Will telemedicine revolutionize healthcare forever?

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, healthcare providers are turning to digital platforms such as Zoom, Facetime, and WhatsApp to deliver services that have traditionally been provided face-to-face. These include comprehensive counselling, sex education, and consultations for emergency treatment.

To put it into perspective, a recent survey found that 50% of the IPPF’s European Network reported that they are providing SRH programs through innovative approaches like telemedicine. Before the pandemic, providing medical consultations and prescriptions remotely through telemedicine was already booming. The increased demand was partly because it meant people could sidestep barriers to long waiting times for appointments. Now the global demand for telemedicine is at a whole new level because of the lockdown which limits the movement and also the fear of contracting the virus at public places.

Is telemedicine a makeshift or is it here to stay?

It’s difficult to deny the benefits to both healthcare systems and patients when it comes to telemedicine. Healthcare systems will undoubtedly have less pressure on them when they have only a few people through their doors, healthcare workers will be reduced and those who cannot physically attend appointments have an option to do it from the comfort of their home.

Telemedicine is the revolution that healthcare needs and since the coronavirus outbreak, the benefits of telemedicine access are being felt all across the world. The potential of telemedicine will benefit millions of women, and girls who are facing barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare, and advice. It’s the need of the hour to look at how to harness the momentum of telemedicine and incorporate it into its service delivery beyond the coronavirus crisis.


Why telemedicine is the next big opportunity in Indian HealthTech industry?

• The telemedicine industry is expected to create more than $5.4 billion market opportunity by 2025.

• Startups such as Practo and DocPrime are leading India’s telemedicine market with plenty of untapped resources and opportunities.

Telemedicine is the sector that can bridge the gap between rural and urban India and would be removing many of the infrastructure challenges. Telemedicine will definitely be a big part of walking into a ‘new normal’ once this pandemic is over.


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Life after lockdown: A dining guide

Right now, for most of us, restaurants only exist as bittersweet memories. Clinking glasses, lively conversations and savoring our favorite dishes are all things of the past. However, as the coronavirus lockdown lifts, restaurants will be reopening once again. Craving to go back to your favorite eateries and feast again? Here are SMBT’s best tips for restaurant dining after the lockdown has ended.

Although the safest option will be to eat at home until COVID-19 has passed, still many of us would want to eat at a restaurant sometime in the next few months. When that happens, do not just throw all the caution to the wind. Here are some ways you can indulge in a risk-free restaurant dining.

How does the virus spread in a restaurant?

A recent study traced how one asymptomatic COVID-19 infected person spread the virus to as many as nine other people sitting in the same restaurant. Based on the research, scientists have concluded that the virus is probably carried to other diners’ faces and food by respiratory droplets from the infected person’s mouth. The shower of droplets emitted while speaking can mostly be contained by masks, but while eating it is not possible. Thus, mealtime conversation comes with a hefty risk. It’s advised we limit food sharing, maintain a safe distance, and avoid unnecessary contact at restaurants.

Order the safest dishes!

There is a high chance you could be exposed to the virus if an infected person prepares, coughs, or talks over your food. Fortunately, research shows that the virus is quickly destroyed at higher temperatures. So, if you are worried about the sick staff in the kitchen, ordering hot food will help decrease the risk. Also, make sure to visit restaurants with high ratings and sanitary standards.


Protect yourself from the infected staff

Wear a mask while walking and talking with the waiters and staff. As an added layer of protection, carry alcohol wipes to disinfect your utensils and dishes right before mealtime.


Using the restroom

Using the restroom to wash hands comes with its own set of risks. Touching the faucet handle to shut off the water might negate washing your hands. Fingers can also pick up the virus on the restroom door. Minimize this risk by using a paper towel to shut off the sink and open the restroom door. Though, it will be the safest to just stay seated and use an alcohol-based sanitizer instead.


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Exploding Head Syndrome: What stress can lead to!

Are you stressing on things that do not require much attention? Experiencing anxiety or panic attacks? It's time you learn stress management or it may lead to disorders such as ‘exploding head syndrome’. In this blog, SMBT reviews what exploding head syndrome is all about and how it interferes with your sleep and life.

What exactly is it?
It is a sleep disorder that causes people to hear loud noises when they are in deep sleep. It belongs to a group called parasomnia which causes undesirable physical, verbal or behavioural symptoms during sleep.

Although hearing loud noises can cause panic or anxiety, EHS is not a life-threatening condition but its symptoms may affect your daily life.According to a study, 4-67% of adults experience parasomnia.

How does EHS happen?
Though the exact cause of EHS remains unclear, doctors say that it could result from fear, emotional stress, anxiety. It could also happen from minor seizures in the temporal lobes or parts of the middle ear moving during the night.
People who experience high levels of stress and have a history of insomnia tend to have a higher chance of experiencing EHS.

What does it feel like?
People experiencing EHS imagine loud sounds which are similar to explosions and crashes. Although these noises are not real, they can cause a lot of distress and can affect the sleeping pattern of the person. Other common symptoms include:

• Rapid Heart Rate
• Headache
• Daytime fatigue
• Sweating
• Difficulty staying asleep

How to Treat EHS?
Though there are no standard treatments for EHS, doctors may recommend counselling or talk therapy if they find out that stress, anxiety are the contributing factors.

• Over-the-counter treatment:
  Anti-anxiety medications, anticonvulsants or calcium blockers can help in treating EHS.

• Natural Treatment:
  Practising relaxation techniques and meditation may lower stress levels and help people fall easily faster. Maintaining a healthy diet can also help in treating EHS.

Always try to regulate your stress and anxiety before they become a severe disturbance to your mental peace. Let not our minds conquer and destroy our happiness and peace.
SMBT wishes everyone to stay safe and healthy!

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Did you know? A pain-free life could be deathly!

Doesn’t it sound great to live without the sensation of pain? It may sound like a science fiction movie plot to listen to, but it’s some individuals’ reality. Initially, this painless existence would seem appealing for people who experience pain every day, but it is actually devastating to be in this condition.

Congenital Analgesia is a rare medical disorder that occurs for one in a million people. People with this condition don’t feel any pain even if you have a fractured bone! It is caused due to genetic mutation and has no cure.

According to the Journal of Young Investigators, it’s preferable to remove the baby teeth of the patient if it’s detected early. This is because children have a tendency to put fingers in the mouth for biting or sucking which results in excessive bleeding. Usually, humans stop their actions if they are painful but a person affected with congenital analgesia does not as there is no sense of pain.

The tendency to develop repeated injuries invite high chances of death and a reduced life expectancy. Multiple injuries and fractures are left unnoticed by the patient because sensory signals do not reach the brain. Survival in such health conditions is very difficult but the only way to save yourself is by preventing injuries and by taking care of your body and wounds.

Albeit the disastrous part, researches on insensitivity of pain can lead paths to studies of finding new pain relief treatment.


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Girls! Did you know these jobs could be harmful to your heart?

The lifestyle we live greatly impacts our health. Our eating habits, levels of physical activity and dependence on substances contribute to our overall well-being. But, did you know? Recent research shows that some career paths are proving to be more harmful to women’s heart health than others.

In this blog, we look at a number of different studies that have been conducted to support the aforementioned statement.

Managers
Let’s begin with a study conducted in Japan where women in managerial positions, from any industry, faced a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have deemed the reasons for these occupations being a health hazard. Some potential reasons could be the stress of day-to-day management of a team of varying and oftentimes clashing personalities. It could be juggling of the schedules of these personalities along with your own. Or it could be working for un-Godly hours and having to train cattle into corporates!

Social Workers
Through a Women’s Health Initiative study, researchers gathered the data of more than 65,000 women with an average age of 63 who had already experienced menopause. They studied this data on the basis of smoking status, weight, physical activity, nutrition, cholesterol, and blood pressure to find a potential association between heart health status and occupation.
The result of this study showed that women who performed social work were 36% more likely to face heart health issues. This may possibly be due to the harsh realities they have to witness and face on a daily basis. The trauma of others may cause stress to those with an empathetic heart.

Other Occupations 
The result of the aforementioned study also showed that retail cashiers had a 33% higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nurses, psychiatrists, and home health aides had up to 16% higher risk of heart problems out of which nurses face a 14% heightened risk of heart health complications.

What jobs are good for you?
The same study concluded a few occupations that had lower risks of heart diseases. Turns out, real estate brokers and sales agents had a 24% lower chance of heart issues and administrative assistants had an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Along with the many things you need to consider while starting a new job, you now need to make sure it’s good for your heart!


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Running a little every day could go a long way!

 

Everyone knows that cardio is an effective method of keeping your body fit and active. Running and aerobics exercises are extremely beneficial to both the body and mind. New research suggests that running, for any amount of time, instantly reduces the risk of death by 27%. In this blog, SMBT will explore the details of this study.

Studies conducted in the past have concluded that running can help alleviate stress and slow down aging. Going for a run has proven to combat feelings of negative emotions and improve memory. It has also been proven that senior citizens that go for regular runs have the same amount of energy as a 20-year-old does while walking. 

Today, researchers are trying to find a link between running and decreasing mortality rates. Numerous published papers, conference papers, and doctoral thesis have been studied to find a correlation between running and a longer lifespan. A recent review of 14 studies was conducted. This entailed a total of 232,149 participants ranging from 5.5 to 35 years of age.

Their findings concluded an overall 27% decreased the risk of death among those who ran. Moreover, they also found a 30% lower risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases and a 23% lowered risk of cancer-related deaths.

The World Health Organisation recommends 150 minutes of intense exercise or at least 70 minutes of moderate exercise to stay healthy. But the review showed that a person who ran for less than 50 minutes or at low speeds for under 9.5km also saw the reduced risk of death. This breakthrough has introduced us to the secret of a long, healthy life. Make sure you spend a little time every day running, to ensure living and enjoying a full life!


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