Conditions

Vertigo and dizziness is a common complaint among older adults. Globally, 1 in 10 people are affected by Vertigo. In India, a 2001 survey estimated that 0.71% of the rural population (about 90 lakh people) are affected. This greatly impacts daily life and is a major risk factor for falls, which makes it particularly concerning. Dr Aditi Sinha, an ENT Specialist from Mumbai highlights the need for increased awareness on this highly prevalent symptom. What is vertigo? Vertigo represents one of…

Kidney cancer is not a well known cancer. People hardly talk about it. According to GLOBOCAN 2022, yearly incidence of kidney cancer in India is 17,480 with 5 year prevalence of 1.4% per 1 lac population. Number of deaths are 9897. This indicates that patients come in late and if they came early, they would have better chance of survival. Let us go through some frequently asked questions about kidney cancer in this article. What is kidney cancer? Kidney cancer is any cancer that affects the…

Prevention of Sickle Cell Disease There is no known way to prevent this genetic disease. Avoid consanguineous marriages and encourage blood testing before marriage Screening tests such as Prenatal diagnosis or new born screening can be done to check if baby has sickle cell disease for prompt intervention and treatment. We must keep check on symptoms for sickle cell disease and early diagnosis of it.     References Image 1 : https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/Article?contentid=745&…

Management of Sickle Cell Disease and its Complications The key to manage sickle cell disease and its complication is rapid hydration and pain control. Any and all major organs are affected by sickle cell disease. Complications such as increased infections, leg ulcers, bone damage, early gallstones, kidney damage, eye damage or multi organ failure can happen.  Taking the following steps to stay healthy might help avoid complications of sickle cell disease: Staying hydrated Regular…

Treatment of sickle cell disease aims to manage symptoms and prevent organ damage. Besides bone marrow transplants that can be curative for some people, there are  also emerging gene therapies for sickle cell disease.   Pain medications for pain crisis Drinking plenty of water daily (8 to 10 glasses) to manage pain crisis Blood transfusion  Vaccinations and antibiotics to prevent infections Folic acid to prevent severe anemia Hydroxyurea helps to reduce the frequency of…

Early diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease and treatment can reduce the risk of complication. Health care providers will recommend necessary tests based on medical history and physical examination.  Here are the various tests and their role in screening and diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease. Hemoglobin Electrophoresis Blood test is done to check if you have sickle hemoglobin and if you are a carrier for sickle cell disease.  Genetic testing is used to identify the specific type of sickle…

There are several types of sickle cell diseases, each characterized by different genetic abnormalities. The main types include: Sickle Cell Anemia (SS): Inherited when a child receives two copies of the sickle cell gene from both parents. Common in African and Indian populations. Sickle Hemoglobin-C Disease (SC): Combines hemoglobin C and S. Similar symptoms to sickle cell anemia but less anemia. Common in West African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern populations. Sickle Beta-Plus…

Each person with Sickle Cell Disease may experience symptoms differently. List of symptoms include: Fatigue and weakness – Sickle cells have short life and less oxygen carrying capacity compare to normal red blood cells. This can lead to severe anemia, shortness of breath and dizziness.  Pain crisis –When sickle cells get stuck in blood vessels due to their sticky property, they block the blood flow. This can result in pain crisis. Generally, pain occurs in chest, arms and legs.…

Causes of Sickle Cell Disease  Sickle cell disease is caused by defect in gene and it is passed down from parents to children. The mutations in the beta globin genes affect the structure of hemoglobin molecule (also called as Hemoglobin S.), causing it to form abnormal "sickle" shapes.                           Figure 2 – How sickle cell disease is inherited? A child will be born with sickle cell disease only if two genes…