Dermatological (Skin) and Opthalmology (Eyes) conditions

When a series of catastrophic medical incidents left Payal Kapoor blind, deaf and a veritable vegetable (as she felt then)  at 21, she was devastated. Yet, she pulled herself together, mastered reading and writing in Braille and felt alive once again. Read her compelling story. Dramatic it sounds, I know, but today as I held the first edition of Insight, a magazine in Braille edited and compiled by me, released on the birth anniversary of Helen Keller, a strange feeling of pride and…

People often fail to recognize the significant dangers of dehydration in winter, dismissing it as a health concern of hot, summer months. Dr Shital Raval corrects this common misconception and advocates why water is crucial even during the cold weather to stay energized. Dehydration is a hidden threat in the months of winter when many people forget to drink as much water as they do in hot summer months. This is a common psychological mistake as we easily forget about hydration in the cold…

Since its inception in 2014, Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, which promotes inclusion by enabling Persons with Disability (PwD) and able bodied people to participate in adventure sports like paragliding, marathons, trekking, scuba diving and mountaineering together, has impacted close to 4000 PwDs and over 1.5 lakh able bodied people. Yashasvini Rajeshwar, Head of Media and Communication of ABBF, gives details about the pioneering effort. Tell us about this unique thought and its genesis…

Recently there were two new updates on Psoriasis treatment. The use of biologics for Psoriasis and the launch of an advanced systemics drug by Glenmark. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that affects over 125 million people worldwide. In India alone 33 million people are affected. It is a autoimmune disorder where the normal skin cells are attacked by the body's own immune system causing skin plaques & inflammation.  Besides being a cosmetic issue, it is known to emotionally scar…

Dr Amoha Bhatia, a cosmetic surgeon from New Delhi answers a few of our queries on baldness and hair loss. How much hair loss per day is normal? About 25-100 hair falling each day is normal. This happens because hair roots undergo 3 phases which are Anagen Phase (Growth phase), Catagen Phase (Intermediate phase) and Telogen Phase. 90% of all roots stay in anaphase phase and 10% of roots are in catagen and telogen phase. Anagen phase lasts for 3-5 years. In this phase roots are healthiest and…

Sharmishthaa Atreja, Assistant Professor at the Department of Philosphy, Delhi University, has lost her vision through a degenerative eye disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. She shares her story of coming to terms with gradually losing her vision and how she copes with an active professional life now. The beginning Can one imagine what it is 'to go blind'? How is it possible for a 5-year-old to understand what is blindness when she is enjoying pink, yellow dog-flowers in her garden, plucking…

How should glaucoma be managed? Glaucoma can be managed by following the treatment protocol specified in the Treatment section How often should a patient follow up After the initial examination and diagnosis, glaucoma patients are managed much like patients with other chronic disease, requiring regular visits to assess disease severity and response to therapy. Most patients will need periodic medical examinations, diagnostic testing for progression or new findings, and individualized management…

What are the treatments available The aim of treatment is to lower the intraocular pressure thereby preventing or reducing further damage to the optic nerve. However, in most situations it is not possible to reverse the optic nerve changes that have occurred. The methods available for glaucoma lowering intraocular pressure are : medical (usually eye drops), laser and surgical. Medical treatment - Medical therapy is the most common treatment modality for glaucoma. There are various eyedrops…

What does a complete glaucoma evaluation include? A comprehensive eye examination includes screening tests for glaucoma. A simple, painless procedure called tonometry measures the internal pressure of the eye. Intraocular pressure in most individuals ranges between 10 and 20 mmHg. A characteristic deterioration of the optic nerve associated with cupping and atrophy is common denominator to all forms of glaucoma (primary or secondary, open or closed angle, chronic or acute). Recognition of these…

What are different types of glaucoma? The clinical varieties of glaucoma are classified according to three parameters: Primary (idiopathic) or Secondary (associated with some other ocular or systemic conditions). The state of the anterior chamber angle: open angle (open access of the outflowing aqueous humor to trabecular meshwork) or closed angle (the trabecular meshwork is blocked by apposition of the peripheral iris). Chronicity: acute or chronic. The vast majority of glaucomas are primary…