Health

In a remarkable feat of surgical precision and expertise, Mumbai doctors have successfully removed a rare tumour from one of the most anatomically complex regions of the human body, "the parapharyngeal space”, offering a new lease on life to a 65-year-old woman from Mumbai who had been experiencing persistent throat symptoms and voice changes.   The woman had been suffering from a persistent sore throat and cough for nearly two months. She had also recently noticed changes in her voice. Although she did not experience pain or difficulty swallowing, doctors found an unusual swelling inside her throat during examination. Her MRI scans revealed approximately 5 cm in length tumour located in the left  parapharyngeal region, a deep area behind the throat surrounded by important nerves and majo...

Commemorating the International Day of Yoga, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that from its deep roots in ancient India, yoga has become truly universal, helping millions of all faiths. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN marked the 12th International Day of Yoga at the world body's headquarters on Thursday on the theme of ''Yoga for Healthy Ageing''.  Vibrant yoga mats were neatly arranged at the North Lawns of the UN headquarters in the vicinity of the iconic Gandhi statue, as yoga practitioners, diplomats, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the Indian-American community participated in the Yoga Day celebrations.  On the stage, a special banner announcing India's candidature as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term was also display...

AIIMS Bhopal will celebrate the International Day of Yoga on June 21 with a special programme centred on the theme “Yoga for Healthy Ageing”, underlining the growing importance of yoga in promoting physical, mental and emotional well-being across all stages of life.  The event will be organised by the Collaborative Centre for Mind Body Interventions through Yoga (CCMBIY–CCRYN) at AIIMS Bhopal. As part of the observance, a mass yoga session will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. in front of Kautilya Bhawan on the institute’s campus, bringing together students, faculty members, healthcare professionals and members of the public. According to AIIMS Bhopal, this year’s theme reflects the crucial role yoga can play in ensuring healthy and active ageing amid rising life expectancy and the gr...

As the country gears up for the 12th International Day of Yoga on June 21, a series of yoga-themed events, fitness drives and awareness programmes were organised across several states, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for the annual celebration of health and well-being. In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a unique water yoga session was held at Bargad Ghat on the Yamuna River as part of the preparations for International Yoga Day. Participants performed yoga exercises in water, showcasing an innovative approach to combining fitness and aquatic activities. Speaking to IANS, swimming coach Tribhuvan Nishad said that the initiative was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to promote yoga. “At Navjeevan Swimming Academy, swimming has been taught for the past 40 years. After the Prime M...

A day ahead of International Yoga Day, preparations are in full swing across the country, with political leaders, yoga practitioners, diplomats, and citizens coming together to celebrate the ancient Indian practice that has evolved into a global wellness movement.  From Kolkata and Hyderabad to Jodhpur and New Delhi, large-scale yoga events and awareness programmes were organised on Saturday ahead of the nationwide celebrations on June 21. In Kolkata, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lead the main International Yoga Day event, Director of the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Prof. Kashinath Samagandi, said the Prime Minister would perform yoga alongside thousands of participants. "The Prime Minister will perform yoga sitting together with the people. The Gover...

With more people spending long hours sitting at desks, doctors are witnessing a rise in cases of piles among working professionals. Indian health experts say sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary habits, inadequate hydration, and lack of physical activity are contributing to this growing health concern. Piles (hemorrhoids) are often considered a problem affecting older adults. Unfortunately, experts are now increasingly diagnosing this unpleasant condition among working professionals.  Long hours of sitting, limited movement, unhealthy eating habits, and ignoring symptoms of discomfort while sitting, painless rectal bleeding, itching, and irritation down there can raise the chances of piles. Experts stress that simple lifestyle changes and timely medical attention can improve quality of lif...

An ordinary day turned into a race against time for a woman in her 50s when she was suddenly struck by an excruciating headache so severe that she believed something had exploded inside her head. Within minutes, the pain became unbearable. Alarmed by her rapidly deteriorating condition, her family rushed her to Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central. Investigations revealed a life-threatening subarachnoid haemorrhage — bleeding around the brain caused by the rupture of an aneurysm, a weakened bulge in a blood vessel. Further imaging identified the source of the bleed as a ruptured aneurysm located at the anterior communicating artery, one of the brain's critical blood vessels. The condition required immediate intervention The woman came under the care of Dr Mazda Turel, consultant Brain a...

National Family Health Survey (NFHS)‑6 results released by the Health Ministry in May showed significant gains in women’s maternal healthcare access, reproductive health and financial and digital inclusion, a report said on Wednesday.  The report from SBI Research noted material progress over a period of 3 years in terms of child stunting, vaccination, improved health delivery across women and fertility transition. However, it outlined the need to spend more on holistic healthcare for children as certain child nutritional indicators lagged. The frequency of NFHS surveys (first initiated in 1992-93) used to happen at highly irregular intervals of roughly 7 years, which was even extended to 10 years. Subsequently, the gap has been reduced to a fixed 3-year interval under the current gove...

Many people tend to experience constant back pain and take over-the-counter painkillers, which may provide temporary relief. However, they fail to investigate the root cause of the pain. Though experts caution that excruciating back pain, along with other warning signs such as dark or foamy urine, unexplained fatigue, swelling, or changes in urination pattern, can also be due to hidden kidney tumors. It is also why they remind on World Kidney Cancer Awareness Day, observed on June 18 every year, that timely intervention is key to improving the quality of life of the patient. A large number of people are struggling with debilitating back pain that can interfere with their daily routine and impact their overall well-being. Unfortunately, back pain is not only linked to poor posture, long wo...

Doctors at a Mumbai hospital have successfully performed a rare surgery for a 75-year-old man, diagnosed with a large rectal polyp that was later confirmed to contain early-stage rectal cancer.  The advanced robotic procedure called Robotic Trans-Anal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS) enabled complete removal of the cancerous growth without the need for major abdominal surgery, removal of the rectum, or a permanent stoma, offering the patient a quicker recovery and improved quality of life. The man initially presented with bleeding in the stools and was subsequently diagnosed with a large rectal polyp measuring approximately 4–5 cm in diameter during a colonoscopy. While the biopsy suggested an adenoma, a pre-cancerous lesion, the size and nature of the growth raised concerns about the ...