Women's Health and Pregnancy

Havovi Bharucha, 53 neglected her symptoms and her health while grieving the loss of her husband and being a caregiver to her mother and an aged pet. By the time she sought help, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Endometrial Cancer. She is a reminder to each one of us to be vigilant about our health. For almost a year, I would get spotting between my periods. I dismissed it thinking it was due to approaching menopause. A year ago, I had lost my husband to liver cancer. Since then I had been…

Balaka Basu, founder of Interstitial Cystitis India, shares the story of her journey of being diagnosed with this chronic and debilitating condition to being the founder of a support group that has helped many in a similar situation.  “Changing poison into medicine”- Daisaku Ikeda When I started suffering from the debilitating disease called Interstitial Cystitis, I thought it was the end of everything in my life. I had little knowledge that it was actually the beginning of a great journey…

Mona Choudhuri considers herself very lucky to have been diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer. Here she shares her experience to help raise awareness of the importance of routine physical examinations and screenings for women. She also highlights the issue of lymphedema of the leg.  Ovarian cancer was never on my radar of health concerns. It was fibroids in my uterus that had been my constant worry since my mid-30s. I would have discomfort, bloating and frequent abdominal pain.…

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr. Chandan Dubey, addresses some of the common questions on endometriosis, its association with PCOD and Obesity and how it affects fertility. How common is Endometriosis? What factors increase a woman’s risk of getting endometriosis? Endometriosis affects 2-10 % women in the reproductive age group globally. Risk factors of Endometriosis may be: Pregnancy and childbirth after 30 years. First degree relatives with this condition. Structural abnormalities of…

Dr Raka Kaushal, a senior nephrologist focused on various women’s issues amongst patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in a webinar with PatientsEngage in English and Hindi. The questions raised from pregnancy complications, to hair loss, abnormal periods, menopause, oral contraceptives and more.  Here is a synopsis of the key questions addressed. Link to recording on youtube below. Each question is marked with the time stamp. 1:43 Are women with CKD more likely to have…

Dr. Uma Ram, Director and OBGYN Seethapathy clinic and Hospital, Chennai shares tips for pregnant women to follow to ensure good sugar control, especially in times of Covid-19 lockdown which has restricted movement and is stressful. One in five pregnant women we see have gestational diabetes or high sugars in pregnancy. A lock down can cause problems for them because they may not be able to exercise, get enough veggies or access blood tests. Here are a few tips to ensure good sugar control…

Anemia affects more than 50% of women and children in India. This has significant consequences on their health. Dietitian Shruti Hirlekar suggests a couple of easy recipes and other diet tips to prevent and address Anemia. Anaemia is the deficiency in the number of red blood cells or the amount of haemoglobin they contain. This deficiency limits the exchange of oxygen and carbon-dioxide between the blood and tissue cells. Haemoglobin is a conjugated protein containing four heme group and globin…

हिंदुजा हेल्थकेयर सर्जिकल हॉस्पिटल की इंटर्वेंशनॉल कंसल्टेंट कार्डियोलॉजिस्ट डॉ. स्नेहिल मिश्रा  इस भ्रम को दूर कर रहे हैं कि हृदय रोग केवल पुरुषों का रोग है। सच इसके विपरीत है। महिलाओं में मृत्यु का सबसे बड़ा कारण हृदय रोग  ही है, परन्तु इसके लक्षण महिलाओं में फरक हैं। क्या हृदय रोग पुरुषों की तुलना में महिलाओं के लिए ज्यादा खतरनाक है? जागरूकता की कमी के कारण और केस की सही पहचान और रिपोर्टिंग में कमी के कारण महिलाओं में हृदय रोग का जोखिम सच्चाई से काफी कम आंका गया है। ज्यादातर…

कैंसर मौत की सजा नहीं है। ऐसा कहीं नहीं लिखा है कि जिसे कैंसर है उसकी मौत दूसरों से पहले होगी। नंदिता मुरलीधर, जिन्हें स्तन कैंसर था, बताती हैं कि कैसे उनके हंसमुख और सकारात्मक दृष्टिकोण ने उनकी निराशा को कम किया। “कैंसर” एक ऐसा शब्द है जो सुनने वाले को सुन्न कर देता है, कंपकंपा देता है। आपको कैंसर संबंधी हर मायूस फिल्म की याद आने लगती है - है… क्योंकि इन में कैंसर को हमेशा ज़िंदगी का एक अंत (या कम से कम अंत की शुरुआत) के रूप में चित्रित किया गया है. उदास संगीत, जबरदस्त बहते आँसू या एक निश्चित…

A diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease can be earth-shattering for a new mom. A mother shares the series of corrective surgeries her young baby has to go through, the effect this diagnosis had on her and the family and how she has dealt with it. Initial Symptoms 2 days after my son was born, I turned to my husband and said “ I have never been happier in my life!” Little did I know my joy was going to hit a major speed bump less than 24 hours later. The paediatrician who was part of my labour…