Facts About Indian Railway

Following are the some of the important Indian Railway Facts

• The total distance covered by the 14,300 trains on the Indian Railways everyday, equals three & half times the distance to moon
• The first train on Indian soil ran between Bombay and Thane on the 16th of April 1853
• IR has about 63,028 route kms. of track
• IR employs about 1.55 million people
• It carries over 13 million passengers & 1.3 million tones of freight everyday
• It runs about 14,300 trains daily
• IR has about 7,000 railway stations
• The longest platform in the world is at Kharagpur and is 2,733 ft. in length
• Nehru Setu on Sone River is the longest Railway bridge
• 42 Railway companies operated in the country before independence
• Electric Locomotives are manufactured at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan
• Coaches are manufactured at ICF/Chennai, RCF/Kapurthala and BEML/Bangaluru
• The national Rail Museum at New Delhi was set-up in 1977
• People Employed in Indian Railway are about 1.6 million
• Stations across State Lines are Navapur (Maharashtra and Gujarat) and Bhawani Mandi (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan)
• Classes of travel on Indian Railway: Ist AC, 2nd AC, 3rd AC, AC Chair Car IInd sleeper & IInd ordinary
• Railway Station with all the Three Gauges is Siliguri Railway Station

First/Longest/Oldest in Indian Railways

First Passenger Train Ran On	16th April 1853 (between Bombay to Thane)
First Railway Bridge	Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route
First Rail Tunnel	Parsik Tunnel
First Ghats Covered by the Rail lines	Thal and Bhore Ghats
First Underground Railway	Calcutta METRO
First Computerized Reservation System started in	New Delhi (1986)
First Electric Train ran on	3rd Feb' 1925 (between Bombay VT and Kurla)
Toilets on Trains were introduced in	1891 (1st Class) & 1907 (lower classes)
Shortest Station Name	Ib (Orissa)
Longest Station Name	Sri Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta (Tamil Nadu)
Busiest Railway Station	Lucknow (64 trains everyday)
Longest Run (Time)	Himsagar Express (3751 km in 74 hrs and 55 min)
Shortest Run	Route between Nagpur to Ajni (3km)
Longest Run for Daily Train	Kerala Express (3054 km in 42.5 hrs)
Longest Non-Stop Run (Distance)	Trivandrum Rajdhani (528 km in 6.5 hrs)
Longest Railway Platform in the World	Kharagpur (2,733 ft in length)
Longest Railway Bridge	Nehru Setu on Sone River (10044ft in length)
Longest Tunnel	Karbude On Konkan Railway between Monkey hill & Khandala (6.5 km)
Oldest Preserved Locomotive	Fairy Queen (1855), still in working order
Indian Railway's Fastest Train	Bhopal-Shatabdi (runs at a speed up to 140 Km/ph)
Train with Maximum Number of Halts	Howrah-Amritsar Express (115 halts)

Health:- Analgesics (painkillers)

Aspirin Codeine Ibuprofen Paracetamol Aspirin What is aspirin? Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is used to reduce pain and/or inflammation. It can be used to treat: mild to moderate pain fever swollen, red and tender tissues rheumatoid arthritis rheumatic fever. It is also used in the prevention of heart attacks, strokes and bowel cancer. Side effects of aspirin  Some of the mild side effects that may be experienced include: sensory problems: dizziness, ringing in the ears, blurred vision fluid imbalance: sweating, fluid retention, ankle swelling, thirst digestive problems: abdominal discomfort or bloating, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation feeling low: drowsiness, fatigue, depression. Aspirin overdose  A high dose of aspirin can cause a person to overdose. This means that they have taken more aspirin than their body can cope with. The effects can include: headaches dizziness confusion drowsiness thirst seizures coma nausea vomiting sweating fever ringing in ears deafness rapid and shallow breathing respiratory failure. Long term effects If people take high doses of aspirin over a long period of time, they may experience long-term side effects. Serious long-term effects can include: anaemia (low red blood cell count) easy bruising or abnormal bleeding peptic ulcers, inflamed stomach lining, stomach bleeding vomiting blood that may look like coffee grounds and bowel motions that look like black tar an allergic-type reaction, wheezy breathing and a tightness in the chest in adults, hives in children, or in some rare cases swelling of the face, lips, tongue or around the eyes reduced kidney or liver function. Back to "Analgesic (pain killer) facts" Codeine  What is codeine?  Codeine belongs to a group of drugs known as "opioids". Other opioids include opium, heroin, morphine, pethidine, oxycodone, buprenorphine and methadone. Codeine is used to provide relief from a number of conditions including: mild to moderate pain severe pain (when combined with aspirin or paracetamol)  dry irritating cough  diarrhoea cold and ‘flu (when combined with antihistamines and decongestants). Side effects of codeine  Misusing codeine increases the risk of side effects and puts a person at risk of an overdose. Some of the mild side effects that may be experienced include: dizziness lethargy confusion, difficulty concentrating euphoria, restlessness blurred vision dry mouth limbs feeling heavy or muscles stiff sweating mild allergic rash, itching or hives decreased heart rate, palpitations stomach ache, nausea, vomiting difficulty urinating, even though the person feels they need to. Codeine overdose  A high dose of codeine can cause a person to overdose. This means that a person has taken more codeine than their body can cope with.   The symptoms of codeine overdose include: dizziness stupor or coma seizures slack muscles nausea vomiting weakness cold clammy skin that has a bluish tinge dry mouth very slow, shallow breathing agitation. If someone has overdosed on codeine it is important that they receive emergency care immediately so they can be given an antidote. Long-term effects If people take high doses of codeine over a long period of time, they may experience long-term side effects. Serious long-term effects can include: constipation reduced sex drive menstrual problems. More serious side effects and complications can occur, especially when codeine is taken with other drugs. Codeine tolerance, dependence and withdrawal  There is evidence that after prolonged use, codeine can become addictive. People who use codeine regularly can develop dependence and tolerance to it, which means they need to take larger amounts of codeine to get the same effect. Dependence on codeine can be psychological, physical, or both. People who are dependent on codeine find that using the drug becomes far more important than other activities in their life. They crave the drug and find it very difficult to stop using it. People who are psychologically dependent on codeine may find they feel an urge to use it when they are in specific surroundings or socialising with friends. Physical dependence occurs when a person’s body adapts to codeine and gets used to functioning with the codeine present. Some common withdrawal symptoms include: goose bumps, fever, chills, sweating runny nose, sneezing abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting lack of appetite dilated pupils trembling, aching muscles and joints restlessness, irritability, nervousness depression. Back to "Analgesic (pain killer) facts" Ibuprofen What is ibuprofen?  Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, which can be used to provide relief from a number of conditions, including: mild to moderate pain severe pain (when combined with codeine) fever swollen, red and tender tissues  rheumatoid arthritis, back pain and gout (in conjunction with physical therapy). Side effects of ibuprofen Misusing ibuprofen increases the risk of side effects and puts a person at risk of an overdose. Some of the mild side effects that may be experienced include: headache dizziness drowsiness, fatigue thirst, sweating ringing in the ears, blurred vision, eye irritation fluid retention, ankle swelling tingling or numbness in hands and feet mild allergic reaction abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation bladder irritation and pain, frequent urination problems sleeping. Serious side effects and complications can include: anaemia (low red blood cell count) peptic ulcers, inflamed stomach lining, or heartburn vomiting blood that may look like coffee grounds and bowel motions that look like black tar severe allergic-type reaction, or in rare cases swelling of the face impairment of kidney or liver function confusion or disorientation, mental depression, feelings of unreality, anxiety, paranoia. Ibuprofen overdose  A high dose of ibuprofen can cause a person to overdose. This means that a person has taken more ibuprofen than their body can cope with. The symptoms of ibuprofen overdose are listed in the diagram. drowsiness seizures coma abdominal pain nausea vomiting agitation confusion. If someone has overdosed on ibuprofen it is important they receive urgent medical attention. Long-term effects If people take high doses of ibuprofen over a long period of time, they may experience long-term side effects. Serious long-term effects can include: kidney damage gastrointestinal bleeding increased risk of heart attack. Back to "Analgesic (pain killer) facts" Paracetamol  What is paracetamol?  Paracetamol is used to relieve mild pain (and to reduce fever). It can be combined with other drugs such as codeine and used for stronger pain relief. It is also combined with antihistamines and decongestants to help relieve the symptoms of colds and ’flu. Misusing paracetamol increases the risk of serious side effects and puts a person at risk of an overdose. Side effects from paracetamol may include: drowsiness and fatigue rashes or itching. Children may occasionally experience low blood sugar and tremors, or feel hungry, faint or confused. Paracetamol overdose  The symptoms of paracetamol overdose include: drowsiness coma seizures abdominal pain nausea vomiting. If someone has overdosed on paracetamol it is important that they receive emergency care immediately, so they can be given an antidote as soon as possible. Long-term effects  If people take paracetamol over a long period of time, they may experience long term side effects. Serious long-term effects can include: liver damage bluish tinge to fingers and lips tiredness breathlessness anaemia (low red blood cell count).

Health:- Cough

Cough is a very common and distressing symptom with many causes. By far the most common cause is a viral infection. Asthma and pneumonia are the most common of the non-viral causes.

Sadly, cough is very difficult to treat. A cough is protective in nature, clearing mucus and foreign materiel from the airways and the body resists efforts to suppress it.

Cough also tends to be worst at night. Increases in blood pressure in the larynx make some coughs much worse on reclining. We are also more aware of cough at night when we or family members are trying to sleep.  Cough caused by mucus dripping from the nose is also worsened by lying down.

Children do not gain benefit from cough syrups.  Some children have been seriously harmed by cough medicines and so most countries, including New Zealand, now recommend that children should not be given cough medicines.  Sumner Health Centre has always advised that children should not be given cough remedies.

Adults may gain some small benefit from pholcodine linctus (available without prescription) but this may cause drowsiness and constipation. For cough due to heavy nasal congestion, decongestant sprays (otrivin) and tablets (sudafed) may help, but be sure to check that these are safe for you.

• Most patients with cough will be better sitting up.
• Sipping ice water is safe and can provide a little temporary relief.
• Inhaling damp air can also be soothing - use hot but NOT boiling water in a bowl.
• Consider turning off dehumidifiers but do keep the room warm.
• Sugar free lozenges can help a little but have no lasting effect.
• Distraction can also help - It may be better to sit up and read or watch TV until you are tired enough to fall asleep easily rather than lie in bed coughing.

As cough has so many causes, it is difficult to give general advice on when to see a doctor.

Cough associated with chest pain, shortness of breath or wheeze may be serious and you should certainly consult a doctor (usually fairly quickly although it depends on severity) Consider calling healthline on 0800 611 116 or even 111.

Bronchitis, a cough with sputum production (but no deeper infection) often causes green spit.  This does not usually indicate a more serious infection but it is hard to be sure without an examination.  If you are not short of breath, do not have a fever and do not have any chronic illnesses, it is usually safe to wait up to three days before you see the doctor, even if you have green spit.  Bear in mind that if you do feel really ill, you should not delay a visit to see us.

Any cough lasting 2 weeks or more usually warrants examination, especially in children.

If you are unsure, it is best to visit us - we are always pleased to examine you and offer appropriate individualised advice on management.

Health:- Aches and pains

Facts on aches and pains

• Backache
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Osteoporosis: preventing falls
• Painful menstruation

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• Arthritis: real story
• Back pain
• Bunions
• Osteoporosis

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