Winter SAD

 
New Delhi: Tuesday, 27 October 2009: It is common for people to go into depression in the winter. It is also called winter blue, winter depression or seasonal affective disorder, said Dr. KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India.

 
During winter, there is an imbalance of melatonin and seratonin leading to early morning depression. The common symptoms are unwillingness to get out of woollen rajai and early morning lethargies.

 
Most often, the effected persons are obese, diabetic females. Another characteristic of SAD is craving for eating salt, sweet or sour food which can result in the associated uncontrolled diabetes and blood pressure.

 
The treatment is to adopt to Dadima’s advice of knitting woolen sweater in day sunlight. Exposure to sunlight or adequate room light are the only answers.

 
H1N1 Paradox

 
While on one hand America has declared H1N1 as a national calamity, in India, the problem seems to be under control. Doctors are facing dengue more as a threat than H1N1 virus, said Dr.  Aggarwal.

 
But, if figures from USA are to be believed, India may be heading for a major problem of swine flu in November/December, the time when human flue is at its peak in India. The public should not forget to re-learn the cough etiquettes and respiratory hygiene precautions. One should not cough in public, cough in the fist or non-disposable handkerchief.