In the recent times, we have been hearing a lot about teens committing suicides after falling prey to the deadly online game called ‘The Blue Whale Challenge.’ But there is no concrete evidence to prove that these suicides are an outcome of this lethal online game. In fact, we reported about a 17-year-old committing suicide by jumping off the roof of a seven-storey building in Andheri, Mumbai, after falling prey to this online game challenge. However, recent reports have emerged after forensic analysis and decoding his mobile phone data that it was an outcome of a failed relationship and not because of Blue Whale Challenge.
We can’t ignore the number of deaths that are happening in the name of this deadly game. To understand what makes a teen end his life in the pretext of completing the challenge and taking such a drastic step we spoke to Dr Sanghanayak Meshram, psychiatrist and sexologist, Mumbai. He says, ‘I am not sure how this Blue Whale Game is reaching out to teens. There isn’t any information or proof that this game is the reason behind the deaths. In fact, we are ignoring the problems lurking in the lives of young adults and teens while focussing too much on this game – teenage depression. Nobody speaks about teenage depression much, but it exists. These suicides look more like teenage depression leading to suicides than a challenge that makes them commit this act.’ Here are eight signs of teenage depression that everyone should know.
Blue Whale Challenge is not the only game that we fear which makes teens vulnerable, recently some teenagers in Delhi’s Pathways School got involved in a Snapchat Slap-Bet Challenge in which the boy subjected to the act suffered 25 percent hearing loss. So, what is it that thrills kids to take such destructive challenges and bet, why don’t they resort to rational thinking while committing such acts? We unravel the answers with Dr Meshram and try to analyse the psyche of these vulnerable kids.
What makes teenagers take such deadly online challenges and games in the name of fun and entertainment?
Dr Meshram: The words used in such online games – destruction, challenge, bet, mission completion or task completed are words that send in a sudden adrenaline rush among vulnerable teens and gives them an instant high. There is very less that they have around them to evaluate their self-worth so these challenges (when they complete it successfully) make them feel empowered, provides satisfaction, gives them a sense of accomplishment a major reason why they get hooked on these games.
Can these games lead to loneliness and depression?
Dr Meshram: Yes, in the long run, it makes them lonely, depressed and incapable of expressing thoughts and feelings. When this happens many teens and young adults are unable to pull themselves out of the dark pit they pushed themselves in, albeit unknowingly. This is the most vulnerable phase, when loneliness can be so overwhelming that they might see death as soothing. This is why we urge people to talk and look for help rather than dwindling in their loneliness. Here are signs that a teenager could be suicidal.
What makes kids opt for dangerous games like Blue Whale instead of harmless games like Sudoku puzzles?
Dr Meshram: It is not like it happens overnight. A child’s upbringing and activities he takes up during early childhood influences these actions. In a fast paced life where both parents are working, a child is often left behind to be taken care by a nanny or grandparents and most often than not, television becomes the prime mode of entertainment. At a tender age, they visually grasp what’s been given without much intellectual stimulation. Soon this habit moves towards an addiction with phones and iPads. Their world starts revolving around these virtual realities. Most of them get fixated with online games and strategies. If you analyse these games they spell violence right from the start. You emerge out victorious only if you kill a monster; kill the opponent, save yourself from jumping in front of a running train, etc. Completing the game and going a level-up makes the child feel superior which is like an achievement in his lonely world. So violence becomes a norm for entertainment, for accomplishment and rejuvenation.
Don’t kids get afraid of taking on such deadly challenges?
Dr Meshram: I have personally not counselled any child or parents who have fallen prey to this Blue Whale Challenge. But what little information we have on the net about this game states that the game was invented to eradicate biological wastes which translate into vulnerable beings. Too much dependency on online games and less socialising makes one lonely and depressed. This is the time when one yearns to be a part of something that instils some sense of association in him. At this tender moment if such a challenge comes up there is this irresistible urge to take it up and be a part of a community which falsely gives a sense of belongingness.
Why and how did kids lose the enthusiasm of outdoor plays and become satisfied living in their cocoon?
Dr Meshram: We majorly blame digitalisation for this. There was a time when, if a kid wanted to play, say, cricket he had to go from one house to the other, gather few kids and then start the game. There was this dependency which helped to instill leadership qualities, plan strategies and improve communication. But a mobile or iPad becomes an easy way of entertainment and communication relying on just self for ideas and opinions. There are no arguments or differences of opinions. In the beginning, it feels good as you call the shots, but in the long run, this very satisfaction spells doom for a youngster.
How to control this online addiction in teenagers
Dr Meshram: For young kids, you can scold them and snatch the mobile away, but you cannot do the same with teenagers. If you try to enforce or argue with them it can backfire. Sometimes, they can become violent too. So start slowly and then gradually help your teen to quit the addiction. Here is what you can do:
Opt for a no digital hour: Plan this, few hours of the day when every member of the family has to keep the mobile aside and talk. The dinner time suits to be the best to practice this.
Lead by example: Don’t use mobile excessively when at home or when there isn’t a need for it. Your kid will learn how to stay away from the temptations of the digital world by your actions.
Don’t give up: Once you try to minimalise mobile usage, there would be withdrawal symptoms like anger outbursts, tantrums, lack of sleep, loss of appetite, etc. Remember this addiction does similar things to the brain as any other vices like smoking and drinking. So, the initial days are going to be harrowing but as a parent, you need to be consistent.
Give a healthy alternative: If you are going to ban mobile phone use, give your kids something better to do, like a thrice a week hobby class which will help to divert attention and garner interest in something more fruitful.
Stop night time mobile browsing: Of all the times, this is the most dangerous one. Most of the destructive online activities happen at night, like watching porn, sending nudes, etc. It is the time when a teen can be sexually active too and fall prey to online grooming scams and predators.
Communicate directly: Talk to your child looking right into the eyes. This helps to instill confidence and faith in the child that he is cared and loved, something that keeps them from falling prey to the promises of the virtual world.
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Cancer patients today are worried more about the effects of their illness on their partner or family than the physical side effects of chemotherapy, new research has found. The study presented at European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress in Madrid, Spain, showed that socio-psychological factors have become more significant for patients today than physical side-effects such as nausea and vomiting. “What we found is that, on the one hand, side effects like nausea and vomiting are no longer a major problem for patients — this can be explained by the fact that modern medication against these symptoms is very effective,” study author Beyhan Ataseven from Kliniken Essen Mitte Evang, Huyssens-Stiftung in Essen, Germany.
“On the other hand, hair loss is still a persistent, unsolved issue that particularly affects patients at the start of their treatment,” Ataseven said. “As time passes and patients get used to this, however, their concerns evolve and other side effects become more significant,” Ataseven added. The team led by Ataseven focused exclusively on breast and ovarian cancer patients and added a longitudinal analysis by carrying out three separate interviews before, during and at the end of their chemotherapy. At each interview, 141 patients scheduled for or undergoing chemotherapy were presented with two groups of cards respectively featuring physical and non-physical side effects. Read here What are the types of cancer resistant to chemotherapy?
The patients selected their five most burdensome symptoms in each group and ranked them by importance. Out of these 10 main side effects, they were then asked to select the five most significant ones from both groups and to rank these as well. “Looking at patients’ perceptions over the entire course of their chemotherapy, the most difficult side effects they deal with are sleep disorders – which become increasingly important over time – and anxiety about the effects of their illness on their partner or family, which remains a top issue throughout,” Ataseven explained. “As doctors, these findings might lead us to consider possible improvements to the accompanying therapies we offer our patients: For instance, sleeping tablets were not until now a part of the routine regimen,” Ataseven added. “There is also a clear case for providing stronger psychological support to address patients’ social anxieties and family-related concerns,” she said. Read more about 10 dos and don’ts during chemotherapy
Source: IANS
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Bollywood actor Tom Alter, best-known for playing Charles on Zabaan Sambhal Ke and gangster Keshav Kalsi in Junoon, has reportedly been suffering from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a type of cancer. According to a report published in the Times of India, the 67-year-old actor is currently undergoing treatment at Saifee Hospital at Charni Road. Born to English-Scottish Christian missionary parents in Mussoorie, Tom has endeared himself to the Indian audience with his brilliant portrayal of characters on the silver screen and on the stage, in a career that has spanned more than four decades.
The news about his cancer diagnosis has sent shockwaves across the industry, especially because the cancer episode is a relapse. There is a lot of speculation regarding Tom’s condition and if reports are to go by, the actor is, unfortunately, battling stage four of the cancer.
What is squamous cell carcinoma?
Also known by its other name epidermoid cancer, SCC is a blanket name given to different types of cancer that originate from the squamous cells. Common types of the disease include:

Squamous cell skin cancer that affects the skin
Squamous cell carcinoma that affects the lungs
Squamous cell thyroid carcinoma that affects the thyroid
Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma that affects the oesophagus

SCC occurs in all the parts of the body, including the genitalia and the mucous membranes. But it is commonly seen in areas that are exposed to the sunlight such as head, ears, neck and back of the hands. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, it is the second-most common type of skin cancer after basal skin carcinoma. Over the years, the incidence of the cancer has steadily increased, but the case-fatality rate of the cancer is only around one percent.
What causes SCC?
The risk of SCC depends on two main factors:

Amount of sun exposure
Degree of pigmentation

The causes include:

Direct, unprotected exposure to strong sunlight and is prevalent in people who are light-skinned.
Ultraviolet radiation emanating from tanning salons
Exposure to chemical products like tar, contaminated water that contains traces of arsenic, herbicides, insecticides and tobacco
Severe burns, chronic ulcers and HPV infections

(Read: What is HPV?)
The incidence of SCC is quite high, but if they are promptly detected, diagnosed and treated the percentage of cure is approximately 95 percent. So it is important to ensure the early detection or prevention for these type of tumours.
Who is it common in?

SCC affects more men than women. The incidence of the cancer is two times more in men.
The incidence of SCC increases with age, especially in people who have crossed the age of 60.
These days, SCC is also seen in people who are as young as 40 years old.
Light-skinned people with skin phototypes I and II according to Fitzpatrick’s Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology.
People whose skin doesn’t tend to tan and have a tendency to get sunburnt are at greater risk.
Light-haired and blue-eyed people are also at risk.

References:
1.Nasser, N., Nasser Filho, N., & Lehmkuhl, R. L. (2015). Squamous cell cancer – 31-year epidemiological study in a city of south Brazil. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 90(1), 21–26. http://doi.org/10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153465
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If you are an obese man planning to get under the knife to loose that extra paunch, think twice. According to a study, undergoing a type of bariatric surgery may raise the risk of frequent sperm aberrations and lower fertility rates in men. The findings revealed that men who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass(RYGB) surgery reported elevated levels of the estrogen hormone estradiol and deficiency in vitamin D, factors which could negatively impact semen and fertility. This reduction was despite improvements in weight, androgen levels and sexual quality of life following the procedure, the researchers said.
“This study is one important piece in solving the puzzle of male infertility. The challenge is to see if correcting hormonal and micronutrient aberrations are enough to reverse male infertility,” said Edward Lin, Surgical Director, at Emory University’s Gastroesophageal Treatment Centre in Georgia. In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, only a small part of the stomach is used to create a new stomach pouch, roughly the size of an egg. The smaller stomach is connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum). Read here 5 things you need to know before undergoing bariatric surgery
For the study, published in Bariatric Surgical Practice and Patient Care, the team compared the long-term effects of weight loss following RYGB among a group of sexually active men attempting to conceive with a partner to the semen parameters and fertility of obese men who did not undergo bariatric surgery and to a control group of lean men. Read here 3 types of bariatric surgery you need to know about
Source: IANS
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Getting rid of your belly bulge may be necessary for more than just vanity’s sake as, according to a study, abdominal fat may increase the risk of developing cancer especially in postmenopausal women. The findings showed that body fat distribution in the abdomen is more important for reducing the risk of cancers such as lung and gastrointestinal (GI), than body mass index (BMI) or fat percentage. The study put a new spin on weight management priorities for women in this age-group, who are prone to abdominal weight gain, said Line Maersk Staunstrup, doctoral student with Nordic Bioscience, a Denmark-based biotechnology firm.
“When assessing cancer risk, BMI and fat percentage may not be adequate measures as they fail to assess the distribution of fat mass,” Staunstrup explained. “Avoiding central obesity may confer the best protection,” Staunstrup said. For the study, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2017 Congress in Madrid, the team included 5,855 women (mean age 71 years) to assess body fat and body fat composition. They were followed for 12 years. The researchers found that the ratio of abdominal fat to peripheral fat was a significant independent predictor of cancer diagnosis. Read here Should you worry if you start bleeding post menopause?
Looking in detail at specific cancers and risk factors, the investigators determined that only lung and gastrointestinal cancers were associated with high abdominal to peripheral fat ratios. Further, older age, receipt of hormone replacement therapy and smoking as well as obesity and particularly insulin resistance were found to play specific roles in raising cancer risk. “Increases in insulin, resulting from over-consumption of simple carbohydrates such as potatoes, wheat, rice and corn, result in fat accumulation that is specifically visceral and abdominal,” explained Andrea De Censi, from Galliera Hospital, Genoa, in Italy. The study opens the door for clinicans to intiate a number of interventions in obese patients. Apart from fat loss with diet and exercise, diabetes drug such as metformin, which can lower insulin effects may play a potential role for cancer prevention, the researchers said.
Source: IANS
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Young children with respiratory tract infections such as colds and pneumonia may be at an increased risk of developing asthma and weak lung function in later life, says a study. The study of 154,492 European children found that those who had upper respiratory infections, such as colds, sinusitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and otitis, by the age of five years had a 1.5-fold increased risk of developing asthma in later life.  Children who had suffered from lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and general chest infections, had a two- to four-fold increased risk of developing asthma in later life and were also more likely to have worse lung function, according to the findings presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy.
“These findings support the hypothesis that early-life respiratory tract infections may influence the development of respiratory illnesses in the longer term,” said Evelien van Meel from Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. “In particular, lower respiratory tract infections in early life seem to have the greatest adverse effect on lung function and the risk of asthma,” van Meel said. The researchers analysed data from 37 groups of children from several European countries who were born between 1989 and 2013.  Children were included in this analysis if data were available on respiratory tract infections in early life (from age six months up to five years old), and childhood lung function and/or asthma.  Read more about Hormone helpful in preventing pneumonia identified
The length of follow-up varied between groups, but ranged from birth until the age of four to 15 years. Lung function and asthma are two different measures of respiratory health and are only partly related. “Lung function is an objective measure of the function of the lungs and airways. Lung function could be affected without leading to symptoms, or it could lead to asthma or other complaints such as wheezing,” van Meel said. “Additionally, a child could be diagnosed with asthma but their lung function could be fairly unaffected, for example because they are taking adequate asthma medications,” van Meel added. Read here Asthma drugs may prevent a deadly form of pneumonia
Source: IANS
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Recently you must have heard of a 13-year old rape survivor who was permitted to terminate her pregnancy the 32nd week. However, tragically the the girl delivered a baby that could only survive for 48 hours. According to reports by India Times, the boy was born at the J.J Hospital and the boy weighed 1.8 kg. Born pre mature, the boy was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit. Further according to reports all his organs were underdeveloped and since his lungs were underdeveloped too he faced severe breathing issues. The girl was a class 7 student. Since the section 3(2)(b) of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act prohibits abortion of a foetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Her parents had sought permission to abort the foetus.
According to reports, in August, the parents took her to a doctor as they were doubting her sudden “obesity” to be a result of a thyroid condition. However, a sonography then shocked her parents showing that she was 27 weeks pregnant. Until that moment, she had not informed the sexual assault to her parents. Supreme court permitted the termination of her pregnancy on the basis of the suggestion made by a medical board. Taking into consideration the health of the girl the Supreme Court sought for opinions from the medical expert who then said that even if the pregnancy was allowed to continue the baby would be pre-term and would require intensive neo-natal care and either way the ‘mother’ and the baby would be at grave risk. (Read: 10-year-old rape survivor not allowed to abort her 26-week-old foetus as Chandigarh court rejects plea)
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A new study challenges a long-held assumption in psychology that most human emotions fall within the universal categories of happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear and disgust. Using statistical models to analyse the responses of 853 men and women, who are demographically diverse, to 2,185 emotionally evocative video clips, University of California, Berkeley, researchers have identified 27 distinct categories of emotion and created a multidimensional map to show how they are connected.
According to the study published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, there are smooth gradients of emotion between, for instance, awe and peacefulness, horror and sadness, and amusement and adoration. “We don’t get finite clusters of emotions in the map because everything is interconnected,” Xinhua quoted lead author Alan Cowen as saying. Read here Control your emotions better with this simple trick
The results showed that study participants generally shared the same or similar emotional responses to the videos shown to them, providing a wealth of data that allowed the researchers to identify 27 distinct categories of emotion. Through statistical modelling and visualisation techniques, the researchers organised the emotional responses to each video into a semantic atlas of human emotions. “We found that 27 distinct dimensions, not six, were necessary to account for the way hundreds of people reliably reported feeling in response to each video,” said study senior author Dacher Keltner.
Source: IANS
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While admitting that the Ryan International School in Gurugram had several flaws in the security arrangements for students, Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma on Sunday said that managements of all private schools in the state would be made responsible and accountable for taking the students from home to school and back home. “Strict action would be taken against any negligence in this regard. Guidelines in this regard would be issued to all schools tomorrow,” Sharma told media in Gurugram. Referring to the incident at Ryan International School in Gurugram, in which seven-year-old boy Pradyuman was murdered allegedly by a bus conductor in the school bathroom on Saturday, Sharma said action would be taken against the school management and owner of the school under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
“Investigations are being conducted by the three-member sub-committee formed by the district administration. It has found many flaws in the security of students for which the school management is answerable and a detailed report would be submitted by the sub-committee tomorrow,” he said. “Apart from this, there is no boundary wall of the school; there is no separate arrangement of toilets for bus drivers and conductors of 40 buses deployed by the school for bringing the students, and windows in the toilet meant for students were found broken,” he noted. Sharma said that on the basis of the report of the sub-committee, police action would be taken against the school management and owner of the school mentioned in the FIR.
Police have arrested the accused who had killed the child and the chargesheet would be presented in one week, he added. “If the parents of the child are still not satisfied, the government would be willing to seek help from any agency. But I feel they will be satisfied when the chargesheet is presented in the court along with evidences,” he added, while referring to demands of parents that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for probe. He ruled out cancelling affiliation of the Ryan school saying that the future of 1,200 students, studying in the school, was at stake, but stressed that no leniency would be shown to the school management in this case.  “Liquor shops near the school would be removed all such shops located within 400 meters of all schools in Haryana would also be removed,” he added.
Source: IANS
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