Health

On May 20th, the Adyar Cancer Institute conducted a workshop to mark the observance of World No Tobacco Day (May 31). The workshop, themed ‘Tobacco: A Threat to Development’ aimed to sensitize and empower youngsters falling prey to tobacco addiction. The event was inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Shanta, Honorary Chairperson of the Cancer Institute, sitting Madras High Court Judge, Justice Kirubakaran and Tamil Nadu Traders Association President, Thiru. Ta. Velliyan. A crowd of 150 which included representations from various political parties and leading NGOs were present. Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, which has always advocated prohibition of smoking, actively participated in the…

In India, malaria, Dengue, brain fever, Chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika virus fever are some of the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Many of these diseases have long lasting effects in terms of body pain, etc. One can prevent / reduce being affected by the mosquitoes to a great extent by taking care of some basic things like wearing clothes that cover arms and legs, using mosquito nets, preventing water stagnation nearby, applying mosquito repellents, etc. Listen in to hear about the different types of mosquitoes and how to prevent diseases caused by them.

RJ Padma Priya recently interviewed Dr. Vedamurthy from Victoria Hospital for the weekly radio programme 'Manocharche (Mental Health)'. The topic was 'Understanding Psychopathology and Assistance For It'. In this interview, Dr. Vedamurthy explains the various conditions that are included under the umbrella of mental disorders / disabilities / illness, the criteria that distinguish such conditions, and the government benefits that are available.  

Pooja Bhatia Arora, a fitness expert in Bengaluru, talks about her journey from a small town to city life and the impact it had on her health and the moments that put her on the path to fitness, and that fitness is about trying out different ways to be fit and in the process finding what works for you.

“Why should I switch to a menstrual cup now? I am already above 45 and I am approaching my menopause! I have very heavy periods. How will a cup hold it?” These are some of the arguments I hear when I am talking about “cupverting” my friends in the age-group 45-50. I grew up in Mumbai with probably the first generation of Carefree and Stayfree users. At that time, my mother who was in her forties was using cloth to save money for my pads. At that time, disposables were marketed as the convenient and healthy way. No one really…

You are a runner. The customary weekend long run is underway, when suddenly it dawns upon you at the 20th kilometre that you were supposed to get your periods today. Hmmmmmm. May be you are getting it right now, but you are sweating, your nose is running and the body is complaining, so you don’t know for sure if it is the monthly disaster that has commenced (so soon?) or whether these are the aches and pains of a long run. If you have never found yourself in the above scenario, you are likely to be a man. Even if…

I had my periods when I was nine, and used mostly disposable sanitary pads and occasionally, homemade cloth pads. My mom experimented and introduced me to tampons when I was in Grade 9 and the freedom was mindblowing! Can’t thank her enough. I became a responsible waste management volunteer in 2011 and it was a full year before I discovered a menstrual cup! Between Grade 9 and 2011, I travelled to more than 30 countries and even lived in the US for three years. I feel menstrual cups are the best kept secret of all times! The system didn’t expose me…

Committed to a greener planet and thinking of giving up sanitary pads for menstrual cups? Here are a few tips that will help you make that switch. Almost two years ago, I tried a menstrual cup for the first time. I was 24 years old and was a newbie to the world of cups. As excited as I was about trying a cup, I was also equally apprehensive. A hundred god-awful thoughts crossed my mind as I gathered the wits to “do the deed”. On the one hand, I was feeling guilty of not telling my mother that I was…

Bengaluru has many NGOs working on social sectors, and HIV affected community is one of the sectors of focus. Leelavathi, the vice-president of Arunodaya NGO explains what NGOs are doing for HIV communities. She also talks about dealing with tuberculosis in HIV affected people, and the care to be taken, diagnosis, treatment, medication and related issues.

Pic courtesy: facebook.com/MRCampaignKA In mid-January 2017, social media groups in Bengaluru buzzed with posts of confused parents who sought to know whether they should vaccinate their child in school - the schools were asking their consent to vaccinate the children against Measles and Rubella. This is a part of Union government’s National Health Mission initiative to vaccinate children across India against commonly occurring diseases among children - Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). On February 7th, 2017, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka launched a mass measles and rubella vaccination campaign to immunise all children in the State aged between…