PatientsEngage General Community

Diet changes are an integral part of management of many chronic conditions. Here are real life experiences of eight women who incorporated diet and nutrition changes in their disease management regimen.  Celiac Disease When Jeeva Anna George was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an uncommon digestive disorder causing inflammation of the small intestine, her whole life began revolving around food. Here she talks at length about her personal journey and how she learnt the hard way to control…

To our readers and members from India! United in Health!  

We all have some bad habits. Many of these affect our health – both physically and mentally. This Independence Day, we posed a question to our contributors - Are there any unhealthy habits that you would like to break free from? And received a range of interesting responses. What are the unhealthy habits you want to free yourself of? 1)   Imran Mohammad Ali - Thalassemia Major I think if I have to pick the unhealthy habits I would like to be free of, they would be overthinking -…

Having hope for a cure for an incurable disease is essential as it gives a purpose to be alive but making it the centre of your world is where the problem lies, writes Vineet Saraiwala.  My brother and I have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye condition in which vision deteriorates as age progresses. There is currently no scientific cure for my condition but I am optimistic of a cure with the rapid advancements in research happening across the world. Some medical conditions are…

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 Patel 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…