PatientsEngage General Community

This time in our health by numbers/tests series, Dr Shital Raval takes a look at our platelet count that can be determined by a routine blood test. If the platelet count is high or low from the normal range, it can provide insight into various abnormalities and blood disorders including infections and cancer. A platelet count test is conducted to check the number of platelets in the blood. This test is usually a part of the CBC or complete blood count. Here is a look at what platelet count…

Amba Salelkar, a Chennai-based legal expert and disability rights activist, urges that the Government take steps to amend the laws relating to property rights, and introduce safeguards to ensure that persons with disabilities are not discriminated. Persons with disabilities who are most likely to have problems when it comes to property are those who face greater restrictions in participation on account of impairments that affect their ability to understand, judge and communicate decisions…

Mrs Neera Chawla, Director of Muskaan, an NGO which strives to empower adults with disabilities, talks about their employment programmes and how they try to make inclusion a reality. What categories of disabilities does Muskaan work with? What are the programmes you offer? We primarily work with adults who have intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities. We have a few cases of Autism also. We mostly have adult training programmes, which are ascertained according to the different…

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 350 million people globally who are affected with depression. Maria Luedeke, Counsellor & Psychotherapist, CTRTC, stresses the urgent need to establish healthy physical self-care to battle Depression. Depression and chronic conditions have a cyclical effect. Those with chronic illness are more susceptible to it and those with depression have a higher risk of other medical issues. This can become a vicious cycle that is difficult to…

The theme of the World Health Day 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Encourage people with depression to talk about their feelings. Depression can easily be treated with psychological therapies and medicines. Learn about these and some other basic information on depression issued in public interest by SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation). The wounds of depression are unseen, but they hurt more than the ones that bleed. Seek professional help and get better. Facts about Depression…

Kalpana Kamdar, a Physiotherapist from Ahmedabad, points out the hazards of a bad sitting and sleeping posture that can dangerously overwork or overload the muscles causing severe pain and stiffness in the head, neck, shoulders and back. Here she recommends ways to correct the body alignment and get a perfect posture. Video of webinar recording below. DON’T LET BAD POSTURE BECOME A HABIT….!!! Case Study A 23-year-old law student came to me with severe pain on the left side of his neck. He…

Oral health is not limited to your teeth alone. Mouth ulcers or sores can develop inside the mouth, cheeks, lips and tongue that can be extremely painful. Dr Shail Jaggi informs us on causes and symptoms of mouth ulcers and offers some advice on how to keep our mouth healthy, hygienic and problem free. All of us have at some point experienced oral sores in the mouth. These are generally very unpleasant and extremely painful and will persist for a couple of days. These sores are called ulcers.…

This time in our Health by Numbers/Tests series, Dr Shital Raval takes a look at Lipid Profile, a test which measures the concentration of unhealthy fats and cholesterol in the blood, that helps determine a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and the steps necessary to reduce that risk. Lipids are groups of fat and fatty constituents in the blood. They consist of cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol travels in the blood by attaching itself to a protein, which is called lipoprotein or…

Millions of people round the world are chronic users of sleeping pills or other intoxicants to rest each night increasing the risk of death and poor health. Dr A Banerjee, Director Sleep Medicine and Research Center at MGM Institute of Health Sciences emphasizes the importance of good sleep to regenerate the body’s mechanisms and ward off diseases like diabetes, hypertension and bipolar disorder. #WorldSleepDay Sleep is essential for a healthy life. Every person requires the right amount…

We bring you a series of articles on good posture and good health by Kalpana Kamdar, a Physiotherapist from Ahmedabad. In the first article Physiotherapist Kamdar stresses the importance of a well aligned and balanced posture to protect the bones, muscles and the supporting structures from progressive deformity and injury. Video of webinar recording below. Seldom is the location of pain, the cause of the pain Case Study A 65 year old retired male, physically active at home. Chief complaint of…