Copd While Pregnant

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience for women, as they prepare to bring a new life into the world. It is a time of great joy and anticipation, but it can also be a time of stress and anxiety. Mental health issues are common during pregnancy, and it is essential to take care of your mental health to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Mental health issues during pregnancy can take many forms, including depression, anxiety, and stress. These issues can be caused by a variety of factors, including hormonal changes, relationship problems, financial stress, and physical discomfort. Whatever the cause, it is important to address mental health issues during pregnancy to ensure the best possible outcome for both the mother and the baby. According to Shivangi Sagar, Counselling Psychologist and Co-Founder of HopeQure, a platform for counselling and therapy consultations, mood swings are normal during pregnancy but if you feel nervous or down all the time, it could be a sign of something deeper. She says, "Stress over being pregnant, changes in your body during the pregnancy, and everyday worries can take a toll. Depression and anxiety are the two most common and prevalent disorders faced during pregnancy. The prevalence ranges from 8 to 30 per cent all over the world." "Antenatal depression i.e., depression before the birth of the child is a strong predictor of postnatal depression. Depression is sadness or feeling down or irritable for weeks or months at a time. Someone may have depression before getting pregnant. But it also can start during pregnancy for a number of reasons -- for example, if a woman isn't happy about being pregnant or is dealing with a lot of stress at work or stress at home. Whereas, anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear over things that might happen. If you worry a lot anyway, many things can stress you out during pregnancy. You might worry that you won't be a good parent or that you can't afford to raise a baby," says Shivangi. "Perinatal and antenatal mental issues have been associated with many poor outcomes, including maternal, child, and family unit challenges. Infants and young children of depressed mothers are more likely to have a difficult temperament, as well as cognitive and emotional delays. Among mothers who have a history of depression and decide to stop taking their antidepressants during the perinatal period, the majority suffer from relapsing symptoms. If depression continues postpartum, there is an increased risk of poor mother-infant attachment, delayed cognitive and linguistic skills in the infant, impaired emotional development, and risk for behavioural problems in later life." While there is a probability of adverse mental health concerns in mothers during pregnancy, it is of chief importance that these symptoms can be managed. Here are seven ways Counselling Psychologist Shivangi suggests you protect your mental health while pregnant: Seek Prenatal Care: Regular prenatal care is critical to identify mental health issues early on and providing support and resources to address them. Prenatal care can also ensure that both the mother and the baby are healthy throughout the pregnancy. Prenatal yoga is a powerful tool for managing depression. It can assist in elevating the mood during pregnancy and provide strength to the body, especially the pelvic floor, hip, and abdominal core muscles. It gives the mother a healthier pregnancy and research has confirmed that a healthy mother is more likely to have or give birth to a healthy baby. Increase Awareness: It is important to take notice that you are facing mental health issues. It can be helpful to talk to a professional and help you deal with your specific issues. Practice Positive Self-Talk: Sometimes writing a few positive affirmations and reading them aloud can help in uplifting the mind. It is significant that pregnant women should focus their attention on positive things. Communicate Openly: Talking about what is causing you stress with your partner, family, friends or a professional can help you understand your stressors and how you can manage them. It will also help your loved ones support you during this period. Having a strong support system during pregnancy can provide valuable emotional support and connection. Joining a support group for pregnant women can also provide a valuable source of support. Prioritise Self-Care: Taking care of oneself during pregnancy is essential to reduce stress and promote positive mental health. This can include getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Taking time for oneself to relax and engage in activities can also help reduce stress. Breathing Exercises: You can try breathing exercises and help you calm yourself in times of stress and anxiety. You can also try mindfulness and meditation techniques to regulate your emotions. Seek Professional Help: If you are experiencing severe or persistent mental health issues during pregnancy, it's essential to seek professional help. This can include therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Healthcare providers can help identify the best treatment options for individual needs. (N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe) Read More►Benefits of a Hot Shower?

Fruit is great for weight loss because it is low calorie, high fibre, and water content. Fruit is nature's quick snack and is a great source of vitamins and other elements that help maintain a healthy diet. Fruit has vitamins and minerals that the body needs in abundance. According to Dr. Archana Batra, a dietician and a certified diabetes educator, "Many people consume fruit wrongly, which might cause more harm than benefit if not corrected." She also shares a list of mistakes one makes when eating fruit. Combining fruit with anything else- Fruit breaks down faster than any other food. When combined with other foods, it can cause the formation of toxins in the body known as ama. This is due to the fact that food pairing can slow down digestion. Fruit must stay in the stomach for as long as the heaviest food takes to digest, making nutrient absorption difficult. It begins to ferment in the digestive juices, which is usually toxic and may raise the possibility of illness and other health conditions. It is therefore preferable to consume it separately. Fruit at nighttime- It is best to avoid anything 2-3 hours before going to bed because it interferes with the digestive system. This holds true for fruit as well. Fruit consumption right before bed has a high chance of disrupting sleep because it releases a lot of sugar, which spikes energy levels when the body should be resting. At night, our ability to absorb and assimilate nutrients is significantly reduced. In addition, eating fruits late at night may cause acidity symptoms. Fruit should be consumed as an evening snack and no later than that. Drink water immediately- Not only children but also adults, are frequently observed drinking water immediately after eating fruit. Drinking water after eating fruit can cause the pH level of the digestive system to become unbalanced, especially consuming fruit with a high water content like watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, orange, and strawberry. This is because fruit with a lot of water in it can change the pH balance by reducing the acidity of your stomach. Experts warn that doing so can result in serious illnesses such as diarrhoea or cholera. You are not eating the skin- When it comes to vitamins and antioxidants, the peel is frequently the best part. Apple peels, for example, are high in fibre, vitamin C, and A. Eating the skin may even be the key to lowering your risk of obesity and cancer, according to research. (N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe)

Unfortunately, the widespread coronavirus pandemic has ruled our lives for the past two years. The constant arrival of new variants is posing demanding challenges for organisations and posing difficult scenarios for them to resume full-fledged operations. Expecting the workplace to return to their daily office routine is akin to wishing for a life on the moon. Being adaptable in terms of workplace norms is currently the best option, and thus the hybrid work environment has become the new normal. While there is always a silver lining to every cloud, technology has removed the stress of uncertainty from the heads of the bosses, and everyone has adjusted to working from their desks at home with online meetings and working scenarios. While we've all gotten used to the hybrid work environment, we can't ignore the impact it's having on us, both mentally and physically. Working online does not reduce stress in fact, it increases it in many ways. It is substantial to focus on our health while putting in our best foot forward towards our work. Let us look at some tips to remain healthy while working from home or from the office. Keep Yourself Hydrated: As much as we take this point casually, we should keep drinking water and maintain our fluid intake throughout the day to keep ourselves hydrated through all the exhaustion. The body gets dehydrated even when you're sitting inside the house, so you must develop a habit of keeping a water bottle with you and keep sipping the water. You must also include the intake of other healthy fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, infused and detox water in your daily routine. If you are someone who has a habit of forgetting, you also have the option of setting drinking water alarms on your phone to remind you of the same. Eat Nutritious Food: While working we tend to munch on snacks but we must keep in mind that the importance of the three main meals should not be disregarded and one should have a proper balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner while working from both home and office. Skipping meals can be extremely harmful to the body and can cause severe gastric issues. A meal packed with proteins, carbs, fibres and other crucial nutrients keep you energized for the day and saves you from issues like bloating, gastric attacks and fatigue. Mid-Meal Snacking: As significant as it is to have a nutritious meal it is also necessary to snack in between to satisfy your hunger pangs. You must always keep a few healthy snacking options handy like roasted makhana, roasted peanuts, fruits, unsweetened nut butter, protein bars, and other healthy snacks so that it keeps you away from munching on unhealthy food items which have a high content of sugar and salt and are low on nutrition. They can cause bloating, weight gain and other health issues. Breathing Exercises: It is no secret that breathing exercises can calm you down, relax your mind and increase your focus. Breathing exercises enhance the oxygen flow in your blood and boost your energy. Deep breathing can help you fight anxiety and decrease your stress levels. Practising these exercises on a daily basis can keep your brain fresh and ready to take all the workload with a positive mindset. Stretching: When you're sitting on your work table with your laptop for extended hours you must take a break after every 30 minutes to 60 minutes where you get up and stretch your body. Stretching maintains the relaxation of the body and rejuvenates it to promote your strength and flexibility. Sitting in one place gives rise to backaches and pain in the knee joints. Stretching helps maintain the blood flow and keeps you fit. Wear Computer Glasses: You should be mindful of your screen time and wear computer glasses to avoid the blue light affecting your eyesight. With the increased work-from-home hours, you are forced to sit in front of the screen, and then even on your break, you use your mobile phone which takes your screen time to almost 18 hours a day causing red eyes, decreased eyesight, and watering of eyes. This can be hazardous in the long run hence one should take precautions and wear computer glasses to avoid any further complications to the eyesight. We must collectively aim to reduce mental and physical strain on our body and mind to keep ourselves healthy by keeping these significant tips in mind and being mindful of our own well being. (Aayushi Lakhapati, Cofounder & Chief Health Officer of Upnourish) Read More► Prior Heart Defect May Up Risk for Severe Covid: Study

Washington- Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with complications at birth such as preterm birth or babies born underweight, according to a study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pregnant women with Covid-19 are at increased risk for severe illness and adverse birth outcomes, yet many remain reluctant to be vaccinated. To explore the effect of Covid vaccines in pregnancy, the CDC evaluated 46,079 pregnant women in the US between December 15, 2020 and July 22, 2021. Among more than 10,000 women who received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the rates of preterm birth were 4.9 per cent compared to 7.0 per cent for roughly 36,000 unvaccinated women, researchers said in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published on Tuesday. Further, the report also showed that Covid vaccination did not increase the risk of delivering a baby who weighed less than usual for the number of weeks of pregnancy. These data support the safety of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, said Heather S. Lipkind, from Yale University, US, in the report. "Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age at birth overall, stratified by trimester of vaccination, or number of vaccine doses received during pregnancy, compared with unvaccinated pregnant women," Lipkind added. Women with symptomatic Covid-19 during pregnancy have a more than two-fold increased risk for intensive care unit admission, invasive ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and a 70 per cent increased risk for death, compared with nonpregnant women with symptomatic infections. Thus, the CDC recommends Covid-19 vaccination for women who are pregnant, recently pregnant, who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future. However, vaccination coverage among pregnant women has been low due to concerns regarding vaccine safety. In the CDC report, the women became pregnant between May and October of 2020, before vaccines were available. Nearly all who were vaccinated got the shots in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Some 96 per cent of them had received at least one dose of an mRNA vaccine from either Pfizer, or Moderna. The remaining women received the single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. There was no difference in outcomes based on the timing of vaccination, or on which mRNA vaccine was received or how many doses. "Results have consistently shown no increased risk when stratified by mRNA Covid-19 vaccine dose, or by second or third trimester vaccination, compared with risk among unvaccinated pregnant women," Lipkind said. Read More► Current Vax Effective Against Severe Omicron Outcomes: Study