ORGANS IN THE BODY - II

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM : The digestive system in our body consists of the mouth, the food pipe called as the esophagus, duodenum or the small stomach, stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine. Food when we eat starts getting digested in our mouth. This is the reason one must eat slowly so that the food particles are ground well making it easy for digestion. The food passes through the food pipe into the deodenum and then the stomach. Stomach is the main part which digests the food. The muscles of the stomach grind the food thoroughly. Liver supplies the stomach with the necessary enzymes and dfigestive juices that are necessary in breaking down the food particles. If the food eaten is too hot or spicy or fried then it puts the stomach into a lot of burden and the walls on the stomach get damaged causing blisters. This is the ulceration condition of the stomach. The food then passes into the small intestine where the digestion process continues through the long tube it is. The large intestine is the place where the excreta of the food are stored which is then excreted through the anus.

The digestive system is the place which is exposed to the external particles like the food and therefore more prone to getting damaged. Therefore one must consume food carefully and in moderation so as not to put too much burden on the digestive system. The food consumed must be clean, free from chemicals, dirt, insects and other impurities. The vegetables and grains must be cleaned thoroughly. Hands must be washed before having food. One must also not let the stomach be empty for a long time because the enzymes & acids which come into the stomach to digest food will go unutilized and therefore can cause ulceration in the stomach or in the intestines. Indigestion must be address carefully with food supplements. It is necessary to have a smooth bowel movement everyday in order to remain healthy and not cause constipation. Adequate fibre intake must be taken to ensure smooth bowel movement and also to reduce cholestrol.

BRAIN : Brain is the important organ in our body which is responsible for our actions, memory and reaction. It is well enclosed inside the skull in our head and is protected well. The neck is an important part which carries the blood vessels and nerves to and fro from our brain to the rest of our body.

SENSE ORGANS : Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue and Skin are organs which help us to enjoy the world. Except for eyes and skin, rarely do these organs give trouble to us.

OTHER IMPORTANT ORGANS : There are nerves in our body which are carriers of impulses from every corner of the body to the brain and back. Then there are the blood vessels which are the carriers of nutrition. Bones in the body act as frames to our body and help us to support the body other than helping us to walk,run and sit. With ageing, bones get deficient in Calcium and develop something called as osteoporosis, which give pain in the joints. There are muscles in the various parts of the body, which perform various functions.

ORGANS IN OUR BODY

Let us look at the functions of the various organs in our body. It is a wonder that God had made each organ in our body for its specific function and the concerned organ performs that task throughout the life without asking for anything in return. The least we can do therefore is not to abuse these organs. We abuse these organs by the intake of too much of junk and fried foods. Even if they are abused each of these organ tries to adjust as much as possible and works till its last.

HEART : Heart is one of the most important organs in our body. It does the job of a motor pump. Its function is to pump the blood throughout the body. The blood is the conveyor of energy and nutrition to the various organs in the body and therefore is vital. Heart pumps this blood through the arteries that supply pure blood to the various parts and impure blood is brought from various parts of the body to the heart through the veins. The heart is the size of one’s fist present slightly to the left side of our chest. The arteries, after they start from the heart, branch out in several smaller strands to reach every nook and corner of the body. The heart has four chambers two on the left and two on the right. Two chambers are for impure blood and two are for the pure blood. The heart also gets the blood from these arteries.

The main problems connected with the heart are; holes in the valves between the chambers and thickening of the arteries due to the deposition of fat tissues on the arterial walls which are actually cholestrol deposition. The latter is more common and this is what we shall address in this column that can cause heart attacks. The heart can maintain blood flow even when the artery is blocked to 70% without any trouble. If the blockage is more than 70% then some individuals feel what is known as Angina or commonly known as chest pains. If this blockage is allowed to worsen with unrestricted intake of fat ( cholestrol & triglycerides ) then it may lead to heart attack with blood clot taking place in the constricted area of the arteries. This will stop the flow of blood to the heart and cause the deficient area to die. This may prove fatal.

Symptoms : When one gets the angina or chest pain in the left side of the chest with pain radiating to the shoulders and arms along with palpitation, sweating, and shortness of breath then one needs to consult the doctor. An ECG ( Electro Cardiogram ) will reveal whether there has been a heart attack.

MEDICAL SERVICES SCENARIO

In India particularly Medical Service is somewhat inadequate to cater to the needs of the ailing public. Government Hospitals in India are badly maintained and the quality of medical service offered are mediocre. Private Medical Clinics and Hospitals are too costly and are beyond the reach of the common man. For a patient consulting a doctor today there is his consultancy charges, diagnostic referrals and testing charges, the cost of several visits to the doctors that are a great burden. A person who does not have the medical benefit facilities provided by his employer or who is not covered by any medical insurance cannot meet the medical costs for himself and his family. The clinics and the hospitals treat the patient as a mechanical device and more often do not aim to identify the causes of the disease but to meet their marketing targets. They divulge little or no information about the patient's condition which he is entitiled to know. With the advent of multi-speciality hospitals nowadays, there are not many General Practitioner's clinic available in the neighbourhood and the concept of family physician of yesteryears has vanished. Your heart speciallist will not handle your queries regarding your stomach problems and instead refer you to a gastroentrologist. This gastroentrologist will not listen to you unless you come to him again with your endoscopy and abdominal scan reports. Similarly for a complaint on nect pain you are referred to an ortho and for a headache you are referred to a neuro.


With all these, your symptoms continue with more drain on your financial resources, not to speak of your mental agony. You are finally left to fend for yourselves, pcik up tips from here and there, become your own doctor and cure yourself.


This blog therefore invites your comments. You can also air your symptoms and experiences so that fellow readers can learn and share their opinions. This may aid in finding a solution to illness. But at the same time one must note that the opinions given may not be expert advices and are only a pointer to one to take steps to cure oneself.

TIPS FOR GOOD HEALTH

1. Think positive always because it is all in the mind.

2. Maintain a good diet. Good diet must include lot of green vegetables. Reduce oil in your food to the bare minimum. Avoid fried food and fat intake.

3. Exercise regularly. Go for at least 45 minutes of walk every day. Walk to the nearby shops and do not take your two-wheeler. Do house chores like dusting, cooking, dishwashing, cleaning etc. whenever it is possible.

4. Maintain a clean surrounding and prevent your neighbours from littering your neighbourhood.

5. Think well of others. As you sow you reap.

6. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohols. Keep coffee and tea to the minimum.

7. Avoid outside and hotel foods as much as possible.

8. Know the nutrients in your food. This will help you to adjust your food accordingly.

9. Practise breathing exercises and yoga. It will help to keep calm and avoid stress.

10.Have adequate sleep as per your body's requirement. This will rest your nerves and keep it fresh.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

In todays frenetic pace of life one tends to neglect one's body in preference to earning money. This is particularly true of youngsters. One must listen to one's body speaking to them. In a stressful environment such as ours, one must learn to listen to one's body very early, soon after one reaches his/her twenties.



Watch out for more of such insights in this blog.