#askadoctor

I heard there was a pandemic going around! So I’d thought I’d share some helpful tips as a plague expert! 

1. Balance Humors 

2. Wear Dead Frod 

3. Get Stylish Mask

Body-shaping surgeries can remove fat or excess skin, tighten skin and help re-contour the body.

“There are two basic reasons you might consider surgery — after massive weight loss to remove extra skin for symptoms, such as rashes, or to achieve the body shape you want by targeting specific areas.”

In both cases, it may take more than one procedure to achieve the result you’re looking for. And, the procedures are often done in stages.

You may think you need a tummy tuck. But to get the body shape you want, you might need a panniculectomy (skin and tissue removal below the belly button) as well, or liposuction in another area to keep everything in proportion, Dr. Isakov says.

So, considering the different goals you may have for your body, what would you need to get the results you want?

I want to reshape my…

Stomach or waist

A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a more cosmetic operation; it’s ideal to getting the body shape you want. It will remove excess fat and skin from your abdomen. The muscle repositioning also helps some people tighten stretched abdominal muscles.

The surgeon may extend the incision to get rid of excess skin from the back (circumferential abdominoplasty), which is needed more often after massive weight loss.

A panniculectomy (skin and tissue removal of the hanging skin only) is more reconstructive. Liposuction can be used alone or in combination to keep everything in proportion, Dr. Isakov says. It can remove excess fat in the thigh or other areas so stomach contours match the upper and lower body.

Buttocks, hips or thighs

Liposuction is the main procedure you need if you want to remove fat from the buttocks, hips or thighs. However, it doesn’t take care of excess skin in the buttocks or thighs.

A buttock lift  will remove both fat and skin, but a thigh lift focuses primarily on tightening the tissue and skin in the outer, inner or front thigh areas. You may need liposuction and a thigh lift if that’s the area you want to address.

Arms

An arm lift  removes excess skin and reshapes the upper part of the arm. As with the thigh lift, you may need liposuction as well.

Overall body

A body lift can help remove overall excess skin, fat and may improve cellulitis  — especially after losing more than 100 pounds. This procedure helps reshape the upper or lower body. This often requires several surgeries performed in stages over time.

An upper lift focuses on the breasts, arms  and back. A lower body lift treats the stomach, buttocks, hips and thighs. A body lift also can treat your face and chin. It may require liposuction as well.

Spinal stenosis is basically narrowing of the spaces in the spine. It can be seen anywhere from the upper/middle or lower back. The causes can be various i.e. bony overgrowth, disk displacement, injuries to the spine, arthritis of the spine as well as tumors, etc. You should Ask A Spine Surgeon or a Neurosurgeon for further diagnosis as well as management of spinal stenosis.

Treatment

Treatment is mainly of two types, Non-surgical and surgical.

Non-surgical comprises of round the clock painkillers, muscle relaxants, steroid shots as well as physiotherapy. 

Surgical treatment is considered when the desired level of relief is not achieved by the non-surgical methods, or the daily life quality is not improving despite having non-surgical treatment.

Surgery is basically of three types: 1. Decompression procedure – In this procedure, fine needle-like instruments are used under imaging guidance to release the pressure on the entrapped nerve roots, widening of spinal canal process and/ removal of thickened ligaments on the back of the affected spine.

2. Anterior cervical Discectomy or ACD- Here, the surgeon mainly removes the damaged disc (i.e. Discectomy) in the neck (cervical region) from the front (anterior) of the neck along with the fusion of the spine (stabilization) or a disc replacement.

3.  Complete/partial removal of the bone and herniated disc material and fusion of the spine. 

The decision to choose the right procedure is largely dependent on the affected area, the severity of the spinal stenosis as well as the operating Neurosurgeon/Spine-surgeon.

Aftercare Recovery period immediately after surgery is again a variable entity (depending on the type, duration of the surgery, overall health condition of the individual prior and during the surgery, pain threshold and several others ). However, generally, 4-6 weeks of a time period is necessary to return to normal daily activities. With good pain relief, minimally invasive surgical procedures this time period is also improving quite rapidly. Along with this routine back care, physiotherapy under the proper supervision of the physiotherapist is also necessary for long-term recovery and wellbeing.

Our skin is the biggest organ of our body. Urticaria, also called, hives, are raised blotches of reddened skin (wheals) causing severe itching from an allergic reaction to an external factor. These swellings appear like rashes on the skin and are extremely itchy. They can appear anywhere on the body in batches, on the face, the extremities, the torso, back or pelvic area.

 Causes of Urticaria

 The reason why urticaria occurs is not clearly defined. There are many trigger factors like medication, certain foods, bacterial or viral infections, intestinal parasites, pet dander, insects, pollen, chemicals, exercise, emotional stress, water or even sunlight. Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist says “Hives usually are caused by other things besides infection, although it could be from a virus. It could be from an allergen, or some sort of an allergy that you have. It could be from a hormonal change. And it even could be emotional in some situations.”

 Types of Urticaria

 There are mainly two types of hives:

 Acute Urticaria: is when recurrent episodes of hives last for a few days to a maximum of six weeks. For most of them, it doesn’t last any more than 24 hours.

 Chronic Urticaria: is when intermittent and recurrent hives episodes last for a duration of a year to about five years. It may last longer for some people.

 Treatment for Urticaria

 Acute hives is treated primarily by avoiding the trigger (the allergen leading to the episode of hives). It is then managed with antihistamines to be taken regularly for a few weeks. An allergy specialist doctor will prescribe two or three antihistamine combinations along with anti-itch balms for the itching to subside.

 Chronic hives, being a long term illness with complications, involves avoidance of factors that aggravate hives episodes along with treatment with non-sedating antihistamines, antibiotics, Omalizumab - a biologic antibody agent and topical soothing agents. Depending on the symptoms, a combination of these medicines are prescribed.

 Angioedema, that is similar to hives, is the rapid swelling of the mucosa underneath the skin, mostly on the face, throat, abdomen, limbs and genitals. This can be resolved through an immediate visit to an allergy specialist or an immunologist doctor who will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, anti-itch medication and sometimes corticosteroid drugs or immune modulators depending on the severity of the symptoms.

 Most cases of acute urticaria can be managed with a general physician consultation. If the allergy trigger is identified and avoided then the symptoms can be resolved. However, if the allergen cannot be identified, then one needs to either talk to an allergist and immunologist online or consult an allergy specialist doctor face-to-face. In the same manner, if symptoms persists despite avoiding the allergy trigger or if the medicine continues to be ineffective, it surely warrants a talk with an immunologist or allergist.

 Remedial Measures to Follow When Diagnosed with Urticaria

 Avoid emotional stress

Wear loose clothing and light-weight clothing

Control or avoid alcohol intake

Avoid caffeine intake

Choose mild soaps, lotions and creams for sensitive skin

Avoid medication that triggers hives

Use mild detergents

Cool the skin with cold compresses

Avoid foods that trigger histamine production

Fermented foods

Eggplant

Processed meats

Aged cheese

Citrus fruits

Spinach

Fish

Tomato

Peanuts, walnuts and cashew nuts

Food dyes

Artificial flavors and additives