FAQ'S

It is advisable to go for regular medical check-ups rather than waiting for symptoms or pain to occur. It is not correct to jump to conclusions as only a doctor has the qualification to tell the patient whether it is cancer or any other condition. Apart from the physical examination, he may conduct a series of tests and imaging procedures. If the initial tests do not reveal any mutations, the doctor will advise a biopsy that removes a sample of tissue that is then diagnosed by a pathologist. A pathologist is able to judge what kind of cancer cells have manifested and their likely chances of growth. When to visit the doctor? • Fever higher than 100.5°F • Cough or sore throat • Vomiting that continues for longer than 12 hours • Severe constipation or diarrhoea • Bleeding or bruising • Shortness of breath/chest pain • Urinary burning • Blood in the urine or stool • Pain in a new place or pain that is not relieved by your pain medicine

Cancer is not a contagious disease. It does not spread from one person to another. A healthy person cannot get it from a cancer patient by close contact or breathing the same air. The only time when cancer has the possibility to spread is when there is a transplantation of tissue or organ. We know that germs like bacteria and virus are communicable with any form of physical contact. This leads to the misconception that cancers are contagious. It is worth knowing that the cancer cells from an infected person are thoroughly destroyed by the cells of a healthy person. This is so because the immune system of a healthy person is very strong whereas that of a cancer stricken patient is quite weak. The immune system of the patient further takes a great deal of beating during the entire process of treatment.

No. Based on the most recent data, about 40 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lives. Most cancers are caused by genetic changes that occur throughout a person’s lifetime as a natural result of aging and exposure to environmental factors, such as tobacco smoke and radiation. Other factors, such as what kind of food you eat, how much you eat, and whether you exercise, may also influence your risk of developing cancer.

There are several important things you can to do safeguard your health. • Stop Smoking / Alcohol Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to improve your general health. Quitting will help you breathe easier and feel better overall. It will also reduce your risk of developing certain cancers and will help prevent cardiovascular disease. • Eat a Nutritious Diet Eating a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you feel better and may lower your chances of developing other health problems. Our Eating Your Way to Better Health and Eating Well during and after Your Cancer Treatment guides offer general dietary guidance. • Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight After cancer treatment, speak with your healthcare provider about whether you need to gain or lose weight. • Exercise Regularly and management of weight. Exercise after cancer treatment, regardless of how active you were prior to your diagnosis, can improve cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. Regular exercise may also reduce fatigue in some cancer survivors.

• Follow-up cancer care involves regular medical checkups that include a review of a patient’s medical history and a physical exam. Follow-up care may include imaging procedures(X Rays, Utrasound, CT Scan, MRIs etc), blood tests, and other lab tests. • Follow-up care is important because it helps to identify changes in health. The purpose of follow-up care is to check for recurrence (the return of cancer in the primary site) or metastasis (the spread of cancer to another part of the body) or be sure that one is cancer free. • Follow-up care visits are also important to help in the prevention or early detection of other types of cancer, address ongoing problems due to cancer or its treatment, and check for physical effects that may develop months to years after treatment ends. All cancer survivors should have follow-up care.

Arthritis is one of the most common ailments seen in the country. This disease is difficult to control because it is caused primarily by increasing age and family history. However, one can reduce the risks of developing arthritis by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Osteoporosis is commonly seen in women post-menopause. Around 2 in 100 women have osteoporosis by the age of 50 which increases to 1 in 4 by the age of 80. However, there have been cases where osteoporosis occurred at any age.

COPD includes two main conditions EMPHYSEMA - In Emphysema, the air sacs and their walls get damaged and larger air sacs are formed instead of small ones. Chronic BRONCHITIS - In Chronic Bronchitis, the lining of the air tubes is inflamed and thickened. This produces a large amount of mucus (balgam) and makes it hard to breathe. Your doctor or pulmonologist will diagnose COPD based on your signs and symptoms, history, physical examination and tests reports. Below mentioned are few tests

Common cold and flu are both respiratory diseases. However, common cold is a milder problem than the flu. It is easy to treat cough, sneeze and nasal congestion but if you are suffering from flu symptoms then you can feel ill for a few days to months. It can also cause serious health problems like pneumonia.

Factually, nothing can cure a common cold. You can stick to a few remedies that can definitely make you feel better. At the most, what you can do is: - Try to relieve your sore throat by doing gargling. Since children who are below 5 years of age cannot gargle so it is advisable to give them warm water with lemon and honey. - Drink enough juices, lemonade, and water to stay hydrated. Avoid consuming caffeine, alcohol that can worsen your dehydration. - A humidifier at your home can help you feel better and loose congestion. - You can use Over the Counter Medicines (OTC) to shorten the duration of the cold to give you instant relief.

Lifestyle changes to treat high blood pressure: No matter what medications your doctor prescribes to treat your high blood pressure, you'll need to make lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure. • Eating a healthier diet with less salt. Fruits and vegetables are rich in certain antioxidants that prevent narrowing of blood vessels. • Exercising regularly at least 40 minute. • Quitting smoking • Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink • Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you're overweight or obese • Stress management: Continuous stress may lead to the activation of sympathetic nervous system and causes hypertension.

No. Antibiotics only work against infections caused by bacteria, fungi and certain parasites. They don't work against any infections caused by viruses. Viruses cause colds, the flu and most coughs and sore throats.

The fundamental reasons for the development of antimicrobial resistance are use of the wrong drug, incorrect dose and duration, and self-medication. Thus develops the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial medicine to which it was previously sensitive. The inappropriate and irrational use of medicines provides favorable conditions for resistant microorganisms to emerge and spread.

As you get older, your spinal discs start to lose their water content, making them less flexible and more likely to rupture. A slipped disc occurs when the outer case of the disc splits, resulting in the gel inside to bulge out of the disc. The damaged disc can put pressure on the whole spinal cord or on a single nerve. A slipped disc can cause pain both in the area of the protruding disc and in the area of the body controlled by the nerve that the disc is pressing on. Smoking also plays a role as it causes the discs to lose their natural flexibility. There are a number of factors that can put increased pressure and strain on your spine. These include: • bending awkwardly • Jobs that involve heavy or awkward lifting • Jobs that involve lots of sitting, particularly driving • being overweight or obese • Weight bearing sports, such as weightlifting • A traumatic injury to your back, such as a fall or accident Situations such as these can weaken the disc tissue and can sometimes lead to a slipped disc. An initial treatment will usually involve a combination of physiotherapy and medication to relieve the pain. Though in some severe cases like if the pain continues for more than 6 weeks, surgery may also be recommended to release the compressed nerve and remove a part of slipped disc.

Recovery time can vary, but most patients can expect to return to normal activities within 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. Full recovery may take up to 6 months.

Osteoarthritis pain can be managed through a combination of physical therapy, weight management, medications such as NSAIDs, and lifestyle modifications like regular low-impact exercise and a healthy diet.

Generally, hospital stay can be between three to four nights, unless there are situations demanding longer stay due to co-morbid conditions/high risk patients and adverse events.

During your counselling and evaluation, the doctor will explain the risks pertaining to each individual.

Yes, regular exercise is necessary for maintaining weight loss.

Weight loss surgery improves fertility especially in women suffering with PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and the ones who are having difficulty in conceiving. In fact, several women who are trying to conceive are advised to lose weight to increase the chance of conception and a healthy pregnancy.

Diet in pregnancy needs to be carefully planned under the supervision of a gynecologist and dietician. What you will eat will ultimately benefit your baby therefore experts’ advice to consume nutritious meals for an overall development of fetus. Typically, you will need to consume an extra 300 calories a day, additional 15gms of protein , 1000mg of calcium , 30mg of iron. Your prenatal diet should primarily consist of: • Fruits and vegetables • Lean proteins • Whole grains • Dairy products • Fish • Coconut water

Like in pregnancy it is equally important to eat a healthy diet during lactation, nutrition demand during lactation is higher than pregnancy but All mothers are eager to get back into shape post pregnancy. The solution for this is not start dieting immediately but to follow a steady diet which will take care of your metabolism and at the same time provide essential nutrients to your body and help you secrete more breast milk. To support lactation and maintain maternal reserves, most mothers will need to eat about 500 additional kilocalories every day (an increase of 20 percent to 25 percent over the usual intake before pregnancy). Well-nourished mothers who gain enough weight during pregnancy need less because they can use body fat and other stores accumulated during pregnancy. Lactation also increases the mother’s need for water, so it is important that she drink enough to satisfy her thirst. A mother who is eager to get back in shape just need to reduce the intake of fats and sugars in her diet, but focus on other nutrients .

Your body will undergo a multitude of changes as you go through your pregnancy. The most obvious change is your abdomen. It will start looking globular by 12 weeks, an ovoid shape by 28 weeks and turns spherical beyond 36 weeks. The change in the shape of your abdomen is accompanied by slight discomfort, gastric reflux and stretch marks over the next 9 months. The breasts become larger and the areola becomes darker as the pregnancy advances. Your skin may undergo changes such as stretch marks on your buttocks, thighs and abdomen in the second half of pregnancy. Hyperpigmentation of the umbilicus, nipples, abdominal midline & face may be seen due to the hormonal changes in pregnancy. Spider veins and reddening of the palms is commonly seen due to hyperdynamic circulation. Sometimes, there is change in growth rate and texture of nails and hair. Feet and ankles swell during pregnancy due to the increased fluid carried by the body. Leg cramps may occur due to the excessive fluid, shortage of calcium and phosphorus and fluctuation of hormones. A healthy weight gain in pregnancy is 11 kg– 1 kg in the first trimester, 5kg in the second trimester and 5kg in the third trimester. Anything between 11- 17 kgs is taken as a normal weight gain of pregnancy. There is an increase in your body temperature which will get back to normal by the 16th week. Due to increased ligament laxity, many women suffer from back pain during their pregnancy.

Cardiologists diagnose and treat heart conditions non-surgically, while cardiothoracic surgeons perform surgical procedures on the heart and chest.

Common risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and a family history of heart disease.

Recovery varies by procedure and individual health but may range from a few days for minimally invasive procedures to several weeks for open-heart surgeries.