Dermatological (Skin) and Opthalmology (Eyes) conditions

PatientsEngage partnered with iHOPE to highlight the importance of vision rehabilitation and how early intervention can help a person with low vision or blindness live productive lives. India has an estimated 12 million blind and 50 million visually impaired persons using the definition of National Programme for Control of Blindness. However awareness of vision rehabilitation is still very low.     PatientsEngage brought together a panel including a person with lived experience and…

शुष्क त्वचा से कई लोग प्रभावित होते हैं पर शोग्रेन्स सिंड्रोम वाले लोगों में शुष्क त्वचा एक विशेष  चुनौती है। नीचे देखें शोग्रेन्स इंडिया द्व्रारा प्रकाशित एक पर्चा जिसमें शुष्क त्वचा से बचाव और उसके उपचार के लिए कुछ टिप्स हैं। शोग्रेन्स सिंड्रोम  से उत्पन्न शुष्क त्वचा की विशेष देखभाल जरूरी है। खुजली, लालिमा, फटना या गलना – यह सब शुष्क त्वचा के लक्षण हैं। शुष्क त्वचा का प्रमुख कारण है शोग्रेंस द्वारा शरीर में प्रतिरोधक क्षमता की कमी और इससे नमी पैदा करने वाली ग्रंथियों का निष्क्रिय…

Age related Macular Degeneration (ARMD or AMD), a condition that affects the central vision of a person, is an acquired cause of retinal degeneration and a growing cause of blindness in the elderly. Dr. Niroj Sahoo, Consultant Opthalmologist, LV Prasad Eye Institute address the topic of Age related macular degeneration. A must for anyone interested in elder care or geriatric care. The video covers the following topics: What is Age related Macular Degeneration  Symptoms of Types of ARMD…

Aakansha Khadiya is a fun loving foodie who loves trying out different cuisines, loves dancing and travelling and yet has to grapple with a condition which is not understood, is difficult to diagnose but affects the body in various ways. Please tell us a bit about your condition  I am suffering from a number of autoimmune diseases namely Scleroderma, Raynaud’s Phenomenon, Sjogren’s Syndrome since the past 14 years. When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed with Scleroderma at 17 just after…

Vision Rehabilitation is recommended for people with no vision or low vision, both children and adults, to enable them to live as independently as possible. Ms. Beula Christy, PhD, Head, Institute for Vision Rehabilitation L V Prasad Eye Institute explains how vision rehabilitation can be customised to suit the specific needs of the people concerned. What is Vision Rehabilitation?  Rehabilitation is an essential health service that focuses on the functioning of an individual to live as…

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in India. If managed well, you can prevent loss of vision and maintain a good quality of life. PatientsEngage has partnered with IHOPE to bring to you insights on how to manage glaucoma effectively. Our panelists for this discussion on 18th April were Viji Venkatesh, Glaucoma patient advocate Dr. Sirisha Senthil, Head VST Glaucoma Centre, LV Prasad Eye Institute   Many people don’t understand this disease or know about it. Even members of the…

Rekha Khanduri, 73 from Mumbai has diabetes for a while and lost her eyesight due to diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes related complication. She talks about how she has since learnt to live with such an irreparable loss. Please tell us a bit about your condition : I have Blood Pressure as well as diabetes. In fact, I lost my left eye due to diabetes. When were you diagnosed with diabetes? About 35 years back. Diabetes runs in the family as both my grandfathers had it. My paternal grandfather had…

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated. It affects persons with any kind of diabetes - Type 1, Type 2 and gestational. Dr. Raja Narayanan, Principal Investigator IHOPE and Consultant Opthalmologist, Vitreo Retinal Diseases answers questions on the risk factors, treatment and prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy. The video below covers the following topics:  - What is Diabetic Retinopathy  - Symptoms of Diabetic…

Can AMD Be Prevented?  The disease often has a progressive ageing related course, and preventive therapies are thus very sought after. Anti-oxidant supplementation has been shown to marginally reduce the progress of intermediate forms of disease to its advanced forms. Diet enhancement with anti-oxidants rich food is another less evaluated option. Avoid other risk factors like smoking. Control systemic diseases like hypertension and other heart conditions mentioned before to help in…

How can AMD be managed?  Regular eye-exams and follow ups are crucial. If the vision gain in therapy is not enough or low, or if therapy is not possible, persons with AMD are guided to low vision aids which improve the visual perception both for reading as well as mobility. These aids range from simple wearable glass mounted magnifying lenses to wearable camera related GPS enabled gadgets. Surgically implantable devices are also in advanced stages of investigation and are expected to find…