FEVER- A SYSTEMIC FAVOUR

Amar Nath Mukherjee

                      Why do we have an occasional bout of fever?

Basically when our body is seized by micro-enemy forces like bacteria, viruses, etc. creating a patho-physiological condition in our body, our body’s immune response to a siege, is the elevation of the body temperature, which is effected by desensitizing the body’s temperature regulatory system of the hypothalamus. Also the cytokine is secreted to trigger the inflammatory response so as to be able to destroy the invading micro-organism in our body. The elevated temperature of the body significantly helps our immune system to annihilate the germs, bacteria, etc. On the flip side of the rise of body temperature to very high say more than 101^oF and above our other normal cells of the body are likely to be seriously impacted. Hence, in such case the temperature will have to be controlled by medicine when it exceeds more than 101^oF and above. Nevertheless the temperature should not also be kept at lower level so as not to make our immune system weak while fighting the enemy at lower body temperature.

In view of the above we can infer that the rise in body temperature during fever creates a condition in our body which is inimical to the survival of the disease causing microbes, thus the fever helps us to be aware that our body has been under siege by parasites, bacteria, and viruses. At the same time it also helps us to destroy the microbe by synergistically acting along with our immune system and medicine.

Now if we can extrapolate the similar condition during our day to day work out, what happens when we engage ourselves with aerobic or weight training activities. Our body temperature increase because during that period our cardiac out put of blood (CO) significantly increases. Consequent to higher heart rate, as a result of which the total peripheral resistance (TPR) of the blood vessels also increase.

But in this case our temperature regulatory mechanism (hypothalamus) is not disturbed as it happens in fever.

The rise in body temperature during our regular work out session helps to annihilate the accumulated germs, bacteria, virus that we continuously receive every day from our surroundings (but not active yet).

In the final analysis we find that those who regularly engage in exercise are substantially less prone to diseases. Every body wants to remain disease free and hence there is absolutely no other option, but to exercise regularly. 

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PHYSIOLOGICAL INSURANCE

Amar Nath Mukherjee

There is a wonderful slogan coined by the Life Insurance Company – “Stay prepared, when you can not predict”. Between the lines the slogan suggests that everybody is to keep financially prepared so that one can manage the difficult period, during one’s life time, in case of sudden demise of the near or dear one to mitigate the suffering sustained.

But buying the insurance policy one can not escape or evade the future uncertainty. In the same vein, it can be suggested that everybody should have physiological insurance also as nobody can predict how our health will behave in future. Medical science is very categorical in its observation that one can certainly reduce the risk factors which inevitably increase as we grow old from the possibility of various diseases like heart attack, cerebral stroke, arthritis, diabetes etc. Those risks can not be eliminated and in view of which Insurance Companies selling mediclaim policies decline to entertain aged persons.

Therefore the other affordable and wise option lies is getting Physiological Insurance at any age of one’s life. To elucidate the terms and conditions and the benefits accrue out of the said policy are given here as under:

The policy will continue on daily premium basis that is to say unlike other policies wherein the policy holder has the option of paying premium either monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually. Hence Physiological Insurance premiums have to be paid daily or at least five days in a week so that the policy does not lapse. However, as a premium one does not have to shell out money but only half an hour to forty five minutes of fitness activities like jogging or brisk walking preferably in the morning.

Now the dividend that one will derive out of keeping the policy alive is many. The first and foremost advantage that entails the fitness activities is the slowing down of the body’s ageing process. It can only be slowed down; nevertheless the gradual decline of our immune system can substantially be reduced if not arrested, with the increase of body’s fitness level, consequent to which our medical dependence will be significantly reduced. The risk factors of getting various ailments inevitably increase as we grow old. In spite of this, irrespective of our growing old the fitness activities will, to a large extent, keep our risk factors quite low.

Due to better physiological function of the body the pathogenic or any other autoimmune attack can not inflict significant damage on the body and hence the body will recover in shorter period of time with less amount of medical assistance.

By and large we inherit various traits from our parents, we also inherit various pathogenic syndrome as our genetic legacy which are genetically programmed so as to appear when we cross our midlife (i.e. about 40 – 45 years of age). Therefore, if we can maintain the slowing down of our ageing process, the occurrence of genetically acquired disorders will substantially be shifted to a higher age with lesser intensity if not an insignificant affection. Even if the person gets inflicted by any disease, the recovery will certainly be much faster than those who do not do any workouts; consequently the medical expenses will be quite low and not to forget, the agony and pain suffered during the disease period can not be reimbursed by mediclaim policies.

The other advantage that accrues out of regular workout is that our body’s immune system remains at a peak activity level as a result of which there is a lesser chance of getting multiple disorders simultaneously as it happens in the case of body’s very weak immune system.

Last but not the least, if we do not allow our physiological policy to lapse by regularly and religiously by paying the daily premiums as stated earlier our stress level (stress hormone) will be kept at a low level, which will also enable us to handle any stressful situation in our day to day activity and for our healthy body and mind, that is absolutely necessary for our peaceful living in this world.

Hence, I beseech each and every one of you irrespective of gender and age to buy a Physiological Insurance Policy forthwith otherwise it will be extremely difficult to live happily amid daily Tension, Pollution and Adulteration.

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SKELETON CAN NOT WALK

Amar Nath Mukherjee

Nor a dead person can move; Why? The reason being the dead person’s muscles become non-functional and the skeleton does not have any muscles. So in both the cases the body does not have the ability to move. Hence for all the body movement, our muscles activity is absolutely required.

Some of our muscles do not require bones for their movement like cardiac muscles, smooth muscles etc., whereas it is impossible for all bones to move without the help of muscles like hands, legs, head etc. Harder the movements, stronger the muscles you need. As such, a strong muscle with adequate muscle mass is indicative of a healthy body. Hence we can not afford to underestimate proper maintenance of our skeletal and other muscles. The main part played by our muscles is given here as under:

a) The skeletal muscles act as body’s shock absorbers, whereby all our joints, particularly our load bearing ones are protected from faster wear and tear. Athletes, sports persons during their games, fall number of times but their bones are protected from breaking by their strong muscles.
b) Well toned muscles maintain proper lubrication of our joints.

c) Well toned muscles maintain proper transportation of venous blood flow towards the heart.

d) Glucose is mainly stored in our liver and muscles as glycogen, as such well toned muscles will have a greater capacity to store glycogen for future energy needs of the body and if the stronger capacity is less due to weak muscles, the excess glycogen gets converted into fat layer and deposit over the muscles of the body.

e) Weak muscles will have a lower mitochondrial density, thereby reducing availability of the total energy produced by the body.

f) The weak muscles will have a lesser insulin receptors as a result of which muscles tissues become insulin insensitive causing one prone to be a diabetic-2 patient.

In view of the above it is essentially important to maintain the muscles of the body well toned and strong for which a regular workout is essential with body movement against some resistance.

The resistance could be either external with dumbbells, barbells, push + pull against a spring which offer resistance to all body movements or our own body weight can be utilised for creating resistance of the movements like squirting, push ups, crunching by leg lift etc.

The muscles can only be strengthened by resistance training or weight training or strength training and all types of workouts are the same with only different names. The gradual atrophy of muscles tissues called Sarcopenia may even start at young age due to prolonged inactivity and underused muscles and it is “ Use it or lose it proposition.” However, there are other factors also responsible for losing strength of muscles, such as hormonal change like depletion of testosterone level in men and estrogens level in women, oxidative damage, infiltration of fat into muscles, inflammation and resistance to insulin, occasional problems arising out of brain and nervous system, in case of a rare autoimmune disorder named as Myasthenia gravis.

Apart from medical assistance needed for the said pathological problems, regular exercise is essentially required to substantially ameliorate and also to evade the incidence of developing various muscular disorders in our life.

Besides regular morning or evening walk one should incorporate at least 10 to 15 minutes of resistance training by apportioning the total workout time one can afford.