Maternal Mental Health Month

A mental illness is an illness or disorder that emotionally drains a person or prevents a person from participating in everyday affairs “normally”. The most vulnerable and crucial time for a mother is when she is pregnant and the first few weeks after giving birth to a child, both physically and mentally. We, as a society, often overlook or overestimate our women’s self-esteem and mental tolerance- blame the patriarchy. May is a month where we focus on the mental health of women during prenatal and postpartum periods and spread awareness and provide support for the same. 

Reportedly, one out of seven women experiences depression during their pregnancy and also following the birth of a child. A study by the University of Essex stated that due to the spike in COVID-19 cases followed by the worldwide lock down, there has been an increase in depression in expectant mothers. The study reported a jump from 17% to 47% depression and 37% to 60% anxiety in mothers bearing children. 

It is common for women to experience a feeling of sadness and moodiness that involves crying, irritability, anxiety and restlessness after giving birth. This is known as “Baby Blues”. These symptoms are common and may not need any psychological treatment, but when these feelings of sadness and anxiety escalate and hinder a woman from performing everyday tasks, then one needs to get psychological help before it gets any worse. 

A 33-year-old healthy mother in Delhi almost committed suicide after three months of giving birth to a boy. She recalls asking her family to help her, but they merely blamed her hormones. Only when her emotions escalated and became out of control that she tried to end her life. Her husband took her seriously and sought mental help from a therapist. The reason for the spike in depression and anxiety among pregnant women is social distancing. Perinatal mothers are more isolated from the world, their parents, and friends, who are in great need during this vulnerable period. They suffer from fear about their pregnancy, especially new mothers with no one to reassure or guide them. Another reason is financial issues. Many went unemployed or had their salaries cut in half during the lock down. Families expecting a child had to face many difficulties involving treatment money for the expectant mother as well as those who had just given birth, adding to their depression and anxiety level. 

Mothers feel isolated from their new born baby if they are facing mental illness, which can play a major role in the child’s growth. Studies show that children with mentally unstable mothers are likely to be victims of bullying in schools, perform poorly academically or develop a mental illness.

Depression is very common in pregnant or postnatal women. The following are the symptoms of women suffering from depression or likely to suffer from one:

• extreme sadness

• Irritability

• Uncertainty about the future

• Forgetfulness

• Difficulty in concentrating

• Self-harm

• Sleeplessness

• Extreme Tiredness

Anxiety disorder is another common mental disorder faced by pregnant and postnatal women. The following are the symptoms one needs to consider to help a mother or help yourself:

• Panic

• Nervousness

• Irritability

• Fear of being alone

• Sleeping problems 

• Extreme sweating

• body aches

• Increased pulse

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is recurrent during the perinatal period, which can get to its worst forms like suicide or self-harm if not treated within time. The following are the symptoms:

• Washing hands more often than usual

• Storing things excessively

• Rechecking things

• Repeating phrases

• Overthinking

What can we do to help pregnant women or new mothers fight mental illness?

1.Encourage them to join support groups. Pregnant and new mothers can use support groups to meet other women in similar situations and talk about the issues they are dealing with.

2.Be a good listener. Listen to their problems instead of just giving sheer advice. Understand her problems before you impose your unsolicited advice. Recognize the factors that are causing her stress and, if necessary, make suggestions.

3.Give Clarification. Let her know she is not alone. The prenatal and postpartum periods are the most vulnerable periods for a woman. She is likely to feel lonelier than ever. Just being there for her and letting her know that she has someone to rely on can be a great help.

4. Help her find a counselor if needed and be there for her during counselling. This can help her release her stress.

What can pregnant and new mothers do? 

1. Remember, every mother goes through the same situation, and you are not alone in the process. Join support groups where you can meet women in familiar situations and where you can share your distress or experiences.

2. Talk to someone you trust. This person can be your partner, parent, friend, or therapist. This may be hard initially, but it will give you some relief and you might feel better knowing you have people to rely on.

3. Do some self-care. Eat good, nutritious meals and go for a short walk. Do the things you love and that will make you feel better.

4. Sleeping is mandatory when you are in a vulnerable state. So, make sure to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep. Ask someone to care for your new-born baby when you sleep. You can hire a nanny or ask someone in your family or friend circle to help you.

The problem of mental health of women is multidimensional and complex. It is estimated that 10–35% of women around the world, including India, suffer from depression during pregnancy and postpartum. Even in the past, the issue of maternal mental health was barely addressed by public and private healthcare providers. However, in a crisis situation similar to the present pandemic, it is necessary that health facilities give attention to pregnant and recently delivered women for possible symptoms of depression. Detecting and treating depression in the beginning could prevent detrimental long-term effects on maternal and infant health. Pregnant and recently delivered women  should be provided with appropriate information as well as counseling, to reduce stress.They must also be supported by their partners and the community and encouraged to exercise and remain active for their mental health.It is also the government's responsibility to ensure their well-being and make the necessary effort to minimize the uncertainty that is the major cause of depression.

Writer- Upasana Puri

Understanding Thyroid, Symptoms & Diet

If you were a diligent kid in your fifth grade, you might remember your teacher telling you about different types of vitamins and the diseases caused by the lack of consuming vitamins. I have faint memories of my teacher talking about diseases like, night blindness, Beri-Beri, anemia, scurvy!! Ring a bell? I can recall thyroid as well.

If not that, I can recall my grandma taking 125 mcg Thyronorm every day in the morning, like a ritual. I also heard one of my friends telling me this : “the doctor has asked me to put a check on my body weight because I have hypothyroid”. And then someone advised her to drink “Methi Dane ka paani” as home remedies to the rescue always.

Thyroid is a very common health problem across the globe. But not a lot of people know about it properly. It affects women more than men. As a fact, every one in eight women is exposed to the risk of having thyroid. So let us try to delve deeper to find out more about this and take one thing, each for ourselves from this.

The thyroid is an endocrine gland that sits in our necks and secretes its hormones directly into the bloodstream. It is situated on the lower side of the neck in front, below Adam’s apple to be precise. It secretes thyroxine (T4) predominantly, along with other hormones. These hormones affect body activities at large. They influence metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and brain development during formative years.

       

But why are they so common in women? That’s because women are more susceptible to frequent hormonal changes in them. Think about it! Every month in the year women face hormonal changes. Pregnancy and menopause are also major contributors. This interplay of several hormones and changing graph of the hormonal imbalance is one of the reasons why women are more likely to experience the symptoms of thyroid. Apart from this, one of the more reasons is that the autoimmune responses in a woman’s body are more common than in men. An autoimmune response is nothing but responding to various infections or diseases by our immune system. A woman’s body reacts more quickly to the changes around her.

Before we directly jump onto the solutions of it, let us understand the different types of conditions one can have if the thyroid is rebellious and their symptoms.

Different thyroid conditions

1.     Goitre: A very common swelling condition of the thyroid gland. The lack of iodine in the body is a predominant cause of why one can have this. The condition is a result of the enlarged thyroid gland that causes swelling in the neck region. The common symptoms are swelling across the neck region, tightness in the throat, difficulty in swallowing, and breathlessness.

 2.     Hyperthyroidism: When there is excessive thyroid hormone production in the body, it causes hyperthyroidism. The most common cause of the body secreting more hormones is Grave’s disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. It causes the gland to secrete more hormones to fight the diseases. The link is often genetic.  Symptoms include rapid weight loss due to increased metabolism, palpitations, increased appetite, sweating, frequent fatigue, and restlessness. Mood swings and irregular menstruation are also the symptoms.

 

3.     Hypothyroidism: Lack of adequate amount of thyroid hormone in the body causes hypothyroidism. Slow metabolism, weight gain, constipation, slow heart rate, and sluggishness are the common symptoms.

 4.     Thyroiditis: It is the condition that causes inflammation in the thyroid gland. Usually kicks off due to autoimmune disorder fighting against some virus or infection. Symptoms occur according to the degree of inflammation. It can range from having no symptoms to it being very painful. The symptoms include excess sweating, heat intolerance, or cold intolerance. The strength of thyroiditis is a symptom of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

 5.     Thyroid Cancer: The cancer of the thyroid may include a lot of factors, genetic or environmental. Cancer occurs generally in the cells of the thyroid. It can have no symptoms or also be aggressive depending upon the severity. It can be treated. Pain in the neck is a common symptom with enlarged or swollen lymph nodes.

 6.    Thyroid Nodule: This is the condition that is caused due to lumps in the thyroid gland. The lump can be solid or fluid-filled. It causes pain in the throat. Unless it is cancerous, there is no harm, and surgery can be done easily.

 Above all, the most common triggering factor can be stress and anxiety. Too much stress and anxiety can cause excessive release of the thyroid hormones or a lower level of it. Keep tracking your stress-mometer to stay healthy!

Till now, we have seen that all thyroid conditions have similar symptoms. All differ in only the amount of severity. Let us now talk about the diagnosis because one might skip observing the symptoms unless our reflexes are activated through pain. Moreover, the symptoms are quite similar to other health problems.

There are several diagnostic techniques to check the thyroid but the most common is a blood test. 

A blood test reveals basic information like the levels of T3 and T4 hormones in the body, enough to identify whether the gland is overstimulated or under-stimulated. It also reveals information about TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) which regulates the secretion of other thyroid hormones like T3 and T4. High TSH indicates hypothyroidism and low TSH indicates hyperthyroidism. The other tests include: -

·       Thyroid biopsy and tests to check thyroglobulin to check cancer in the gland

·       Thyroid scan in which a small amount of radioactive iodine is given through the mouth to get projected images of the gland

·       Thyroid ultrasound – to detect the abnormal areas of the gland by using sound waves through a probe placed on the neck

 

What Diet should one maintain to control the thyroid?

Very simple! Eat a balanced, nutritious diet, full of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, and remember to not cut down on carbs. Eat simple homemade food and you will be good to go.  A well-balanced diet will give you a well-balanced T4 in your body! Soaking fenugreek or coriander seeds in water at night and drinking the same after boiling it in the morning, will help in balancing the thyroid level as well!

But let me give you some foods that you can have during breaks, or whenever you are hungry in the middle of the day.

1.       Dry fruits and nuts – almond, walnut, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts

2.       Makhana

3.       Citrus fruits – Orange, Mosambi, Lemon

4.       Sweet potato

5.       Berries

6.       Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds

7.       Green tea

8.       Coconut

9.       Probiotic yogurt or ice cream

10.   Eggs – scrambled, boiled, or whichever way you like!

But one small piece of advice – avoid too many dairy products in your intake. Women especially are affected by too much milk production intake, which impacts the hormone level in their bodies. Caffeine is also not good for the thyroid and one suffering from any thyroid disorder should not consume it.

Hope you all now have a complete guide to the thyroid. Have a good meal and relax to calm your thyroid!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author: Jahnvi Bedia 

All photos credited and designed by Freepik and Unsplash

DRINK WATER, LIVE BETTER

70 percent of our body weight is made up of water only. This alone signifies the importance of water in our system. According to scientists, water is the second most essential substance to sustain life on any planet, only behind oxygen. Not only in respiration, digestion, excretion or any physical needs, but also a glass of water can help rejuvenate your brain after continuous stressful work. So, let’s dive into water and its importance in this article.

HOW MUCH WATER SHALL ONE DRINK IN A DAY?

Have you ever been told to drink eight glasses of water every day? It’s even believed that anything less than that is harmful to one’s body? But this is not true. One might need more than that water to go through the day, while the other might need lesser than that. It is completely dependent upon the work you do in your day-to-day life. Following activities lead to more consumption of water-

• Exercise- If you run or do physical activities like cardio or aerobics, your body might need; or crave, more water. Having an adequate amount of water not only keeps your muscles’ health in check, but also relieves you of your tiredness.

• Conditions like pregnancy- In a condition such as pregnancy, where the female body supports another life inside her, she might need more amounts of fluids to stay hydrated. This is the case when she breastfeeds her child as well.

• Facing health issues like diarrhea etc.- In cases of diarrhea or equivalent diseases where the body loses a lot of fluids in a short period of time, a person necessarily needs a lot more amount of water to replenish his or her health.

• Weather- The temperature and natural conditions outside may also decide the amount of water one drinks per day. On a hot and humid day when the body loses a lot of fluids through sweat, etc. he tends to drink more water as compared to regular days, whereas when the temperature is cooler things might be the reverse.

• Having a heavy meal- After having a heavy meal, generally one that consists of a lot of proteins, our body craves for a lot of water.

Having said all these, according to a research conducted by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate fluid intake on a daily basis for men is 3.7 liters, while the same for women is 2.7 liters.

IMPORTANCE OF DRINKING WATER-

• Water forms an essential component of our blood- Blood, the circulatory fluid in our body, consists of 90 percent of water by volume, including the plasma proteins, while the rest 10 percent are the corpuscles. Thus, water is essential for efficient transportation of oxygen from the lungs and nutrients to several parts of the body. It also collects the toxic wastes from the organs and helps in efficient disposal of such wastes. Having less water will inhibit the efficient supply of oxygen, which in turn results in conditions like cramps in our body muscles, even after not doing any strenuous exercises.

• Helps in digestion of food- Wondering how water helps in efficient digestion of food? Let’s find out. Water is an essential component of saliva and helps generate saliva. Saliva consists of an enzyme known as salivary amylase which breaks down solid food in mouths itself. 

• Acts as a thermoregulator of the system- Water controls the body temperature, hence acts as a thermoregulator. In hot temperatures our body loses water through sweat and gives us a cool feeling. If water is not replenished soon enough, as a reaction, our body temperature may even increase, due to losing essential electrolytes through dehydration.

• Helps improve concentration- Let’s discuss the mental aspects, regarding the importance of water. Having enough water is proven to improve concentration power, and leads to one being more attentive of the situation. Water even helps to brighten mood, for a short term.

• Helps lose weight, or makes the skin brighter- Although there’s no medical background of this statement, but still according to some studies drinking a lot of water, to go with dieting and exercises, necessarily helps to reduce weight. It also helps to improve skin health and make it better.

• Takes care of joints in our body- Water is pretty essential when it comes to lubricating the joints in our system. Having enough water daily, may even do away with old age symptoms of arthritis and several such joint related issues.

Thus, it is quite clear that water is very important for every part of our body. It not only takes care of our body physically but also mentally. It is known that we derive 20 percent of the required body fluids from the fruits and vegetables that we eat. The rest 80 percent is what one should take care of. It is to be noted here that carbonated drinks and such items if consumed on a daily basis in the place of water can cause more harm than good. Thus, one thing is for certain, that if you choose to live better, drink enough plain, simple water!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author Ranit Laha

All photos credited and designed by Freepik

Environment & Our Mood

 Let’s know the connection between the Environment and Our Mood

Environment

Ever since your childhood, almost everyone would have stressed the importance of a clean environment. By clean environment - they meant a tidy place. However, there is a lot more to know about the environment around you, it’s not just about tidying up.

Undoubtedly maintaining a neat and clean environment is the first and foremost of all. Unless and until you pay attention to the magical factors that we are about to discuss in this article - you are about to miss a boon that is just one step away from you.

Glide down, to get an idea of how the environment could impact your physical, social and psychological health.

Is your mood low- check what’s around you!

You are positive and energetic when you are at a particular place(say home/office). In short, say:

1. Balcony

2. Terrace

3. Cafeteria

4. Friend’s room

5. Play area

6. Gym

7. Temple

 Some of these places raise up your mood. Have you ever thought, why do you feel so - excitement may be one of the reasons. 

Remember- little but effective factors like

1. Color

2. House plants

3. Light

All these around you have an impact on your mood. 

Sometimes you might suddenly feel low without any reason, probably the color or light is playing that game with you.

Scroll down to check if you have experienced this before/give it a try if you haven’t experienced it before.

Colour and Light

Studies conducted in the real-life work environment, clearly show that 

the light and color of the workplace had an influence on the mood of people working there. 

Mood declines with bright and dark light whereas the right lighting and color improve mood. 

As per Times of India, 

1. Blue is a soothing color that lets you manage stress at ease.

2. The Green color allows you to calm down and stay refreshed.

3. The Pink color is apt to promote peace.

The London Image institute states,

1. Yellow gives a feeling of hope and happiness.

2. Purple gives a sense of creativity, fantasy, and royalty.

In reality, as you know every story has two sides- too much yellow could cause anxiety, agitation especially when people are already stressed.

Red is stimulating as well distracting. White is boring and uninteresting on the other hand Blue color had a drowsy and sleepy effect. It’s all backed by research. 

Now that you have an idea about colors and light. Next time be sure to “say no to the current trend and yes to psychological health”. Choose the paint colors wisely when you want to paint your house.

House plants/Indoor plants

House plants not only make your living space beautiful but they have a soothing effect on your moods. Have you ever noticed/felt it before? 

Imagine sitting in a hall with a houseplant after a long day would let you feel refreshed. You will have a feeling of ta-da finally "I could relax".

It’s proven that interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress. 

Benefits of Indoor plants

Add beauty to your interior design and also get these bonus benefits at an affordable price,

Indoor plants are

1. Therapeutic

2. As house plants reduce stress - it also improves productivity

3. Feel the refreshing air inside your house

4. Increases focus

5. Reduces fatigue

List of affordable house plants

1. Aloe vera

2. Pothos

3. Spider plant

4. Snake plant

5. Anthurium

Final thoughts

Hope this article gave you excellent science-based solutions - To lift your mood up without spending a lot on courses and counseling. Keep an eye on the color of paint and light going forward. Get rid of stress without stressing your pockets much. Start growing indoor plants to reap those remarkable benefits. Good moods go hand in hand with a good environment.

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author: Janani Chandrasekar 

All photos credited and designed by Pexels