Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR The classification of eating disorders is subject to inconsistency. The diverse frames of reference too ‘mirror’ beliefs about cause and pathology, no less, along with varied psychological underpinnings. Besides, what may have led to gender-related ‘apepsia hysterica’ in the early nineteenth century, has a new name today — anorexia nervosa. In

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Women face unique health challenges. Their bodies are regulated by rhythmic monthly cycles. As a rule, their cycles flow with computerised regularity — naturally and effortlessly. However, certain subtle interactions of hormones, stress, environmental pollutants and diet can sometimes disturb the rhythm and cause imbalances. This is where natural Ayurveda and

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Constipation is a common digestive disorder. It is the classical outcome of wrong eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. The problem is most often under-diagnosed, since most folks prefer to try a lot of unwanted medications, rather than report for treatment. What’s more, the belief that constipation leads to accumulation of toxins

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Vitiligo [white patches, or leucoderma] is a chronic skin disorder. It causes depigmentation in patches of skin. The disorder occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die, or are unable to function. While less than two per cent of the world’s population suffers from vitiligo, its impact is upsetting

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Gastric disorders, in everyone’s language, are often referred to as tummy problems. Now, the clichéd question. Is the apprehension of heartburn, or indigestion, ‘killing’ your pleasure of eating? Watch out: it could be gastric trouble. Call it ‘heartburn,’ ‘dyspepsia’ or hyperacidity, or whatever, more than ten per cent of individuals who

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Backache [back pain] is as common as the common cold. It affects five out of six people, some time in their life. While most cases of backache do not have any underlying ‘factors,’ the disorder attracts a huge annual cost, running into several million rupees — from absence at work to

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Stress is a blurred response to the demands that life places on us. This is also how it builds up. In the course of time, it leads to stressful frustration — an indivisible component of modern life. Our day-to-day life too has its allocation of stresses: peer pressure, marital, financial and workplace

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Psychologists suggest that parents should limit rather than eliminate their children’s TV watching and computer game play. One hour a day during the school week, and not more than two hours on weekends, would be a reasonable goal for TV watching. In addition, parents should, they suggest, eliminate violent programmes from

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR You know its import, don’t you? Or, so you thought. Either way, whether you are a physician, parent or an educator, you are right. It’s all about a new — or, old — phenomenon that is gaining ground everywhere. You’d call it a case of an entire subculture gone askew, but

Words: Dr Rajgopal NIDAMBOOR Psoriasis is a chronic progressive inflammatory disorder of the skin. Its aetiology, or cause, is obscure. Some researchers testify to its genetic predisposition. They reckon that psoriasis often tends to run in families. They also note that if both parents are affected, their offspring has a 60 per cent chance of