Feeling tired constantly but don’t know where to look for help? Here is the ‘tiredness checklist’ to help you explain your fatigue.

By Dr. Lakshmi Ananth

When 41-year-old Rekha Srinath* confided in her friends that she was becoming extremely tired for no apparent reason, she was amazed by the range of reactions the revelation evoked. From “who doesn’t feel tired” and “you’re stressed out” to “you need to try green tea and five minutes of very energetic exercise everyday” to “you must see a doctor, it could be serious”.

This is the thing about fatigue – we all experience it at some time of our lives. Some of us dismiss it, some try home remedies, some head straight to the doctor. “Oh, I wouldn’t go to a doctor about feeling tired,” laughs Latha R.*, a lawyer, “My family doctor would only give me patronizing looks, a lecture about stress and a prescription for vitamins.” And then again, we have all heard the story of an aunt or cousin who ignored her tiredness until it was too late, only to be diagnosed with something sinister.

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Hypothyroidism, a common hormonal disorder in women, is often overlooked. Learn about thyroid problems, symptoms and dealing with it.

By Dr. Lakshmi Ananth

When Rajini Balan* started gaining weight in spite of yoga and a reasonably healthy diet, she was not really worried. She put it all down to midlife crisis and her desk job and reacted very positively by adding a brisk morning walk to her routine. But a couple of months later she found herself feeling perpetually tired and sleep-deprived. She was missing her morning walk often and never seemed to have energy for anything.

As she gained more weight, she could not bear to look at herself in the mirror. She made the mistake of attributing her lack of energy and depression to her weight gain. “I just need to lose a couple of kilos,” she kept telling herself. While well-meaning friends and family suggested that she sign up for a gym, it didn’t occur to anyone that she might be ill.

It was only when her periods started becoming irregular that she sought a doctor’s help, thinking it might be early menopause or something related. Instead, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Continue reading →

Cancer can overtake your entire life in a flash – if you allow it to. A cancer survivor tells us how she came to terms with it.

By S. Ramya 

It is hard to put into words and describe the feelings when you first learn that you have been diagnosed with cancer. It happened to me first in 2003 – I was in my 20s, single, had completed my Masters from the US and had a good career unfolding. The world was full of opportunities and I was looking forward with the vigour, energy and optimism of youth. I had just returned to India when my mother was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. We started the treatment, anxious and urgent. And then, 4 months into my mother’s treatment, came my bombshell.

It seemed surreal – I could not believe that it was happening to me. Before I could come to terms with the diagnosis, I was overtaken by a number of diagnostic tests and then treatment plans followed by the treatment itself. I experienced a gamut of emotions – shock, sorrow, fear…

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With ‘thin is in’ becoming a part of the young urban Indian woman’s psyche, can Anorexia be far behind?

By Melanie Lobo

The media, movies, and fashion magazines have all played a role in giving women the idea that “thin is beautiful”. So well and truly is this mantra being imprinted on us that although most Indian women are not genetically skinny (as statues of our goddesses too attest), the race to be thin is on among young urban women. In a small-sample study of 200 17-19 year old college girls in Kerala, conducted in 2003, 51% of the girls perceived themselves as ‘fat’ and desired changes in their perceived body image. Even among those classified as ‘underweight’, 39% had tried to lose weight at some point in time, and 15% had started a diet in the last one month. (Study report here, PDF).

Is it any surprise that eating disorders such as Anorexia now affect us in India as well? This problem can begin very subtly before the woman or her family is aware of what’s happening. With anorexia, the disorder may well begin with a diet. Before we talk more about anorexia and the health problems associated with it, let us take a closer look at what exactly anorexia is.  Continue reading →

Here are some health and fitness tips for busy women without expensive fitness equipment or time for rigorous fitness training.

By Dipika Singh

Home. Work. Grocery Shopping. Handling the children. In life’s daily grind, what suffers most in a women’s routine is exercise. If just reading on exercise, diet plans and fitness helped, we would be a very fit lot indeed, given the plethora of articles on the subject. Unfortunately, fitness requires special time to be set aside and more importantly hard work. However, if you find that you face a time crunch for regular exercise, there are various activities that can be incorporated into your daily routine that will go a long way towards increasing health and fitness levels.

1. Healthy Eating: This has nothing whatsoever to do with diet plans. It is about eating sensibly. Eat a hearty breakfast in the morning. Make this a habit. Many think eating a hearty breakfast will lead to increased weight. No. In fact you are doing yourself more harm by skipping a healthy breakfast as you’ll feel drained through the day and will also have a tendency to snack later on. Eat a light dinner. If your job pushes mealtimes too far apart, stock up on healthy snacks for those in between hunger pangs. And if you can’t escape finishing what is on your child’s plate, simply use a smaller plate for yourself. This way you’ll stick to smaller helpings for yourself and won’t overfill your stomach with leftover food.
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With women prone to osteoporosis as they grow older, read on to find out more about osteoporosis prevention and protecting yourself.

By Melanie Lobo

Much has been said about Osteoporosis, a disease where the bones in our body become fragile, porous and thinner over time. They tend to lose their normal density thereby turning weaker and are more likely to break and fracture. These fractures occur usually in the wrist, hip and spine. Osteoporosis can progress quite painlessly. You may only find out when you break a bone.

Osteoporosis is mainly found in post-menopausal women due to the decrease in bone mass with an increase in age. Bones are only formed till the age of 35-40. There may not be a way to completely stop bone loss as it is a result of both environmental and genetic factors. But you can definitely take some preventive measures against Osteoporosis.

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Few Indian women get a clear idea of what to expect during the first sexual intercourse. Here are the facts. 

By Kiran Manral

So you’ve heard a bit about what to expect from the first time you have sex. You’ve probably read the sex counselling columns in magazines and newspapers, or googled up the technicalities about ‘losing your virginity’ on the Internet, and are wondering just what to expect. But you’re still a little nervous. Given that there is so little discussion of sex in India, here’s a quick primer on what you really should be ready for.

It might pain, it might not.

The hymen, yes, that membrane out there guarding the vagina, is not as rigid as myth makes it out to be. The hymen is a membrane with a central perforation, which can be round or elongated. Despite the myths surrounding it, having an intact hymen does not necessarily connote virginity. Women with prior sexual experience but an elastic hymen can have their hymens intact and those who have never experienced sexual intercourse may not have a hymen, if they have been sporty and active or if they’ve been using tampons.

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While no parenting tips can completely prepare us for dealing with the hands-on problems of teenage love and relationships, here are some suggestions.

By Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury

Although it’s 2011, discussions about teenage love, teenage pregnancy and safe sex for young adults don’t really figure in most homes. Talking about sex is a challenge to most parenting skills and there are many amongst us, who in spite of being mature adults could do with some practical parenting tips on how to go deal with this aspect of child development.

The teenage period of a human’s life is probably one of the most volatile in terms of physical changes as well as thought processes. It is also the most traumatic time for parents since it is at this stage that the parental influence starts declining rapidly, making it very difficult for parents to guide their children. Teenagers and even younger children start experimenting with relationships, discovering their sexuality, trying out drugs and alcohol – in general doing what they think is cool.

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April 7th, World Health Day is meant to raise awareness on a vital health issue. This year’s theme? ‘Combat Drug Resistance’.

By Dr. Chandrima Pal

What is drug resistance and how has it become such a serious issue as to merit a World Health Day devoted to it?

Understanding drug resistance

Let’s start with an example. 6 year old Riki came back home from school with high fever and general irritation. On seeking medical advice, her parents found that Riki was suffering from a urinary infection. The doctor asked for Urine tests, both regular and culture test (where urine is cultured to see the presence of bacteria and then their resistance to different antibiotics). But to bring down the fever and the irritation, the doctor prescribed an antibiotic course before getting the results of the tests.

On getting the Urine culture report where bacterial growth in urine is tested against different antibiotics to find proper medication against it, Riki’s parents found that she was already resistant to the prescribed antibiotic and they understood why Riki’s condition was not improving in spite of the medication. The doctor changed the medication; the new one worked. Many of us would have come across this scenario.

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Sex education for children is not only advisable but a necessity to help them navigate adolescence and future relationships safely.

By Debjani Talapatra

Where did you first get your information about the birds and the bees? From friends who were as misinformed as you were? Or via suspect books and magazines? Let me guess which one it wasn’t. If you’ve been born and raised in India, I can bet with a fair amount of certainty that you didn’t find out about sex through a teacher at school or through a talk with your parents. Sex education over the last few years has stirred a lot of heated discussion and, sadly, pointless opposition in India.

While we may have managed to answer questions about sexuality through various channels and survived, teens today live in a different world – Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) always existed, but now there is AIDS too. Of course, there is always the risk of teen pregnancy. Passing through a stage when curiosity and hormones run high, sex education for teenagers is not only advisable but a necessity – and ideally before they reach their teens.

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