Health

India is Diabetic Capital of world, and 12.4 % Bangalore population has diabetes. It is projected that maximum increase in diabetic patients would be in India. The deadly risks of diabetes include heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure (BP), recurrent foot infections often leading to amputations, and decreased immunity.The good news is it can be prevented, and even if you have, it can be managed without medicines. The time to act is now  Main symptoms of Diabetes. Pic: Wikimedia Commons Check if you have family history of diabetesAre you Obese or overweightIf you are inactiveIf you have high blood pressureWounds…

The word Accident is derived from latin verb ‘accidere' meaning fall upon, befall, happen, chance. Globally as well as in our country, it is construed as happening by chance, and there is not much that can be done about it. Contradictory, though it may sound most of the accidents can be prevented. Especially if one looks at some of the statistics around accidents, one wonders why efforts are not made on war footing. Sample these: Pic: Mukul Saxena Globally 1.2 million people die due to Road traffic accidents (RTA) every year .In India every 1.9 minutes one person dies of…

Asthma is a respiratory allergy characterised by difficulty in breathing, and is associated with wheezing. It is a Greek word meaning breathless, or breathing with mouth open. Genetic factors, urbanisation, pollution, stress, and tobacco smoke are some of the important factors to determine the severity of asthma. Pic: Wikimedia commons A study based on 20,000 patients revealed that percentage of asthma in children grew from 9% in 1979 to 29.9% in 1999 in Bangalore. Seasonal variations, viral upper respiratory tract infection, food items like grapes, guavas, bananas, ice creams, tomatoes, trigger an asthmatic episode. The effect of pollution can be…

Improper waste management and burgeoning population of stray dogs could easily be considered as two ubiquitous problems plaguing the city of Bangalore. Animal welfare activists have for long claimed that the two might be correlated. They argue that availability of food in the form of garbage spurs the increase in population of stray dogs. Instead of culling the canines, BBMP should concentrate on implementing effective solid waste management system. Three garbage dumps marked in a one kilometre radius in Jayanagar ‘Voice of Stray Dogs' (VoSD), a pressure group, has launched a collaborative project, ‘X marks the spot', where citizens can…

State education department has initiated a project to identify the prevalence of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) among school children. ADHD is a disorder that causes hyperactivity, inattention and behaviour problems in children.The department has given Malleswaram-based Sattvam Homeopathic Speciality Clinic the go-ahead to screen children in 10 Malleshwaram schools in the first stage. It is expected to start off in a few weeks.The department may make policy decisions on treating children with ADHD based on the data, says Tushar Girinath, Commissioner at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Sattvam Clinic, a 27-year-old establishment, currently specialises in treating children with…

Every minute 3 people die, somewhere in India, because of cardiovascular diseases, namely heart attack and stroke* The sad part is - they need not die. According to a paper published in Current Science journal in 2009 hypertension or High Blood pressure is responsible for 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all deaths due to heart attack. Tragically, in majority of cases , patients are unaware of their high blood pressure. Hypertension is called the silent killer .If not treated properly, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and eye complications. How to prevent…

Even after making her home in Koramangla, dust-free, Shilpa Rao, 55, a teacher at an international school, suffered from persistent allergic reactions. Her doctor suggested that the problem might lie in her mattress and she needs to get it cleaned. She contacted ‘Clean Fanatic', a company specialising in cleaning mattresses. Shilpa says that after the cleaning, her wheezing has reduced considerably. Cleaning in progress at the Prabhakarans' home in Banaswadi. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi Brothers Anuroop and Sanjay Prabhakaran, 34 and 38, who live in Banaswadi, too opted for the service after constant allergic reactions to dust. "We thought it…

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder in which there is a reduction in the rate of production of haemoglobin and thus causing anemia. Treatment for Thalassemia Major involves regular blood transfusions. Some patients may require a transfusion every three weeks and treatment is often a painful process. With proper care and treatment, a person with thalassemia can live near normal life. However, due to lack of systematic treatment, counseling and care, most children with thalassemia do not live to celebrate their 18th birthday in our country. Over 2.5 crore people in India have the genetic trait for thalassemia. People with…

Overweight and Obesity are fast emerging as global pandemic. 72% of the most developed country in the world, USA's population is overweight and obese. In India , more than 30 million people are overweight, and the fact that 20% of school going children are overweight, paints a grim picture. In a study conducted in 2007, by Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College , New Delhi, revealed 13.1% of affluent schoolgirls in Bangalore are overweight, and 4.3% being obese. According to another study cited by Dr Izhar Hasan, Unani Doctor, Bangalore has 35% overall prevalence rate of Obesity. Obesity…

That smoking kills is no news. That smoking can cause death to your near and dear ones is also perhaps known to most. That one out of two tobacco users is destined to die is something most of smokers would not wish to know or accept. Yet, this is what World Health organisation says. Out of the six million people who die because of tobacco use, 5 million are users and ex users. Six lakh are those who die of gift of smoke (Second hand smoking) from their near and dear ones. Almost 40 % of children breathe smoke polluted…