Health

Mumbai doctors say there is a need for Indian couples to go through thalassemia screening and haemoglobin electrophoresis tests, and genetic counselling if needed, as an essential part of fertility and pregnancy planning.  The health experts say that while many couples undergo fertility treatment and IVF procedures, awareness regarding inherited genetic conditions remains limited. Timely screening, counselling, and advanced reproductive technologies can help couples better understand genetic risks and ensure healthier pregnancies. Every year, World Thalassemia Day is observed on May 8 to create awareness about the blood disorder. While people may know of it, their connection to pregnancy needs to be in the spotlight. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder in which the body is unable...

In a remarkable display of surgical expertise, doctors at a Mumbai hospital have successfully performed a complex, high-risk procedure on a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with a rare giant right sided diaphragmatic hernia.  The condition had led to the displacement of multiple abdominal organs into the chest cavity, resulting in critical compression of the right lung and a severe impact on her ability to breathe. The woman had been experiencing persistent breathlessness, which had progressively worsened to the point where even minimal movement became difficult. Her medical history revealed a traumatic injury at the age of 12, considered a likely contributing factor. Clinical evaluation, followed by advanced imaging, confirmed extensive herniation of the liver, stomach, duodenum and colon i...

A hormonal condition affecting 1 in 8 women around the world just got a new name in hopes of improving care. It Is now called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome instead of polycystic ovary syndrome. Researchers and supporters of the change said the old name, often shortened to PCOS, is inaccurate. It reduced a complex hormonal or endocrine disorder to a misunderstanding about cysts and a focus on ovaries, contributing to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment, said the Endocrine Society, a global group of physicians and scientists. “The thought behind that is that one, there’s no cysts in the ovary, so it’s very confusing,” said Dr. Melanie Cree, one of the authors of the Lancet article and a pediatric endocrinology expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz. “The hope was th...

Doing around 8,500 steps a day can help people keep weight off after dieting, according to new research.  To be presented at the ‘European Congress on Obesity’ (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 12-15, the study showed that there was a clear link between increasing step count and preventing weight regain.  Specifically, it was important to increase step count during the weight loss phase and maintain this increase during the weight maintenance phase. Patients who did so regained less weight, said the study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. “The most important – and greatest – challenge when treating obesity is preventing weight regain,” explains Professor Marwan El Ghoch from University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. Arou...

With summer temperatures rising in Mumbai, doctors are observing an increase in eye-related problems such as conjunctivitis (pink eye), eye irritation, and dryness across all age groups. From school-going children to working adults and senior citizens, many people are reporting symptoms like redness, itching, swelling, and watery eyes. Eye problems are quite common during the summer and can often disturb daily comfort and peace of mind. However, experts point out that hot weather, increased dust exposure, pollution, and sudden climate fluctuations are contributing to the rise in these eye conditions. Causes of conjunctivitis during summer Dr Nusrat Bukhari, who is an ophthalmologist at Apollo Spectra in Tardeo, explains, “Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye, is an inflammation of...

In the middle of increasingly stressful urban lifestyles, a growing number of Indians are now turning towards alternative wellness practices focused on emotional and spiritual well-being. Among the names gaining attention is `Atma Namaste™`, a Mumbai-based organisation promoting Pranic Healing as a method of achieving balance, clarity and inner peace. The organisation follows the teachings of Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, who developed and systematised Pranic Healing — a non-touch and non-invasive energy healing practice aimed at improving mental, emotional and physical wellness. It is drawing attention from people across different walks of life, including public figures, entrepreneurs and professionals seeking balance and clarity amid demanding lifestyles. Philosophy behind the practice T...

Even as women are busy balancing their work goals and personal life, Mumbai doctors are raising concerns about the increasing number of young working women developing Varicose Veins due to prolonged standing hours, sedentary work routines, pregnancy, and frequent use of high heels.  Women working in professions such as healthcare, teaching, hospitality, retail, aviation, and corporate sectors are increasingly reporting symptoms related to poor vein health at a younger age. Many women continue to ignore early warning signs such as leg pain, heaviness, swelling, cramps, itching, and visible blue or twisted veins, assuming them to be temporary discomfort caused by work stress or fatigue. What is Varicose Veins? Varicose Veins are enlarged, swollen, and twisted veins that usually appear on ...

India’s maternity healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant shift, with more women accessing formal, institutional care than ever before. As per data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with over 88–90 per cent of births now occurring in institutional settings, the share of institutional deliveries has reached 97.3 per cent in 2023–24, signalling a sustained shift towards formal, hospital-based maternal care. Government data presented in 2025 further showed that C-section deliveries accounted for over 27 per cent of all reported births in India during 2024–25, reinforcing the growing shift towards medically intensive maternity care. Against this backdrop and coinciding with Mother`s Day, Care Health Insurance`s latest report highlights a clear expansion in women’s heal...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said the hantavirus outbreak is not another COVID pandemic, and the current public health risk remains low.  WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a message that "I know you are worried". “The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he wrote. The virus aboard the MV Hondius ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus. A total of eight Hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been reported so far. “It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their f...

A mother dies from preventable complications every hour in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, showcasing a health system still struggling to protect women during pregnancy and childbirth, local media reported on Wednesday. In a statement issued on International Day of the Midwife, the WHO said the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan remains among the highest across the world, at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births, even as access to basic care has improved over the past 20 years, Afghanistan`s Amu TV reported. Many of these deaths occurred due to conditions that can be treated or prevented, including haemorrhage, hypertension, infection and hindered labour, the WHO said. The consequences are often long-lasting and severe for women who survive such complications. Si...