Women's Health and Pregnancy

This #BreastFeedingAwareness Week, let us remind ourselves about the benefits of breast feeding through this simple Infographic.  We all know breast feeding helps strengthen the bond between the mother and child. But there are other clear health benefits too. Breast feeding helps provide the necessary nutrition to the baby and build the baby's immunity as well as reduces the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and obesity for the mother.  For more details read the complete article…

Dr Shruti Mohanka, OBGYN and Fertility expert at Global Hospital in Mumbai, clears our doubts about various pregnancy delivery methods available to women and the benefits and risks of each In the past decade, there have been a growing incidence of C-section deliveries in India, especially in the urban areas. In a socially complex culture such as India, the spouse, relatives, and the doctor’s opinion are held more highly than the patient’s. This results in lack of authority or consent of…

Kavita Krishnamoorthy had resigned herself to sacrificing at least four days a month to severe headaches till proper diet, exercise and meditation showed her the way to complete relief. She shares her story of liberation here: Ever since I turned 30, I have been plagued with debilitating headaches. They would come with unerring regularity –- once mid cycle and once around the time of my period. When they came, they would last for a full 48 hours. A beating down, one-sided headache. I would…

Saswati Singh, Trustee member with Navprerna Foundations, a welfare organisation for the training and rehabilitation of persons with Autism and other developmental disabilities, talks about how important food intake can be for people with autism as well as other disabilities Autism is a developmental disorder, which affects social skills, communication, thought and behaviour. This is more of a neuro-physiological disorder and affected persons have difficulty in processing and integrating…

This time in our Health by Numbers/Medical Tests series, Dr Shital Raval takes a look at the importance of Potassium levels in the electrolyte panel. Read the first part on Sodium Levels  POTASSIUM: Potassium is both a mineral and electrolyte. It is important for heart, muscle, digestive and nerve functioning.  The potassium test is often part of a routine or done to check on the electrolyte balance of the body. The best sources of potassium are: Leafy greens such as swiss chard,…

#MenstrualHygieneDay Menstrual hygiene is of utmost importance and the need for awareness of sanitation and cleanliness for this period for adolescent girls and women worldwide is even more so. 28th May is observed as Menstrual Hygiene Day worldwide as a reminder to the need to handle menstruation in a healthy way. The specific challenges that women and girls face differ widely, as per social norms, customs, education, geography of the region they live in as well as socio economic factors. Yet…

This time in our Health by Numbers/Medical Tests series, Dr Shital Patel takes a look at our electrolyte levels in our blood. An electrolyte imbalance, commonly caused by loss of body fluids through prolonged vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating or high fever, can result in various health disorders, like restlessness, anxiety, kidney diseases or even cardiac arrest. An Electrolyte Panel is a blood test that measures the common minerals in the body such as sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium,…

Swati Agrawal, a fibromyalgia patient keenly wishes for more awareness and treatment for this incurable, misdiagnosed and misunderstood, invisible illness. Find out how she maintains her health. Listen to her in the video below. New Delhi, 12 May 2016: Well, you know what they say about best laid schemes of mice. In my case, that pretty much sums up Fibromyalgia. In fact, I think Robert Burns would have been impressed with how earnestly fibromyalgia made the schemes of my life go awry. Chronic…

World Ovarian Cancer Day Nearly 70 % of ovarian cancers are not discovered until they have reached an advanced stage III or later when it is more difficult to treat and can be fatal. Dr Kiran Coelho, gynaecologist and obstetrician, counsels women, particularly those at high-risk, to undergo regular ovarian cancer screening to be safe. 1. What is the rate of incidence of ovarian cancer among Indian women? The incidence of ovarian cancer has shown an increasing trend in India in the last 20 years…

When you have a health problem, it is always important to understand what it is and to learn about its causes, symptoms and prevention. So next time you visit your doctor, go prepared with a list of questions. It will help you be more informed and less stressed. To enable you to make the most of your doctor’s appointment, we bring you a new series called ‘What to Ask your Doctor’ starting with questions on Uterine Fibroids. A uterine fibroid is a benign tumor that grows in the wall of the…