General Medicine

You can start by eating healthy, regular exercise, having a positive mind set and refer to a doctor anytime you feel like you have an issue

Regular blood testing is one of the most important ways to keep track of your overall physical well-being.

How often you need testing depends on the symptoms you have. Typically it’s recommended to get routine blood work done once an year Routine blood tests include Complete blood counts, metabolic profile usually

Other screening tests like Pap smear, Mammography depend on Age, Sex and Preexisting patient’s conditions and risk factors

Lab results can be confusing. Do you know the difference between HDL and LDL? What should your fasting glucose be?

Lab results are often shown as a set of numbers known as a reference range which shows the normal values

If your results fall outside the reference range, or if you have symptoms despite a normal result, you will likely need more testing.

There are two main types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

HDL clears from the body via the liver. HDL may therefore prevent the buildup of plaque, protect your arteries, and protect you from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is considered the “good” cholesterol, and higher levels are better. A good goal to aim for is higher than 55 mg/dL for women and 45 mg/dL for men.

LDL is considered the “bad” cholesterol. It carries cholesterol to your arteries, where it may collect in the vessel walls and contribute to plaque formation, known as atherosclerosis. This can lead to decreased blood flow to the heart muscle (coronary artery disease), leg muscles (peripheral artery disease), or abrupt closure of an artery in the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

For LDL, the lower the number the better. A good goal to keep in mind is less than 130 mg/dL

Fasting Blood Sugar Test

This measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL or lower is normal, 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates you have prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL or higher indicates you have diabetes.

The Decision on when to take a medication will be counselled to the patient separately according to the medication being prescribed.

All drugs come with side effects. Many are minor, some are just an inconvenience, a few are serious, and some are just plain strange. Perhaps the most common set of side effects for drugs that work inside your body involves the gastrointestinal system. Side effects can vary from allergic reactions to Anaphylaxis To find more about a drug's side effects, look on the label of over-the-counter (OTC) products or on package inserts or printed materials that you get with prescription drugs

Despite what you may tell yourself, major symptoms and incidents aren’t the only reasons to go see the doctor

Seek medical attention whenever your instinct tells you something’s wrong

Some tell tale signs include

Persistent high fever

Severe cough, shortness of breath,

Abnormal intense chest pain/Abdominal pain

Unexplained weight loss

by Being more active, making Healthy food choices, Plenty of water and fibre rich foods

There are thousands of medical websites. Some provide reliable health information. Some do not. Choosing which websites to trust is an important step in gathering reliable health information.

The National Institutes of Health website, MoHFW for India is a good place to start for reliable health information.

As a rule, health websites sponsored by Federal Government agencies are good sources of information.

Beware of medical information provided by organisations trying to sell a particular product or service – information written to sell products or services is not medical advice.

Check who is providing the information and what they do to make sure it is accurate.

Social media, online forums and chat rooms are not necessarily places for reliable medical information.