Nerve injury: Early intervention the key
There is a newborn in the home and the parents are happy and contented. If, however, it has been a difficult birth, while enjoying the latest addition to the family, there is a need to be watchful for a common issue that may be lingering. In the weeks and months which follow a difficult birth, check [...]
Correction of such injuries
Grafts or transfers are the answers to obstetric brachial plexus injuries. In a grafting procedure, surgery is performed to remove the non-functional or damaged part of the nerve and a graft taken from the baby’s legs without affecting the functioning there, introduced to bridge the gap in the upper limb, according to Dr. Beneragama. However, in [...]
As we continue with our series, this month Nutrition Specialist
1:Your body needs cholesterol to function: Cholesterol is essential for us. It is an essential part of all cell walls, insulates nerves, is a component of some hormones, and helps in production of vitamin D, which is critical for healthy bones and other functions of the body. It stops being good when its presence in [...]
A heart stopping moment
There are no ‘peaks and valleys’ – only a straight line indicates that in heart activity of 35-year-old S. Nirmala from Yakachchi in Kilinochchi has stopped. Strangely, there is no panic or reaching out for the paddles to give Nirmala’s heart a shock to get it beating again, although the ECG (electrocardiograph which records the [...]
How’s your liver behaving?
For the second edition of our series about common tests with Prof. Shyam Fernando, a Consultant Physician and Professor in Medicine, we shift focus to Liver Function Tests (LFTs). These are a collection of blood tests which are done to verify whether your liver is functioning as it should or if it is damaged. Prof. [...]
The overarching issues and long term solutions
I feel deep empathy for the patients described by Dr. Gihan Abeywardena, in his article published in MediScene of June 2014. These are deeply moving real life stories that need our wise counsel and empathetic action. There are many examples that I would like to share but time and space would not permit me to [...]
Get food-wise now!
Eat unripe bananas Green bananas, along with whole grains, vegetables and fibre, all contain resistant starch. This is the most important form of soluble dietary fibre you can eat – soluble dietary fibre is not digested in the small intestine, but is absorbed more slowly further down in the body, where it is fermented by [...]
When belief in astrology is harmful
When I was a trainee in psychiatry there was a famous astrologer from down south who regularly referred patients to the Professor of Psychiatry. Through long experience he was able to identify persons with mental illness who came to him for astrological readings and refer them for help. His diagnosis was usually correct. Sadly he [...]
Wine is not so fine after all
Drinking just one glass of wine a day could trigger a stroke, heart failure or dementia, researchers have warned. Moderate consumption of wine or spirits – defined as between one and three drinks a day – increased the risk of an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation (AF). The condition is one of the most common heart [...]
