Author: Sameed Chaudhary

News of Nipah virus cases in neighbouring India reached Pakistani social media in early 2026, and the questions came quickly: Is this the next COVID? Should we stop eating fruit? Do Pakistani bats carry this virus? The panic was understandable, but most of it wasn’t grounded in the actual science. Two healthcare workers in West Bengal, India were confirmed with Nipah in January 2026, according to the WHO. Pakistan’s government responded by ordering enhanced health surveillance at all border entry points, and the NIH issued a formal alert. But infectious disease specialists were clear: the current threat to Pakistan is…

Anxiety can show up without warning. You’re sitting at home, nothing bad has happened, no exam is due, no argument took place — yet your chest feels tight, your thoughts race, and a vague sense of dread settles in. It’s unsettling, especially when there’s no obvious reason for it. This experience is far more common in Pakistan than most people realise. A cross-sectional study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi found that roughly 28% of the sample had borderline or pathological anxiety, with women significantly more affected than men (NCBI, 2007). A broader systematic review published in the…

Imagine feeling unwell at night, with no clinic open and no way to travel, yet still being able to speak to a qualified doctor face to face. That is no longer a dream in Pakistan. A video call with a verified doctor, known as ویڈیو کال پر ڈاکٹر سے مشورہ (video call par doctor se mashwara), lets you get real medical help from your own home. Quick Answer To consult a doctor via video call in Pakistan, open Marham, choose your specialty, pick a verified doctor, book an online video consultation, and pay online. At your appointment time you connect…

Getting a lab test in Pakistan often means waking up early, sitting in traffic, finding the lab, and then waiting in a long queue, all before you have had your tea. In the summer heat or during load shedding, it feels like a whole day lost. The good news is that you no longer have to do any of that. You can book the entire test from your phone and have someone collect your sample at home, known simply as گھر بیٹھے لیب ٹیسٹ (ghar baithay lab test). Quick Answer To book a lab test online in Pakistan, open Marham,…

Quick Answer Sudden weight loss without trying — losing more than 5% of your body weight within 6 to 12 months without changing your diet or activity — is a medical red flag. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this threshold equals roughly 3 to 4 kg for a 60 kg adult. It can point to conditions ranging from an overactive thyroid or uncontrolled diabetes to tuberculosis or, less commonly, cancer. A doctor’s evaluation is the right first step, not a wait-and-see approach. Most people notice their clothes fitting differently and quietly hope it means something good. But weight that drops…

Some people reach for a shawl in July. Their family is running the AC, the ceiling fan is on full speed, and they are still sitting with socks on. If that sounds like you, it’s worth paying attention — because always feeling cold when everyone else is comfortable is not just a personality quirk. Cold intolerance, the medical term for an unusual sensitivity to low temperatures, can be a quiet signal that something in the body needs attention. In Pakistan, where iron deficiency anemia affects roughly 50% of women of reproductive age according to the Pakistan National Nutrition Survey 2018,…

Growing up in Pakistan means growing up with an audience. Family gatherings, university presentations, rishta visits, neighbourhood chit-chat — social performance is woven into daily life from a young age. For most people, a little nervousness in those moments is normal. For a significant number of young Pakistanis, however, that nervousness is something far heavier. Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also called social phobia, is an intense, persistent fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations. It goes well beyond ordinary shyness. A student who skips an entire semester of seminars to avoid speaking in front of classmates, or a…

Loud snoring is one of those things Pakistani families tend to laugh off. A heavy sleeper in the next room, a father who rattles the windows — it becomes part of the household background noise. But snoring is not always harmless, and knowing the difference between ordinary snoring and something more serious can genuinely protect your health. A cross-sectional study conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi found that roughly 12% of participants screened were at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep. Pakistan also has a high prevalence of the…

Many Pakistani families notice it gradually. An older parent starts repeating the same question at the dinner table, forgets a grandchild’s name, or gets confused about whether they have taken their morning dawa. It feels uncomfortable to name it, and in many households it gets quietly dismissed as just getting old. But not all forgetfulness in old age is the same. Some of it is a normal slowing of recall that comes with aging. Some of it is a sign of something treatable, like a vitamin deficiency or an underactive thyroid. And some of it is early dementia, a condition…

Quick Answer Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a nerve condition caused by pressure on the median nerve inside your wrist. It produces numbness, tingling, and pain in the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger — often worsening at night or after long hours of typing. Early treatment with wrist splints, physiotherapy, or a specialist consultation can prevent permanent nerve damage. If your fingers go numb halfway through a workday or your wrist aches after hours on a laptop, you’re not alone. Across Lahore’s and Karachi’s busy office districts, this complaint has become one of the most common…