Author: noorali

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World’s Religions

“If a man thinks about his physical or moral state, he usually discovers that he is ill.”

This illness has been present for many centuries. In order to correct this there arose, from time to time, messengers for different races of the earth, to sustain our soul and provide physical, moral, and spiritual leadership.

Many use religion and spiritualism to promote good health, happiness and brotherhood of man. But there are others who perpetrate violence, destruction and death in the name of religion.

This infighting among religious groups is surprising due to the “fact that no people have been discovered who do not believe in the existence and survival of human souls”, says A. T. Houghton in The World’s Religions. This book, edited by J. N. D. Anderson, provides a short factual account of the history, philosophy, and practice of seven of the great religions of the world. A study of Christianity has been excluded, as it is a well-known religion in Western countries.

Now that Christmas is over, let us briefly look at the teachings of these seven great religions as described in Anderson’s book: Animism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and Confucianism.

The book uses the term “Animism” to describe the religion and the philosophy of peoples who believe in the existence of spiritual beings. Animism is the doctrine that places the source of mental and even physical life in energy independent of, or at least distinct from, the body.

Judaism believes that there is only one God in the universe, and He is the God of Israel. The book says that this idea of God is to some extent similar to what the Christians and Moslems believe. Followers of all three faiths believe that religion is a way of life. A life that needs to be cherished and not destroyed by neglect or abuse.

Islam arose to claim the allegiance of mankind about six hundred years after the appearance of Jesus Christ. Islamic beliefs are based on the “Five Pillars”: 1. The recital of the Creed or Kalima (There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God); 2. Prayer – 5 times a day; 3. Fasting in the month of Ramadan; 4. Zakat (tithe) or voluntary charity; 5. The hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

Hinduism originated in India. Two important aspects of Hinduism are: 1. Triumph of good (god Vishnu) over evil (god Siva); 2. Karma – what you sow you reap. Bad and good fortune, health or sickness, poverty or riches, are all ascribed to karma.

Buddhism came into existence almost six hundred years before Christ. Buddhism consists of The Four Truths: 1. The truth of suffering – suffering is omnipresent; 2. Cause of suffering – desire for possession and selfish enjoyment; 3. Suffering ceases, when selfish craving, lust for life, has been renounced and destroyed; 4. Eightfold path that leads to the cessation of suffering – a path to perfect detachment from self-indulgence and self-mortification.

Buddhism also teaches: karma (action-reaction); impermanence (every form must die and give place to a different one); nirvana (passionless happiness).

Shintoism, the Way of the Gods, is reverence paid to the gods of Japan. Its code of moral behavior is an unwritten code that owes much to Confucius and Buddhism.

Confucius was born in 551 B.C. in China. His teaching was almost entirely concerned with man’s moral conduct and his social relations. His aim was to reform the corrupt kingdom by means of moral principles of the ancient worthies.

As we can see, adoption of the teachings of these religions in our daily life can considerably improve all aspects of our health. One does not have to be a religious zealot to instill spiritualism in one’s lifestyle. We just have to make it a way of life!

Our ultimate aim should be nirvana for the lifetime!

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Longevity

If you are born in 1920, then your life expectancy is 59 years. Well, you should be dead by now. If you are born in 1940, then your life expectancy is 65 years. You are probably reading this column. If you are born in 1993, then your life expectancy is 78 years. You are out somewhere having fun.

The 20th century has seen many medical inventions that have completely changed our lives. Not only we live longer than our forefathers but we are healthier and perhaps better looking as well.

Canadian researchers have contributed quite well to our health and longevity. Here are some examples.

In 1922, Canadian researchers: F. Banting, C. H. Best, J. R. R. McLeod, and J. B. Collip discovered insulin. This has revolutionized the treatment of diabetes. Normally, the pancreas produces insulin. Diabetes is a condition when there is not enough insulin in the system to metabolize sugar.

In 1926, J. B. Collip also discovered the hormone – parathormon – that controls the calcium balance in our body. Four tiny glands behind the thyroid normally produce this hormone. If these glands fail, the calcium level rises resulting in many complications.

In 1972, another Canadian made a significant contribution to improve our health. William Bigelow had a role in the introduction of cardiac pacemaker. This is needed to stabilize cardiac rhythm. More than half a million people worldwide are fitted with pacemakers.

Scientists from all over the world have helped us stay healthy. At the dawn of the 20th century, we were struggling with typhoid, malaria, syphilis, tuberculosis and yellow fever. All these conditions are now under control. Now we are struggling with AIDS.

In 1929, Alexander Fleming of UK recognized penicillin. When he discovered the bacteria-eating mold, he failed to capitalize on his discovery. It was in 1938, that two Oxford University scientists, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, found ways to produce penicillin. In 1942, they showed that penicillin could be used for treating infections. For this they won the Nobel Prize.

Vaccinations, blood typing, contact lenses, the pill, and minimally invasive surgery have changed the way we think about medicine. Body scanners have allowed us to look at the minutest structures of our anatomy.

In 1963, Alan Cormack, a South African physicist working at Tufts University, demonstrated a crude prototype of computerized tomographic (CT) scanner. But it was England’s Godfrey Hounsfield, an engineer at the music company, EMI, realized he could get an image of a slice inside an object by sending x-ray beams through it from a variety of angles.

In 1979, Commack and Hounsfield shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for the invention of CT scan.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is currently the most talked about and sought after modern day invention. CT scan is based on exposure to radiation. It cannot make images of the inside of bones. But MRI reconstructs images from data generated by protons inside the nuclei of hydrogen atoms. It can get details within the bones themselves. That is why it is so exciting!

These are just few examples out of the hundreds of inventions and discoveries of this millennium. It is wonderful to think what human minds and hands can do. We know more exciting times are ahead of us. It will be fun to be part of the new millennium!

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Peanut Allergy

Sharon and Kevin Pudwell are worried parents. Their three-year-old daughter Janessa has had eczema since she was four months old. Since then Janessa has had blood tests which show allergy to all the main food groups.

The Pudwells are worried that when Janessa goes to public school system next year, she will be exposed to food that she is allergic to. They feel that there is limited awareness to allergic problems in children in the school system.

Sharon is also worried that in an emergency situation, not many people in the health profession and others know how to use auto-injection Epi-Pen (epinephrine).

A recent news item in this paper heightens this anxiety: Allergic girl misses bus. A photograph shows Lori-Ann Wilburn drives her daughter Allison, 6, to St. Michael’s School each day from Redcliff with her Epi-Pen kit because Tot-Em Transportation has refused to drive her to school due to her severe peanut butter allergy.

A survey report in The Medical Post says: Primary care physicians are not well prepared to instruct patients about the auto-injector system as an emergency treatment for anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis means severe allergic reaction that can be rapid and deadly.

Administering one dose of epinephrine in a preloaded syringe auto-injector (EpiPen) is felt to be the best method of treating accidental exposure to an allergen. It is a lifesaver.

Dr. Masoud Grouhi, an immunologist, allergist and pediatrician in Toronto who did the survey, says he is disappointed by the findings. Those prescribing EpiPen should be certain they know how to explain its use properly as it is quite often used in a “panic situation”.

Sharon belongs to Anaphylactic Network of Canada. But there is no local chapter. Sharon has tried to start a support group in Medicine Hat but the response has been very poor. Sharon feels that children with food allergies (e.g. peanuts) should carry EpiPen in their pocket. They should know how it works. She wants parents to be aware of this.

Canadian School Boards Association in conjunction with Health Canada has a booklet called: ANAPHYLAXIS: A Handbook for School Boards. The book deals with different aspects of anaphylaxis. It says that a growing number of school boards across the country are developing policies to help principals, teachers and the school community protect anaphylactic children.

The book says in 1994, a student on a field trip to Algonquin Park in Ontario died from trace amounts of peanut butter, which had been transferred to a jam jar. A child attending camp in Montreal died after eating a cheese sandwich that had been packed in the same bag with a peanut butter sandwich.

Dr. Dave Beresh, Superitendant of Medicine Hat School District No. 76 says that the Board has no specific policy on dealing with food allergies. This is left to the individual schools to establish “Best Practices”. The Board has policy E-32 (Medical Treatments for Students) which addresses the subject of allergies in a minute e way.

But the Ontario Allergy Society suggests that schools should develop a system of identifying children with life threatening allergies in order to prevent anaphylaxis.

The pamphlet says that children should have their own epinephrine auto- injector device labeled by name and expiry date.

Avoidance of specific allergen is the cornerstone of management in preventing anaphylaxis. If you are interested in joining a support group for severe food allergies then Sharon Pudwell is waiting for your call (527-0997). Please call her today.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Stress

What are we doing to ourselves?

A recent newspaper headline said: “Workaholic Canadians battle time stress. We’re working harder, enjoying ourselves less.”

Statistics Canada surveyed 11,000 Canadians and found people were more stressed for time last year than they were six years earlier.

Men and women aged 25 to 44 struggle most to balance paid work, unpaid work and personal life. But only 25 percent in this age group plan to slow down in the coming year. Are you one of them?

One way to beat stress is to take part in leisure activities on a regular basis. But how many of us have time for that. Not too many. For example, only 30 percent of small-business owners surveyed took time off for leisure activities, according to data compiled by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and American Express. Are you one of them?

Do you feel trapped in the rat race? You are not alone. Five million Canadians in the age group 25 to 44 and 40 percent of Canadians aged 15 to 24 feel trapped in the daily routine. It is a rat race. Lily Tomlin once said, “Even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat!” Is that how you feel?

Statscan’s survey shows that relief from stress comes with age. Time-related stress virtually disappears among the oldest age groups. Only 14 percent of women aged 55 to 64 reported high stress levels in 1998. Over the age of 65, time-related stress almost disappears. Some of my senior patients tell me that they have more time than money.

But do they have enough of good health?

Most illnesses like heart disease and cancer start to creep into our life as we cross 50. For example Canadian Heart Health Surveys (1986-1992) recently reported that 52 percent of Canadians 55 to 74 have high blood pressure, and 30 percent have a high cholesterol level.

Overall, 87 percent of men and 78 percent of women in this age group who are current smokers smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day. Only slightly more than 50 per cent exercised at least once a week for at leas 15 minutes. Only 4 percent have no major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That’s scary!

The good news is most of the risk factors can be changed to create a positive impact on our health. But we need to find time to see our doctor, do more exercise, plan our diet, and quit smoking.

It all boils down to time. Time for ourselves, our family, our health, our work, and time for healthy recreation. But how can we win the “struggle to juggle” for time if we have to meet deadlines, beat the competition, be one step ahead of everybody, and be the best in what we do?

Stress is part our life. It is not going to go away. What matters is how we deal with it.

Are you time stressed? How do you juggle your time? Does it work for you? If you like to share your ideas with the readers of this column then send them to me via e-mail or mail to 821A – 5th Street, S.W., Medicine Hat, T1A 4H7. New ideas and the ideas that will work for the next millennium!

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!