I am scared about contracting Covid-19. Should I give up eating chicken?

COVID-19, which is causing the present spate of infections, is spread by droplets from coughing or sneezing. It spreads only from human to human. All infected people are not symptomatic or sick enough to stay home. As they cough or sneeze, virus-filled droplets are released into the air and can travel up to six feet, infecting bystanders. The infection has nothing to do with eating chicken.

Prostrate pill

I had an enlarged prostate which made it difficult for me to pass urine. I also had to get up several times at night. I was started on tablets of finasteride, and though the improvement was slow, I am now fine. Can I stop the medication?

Finasteride shrinks an enlarged prostate. It takes around six months for the full effects to be seen. But it does not cure the condition benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH. Once you stop taking the medication, the prostate will enlarge again.

Hip surgery

I am 56 years old and have been advised hip replacement surgery. Cost is not an issue as my insurance company will pay for it.

Hip replacement is major surgery. You should make that decision only after exhausting all other options such as weight loss, physical therapy and medication. The replaced joint also has a limited life span, which depends partly on your activity level. If you live to be 80, you might need another hip surgery.

Fire safety

My neighbour’s clothes caught fire while she was cooking. Her family used water to douse the flames and this resulted in big, fluid-filled blisters. She finally died.

The important thing is to wear cotton clothes while cooking, whether on a gas or kerosene stove. If you use electricity, make sure you are wearing rubber-soled footwear and are not barefoot. If your clothes catch fire, roll on the ground to stifle the flames. Use a heavy blanket to cut off the air supply. If blisters or boils appear, do not burst them. The skin acts as a natural protective barrier against infection.

Pressure tactics

My blood pressure refuses to come down even though I am on medication. My doctor keeps increasing the dose but it does not help.

Blood pressure medication has to be taken at the same time every day. This means that you cannot take them later if your meals are delayed or you are fasting. Also, you could consider adding some lifestyle changes like reducing your hours of work to 40 hours a week, sleeping for eight hours a night, not adding extra salt to your food or eating heavily salted snacks and pickles, exercising aerobically for 30-40 minutes a day and practising yoga and meditation for 10-20 minutes a day.

Protein power

I am a sportsperson who trains 2-3 hours a day. How much protein should I be eating?

The basic requirement is 0.8 gm/kg. An egg contains between 5-7 gm, depending on its size. If you are a sportsperson, your caloric intake may be high. At least 20 to 25 per cent of your total calories should come from protein.

The writer is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore and the author of Staying Healthy in Modern India. If you have any questions on health issues, please write to yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in