SEEING ‘INTELLIGENCE’ IN A NEW LIGHT

 

Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles by taking thought. Although these individual differences can be substantial, they are never entirely consistent: a given person's intellectual performance will vary on different occasions, in different domains, as judged by different criteria.

 

Everyone likes to think of themselves as intelligent, and enjoys to hear themselves called 'clever' by other people. We have all heard of IQ tests, and most of us have heard of the three main intelligence groups: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The first idea is a little out of fashion, and the second never really caught on. According to a famous Harvard Professor of Education, Howard Gardner, both ideas fail because there are actually 9 intelligences! And, wonderfully, we all possess these intelligences to uniquely differing degrees. Gardner defines intelligence as a “bio-psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture”

 

Multiple Intelligences: An Educational Theory

Howard Gardner, Ph.D. has spent the latter part of his career finessing the theory that all humans share nine distinct 'intelligences' to varying degrees. He first proposed the theory of multiple intelligences in his 1983 book Frames of Mind, where he broadens the definition of intelligence and outlines several distinct types of intellectual competencies. Rather than intelligence being something that can be described as if on a spectrum, i.e. 'this man is more intelligent than that man', every individual has a unique set of intelligence skills. And this is not wishy-washy make-believe, but a renowned psychological theory from a Harvard expert.   His theory has been associated with the recent trend in schools to focus on so called ‘child centered’ learning, because traditional teaching assumes one single type of intelligence, which is unfair on those of us who don't fit that straight jacket. 

 

Gardner would prefer that learners take an active role in their own assessment, internalizing the kind of adjustments they need to make based on their experience of feedback from trained professionals (teachers). He compares this with how people learn and master sports, music and arts. But these examples can be expanded to include all of us in our daily lives, not just kids at school. After all, everyday is a school day in the real world!

 

So, what are the 9 Different Intelligences?  These are:

 

1. Musical-rhythmic and harmonic (Music Smart)

Have you always had a tremendous understanding of the relationship between feeling and sound? Perhaps you enjoy a particular awareness and appreciation of sound, with superb recognition of patterns of tone and rhythm. People with high skills in this area often become successful as: composers, DJs, entertainers, music producers, musicians, voice coaches. How much of this intelligence do you think you have?

 

2. Visual-Spatial (Picture Smart)

All those years ago at school did you enjoy making art? Then you probably have a very high visual spatial intelligence. Even if you didn’t do very well at art you still have this intelligence to some degree. We all have a certain understanding of the relationship between different images, and between space and effects. People who do well in these areas often spend their professional life in these fields: architecture, art, engineering, graphic designing, inventing, photography, landscaping, sculpting. Have you ever fancied doing jobs like these? Perhaps you have already done so.

 

3. Verbal-linguistic (Word Smart)

If you feel very comfortable expressing yourself using the written and spoken word, interpreting and explaining ideas with language, then you must have a very high verbal-linguistic intelligence. The kind of jobs you would be suited for would include: journalist, lawyer, poet, teacher, TV/radio presenter, writer. Does this sound like you?

 

4. Logical-mathematical (Logic Smart)

If you are good at analyzing problems, noticing patterns and have always had skill at making mathematical calculations then you surely possess logical-mathematical intelligence in great abundance. People with such intelligence are suited to these jobs: banker, computer programmer, engineer, scientist, and trader. Are you such a person?

 

5. Bodily-kinesthetic (Body Smart}

Not often thought of as an intelligence, people who rank highly in this area of the mind exhibit good body to eye coordination, great manual dexterity and enjoy poise, balance and agility. People who excel at bodily-kinesthetic intelligence often succeed in careers as: athletes, dancers, nurses, biologists, physical therapists, sign-language interpreters. How well could you have seen yourself doing in jobs like these? Needless to say, these may deteriorate with age and illness.

 

6. Interpersonal (People smart)

This intelligence describes our ability (or lack of ability) to relate to other people. People’s behavior often requires interpretation, and that’s where this part of our intelligence kicks in. People who really excel at reading their neighbors can do very well in these types of employment: advertising, care giving, coaching/mentoring, counseling, education, HR, mediation, politics, psychology, sales, teaching, training, therapy. Do you believe you can read people well?

 

7. Intrapersonal (Self Smart)

This intelligence should not be confused with interpersonal, which describes our relations with our neighbors. Intrapersonal intelligence is our sense of self-awareness. Do you understand yourself? Can you react to your own needs and changing circumstances? How aware are you of your place in relation to others? This kind of intelligence is necessarily subjective, therefore only a trained intelligence expert can be expected to tell you how much of this intelligence you have. Perhaps it is something that we can control ourselves through meditation.

 

8. Naturalistic (Nature Smart)

This intelligence was a late addition to Gardner’s theory. It describes the kind of intelligence required to understand our relationship with our natural surroundings. For example, in earlier parts of our evolutionary story we would have had to understand the differences between flora and fauna, and develop our skills in hunting, farming and domestication. It has been suggested that not only farmers, hunters and modern day gatherers (or foragers) possess abundance of this intelligence, but also chefs and botanists. So if you are a bit of an amateur biologist and a keen cook, you probably are a true Naturalist.

 

9. Existential

This is one of my favorite intelligences, because it is clearly something we all have inborn. As a child did you ask a lot of existential questions, such as ‘why is there something, and not nothing?’, ‘why is grass green?’ Or have you heard your grandkids asking the same questions – and been unable to answer? If so, you probably have something in common with some of the world’s greatest philosophers and spiritual leaders. 

 

Other possible intelligences

In the future it's possible that Gardner may add at least one more intelligence to his list. As a world famous educator it's perhaps unsurprising that he is beginning to recognize something called the 'teaching-pedagogical intelligence.' This may be enabling us to pass on information to other people. What else? Well, many people have argued that humor and sex require their own separate intelligences; Gardner however does not believe that these are intelligences by themselves.

 

Multiple Intelligence Test

So now you have had a good think about yourself and how intelligent you are, why not take this quick 5 minute test to see what kinds of percentages you possibly posses. However, there are no right answers, just your unique self. No matter what, you possess all of these different intelligences in varying degrees and they all go towards making you the special person you are. 

Try to think about how well cultivated these 9 parts of your mind are. Do you possess some of these intelligences naturally? Have you improved upon others? Which have you been neglecting? Learning Gardner's theory will really help you think about yourself as a whole person. 

 

Gardner’s theory has had significant impact on education. It encourages pluralistic teaching methods, where educators present material in multiple ways to encourage different intelligences. Thus, a lesson might combine story telling (linguistic), hands on experiments (bodily-kinesthetic), and visual aids (spatial) to reach a wider range of learners.

Critics argue that labeling these abilities as separate intelligences broadens the definition of intelligence beyond traditional scientific standards, raising questions about empirical validation. Despite this objection Gardner's framework provides a more nuanced understanding of human cognitive abilities, highlighting individual strengths and encouraging diverse educational strategies. A monkey can not be declared smarter than the elephant because it can climb up a tree!

 

 

TEACHERS AND PARENTS – A FORMIDABLE TEAM IN COLVIN

 

You can call it a generation gap. Parents and teachers often remember their childhood, and expect the children and the students of today to be just like them, little realizing that times have changed and so have the values and the priorities of  their offsprings and students. During these years many parents and teachers are "caught in the trap" and make common mistakes in raising and educating their children, however, this situation can be avoided. Making mistakes is human, and the wisdom is to know this and to understand that there are certain statements that create strong resistance in the minds of adolescents which process in a way that’s completely different than what you could fathom.

I was brought up in a middle class Bengali family that had moved from Calcutta to Lucknow because of my father’s transferable job but once we came to this city, we knew we are never going to leave it. My parents would only settle for the best school in town, and though it was a very expensive one they chose Colvin for me. I distinctly remember my interview in the Principal’s office. The principal, Mr. Kashyap, after a few run of the mill qusetions which a student of Class II was supposed to answer, asked “Son, what is your father?” I don’t think I understood the question very well and so very confidently said “He is a man.” “Wonderful”, he exclaimed, “and that is exactly what we want to make one out of you, a good, honest and sincere gentleman, who would one day be the pride of your family, this school and this country!” He then turned to my father and said “Mr. Bhattacharya, Colvin today may not be in a position to promise that your son will be an outstanding scholar, but the fact that he will be an outstanding human being, who will stand out in the crowd, I have no doubt about that.”

I have, in my previous blogs, documented in great details about the teaching in Colvin, about the teachers and their innovative punishments. You can read it by clicking: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2023/11/remembering-my-teacher-and-my-father_16.html

Today I will share with you some pages from my father’s diary, written almost 60 years ago after a parent – teacher meeting. Beyond academics, these meetings allowed teachers to discuss the child’s behaviour, attitude towards learning, and social interactions with peers. This comprehensive feedback helped parents to understand how their child adapted to the school environment. A child’s academic success is often closely linked to how involved their parents are in their education. These meetings in Colvin motivated parents to take an active role, offering them a chance to better understand the curriculum and the school’s expectations. But this parent teacher meeting, which my father kept a note of, was very different.

My father wrote that it was attended by around 20 parents and Class teachers of all sections of Class VI and two senior teachers, Mr. M.G. Rao and Mr. P.N. Chaube. The contents of this meeting was most fascinating, the two senior teachers were in fact teaching the parents the secrets of good parenting. No doubt, they were very experienced in parenting, having raised their own families, but the golden experience of being a teacher in Colvin too gave them the authority. Today, I can  not imagine such a meeting and the parents might take offence, but the sagacity of the senior teachers and the humility of the parents both deserve a lot of respect, for it was purely passing down of invaluable wisdom! What they were actually telling the parents was why they should avoid certain common admonitions while disciplining their children. These are a few of them:

1. "It's not that I don’t trust you, but..."

There is nothing more irritating to adolescents than adults who turn to them and begin their spiel with this sentence - it means to them that they simply do not trust them. It is very important that you don’t say these words because the meaning hidden in this sentence is very confusing. If you don’t trust your teens, just tell them that. Give your adolescent children a little more credit - if you tell them you don’t trust them, they will try to find a way to gain your trust.

2. "Because I said so."

Let's be honest with ourselves, as parents, we also don’t like to hear these words, and between us, this argument is very weak. When you say this sentence your adolescent children are probably thinking that you have no real reason behind your decision, or that you simply don’t want to explain your thought process to them. If you are going to say that you are not allowing them to do something, you must also explain why you aren’t allowing them to do so. If you explain yourself correctly and clearly, this will leave no room for debate and prevent feelings of frustration in the future for both sides.

3. "You’ll understand when you get older"

Your teens have one foot in the door and one foot out, and when you use this statement, they realize that they are still young and that you think they’re stupid. It's true that this isn’t your intention, but think about it, if they are old enough to learn how to ride a bicycle, decide which extracurricular activities they want to join, and start thinking about what colleges they want to attend, they are mature enough to have an opinion on a particular subject. Just because their opinion is not based on a lot of experience or is different from their parents' opinion, doesn’t mean they are immature or don’t understand, it just proves that they are different from you, and that's okay. Instead of using this phrase, try telling your adolescent children about the life experience that led you to a particular opinion, and ask them challenging questions about dealing with certain situations to develop their thinking and readiness for life.

4. "When I was your age, I was never ..."

We all know that this statement is far from true, and it is perceived by your adolescent children as a fact that you were perfect boys and girls during your teenage years. Moreover, no matter how perfect you think you were when you were young, you had to have made at least one mistake along the way. Perhaps you’ve decided to forget all your mistakes or chose not to share them with your adolescent children because you don’t want them to repeat your mistakes. However, what they need most is a human role model, someone who has made mistakes in his past and can identify with them. Sometimes, being the perfect parent is not necessarily what your children need. And have you ever thought that the children’s grandparents can spill all the beans of your childhood and falsify your story!

5. "What are you not telling me?"

Most of us agree that it is a good thing to know what adolescent children do, where they spend their time and with whom. The problem is that asking questions about these issues is interpreted as an investigation, especially when they don’t want to tell you about something they’ve done. All in all, this is simple logic, but there is a very fine line between worrying about your children and trying to take out skeletons that don’t exist in their messy closet. It is very important to take your teen's word for it and if you can’t, then there is a trust problem that needs to be solved, maybe even just on your part. Ideally your kids should have absolute confidence in you and confide in you, but for that you need to make a friendly atmosphere at home, not a hostile one.

6. "Why can’t you be more like your sister/ brother?"

One of the worst things you can do as a parent is to compare your children to others, within the family and in general, and at any age. When you turn to them with such a statement what they’re actually hearing is that they aren’t good enough; Such a statement undermines them and makes them worry and convince themselves that they aren’t living up to your expectations. Instead of asking "Why can’t you be more responsible like your sister?" Ask "Why can’t you be more responsible?" His sister is a different person, with a different personality. This child is most certainly not like his sister, but still he can be trained to be responsible.

7. "Money doesn‘t grow on the trees"

When you choose to say that phrase, your adolescent children understand that what they are asking for is too expensive and that you aren’t going to buy it. Because this sentence is so commonly used, it doesn’t have the same impact it once would have. Instead of being snarky, simply tell them that what they're asking for is too expensive, and you can’t buy it. If you want to teach them about the importance of money and wise economic conduct, you need to do so without using condescending phrases and talk to them at eye level.

8. "What are you doing in your room all the time?"

It is perfectly normal for teenagers to have the desire to break away from their families and escape to their rooms. They are with their families every day and it is okay to allow them some independence. What you’re actually trying to convey to them with this sentence is that you miss them and want to spend time with them, so just tell them that! Their brains are busy with a lot of thoughts and they probably just aren’t aware that they’ve become a recluse. This sentence will only drive them deeper into their teenage caves.

 

I am amazed at the contents of this meeting, not only because of the extent to which the teachers in Colvin would go into character building of their students, but how easily they could team up with the parents to make a formidable team. Academic performances of individual students were also discussed with their class teachers, but what I can understand from my father’s diary is, that was certainly not the most important part of the meeting. These interactions went far beyond the basic exchange of information—they helped build a meaningful partnership that supported the children’s academic and personal growth. Parents, teachers, and students in Colvin would work together to ensure that each child received the best possible education, with everyone contributing to their success.

THE EIFFEL TOWER

 

 

One of the most recognizable landmarks in France is the Eiffel Tower, designed by Maurice Koechlin to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution, and named after Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Construction ended in 1889, and its location marked the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair. Since then, the tower has become synonymous with Paris. The tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.

Locally nicknamed "La dame de fer" (French for "Iron Lady"), it was constructed as the centrepiece of the 1889 World's Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. Although initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

 

For Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the decision was made to combine one of the strongest symbols of the Olympic Games - the medals - with the most iconic symbol of the French nation - the Eiffel Tower. Chaumet, expert French jewelers designed every Olympic and Paralympic medal by adorning them with a highly symbolic and invaluable piece of metal: the original iron used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower! The tower itself played a vital role in the Olympic Games, hosting the Beach Volleyball and providing a scenic backdrop to road cycling, marathon, judo ad wrestling. It also remained a silent backdrop to various other activities during the Olympic Games and was the central hub of activities during the Games.

 

I have been to Paris on several occasions and have seen the Eiffel Tower with friends and all by myself. I have picked up brochures from various places, listened to Walkman audios and watched many YouTube videos, and these are the few things I want to share with you all about the Eiffel Tower:

1. The tower stands 324ft (98m) tall, and is constructed of 18,038 metal beams, weighing over 7,300 tons.

2. Painting the tower required 60 tons of paint, and a new coat is needed every seven years.

3. The architect the tower is named after, Gustave Eiffel, also designed the Statue of Liberty. The design of the Eiffel Tower is attributed to Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers working for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel.

4. The tower’s construction was not popular, and many artists and architects protested against it.  A petition called "Artists against the Eiffel Tower" was sent to the Minister of Works and Commissioner for the Exposition, Adolphe Alphand, and it was published by Le Temps on 14 February 1887: ‘We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection ... of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower’

5. Originally, the Eiffel Tower was planned to stand for only 20 years.

6. In 1905, the French newspaper L’Equipe held a race to the first level. The winner’s time was three minutes and twelve seconds (the winner won a bike).

7. In 1964, the city of Paris celebrated the Eiffel Tower’s 75th anniversary by televising a group of mountaineers, climbing to the top of the tower.

8. On the tower’s 100th anniversary, a tightrope walker named Philipe Petit walked over a 2,296ft (700m) tightrope between the Tower and the Palais de Challiot.

9. During WWII, at the First Battle of Marne, the allies used the tower to block Nazi radio signals, facilitating their victory.

10. During the winter, the tower shrinks by six inches (15cm).

11. Winds and heat cause the tower to sway as much as seven inches (18cm).

12. Gustave Eiffel actually had a small apartment on the top floor, which he used to entertain friends and family.

13. These days, the 2nd floor is the home of the world-famous Jules Verne restaurant.

14. Surprisingly, the majority of tourists who visit the tower are French.

15. Every night, over 20,000 light bulbs illuminate the tower.

16. Before the installation of elevators, visitors who wished to get to the top had to use the 1,665 steps.

17. Over seven million people visit the tower annually. The Eiffel Tower received 5,889,000 visitors in 2022.

18. The tower is 330 metres (1,083 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is square, measuring 125 metres (410 ft) on each side.

19. It was the first structure in the world to surpass both the 200 meters and 300 meters mark in height. Due to the addition of a broadcasting aerial at the top of the tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 metres (17 ft). Excluding transmitters, the Eiffel Tower is the second tallest free-standing structure in France after the Millau Viaduct.

20. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground—the highest public observation deck in the European Union.

21. Tickets have to be purchased to the three levels. Both lifts and stairs service the lower and middle levels with a 300 and 600 stairs ascent. There are stairs to the top level but is is accessible only by lift. A ticket for two, valid for 90 minutes costs INR 4000 and with summit option it costs INR 4570.

 

A walk from Notre Dame to Eiffel Tower, along the Seine river is a leisurely 5 Km early morning pleasure, which you can not avoid if you are in Paris. You can also do this journey through Champ de Mars, down rue St Dominique, right on Blvd St Germain, then through St Michel, but walking by the side of the river is a very different experience.

In 2015 workers gave the tower an environmentally friendly makeover by installing two wind turbines on the second level of the structure. These devices convert wind into electricity for the tower's shops and restaurants. A system was also set up to collect and funnel rainwater into the tower's toilets. The tower has two small laboratories on the third level where astronomers and meteorologists could work.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Eiffel Tower then I will advice you to see this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/RmnRF_lNDbA

REMEMBERING Prof. K.C.GARG BY HIS LECTURE ON GLAUCOMA

 

Prof. K,C. Garg was our teacher of Ophthalmology when we were doing our M.B.B.S in King George’s Medical College, Lucknow. He was an outstanding teacher, a very popular clinician and a wonderful human being. He inspired an entire generation of students to take up Ophthalmology as a career and his students went on to became Unit Chiefs and Directors of Ophthalmology in hospitals and medical institutions all over the world.

 

Prof. Garg MS, FRCS, DO was trained in the U.K. and was the second in hierarchy in the department of ophthalmology, during a large part of his tenure, a time when we had a head of the department with an exceptionally towering demeanor in Prof. M.K. Mehra, about whom I have eluded in one of my previous blogs. In case you have missed it, please click: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2025/01/remembering-prof-mk-mehra-with-his.html

Only in the last two years was Prof. Garg the head of the department. The postgraduate students in the department had much to learn from him, besides the subject. At times he would talk of the past, when he used to travel by bus, to neighboring towns, rendering service and earning a name, by providing professional specialist service to the people.  The sympathy, empathy, and kindness for the patients, was there at all times, for all his residents to see and emulate. He was simple and humble at all times whether he was with the PG students or colleagues. It was because of the genuine person he was that even the head, never questioning his authority, even though was senior to Prof. Garg by two years. He was the only faculty with a personal chamber of his own, besides the HOD, in the department, yet most of the time, when not in the OPD or the OT, he would sit in the chamber where his colleagues, much junior to him, were having their seats.

During those days, the Chief Resident was responsible for preparing the OT list, and as a principle, whenever the HOD went on a short leave, Prof. Garg would take the rounds of the beds of the HOD, but never operate  those patients, requesting them to wait a day or two, for the HOD to return. He always expected a reciprocal culture in working.

An incidence was recalled by my batch mate, Dr. Jaideep Datta, a prominent ophthalmologist in Dehradun. In the absence of the Chief Resident one day, he, the Senior Resident, was officiating and he took Prof. Garg, who had returned from a short leave, for the rounds, along with the JR and HO's. On seeing a patient on his side, operated just a day earlier by the HOD, an oversight of the CR,  Jaideep was witness to a rare  mortal rage, where the team members simply ran away for chores not completed for last many days, leaving him to face the fury of the person who valued principles. Within minutes, he was back to normal, and later, when he was leaving the department, Jaideep was called. Prof. Garg, seated in his car, explained painstakingly his point about morality and the correct ways of life. The next day was their OT day, and he deputed Jaideep to operate three cases, even though those senior to him and others were present. Justice and apology both being delivered in the true tradition of Guru-Shishya parampara!

 

Today I recall a lecture on Glaucoma, delivered to our MBBS class way back in 1978-79 by Prof. Garg. After retrieving my lecture notes I asked my batch mate and retired professor of Ophthalmology from Prof. Garg's department, Dr. Poonam Kishore to confirm that I have documented it correctly. She tells me that the understanding of glaucoma  has changed over time, but this was an outstanding lecture for the late seventies!

 

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an umbrella term for eye diseases that make pressure build up inside our eyeball, which can damage the Optic Nerve at the back of our eye. Most of these diseases are progressive, which means they gradually get worse. As they do, they can eventually cause permanent vision loss and blindness. In fact, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness worldwide.

 

In Glaucoma the optic nerve becomes damaged, and worsens over time. The build-up of pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure, is the eye's inability to drain out the aqueous humor fluid properly. Optic nerve damage can lead to loss of vision and permanent blindness within a couple of years, if left untreated.

Causes glaucoma

Glaucoma can occur without any cause, but many factors can affect the condition. The most important of these risk factors is intraocular eye pressure. Our eyes produce a fluid called aqueous humor that nourishes them. This liquid flows from the posterior chamber, through our pupil to the anterior chamber n the front of our eye. In a healthy eye, the fluid drains through mesh-like canals (trabecular meshwork), which is where our iris and cornea come together at an angle.

With glaucoma, the resistance increases in your drainage canals. The fluid has nowhere to go, so it builds up in our eye. This excess fluid puts pressure on our eye. Eventually, this elevated eye pressure can damage our optic nerve and lead to glaucoma.

What makes the fluid build up can vary, depending on the specific overall type of glaucoma the patient has. Secondary glaucoma can be caused by:

     •       Blunt injury to the eye
•       Chemical damage to the eye
•       Severe eye infection
•       Inflammatory conditions of the eye (Uveitis)

                             

 Types of glaucoma

There are many different types of glaucoma:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma. “Open-angle” means that the drainage angle, where the inside of the sclera and the outer edge of the iris meet, is open wide. Aqueous humor flows into the drainage angle so it can drain out of the anterior chamber. This is the most common type of glaucoma.
• Primary angle-closure glaucoma. Aqueous humor fluid is supposed to flow from the posterior chamber behind our iris, through our pupil, and into the anterior chamber. But sometimes, the lens of our eye presses too far forward, blocking fluid from flowing through the pupil opening. The extra fluid in the posterior chamber forces the iris forward, narrowing or closing off the drainage angle.
• Secondary glaucoma. This is when another condition or event increases eye pressure, which leads to glaucoma. Conditions that can cause it include eye injuries, pigmentary dispersion syndrome, uveitis, certain medications (especially corticosteroids and cycloplegics), eye procedures and more.
• Congenital glaucoma. Child is born with glaucoma because of abberation in fetal development of the eye. These include Aniridia, Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, Marfan syndrome, congenital rubella syndrome and neurofibromatosis type 1.

Symptoms of glaucoma

In its early stages, glaucoma may not cause any symptoms. That’s why up to most of the people in India with glaucoma may not know they have it. And symptoms may not appear until this condition causes irreversible damage.

Some of the more common glaucoma symptoms include:

• Eye pain or pressure
• Headaches
• Red or bloodshot eyes
• Blurred vision
• Gradually developing diminution of vision
• Gradually developing blind spots (scotomas) or visual field defects like tunnel vision

 

Some types of glaucoma, particularly angle closure glaucoma, can cause sudden, severe symptoms that need immediate medical attention to prevent permanent vision loss. Emergency glaucoma symptoms include:

• Blood gathering in front of your iris (hyphema)
• Nausea and vomiting that happen with eye pain/pressure
• Rainbow-colored halos around lights
• Sudden appearance or increase in floaters (myodesopsias)
• Sudden vision loss of any kind
• Suddenly seeing flashing lights (photopsias) in your vision
• Sudden hazy or blurred vision

 

Risk factors for glaucoma

Several risk factors can contribute to glaucoma. They include:

• Age. Most types of glaucoma affect people age 40 and older (congenital types are the biggest exception to this). Experts estimate that 10% of people age 75 and older have glaucoma.
• Race. Black people have a much higher risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma, especially people of Afro-Caribbean descent. People of African descent are 15 times more likely to have blindness from open-angle glaucoma. People of Asian and Inuit descent have a higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma.
• Sex. Women have a higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma. Experts suspect this is mainly because of sex-linked differences in eye anatomy.
• Refractive errors. People with myopia have a higher risk of open-angle glaucoma. People with hypermetropia have a higher risk of angle-closure glaucoma.
• Family history. There’s evidence that a family history of glaucoma, especially a first-degree biological relative (a parent, child or sibling), means you also have a higher risk of developing it. And several conditions that cause secondary glaucoma are genetic, too.
• Chronic conditions.  Patients with hypertension and diabetes have much higher odds of developing glaucoma. Patients on steroids are also at a higher risk of developing glaucoma.

 

Preventative Measures Against Glaucoma:

1) Healthy Diet - Green leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll, which is a vital component that improves vision and protects against glaucoma. Spinach, kale, beetroot, and carrots, are all useful. The omega-3 fatty acids of cold water fish are also beneficial. 

 

2) Eye Exercises - Eye exercises prevent strain and sharpen concentration.

(a)  The Pencil Exercise - Hold a pencil at arm’s length and focus on it, slowly bring it closer to your nose. Move the pencil farther from your eyes until you can no longer keep it in focus. Perform this exercise about ten times a day.

(b)The Eye Rolling Exercise - Roll your eyes in a clockwise direction for a few seconds, and then counter-clockwise for a few seconds. Repeat the process four or five times, and blink your eyes in between each set.

(c) The Eye Blinking Exercise - Try blinking your eyes in quick spurts, 20 to 30 times without squeezing your eyes shut, which is known as eyelid fluttering. Close your eyes and let them rest for a while after you are done. 

(d)The Concentration Exercise - Focus your vision on a distant object for a short period. Try staring at the moon outside for a few minutes to avoid straining of the eyes. 

3) Sunning and Palming - The Bates Method of sunning and palming, helps flex and reactivate the lens of the eye.

(a)The Sunning Process - Let the sun shine directly onto your closed eyelids, while breathing in deeply. You can sun in the morning for a couple of minutes. 

(b) The Palming Process - Rub your palms together to generate heat and then gently cup them over your closed eyes without applying any pressure. Keep your eyes covered so that no trace of light can enter. 

4) A few other preventive measures

     •       Avoid long hours of watching television
•       Maintain a working distance of 18 inches at least.
•       Wear sunglasses with anti glare
•       Insist on good lighting for reading books and newspapers to avoid strain to eye         muscles.
•       Correction of refractory error and wearing correct prescription glasses.
•       Visual breaks every 20 minutes – rest to the eyes
•       Good night sleep is a must
 

I have to thank my batch mates, Dr. Jaideep Datta and Prof. Poonam Kishore for sharing the memories of their residency days in the Department of Ophthalmology and for scientifically validating the lecture for me. I personally know Prof. Garg’s sons Vinay, an ophthalmologist  and Sandeep, an orthopedic surgeon who are both practicing in Lucknow and are keeping the proud and precious family banner flying high!

MICRO-BREAKS: BOTH HEALTHY AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCING

 

For large sectors of the working population, spending all or a portion of the week working from home has become part of the ‘new normal’ working landscape. Working from home is also known as teleworking, and while there are likely to be positive consequences of this shift in working practices (e.g., reduction in commuting time, opportunities for better work: life balance), there are also potentially unintended adverse health effects

Those who work in an office already know that they tend to sit for most of their day. Although many people have transitioned in recent years to working full-time from home, enjoying a level of freedom they didn’t have in the office, many do not utilize this freedom properly. In most cases, people working from home still sit on a chair in front of the computer for many hours throughout the day.

Niven, A., Baker, G., Almeida, E.C. et al. in an interesting study “Are We Working (Too) Comfortably?”: Understanding the Nature of and Factors Associated with Sedentary Behaviour When Working in the Home Environment [Occup Health Sci 7, 71–88 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-022-00128-6] showed that people working from home tend to sit even more than those working in an office, and considering all the negative health effects of prolonged sitting, we need to learn how to cope with it to prevent them. The trick is very simple – micro-breaks.

 

What are Micro-Breaks?

Micro-breaks are very short breaks lasting just a few minutes. Even without doing stretching exercises, these micro-breaks help muscles adopt a different posture from the one they’ve been in for long minutes, allowing them to rest a bit. Of course, engaging the body during these breaks is more effective, but the key is simply to stop what you were doing—namely, sitting—and do something else.

Rather than pushing through our work, these micro breaks can help us address any immediate physical, mental, or emotional needs. They are proven to improve performance, motivation, and concentration and increase overall wellbeing. They can also decrease stress, and even improve how you see your job, which may help you avoid common work-related injuries. Micro breaks can revitalize you in the short term, allowing you to feel more resilient when challenges arise, and protecting you from burnout in the long term.

 

 

How Often Should You Take Micro-Breaks?

Micro-breaks can last one minute or even up to 10 minutes, depending on your body’s condition. For example, studies found that for those with high blood pressure, a 5-minute break is recommended [Duran et. al . Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose–Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 55(5):p 847-855, May 2023. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003109]. What’s truly important is to take such a break every 20-30 minutes. This could be a bathroom break, drinking a glass of water in the kitchen, or simply standing and doing a short breathing exercise.

 

The Health Benefits of Micro-Breaks

This topic has been studied extensively, and researchers have discovered many benefits to micro-breaks. Here are three of the most prominent ones:

1. Reducing Pain Related to the Musculoskeletal System

The original idea behind micro-breaks was to reduce the pain experienced by office workers. A study published in 2021 showed that micro-breaks indeed help reduce muscle fatigue, and you’ll feel the impact immediately once you start [Radwan, A., Barnes, L., DeResh, R., Englund, C., & Gribanoff, S. (2022). Effects of active microbreaks on the physical and mental well-being of office workers: A systematic review. Cogent Engineering, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2022.2026206]. If you tend to experience any discomfort in your back or shoulders after prolonged sitting, try micro-breaks and see if they reduce the strain and pain.

2. Increased Energy Levels and Improved Concentration

A 2022 study showed that micro-breaks can restore energy to the body and prevent fatigue [Albulescu P, Macsinga I, Rusu A, Sulea C, Bodnaru A, Tulbure BT. "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLoS One. 2022 Aug 31;17(8):e0272460. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272460. PMID: 36044424; PMCID: PMC9432722]. You’ll feel this effect especially during the hours when you tend to lose energy, such as after lunch or toward the evening. Furthermore, researchers suggest that micro-breaks can help tackle very challenging work tasks by resetting your concentration. For this, a 10-minute break is recommended.

3. Improved Mental Health

A small study conducted in 2020 found that micro-breaks improved the mental health of office workers [Mainsbridge CP et.al. Taking a Stand for Office-Based Workers' Mental Health: The Return of the Microbreak. Front Public Health. 2020 Jun 11;8:215. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00215. PMID: 32596199; PMCID: PMC7300182]. Another study from 2022 showed that micro-breaks helped nurses cope with stress at work and this was during the COVID-19 period [Wang H, Xu G, Liang C, Li Z. Coping with job stress for hospital nurses during the COVID-19 crisis: The joint roles of micro-breaks and psychological detachment. J Nurs Manag. 2022 Oct;30(7):2116-2125. doi: 10.1111/jonm.13431. Epub 2021 Aug 25. PMID: 34327761]. If you feel that some days at work are overwhelming, try incorporating micro-breaks. Simply give yourself a chance to disconnect from work for a few moments before returning, and do so frequently.

 4. Improve efficiency

As mental and physical tiredness sets in, concentration, memory, and efficiency can decline. Micro breaks help by resetting the brain's focus, making it easier to tackle tasks with renewed energy and attention. This can enhance the quality and speed of work, and also stimulate creativity, as giving the brain time to rest allows for subconscious processing that can lead to creative thinking and problem-solving.

5. Improve Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is closely linked to the work environment and your ability to manage stress and workload. By adding microbreaks into the daily routine, employees feel more in control of their workday, leading to higher job satisfaction. This positive attitude can improve the workplace atmosphere, and encourage a culture of wellbeing and support. 

6. Prevent Burnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can lead to a significant drop in productivity, feelings of detachment, and a loss of personal identity. Micro breaks can help prevent burnout by ensuring that employees have regular opportunities to rest and recharge. This not only preserves preserves long term health and wellbeing but also maintains enthusiasm and motivation for work. 

Are There Any Downsides to Micro-Breaks?

Like everything in life, micro-breaks have both advantages and disadvantages, including:

1.      Disruption to Workflow: Since you’re “committed” to disconnecting from work every 20-30 minutes, this might happen just when you’re in a flow state.

2.      Difficulty Returning to Focous: While micro-breaks can reset concentration in situations where it’s hard to maintain, they might also do the opposite—disrupt you when you’re most focused, making it hard to return to the same level of concentration afterward.

3.      Timing Challenges: Depending on the type of work you do, you might find it difficult to time micro-breaks exactly as recommended. This might be easier for those working from home or on their own schedule but problematic for those managing meetings, for example.

 

Tips for Incorporating Micro-Breaks into Your Workday

On the surface, it sounds simple—get up from your chair every half hour for 2 minutes. And it is simple, but it requires consistency. These tips will help you stick to this new technique to improve your workday and health:

·        Create Reminders: If you’re not used to working in short bursts, you might need a reminder to get up after 20-30 minutes. Set an alarm to track the times when you should take a micro-break.

·        Do a Different Activity Each Break: Create a list of activities you want to incorporate into your day—ones that can be completed in a few minutes. This will help you complete tasks or things you wanted to do but didn’t find time for.

·        Consider Your Needs: If you feel tired and need an energy boost, do light physical activity during the micro-break. If, on the other hand, you feel unfocused at work, try a calming activity to clear your mind.

·        Be Flexible and Patient: It’s not “all or nothing.” There will be times when you can’t take a scheduled micro-break, and even days when you can’t take a single one properly. That’s okay. The key is not to give up. Eventually, it will become a healthy habit.

 

Micro-breaks are a wonderful way to help the body avoid the harms of prolonged sitting. They allow us to create a framework that ensures we get up from the chair from time to time to do important or desired activities, or simply to restore the energy, focus, and calm needed for work. Try it for a week and see how you feel. You can also share this article with a friend and do this experiment together for a week or more. You’ll see that you’ll want to continue!