Let’s return to traditional rice varieties

Have you ever tasted our traditional rice? Don’t you know that we owned more than 2000 traditional rice varieties and that our ancient generations mainly fed only on these native varieties

Glossing over Orthopaedic Anomalies

An active lifestyle is part and parcel of healthy living. There is a certain group of diseases that affect the skeletal and muscular systems. These diseases negatively affect a person’s active lifestyle. From the most common condition of arthritis to the very rare aseptic osteonecrosis, these orthopaedic conditions greatly affect a pe

Growth disorders in children

?Each one grows and matures differently. If your child doesn’t seem to be growing at the normal growth rate give his/her age, there is a fair possibility that such children may have a growth disorder which could affect individual development. The Health Capsule got in touch with Dr. Kosala Karunaratne, Consultant Paediatrician at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital to shed more light on the topic 

Computer Vision Syndrome ruins your vision !

Computer eye strain has become a major job-related complain. The problems range from physical fatigue, decreased productivity and more work errors. University of Iowa Health Care says computer vision syndrome affects 75% of people who work on computers.   

Is Social Media an Addiction or Illness ?

   It’s difficult to recall a period in the past which was similar to the past few weeks where the attention of the Sri Lankan general population was on social media and the internet. This was because of a temporary ban on social media, brought upon due to a lot of hate mail and visuals posted on this type of media which was 

World Autism Awareness Day When parents play the role of therapist

April 2nd is named as World Autism Awareness Day with the view of spreading awareness and sensitizing people about the brain disorder. An international campaign ‘Light It Up Blue’ is observed on this day. However, knowledge of Autism in Sri Lankans is still limited. Here, in this report, we will be discussing what Autism is, its causative factors, complications and so on. 

Managing MetS to live healthy

The present day food consumption patterns have shifted leading to several adverse effects on human health. Modern food habits, regular consumption of fast food and the unhealthy lifestyles of people 

Is hay fever incurable ?

The term ‘Allergic rhinitis’, may not sound familiar to some of our readers. But if you think in the more familiar term of ‘Hay fever’, it’s very likely that visuals of an annoying array of symptoms including incessant sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes will surface in your minds. Like Asthma, Allergic rhinitis 

Food: Friend or foe ?

Food is vital for life. It provides the energy that we require to carry on with our daily activities. From cereals, pulses and legumes to fruits and vegetables, all these food items form part of a nutritious balanced diet. However there are instances when certain foods can induce allergy reactions in some 

Myth Buster

MYTH: You must take multivitamins daily .

Showing TB patients the road to recovery

As much as it would be a daunting experience to endure living with a communicable disease as Tuberculosis (TB) it is by no means an easy task when confronted with deteriorating health and the stigma often associated with this ailment. If it wasn’t for the discovery of ‘TB bacillus’, in 1882, by Dr. Robert Koch the causative factor behind TB would still remain a mystery.

Anaemia An Erythrocyte’s Nemesis

When considering the diseases that could be inflicted upon the human body, it’s unfortunate to state that there is no part of the body that’s spared under the fate of malady. From the body’s largest organ, the skin to the smallest of cells that make up the body tissues and organs, there is some disease in the world to inflict any of them. Anaemia is a condition caused due to issues that arise in the red blood cells of the human

Taking a look at ‘active healthy ageing’

1/3 rd of the above 60 population has experienced a fall during older age. While falls are more common among senior citizens, the consequences of falls are also quite severe when compared to the younger population. In today’s continuation of the last week’s article on falls among the elderly, 

Miracle behind coconut oil

Coconut is one of the major plantation crops in our country. It is the favourite choice of Sri Lankans when they have to use oil for cooking. In addition the oil is a popular constituent in beauty products due to the various health and nutritional benefits it possesses. However, people have certain doubts regarding the nutritional aspects of coconut oil since it is rich in saturated fatty acids when compared with other vegetable oils.  

Taking a close look at cirrhosis

Patients with a variety of medical disorders consult General (Internal) Physicians with various symptoms and signs. Swelling of legs is a very common symptom and a sign observed in clinical practice. A large number of conditions can cause swelling in the legs. Common causes of swelling in the legs are cirrhosis (chronic liver cell disease), chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome and malnutrition. In s

Getting up and moving on with life

Frequent falls are among the commonest medical complaints made by senior citizens. Not only do falls affect a person’s confidence, it can have serious medical complications ranging from immediate death to fractures causing long term confinement to one’s bed. Falls that have been mentioned here usually aren’t the result of a single factor. They are caused due to a multitude of issues. By getting an idea about these causative fact

Eat confidently to prolong life

As Sri Lankans, we consume a carbohydrate based diet since rice is our staple meal. The total carbohydrate in food includes starch, sugar and fibRE. More refined, fast release, staple carbohydrate food are identified as one of the major risk factor for the development of obesity and diabetes like non-communicable diseases. 

On arthritis, osteoporosis, spondylitis and much more...

What is the difference between inflammatory arthritis and non-inflammatory arthritis? What does it mean when someone has osteoporosis in contrast to osteoarthritis? Is spondylitis different from spondylosis? Why do some have rheumatoid arthritis and others rheumatic fever? Is medical 

Brace Yourself for Malocclusion Correction

Dental issues do not merely cause problems for health, but may affect your appearance as well. What happens when your teeth become more forward than you are? You are in trouble of course! A protruding set of teeth should tell you that it’s time to visit your dental surgeon. You may dread 

Myth Buster

MYTH: Over the counter cough medicines are okay to use without a prescription.

What you should know about COPD

Surgeons today are coping with a large number of high risk respiratory patients. This may be due to prolonged life expectancy, increased prevalence of COPD or greater needs for invasive diagnostic procedures and surgical interventions.  

KNOW YOUR THYROID

Patients with various thyroid disorders generally consult General (Internal) Physicians. Some of them don’t have classical symptoms and signs of thyroid disease hence strong clinical judgment is needed to arrive at the diagnosis. 

Be alert to excessive calcium levels in the brain!

Parkinsonism is a general term which refers to a set of neurological disorders which cause problems related to the movement similar to Parkinson’s disease including Bradykinesia (slowing with degradation of repetitive movements), stiffness and tremors. Even though subtle, tremors and bradykinesic movements can be commonly seen among elderly people. Features in Parkinsonism tend to be non-specific and exaggerated.   

KEEP YOUR BRAIN HEALTHY

Healthy food choices that should be made

Every stage of life is very important for a person’s well-being or the quality of life. If someone opines that the nine months during pregnancy and the period of lactation are most critical among other things, it is an uttermost truth, not only for the baby, but also for the mother. The success of this 

Myth Buster

Organic food is more nutritious and free of pesticides.

Feeling ‘detached’ from your body?

Do you know that certain people during certain times feel various bizarre changes in their self-awareness where they tend to feel that their thoughts and actions are not their own, but somebody else’s (Depersonalization)? 

IVF: The miracle of conception - What, when and for whom?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF), commonly known as test tube babies, is a scientific marvel that has helped many couples with difficulties in conceiving. The technology that was first invented in Cambridge, 

Dealing with dehydration in Children

Water is vital for life. In fact 75 % of our body consists of water. There is no doubt why it is very important to drink water (and even other fluids) as the body constantly needs to stay hydrated. However, it is quite easy to lose fluids from the body. Sri Lanka, being a tropical island with sunny warm weather through the year, doesn’t help matters because those living here tend to lose more 

De-worming your child What you need to know

Worm infections are a common ailment, especially when bringing up children. But it can become a nightmare for parents because of their recurrence and their ability to spread easily, making the whole family affected in no time. Though barely visible to the naked eye, during most times, they can disturb the sleep and the children’s ability to study, even affecting their long term health, at times. Health Capsule consulted Dr. Deepal Perera, C