Surviving Summer: Essential Tips for Senior Citizens

Surviving Summer: Essential Tips for Senior Citizens

By: Professor Upendra Kaul The Summer is with us, the day temperatures in the valley soar up to 35 degrees Celsius. Mornings and late evenings are however cooler. This year it has been the hottest June in 18 years according to the meteorological department. The Jammu region of our UT, gets the full summer of north India with temperatures close to 42 degrees and sometimes even more. Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to its adverse effects. The modern houses in the valley are made with winter in mind, with poor…

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Preventing Heatstroke: Do’s and Don’ts when using an Air Conditioner

Preventing Heatstroke: Do's and Don'ts when using an Air Conditioner

Air conditioners create a barrier between the outdoor heat and the conditioned indoor space, which prevents the accumulation of heat within the living or working environment, reducing the strain on the body and minimising the risk of overheating. They provide a controlled indoor environment with lower temperatures, which helps prevent excessive heat buildup and they help maintain a comfortable and safe temperature range, especially in areas where extreme heat prevails. However, it is important to use them responsibly and consider energy efficiency by setting the temperature at a moderate level…

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Night owls at risk for early death, but sleep is not the only factor

Night owls at risk for early death, but sleep is not the only factor

People who prefer to go to bed and get up later — a sleep chronotype known as being a night owl — may die early from bad habits they develop when they stay up late, according to a new study. “The increased risk of mortality associated with being a clearly ‘evening’ person appears to be mainly accounted for by a larger consumption of tobacco and alcohol. This is compared to those who are clearly ‘morning’ persons,” said study first author Christer Hublin, a researcher from the Finnish Institute of Occupational…

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Hidden Dangers of Tetra Pack Packaging: Concealed Contaminants and Health Hazards

Hidden Dangers of Tetra Pack Packaging: Concealed Contaminants and Health Hazards

Transparent Packaging: Safeguarding Consumer Health and Promoting Sustainability By: Javid Amin Tetra Pack, a widely used packaging material for various food and beverage products, has become a common sight in households and stores worldwide. However, concerns are mounting over the potential health hazards associated with Tetra Pack when it comes to packaging juices, especially for children who consume these beverages without understanding the contents. This has sparked the need to explore alternative packaging solutions that offer transparency and better visibility to consumers. In addition to the aforementioned concerns, Tetra Pack…

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Exploring the stages of the Anxious / Avoidant Trap in Relationships

Exploring the stages of the Anxious / Avoidant Trap in Relationships

From early phase to the healing stage, here are a few ways by which the anxious/avoidant trap works in a relationship. This is the non-win trap between a partner who is seeking connections, and a partner that is running away from growing real connections. This anxious/avoidant trap can be extremely draining for the partners. “Let’s dive into the dreaded Anxious/Avoidant trap. Buckle up because we’re about to unravel the phases of this rollercoaster ride! Some statistics I’ve read said that as many as 80% of couples mirror this dynamic. Wow!…

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Muttahida Majlis-E-Ulama expresses concern over Maulana Rehmatullah’s summons

Muttahida Majlis-E-Ulama expresses concern over Maulana Rehmatullah's summons

Muttahida Majlis -e-Ulama Jammu and Kashmir (MMU) Wednesday expressed serious concern over the summoning of its president and leading Islamic scholar Maulana Rehmatullah Mir Qasmi by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and termed it extremely sad. In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the MMU said that Maulana Rehmatullah is not only a renowned Islamic scholar but also a sincere preacher of Islam, who has dedicated himself for religious, educational and reformative services towards the society. MMU said that such actions are causing anxiety and anger among…

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Health Department in action to minimize queue time in hospitals

Health Department in action to minimize queue time in hospitals

Amidst low utilisation of digital registration facilities at hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir, the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department today issued orders to Medical Superintendents to ensure effective implementation of Scan and Share facility in their respective institutions and ensure ‘queue-less’ OPD registration. After highlighted the plight of patients seeking OPD registration at SMHS Hospital, J&K’s largest General Specialty Hospital, the H&ME Department issued an order for implementation of a Scan and Pull facility for generation of OPD tokens. The Medical Superintendents of these hospitals have been directed to…

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Fatal Accident: Car plunges into gorge in Doda, Claims 4 Lives

Fatal Accident: Car plunges into gorge in Doda, Claims 4 Lives

Four persons were killed and another injured after their car plunged into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district late on Monday, police said. Doda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abdul Qayoom said, “This evening an accident took place on Batote-Doda national highway near Ragi Nallah (a rivulet) in which a private Swift Desire car rolled 200 metres down into the Nallah. Four persons died on the spot and a fifth was injured.” The injured was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, said the SSP. Qayoom said the…

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Sitting to Urinate: A Potential solution for easing Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS)

Sitting to urinate is associated with an improved urodynamic profile in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and other prostate problems, a recent study published in PLOS ONE has found. Ype de Jong, MD, PhD, and fellow urologists at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands conducted a meta-analysis to better understand the effects of voiding posture on urodynamic parameters such as being able to urinate faster and with greater force, and leaving behind less urine in their bladders. They looked at a total of 11 studies gathered…

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Unveiling Common Allergens in Kashmir: Grass Pollen, Pine Tree Pollen, and House Dust among allergies faced by locals

Unveiling Common Allergens in Kashmir: Grass Pollen, Pine Tree Pollen, and House Dust among allergies faced by locals

As spring arrives and progresses, Kashmir, which has more than half of its land area covered with trees and forests, witnesses a sharp increase in allergies. Doctors and experts from other fields caution against ‘myths’ and list out steps that could help reduce the afflictions. With the fluff from poplar trees floating around in most parts of Kashmir, and with a simultaneous increase in the number of people complaining of allergies and exacerbation of Asthma, KIF delved into the possible causes and redress. Result of 17,000 Allergy Tests Department of Immunology…

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