Health Wealth

This week we focus on a virus which 90% of us have in our bodies--the varicella zoster virus. It most popularly causes the disease chicken pox. But once that subsides, the virus continues to live dormant under nerves in our body. It can later resurface as the disease Shingles or Herpes Zoster. About 1 in 4 people develop Shingles. These are usually those who are above 60 or immunocompromised. The awareness of Shingles is poor, even though doctors say it is one of the most crippling conditions where patients suffer from skin rashes and intense nerve pain (which can sometimes last for months).

Our guest this week has had a long history of treating Shingles. He shares his experience about its symptoms, treatment, and most importantly its prevention. A new and cost-effective Shingles vaccine is now available in India and highly effective in preventing the disease. We learn more about this vaccine, its side effects, and whether it is worth the risk of staying unvaccinated.

***Featuring Dr DM Mahajan, dermatologist, Apollo Hospitals, Sarita Vihar, Delhi

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Isn't it beautiful to see people who can defy the limitations of age? Dancing, trekking, learning and spreading joy till the end of their life. But their family members might not feel the same way--would you let your 70-year-old mother go sky diving? It is natural to worry and feel protective of parents and grandparents. With the rise of nuclear families and huge swathes of distances between family members, that worry can sometimes even turn into paranoia, an urge to keep those ageing isolated and indoors (at least they'll be safe).

Finding solutions to protect the ageing demographic with as little intrusion as possible is a task many AgeTech entrepreneurs are focused upon. This week, we learn how innocuous objects like a mirror or a lamp have been turned into devices to monitor wellbeing, and even serve as an instant alarm call in the case of a fall at home. We also learn about the reliability, limitations and privacy concerns of AgeTech.

By 2050, India will have more people above 60 than those below 14. To prepare for this new reality, we need to think of answers that allow people to live a safe, meaningful and individually empowering life. After all, isn't being forever young really just the chance to continue living?

** Featuring Kanishka Acharya, Founder and CEO of Welldercare

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Taash party with a mask on, winter picnic with a portable air purifier, Christmas with an anti-pollution tree --- how far should you go to make sure you breathe clean air? Even though we largely know the ill-effects of particle matter and toxic gases, it still takes doctors time to convince people to mask. Many respond with--""I don't want to obsess about pollution"".

In this episode, we find out how obsessed we really should be about pollution and exactly how much of an impact a few moments of poor quality air can have not just on our respiratory health but our overall wellbeing and future quality of life. Most importantly, we discuss what we should be doing when our right to breathe clean air is taken away.

***Featuring Dr Arjun Khanna, Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amrita Hospital Faridabad

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? All caregivers have a tremendous responsibility towards the wellbeing of a patient. But in some rare cases, caregivers have to battle against immense odds to find hope and treatment. India has around 450 rare diseases. Data shows that 50% of these diseases happen in children below the age of one and many don't survive.

Today is World Hypophosphatasia Day, a day to spread awareness on one rare disease--hypophosphatasia. This is a genetic condition where the body cannot absorb calcium leading to bones not being able to develop. There is only one Indian who has it (Sera) and we hear about the difficult journey of this one-year-old from her father Michael. Not everyone has the privilege of good health. Sera has medicine to last her till November 2023, after which, her body will reject calcium and stop growing. What this episode gives us is an understanding of where caregivers can draw resilience and courage. 

***Featuring Michael Andrews, a rare disease caregiver

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Sachin Dwivedi

For most of us, malnutrition is like that really expensive dress you no longer fit into. Sitting at the back of your closet, every so often, you catch a glimpse of it and feel horribly guilty. But then you quickly put it out of your mind and carry on. What can you do about it after all?

Except, in the case of poor nutrition, we have a lot more to lose today than just a couple of thousand bucks. Data shows that over a third of all children under the age of five in India suffer from malnutrition. Why does this matter? Well, one day this next generation will be in our workforce and could possibly be in your life as your nurse, your delivery agent, or your colleague. There are also studies to show that the problem is also an urban one with children in big cities suffering from over-nutrition.

Overall, malnourishment can cost an economy 8 per cent of its economic growth and set into motion a cycle of generational trauma as malnourished children very often grow up to give birth to wasted and stunted babies.

In this episode, we break the problem down to the very basics. We learn about the real cause of poor nutrition and what a generation of malnourished children will mean for their and our future. Full knowledge can help you discover for yourself whether and in what manner you'd like to be a part of the solution.

***Featuring Dr Alka Mohan, noted nutritionist and former head of the department of dietetics at AIIMS, New Delhi

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh

In this episode, we are going to talk about a disease that one can’t help but fear. Cancer.

But cancer, for those who can afford the latest treatments, is no longer as hopeless a disease as it would have been a decade or two ago. The pace of cancer research is astounding and is offering cures for cancers one would never have thought to be possible.

In this episode, we discuss an emerging treatment option for one of the toughest cancers to treat-- blood cancer. Join me as we discover the fascinating world of immunotherapy, a treatment that has the potential to use our own cells to battle tumours. If successful, cancer treatments would no longer mean chemotherapy and radiation but a simple process of giving your own blood for genetic alteration. A world where cancer doesn't spell death and pain is more possible now than ever before!

*** Featuring Dr Arun Anand, COO and Prachi Dubey, head of business development, Immuneel Therapeutics

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh

What happens when we see someone who flaps his hands instead of smiling? What would you think if your new colleague refuses to speak to you?

Any behaviour we aren't used to can often seem weird, difficult to understand, even threatening. Those who suffer from Autism, a neurological developmental disorder, often have no choice but to force themselves to adopt typical behaviour, even if it feels strange and painful to them.

In this heartwarming discussion with Rakesh BS, whose truth came out only at the age of 34, we see the mental anguish of leaving autism undiagnosed for so many years. Rakesh had been labelled with all sorts of mental health disorders but never autism.

This World Mental Health Day let us discover why it is crucial to be aware of what is autism to avoid incorrect and delayed diagnosis. Recognising the wide spectrum on which human brains perform is the first step in helping everyone be at peace with who they are. 

***Featuring Rakesh BS, diagnosed with autism at the age of 34 from Trivandrum

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh

Does this ever happen to you? As soon as the temperature starts to drop, visions of ghee oozing out of halwa, undhiyu tumbling out of a pot and chai cheerfully bubbling away start floating around in your head. Then suddenly, an unwelcome voice comes out of nowhere and says, "Is any of this healthy?"

Discover the best of what winter has to offer for your wellbeing and do away with myths about fruits, cold storage products and the occasional spoonful of shudh desi ghee. With Diwali around the corner, this episode will also serve as your guide to healthy festival eating. So that you can have your cake, and (quite literally) eat it too. 

*  Featuring Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head - South Zone, Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Delhi

Every 1 in 5 deaths due to a heart attack in the world happens in India. Research has also shown that Indians have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than Europeans and Americans. 

And so it seems almost fantastical that in a country where heart attacks are anything but uncommon a woman experiencing palpitations be met with the reply--"you're being too sensitive". But that is indeed the lived reality of many women, old and young, in this country. Perpetuated by a misconception that women aren't as much at risk from heart attacks as men, symptoms are readily dismissed as emotional outbursts.

In this episode we learn about the risks that women face from heart disease, how to spot early signs, and what to do to take better care of your heart. We also discover how dangerous it can be to allow anyone else to dictate or control your sense of self. "You're being too sensitive" can keep you from discovering the underlying cause of symptoms and receiving much-needed support.

*** Featuring Dr Rajiv Agarwal, principal director, cardiac sciences, cardiology, interventional cardiology at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh

The truth behind sexual and reproductive health often remains hidden behind the gates of shame, fear and ignorance.

In this episode, we are going to address all that is 'down there' through the lens of science. Facts will help us understand the basic biology of orgasms, and undo popular myths surrounding masturbation, porn addiction and self-care. 

To orgasm or not to orgasm? Whatever you decide it is important you make an informed choice. 

***Featuring Dr Tanaya Narendra, author and sexual health influencer

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh