Conditions

Many patients can be overwhelmed, surprised, or simply anxious when they are first diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis. One doctor shares how he helps patients understand more about their condition during these first steps in their MS journey. Some aspects you can talk to your doctor about are : Understand the diagnosis Treatment options and side effects Impact on work, family life, day to day living Prognosis Research opportunities      

Maintaining good oral health is more than just about keeping cavities at bay. Your dental health has far-reaching consequences on your body, with oral bacteria being linked to many life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, renal health and even brain abcess. Oral hygiene and overall good health  Like many areas of the body, your mouth is teeming with bacteria, most of them harmless. Normally the body's natural defences and good oral health can keep these…

Signs to watch for and how to prevent it. By family practitioner and paediatrician Dr Gita Mathai  What is childhood obesity? Children older than two years and less than 19 years need to have their BMI (Body Mass Index) calculated when they visit their physician either for immunisation or during annual check-ups. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the height in meter squared. You can also measure BMI at home. The values for height can be entered in the website below. It…

Rehabilitation specialist Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan suggests small changes around the home that make a big difference to the quality of life of the elderly.    Having worked in the rehabilitation field for more than 15 years and having been a caregiver to four elders above the age of 80, I kept coming across the need for adaptations in daily living activities. The idea is to keep the elders as independent as possible and maintain their dignity. अब हिन्दी में पढ़ें: घर को बुजुर्गों…

“My anxieties have anxieties,” said Charlie Brown echoing many of us. Stress is a part of life, but why and how do some deal with it better than others? Savita Narayan breaks it down with practical tips for fortifying your inner strength.   “If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will do you no good.” Shantideva, 8th century Buddhist teacher “Stress comes from the way you relate to events or situations.” ― Chris Prentiss, Zen and the Art…

Bladder problems affect 75 to 90 percent of people with multiple sclerosis, according to a July 2014 in-depth report in MS in Focus, published by the Multiple Sclerosis International Foundation (MSIF). “Patients need to understand that bladder issues are a symptom of their disease process and not something they should be embarrassed or ashamed about,” says Dr. Marlene Murphy Setzko, a urologist and director of Urologic Services at the Mandell Center for Comprehensive MS Care in Hartford,…

Statin therapy appears to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes by 46%, even after adjustment for confounding factors, a large new population-based study concludes. The majority of people in this new study were taking atorvastatin and simvastatin, and the risk for diabetes was dose-dependent for these two agents, the researchers found. Nevertheless, senior author Markku Laakso, MD, from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, told Medscape Medical News: "Even if…

Sleep deprivation is rampant. A 30 minute nap is beneficial to your health!  This article specifically talks of the negative effects of sleep deprivation in caregivers :  forgetfulness, lowered alertness,premature aging,  decrease creativity, lower immune system, increased risk of stroke, diabetes, unwanted weight gain and increased possibility for a heart attack. Caregiver statistics show caregivers are often exhausted at the end of the day. Many  find that they…

In collaboration with WHO to mark World Mental Health Day, writer and illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the “black dog of depression”. Probably the only dog video on the Internet that will make you reflect. Millions of people around the world live with depression, a frightening, debilitating condition at its worst. Many of these individuals and their families are afraid to talk about their struggles, and don’t know where to turn for help. Recognizing depression and…