Health

A severe headache quickly spiralled into a life-threatening neurological emergency for a 31-year-old woman from Gujarat but Mumbai doctors have come to her rescue, and helped her walk again after timely surgery.  After developing weakness on the right side of her body and slurred speech, she was admitted to a hospital where a brain scan showed swelling. She was started on conservative treatment, but her condition took an alarming turn when she began experiencing recurrent seizures. As her neurological symptoms worsened despite treatment, she was referred to Wockhardt Hospitals in Mumbai Central, where Dr Prashant Makhija, consultant neurologist, took over her care. By the time she arrived at the city-based hospital, the priority was to understand why a young woman with no obvious explana...

When a heavy monsoon shower begins outside or the low, resonant vibration of a singing bowl fills a room, the immediate reaction for many people is a deep sigh of relief. The mind slows down, the shoulders drop, and a sense of calm takes over. But when you are sitting at your desk with a deadline looming, a crucial question arises: does this relaxed state actually help you lock in and accomplish complex tasks, or is it simply setting the stage for an afternoon nap? To unpack what actually happens inside our nervous system when we listen to acoustic sounds, mid-day.com spoke to two expert neurologists Dr. Aniruddha More, consultant neurologist at Jupiter Hospital, Thane, and Dr. Prashant Makhija, consultant neurologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central. By looking past the wellness t...

Knee replacement was previously linked to older age. However, currently, various factors such as obesity, previous injuries, demanding lifestyles, and untreated joint problems are now raising the chances of knee problems in young adults in their 40s. Currently, there is a surge in the number of people requiring knee replacements. Previously, knee replacement was only linked to older people. But now, many people in their 40s are suffering from unbearable knee pain that is interfering with their daily routine. They also having joint damage that can require knee replacement surgeries. However, when the cartilage is severely damaged and pain begins to affect walking, sleep, work, and everyday activities, surgery may be considered after other treatments have been explored. Mumbai doctors high...

Bust­ing common weight-loss myths around the elimination of rice, bananas, and ghee, nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar said these traditional foods do not need to be automatically removed from one's diet while trying to lose weight. In a social media video, Diwekar addresses the widespread belief that avoiding certain everyday foods is essential for weight loss. She specifically discusses rice, bananas, and ghee, challenging the tendency to label them as foods that must be completely eliminated during a weight-loss journey. 'Rice need not be eliminated during weight loss' Diwekar discusses the perception that rice should be avoided by people trying to lose weight. She points towards the traditional Indian way of eating rice, where it is generally consumed alongside foods such as dal, vegeta...

Artificial intelligence could help ease the pressure on doctors by taking over some of the repetitive paperwork and administrative tasks that take up valuable time, as healthcare systems around the world face a growing shortage of workers, according to a report by QuickBlox. The report highlighted a widening gap between the number of healthcare workers available and the demand for care. The World Health Organization has also warned that the world could face a shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, with the problem expected to be particularly serious in regions where healthcare systems are already under pressure. Against this backdrop, the report mentioned that technology can help existing healthcare staff handle more patients by reducing some of the work that does not require th...

A team of hybrid Mumbai doctors have successfully treated an elderly man from abalpur who was suffering from a large subdural hematoma (SDH), a condition in which blood collects between the brain and its outer covering due to bleeding. The man, who was taking blood-thinning medication for an existing heart condition, was advised conventional open brain surgery because of the size of the bleed and mass effect. However, as he was unwilling to undergo open surgery, the team successfully treated him using an advanced minimally invasive Middle Meningeal Artery (MMA) embolisation, allowing him to recover without opening the skull. On follow-up, the man is doing well and has resumed his clinic and is treating patients like before. The 67-year-old practicing doctor had dedicated his life to cari...

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore claimed to have developed a non-invasive technique that can detect early signs of oral cancer using only saliva and a swab sample from the inner surface of the mouth. The researchers plan to validate the findings in larger and more diverse groups of patients, and then develop targeted, easy-to-use tests that can be brought into routine clinical practice, officials said on Thursday. The technology's key strengths are that it is point-of-care, economical, quick, and non-invasive - qualities that matter greatly in a country where access to specialist cancer diagnostics is still limited outside big cities, according to the researchers. At present, doctors confirm oral cancer through a biopsy, which involves removing a tissue sam...

With the monsoon season bringing an increase in several infections, Professor of Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, Dr Neeraj Nischal, advised people to remain cautious and seek appropriate medical advice when symptoms occur. Speaking to ANI, Nischal said that common conditions during the season include the common cold, influenza and other viral fevers that can cause respiratory symptoms. "During this season, we typically see conditions like the common cold and influenza, which is commonly referred to as swine flu. Apart from that, various other viral fevers can cause respiratory symptoms, which are commonly seen during this time," he said. He said that symptoms of several viral respiratory infections can be similar, making it important to monitor the condition carefully. "Symptoms are quite sim...

Twenty-two years after successfully overcoming breast cancer, a 52-year-old woman believed the disease was firmly behind her. An avid trekker and mountaineer, she had returned to a full and active life after undergoing breast-conserving surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in her early thirties. For more than two decades, her follow-up visits remained uneventful, and she enjoyed an excellent quality of life. Then she noticed a small lump in the same breast. Like many long-term cancer survivors, she never imagined it could be cancer again. However, a biopsy revealed something unexpected. It was not simply a recurrence of her earlier disease—it was a new breast cancer, arising in a different part of the breast with different biological characteristics. Fortunately, a PET scan confirmed that...

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history that killed over 11,000 people out of more than 28,000 cases, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday. "At its current pace, it's on track to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. That outbreak horrified the world and jolted efforts to develop a vaccine. The outbreak in eastern Congo, considered the fastest-growing in history, has killed over 2,000 people out of more than 4,300 cases. The outbreak was declared on May 15, but health authorities now say sequencing showed it began months earlier, in February. It is unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks because the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for it has no approved vacci...