You’ve been asked to take a terminally ill loved one home. Are you ready for this? Dr. R. Akhileswaran, Medical Director, HCA Hospice Care, Singapore tells you how to make the last days as comfortable as possible in this interview with PatientsEngage.
Plus, talking about death and other questions we are too afraid to ask.
1. Patients in their last stage of life are often advised by doctors to take the patient home but family members are often afraid to do so. …
Botox injections can be a great alternative for people with leaky or overactive bladders. Overactive bladder (OAB), is a condition where the nerves send wrong signals to the bladder at the wrong time, leading to a sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate (urinary incontinence). "Anticholinergics is the main treatment option but their side effects, for example, dry mouth, constipation, and blurring of vision, are some of the reasons why patients stop treatment", said Dr. Colin Teo, head and senior…
The delay in diagnosis changes the prognosis, treatment approach, and the cost associated with it, dramatically By Jame Abraham, M.D, FACP, Cleveland Clinic Arathi is a 47-year-old, highly successful systems engineer from Mumbai. About six months ago, she noticed some discomfort in her left breast. When she raised her arm above her head to comb her hair, she noticed some skin changes on the left breast. But she chose to ignore that, too. When she developed a constant nagging pain in her…
Says Dr V Shanta, cancer specialist and the Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai. Lung cancer, which is related to smoking, is today the top cancer in the country. Within the year, 15.5% of 13 to 15-year-olds are going to start smoking. Don’t let your child be one of them. Plus, how smoking harms non-smokers, too. 1. How grave is the health problem posed by tobacco use in India? How much of it relates to smoking cigarettes, beedis and how much is it due to consumption of gutka,…
World No Tobacco Day is on May 31. Cancer survivor Vandana Gupta (VG), the founder of V Care, a support service for cancer patients and their families in India, talks about the urgent need to protect your kids and family members from the widespread scourge of tobacco use. Plus, what to say to kids who think smoking is cool. PE: Your organisation, V Care, offers support to different types of cancer patients. What are the specific challenges pertaining to …
The risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25, those who used multiple supplements, and those who used them for years. A new study links taking muscle-building supplements, such as pills and powders with creatine or androstenedione, with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Moreover, says study senior author Tongzhang Zheng, the associated testicular germ cell cancer risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25,…
Quality of life and Autonomy are important criteria in a patient's choice Dr. Gawande stresses that for most people, there comes a time when the quality of those years becomes more important than the absolute quantity. Research shows that older adults are less concerned with safety and more worried about losing their autonomy. The desire to consider quality of life over quantity can conflict with some of the practices of modern medicine. But it’s entirely consistent with the core values of the…
Glatzer, who suffered from ALS – also known as Motor Neuron Disease – and directed 'Still Alice' with the help of a text-to-speech iPad app mounted on his wheelchair, had developed respiratory problems and gone into cardiac arrest days before the ceremony. He recovered to celebrate Juliana Moore’s win with the champagne his husband had smuggled into the hospital. But on Tuesday, four years after he was diagnosed with the condition, he died aged 63. 'Still Alice' stars Moore as an Ivy League…
Dick Lee has been a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with dementia a year ago. SINGAPORE: Singer-songwriter Dick Lee was on Tuesday (Mar 17) named ambassador for Singapore’s Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) for a year, as the association celebrates its 25th anniversary. "It has been difficult seeing my father struggle with symptoms of dementia," said Mr Lee. The most trying moment he faced was when his father "shut down overnight" after a mild stroke that left the senior Mr…
