Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Is Jaundice Life Threatening?

Today is one of the disturbing days...hearing the news of a 28 year old colleague in HP, Karthick Sitaraman's death.   Getting succumbed to acute jaundice.  What a unfortunate event leaving behind a young bride of 2 years and a 8 month old daughter.   A very talented software professional, revered to be calm and friendly to his colleagues, with good health habits meeting with this tragedy.  Unbelievable.  

People may jump to conclusions that our stress and lifestyles are the reason behind the health taking a toss.  Most of us in our quest for achievements,  work hard day and night, eating at odd times, sleeping at unearthly hours and keeping life on toes.  Such incidents give it a halt with a jerk.   Since last few years, I have been witnessing such tragedies more,  Radhika,  my friend who died at the age of 28 to Dengue fever,  Sowmya, another colleague at 28, died on diwali night last year with high BP,  Prabhu at the age of 30, passed away with acute ulcer and now Karthick... too tragic for the families and friends.

Coming to Jaundice...today Jaundice have vaccines for our future generations to be prevented from this disease.  Drinking more water and liquids and fruit juices will prevent trouble to the most delicate organ- Liver.  Having been a victim to this very disease during my college days, my mom took me to a "traditional jaundice healer" in Triplicane Chennai.  You have to go to this  doctor early in the morning without food and he would give you the medicine for few days that would heal you.  I remember getting this medication as serial injections, but believe me, it cured the most acute form of illness I suffered...,,which in fact antibiotics could not make me recover.  I think it is Zohari Madani Hospital now, which is at 58 Triplicane High Road, Chennai.    Alternative medicine always had its importance and can be recommended if found appropriate.

Few Precautions that all of us need to know and watch out:-)
1.  Liver is a critical and delicate organ- so watch out your eating habits .  drink lot of fluids
2.  Do not abuse your organs by alcohol abuse or drugs intake
3.  Do not drink sugar cane juices and other drinks sold road side or aerated drinks where the source of water is not good  for they carry the hepatitis virus more
4. Drug metabolism of liver is faster, so use drugs only on prescription and from low doses on recommendation of doctors
5. Please go to doctor immediately when fallen sick and take appropriate steps not to lose the most precious life due to carelessness and negligence.
6. Look at the genetic history of the family and schedule periodic health checkups

I am sure, people died young would not have thought about it at all, they also would have had dreams and aspirations like any of us,  have families and children dependent on them, have colleagues and friends who respected them and miss them and above all, parents who are so unfortunate to witness their beloved one's early passing away.  To all of us, this is again a lesson, to take "STOP" signals like at the every end of a road , and watch out and proceed in life.  The things to watch out are clearly our sleeping patterns, work-life balance, eating habits and lifestyle.  Respect the life that god blessed us with and live it to the fullest with health, happiness and security to our families.