Health

What are the illnesses that take the highest toll of lives in our cities? What causes them? Take a look at findings from the latest trends in urban health and disease burden and do your best to keep yourself in good health.

A recent survey among over 2000 foodies in India has named Kolkata the best city for mouth-watering street food. While there is definitely no question mark over the taste, what about safety? Are there good stalls and bad stalls? Amrita Mukherjee studies the scenario up close.

FSSAI, constituted under the food safety law in India, is responsible for formulating and enforcing safety standards for our food. The Act, however, governs only manufacturers and processed food, even as we find increasing contamination in primary and raw produce. What could be the way out?

It sounds counter-intuitive but do you know that the overall child sex ratio in the 0-6 years group in India is actually pulled down by the alarming ratio in cities? That this ratio is actually lower among mothers with more than 10 years of education? A look at the reasons behind the gender imbalance in urban India.

She is educated, successful in her professional career and a multi-tasker. And yet, the urban Indian woman remains woefully ignorant about her health risks and reproductive health. A gynaecologist shares her views.

Bats are being culled, every case of fever is scrutinised carefully. But the nation has one lab which certifies the cases of Nipah. What does a citizen need to know about Nipah?

Water fountains installed in the city for beautification, in the run up to the recently held FIFA U-17 tournament and the Book Fair, now lie abandoned. Mosquitoes breeding in the filthy, stagnant water pose a definite health risk.

A 2014 national survey shows that over 20% of diabetics in urban India suffer from diabetic retinopathy, a disorder that could cause permanent vision loss.

Mental illnesses have been treated as being “not real” or more often, as all “in your mind”. But they are real, and one merely doesn’t “shake out of it”. As we observe the month around World Mental Health Day, an useful explainer on its symptoms and what you can do about it.

The Bangalore Medical College Development Trust (BMC DT) and Infosys Foundation have jointly set up a Bone Marrow Registry with the mission to set up a database of willing bone marrow donors, with details of their HLA type, in order to help patients in need of transplant. Here’s how you could register.

A large number of perimenopausal women battle doubts over whether it is too late in the day to reject sanitary napkins for the healthier and more environment-friendly menstrual cups. This addresses all their inner fears.

If you’ve always shied away from running and athletic sports on your days of the month, switch to menstrual cups and feel the difference!