Dr R K Sanghavi

  # RKS: STEAM INHALATION vs VAPOUR INHALATION 1st December 2020 Dear Reader, Steam is liquid water in gas phase. When water is heated to 100 degrees ( ° ) centigrade (C) it is converted to steam. Thus, steam is formed by boiling or evaporating water. Steam can be categorised as: DRY STEAM: When water is heated beyond its boiling point what is generated is termed DRY STEAM. WET STEAM: When water droplets are present in steam it is called as WET STEAM. This is also referred to as WATER VAPOUR. NOVEL CORONAVIRUS There is a popular belief, in-keeping with the Indian setting of mind, that gargling / drinking warm water and steam inhalation can ward off the novel coronavirus - so-referred, and as causative of current pandemic. Slightly superheated steam may be used for antimicrobial disinfection. However, usually what has been termed useful for clearing nose and throat and respiratory tract is actually 600 mg of warm steam delivered over a 10-minute period - this can maintain temperatur...

# RKS Blog: ABOUT VACCINES & PROTECTION  - Special Reference To Preventing Novel Coronavirus Infection 1st November 2020 Dear Reader, The world has never awaited before with bated breath for a scientific breakthrough, and the Pharma companies have never ever struggled against time, for a vaccine to be introduced against SARS-CoV-2 (novel corona) virus that causes the dreaded COVID-19. The very purpose of dreaming of vaccinating the 7.8 billion living souls on the planet 'Earth' is the wishful desire of all - excepting possibly the 1.4 billion who abetted the spread of the current pandemic!  The purpose of a vaccine is to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide (ON-GOING / long-term) immunity against one or several diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccination can be achieved in 2 ways: NATURAL INFECTION: The antibodies produced as a result of suffering an infection itself builds up a defence against future attack by bacteria and viruses....

 # RKS: SANTIZING & SANITIZERS  - More Than Meets The Eye 1st October 2020 Dear Reader, I always remember how I was pulled up in yesteryears for washing my hands - a wee bit too frequently - by family, friends, and even Dr colleagues. After touching each patient, even for checking mere BP or pulse (including a socially visiting relative or friend), always washed hands; before touching any eatable and always after finishing food washed hands with water.  In AI flights there is yet wet wipes given but the practice has stopped in other airlines but I continued washing my hands even as seated in a plane - guess how?!!  Sanitizing is the rule today and sanitizers are ruling today. Umpteen manufacturers have entered the fray and because of COVID-19 fear I feel better hygienic environment prevailing when in close apposition to someone's else flesh-brushing - rare handshake and the like. But why do we buy, use, advocate and amply store sanitizers? What is their actual ro...

  # RKS: MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS' PERCEPTIONS - Dictate nCoV-2 Pandemic Management Approach 1 st Sept 2020   Dear Reader,   Medicines and their availability have always been business driven. The digital and social media flourish has now laid a carpet for politicising even health advice. The current coronavirus pandemic is a glaring example.   We have both the naïve Indian as well as the pseudo-intellect individuals who are currently bombarded and amenable by advice regarding over-powering coronavirus. Adding to the complexity are recommendations coming from doctors, dieticians, housewives and God-men. This is not all – the medical doctors could allopaths, vaids, homeopaths, hakims and who else and who not! The story does not end here. The allopaths could be from any fraternity including family doctors, physicians, and the news media have even interviewed cardiologists.   Imagine the confusion being created, and more so the assimilation of the digitally disseminat...

# RKS: BEYOND ALLOPATHY  - Promising Alternative Medical Practices  (For The Uncured & Un-allayed) 1st August 2020   Dear Reader,   Medicine is vast and immense as an ocean. No one can fathom the boundaries and the solve the mysteries come what may be the qualification and the IQ level. It is God's bounty. The net boom has enabled an explosion of scientific data and no matter how hard one tries reading all of it on a particular topic of interest, it can never be harnessed - let alone digesting and assimilating the same. Then amongst all this chaos in the jungle of medicine-related data how can one derive the best of advantage for self and loved ones.   Being in practice of general medicine for near four decades, my surmise is only your neighbouring friendly GP is your solace. Your GP being a medicine graduate does stand a better chance of dissecting optimally the contrasting data, albeit he must be open-minded and he needs to have an addiction for knowledge ...