Author: Sameed Chaudhary

Most people in Pakistan know they should drink more water. What fewer people realise is that how and when you drink it matters just as much as the amount. A person who drinks two litres a day can still be functionally dehydrated if they drink it all in the wrong way. Pakistan’s climate makes this more pressing than most places. In Lahore and Karachi, summer temperatures regularly cross 40°C, and the body loses far more fluid through sweat than the standard eight-glass guideline accounts for. Add three to four cups of chai a day — a near-universal habit — and…

Most Pakistani families have at least one condition that seems to repeat across generations. A grandfather with heart disease, an aunt with diabetes, a cousin born with a blood disorder. These patterns are not coincidence. They reflect a mix of shared genes, shared diets, and in many cases, a uniquely Pakistani factor: the relatively high rate of consanguineous marriage, where close relatives marry within the family. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cousin marriages in the world, and this significantly raises the likelihood that certain recessive genetic conditions appear in children. At the same time, lifestyle-linked conditions like…

A burning feeling behind the breastbone after a plate of biryani or a late-night paratha is something most Pakistanis have experienced at some point. For many people, that discomfort passes within an hour or two and is easily dismissed as acidity. The problem starts when it doesn’t pass, or when it keeps coming back night after night. Research published in Frontiers in Medicine found that roughly 26.6% of patients screened in Southern Punjab met the diagnostic threshold for GERD, and a cross-sectional study conducted across Karachi hospitals found that 95.3% of confirmed GERD cases reported symptoms specifically after meals. These…

Every year on 28 July, the world marks World Hepatitis Day. For most countries it is a reminder. For Pakistan, it is an emergency. Pakistan now carries the heaviest hepatitis C burden on the planet, a silent virus known locally as کالا یرقان (kala yarqan) that millions carry without ever knowing. Quick Answer Pakistan has the highest number of hepatitis C cases in the world, with an estimated 10 million people infected, yet most do not know they carry the virus. This World Hepatitis Day, the single most important step you can take is a simple blood test, because hepatitis…

Every Pakistani household has heard it. Your mother, your nani, your khala — someone has told you: “Baal geele hain, zukam ho jayega.” Step outside with wet hair and you’ll catch a cold. It’s one of the most persistent health beliefs passed down through generations, and it feels logical enough. But here’s what the science actually says: going out with wet hair does not give you a cold. The belief is understandable, but it isn’t supported by medical evidence. That said, wet hair isn’t entirely harmless either — and the real risks are ones most people don’t think about. This…

University life in Pakistan hits differently when your monthly allowance runs out by the third week. Between hostel mess food that’s heavy on oil and light on vegetables, late-night samosas during exam season, and the temptation of a Rs. 400 shawarma after a long day of lectures, eating well feels like a luxury. It doesn’t have to be. According to data from TechJuice’s 2026 university cost breakdown, a single Pakistani student spends roughly PKR 10,000 to 15,000 on food per month when eating out regularly. Students who self-cook spend PKR 5,000 to 8,000 on groceries for the same period. That…

Summer in Pakistan arrives fast and stays long. From May to August, cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Multan regularly see temperatures above 40°C, and when load shedding cuts power for 8 to 12 hours a day, the heat inside a closed room can become genuinely dangerous. The combination is not just uncomfortable. Research published in the Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences (2023) documented that power outages directly worsen heat-related illness by cutting access to fans, air conditioning, and even water pumps. In the 2015 Karachi heatwave, over 1,300 deaths were recorded, with load shedding, urban heat buildup, and…

Most office workers in Pakistan spend eight to ten hours a day seated: first in traffic on the way to work, then at a desk, then in traffic again on the way home. By the time you reach your house in Karachi or Lahore after a two-hour commute, the last thing on your mind is exercise. The problem is that this pattern adds up fast. According to the WHO, physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases globally, and Pakistan already carries a heavy burden of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Sitting for long stretches without…

Every summer, millions of Pakistanis face the same dilemma: the doctor said to walk thirty minutes a day, but stepping outside at noon feels genuinely dangerous. Karachi’s humidity sits above 80% through July and August, Lahore bakes under dry heat that crosses 42°C by afternoon, and Multan regularly records temperatures above 47°C in June. The question isn’t whether to exercise — it’s when. The answer is simpler than most people think, but the details matter. The difference between a safe morning walk and a midday one isn’t just comfort; it’s the difference between a productive workout and a medical emergency.…

Daal chawal is probably the most eaten meal in Pakistan, and yet it gets almost no respect. People call it the fallback dinner, the lazy lunch, the thing you cook when nothing else is planned. Nutritionally, though, it deserves a second look. Across Pakistani households, from a small flat in Karachi’s Gulshan to a family home in Lahore’s Model Town, a pot of masoor or moong daal with plain basmati rice is on the stove several times a week. It costs very little, takes under 30 minutes, and keeps the stomach full for hours. That combination alone makes it worth…