Sore mouth: A tell-tale sign
Fever, body aches and pains and a sore mouth are the signs of this very contagious but not dangerous illness. Affecting mainly pre-schoolers or under-fives, hand-foot-and-mouth disease is in no way linked to the foot-and-mouth disease spreading among animals in the country, reiterates Consultant Paediatrician Dr. R. Ajanthan. Allaying fears, he is quick to point out [...]
Human Rabies Deadly but preventable
Rabies is an invariably fatal disease with 100% mortality. The causative agent is a rhabdovirus which is bullet shaped and found in suspected animals which could be transmitted to other animals or humans through bites, scratches, licks on open wounds or mucous membranes. The virus is inactivated by detergents, alcohol or tincture iodine. Dogs are [...]
Tailor-made physiotherapy
The interview is at 7 a.m. on Monday. While I make myself comfortable on a chair, 28-year-old Theruni Wijewardene sits, nay balances herself without a wobble across the table, on a big silver-grey ‘fitness’ ball. We are at her office down Longdon Place, Colombo 7 – the name of which needs no detailed explanation but is [...]
Cucumber, the cool super food!
Cucumbers are known to be one of the best foods for your overall health, often referred to as a super food. Pick a handful of firm, dark green cucumbers and drop them into your shopping cart. Congratulations! You have just bought yourself stuff full of good health. Here’s why: Cucumber rehydrates: If you are too [...]
Birth control: Make a smart choice
You know there are many different kinds of birth control but which one is right for you? This month in MediScene, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Dr. Nalinda Rodrigo, explains how you should plan with your child’s best interests at heart, and what to watch out for. Birth control is not just about prevention – it [...]
Ascites: Problem of too much fluid
When fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity, it is called ascites. Cirrhosis of the liver is the most common cause of ascites but other conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure, infection or cancer can also cause ascites. How common is ascites in people with cirrhosis? Ascites is common in people with cirrhosis and it [...]
Mobile phone: Out of sight for a good night’s sleep
The next time you can’t sleep, your brain whirring over shopping lists, tomorrow’s meetings and whether or not you locked the back door, the solution could be simple – move your mobile phone off the bedside table and out of your bedroom altogether. Eight out of ten of us keep our mobiles on overnight according [...]
Read more when you’re young
Let me now return to the topic that I started with, dementia. Dementia has many causes- the chief one being Alzheimer’s dementia. It has many factors that may cause or lead to activation. Let us look at the landmark research that led to the discovery of these factors. The nun study Epidemiologist David Snowden in [...]
Beating that back pain
If a bad back has ever kept you home from work, you’re not the only one. Back pain is common (affecting 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives) though how people experience it can vary widely. For some, it may last only hours or days, for others it is a chronic, [...]
