Stopping a virtual time-bomb in the brain
Sunethra Malaviyaarachchi from Anuradhapura has had a near-miss with death. When we met her last month, however, this 54-year-old teacher is all smiles and about to go home from hospital, back to her husband and three sons. If not for a brand new neuro-interventional procedure in Sri Lanka performed at the Central Hospital in Colombo, the [...]
Keep bumps and scrapes at bay
Minor injuries are very common in childhood. Providing a safe environment and adult supervision is vital to avoid serious harm, but no parent can completely prevent their child having a few bumps and scrapes along the way. Having said that, how we respond to accidents and what treatment we provide can make a huge difference [...]
Battling the deadly sting for 54 years
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) kills, if not diagnosed and clinical management is not followed to the letter. This is the clear message that well-known dengue expert, Prof. Suchitra Nimmannitya from Thailand, acclaimed as the “clinician with the longest experience” with regard to this viral disease, gave to Sri Lanka during a visit last month when [...]
Let’s see,are you happy?
The word happiness, the entomological dictionary tells us, is derived from the Middle English word hap meaning luck. Therefore the original meaning meant characterised by good luck or being fortunate. The meaning however has changed over the years. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines happiness as, a state of well-being and contentment or as a pleasurable or [...]
Children’s toys dirtier than your toilet seat!
Home life can be grubby – sorting out the laundry, taking out the bins and scrubbing the bathroom are but a few of the chores that can leave you desperate to scrub your hands. But new research has shown that there are some unlikely sources of grime in the average home – and you can’t even [...]
Staying positive in the face of adversity
He had an active, outdoor life. Football was his passion and he was a lighting fast mid-fielder. Now he is limited by pain and exhaustion, and waking up can be the hardest part of the day. Psoriatic arthritis -a condition that causes inflammation of the joints, making them stiff and swollen- hit Dhanushka* at a [...]
Pack in the energy as they head to school
Turning five is a big milestone for children – for starters it marks the beginning of school. In this, the newest chapter in our series on healthy eating in partnership with the Nutrition Society of Sri Lanka, we speak this month with Clinical Nutritionist Dr. Angela de Silva, President of the Nutrition Society of Sri [...]
Pet hazards: Infections you could pick up
Children harassing parents to get a pet is a frequent challenge faced by families around the globe. For those parents who are trying to find an excuse to refuse their child’s request for a pet without seeming inhumane, infections from pets can provide a dignified exit clause. Here are a few of them: Rabies This [...]
