Conditions

Can colorectal cancer be prevented? Colorectal cancer starts as adenomatous polyps, which relatively remain asymptomatic for a long time. Colorectal cancer can be prevented by regular screening, which can find pre-cancerous polyps. You can take the following steps to reduce your risk: Start getting screened from age 50 if you do not have any known risk factors for colon cancer Start getting screened as early as possible if you have a personal history of polyps, family history of colorectal…

Psychiatric counselling and therapy for people with bipolar disorder can help reduce severity and number of episodes of depression and mania and improve understanding and coping abilities, says Dr Milan Balakrishnan, psychiatrist at Bombay Hospital. Although medicines are the mainstay of bipolar disorder treatment, counselling and talk therapy also have an important role to play. How can a qualified therapist help someone in the treatment or control of bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder, as we…

Aishwarya M,  a migraineur-teacher who teaches reading and writing to middle school girls at Pune, India shares her experience of being prepared for the uncertainty of chronic migraine.  Is it possible to have a debilitating disability such as chronic migraine and still be a together teacher? Short answer: Yes The long answer follows. In 2014, Maia Heyck-Merlin’s The Together Teacher: Plan Ahead, Get Organized, and Save Time! not only saved my time, it saved my life. I slowly stopped…

Millions of people with hypertension travel for holiday or work.  Whether you are a frequent traveler or an occasional traveler, it is important to follow certain guidelines to avoid potential complications, especially for airline travel.   1.   Get a check-up A regular check-up with your primary doctor along with vital tests should be ideally done before you book any holiday. Discuss any and all health concerns and make sure you are fit to travel. Update or take any…

G Srinithya, Senior Occupational Therapist at NIMHANS, highlights the various specialised rehabilitation programs for different types of stroke related disabilities ranging from visual, cognitive to swallowing impairment. Which cognitive rehabilitation intervention is best for improvement of attention and memory problems in patients with stroke? Following stroke, many people experience difficulties in arousal, attention, concentration, memory, perception, problem solving, decision making,…

Stroke rehabilitation is an important aspect of the management of stroke. It can help to maximize recovery and regain as much of the body functions that is lost after a stroke, emphasises G Srinithya, Senior Occupational Therapist at NIMHANS. What is Post Stroke Rehabilitation? Post stroke Rehabilitation is a patient-centred, goal driven process that attempts to maximise the functional independence of patients who suffer from variety of stroke related disabilities. The aim of rehabilitation is…

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…

Riddhi Shah, MPT , a Cardio-pulmonary physiotherapist in Ahmedabad, Gujarat helps us understand the basics of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and what it entails for patients with Chronic Lung Diseases. 1.   What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR)? Pulmonary rehabilitation is “the art of medical practice wherein an individually tailored, multidisciplinary program is formulated, which through accurate diagnosis, therapy, emotional support and education stabilizes or reverses both the physio-…