Dermatological (Skin) and Opthalmology (Eyes) conditions

One of the biggest misconceptions in society about vitiligo, a skin disorder in which white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body, is that it is a type of leprosy and contagious. Dermatologist Dr Jawahar Mansukhani dispels these myths by stressing that vitiligo is NOT contagious and cannot be contracted from another person. What is Vitiligo? Vitiligo is a chronic skin disorder in which white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. This…

What is Graves' disease? Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the thyroid gland to become overactive. This is one kind of hyperthyroidism. An autoimmune disorder causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack the body’s own cells instead of protecting them from outside invaders. In Graves’ disease, the body’s immune system secretes immunoglobulins (autoantibodies) against the thyroid gland. These immunoglobulins irritate the thyroid gland and make it produce more thyroid…

Managing Graves’ disease: The most important thing is to receive the necessary medical care. After you and your doctor have decided on a course of action, there are some things you can do that will help you cope with the condition and support your body during its healing process. Get regular exercise: Exercise in general will help you feel better and improve your muscle tone and cardiovascular system. Brittle bones can occur with Graves' disease and weight-bearing exercises help maintain bone…

Did you know an individual gains an average of 2-5 Kgs in winter? Winter is a season of indulgences pushing us often to have food loaded with calories. Dietician and diabetes educator, Ujjwala Baxi tells us how to enjoy the winter without gaining weight. Come winter, the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness, and we tend to gear up for both warm clothes as well as those mouthwatering season-specials that make every nippy evening worth its while. We throw our calorie-consciousness to the winds…

Is stress causing your eczema flare-up? Dr Gita Mathai suggests remedies for different triggers What is eczema? The name ‘eczema’ covers a broad spectrum of skin diseases all of which are characterised by itchy, red, crusting and scaling. The skin eventually becomes thickened and hyper pigmented.  What are the types of eczema? Atopic dermatitis is the commonest type of eczema. It is caused by various allergies. It affects 20% of children worldwide. Children can ‘outgrow’ eczema, it can…

An allergy is an abnormal reaction or increased sensitivity to certain substances. The allergic individual produces symptoms when exposed to these substances, which are harmless to non-allergic people. Normally, the body's defence system fights against foreign bodies. In most allergic reactions, it is a false alarm which induces the body’s defence mechanism to fight against the substance. The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing and both genetic and environmental factors play a…

Alok Kaushik, now 40, talks about his transition from the life of a sighted person to a blind person. “Start living in the solution domain rather than the problem domain,” he says, sharing the solutions that help him maintain his independence. Please tell us a bit about your condition. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which is a disease of the retina that causes the photo-receptor cells in the retina, i.e. rods and cones, to degenerate in a progressive manner, leading…

Maintaining good oral health is more than just about keeping cavities at bay. Your dental health has far-reaching consequences on your body, with oral bacteria being linked to many life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, renal health and even brain abcess. Oral hygience and overall good health  Like many areas of the body, your mouth is teeming with bacteria, most of them harmless. Normally the body's natural defences and good oral health can keep these…

Alka Dhupkar, 32, has been living with Psoriasis, a chronic skin condition for 20 years. She says, “We should accept our skin disease and then, as a normal person, we can think and plan our life.” She shares her story and learnings. Please tell us a bit about your condition: I have had psoriasis since I was 13. Currently I have developed psoriatic arthritis on my left leg and patches around bones mainly. On the scalp also I have psoriasis patches. The psoriasis I had 20 years…

"Patients with psoriatic arthritis who smoke have worse patient-reported disease features at baseline and don't respond as well as nonsmokers to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment, a Danish study found." Patients who had stopped smoking more than 4 years before beginning treatment showed very similar rates of adherence to treatment as did those who had never smoked. So its never too late to quit smoking. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Dermatology/Psoriasis/46969