It’s that
time of the year where you haven’t really got over with the spirits of Eidul
Fitr, one of my two favourite occasions- the other being my Birthday, and
waiting for the grand Eid to strike; Eidul Adha, that is. The latter is known
mainly for the food that is practically eaten thrice a day. So it’s, indeed, a
MEATY affair, as the only item on the menu is MEAT!
Meat, as we
studied back in our biology class, consumed more than required is hazardous to
one’s health. Well, so is protein and carbohydrate. So, why is meat the only
macro nutrient that is the much talked about?
This article
is not based on to what amount meat should be consumed or which meat of the
two; the red or the white meat, is good for one’s health but it is basically a
warning for everyone to restrict on your meat consumption during the
festivities so that you can enjoy eating just about anything and not turn up at
the dental clinic right after the holidays.
Here is a
relatable story. You go in a ‘dawat’(a gathering), a grand feast is presented
before you and you can’t really help but start hogging on it until you realize that
a small piece of it has stuck between your teeth. If the teeth happens to be
the ones in the anterior then this small mishap really doesn’t stop you from
indulging in the delicious saucy meat. But, if the calamity has struck your
posterior teeth then your tongue will act as a natural cleanser in your mouth
and try to floss subliminally.
Tongue,
toothpick and finally floss or whatever comes in hand that is sharp yet
slender, is the tool you’d like to grab to banish the villain that’s coming in
your way from enjoying the most amazing meal you had in ages! But your arch
nemesis won’t go away easily. So you leave it where it is and retire to bed.
The first thing you notice when you wake up is the swollen area around the
teeth where the small meat was stuck. That area is basically numb (not entirely
anesthetized) yet tender. Immediately, not realizing what time it is, you call
your dentist, asking for a medication that can curb away the pain.
The most
painful condition associated with oral cavity, after dental pain, is the pain
of gingiva. The more the gingiva is aggressively handled, the more relax you
feel. Yes, blanching gingiva stops the blood supply, which, in turn, halts the
painful stimuli reaching the affected site. So, let us look at the regime that can
act as an analgesic.
The infamous
clove or clove oil gives a soothing effect to the gingiva while the tannin
present in tea leaves, too, seems to work by temporarily stopping the blood
supply. Tea leaves from the
Camellia sinensis plant, such as black, green and oolong tea, contain a variety
of compounds like minerals, vitamins and caffeine. What is very often referred
to as tea tannins are in actuality called polyphenols. Polyphenols, which
include flavonoids, give tea a boost of health benefits that help to prevent
cancer, heart disease and stroke.
So what exactly
are polyphenols? Basically, they are natural chemical based compounds found in
tea leaves that have antioxidant qualities. These antioxidants help prevent
damage to the cells in our bodies and strengthen our immune system. A subgroup
of polyphenols in tea is called catechins and one of the most powerful
catechins in tea, especially green tea, is called EGCG (epigallocatechin
gallate) which is said to be a particularly strong antioxidant. Because green
tea goes through a minimal fermentation process, and white tea goes through
none at all, these two have the highest amounts of antioxidants.
Other natural
pain relievers are the amino acid, tryptophan (found in avocados,
bananas, grapefruit, nuts, seeds, papayas, peaches, and tomatoes) encourages
production of the calming neurotransmitter, serotonin. Particularly beneficial
foods for pain include broccoli, cauliflower, winter squashes, sesame and flax
seeds. Strawberries contain natural salicylates, and are cooling and
anti-inflammatory. Enzymes, present in unheated foods, reduce inflammation,
which is often a factor in pain.
The natural pain relievers among herbs are the Cayenne pepper which stimulates endorphin production and is an anti-inflammatory agent. Topically it is used diluted in salves, as it blocks transmission of substance P, which transports pain messages to brain.
Corydalis root, a relative of Poppy helps relieve pain from traumatic injury. Corydalis binds with opium receptors in the body and slows down the breakdown of choline. It is analgesic, antispasmodic and sedative.
Cramp Bark is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and sedative. It can calm menstrual cramps, rheumatism and spasms of legs and lower back.
Feverfew herb inhibits certain inflammatory type hormones known as prostaglandins and prevents blood platelet aggregation (clumping together). Used on a regular basis it helps prevent migraines, relieve arthritis and menstrual cramps. Feverfew is anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.
Ginger root is warming and improves circulation. It can improve the pain of arthritis, backache, and menstrual cramps. Chew a piece of fresh root for sore throat. Ginger is analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
Hops strobiles, a relative of Marijuana, are sedating to the nervous system. They calm cramps, insomnia, restlessness, stomachache and stress. Hops are an anodyne, antispasmodic, and sedative.
Kava kava root, enjoyed by many tropical island natives is a skeletal and muscle relaxant. It improves anxiety, cramps, gout, insomnia, neuralgia, pain and rheumatism. It is an analgesic, antispasmodic, and sedative.
Passionflower, doesn’t make you more passionate, but slows the breakdown of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Try it for cramps, headache, insomnia, muscle spasms, neuralgia, shingles and stress. It is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and sedative.
So, next time, when you get a call from your patient, you can advise these natural pain relievers instead of the medications like paracetamol or aspirin, which, in the long run, has addictive effect, not to mention, are not safe for one’s body.
Hope these remedies help you guys !
No comments:
Post a Comment