"Prevention is better than cure"

"Prevention is better than cure"  How can we prevent ourselves from Diseases?  and  What are the things which help to build our immunity?    Here we are going to discuss some preventive measures  for a healthy life.. This prevention should be started from Infant life itself. We can discuss preventions as one by one.. 1)Prevention during Perinatal life _ How? For this question only a single and simple answer .. Through Breast milk only..   _Benefits of breast milk for the child:- *Enhances the immunity. *Enhances mental health. *Improves mother-infant bonding. *Reduces the incidence of chronic diseases such as obesity  and diabetes. * Reduces allergies and asthma. *Reduces digestive system problems.     That's why WHO recommends exclusive breast feeding for  first 6 months of life and supplemented feeding at least for  2 years of life.       Breast feeding offer benefits not only to the baby, but also for the mother. -Maternal benefits of breast feeding: *Burns calories and promotes weight loss. *helps the uterus to return to its normal size. * reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer. *helps to constrict the uterus and decreases chance  of bleeding. *helps in pregnancy spacing. *reduces the risk of developing post-partum depression. 2) Prevention through the Foods we eat. "We become what we eat" *Eat a healthy diet which is rich in vegetables, fruits,  pulses and cereals. *Some foods which help to boost our immunity are  Citrus fruits like oranges,lemons etc.,Pappaya, Kiwi, Pomegranate, Garlic,Ginger,Turmeric,  Green leafy vegetables like Spinach, drumstick leaves etc,  Dry fruits like almonds,cashew etc,  Probiotics like yoghurt, Small fishes like sardines, mackerel and Shell fishes like crab,prawns etc. * Drink plenty of water is a good way to maintain a healthy life.  Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day  even if you are thirstless. *Only 5 grams of Salt per day:- Don't worry,here we go.. We are all eating too much salt which raises our  blood pressure and increases our risk of strokes,  heart attack and heart diseases. Follow these 5 steps and  bring your salt intake down today- "5 ways to 5 grams" 1. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables than canned ones.  If u choose canned ones,drain and rinse it. 2.Gradually add less salt to your favorite recipes- your taste buds will adapt. 3. Use herbs,spices,garlic and citrus in place of salt to  add flavor to your food. 4.Take salt and salty condiments off the table  so younger family members won't develop  the habit of adding salt. 5.Check food labels before you buy to help you  choose less salty options. * 30 grams of sugar per day_ Sugar is considered as a  white poison.So we must reduce the consumption  of sugar also. Should not consume foods which have added sugars. Avoid soft drinks, baked foods and  processed foods  which is high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. 3) Prevention of Infection..       An Infection is an illness caused by germs such as  bacteria and viruses.These germs can be passed  from person to person,animal to person or things to person. The common cold is an example of an infectious disease  which can be transmitted from person to person.      Simple steps can reduce the risk of spreading germs: 1. Clean your hands often: *Hand hygiene is the simplest and most effective measure  to prevent infection.Hand hygiene is a general term  referring to the use of soap and water or a water less  hand rub to cleanse your hands. * When should you clean your hands? -before you enter and leave a healthcare facility like  hospitals,clinics,labs etc. - before and after taking medications. -after sneezing, blowing your nose and coughing. _ before and after visiting a sick or diseased person. -whenever your hands are dirty. -after using bathroom and toilet. _ before and after eating. 2.Cover your cough:     Cough etiquette or respiratory hygiene will help  to stop the spread of infections through respiratory secretions  like influenza, SARS,TB etc.     When coughing or sneezing please follow the 3 "C" steps: *Cover your mouth and nose with a towel ,clean tissue, upper sleeves or elbow when coughing or sneezing. * Contain or throw used tissue in the waste bin. *Clean hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. 3.Get vaccinated: - Vaccines are among the safest medical  products available. It is a very effective way to prevent  communicable diseases like flu, polio and hepatitis- B.  Make sure that you are vaccinated according to  the immunization  schedule of the country you live in. 4. Homoeopathic prevention and prophylaxis:_ Whenever there is an occurrence of an epidemic disease,  Genus epidemicus are ascertained and administered to  healthy persons of the locality and  saves them  from becoming victims of the disease. * Constitutional remedies are the best  Homoeopathic  preventives. * Nosodes also used as prophylaxis. Eg:- Morbilinum for Measles, Malandrinum for Chicken pox,  Parotidinum for Mumps etc. * Certain medicines are proved to be specific against certain  diseases. Eg: Bell for scarlet fever , Cuprum met for cholera,  Rhustox for chicken pox ,pulsatilla for measles. * Ideal potency for homoeopathic preventive is 200th. *Duration of preventive is also important. We must give preventive medicines according to  the incubation period of a disease. For eg: in case of chicken pox I.P is 2 to 3 weeks,  so we must give our preventive at least for 2 weeks. In case of measles I.P is 1 to 2 weeks , so we give at least for 10 days. * Percentage of efficacy of Homoeopathic preventive  depend upon the time of administration of medicine  after the exposure of infection.In case of epidemic in  surrounding area and the persons within the house  is not affected we can give preventives and  offer 100% efficacy. If one person within the house is  affected and we give medicine to other members  within 24 hrs of infection, then we can offer 80% only.. * Homoeopathic prophylaxis will prevent  the  progress of the disease also.       4) Other preventive measures for a healthy life. * Be happy and enjoy the life.Don't burden your life  with unnecessary ambitions and expectations.  Be content and don't compare your life with others. * Do regular physical exercises like walking, cycling , swimming etc. * Have adequate sleep at least 8 hrs in a day. * Do regular health check ups and consult your doctor  whenever there is alarming symptoms. Don't become a doctor for yourselves and  never allow the Google to treat you ..                Thanks a lot... Dr. Dhanya Deepak B.H.M.S,  MSC Psychology