Sleep: How much you require?

Night is the time when you shut your eyes and enter a world of dreams which is considered to be a critical part of leading a healthy life. This is because after a day’s hard work, the muscles need rest. But the question is how much of rest is required?

To sleep means leaving your worries and tension and opinions differentiate on the exact amount of sleep required. An important thing to note is that you need to decide your sleep and waking time. Therefore, it is you who can judge the right time for your muscles to charge up. But psychologists say, a fully-grown human being requires 7-9 hours of sleep. If you are on the bed for more than that time, there is something wrong with your sleep mechanism.

What happens when adequate sleep is not taken?

It is not a rocket science to understand that your health will take a dent if you don’t sleep well. In fact, you will feel the effect after a bad sleep. A medical study found that individuals who are regularly denied proper sleep, meaning five hours or less every night, is vulnerable to cardiovascular issues and high blood pressure.

Further, lack of adequate sleep could trigger symptoms of obesity, diabetes, etc. Your behaviour may become erratic or you could possibly indulge in alcoholism. Your concentration will lapse and may experience mood swings. Other problems like killing sex drive, early ageing, forgetfulness, unwanted weight gain may be knocking at your door. 

What happens when it is?

• Some years of life are added, i.e. you may live longer, as per a study.
• Your mind will work full throttle, generating new ideas as your components gets strengthened.
• If you are a school going child, you could immensely improve in studies, perform well. Late night studies have proven to be harmful to health.
• No matter how hard you try to rid your excessive fat, you won’t succeed until you get the right amount of sleep.
• Stress is a major health issue these days and sleeping well helps in reducing that.

Your body gives you the strength to perform stringent of tasks during the day. The onus is upon you to replicate the favour. You need to give it back proper time to relax and prepare for the next day. 

Finding Out More About Food Allergies

Our immune system is designed to protect our body from harmful invaders, such as bacteria. Sometimes, however, the system responds to substances normally considered harmless. The substance that provokes the attack is called an allergen; the substances that attack the allergen are called antibodies. A food allergy can provoke such a response as your body releases antibodies to attack specific proteins in food. When this happens, some of the physical reactions include:

• Hives
• Itching
• Swelling of the face, tongue, lips, eyelids, hands, and feet
• Rashes
• Headaches, migraines
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhoea, sometimes bloody
• Sneezing, coughing
• Asthma
• Difficulty in breathing caused by swelling of tissues in the throat
• Loss of consciousness

If you are sensitive to a specific food, you may not have to eat the food to have the reaction. For example, people sensitive to peanuts may break out in hives just from touching a peanut or peanut butter and may suffer a potentially fatal reaction after simply tasting chocolate that has touched factory machinery that previously touched peanuts. People sensitive to seafood-fin fish and shellfish-have been known to develop breathing problems after simply inhaling the vapours or steam produced by cooking the fish.

How an allergic reaction occurs

When you eat a food containing a protein to which you’re sensitive, your immune system releases antibodies that hitch a ride on white blood cells called basophils. The basophils circulate through your entire body, giving the antibodies the chance to hop off and bind to immune system cells called mast cells.

Basophils and mast cells produce, store, and release histamine, a natural body chemical that causes the symptoms-itching, swelling, hives-associated with allergic reactions. Yes, that’s why some allergy pills are called antihistamines. When the antibodies carried by the basophils and mast cells come in contact with food allergens, boom! You have an allergic reaction.

Two kinds of allergic reactions

Your body may react to an allergen in one of two ways-immediately or later on:

• Immediate reactions are more dangerous because they involve a fast swelling of tissue, sometimes within seconds after contact with the offending food.
• Delayed reactions, which may occur as long as 24 to 48 hours after you’ve been exposed to the offending food, are usually much milder, perhaps a slight cough or nasal congestion caused by swollen tissues.

Foods Most Likely to Cause Allergic Reactions

Here’s something to chew on: More than 90 percent of all allergic reactions to foods are caused by just eight foods:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Soybean-based foods
• Wheat
• Fish

Coping with Food Allergies

After you know that you’re allergic to a food, the best way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid the food. Unfortunately, that task may be harder than it sounds because the offending ingredient may be hidden-peanuts in the chili or caviar (“fish eggs”) in the dip.

Sometimes the “hidden” ingredient is hidden in plain sight on a food label that uses chemical code names for allergens. If you’re someone with a potentially life-threatening allergy to food (or another allergen, such as wasp venom), your nutritionist may suggest that you carry a syringe pre-filled with epinephrine, a drug that counteracts the reactions.

Teeth Whitening- Now smile whole heartedly

Often when we look at our teeth, 9 out of 10 times we are let down by the discoloration. It’s a natural thing to occur when we do not focus enough on the influence of our teeth. A whiter set of teeth perpetually brightens smile and boosts confidence. With innovations on a large scale in dentistry, it is now possible to attain whiter teeth through a variety of teeth whitening options. With this blog, you’ll get enough information on teeth whitening so that in future if you decide to go for it, you are fully informed.

How does the process work?

Dentists use a peroxide-based solution. These compounds have the capability to whiten teeth through oxidation process. In a matter of few minutes after applying the solution, peroxide pierces the inner layer of the enamel. It is believed that peroxide has the ability to oxidize the color-producing compounds found in the enamel’s matrix. When these compounds are oxidized, they reflect light-thereby creating eradication of the discoloration.

What type of peroxide is used?

Dentists prefer hydrogen and carbamide peroxide. However, in-office whitening can exploit both carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide is sometimes preferred over hydrogen peroxide mainly on the basis of stability. It allows for a more predictable shelf life.

Any side effects?

Yes, there are some side effects associated with teeth whitening procedure; common of those are hypersensitivity and soft tissue irritation. Irritation occurs when the whitening agent comes in direct contact with the tissue and stays as it is for a longer period. Sensitivity typically happens when there is high concentration of hydrogen peroxide used. However, these side effects are considered temporary. Professional supervision from a dentist is required.

Who shouldn’t undergo teeth whitening?

• It is suggested not to undergo teeth whitening procedure before the age of 13. But it depends on the patient.
• Pregnant and lactating women are advised to avoid this procedure.
• Any individual with gum infection, broken or damaged teeth, and incomplete dental work is recommended to consult a dentist before undergoing a teeth whitening process. 
• Those already undergoing orthodontic treatment should opt teeth whitening once the treatment is complete. 

Infertility: Primary causes and how to deal with it

Infertility has various causes, and figuring out which applies to you may be very simple or intricate. Previously, only women were blamed for infertility, the reality is that male and female factors both share equally in infertility. Consider the following statistics:

• 1/3 of infertility problems are caused by female factors and same applies to males
• Approximately 20 percent of infertility is inexplicable
• Around 10-15 % of infertility is caused by a blend of male and female factors

Among women, prevalent causes of infertility are:

• Ovulatory disorders resulting in no ovulation or irregularovulation
• Tubal disorders resulting in blocked or infected tubes
• Uterine issues-fibroids, polyps or adhesions

Infertility in men is caused due to:

• Low sperm count
• Decreased sperm motility
• Abnormally shaped sperm
• No sperm at all in the ejaculate

Each of these categories of infertility can be caused by a number of things; for example, a decreased sperm count can be caused by a disease such as diabetes, by a birth defect, or by trauma. A woman can have blocked tubes from endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or from a congenital malformation. Anovulation can be caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian failure, or by over-exercising. While it may be fairly obvious what the problem is, finding the reason for the problem may be more difficult.

How to diagnose infertility?

You may think this is a no-brainer: If you’re not getting pregnant, it seems like you’ve already diagnosed yourself with infertility! However, diagnosing a lack of pregnancy is the easy part; figuring out why you’re not getting pregnant is the hard part.

Your infertility specialist can run a few simple blood tests to help determine whether or not you’re ovulating. Ovulation is, after all, the first step in getting pregnant, and usually blood tests or observation of your own cervical mucus and temperature can help you figure out when you’re ovulating so you can time sex accordingly.

If you’re still not pregnant after six months of “hitting the mark,” it’s time for more testing; your infertility specialist may suggest a test to see if your tubes are open and testing on your partner to see if “his boys can swim.”

This process of looking for the problem and then seeing if it’s fixed can take a few months. Only 20 percent of infertile couples never have a definite answer to why they can’t get pregnant, so the odds are your favour.

Elemental education on female infertility

Every couple dreams of having their own children some day. It’s an incontrovertible fact that most of the couples want to have kids. They are such magnificent creations. Every woman wants to experience the essence of motherhood and when she gives birth to a toddler, she cuddles that motherhood.

However, it’s a bitter reality that not every couple is blessed to have their own children. Most of the times it will go down to the fertility issues with the woman. So first we need to understand what female infertility is.

Infertility specialists describe female infertility as an abortive conception after a number of attempts by a couple. In simpler terms, it is a normal inability of a woman to bear a child. When couples go through such hard times, it is wise to consult a gynaecologist and from then on he/she may refer to an infertility specialist. A female’s infertility issue might be detected through complete body examination. On the basis of the final examination, the doctor can decide the best available fertility remedy for the woman.

There are multiple factors attributed to infertility. Most of the infertility cases occur because of reproductive issues of the female. It may be because the girl has either some abnormalities within the uterus or hormonal imbalance. In some cases it is seen that STDs (Sexually transmitted diseases) also play a contributing factor for infertility. Studies show that women who have diabetes or thyroid problems are vulnerable to becoming infertile. Sometimes, family health background is responsible.   

  

It has been pointed out by infertility specialists time and again that smoking kills and can make a woman infertile. Researchers have found that smoking causes serious damage to the Fallopian tubes and can steadily increase the chances of gestational diabetes. Furthermore, age is also an important factor behind female infertility. Infertility specialists state that when a woman reaches 27, her effectiveness to bear a child begins to curb down.

Depending on the medical professional, he/she may offer different courses of treatment. Fertility medicines are prescribed to cause ovulation. Hormone balancing medicines are given to balance out hormones which may be causing infertility. In order to treat endometriosis, a surgery may be recommended.

However, there are many practitioners of alternative medicine who specialise in infertility, conception and pregnancy. Many women across the globe have reported to have benefited from methods that range from dietary changes to following an exercise regime. Balancing diet includes intake of vitamin B6 (found in garlic, tuna fish, and banana) which helps balance the oestrogen levels in women. Other factors include completely eradicating fast food.

Not able to conceive is one of the most difficult challenges couples face. It affects the psyche of both husband and wife equally. Remember, when considering a female infertility treatment, utilise all that science has to offer that can contribute to your well being. 

Tips to Make Eating Healthy Easier

In the middle of the week, after staying late at the office for three days in a row, it can be much easier to make a stop at a fast-food restaurant on the way home than even think about cooking a healthy meal for you and your family. Surprisingly, though, cooking healthy meals can be really easy if you follow these simple tips.

Plan a Weekly Menu

The best way to keep yourself from eating pizza and takeout all week is to plan a weekly menu of foods that you will make during the week. On the weekend, take a few minutes to look through your cookbooks or search the internet for great recipes you want to try, make a grocery list, and go buy all the ingredients you'll need for the week. Keep in mind that you can save money by making several meals with the same ingredients, and this also helps to avoid wasting food. You can make burgers one night and tacos the next, for example, all while using the same ground beef and veggies. Write down your menu and tape it to the refrigerator so everyone in your family knows what you're having, and so you're held accountable for making the food you planned to make. Creatively using leftovers can also be a real time-saver and help you cook healthier meals each night.

Chop in Advance

No one wants to come home after a long day at work and stand on their feet in the kitchen, chopping vegetables. Immediately after you get home from the grocery store, chop everything you'll need for the week and store it in reusable containers. You can even organise your containers based on what meal you'll be cooking, so all you have to do is come home, take out the proper containers, and toss them in the pan.

Buy Frozen Foods

Frozen foods are a great time-saver. I'm not talking about frozen pizza or TV dinners, here. If you're trying to eat healthy, you probably want to avoid those items! However, steam-in-bag vegetables and pre-marinated meats are a great way to eat healthy without spending too much time preparing a meal. They're easy to pop in the microwave or oven right after work, and they taste great, too. Just be sure you thaw your meat before going to work so you don't have to spend time doing that when you get home.

Cook With Colours

People eat with their eyes as much as their taste buds and part of making healthy meals appetising is making them look good. Make it your goal with each meal to put as many colourful foods on the plate as possible. Have green and orange vegetables, white and yellow cheeses and breads, and blue and red fruits with every meal. This will not only make your plate look delicious, but it will help you get all of your key nutrients, too. It helps, also, if you divide your plate into four, putting a different piece of the meal - and of the food pyramid - in each segment. This can help ensure you get all you need to keep you going through a busy work week.

The Simpler the Better

You don't have to "master the art of cooking" to be a great chef. When looking for recipes, a good rule of thumb to follow is the simpler the better. Recipes with five to ten ingredients are usually the best, especially for the work week. Just some really good meat and veggies will do the trick.

International Day of Yoga: Why Yoga is better than hitting the gym

While deciding any type of exercise over the other, your approach and purpose behind making a choice is very important. Let's say yoga is the best. But, it is not like an intensive 15-day routine that will help you lose extensive fat in a week. Though, if you seek complete health, it is the perfect option for you.

In this age of race and competition, what we continuously aim at is achieving a balance. That is what yoga teaches us; to balance, not only through physical postures, but throughout several facets in our life. According to Patanjali, yoga is 'Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha', or the cessation of mental fluctuations. Calming the mind is what yoga is all about. So, gym or yoga? Which is better? Let's find out.

Why Yoga is Good For You

Tones the Body and Mind: Going to the gym mostly trains only the physique. It strengthens the muscles and makes the body sturdy and well-built. Yoga, on the other hand, tones the body as well as the mind. Flexibility is attained when you practice different asanas (postures); these make you lean. But yoga is not merely about the asanas, as it also includes various breathing practices that ensure a healthy and peaceful mind.

No Equipment Needed: Except for the fact that you must be awake, yoga requires no preparation or any heavy equipment for a workout. It can be practised anywhere. All you need is perhaps a mat (a carpet works too). That is definitely affordable.

No Risk of Injuries: Another point where yoga wins over training in the gym is that it is free from any risks of physical injury. You do not have the chance of accidentally hurting yourself because you lifted weights, or because you were in an uncomfortable position. In yoga, you move and stretch with ease, and only where you can.

Improves Metabolism: Metabolism refers to the chemical processes within our body that break down matter (food) to produce energy components like proteins. Digestion is an important element of metabolism. Yoga improves your digestive system. If you do not feel hunger, you would start to, or if you tend to overeat, you would begin to cut down on some comfort food.

Non-competitive: The environment in a gym is different, where you tend to compare yourself with the people around you. How much faster, how much better than others can I do, is the goal while you are walking on a treadmill or in an aerobics session. You tend to simply follow the group in a gym routine. On the contrary, yoga requires you to focus on yourself, no one else matters. You may be a little bulkier than others, but the shape of your body is not important here.

A Stress Buster: After a heavy workout at the gym, you may experience fatigue and tiredness. Alternatively, with yoga, which mostly ends with a few minutes of breathing and meditation, you don't experience that. It is a powerful stress buster, as it heals you from both, the outside and inside.

Healthy Eating Habits: A routine in the gym may make you feel hungry after exercise, and also stressed out at times. You may end up consuming as much calories as you burned, or even more. The goodness of yoga lies in that it naturally directs you to healthy dietary habits. You tend to eat at the right times, and the right quantities of highly nutritious foods.

Breathing Connects the Mind and Body: Mindfulness, being in the present and introspection occurs, of course, when one practises yoga. Any change in our emotions alters our breathing pattern. So, our breath is the only powerful tool to control our emotions that further helps us maintain a healthy body. We learn about our body through a variety of postures. The mind-body union, which is the basic underlying concept of 'yoga' also, improves memory and the ability to concentrate.

Saves Time and Money: One of the simplest reasons of why yoga is good is that it saves a lot of time and money. You need not waste your time in travelling to the gym, nor adjusting yourself to the gym timings. Also, the fees you pay to get in shape seem a waste when you again put on weight, because you discontinued the exercise. Yoga saves you all that trouble.

Physical exercise combined with meditation inculcates happiness and peace within. So, especially today, when most of the stress is mental and psychological, yoga provides a better way to find your own self, and accept it happily.

Don’t Allow Diabetes to Let You Down

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which blood sugar (also called glucose) accumulates in your blood. The full name of the disease, diabetes mellitus, literally means “honey diabetes.” Since the time of ancient Greece, people have noticed a sweet or honeyed smell in the urine of those affected by the disease.

There is no cure for diabetes. However, diabetes can be controlled. Controlling diabetes means keeping your blood sugar at levels that are the same as—or close to—those of a person who does not have diabetes.

There are two primary kinds of diabetes, and the cause of your elevated blood sugar depends on which kind of diabetes you have.

TYPE-1 DIABETES

Type 1 diabetes used to be called “juvenile diabetes” because it normally occurs in people under the age of 30. If you have type-1 diabetes, your pancreas no longer produces insulin, a vital hormone that helps your body turn sugar into energy. Without this essential hormone, the sugar in your system accumulates in your blood. Type 1 diabetes is considered to be an “auto-immune” disease. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the pancreas and destroys its ability to make insulin.

Although family history plays a role in the development of type 1 diabetes, 90 percent of the people who get it have no family history of the disease at all. No one knows for sure why it strikes some people and not others. People with type 1 diabetes have to take insulin to control their blood sugar. Consultation with diabetologists is particularly helpful because of their expertise in diagnosing diabetic patients. 

TYPE-2 DIABETES

Type 2 diabetes used to be called “adult onset” because it normally occurs in people over the age of 30.

Type 2 diabetes is more likely if you have a family history of diabetes. It is closely related to excess weight and a lack of physical activity. African-Americans, Latinos, Pacific Islanders, Asians, and Native Americans are all at high risk for type 2 diabetes.

Although type 2 diabetes normally strikes people over the age of 30, it is on the rise among children. Diabetologists think this is directly related to a lack of physical activity and the increase in obesity among the young.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas still makes insulin. But it may not make enough, or your body may have become resistant to it. The first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes is exercise and weight loss—many people can control their blood sugar levels with exercise and diet alone. There are also oral medications that can be used to treat the disease. Type-2 diabetes tends to be progressive and a substantial number of people with type 2 diabetes ultimately need to take insulin to control their blood sugar.

  

Autistic Pride Day: Let’s pledge to help children with autism

Autistic Pride Day is a day set aside to celebrate the children who suffer from autism all over the world. The day is celebrated on the 18th of June every year and it stands for pride where views of people are shifted from seeing autism as a disease to a ‘difference’. This shows that the people who suffer from autism exhibit diversity in how they express their neurological behaviour. 

Autism is neurological disorder in which there is a problem with the development of neurological system of the body and it is characterised by impairment of communication and social integration. The condition starts in childhood and the characteristics may be visible within the first two years of the child’s development.

The Purpose of Autistic Pride Day

• The day helps to create awareness to people on the condition and how it is managed. The day asserts that autism is not a sickness but rather a state in which the individual affected will exhibit varied characteristics that may provide them with challenges or rewards unlike their peers who do not have autism.
• Autistic pride day helps in coming up with a freedom initiative where the public is educated on the challenges that are faced by autism community.
• Autistic pride day helps in organising rights movement for people who are living with autism. The movement is usually led by self advocates of autism who ensure that autistic people are given their rights and are recognised in the society. The movement encourages the community members to accept people living with autism in the society.
• The autistic pride day provides a good platform where the care giver is appreciated. The people who take care of autistic children may have reduced physical and emotional energy as they can be drained while responding to the needs of autistic children. The care givers are encouraged to take care of themselves and to get as much help as possible to be able to give the best while offering their services.

What activities can be performed on Autistic Pride Day?

• The activities that can be done on this day include providing information to families that have people who suffer from autism by teaching them on the causes, signs/ symptoms , management and treatment. The family members will also be taught on how to handle someone who has autism as they are different.
• Providing support for the organisations that pioneer autism services like the UK charity organisation for people loving with autism.
• The caregivers can come together and share the challenges that are faced while taking care of people with autism. This will help to reduce stress as they express themselves.

Message spread on Autistic Pride Day

The message shared on this day is that the people who suffer from autism are not sick but they are different. Autism should not be viewed as a disease/sickness but it is a state of being ‘different’.

Autistic pride day is a day set aside to appreciate the people who live with autism. There are varied activities that can be done on this day and this includes encouraging the care givers to form support groups where they can share their challenges in caring for autistic children. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness on the condition as most people do not know much about it.

Are you one of those getting medical information online?

An all-India doctors’ survey revealed that the Internet is creating new-age hypochondriacs. Do you just search over the internet when you see a bump on your body? Or do you imagine suffering from a disease just because you read about it on the net? Have you ever taken medicines on your own or further advised to relatives and friends? If the answer to any one of questions is ‘yes’, then you are a practitioner’s nastiest fear come true. A recent survey conducted across major cities in India including the metropolitan cities divulged that physicians are having hard times dealing with patients who use internet to find problems for their health issues.

An article in a leading magazine stated that medical websites are wreaking havoc for doctors. Without a shadow of a doubt, the internet has been a revelation. It has enabled users to access information at a fast pace which our predecessors couldn’t think off. It gives information on all sectors, what’s happening around the world second by second. But can too much information spell danger, particularly the healthcare sector? Does it assist ill-informed patients who question treatments given by the doctors?

Dr Aniruddha Malpani, an IVF specialist, showed a different picture. He believes to be an attitude problem with doctors. The other side of the story is doctors are very much happy to greet patients who are informed beforehand about their problem. Patients who search over the internet and procure valuable information about their health issue are in a better position for developing a good doctor-patient relationship. He says right information at the right time for the right person is a commanding medicine.

Every piece of info is not about symptoms and diagnosis

There seems to be a general notion that healthcare website focus too much on a disease’s symptoms and diagnoses. Data from a well-known health portal suggested that only 10% search is conducted for articles related to symptoms of diseases. The reality is that health portals play a distinguished role than proving to be go-to source for diseases, symptoms and treatments. Individuals visiting medical websites do not just look for treatments, they search for natural ways to cure problems, treatment options, second opinions, health guidelines to understanding the pros and cons of a procedure, life after a surgery and more. The difference between a doctor’s consultation and visiting a health portal is that a doctor is a treatment provider but a medical website is the source of information about that treatment.

But doctors fear well-informed patients

For a long time, doctors enjoyed the monopoly of exploiting patients who would listen to their advice and follow everything they said. But the onset of internet helped patients and change this notion a great deal making them more informed. So does this throw shivers down a doctor’s spine? Doctors who have been practising for long say it is always helpful to them when a patient comes informed about his/her ailment. It cuts down their time required to explain what the disease is all about. Dr Aniruddha Malpani agrees: “Good doctors are never afraid of informed patients as they know patients are sick and need the best possible treatment.” However, bad doctors may feel threatened because of lack of appropriate knowledge.

How internet is a beneficiary for patients

No doubt, internet is a platform where patients get plenty of information regarding any topic. The problem arises when that information is misleading. The genuineness of a medical website or its source of information is always in the question. One can only know about the righteousness of the information is by cross-checking it with the doctor.

For a patient who is sitting in a far flung area without access to top-end medical services, internet is a boon. Getting medical information online through a genuine website would help him understand the nuances of ailment properly.

Concluding, the medical websites are not going anywhere in the near future and they are going to multiply. Don’t dismiss them just because some people get sleepless nights after reading about their condition online.              

Lazoi initiates its services to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune

Lazoi Lifecare Private Limited, one of the leading healthcare portals in India today, proudly announces the instigation of its services in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune. The portal, which is best known for connecting patients to doctors, booking online diagnostic lab tests and medicines, the company off-late, has been on the expansion mode. Having already established itself in the heart of India (Delhi/NCR), the famous online portal is looking to help patients get the benefits of its services in core cities of Maharashtra. This has not only broadened the company’s area of operation but also the association of more doctors with it.

Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune are counted amongst posh cities of Maharashtra, where it is difficult to find the right doctor when someone in your family, relation or loved one falls sick. As per the Maharashtra Government, diseases such as cholera, small pox, high fever, dengue, dysentery, diarrhoea, respiratory problems, malaria are common in these cities. Sadly, number of deaths due to these conditions is also high. One of the factors behind these deaths, as stated by the state government is inability to connect patients with the right doctor. Hence, when patients fail to receive the proper treatment, it ultimately pushes them towards death. Specialists like paediatricians, gynaecologists, pulmonologists, dermatologists etc. are in demand in these high profile cities.  

Citing this very reason, Mr. Suvro Ghosh, founder of Lazoi, turned his focus on these cities. He made it a point that no patient shall be denied the right to appropriate treatment. So when he decided to start services in these cities, it was given a thumbs-up from the government. He further said, “While we have 50,000 + reputed doctors from Delhi/NCR at our portal, addition of few more from these cities will only bolster the business. Plus, patients will be more than happy to book online appointments rather than running here and there to get the right treatment.”

In the last 5 years, there has been a surge in patients looking for doctors who provide online appointment. In short, they are more internet-savvy now. Seeing this trend, a number of healthcare portals have come up in recent years. While some have tasted success (like Lazoi), others have gone down with the wind. Though, it’s a reality that in India where doctor-patient ratio is 1:2000, finding the right doctor is like chewing iron nails. What healthcare portals like Lazoi has done and off course doing is bridging the gap between doctors and patients. Expanding the current range of services to core cities in India is obviously best for business, plus it guarantees that no patient is deprived of quality medical services.