Health

Widespread smartphone and social media use among children is driving a sharp rise in depression, anxiety and suicide, top American lawmakers and experts have said calling it a public health crisis that demands urgent government action. Parents are increasingly alarmed by the amount of time children spend on screens and the nature of the content they consume, said Senator Ted Cruz, during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing titled “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth.” Cruz said children aged 8 to 12 now spend an average of 5.5 hours a day on screens, while teenagers spend more than 8.5 hours a day. “More than half of a teenager’s waking hours are spent staring at a screen,” he said, calling the trend deeply troubling for parents and educators. Psychologist...

Scientists are In the constant research for treatment of different types of cancers, and in the most recent development, there may be hope. In a first-ever study by Australian researchers has demonstrated that the feasibility and safety of using stabilised hyaluronic acid (sHA) gel during radiation treatment can be helpful for gynaecological cancers.  The gel, which is already approved by Australia`s Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in prostate cancer radiation treatment, may prove to a path-breaking in the treatment. The team, who made the discovery, was led by experts from Monash University who investigated hyaluronic acid gel for the first time in women, as a means to gently create more space between the tumour and the rectum during MRI-guided brachytherapy -- a type of intern...

Skin problems such as acne, pigmentation, premature ageing, and hair fall are increasingly being reported across the 25-65 age group. While many patients invest heavily in skincare products, they often ignore the deeper lifestyle factors that directly influence skin health. Irregular sleep patterns, high stress levels, unhealthy eating habits, prolonged screen exposure, and rising pollution are silently damaging the skin from within. Hence, it is the need of the hour to pay attention to the skin and keep it glowing, healthy, and happy. Skin problems are rapidly rising due to unhealthy lifestyle habits such as poor sleep, high stress, unhealthy diets, and excessive screen time. “These factors disrupt the skin’s natural repair process and weaken its protective barrier. As a result, issues l...

The prohibition on alcohol in Bihar in 2016 has led to higher intake of calories, protein, and healthy fats from nutritious food sources, according to a study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur on Saturday.  The study finds that alcohol prohibition enacted under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, by the Nitish Kumar-led government, significantly increased caloric, protein, and fat intake from healthy food sources such as pulses, dairy products, and nut-based oils. Importantly, the move led to a decline in consumption of packaged and processed foods, which are often complementary to alcohol use. “The ban did not just free up household resources; it also triggered positive behavioural spillovers,” said Vinayak Krishnatri, from Department of Economic Scien...

Doctors at a private hospital in Delhi have successfully treated a one-year-old baby boy from Uzbekistan suffering from a rare genetic liver disorder (Alagille Syndrome) by performing a living donor liver transplant, with the child`s father donating a part of his liver. The timely intervention helped save the baby`s life after months of worsening illness. According to the hospital, the baby had developed jaundice soon after birth and required neonatal intensive care. At two months of age, he was misdiagnosed with biliary atresia, a condition that blocks the normal flow of bile from the liver, and underwent a Kasai procedure- a surgery performed in infancy to help restore bile flow from the liver. However, over the following months, his condition continued to worsen. He suffered from persi...

Vaccination, screening and early treatment are crucial to fight cervical cancer, which is causing the death of a woman every eight minutes in India, said health experts on Friday. January is observed globally as Cervical Cancer awareness month. Cervical cancer is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The virus infects the cervix, which is the mouth of the uterus. While HPV infection does not mean cancer, it requires testing or screening to see if it has caused changes in the cervix. “Cervical cancer and breast cancer are the most common cancers affecting women. In India, one woman dies every eight minutes due to cervical cancer. This shows how big the burden is. In many foreign countries, these deaths are much lower because cervical cancer is completely preventable. If screening is ...

People who eat more industrially processed foods and beverages laced with preservatives, widely used to extend shelf-life, may increase the risk of cancer, according to a study. The study, published in The BMJ, showed that higher intakes of several preservatives (mostly non-antioxidants, including potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, and acetic acid) were associated with a higher risk of cancers, compared with risks in non-consumers or lower consumers. For example, total sorbates, specifically potassium sorbate, were associated with a 14 per cent increased risk of overall cancer and a 26 per cent increased risk of breast cancer, while total sulfites were associated with a 12 per cent increased risk of overall cancer. Sodium nitrite was associate...

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing, especially in women, and the ongoing winter season, along with high pollution, may be worsening the symptoms, said an expert from the All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Wednesday.  Dr. Uma Kumar, Professor and head of department of Rheumatology, AIIMS, explained that autoimmune diseases develop through a complex process, which may be limited to a single organ or be systemic. While limited diseases involve only one organ, such as the pancreas, systemic conditions affect multiple organs. These include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, IgG4-related diseases, and many others, with nearly 60 diseases in this category. These are more prevalent in women. “These diseases can occur at...

Daylight can help improve metabolic health, enabling people with type 2 diabetes to achieve better glycaemic control, according to a study.  Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland and Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that people exposed to natural light had blood glucose levels in the normal range for more hours per day, with less variability. In addition, their melatonin level -- the sleep hormone -- was a little higher in the evening, and fat oxidative metabolism was also improved. The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, provided the first evidence of the beneficial impact of natural light on people with this condition. "It has been known for several years that the disruption of circadian rhythms plays a major role in the developme...

Maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy may raise the risk of babies developing Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease -- a common bacterial disease, according to a study.  While the bacteria usually live harmlessly in the gut or genital tract, they can cause serious infections, especially in newborns, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, leading to sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia. The study led by an international team from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, University of Antwerp in Belgium, showed that prenatal antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of neonatal GBS disease, within four weeks of delivery. Early third-trimester exposure showed the strongest association. “Prenatal antibiotic exposure can raise GBS risk within four weeks postpartum, especi...