Alcohol Can a depressant make you happy?

Alcohol consumption, also known as ‘boozing’ on a ‘cooler’ note, is perceived as a mature habit by people in many social strata. While alcohol consumption accounts for various medical complications as you grow older, it deteriorates you in person. According to Dr. Mahesh Rajasuriya, Consultant 

Handling the Thalassemia threat

There is a plethora of diseases that frustrates the balance of healthy living in the world today. Some may be curable whilst cures for others remain unknown. However the kinds of disorders that we have no control over makes the scenario quite unfortunate. Hereditary diseases come under this category.  

Unseen aspects of sexual disorders

“ Jeewani starts her life with Sasanka harbouring millions of hopes to spend a happy life together. Despite many proposals Jeewani choses Sasanka because of his simplicity and kindness. However their marriage starts to show cracks due to frictions between them. Jeewani holds a higher executive post in a renowned company. Sasanka starts suspecting Jeewani of having relationships with other men.

Prebiotics and probiotics, the dynamic duo

Turn on the television or radio at any time of the day and you will get to hear hundred and one advertisements relating to prebiotics and probiotics promising to make our lives healthier. How true is all this promotional information? Do they really have a scientific base?   

Beating the illusions associated with knowledge

Peptic ulcers are wounds in the surface lining of your stomach, causing severe burning sensation. In addition, they may cause bleeding by eroding into blood vessels and is known to cause fatal massive hemorrhages in some patients. Until very recently, doctors thought that the sole cause for peptic 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

Body aches and Fibromyalgia

I come across numerous patients who have had body aches for years. They have made many visits to the doctor to find out what causes tiredness, lack of sleep, headaches, depression, forgetfulness and painful muscles and joints. Arthritis has been ruled out in many among them, but what actually is the reason for all these symptoms? Fibromyalgia might explain all of the above.  

Drawing the line between fear and phobia

Fear, is a very common feeling everyone of us experiences at some point in our lives. it is defined as an emotional response to a real or perceived threat. It is not abnormal to feel little anxious when doing certain activities in our day-to-day lives, like walking on a bridge, looking down a hill or sitting next to a chair with a spider on its arm. For most of the people, these episodes of fearful sensations are temporary and easily handled. And

The story of Insulin

As we advance into a future with technology and enhance knowledge about ourselves and the world around us, it’s hard to imagine that there was a time that our understanding of the world was so much less than today, just a few decades ago. If we were to trace back the steps into history, we would realize that we have reached where we are today, through the contributions of thousands of people, their innovative ideas which led to new discover

Myth Buster

MYTH: Eggs are bad for your heart.  

Physiotherapy can reduce Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence, also known as accidental bladder leakage, is an embarrassing problem that affects millions of women. Although it is more common in older women, it can affect younger women too. It is not a normal part of ageing or something that you just have to live with. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that bladder control problems affect more than 200 million people globally. The WHO also said that incontinence  is a lar

Wonders of the Microbe World

Did you know that bacteria also celebrates seasonality changes as other living organisms in modern hierarchy? Much like the weather, some human stomachs change throughout the year. The gut bacterial fluctuations, at first time, has been found by Dr Sonnenburg and his colleagues, a microbiologist at Stanford University and lead author of the new study.   

The battle against acne A medical memento

When recalling your teenage years there may be many good memories that make you yearn for the good old days. However past acne problems might discourage you from wanting to reminisce your teen years. Tough luck if you are in your youth and facing an acne battle. This week’s edition of the Health Capsule will help you understand and better equip yourself with the reinforcements that you need to survive the ever-existing battle between youth

Twice-weekly workouts the best medicine

Reuters Health - There’s little evidence that medications improve mild cognitive decline associated with ageing, according to a new review of research, but doctors can recommend exercise with confidence.  

ADHD drug tied to heart defects in babies

(Reuters Health) -  Pregnant women who take drugs like Ritalin and Concerta for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more likely than those who don’t to have babies with heart deformities and other birth defects, a recent study suggests.  

Are you clicking away your youth?

Can’t take your eyes of those colourful Apps? Then probably you are having a relationship with your tech device! This relationship isn’t as healthy as you may think of. Technology has so far become part and parcel of our lives and we simply can’t stay away from these sophisticated devices. This addiction has made headlines more often than we have possibly imagined and researchers are now exploring ways to encourage people to det

Dealing with Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamins are compounds which are necessary for the growth and development of human beings. These vitamins help maintain bodily functions such as metabolism, immunity and digestion. They also make sure that your body grows and functions optimally. Vitamin D plays a substantial role in the 

When your eye becomes lazy!

All of us like to laze around now and then. But what happens when your organs start becoming lazy too? Your eyes, your window to the world in particular, could become lazy. However what we call the ‘lazy eye’ is far from the fact that your eye is voluntarily too lazy to do its job. Lazy eye also known as amblyopia is yet another condition that could burden weakened vision. Dr. M Wijetunge, Retired Consultant Eye Surgeon from the Ragam

Women should not suffer from PMS

How many times have you used the phrase, “Sorry, I must be PMSing,” to escape a tough situation where you acted irritably or unfairly. But how much do you actually know about PMS? Did you know, 

Do you know what Vitiligo is?

Ever seen individuals with white and pale patchy areas on the skin? Ever wondered why these people have a skin different to yours?  

Regular ‘takeaway’ meals eat into your health

Children who eat restaurant carry-out, or “takeaway,” meals once a week or more tend to have extra body fat and long-term risk factors for heart disease, suggests a UK study.    In the study of 9- and 10-year-olds, the kids who ate carry-out most often also consumed more calories but fewer vitamins and minerals compared with kids who rarely or never ate carry-out food, the authors report in Archives of Disease in Childhood.&

DIABETES - TAKING CARE OF YOUR FEET

Childhood Fever Fits are not so dangerous

Most parents are familiar with the term ‘febrile seizures’ or fever fits, where young children suddenly develop seizures following fever. Due to the alarming presentation of the condition, these fits could be very distressing from the perspective of parents.

Debate on the colour of rice continues

  We Sri Lankans are a nation which barely spends a day without rice, the staple food in the country. According to the latest research studies rice has become the staple food for more than half of the world’s population. This is not a surprising fact when one thinks about the overall population of China, in which country about 78% of the calorie consumption is fulfilled by rice.   

Regular Exercise Can Help Reduce Asthma Symptoms

Asthma is a growing problem, both in Sri Lanka and in the rest of the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 235 million people suffer from asthma. This condition is the most common chronic disease among children. It is not merely a public health problem in high income 

Myth Buster

MYTH: You can stop giving your child antibiotics once his/her symptoms are gone  

How to prevent slowing down at old age!

Recently I watched a video of actor Sir Sean Connery. Unlike the bygone days, he was slow and dependent on a care giver for mobility. Most of my rheumatology patients are slow. Some call them the “Old and Frail”. Age amounts to the number of years lived, but what is being frail? Why do some elderly eighty-year-olds remain agile, youthful and strong? And why do some slow down even at an 

A medicinal guide to control diabetes

An elevated level of blood glucose is called diabetes, caused by defects in insulin secretion or inability of absorbing insulin to the body. Diabetes is divided into two categories as Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. In type 1, the body doesn’t produce insulin and in type 2, the body doesn’t make or use insulin well. Type 2 is considered more common. A blood test will determine whether someone has diabetes.   

En Garde against vision burglary

Your eyes are valuable assets. They are the windows to the outside world of scenery and colour. 

Girls’ early puberty tied to depression, behavior problems into adulthood

(Reuters Health) - Girls who go through puberty early could be more likely to experience depression and behavior problems that last into their 20s compared to peers who start menstruation later, a U.S. study suggests.