Q What is an ideal weight for a 3-year-old child?

Ideally, a 3-year-old kid should weigh about 12-14 kg. Do not worry if your kids weight does not increase too much and too quickly after this. After the kid is a year older than this age, the changes in weight can be seen only once a year as growth rate slows down with increasing age.

Q Can eating plain cornstarch be harmful?

Cornstarch is a commonly used cooking ingredient. It is safe to eat plain cornstarch. This is unlikely to cause significant health concerns.

Q Diagnosis of high cholesterol

The diagnosis of high cholesterol levels is based on a simple blood test. Usually a complete Lipid profile is advised to test the levels of different components of cholesterol and triglycerides. Total cholesterol levels should be less than 200 mg/dl. LDL levels less than 100 mg/dL ( 2.6 mmol/L) are considered optimal. An acceptable HDL range is between 40- 60 mg/dL (1.04-1.56 mmol/L). Triglyceride levels should be maintained less than 150 mg/dl. High levels of HDL have a protective effect against heart disease whereas high levels of LDL and triglycerides increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Q My wife is breastfeeding. Can she take iron and calcium medicine. My baby is 11 months old

If she has deficiency then she can take. It is actually advisable for a lactating woman to have calcium supplement. Also encourage her to have well balanced and nutritious diet.

Q What is the golden hour in treatment of heart attack?

The available oppurtunity (first 60 minutes to 120 minutes) after the onset of a heart attack is considered as the golden hour. In this time period, maximum fatality and damage to the heart muscles occur. Thus, an available oppurtunity in offering a logical treatment reduces the after-effects and impact of heart attack, increases the survival rate and lessens complications to an individual. Thrombolysis with clot buster " medications" during this hour when the patient is able to recieve emergency care give excellent results. Nowadays it has been substitued with PAMI i.e., Primary Angioplasty Myocardial Infaction after heart attack in a cardiac care centre. Thus immediate hospitalisation of the patient in a cardiac health care centre is important for his chances of recovery are very high.

Q Hi, I sometimes get a "twinge" in my left chest, sort of in the crease of my breast. It doesnt happen after exertion but at any time, even at night in bed - Im scared theres something wrong with my heart.

Twinge or sudden sharp pain is very common presentation of chest pain and most of the times it is not related to heart. Very rarely this pain indicate coronary artery disease. Moreover since the pain is not related to exertion and comes anytime, it is less likely related to heart conditions. One probable cause for your pain could be indigestion. However it is advisable that you get yourself examined by your family physician once to rule out anything serious.

Q When you dye your hair does the hair dye seep into your scalp and cause any bad health problems

Irritation of the skin, allergic reaction, damage to the hair, discoloration of the surrounding skin are some of the side effects related to use of hair dye.rnrn 

Q Can stress cause weigh gain? How is stress related to weight gain? How to prevent it?

Yes stress is the major cause for weight gain! People turn to food for comfort whenever they feel stressed and tend to overeat. To make it worse, often we choose junk food. So, one, we eat unnecessarily without being hungry and two, junk food means much more added calories than needed.n Over a period, the caloric imbalance leads to weight gain and eventually elevates risk of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.n Now that you know, choose healthy alternatives like an apple or roasted almonds next time you feel stressed and are tempted to eat!n Moreover, try alternate ways like going for a walk or dancing to the tunes of some soothing music. This will not only relieve stress but will give bonus benefit by burning excess calories.

Q Does sex cause hair-loss?

No. Sexual intercourse has many health benefits and has no connection with hair-loss.

Q What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality. They may see or hear things that dont exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like theyre being constantly watched. With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary, schizophrenia makes it difficult even frightening to negotiate the activities of daily life. In response, people with schizophrenia may withdraw from the outside world or act out in confusion and fear.