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Introduction Various types of cardiac problems can be faced by Middle Aged Individuals including Hypertension, Ischemic Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Valvular Heart Disease, Arrhythmia related disorders and even Congenital Heart defects which manifests in the middle age group. This age group of 40-60 years would probably have the highest incidence in heart illnesses in India. It is said that cardiac diseases present 10 years earlier in our country as compared to the West. Hence it is important that people of this age group have adequate knowledge to prevent cardiac illnesses as well as for timely diagnosis and management of them. When to suspect? Awareness of symptoms of cardiac diseases is important. These include difficulty in breathing or chest discomfort especially on exertion, which reduces with rest. An acute onset chest pain lasting more than 20mins is a cause of worry and should not be neglected. Palpitations, dizziness, ‘blackout’, easy fatiguability, swelling in legs are other symptoms for which one should consult a cardiologist. It is important to know that sometimes there maybe no symptoms. This is seen in Hypertension which is also called as a Silent killer, also in diabetics where there maybe ‘silent heart attacks’ without chest pain. What to do? Prevention is better than cure. Leading a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in preventing cardiac illnesses. One should never smoke and stay away passive inhalation of smoke. Even Air Pollution is a risk factor for heart ailments. Wearing of masks helps in this aspect. Exercising for atleast 30-45 minutes per day for 5times a week is recommended. It includes brisk walking, 15 minutes of intensive exercises, yoga or simple ‘free hand’ exercises of every part of the body. One should do exercises according to their age, body structure, flexibility and other specific requirements. Hence initial few months learning under a trainer is helpful. Diet plays an important role in not just cardiac diseases but all Non communicable diseases. One’s diet should be balanced according to one’s needs. Must have in diet includes fruits and vegetables of 4-5 servings as well as a handful of dry fruits, unless contraindicated. Salt intake should be restricted to less than 4g/day. Sugar, fried or over-heated fatty food should be avoided. Adequate hydration, adequate amount of restful sleep are equally important. One must also get regular check-ups done so that silent attacks or abnormalities are detected in time. Above all things it is most important to minimize stress by finding happiness in everything we do. Dr. Aditya Verma, Cardiologist, MD, DNB (Gen. Medicine), DM Cardiology

Parenting was never easy, with its various challenges in rearing up an individual and introducing them to the society. One can say that the challenges have been increasing day by day in today’s fast paced and hectic society, therefore creating new pressures for parents. Nowadays children are exposed to a variety of things- new technology, frequent changes and fast development, overwhelming education system as well as changes in family dynamics. An exposure to these have made them more aggressive, defiant, argumentative, impulsive, demanding with a knack for throwing tantrums. Due to the numerous demands on today’s parents, its a real challenge for them to take out and deliver quality time to their children on a regular basis. Likewise too many children have packed after school schedules that leave them very little time to simply be with their parents or spend quality time with their family as well as having quality playtime. With majority of the parents being working, balancing work and personal life is also challenging as lack of time between each other or the children creates a breakage in the emotional bonding therefore making the child more defiant or aloof. Raising children in Digital age is one the most significant challenges that parents have to face these days. The constant exposure to the world of social media, gaming and others have not only interfered with the child’s concentration and motivation level in academics rather has also contributed to an array of behavioural difficulties arising from indecent subjection to inappropriate content. Agrima Chakraborty, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, M.Sc in Psychology (C.U.), M.Phil in Clinical Psychology (IOP-COE)