Health news

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared that the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed millions of lives, is no longer a public health emergency of international concern. The major news regarding the dreaded coronavirus came after the independent emergency committee of WHO held its 15th meeting on the Covid crisis. Like a nightmare, a microscopic villain that was later identified as Covid-19, led to a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Soon after, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO in January 2020. After wreaking havoc on people’s lives for more than three years, looks like Covid-19 has finally taken a backseat.The coronavirus disease wreaked havoc on people’s lives in December 2019 and upended lives. Now the declara...

In the last few weeks, we have seen many people debating on health drink brands, thanks to influencer Revant Himatsingka. He had posted a video slamming a popular health drink brand and ridiculing the health claims made by it on its packaging. He said that by giving the drink to their children, parents are getting their kids “addicted to sugar” at a young age. He deleted the video after reportedly getting a legal notice from the brand. But his video has made many question the nutritional value of packaged health drinks. If you also have doubts about them, switch them with natural health drinks for children. Health Shots got in touch with Shruti Keluskar, Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Pune, to know all about health drinks. Prepare natural health drinks for your...

Keeping up with Kim Kardashian and the reality TV star’s looks turned fatal for 34-year-old Christina Ashten Gourkani, known as Ashten G. She recently died at a California hospital reportedly after a sudden cardiac which followed a latest cosmetic surgery to fulfil her obsession about being a celebrity lookalike. Over the years, people have gone under the knife to look like celebrities. A few years ago, it was reported that an aspiring actor Nicholas Ryan shelled out a lot of money on Botox and filler injections just to look like Hollywood star Ryan Gosling. With the hope of looking like singer Britney Spears, a woman named Crystal had also reportedly gone for lip injections, rhinoplasty and fat grafts in her cheeks. There have been more cases, but Gourkani’s death has raises curiousi...

Burping may seem something as natural as a yawn, sneeze or fart. But experts will tell you that it is worth a doctor’s visit if it turns chronic beyond 2-3 weeks! A latest revelation by a 24-year-old Florida nurse  has steered more attention towards this common act. She has spoken about how non-stop burping for at least two years turned out to be a “vague symptom” of colon cancer in her case, Bailey McBreen began noticing her unusual burping in 2021. She told online portal NeedToKnow about how she began burping 5 to 10 times a day and found it “weird” because it’s something she would rarely do. Still, she kept dismissing her burping bouts until early 2022 when she suffered an acid reflux episode. While she claims doctors said it was due to anxiety, things took a more serious turn when...

Amid the surge in viral flu infections, it can be challenging to distinguish whether the fever and body aches experienced by individuals are caused by Covid-19, H3N2 influenza or mosquito-borne malaria. While Covid-19 is anticipated to be on the verge of turning endemic from the pandemic, the country recently witnessed a huge spike in the cases of Covid and H3N2 influenza as well. Once monsoon will hit the ground, malaria might season out to pose a surging risk in the days ahead. With malaria accounting for approximately 88 percent of all malaria cases in the South-East Asia region in 2019, according to a World Health Organization report, it has been an area of concern for the public health authorities in the country. However, there has been a decline in the number of malaria cases in r...

With every new Covid-19 variant comes one or the other new symptom. From loss of smell and taste to muscle pain, cough and cold to breathing problems – as the coronavirus infection evolved, its symptoms kept changing. According to latest reports, doctors have pointed out that the new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 may cause conjunctivitis – red and itchy eyes, especially in babies and young children. A non-purulent, itchy conjunctivitis with sticky eyes is now prevailing, and was not seen as commonly in earlier waves, Dr Srikanth R, Ophthalmologist, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Chennai, tells Health Shots.“Of late, a lot of children have been developing conjunctivitis post Covid-19 infection. This is due to te latest Omicron sub-variant XBB 1.16. The general trend seen is in treated infants ...

Temperatures are soaring everywhere in India, with the heat slowly becoming unbearable for people. In a piece of shocking news, 11 people died due to heatstroke in Navi Mumbai at the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ Award event which took place on April 16. The eventful award turned into a tragedy when several people died and a lot of people were left dehydrated due to the heat. As per reports, 50 people were hospitalized and many people complained of dehydration, dizziness, nausea, and chest pain after standing in the open ground in Kharghar. Heat stroke, which was the reason for the demise of nearly a dozen people in Mumbai, is a serious condition that makes your body overheat to the point of death. Health Shots reached out to Dr Anurag Aggarwal, Consultant-Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts Ho...

The Covid-19 scare has resurfaced, so people have started masking up and taking precautions. It seems like people with dementia need to be a little more careful. That’s because a new study has found that Covid-19 infection plays a role in speeding up dementia progression. The study, which was conducted in West Bengal and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports, found that participants with the neurodegenerative condition experienced rapidly progressive dementia after being infected with SARS-CoV-2. Read on to find out how people can take care of their brain. To know more about it, HealthShots connected with Dr Jaideep Bansal, Director and Head Of Department, Neurology – Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, Delhi and Dr Prithvi Giri, consultant neurology, Narayana Multispecia...

The fresh bout of Covid-19 cases in India has brought back a sense of fear and caution. According to data by the Ministry of Health, over 6,000 cases of coronavirus were being recorded daily last week. This rise has put everyone on tenterhooks. While advisories are being issued to wear masks and practice hand hygiene, Covid-19 testing for international passengers is being made compulsory in some states. In this scenario, offices continue to operate as usual – some remotely and some non-remotely. If you’re going to office, doctors advise you to follow these precautionary tips against Covid-19 to stay safe and healthy. ...

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases in India has led to fear of infection among the population. Over 6,000 cases in India are being recorded daily in India. Renowned virologists find the new Covid-19 variant called XBB.1.16 as the main culprit behind the rapid surge in cases. Detected in several countries so far, this new sub-variant of Omicron has infected thousands of people in India as well. Health Shots reached out to Dr Jitendra Choudhary, Consultant – Intensive Care and Critical Care, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital Vashi, Mumbai, and Dr Vaishali Solao, Head and Sr. Consultant, Critical Care, Fortis Hospital Mulund, Maharashtra, to understand all about the new variant XBB.1.16.What is XBB.1.16?XBB.1.16 is a new mutant of Omicron that has been detected in several countries, including ...

It was in late 2019 when Covid-19 upended the world in the most ferocious way, locking us all up in our houses. Fast forward to 2022, India and other countries were able to control the surge to the extent of roaming around freely without the fear of an infection lingering on our heads. But were we too careless in the pursuit of wanting a free life? Or is it because of the new Covid variant XBB.1.16? Covid cases in India cross the 6000 mark in 24 hoursCoronavirus cases in India are rapidly increasing, with 6,050 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, as per the Ministry of Health. According to April 7 data, there are 28,303 active cases in the nation, and the daily positivity rate is at 3.39 percent. The recovery rate, on the other hand, remained the same as the previous day at 98.75...

India is witnessing a fresh surge in H3N2 cases, with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Delhi on high alert. While the majority of cases out of the total cases of H3N2 influenza identified in the country have been mild, the government has issued an advisory to take appropriate measures. As per reports, adults over the age of 65, children, and other immunocompromised people are more vulnerable to the infection. In fact, people with kidney patients are also at a higher risk, says an expert. Healthshots asked Dr Saurabh Joshi, Senior Consultant and Head, Urology, Uro-oncology, and Kidney Transplant, Accord Hospital, Faridabad, Delhi NCR, to understand the link between kidney disease and the H3N2 virus.Does the H3N2 virus affect your kidneys?H3N2 is a type of influenza virus that can c...

On World Sleep Day, you will notice many sleep health awareness activities being planned. You will find experts talking about the importance of sleep and its connection with your health. Now, a study has come up that revealed that there is a specific type of drug that can help people with sleep apnea. The study by Columbia University researchers have suggested that statins, which are drugs for lowering cholesterol, may reduce heart disease in people with obstructive sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAC) therapy is known for improving sleep quality. It also reduces fatigue during daytime in people with obstructive sleep apnea. But going by findings from recent clinical trials, this therapy does not improve heart health, as per the Columbia University researchers. Sta...

Another major public health concern is creating waves of terror among people. Cases of the H3N2 virus have been increasing at a rapid rate in the country, with a total of seven deaths thus far. Mumbai is believed to be the worst hit so far, with several cases reported in other Indian cities as well. If reports are to be believed, people with an underlying disease, elderly people, children, and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to the H3N2 virus. Healthshots asked Dr Archana Dhawan Bajaj, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist, Fertility and IVF Expert at The Nurture clinic, Delhi, about the effects of H3N2 on pregnant women and how they can protect themselves against the infection.Is the H3N2 virus dangerous for pregnant women?For the unversed, flu is a contagious respiratory illn...

Water is a necessity that we can’t live without, so we carry water bottles everywhere we go. While it seems like the best way to complete your daily water intake, what if we tell you it is not the safest? Turns out, even your water bottle is not immune to germs. A US-based blog for water treatment and purification recently found that reusable water bottles can harbour 40,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat. How dangerous are the bacteria living on your water bottles?Researchers found two species of bacteria, Gram-negative rods, and bacillus, when they swabbed parts of different water bottles thrice, each with a spout lid, straw lid, and squeeze-top lid respectively. Gram-negative bacteria can cause infections that are growing increasingly resistant to medications, while spec...

After a long battle with coronavirus, India is yet again reeling against another flu virus. As per the latest media reports, there is a rapid upsurge in flu cases in the country due to the virus H3N2. Two people – an 82-year-old man in Karnataka, followed by one person in Haryana – have reportedly died of influenza caused by the H3N2 virus. So far, the country has reported two deaths due to the virus H3N2, a subtype of Influenza A virus. However, 90 cases of the H3N2 virus have been reported in the country, and more flu cases other than H3N2 have been recorded. Not just this virus, other types of influenza virus have been circulating in the country, including the H1N1 virus. Rapid surge of H3N2 virus has alarmed India. Image courtesy: Adobe StockOver 150 cases have been reported of a...

Veteran actor and director Satish Chandra Kaushik took his last breath at 66 on Tuesday. Kaushik suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital in New Delhi. His sudden demise has left the Indian film fraternity in shock, and a wave of sadness took over social media where several actors expressed the loss. His death is the latest in the long list of celebrities who have lost their lives due to a heart attack. Rising cases of heart attacks remind one to be more careful about their heart health. Industry mourns Satish KaushikAccording to media reports, the 66-year-old was seen celebrating Holi at a party organized by Javed Akhtar and Shaban Azmi and shared a series of photos with other celebrities. The next day, actor Anupam Kher confirmed the news in an emotional post on Twitter ab...

Actor and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen has made fans skip a heartbeat with her latest revelation! The 47-year-old has shared that she suffered a heart attack just a couple of days ago, but after an angioplasty and stents, “all is well”. Sushmita’s case once again highlights the rising number of heart attack cases in India and the need to manage our heart health better regularly. In her inimitable and heartwarming way, Sushmita shared some “wise words” by her father as she announced her health update on Instagram. “Keep your heart happy and courageous, and it’ll stand by you when you need it the most.”Sushmita revealed, “I suffered a heart attack a couple of days back… Angioplasty done… stent in place… and most importantly, my cardiologist reconfirmed ‘I do have a big heart’.”The ...

When we think about common diseases or health conditions, diabetes, heart diseases and the likes top the list. Rare Disease Day, which falls on the last day of February, is all about raising awareness for rare diseases. This year, February 28 will see people raising awareness about diseases that aren’t often discussed. Celebrities play a great role in highlighting different things, including rare diseases. Read on to find out which all famous people died due to a rare disease or have been living with one. HealthShots compiled a list of 5 famous people with rare diseases.1. Pervez Musharraf died of AmyloidosisOn February 5, 2023, reports emerged of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf dying after battling a prolonged illness with amyloidosis. According to NHS, amyloidosis is the ...

After Covid and dengue, adenovirus is a major concern in several countries around the world. The illness has claimed the lives of 11 children in West Bengal, with more cases being reported every day. Health officials in the city have asked people to take proper precautions and look out for symptoms to safeguard their children and themselves against the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adenovirus causes respiratory illness or conjunctivitis, which can occur at any time of the year. Healthshots asked Dr Ankita Baidya, Consultant Infectious Disease at HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, Delhi to share all about the disease. Adenovirus more common in children than in adults. Image courtesy: ShutterstockWhat is adenovirus?Adenoviruses are DNA viruses...

The Marburg disease has been declared an epidemic by the World Health Organisation recently. In the first-ever outbreak of Marburg disease, the Ebola-related virus has claimed nine lives in Equatorial Guinea, a country in Central Africa. The confirmation of the disease being an epidemic came after the global health authority tested samples from the country that were delivered last week.So far, 16 suspected cases of the Marburg disease have been detected in Equatorial Guinea. Nearly 200 people have been asked to quarantine to contain the spread of the virus. Although there have been prior outbreaks and isolated cases in other regions of Africa, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda, this is the country’s first Marburg outbreak. ...

Don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but alcohol is bad for your health. While drinking in limit may not harm your health, outrageous amounts of booze can wreak havoc on your health. It can mess with your system in ways you wouldn’t imagine. And a new study has found that too much alcohol can make you more vulnerable to Covid-19. Read on to know the side effects of too much alcohol and how it makes you more vulnerable to coronavirus disease. Too much alcohol can increase COVID-19 riskDrinking alcohol in excess can increase your chances of developing Covid-19, found the study published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical and Experiment Research. The German study discovered that frequent drinking raises the levels of the ACE2 enzyme in the lungs, which coronavirus uses to enter cells, ...

Ultra-processed food has always had a bad reputation in the world of nutrition. Endless studies talk about the harmful effects of eating highly processed food. If you’re not already familiar, frizzy drinks, packaged goods like bread, ready-to-eat cereals, etc., all classify as ultra-processed food. These foods are generally high in salt, fat, and sugar and contain artificial additives that can lead to several health problems like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. A new study has also found that eating highly processed foods may put you at a greater risk of developing cancer. Eating ultra-processed food may lead to cancerThe study published in the eClinicalMedicine found that consuming too many ultra-processed foods can increase your risk of developing obesity and type-2 dia...