Health Wealth

If you get a fever during the monsoon season, do you start to wonder if it is Dengue, Zika, Nipah, or Chikungunya? Does a niggle in your throat have you googling symptoms for bird flu and swine flu? And how do you keep despair at bay when you hear that it isn’t just viruses becoming smarter but also insects carrying these infections?Dr Sushila Kataria, head of the internal medicine department at Medanta Hospital Gurgaon, has worked surrounded by infections of all kinds. The first to treat a Covid patient in the state back in 2020, she has never let fear of disease rule her choices. In this episode, she shares her formula for embracing health and happiness. She also explains more about the causes of viral outbreaks, the science behind immunity and important tips for timely diagnosis of all the currently prevailing infections.Tune in to discover whether you really need to stock your shelves with the top 10 best foods for immunity that the internet suggested... or if there is a more effective and pragmatic answer to staying safe (and joyful) during a viral outbreak.Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

Skin can bring us pain and pleasure, belonging and persecution. A pimple is embarrassing for a young teen but a love bite is terribly exciting. Skin keeps us cool and protects our blood, but it is also home to various fungi and bacteria. We paint, pierce, and associate so many emotions with this one organ. But looking after skin has gone from becoming a simple soap-water operation to a complex maze of questions—do I buy herbal or laboratory-produced products? What is a peptide? Do I need to go sulphate-free? How many blueberries should I eat? Do I get a vampire facial? Whose nighttime skincare routine should I follow—Alia Bhatt or Bella Hadid? A billion-dollar industry, skincare companies are constantly churning out new products. But is our skin getting any healthier? Is Persian rose and Sicilian almond cream enough to negate the impact of pollution, stress, sugary diets, and poor sleep? A 2020 study in the Indian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology estimates that 7 out of 10 adolescents suffer from acne today, a 153% increase from 1990 onwards. Third-generation dermatologist Dr Rajat Kandhari joins us to help us separate fact from fiction about skin hygiene. He currently spearheads the aesthetic special interest group for the Indian Dermatology Association and is the former vice president of the Indian Association of Dermatology’s Delhi Chapter. Tune in to learn all about the bacteria which parties on your skin as acne, realistic lifestyle advice for healthy skin and what a dermatologist’s own skincare routine looks like! Produced by Anna Priyadarshini Sound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

How much damage can one cancelled entrance examination do to a student's well-being? And if we have ensured that our children attend schools with personalised education, interactive academic tools, and bottom-up teaching approaches, will the damage be any less?India has one of the highest student suicide and depression rates in the world. The solution to reducing it lies not just in the education system but in various factors that influence student mental health. To reduce a child to the label of a student alone would be to discard every factor that impacts them other than educational institutions.In this episode, we use age as a guide to understand the aspirations and limitations of today's school-going people.We are joined by Dr Upasana Chaddha, a psychologist and founder of Mindspace Centre for Counselling and Psychological Wellbeing in Delhi. Going age-wise, Dr Chaddha points out often-missed signs of deteriorating mental health that silently scream for preventive or curative support. From FOMO to heartbreak and from academic strangulation to desperation for the perfect body, she gives reason and perspective to all that impacts a student's mental and emotional health.Tune in for a no-holds-barred glimpse into the minds and hearts of the next generation.Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

Do you ever feel doubtful as to whether you needed to do all those scans and blood reports (or worse, a double-balloon colonoscopy) just to find out that there is nothing wrong with you? Are you one of those people who has already googled ‘side effects’ of the medicines on your prescription even before you’ve left the hospital? While there is no large-scale study available to measure public faith in the Indian healthcare system, most of us are no strangers to dinner-table horror stories about medical negligence, confusion about which specialist to consult, or that one nurse who inserts a cannula like it was a plug going into a socket. Let Dr Sumanth Raman, author of Sick Business: The Truth Behind Healthcare in India, soothe your worries, misconceptions, and confusion about medical treatment. In this episode, we discuss the essentials of finding the right doctor in India and what is needed to improve medical cost, access, and transparency. Tune in to discover the secrets and stories of how Indian healthcare really functions. Produced by Anna Priyadarshini Sound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

It is difficult to imagine a world where a prick from a rose bush or a cut from the pages of a beloved book could result in eventual death. Those above the age of 96 might still be able to do so, having been born before the discovery of penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic to treat bacterial infections. At the time, it seemed humans had won against these microscopic pathogens that could survive anywhere—from the deepest ocean to the coldest land. But in our complicity lay our downfall. Thanks to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, bacteria began to learn ways to withstand treatment and continue to do so today at an alarmingly fast rate. With a dismally low number of new antibiotics in the pipeline, antibiotic resistance has become a major global health threat. In this episode, Anirban Mahapatra, microbiologist and author of When The Drugs Don't Work: The Hidden Pandemic that Could End Modern Medicine, discusses the complexities and realities of bacteria and antibiotics. Tune in to find out whether humans will be able to win the war against these tiny, powerful creatures, possibly the first life on land. Produced by Anna Priyadarshini Sound mix by Kapil Dev Singh

Wouldn’t it be lovely if our bodies could evolve to a state where lying on the couch, watching House of Dragons, and eating peanut butter bonbons would be all the energy expenditure needed to stay healthy? But till evolution finally catches up with our 2024 lifestyle, our bodies remain designed for at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Unfortunately, most of us cannot meet the bare minimum movement, flexibility, and energy expenditure requirements.Many people also equate exercise with weight management, forgetting that it is actually necessary for our overall physical and mental well-being.So, where do we start? Should we join a gym, hire a yoga instructor, or start clocking 10,000 steps on a watch? In this episode, fitness expert and influencer Diksha Chhabra explains why exercise is essential for humans and what exercise one should do.Tune in to learn the fundamentals of a healthy exercise routine and discover if you are exercising properly or just ticking off goals set by an app.Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Nitin Rawat

Growing up with a sexual or gender identity that is different from the world around you is an experience that is hard to put into words.From a very young age, many in the queer community face intense bullying, restrictions, confusion and rejection. The fear of being forced to attend barbaric pseudoscientific conversion therapies like electrotherapy or forced sex by one's own birth family is still very much a reality for many in India today. The result of such trauma is depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse tendencies, anxiety and insomnia. Studies estimate queer youth to be at risk from mental illnesses two to four times more than those who are not queer.In this episode, director of The Raahat Project and public health expert Chapal Mehra brings out the truth about what it is to grow up queer in India. Interspersed with trivia about queerness, historical references, medical truths, and his own experiences, this episode is a wake-up call to why we need to urgently invest resources to provide 'raahat' (relief) to this community.Tune in!Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Water is essential for our health. But doctors say air conditioning and round-the-clock intake of liquids other than water (coffee, tea, monster shakes, soda) have reduced our instinct for thirst. So even though our bodies might need more water in the summer months, we often fail to realise it.In this episode, health influencer and nutritionist Nupuur Patil helps us understand the importance of hydration, popular misconceptions about heatwave health and what a pint of cold beer does to your body. She also shares her personal trick for ensuring enough water intake and a list of summer diet essentials.Tune in!Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Have you ever wondered how a medicine is tested before it reaches your pill box? And are the words 'phase 2 trials' enough to inspire blind confidence in modern-day vaccines?In this episode, we discover the importance and purpose of clinical research and trials with Dr Sanish Davis, president of the Indian Society for Clinical Research. Having worked on both sides of the fence--in academics and the big pharma industry--Dr Davis takes us behind the scenes of a clinical trial from start to finish.Tune in for an in-depth analysis of India's drug regulatory process, the global clinical trial rat race and how to access reliable data on any drug or vaccine you are uncertain about.Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Sachin Dwivedi

Hunger is one of the most difficult urges to ignore. It is the biological equivalent of an Instagram stalker, always lurking in the background of our lives. But lifestyle changes and overly processed food have morphed modern-day hunger into a complicated maze of cravings and binges, driving us to eat much more than we need to.In this episode, Dr Jasjeet Wasir, director of endocrinology and diabetes at Medanta Hospital Gurgaon, guides us through the world of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, food porn and obesity management.Tune in to discover whether medicine is the only way to say no to a cheeseburger after a long day at work!Produced by Anna PriyadarshiniSound mix by Sachin Dwivedi