Q: My mother has lost 15 kg of weight suddenly. She is 41 years old and her weight is 42 kg. She gets tense very soon, which could be one of the causes, but this alone cannot lead to loss of 15 kg. We want to take her for a medical check-up, but she refuses and says she is fine. She complains of digestion problems and burps after having food. She has a slightly bloated stomach. She also complains of gases reaching her heart at times. She eats twice a day, breakfast between 10.30 to 11.00 am and her evening meal between 5.00 to 6.00. pm. She doesn't eat anything at night. She is avoiding meat products in her diet and doesn't drink milk at all. How far is milk necessary for her? She also suffers from tiredness. Is her condition related to anaemia or jaundice? Why is she losing weight so rapidly? A year ago, we met an Indian Unani doctor who, just by checking her pulse, told us some of her problems and suggested a Unani medicine called Khamira Abresham. The medicine's leaflet said that it is better for the proper functioning of heart, brain and liver. Which type of medicine (ayurvedic, homeopathic or unani) will be better for her? Please help.

A:Your mother has an unintentionl weight loss of 15 kg over last 1 year or so. She also has distention of abdomen. Both these symptoms are significant and could be indicators of some serious underlying disorder. You should have the following investigations conducted on her with immmediate effect: 1. Complete haemogram with ESR 2. Complete thyroid profile 3. Ultrasound whole abdomen 4. If the ultrasound shows some abnormality then CT Scan abdomen should be done 5. Blood test for LFT and Kidney function test Ideally, your mother should be examined clinically for a detailed physical examination by a medical specialist, it helps to narrow down on the possible causes. If this is not possible, you could even email the reports to me.