Kuala Lumpur, Feb 7 (UNB)- Malaysia, with a score of 95 out of 100, was ranked first in the Best Healthcare in the World category of the 2019 International Living Annual Global Retirement Index.

According to the International Living website, among top six countries that obtained the best ratings in the category of Best Healthcare in the World for this year, Malaysia ranked first with its world-class healthcare services and sophisticated infrastructure.

It said that with 13 hospitals in the country accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), where almost all doctors – majority of whom were trained in the United Kingdom, the United States or Australia – were fluent in English, thus communication was flawless.

“There are both private and public hospitals for expatriates to choose from, to suit one's needs though the private hospitals tend to be a bit more expensive but are more up to Western standards than the public hospitals,” it said, adding that even at the private hospitals, the treatment was affordable for minor visits.

“The prescriptions in Malaysia cost a fraction of what you pay at home. But it's not just the cost that is attractive – it's the service.

“Pharmacists, similar to rest of medical staff in Malaysia, are well-trained and informed. The Malaysians are friendly people, but it's the genuine interest they take which impresses,” it said. - Bernama

Dhaka, Feb 5 (UNB) - The presence of gas in the digestive system is part of the normal process of digestion. Getting rid of this excess gas, either by burping or passing gas, is also normal. The gas not moving well through the digestive system or getting trapped may lead to gas pain.

Gas normally enters the stomach when we swallow air while eating or drinking but most of it is released when we burp. Gas forms in large intestines when bacteria break down some of the undigested food. In addition to other signs and symptoms, digestive system disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease may intensify gas pain.

Often, simple eating habit changes can help lessen the gas. But yoga can help, too. Certain yoga poses can help release excessive gas and improve the digestive system.

Here are five poses to help relieve gas-

Wind-Relieving Pose

Lie on your back with legs and arms extended. Take a deep breath and exhale, draw both the knees to the chest and clasp them with the hands. Hold on to the right knee and release the left leg and extend it along the floor. Maintain this pose for 30 seconds to one minute. Now, draw the left knee towards the chest and clasp your hands around the knees again. While holding the left knee, release the right leg and extend it along the floor. Hold this pose for the same amount of time. Finally, bring both knees to the chest and press the thighs on the abdomen, clasp hands around the legs as if hugging the knees. Then, try to touch the knees with the chin. Hold here for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gently release the hands and keep legs straight. Take rest for 30 seconds.

Wide legged forward bend

From a standing position, step the legs 3 to 4 feet apart into ‘Five Pointed Star’. Exhale and lean forward, bring the palms to the floor under the shoulders. Use the arms to pull the forehead down towards the floor, bending the elbows towards the back wall. Now press into the feet, lengthening the legs to press the hips up towards the ceiling. Feel the spine being pulled in opposite directions as you press the head down and lift the hips up. Breathe normally and hold the posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute. To release, reach the arms out to the sides and inhale back up into standing position.

Child Pose

From standing position, drop your knees to the floor and spread them as wide as your mat. Keep the toes on the floor with the big toes touching each other. Now, make fists and place them on the thighs to touch the lower abdominal area. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and drop your head on the floor or mat. Try to put pressure on the abdominal area with fists by touching the floor or mat with your forehead. Breathe normally and hold the pose for 1-2 minutes.

Half Spinal Twist

Sit erect with your legs stretched out. Make sure that your feet are placed together and your spine is absolutely straight. Now bend your left leg so that the heel of the left foot lies next to the right hip. Then, place the right leg next to the left knee by taking it over the knee. Twist your waist, neck and shoulders towards the right – make sure your spine is straight. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute and breathe normally. Exhale and release the right hand, waist, chest and neck. Repeat the steps on the other side and then exhale and come back to the front.

Bow Pose

Lie on your stomach with your feet, hip width apart and your arms by the side of your body. Fold your knees, take your hands backwards and hold your ankles. Breathing in, lift your chest off the ground and pull your legs up and back, look straight ahead with a smile on your face. Your body is now curved and taut as a bow. Breathe normally and hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Now exhale and gently release your legs, chest and relax.

(Saldin Yogi is a registered Yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance, USA. The opinion expressed in this article is the writer’s own. To learn more about Saldin, please visit www.saldinyoga.com)

Dhaka, Jan 31 (AP/UNB) -The first generic version of the popular Advair asthma inhaler has been approved by U.S. regulators.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Mylan's version in three strengths for ages 4 and up.

The inhalers are used twice daily to keep airways open and prevent flare-ups of wheezing, shortness of breath and other symptoms of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. About 42 million Americans have those conditions.

The device contains two medicines, inhaled in a precise mixture. That complexity has stymied a couple of other companies developing generic versions of GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus inhaler, which costs about $400 a month.

Generics generally are cheaper. Mylan didn't immediately respond to queries about when its inhaler, called Wixela Inhub, will be available or what the price will be.

Dhaka, Jan 22 (AP/UNB) -This is not a new trend. The rankings have changed little over the last quarter century. What’s causing residents of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana and other southern states to live such short lives, while experiencing higher rates of cancer, diabetes and heart disease?

As a researcher who’s worked on state health promotion in Hawaii and Texas, it’s clear to me that there are a variety of factors behind people’s poor health in southern states – and none will be an easy fix.

Premature deaths

People in southern states die earlier from a variety of chronic conditions than people in the rest of the U.S. Infectious diseases including whooping cough, salmonella and chlamydia are high across the south, particularly in Louisiana and the Carolinas.

According to America’s Health Rankings, an annual report by the nonprofit United Health Foundation, someone living in Kentucky is 55 percent more likely to die from cancer than a person living in Utah. A resident of Mississippi is 85 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than someone living in Minnesota. If you live in West Virginia, you are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as someone living in Colorado.

Overall, premature death occurs almost twice as often in many of the southern states compared to Minnesota and California.

A July study found a 20-year difference in life expectancy by county, with most of the counties with lower life expectancy located in the Southeast. The life expectancy gap is also growing year to year.

Unhealthy lifestyles

Health behaviors also contribute quite strongly to the development of chronic diseases.

People living in many areas in the south are twice as likely to be smokers and be sedentary than people living in Utah. Every southern state except Florida has an adult obesity rate higher than 30 percent. This lack of fitness has led to the highest rates of injury in the Army basic training across the region.

Poor lifestyle behaviors don’t explain everything, though. For example, West Virginia and Kentucky have very high rates of drug overdose deaths related to the opioid epidemic. However, rates in many southern states – including Mississippi, Georgia and Arkansas – are lower than the rest of the country.

What is causing these poor health outcomes? As a public health researcher, I look to the physical and social conditions in which people live, including education levels, access to health care, air and water quality, housing, culture and many other factors. These can be the root causes of health and illness.

All of these states are relatively poor, with Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi having the lowest household median incomes in the county. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. Idaho, for example, is ranked 40th in household income and 14th in health.

Education is often viewed as an important indicator of health – but Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri are all in the top 10 for high school graduation rates.

Air pollution – which is linked to heart attacks, bronchitis and asthma – falls somewhere in the middle for most southern states. Violent crime tends to be higher, with the exception of Mississippi.

Of the 26 states have comprehensive statewide indoor air smoking bans, none are in the South.

According to Walkscore, a site that calculates the walkability of cities, nine of the least walkable cities in the U.S. are in the South. Only one, Miami, is in the top 10.

Limited access to care

It can be hard to find a health care provider in the South. Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi all fall in the bottom 10 for the number of primary care physicians per capita. Mental health providers and dentists are also in short supply across the South. In fact, Alabama only has 85 mental health care providers per 100,000 people. Compare that to 547 per 100,000 in Massachusetts.

Lack of routine health care can lead to an increase in preventable hospitalizations. For instance, a diabetic who is routinely seen by a physician can avoid more serious complications that lead to hospitalizations. Infant mortality and low birth weight babies are prevalent across the region.

Funding for public health differs across the region, with West Virginia providing more per capita than any other state and Missouri spending a fifth of that. The uninsured population is also a mix, with Kentucky and West Virginia having low rates and Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma having some of the highest.

Regional strategies

In the end, the data is clear: Americans living in the southern United States live shorter, sicker lives. The region needs a comprehensive strategy to improve health.

At Texas A&M, we’ve banded together with 13 universities in the Southeastern Conference to discuss ideas that can reach communities outside the universities.

One of our initial ideas is to leverage the mass gatherings around football games to promote positive health activities. The largely rural makeup of these states along with attendance at football games exceeding 78,000 people per game provides a unique southern strategy to change health in these states.

However, no single intervention will change several decades of poor health.

Dhaka, Jan 17 (UNB) - Nearly everyone will experience some form of back pain in his or her lifetime. The low back is the area behind the belly from the rib cage to the pelvis and is also called the lumbar region.

Back pain is a major cause of missed work and poor physical movement. Most commonly, mechanical tissue and soft-tissue injuries are the cause of low back pain. Some lower back pain can also be the result of certain diseases. 

Yoga is a naturopathy that can offer relief from pain and provide a great preventative care for the future. Here are five yoga poses to cure lower back pain and relieve that dull ache. 

Knee twist 

A twist to the spine relieves the stiffness from the entire back. 

Lie on your back, bring your arms to a T-shape on the floor or mat. Bring your knees towards your chest. Slowly lower both knees to the left, keeping the neck neutral. Try to keep shoulders on the floor and palms facing downwards. Stay anywhere between 1-2 minutes and keep breathing normally. Repeat the process on the other side. Straighten your legs and rest for 30 seconds. 

Cobra Pose

This gentle backbend stretches your abdomen, chest and shoulders and strengthens your spine. It also helps to relieve stress and fatigue.

Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and fingers facing forward. Draw your arms in tightly to your chest. Do not allow your elbows to go out to the side. 

Inhale and push your hands to slowly lift your head, shoulder, and chest. You can lift partway, halfway or all the way up – depending on your flexibility. Hold the pose for 1-2 minutes while breathing normally. Now, exhale and release your chest, shoulders and head. Bring your arms by your side and rest for 30 seconds.  

Half Locust

This pose strengthens the muscles of the spine and the buttocks and improves blood circulation in back area. 

Lie on your stomach with chin on the floor, put your legs together and arms to the side of the hip with your palms on the floor. Now inhale. Use the back and leg muscles to lift the right leg as high as possible keeping the toes pointing backwards. Make sure that your hip stays on the ground and the pelvis remains in a neutral position. 

Stay in this posture for 30 second to 1 minute and breathe normally. Try to keep the shoulders broad. Exhale and lower your right leg. Inhale and repeat the same process with your left leg. Take rest for 30 seconds. 

Locust

This pose improves the strength and flexibility of the back muscle, stretches the front of the body, improves stamina and makes a strong core.
 
Lie on your stomach, keeping arms under the hips and chin on the floor. Lengthen your lower back by gently pressing your pubic bone into the floor. 

Inhale, lift your head, chest and legs off the floor, firming your shoulders blades onto your back and opening your heart, to come up as high as possible. Only abdominal area will touch the floor at this point. 

Breathe normally and stay in this posture for 1-2 minutes. Exhale, drop your chest, head and legs and rest for 30 seconds. 

Child pose

This pose helps to stretch the hips, thighs and lower back while reducing stress and fatigue.

Begin by sitting on your heels and then slowly bend forward. Bring down your chest to your thighs and let your forehead touch the floor. Keep your hands on the ground. Stay in this position for 1-2 minutes while breathing normally.

(Saldin Yogi is a registered Yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance, USA. To learn more about him, please visit www.saldinyoga.com)