Backache is a common ailment that is felt by many people above the age of 40 and is due to numerous causes. Backache is a pain in the lower region of the back also known as the lumbar region. The pain due to backache may be mild or severe depending on the cause of the discomfort. Lower back-pain is also called as “Lumbago”.

Backaches may affect continuously in some cases due to some internal disorders like kidney disorders, pancreatic disorders, spinal arthritis, peptic ulcer etc. Also in some conditions like pregnancy and menstrual periods, backache can be felt.

Causes of Backaches:

Backache is caused due to several reasons.

• The main cause for backache is due to unusual strain on the weak muscles, nerves and ligaments of the spines.
• Backache may result  due to poor posture of the body.
• Backache may result due to carelessness during lifting and carrying heavy weights.
• Backache may result due to sitting in the wrong kind of chair for several hours in the same position.
•  If you sleep on a soft mattress, it may result in backache.
• Emotional tension also leads to back pain.
• Back pain will be felt during menstruation and later stages of pregnancy.
• Backaches may be a result of deterioration of discs of the spine.
• Backache may also result due to an accident or injury.

Diagnosis of Backaches:

Backaches can be diagnosed by complete physical examination and your previous medical history. During diagnosis by X-rays the slipped discs or other abnormalities in the vertebral alignment of spine can be located.

When the pain is severe some tests are to be done that include:

• X-rays
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan
• Computerized Tomography (CT Scan)
• Discography
• Myelography
• Bone Scan
• Electrodiagnostic Studies

Any part of the Human body may have the disease or disorder.

The most common diseases and disorders of the Human Body are listed below:

• Allergies
• Aching Feet
• Backaches
• Disturbances of Normal Sleep
• Headaches (occasional)
• Indigestion
• Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
• Weight problems
• Weather Discomforts

After identifying these common disorders, proper attention and care has to be taken to get rid of these common disorders and we can control them.

For some disorders like gout long term therapy will be required under self supervision after identifying the disease and got confirmed by the physician. If the symptoms of the disease gets worsened, we need to consult the doctor.

If we are allergic to certain types of foods, we can prevent those allergies by avoiding the foods causing the allergic reactions.

Weight problems can be controlled by following self discipline and by having self control during intake of the diet rich in calories. Regular exercise should be done to avoid weight problems.

Backaches can be prevented by maintaining proper posture and using comfortable seats of chairs ad relaxing in between the work.

Weather discomforts can be controlled by selecting the proper clothing which is comfortable in the respective season.

Some of the disorders are grouped into organ disorders and they are discussed in brief below:

1. Skin Disorders:

The skin is the outermost layer of our body and is a primary physical barrier to protect our body from infectious agents.

But sometimes skin may be susceptible to infections by bacteria, fungus, virus and exposure to sunlight. Skin may also be susceptible to physical injuries.

Some skin disorders may also be hereditary. Skin rashes may be due to allergic reactions on the skin.

2. Disorders of the Nervous System:

If any damage occurs to the nervous system by any physical injury or diseases. It impairs both physical and mental functions. The nervous system is affected by injuries, infections, tumors and degenerative conditions.

3. Disorders of the Cardiovasular System:

The disorders of the cardiovascular system includes common heart diseases like structural defects, damage due to restricted blood supply, viral infections and heart muscle disorders.

4. Disorders of the immune system:

Our body gets infected with micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi, virus and protozoa. Immune system helps in protecting our body against these microbes.

Our immune system can be affected due to allergies and auto immune disorders and will be unable to protect our body from these infections. These are called immunodeficiency diseases.

5. Disorders of the Digestive System:

The disorders of the digestive system is due to the food that we take. Viral infections and cancer also affects the digestive system.

Typhoid which is also known as enteric fever is a bacterial infectious disease that is caused by the bacteria, primarily by Salmonella typhi and also by Salmonella enterica. The bacteria is a gram negative bacteria and is rod shaped.

Typhoid is also known as abdominal typhus, gastric fever, nervous fever, slow fever, infantile remittant fever, pythogenic fever etc.

Typhoid is caused due to poor sanitation and contamination of food, water and milk. The food gets contaminated with the flies and it is also caused due to unhealthy diet habits.

Transmission of Typhoid:

The typhoid is transmitted by the ingestion of the food and water that is contaminated  with the faeces of the infected person. The transmission is mainly by oral route and humans are the only means of carriers of the typhoid as the bacteria can survive only at the normal human body temperature.

Symptoms of Typhoid Fever:

The typhoid fever is characterized by the symptoms of progressive increase in body temperature, excessive sweating and rose spots on the chest of the infected person. The other symptoms of the typhoid include:

• Weakness
• The patient may feel cold ad tired.
• The patient may suffer from headache, and body aches.
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Tongue becomes dry with white patches
• The bones get inflammed
• Recurrent fever and it mainly occurs at night

Diagnosis of Typhoid:

To know the presence of typhoid fever blood, bone marrow, stool tests and Widal tests are performed to detect the presence of salmonella.

Prevention of Typhoid:

Typhoid fever can be prevented by maintaining proper sanitation and by drinking the boiled water. All vegetables should be washed properly before cooking. Personal hygiene should be maintained well. Wash your hands before eating.

Measures have to be taken to prevent the flies by clearing the stagnant water etc and by keeping the surroundings clean.

Typhoid can be prevented by administering Typhoid live vaccine (oral) and injectable Typhoid polysaccharide vaccine. Booster doses of the vaccine should be taken.

Treatment for Typhoid fever:

The primary treatment involves the administration of oral rehydration salts as the person faces dehydration.

The drugs of choice for the treatment of typhoid comprises of fluoroquinolone like ciprofloxacin and 3rd generation cephalosporins like ceftriaxone or cefotaxime. Cefixime can also be prescribed.

Antibiotic drugs like ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole), amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin are prescribed.

Natural remedies for the treatment of typhoid fever:

• The persons suffering from typhoid fever need to take complete bed rest.
• Avoid the oily foods and spicy foods. Eat more liquids and gentle foods.
• Orange juice can be given to patents as it contains C Vitamin that helps in increasing the immunity and fastens the recovery.
• More water should be taken.
• Eat the steamed and easily digestable food.
• Wash the hands thoroughly.
• Consume a lot of liquids like glucose water, coconut water, fresh fruit juices, soups etc.

‘Hypothyroidism’ is a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce the required amount of the thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism is caused mainly due to the deficiency of the iodine. Several other factors may also contribute to the onset of the Hypothyroidism. Excessive intake of iodine induces the hypothyroidism as it may be due to lack of thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism may be associated with increased stress.

In Infants severe hypothyroidism result in Cretinism. The antibacterial chemicals in toothpastes blocks the thyroid receptors and induces a new type of hypothyroidism.

The primary function of the thyroid hormones is to carry out the metabolic activities, the persons with hypothyroidism will experience slow metabolism. Hypothyroidism is more common in women.

Causes of Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism is generally caused due to two factors:

1. The first factor is due to the inflammation of the thyroid gland which makes the cells of the thyroid gland left damaged and makes the thyroid gland incapable of producing the thyroid hormone.

2. The second factor is due to medical treatments. The treatment for many thyroid problems suggests the removal of the part or complete thyroid gland. If the cells that are left after the surgical removal of the thyroid gland does not produce the required amount of the thyroid hormones needed by our body, the people are prone to the development of the hypothyroidism.

The common causes of hypothyroidism include birth defects, radiation treatments, surgical removal of a part of a part of the thyroid gland, excessive usage of radioactive iodine used for treating hyperthyroidism.

Some of the drugs may also cause hypothyroidism like:

• Lithium
• Amiodarone
• Propylthiouracil
• Methimazole
• Radiation to brain

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:

Each individual may have many symptoms which may vary from person to person depending on the thyroid hormone deficiency and length of the exposure to the disorder. The symptoms of Hypothyroidism are listed below:

• Weakness of the body
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Reduced Immunity
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Depression
• Irregular Menstrual Cycles
• Intolerance to cold
• Bradycardia
• Decreased sweating
• Muscle cramps and muscle aches
• Dry and itchy skin
• Dry hair and loss of hair
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Decreased libido
• Thin and brittle finger nails

The late symptoms of Hypothyroidism include Goiter, slow speech, puffy skin, reduced basal body temperature.

Tests for the Detection of Hypothyroidism:

Physical Examination may reveal the small or large size of the thyroid gland  than usual. Physical examination may also reveal the conditions like brittle nails, pale skin, hair fall, swelling of legs and arms etc.

The X-ray of the chest may show the enlarged heart.

Laboratory tests include:

• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test (TSH test)
• T4 test

The lab tests helps to reveal some conditions like Anemia, increase in the level of cholesterol, liver enzymes, prolactin and decreased sodium levels.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism:

The treatment mainly involves the replacement of the thyroid hormone which our thyroid gland fails to produce.

Hypothyroidism can be treated by taking thyroid hormone pills namely Levothyroxine once in a day and it is an effective way of getting treated with hypothyroidism. The pill may be taken during early hours of the day like half an hour before breakfast for the medicine to work effectively. The common name of the levothyroxine is synthroid and it is a synthetically prepared thyroid hormone.

The medicine levothyroxine improves the symptoms of hypothyroidism like weight gain, low speech, weakness, loss of hair, dry skin and the feeling of cold.

This medication also helps in the treatment of goiter, which is a late symptom of thyroid deficiency. The drug also helps in treating thyroid cancer associated with surgery. Other medicines will also be prescribed.

The treatment should be taken for 2-4 months and should not be discontinued and the doctors instructions should be strictly followed.

The levels of TSH should be monitored regularly by the doctor when the medicines are being taken.

Head ache is an aching pain in the head region, temples, and sides of the neck are a common physical problem affecting many people. Headache is rather a symptom due to an underlying disease in the body. The cause of the headache often is difficult to pin point and obscure.

Headache is generally transitory in nature extending few hours only. In rare cases particularly if associated with systemic diseases it extends for long periods depending on the type of the disease.

Symptoms of Headaches:

Pain occurs in the head region, scalp, temporal, fore head and on the sides of the neck. Some times it may be unilateral. Usually it is not associated with other symptoms. In severe type of head aches it is sometimes associated with body pains, nausea and vomiting. Affected persons will be anxious, distressed and cannot concentrate on work.

Types of Headaches:

There are several types of head aches. They are classified as follows

Primary Head aches:
1. Tension head aches
2. Migraine.
3. Cluster head aches.

Secondary headaches:
Severe head aches associated with systemic diseases like meningitis, en cephephalitis, brain tumors, head aches in elderly persons over 50 associated with temporal arteritis (Inflammation of blood vessels in the head).

If the head ache is very severe, or associated with other symptoms like blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness medical advice should be taken and investigated in detail.

Causes of headaches:

1. Tension is the usual cause for most of the common head aches and it is transitory in nature.
2. Head ache is also associated with systemic diseases, fevers, and other diseases.
3. Disorders of vision and glaucoma.
4. Severe head aches associated with meningitis, encephalitis, tumors of the head.
5. Ear and tooth infections.
6. Head injuries.
7. Sinusitis.
8. Migraine is the commonest cause of head ache.
9. Drinking too much of alcohol, Caffeine, and nicotine.
10. Temporal arteritis in elderly people over 50 due to inflammation of arteries of the temporal region resulting in narrowing of the blood vessels and reduced blood flow.

The above list is only very brief often it is difficult to pin point the cause and several investigations have to be done to find out the exact cause. However it is not difficult to find out the exact cause.

What are the general investigations carried out?
Simple head aches do not need many investigations except history and physical examination. But complicated head aches need detailed investigations like

1. Blood tests
2. CT scans and
3. MRI scans of the brain.

Tension headaches
Tension head aches are the most common type of head aches associated with stress. Persons involved in continuous work with out proper rest, people working with computers, lab technicians working with microscopes, welders, people working in factories with lot of noise and sound are some of the people mostly affected with this type of head aches. Some times this is seen in patients affected with depression.

Symptoms of Tension headaches:

• Stiffness of the neck muscles and pain in the neck region
• Throbbing pain in the head and eyes
• Loss of sleep (Insomnia)
• Feeling of loss of energy
• It is seen usually in the morning in people who have no sleep in the night

Treatment:

Analgesics are usually sufficient to get relief. Rest and keeping away from the noise and the causative factors help to get rid of the head ache. Relaxation exercises, meditation, morning walk and hearing to melodious music helps in getting good relief. If the head ache lasts long for more than 24 hours it is better to seek medical advice.

Migraine:

Migraine is a typical type of head ache characterized by severe throbbing pain on both sides of the head aggravated by movement of the body like walking associated usually with nausea and vomiting. The affected person will be sensitive to light and noise. The head ache lasts 2-3 days. Some times it is unilateral i.e. on one side of the head only with severe pain associated with blurred vision and appearance of black spots in the vision. It is more common in women than men. Some times it runs in families showing an hereditary nature. It is reported that certain foods and stress triggers the onset of the malady. Migraine recurs periodically. The migraine head ache attack some times gives warning signals called aura a disturbed vision with appearance of black spots in the vision. Some times it attacks are without any signals.

Causes of migraine:

The exact cause is not known. Stress and depression sometimes trigger migraine. Some women get this at the beginning of their menstruation. It is reported that it is due to increased blood flow to the brain. It is also known that certain foods like cheese, chocolates influence the onset of migraine.

Treatment of migraine:

Medical advice is necessary for treating the malady. Investigations like scanning of the brain will be done to eliminate other serious problems. Anti migraine drugs are usually prescribed by the doctors. Symptomatic treatment will be given for other associated conditions like vomiting and nausea.

Prevention of migraine attack:

• Avoid triggering foods like chocolates and cheese.
• Avoid missing of meals and regular life style is important. Good sleep is essential.
• Mild exercise like walking and relaxation helps in preventing an attack.

Cluster head aches:

Cluster head aches are not so common like migraine. However it is not uncommon. Men are more prone for the cluster attacks more so in smokers and persons habituated to drink alcohol. It is characterized by severe pain on one side of the head and attacking at regular intervals as the name implies three to four times in a day. Each episode of attack lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Simple attacks subside in about 10 minutes.

Symptoms:

The pain is characterized by severe excruciating pain on one side of the temple and pain over the eye. The eye lid droops down with redness of the eye, lacrimation, running down of the nose and stiffness of the nostrils. The episode of pain lasts for some time and subsides. The attack repeats again which is a characteristic feature of cluster head aches.

Treatment:

• Analgesics are generally prescribed for controlling the pain.
• Mood changing drugs are also given which are also effective.
• If the episodes are prolonged and the pain is severe cortico steroids are also given to control the attack.

Prevention:

Stop smoking and drinking alcohol to avoid triggering an attack.

Symptoms of Headache:

Headache may be accompanied by dizziness, nausea, nasal stuffiness, difficulty in seeing and difficulty in hearing. Headache is just a symptom but not a disease.

Headache may be due to many causes such as :

• Excessive Drinking
• Excessive Smoking
• Lack of Sleep
• Hunger
• Drug Abuse
• Eye Strain
• Failure to correct defective vision
• Exposure to toxic gases like cabon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
• Exposure to pollution
• Some headaches are symptoms of diseases like pneumonia, constipation, allergy, high blood pressure, brain tumour.
• Headache is also caused by emotional strain and tension as the head and neck muscles are constricted unconsciously.

Many of these causes bring about dilation of blood vessels in the head, which is the common physiological cause of headache.

Migraine

Headaches may be felt occasionally or they may be chronic which are usually tension headaches or migraine. Migraine is a severe and intense form of headache, so it is called as sick headache. Migraine may last for several days and bed rest may be necessary. Migraine is accompanied by dizziness, light sensitivity and chills.

The exact cause for migraine is not known. It may be hereditary. Migraine may be precipitated by changes in body hormonal balance, sudden changes in temperature and pressure or due to intake of alcoholic beverages or drug abuse. The person suffering from chronic headache should consult the doctor and undergo complete physical check up.

Avoiding Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are avoided by sleeping adequately and doing excercises. It can also be avoided by learning to cope up with frustrations and anxieties. A person should get relaxed daily. These headaches are treated by neck massage, heating pad and hot bath.

How to get relief from Headache?

• Tablets: Aspirin is effective in treating headaches when taken according to directions. Double dose is not effective and is also dangerous.
• A cup of coffee or caffeine beverages are helpful for treating headaches as caffeine constricts blood vessels.
• Headache can also be treated by breathing fresh air for sometime.

How to prevent or avoid Headaches?

Exceesive intake of alcohol and tobacco should be avoided. Eyes should be taken care of by not reading in dim light or glaring light. Eye checkups have to be done regularly and glasses should be worn when needed.

Folic acid is an inactive form of folate and its reduced forms like dihydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate are active forms. Folic acid gets destroyed when the food is overcooked.

Importance of Folic Acid

Liver is the largest and most imporant organ of our body carrying out several essential functions like emulsification of fats, secretion of bile salts and bile acids etc, secretion of several vitamins and clotting factors.

Liver is the primary organ for the metabolism and inactivation of the drugs.

Folic acid Dosage

For the liver to function properly, 400 micrograms of ‘folic acid’ (Vitamin B9) is reqiured for the body daily. And the requirement of this folic acid is even more at 600 micrograms per day for pregnant women which is essential in the development of foetal brain and spinal cord.

Functions of Folic Acid in our body

Folic acid plays a vital role in the formation of DNA and RNA. It is essential for the production and maintainance of new cells. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid. Folic acid is mainly important during infancy and pregnancy.

Recent research have proved that if Folic Acid is taken as per the required amount in daily food, it mostly prevents the attack of Alzeimers (loss of memory in old age) and heart diseases.

Sources : Liver, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, cereals and leafy vegetables.

The Chief Sources of Folic Acid and the respective quantity present in them are :

• Papaya – 116 micrograms
• Orange Juice (1 Cup) – 72 micrograms
• Boiled Groundnuts  (1 Cup) - 87.53 micrograms
• Boiled Peas (1 Cup) – 56micrograms
• Spinach (1 Cup) – 179micrograms
• Cauliflower (1) – 54 micrograms

Folic acid is also present in ample amounts in beans, soya, corn, etc.

Deficiency Diseases : Diarrhoea, anaemia and loss of leucocytes.

The deficiency of the folic acid causes diarrhoea, anaemia and decrease in the number of leucocytes. This deficiency also affects the cell division in tissues such as intestinal mucosa.

Folate deficiency: Folic Acid if taken in excess amounts, it leads to vitamin B12 deficiency and alters the functions of the brain. High levels of folic acid can provoke seizures in patients taking anti-convulsant medications, so they have to consult doctor befor taking folate medication.

Folic acid during Pregnancy:

Folic acid if taken during early pregnancy, helps in the proper development of brain and all other organs. Folic acid prevents the congenital malformations and several other neural tube defects. Folic acid helps in the rapid cell division and cell growth. Folic acid when taken properly during the first trimester of pregnancy prevents the birth defects in the children.

Benefits of Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)

• Folic acid is very essential for performing various body functions.
• Folic acid is required for the synthesis of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.
• Folic acid is also essential to repair the DNA and to act as cofactor in many biological reactions.
• Folic acid helps in the rapid cell division and growth of cells during infancy and during pregnancy.
• Both adults and children require folic acid for the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.
• Folic acid helps in the prevention of anemia.

Recommended Dietary Allowances for Folate for Children and Adults

Age (years) Males and Females(μg/day)     Pregnancy       Lactation

1-3                         150                                                  N/A                  N/A

4-8                         200                                                  N/A                  N/A

9-13                       300                                                  N/A                  N/A

14-18                    400                                                   600                  500

19+                        400                                                  600                  500

At birth, the infants consists of 270 bones, as the baby grows the bones fuse together and leaves a total of 206 bones in the adult.

The largest bone in the human body is femur and the smallest bone is the stapes(auditory ossicles).

Functions of bones:

• Bones support and protect the different internal organs of our body.
• Bones help in the production of red blood cells and white blood cells.
• Bones help in the storage of minerals like calcium and phosphorous.
• Bones of the skull protect the brain and bones of the ribs protects heart and lungs.
• Bones, skeletal muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints together helps in the movement of the body parts or the whole body.

Composition of Bones:

A living bone consists of several different kinds of tissues and does not have a single uniform composition. One of the types of tissue of which the bones are made of is mineralised osseous tissue, which is also known as bone tissue. This osseous tissue makes the bones rigid. The other types of tissues that are found in the bones include bone marrow, endosteum, periosteum, nerves, cartilage and blood vessels.

Bones consists mainly of collagen fibres, which is the organic component of the bone and inorganic bone mineral namely carbonated hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2).

Mainly there are two types of bone tissues in a single bone:

1. Compact tissue (Cortical bone)
2.  Spongy tissue (Cancellous or Trabecular bone)

Riboflavin is a micronutrient which can be absorbed readily by our body and maintains the health of humans and animals. This vitamin is yellow in colour.

Vitamin B2 Sources : Riboflavin is found in grains, plants, dairy products like milk, eggs, kidney, liver,  and green leafy vegetables. Of all the above sources yeast and liver contain the highest concentrations.
Functions of Vitamin B2:

• Vitamin B2 is essential in breaking down of complex food molecules and converting them into simpler and easily absorbable substances.
• Vitamin B2 is also useful to absorb other nutrients.
• Vitamin B2 maintains the tissues of our body.
• Vitamin B2 helps in carrying out of the oxidation-reduction reactions.
• Vitamin B2 acts as an anti-oxidant.
• Vitamin B2 helps in the production of energy to carry out the activities of the body.
• Riboflavin maintains the health of skin, nails and hair.
• Riboflavin helps in the growth and reproduction of our body.
• Riboflavin helps in the conversion of Vitamin B6 and folic acid into the active coenzyme forms.
• The flavin coenzymes acts as catalysts during the reactions involving the production of the energy.
• Riboflavin has an important role in the oxidation-reduction reactions in the cell. It also participates in the cellular respiration.

Deficiency of Riboflavin: The deficiency of riboflavin results due to poor intake of the diet. Riboflavin deficiency is risk to the human body as our body excretes it continuously and does not store the riboflavin.

Types of Riboflavin Deficiencies: There are two types of riboflavin deficiencies. Riboflavin deficiency is also known as “ariboflavinosis”.

1. Primary Riboflavin Deficiency
2. Secondary RIboflavin Deficiency

Deficiency Diseases :

Glossitis, Eye diseases, Migraine and cracking of mouth at angles.

Deficiency of this vitamin causes glossitis. Glossitis has symptoms of sore, red and glazed tongue. The deficiency also leads to the mouth cracks at the corners. The skin may become scaly and there may be watering of eyes and photophobia. In patients with photophobia, they face difficulty in seeing light.

The deficiency of riboflavin results in the decreased glutathione reductase activity, that leads to cataracts.

Daily requirements of vitamin B2 : (in milligrams)

• Men – 1.7 mg
• Women – 1.3 mg
• Pregnant mothers – 1.5 mg
• Boys – 1.7 mg (16 to 18 years)
• Girls – 1.3 mg (16 to 18 years)

B-Complex vitamins are required for the healthy skin, hair, liver and eyes. These vitamins are water soluble vitamins and are not stored in the body.

Functions: Thiamine is one of the 8 water soluble vitamins needed by our body to produce energy. Thiamine converts foods like carbohydrates into fuel (glucose). Thiamine is necessary for the activity of some enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Thiamine helps in the proper functioning of the nervous system and brain.

Sources :  Thiamine is available in all the natural foods. The important sources of this vitamin are cereals like wheat, oil seeds like ground nut, milk, meat, eggs, fish and vegetables.Large amounts can be found in pork and organ meats. Other good dietary sources of thiamine include whole-grain or enriched cereals and rice, legumes, wheat germ, bran, brewer’s yeast, and blackstrap molasses.

In India, the main source of this vitamin is rice and wheat for adults, milk for infants. Thiamine is lost if rice is polished in mills or if it is repeatedly washed for several times. It is also lost when we throw away the water in which rice is boiled.

Symptoms of Thiamine Deficiency:

• Irritability
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Abdominal Discomfort
• Trouble in the digestion of carbohydrates

Deficiency Diseases : The below are some of the diseases which are caused due to deficiency of thiamine in the diet.

Beri-beri:

Deficiency of the vitamin B1 causes a disease known as beri-beri. In this disease, the calf muscles become tender. In the people with Beri-beri, the deficiency of thiamine results in the accumulation of pyruvic acid in the blood stream causing loss of mental alertness, heart damage and loss of appetite. In severe cases of the disease, difficulty in breathing and paralysis are also seen.

The symptoms of the Beri-beri include vomiting, tremors, convulsions, swelling, tingling, burning sensation of hands and feet, confusion, breathing difficulty (due to accumulation of fluid in the lungs), uncontrolled movements of eyes known as Nystagmus.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome:

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is another disorder caused due to the deficiency of thiamine. It is a brain disorder caused due to malnutrition in alcoholics. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is characterised by the disorders of the peripheral and central nervous systems and leads to the damage of the nerves and memory problems.

If high doses of thiamine is given to these patients, there will be improved muscle coordination and confusion. It does not improve memory.

This disease may also progress into Alzeihmer’s Disease due to dementia in very rare cases and research is being carried out at present.

Cataracts:

Thiamine along with other nutrients like proteins and vitamins B-complex, A, C, E, niacin, folic acid in the diet helps in protecting the lens of the eyes from developing the cataracts.

Daily requirements of vitamin B1 : (in milligrams)

• Men – 1.4 mg
• Women – 1.1 mg
• Pregnant mothers – 1.3 mg
• Boys – 1.4 mg (16 to 18 years)
• Girls – 1.1 mg (16 to 18 years)

Thiamine is available in the form of multivitamins, vitamin B-complex vitamins. It is available in the form of tablets, soft gels and lozenges. Thiamine is labelled as thiamine hydrochloride or thiamine mononitrate.

Thiamine can be taken along with other medications and supplements.