of DA on Basic pension of Rs3500/-per month. However, there is no such clause as dependency in respect of spouse.

4. What is the procedure to register with the CGHS?

Pensioners:

1. One can get a CGHS card made from the office of AD / JD of the City.
2. Forms can be downloaded from CGHS Website or can be taken from office of AD / JD of city.
3. Documents required

i. Application in prescribed format
ii. Proof of Residenceroof of Stay of dependents
iii. Proof of age of son
iv. Disability certificate, if any in case of sons aged 25 & above, who would otherwise cease to be a beneficiary.
v. Photos of eligible family members
vi. Surrender Certificate of CGHS Card while in service ( only in those cases where CGHS Card was issued while in service)
vii. Attested copies of PPO & Last Pay Certificate
viii. Draft for required amount towards CGHS contribution – in the name of ‘P.A.O., CGHS New Delhi’ in Delhi-and in the name of ‘AD, CGHS of the city’.
ix. In case PPO is not ready for any reason there is option to get a provisional card on the basis of Last Pay Certificate.
x. The data is entered through computers and entered in data base and a print out is issued same day for immediate use. Plastic cards are subsequently sent to the residence of the card holder by post.

Serving employees:

Serving employees submit the forms in prescribed format enclosing photos of eligible family members and submit to the Ministry / Department/Office , where he / she is employed. The application form shall be forwarded by the Ministry / Office /Department to the office of Addl. Director CGHS of city for preparation of card.
Print out is issued for immediate use.

5. Are CGHS facilities free of cost?

For serving employees residing in CGHS covered area obtaining CGHS Deduction from salary is made by the department, every month, depending upon their pay

Pensioners who want to avail CGHS facilities can make contribution either on yearly basis or one time ( ten yrs ) contribution for whole life validity.

Payment can be made by Demand Draft in favour of “ P.A.O. CGHS ”.Contribution in respect of Pensioners are calculated on the basis of grade pay they are entitled had they been in service , but for superannuation.

6. What is the system for the services of specialists in Dispensaries?

Prior registration is required appointment with the CGHS Wellness Centre, where specialist services are available. However, In case of emergency contact CMO i/c of dispensary of Wellness Centre for consulting specialist without prior appointment.

7. Is there any interactive mechanism at dispensary level?

At the Wellness Centre ‘Local Advisory Committees’ are formed. CMO i/c holds a meeting with Local Advisory Committee members to discuss local dispensary related issues.

8. How long does it take to get the CGHS Cards?

Normally computerized printout of index card is issued on the same day. Plastic cards are sent to the residence in ‘3’ weeks time.

9. Whom Should I approach in case the CGHS Card is not issued to me in the prescribed time?

Contact Joint Director (HQ), CGHS, CGHS building ,RK Puram Sector-12, New Delhi in case of Delhi and Addl. Director of City in case of other cities.

10. What should I do if I lose my CGHS Cards ?

Application is to be submitted to AD/JD along with two photographs and a IPO for Rs. 50/- for issue of duplicate card. Indian Postal Order payable to “ P.A.O. CGHS”.

11. What should I do if the details on the Card viz. name, date of birth, entitlement, etc. are wrong?

Kindly bring the anomalies to the notice of Joint Director, CGHS (HQ), and CGHS building, RK Puram Sector-12, New Delhi in Delhi and to the Addl. Director, Joint Director of concerned CGHS City in other cities.

12. Is there a colour scheme for plastic cards? What are the details?CGHS Plastic cards have the following colour at the top:

i. Serving Government employees Blue
ii. Pensioners, ex-MPs , Freedom Fighters, etc.,_ – Green
iii. Member of Parliament – Red
iv. Beneficiaries of Autonomous Bodies / Journalist Yellow

Normal Menstrual Cycle - Managing Menstrual Cycle Symptoms and Bleeding

Keep a calendar and mark the day you start your menstrual period each month. If your cycle is regular, it can help you predict when you'll have your next period.

If you're trying to figure out whether you have a pattern of premenstrual symptoms, it may be helpful to keep a premenstrual daily symptom diary.

You can improve your body's ability to handle menstrual changes by getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol andcaffeine intake, and reducing stress. Nonprescription pain relievers can also help reduce some symptoms.

Medicine for menstrual pain and bleeding

Try a nonprescription medicine to help relieve your pain and bleeding. Start taking the recommended dose of pain reliever when symptoms begin or 1 day before your menstrual period starts. If you are trying to become pregnant, talk to your doctor before using any medicine. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen(for example, Advil), reduce menstrual cramps, pain, and bleeding by lowering the level of the hormone prostaglandin.
• If NSAIDs do not relieve the pain, try acetaminophen, such asTylenol.
• Take the medicine for as long as the symptoms would normally last if you did not take the medicine.

Be sure to follow all labels and directions. Do not take aspirin if you are younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye syndrome.

Additional ways to relieve menstrual cramps

• Apply heat to your abdomen with a heating pad or hot water bottle, or take a warm bath. Heat improves blood flow and may decrease pelvic pain.
• Lie down and elevate your legs by putting a pillow under your knees.
• Lie on your side and bring your knees up toward your chest. This will help relieve back pressure.
• Get regular exercise. This improves blood flow, produces pain-fighting endorphins, and may reduce pain.
• If you have vaginal pain with cramps, try using pads instead of tampons.

For more information on managing menstrual cramps, see:

 Menstrual Cycle: Dealing With Cramps.

Managing menstrual bleeding

You can choose from a range of pad and tampon choices for managing menstrual bleeding. Follow all directions included with the product of your choice.

• Tampons range from small to large, for light to heavy flow. You can place a tampon in the vagina by using a slender tube (that is packaged with the tampon) or by tucking it in with a finger. Be sure to change a tampon every 4 to 6 hours. This helps prevent leakage and infection.
• Pads range from thin and light to thick and superabsorbent. They protect your clothing, with or without using a tampon. Pads may be your best choice for use at night.

Whichever you use, be sure to change it regularly. Tampons are ideal for activities that pads aren't practical for, such as swimming. Tampons should be changed every 4 to 6 hours, so they aren't recommended for nighttime use. It may take some experimenting to find the right feminine care products for you.

Normal Menstrual Cycle - Topic Overview

What is a menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle  is the series of changes a woman's body goes through to prepare for a pregnancy. About once a month, the uterusgrows a new lining (endometrium) to get ready for a fertilized egg . When there is no fertilized egg to start a pregnancy, the uterus sheds its lining. This is the monthly menstrual bleeding  (also called menstrual period) that women have from their early teen years untilmenopause, around age 50.

The menstrual cycle is from Day 1 of bleeding to Day 1 of the next time of bleeding. Although the average cycle is 28 days, it is normal to have a cycle that is shorter or longer.

Girls usually start having menstrual periods between the ages of 11 and 14. Women usually start to have fewer periods between ages 39 and 51. Women in their 40s and teens may have cycles that are longer or change a lot. If you are a teen, your cycles should even out with time. If you are nearing menopause, your cycles will probably get longer and then will stop.

Talk to your doctor if you notice any big change in your cycle. It's especially important to check with your doctor if you have three or more menstrual periods that last longer than 7 days or are very heavy. Also call if you have bleeding between your periods or pelvic pain that is not from your period.

What controls the menstrual cycle?

Your hormones control your menstrual cycle. During each cycle, your brain's hypothalamus and pituitary gland send hormone signals back and forth with your ovaries. These signals get the ovaries and uterus ready for a pregnancy.

The hormones estrogen and progesterone play the biggest roles in how the uterus changes during each cycle.

• Estrogen builds up the lining of the uterus.
• Progesterone increases after an ovary releases an egg (ovulation) at the middle of the cycle. This helps the estrogen keep the lining thick and ready for a fertilized egg.
• A drop in progesterone (along with estrogen) causes the lining to break down. This is when your period starts.

A change in hormone levels can affect your cycle or fertility. For example, teens tend to have low or changing progesterone levels. This is also true for women close to menopause. That is why teens and women in their 40s may have heavy menstrual bleeding and cycles that change in length.

Other things can change your cycle. They include birth control pills, low body fat, losing a lot of weight, or being overweight. Stress or very hard exercise also can change your cycle. Pregnancy is the most common cause of a missed period.

What common symptoms are linked to the menstrual cycle?

Some women have no pain or other problems. But other women have symptoms before and during their periods.

7 tests to diagnose heart diseases

 With an increase in diseases related to lifestyle, patients are quite often made to undergo tests that are unnecessary. TOI speaks to specialists to list out conditions in which certain tests to diagnose heart risk should be done or avoided. 

 

1.Blood test:- It’s the simplest tool to screen a patient for blood parameters such as lipid level and cholesterol that increase heart risk. Cost Rs. 1,000- Rs. 2,000.

2.Electrocardiogram:-It checks heart’s electrical system and rhythm. Finds out if chest pain is caused by a heart attack or angina. Rs . 300- 500. Patients who are asymptomatic and do not have an emergency condition should be fi rst screened for blood parameters and ECG rather than putting them through costlier tests.

3.Echocardiogram:-Helps check heart’s pumping efficiency and functioning of the valve. It is reasonable for heart risk assessment in asymptomatic adults with hypertension or diabetes. It is not recommended for asymptomatic adults without the conditions Rs. 1,500- Rs. 2,000.

4.Exercise stress test:-It is a screening tool used to test the effect of exercise on the heart. Doctors often combine it with regular ECG monitoring to follow electrical activity of the heart during the test for better results. Cardiologists say this is the most cost-effective test to assess heart risk in patients who come with unexplained chest pain or breathing difficulty. It does not involve exposure to any radiation.

5.Thalium stress test:-It is a nuclear imaging method that shows how well blood flows into the heart muscle, both at rest and during activity. It involves injecting radioactive isotope. Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000.

6.CT Angiogram:-It is a non-invasive technique that uses X-rays to provide detailed pictures of the heart and the blood vessels that go to heart, lung, kidneys and other organs. It can show whether a blood vessel is blocked, where the blockage is, and how big the blockage is Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 The test is costly and exposes a patient to radiation. Doctors advise it should not be used in cases where initial tests such blood parameters or exercise stress test show heart risk.

7.Coronary Angiography:-It is an invasive technique that uses a special dye (contrast material) and x-rays to see how blood flows through the arteries in your heart. Though costly, angiography is one of the most definite tests to rule out heart disease Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 20,000. It is one the costliest diagnostic tools with radiation exposure. It should be used with caution and never as the primary tool to detect heart risk unless the person has suffered from heart attack or preliminary tests show vulnerability for the same.

Source : The Times of India

5 Essential Tricks every computer user needs to know

There's no rule that says you need to know everything about computers. I bet most of you will never need to troubleshoot processes, for example.

However, there are some things that I think every computer user should know. These tips keep your computer running fast, make you more productive and save you a ton of frustration.

The best part is that they won't cost a cent. They might even save you money if you don't have to pay for tech support.

Speaking of which, if you're the tech support person for your family and friends, be sure to share this Tip with them. You'll get more work done if your mailbox isn't filling up with subject lines like "Do I have a virus?" or "Help! Having Wi-Fi problems!"

WORK FASTER

Unless you have a really old computer, it should be much faster than you are. In other words, when you're saving files or selecting text, things should be instantaneous.

The longest part of the process is usually you telling the computer what you want it to do. Well, the fix for that is keyboard shortcuts.

Say you're ready to print a document. Instead of using the mouse to move a cursor around the screen and selecting "Print" from a drop-down menu, just hit Control+P on your keyboard.

There are dozens of keyboard shortcuts like this. Press Ctrl+S to instantly save the file you're working on or press Ctrl+Z to undo a mistake.

It takes a little getting used to at first, but after you try keyboard shortcuts for a while, I guarantee that your mouse will start gathering dust.

STAY SAFE

New viruses appear daily, and hackers keep making them craftier. Some lock your files and hold them for ransom. Others sneak on to your computer, steal your bank account info and drain your accounts without any human help.

You don't want to mess with any of them, but if your software is out of date, you aren't protected.

Every computer you own should have an antivirus program, a firewall and an antispyware program. 

Security software is good, but you need to make sure you don't have holes in other places. Your browser is a prime target for hackers, so make sure it's got the latest updates with this site.

You should also make sure Windows is up to date and problem software like Java is secured.

SHARE LARGE FILES THE EASY WAY

Have you ever tried to share a bunch of photos or a video through email? You know that it's a mess. There are always a few email providers that will complain about file sizes - it might even be yours!

Even if the email sends, you're filling up your friend's inbox. You might think that there has to be a better way - and there is.

Take a look at cloud storage and sharing services likeDropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud or Google Drive. These give you a few gigabytes of space for free, which should be enough to share just about anything you need.

Sending a download link through email is much better than sending big attachments. Trust me, everyone will appreciate it.

FIX WI-FI PROBLEMS

A spotty and sluggish Wi-Fi network is enough to drive most people up a wall. Videos keep stopping to buffer, video calls get choppy and online games lag or cut out.

Before you focus on the Wi-Fi, make sure it's not your Internet connection. 

If it is your Wi-Fi running slow, first make sure it's encrypted. A sudden drop-off in wireless network speed could be a sign that criminals or your neighbors are using your open connection to surf and download files. 

If parts of your home are Wi-Fi dead spots or get very weak signals, try placing the router in an open, central location - away from walls and obstructions, such as metal filing cabinets.

You could also try the trusty beer-can hack. This involves cutting a beer or soda can open with a utility knife to make a parabolic antenna out of it. This offbeat trick can boost your network by two bars or more. 

MAINTAIN YOUR COMPUTER

Getting your computer working well is great, but keeping it working long term is another story. You need to practice regular maintenance or it will just fall apart again.

Like I mentioned above, be sure to keep your operating system, browser and security software updated. You also want to keep it clean inside and out.

If you spend more than two minutes a day looking for files on your hard drive, it's time to organize your files and clear out old stuff. These handy freebies will help you. Keeping a block of free space on your hard drive will also give a speed boost to your operating system.

Of course, the most important maintenance tip I can give is to back up your data regularly using a cloud service. This way, your backup is safe from fire, theft and flood, and your information is always available when you need it.

Courtesy:-mrsupport.blogspot.in

Google contact lens will monitor blood glucose, help diabetics

NEW DELHI: The crazy engineers inside Google X are hard at work. And this time they have come up with a contact lens that will measure the glucose level of a person in real time. The product is still in early stage of development. For now Google is testing prototypes and how they can be best used. But if successful, this contact lens may help diabetics say goodbye to painful needles that they have to use several times a day to successfully monitor their blood glucose level.

In a blog post explaining the contact lens, Google said that glucose level in a human body can be measured from tears. "But as you can imagine, tears are hard to collect and study. At Google X, we wondered if miniaturised electronics—think: (silicon) chips and sensors so small they look like bits of glitter, and an antenna thinner than a human hair—might be a way to crack the mystery of tear glucose and measure it with greater accuracy," the blog post explained.

Google X is special division inside the web company that works on future technologies. It is headed by Google co-founder Sergei Brin.Google Glass, which is essentially a small computer with a tiny head-mounted display, also came out of Google X. Glass too started as a prototype but last year it was sold to early adopters. It is likely to be widely available in retail stores this year.

For now, Google has not shared any details on the availability of the contact lens. "We're in discussions with the FDA (the US government that regulates health products), but there's still a lot more work to do to turn this technology into a system that people can use," said a Google spokesperson. The company hinted that this glucose-monitoring contact lens, whenever it comes to the market, will likely sold by "partners who are experts in bringing products like this to market".

The current prototype of the contact lens can record the glucose level every second. "The product measures glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material. We're testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second. We're also investigating the potential for this to serve as an early warning for the wearer, so we're exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds," explained the official blog post.

While it started as a web search engine and still makes most of its money from displaying web advertisements, in the recent years Google has become very ambitious, arguably the most ambitious technology company. It is working on several technologies that are straight out of future. The company is developing driverless cars, which use sensors, cameras and virtual map technologies, to travel on roads without any assistance from humans.

Google is also stepping up its game in robotics and in the last one year has acquired several companies, including Boston Dynamics which makes robotic cheetah and dogs, that are working on next-generation of robots. Recently, it acquired Nest, maker of a smart internet-connected thermostat, most likely in a bid to explore the concept of web-connected homes and appliances that would be controlled with a smartphone.

A few months earlier, Google CEO Larry Page said in an interview that his company was looking to fundamentally change the world. "We have all this money, we have all these people, why aren't we doing more stuff? I feel like there are all these opportunities in the world to use technology to make people's lives better. At Google we're attacking maybe 0.1 percent of that space. And all the tech companies combined are only at like 1 percent. That means there's 99 per cent virgin territory. If you're not doing some things that are crazy, then you're doing the wrong things," said Page.

However, the growing reach of Google is making consumers and industry watchers uncomfortable. Recently, when the company acquired Nest, which can collect a lot of data on how you use appliances inside your home and can sense whether you are in your room or not, it led to a lot of outrage on social media sites. There were reports that some Nest consumers decided to stop using the thermostat over privacy concerns.

On Friday Danny Sullivan, who has watched Google since late 1990s, tweeted, "Google smart contacts also mean if you wondered if there was area Google wouldn't go into, stop. It has no limits."

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/  via:- http://sapost.blogspot.in

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