Arthritis emerging non-communicable disease in Sri Lanka

The number of patients seeking treatment for joint related pain is colossal. The amount of painkiller tablets that is dispensed at a busy government clinic is staggering. I have heard pharmacists complaining about the mountains of pills that are distributed at arthritis clinics. Most patients are already disabled and struggle to reach the consultation desk because of their joint pain

Have your fruits and throw away the lollipops!

Asian women focus more on a child’s nutrition and growth when she becomes a mother. This write up is important to those mothers who are concerned about their children’s weight.

Multiple Pregnancies When joy comes in multiple bundles

Getting to know that they are pregnant with a child is a joyous occasion for a couple. But witnessing not just one, but two, or even more blips in the ultrasound scan and being announced that they are not pregnant with not just one but two, at the same time, would be more exciting, sometimes overwhelmingly so.

COPD A lifelong malady of the lungs

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious illness of the lungs. While the name itself may not be very familiar, the condition is extremely common and lethal; currently holding the position for the world’s 4th leading cause of death. Smoking and inhaling polluted air for long periods of time have been found to be major contributors towards COPD. While the presentation of COPD is somewhat similar to asthma, it is usually more severe

A daily routine for sound oral hygiene

Oral hygiene is the practice of maintaining a clean, fresh and healthy mouth. Many people are indifferent towards this practice having no idea of the consequences that may result if the mouth is not provided with proper care. Proper care of oral structures does more than protect one from oral diseases. It brings about numerous positive results including good overall health, great personality and also helps to boost self-confidence.

Myths and facts about virginity

A lot of traditional views on virginity are based on religious and cultural beliefs that are not related to facts. In some cultures, a show of blood after the wedding night, ‘virginity tests’, and hymen examinations are still in practice.

Reviving the concept of Family Physicians

Family Medicine, formerly known as Family Practice, is a medical speciality devoted to comprehensive and continuing healthcare for the individual and family, across all ages, genders and diseases. The specialist is named a family physician or a family doctor. Family physicians are often primary care physicians. Clinical care is based on the knowledge of the patient with context to his or her family. It takes into consideration factors such as fam

Health hazards of ‘mosquito coil smoke’

Mosquitoes are the main vectors for most human diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis (barawa) and dengue. Among these mosquito-borne diseases, dengue is one of the rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral infections throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In order to control these mosquito-borne diseases around the residential areas, many people adopt several methods. There are four major different types of mosquito cont

With prompt treatment, sky would be the limit

ADHD is a term that young children who are active and fidgety are frequently labelled with. But what really is ADHD? How do you know if your child really has ADHD? Is it incurable? Do these children have learning difficulties as well? What are the chances of this condition affecting the child’s future and the choice of profession? We in health Capsule discussed all these burning questions that the parents have, with Dr. Udena Attygalle, Consultan

Are you aware of the GBS infection?

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the main causes of postpartum infection and neonatal sepsis. It mainly concerns pregnant women and requires immediate treatment in order to avoid the adverse effects that are resulted by the infection. Many women around the world have experienced incidents such as preterm labour and child loss at birth. This can be due to inadequate care or the mother’s lack of knowledge on diseases like the GBS infection. Pr

Alopecia areata explored

Hair loss is an affliction which can affect any individual regardless of age or gender. But out of the myriad causes which results in said condition, there is one which has gained a certain amount of infamy in the Sri Lankan setup; that is the condition known as ‘Alopecia areata’. Referred to as italics in the local vernacular,there are several misconceptions on how this disorder comes about. But with the advent of modern science and advances in

Reasons for diabetes during pregnancy

Diabetes is an acute issue prevalent worldwide. There are three major types of diabetes including type-1, type-2 and Gestational Diabetes. Among them, gestational diabetes takes prominent place and develops during any stage of the pregnancy. In 2017, global diabetic women (20-79 years) were 204 million and this number predicted to increased up to 308 million by 2045. 16.2% of pregnant mothers had some form of high blood sugar during pregnancy an

How to maintain beauty after delivery

Pregnancy is a huge milestone. Being a mother, you would spend every waking hour catering to the needs of your little one. While this is great, taking good care of yourself is the first step to feeling beautiful. Giving your child all the attention isn’t enough, hence give yourself some attention as well. Motherhood is an overwhelming period, so cut yourself some slack and give your body all the love and care it truly deserves.

Facing hand-foot-and-mouth-disease head-on

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a viral infection which is commonly seen in young children. While it’s usually not serious, the disease can be a cause for concern among parents mostly due to its unique rash. The reason that ‘Health Capsule’ decided to explore the topic in details is because the number of patients who are reportedly having hand foot and mouth disease is on the rise, according to many hospital sources. Joining us to educate the publ

Chemotherapy is a curative option

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, the individual isn’t ready to face it in most instances. While some cancers could be cured, the impact of others could be controlled. However, everything depends on how the patient deals with the ailment. Chemotherapy is a recommended option that many patients fear, simply due to its evident side effects such as hair loss.

What you need to know about LRT [Ligation and Recession of Tubes]

Much has been spoken about sterilisation of women over the past few weeks. Although it’s a simple procedure that is being done to ideally reduce the risk of more pregnancy complications (after the third Caesarean section delivery), many claim that it could be deliberately done to prevent child birth. Ethics and attitudes play a major role in the medical profession as it is acknowledged as another one of those noble professions. Consent is a must

Living with Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is an inherited ailment of the blood, which can cause many complications. While sickle cell disease is rare in Sri Lanka, there is a significant number of diagnosed and undiagnosed patients living with sickle cell disease in various parts of the country. This week, marking the world sickle cell day, health capsule will be focusing on Sickle cell disease. Joining with us in the discussion is Dr. K.A.C.Wickramaratne, Consultant

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome The Silent Syndrome does run in families

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) doesn’t mean that there are ‘cysts’ in the ovary. Unfortunately women make requests to get their ‘Cysts” removed due to its name. The name is a misnomer; they are not cysts, but small immature follicles. To enlighten you on the topic we contacted Dr. Roshan Zeirideen Zaid, Consultant, Obstetrician & Gynecologist at Lanka Hospitals, Narahenpita.

Giving the Gift of Life

June 14, is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, biologist and Nobel Prize recipient, who discovered and classified the ABO blood groups at the turn of the 20th century.

Osteoporosis Handling bone loss during midlife

Staying healthy is not only making lifestyle changes to prevent conditions like cancer and heart disease. Keeping your bones healthy to prevent osteoporosis too should be given priority in your wellness list, the National Osteoporosis Foundation states.

Psoriasis can be completely cured

The immune system is the body’s protection against harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, toxins and chemicals.

Tackling sleep disturbances during old age

Sleep is a mandatory part of our daily routine and an adequate amount of quality sleep is capable of revitalising both mind and body to help start off the next day positively. There was a time when people thought that sleep was simply a time when the body and brain ‘shut off’ for a few hours each night to give the body a rest in the preparation for the next day. But now scientists understand that neither the body nor the brain ‘shuts down’ when w

Don’t surrender your child to eating disorders

Just as diseases inside our bodies announce themselves with symptoms such as fever, cough and pain, diseases of the mind can manifest in various ways. Eating disorders are one such group of illnesses of the mind and have the ability to greatly affect a person’s physical health in the long-term. Just as we need help curing diseases of the body with medication and bed rest, etc. our minds sometime need help to regain a healthy status. In today’s is

Are you a keto dieter?

Obesity has become a serious problem in both developing and developed countries. This condition is associated with a variety of chronic diseases in our health for examples diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. According to the research studies, female obesity prevalence for Sri Lanka was 7.3% while male obesity was 2.9% in 2016. Bad feeding habits and unhealthy living style are the major reasons for this problem. People follow different

World No Tobacco Day 2019 Losing life one lung at a time

The design changes in cigarettes over the past several decades have not only made them both more likely to attract new underage users and more addictive, they have also made cigarettes more lethal. Studies conclude that, today’s cigarette smokers – both men and women – have a much higher risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than smokers in the 1960s, despite smoking fewer cigarettes. Moreover, the increased risk of

Pain and swelling outside a joint Is it enthesitis ?

Certain new concepts in joint disease are gradually being introduced and treated. One such painful condition is named ‘enthesitis’. Although not exactly a type of ‘arthritis’, enthesitis could be troublesome as any other disease of the joints. Here is a simple introduction to a condition that could make certain body parts around a joint quite painful and swollen.

Reasons for insufficient lactation

Breast milk is a nature’s gift to a newborn and it is the first specific and perfect nourishment which contains all the well-adjusted nutritious elements for the baby. This is because it produces optimum growth and development, and provides substantial protection from illness.

Preventing exposure to Morning Sunlight will spoil your health

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) there were 2.3 million undernourished people in Sri Lanka in 2017. Currently Sri Lanka is also experiencing a considerable malnutrition status. World Health Organisation (WHO) refers Malnutrition as deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of nutrients such as macro and micro nutrients. Micronutrient deficiencies also known as “hidden hunger” is a global iss

How exercise helps to reduce blood pressure

Every year, May 17 is dedicated to World Hypertension Day (WHD). However, as a result of the rapidly growing burden of disease associated with the global increase in hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and the World Hypertension League (WHL) have designated the entire month of May as May Measurement Month (MMM). The resource person for today’s article is Dr. Sujeewa Weerasinghe, the National Organiser of the Chartered So

Tendon injuries of the hand and plastic surgery

We often focus on tendons when there is some damage to them. In today’s article we take a closer look at tendons and for that purpose we produce excerpts of an interview done with Dr. Shashanka Rathnayake, Consultant Plastic and Reconstruction Surgeon at the Teaching Hospital, Kandy.