PatientsEngage General Community

Nothing prepares you for the loss of a parent, even in adulthood. On the first anniversary of her mother's death, Shweta talks of coming to terms with the loss as she reminisces about the year gone by. Last May, one ugly morning, we all woke up to a new reality. My ma, who had been living life full of vitality till the previous night, decided not to wake up. In just a few minutes, a seismic shift had altered our lives forever. The first several weeks, and months, and on random days without…

Natural Disasters can adversely affect elderly people and those with chronic conditions. Dr. Shital Raval details the issues faced and how you can be prepared if you are a caregiver to an elderly person or have a chronic condition like Diabetes, Renal and Respiratory Issues, Allergies, Cancer.   Natural Disasters (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, electrical black-outs, blizzards, cyclones, storms etc.) can have a devastating effect on all but recent studies have thrown light on how…

Opioids are essential to pain management in patients with chronic and severe pain. Since they are narcotic medications and have side-effects, it is important for patients and caregivers to be aware of the type of Opioid that has been prescribed and possible adverse reactions. Excerpted from Indian Primer of Palliative Care by Pallium India.  Opioids are a class of drugs that are used in pain management in patients with chronic and debilitating pain. They work by binding to opioid…

People often have to deal with pain and it is difficult to assess the level of pain across different people. Pallium India has created the Indian Primer of Palliative Care for care providers. With their permission we have excerpted important elements that are useful to understand and manage pain.  Many people with chronic diseases will complain of pain and it being the most overpowering symptom of their condition. Besides physical discomfort, pain affects mental and emotional wellbeing…

Rohan Kapoor*, 42 from Delhi has been dealing with Obstructive Sleep Apnea disorder for last fifteen years, and uses a CPAP machine to get undisturbed sleep. Please tell us a bit about your condition I have been living with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) since 2004, when it was diagnosed through a Sleep test. I use a CPAP machine to help me sleep and manage my condition fairly successfully because of the device. हिंदी में पढ़ें: मैंने अपनी स्लीप एपनिया समस्या को कैसे ठीक किया What were the…

The patient-doctor relationship is crucial for better outcomes for patients. Find out what some of our patient contributors have to say about their relationship with their doctors.   Usha Jerome, on the factors of her win over Colorectal Cancer  Two things are important. Firstly, the doctors should not hide the truth and must explain the exact stage of cancer and the way forward. Secondly, we must believe in and trust our doctors. My team of doctors and nurses were amazing. I…

A recent study1 by the Women’s Health Institute at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, USA reviewed the effects of paternal age on fertility, pregnancy and the health of children. While women are known to have a ticking clock for reproduction, men are not subject to a similar timeline. Dr Ameya Sirsat, a leading Fertility Specialist from Mumbai guides us through these recent study results and what it means for men in relation to their reproductive health. Is there a “biological clock”…

Can Yoga help people manage their chronc conditions? We picked out a wide range of conditions where patients have benefitted from practice of yoga.  It is fairly well known that people with certain conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension and Arthritis benefit from regular practice of yoga. You can also download our ebooks on the same from our E-Books Resources Page.  But the benefit of yoga goes beyond that to neurological conditions like Parkinson's and  Epilepsy, auto-immune…

Chetti Jayanthi Sree, 23 from Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana talks to PatientsEngage about the challenges of Sickle Cell Anemia and the support of her family.  Sickle cell anemia is an inherited form of anemia — a condition in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body. Normally, the red blood cells in our body are flexible and round, moving easily through our blood vessels. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cells become…

Jyotsna Kumar who lives with Sensiro Neural Deafness reflects on her father, his loves and interests and how her relationship with him has evolved and come full circle as she now cares for him. For my father, on Father’s Day: He cracked open walnuts on door hinges for me. He was the only one in the house who was fearless with lizards and insects. When it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door. When I was sick he would take me to the doctor and get me my medicines. He would cut…