MENstream

Husband Day Care

2011-10-04T06:52:00.000+08:00

What a great idea in this crucial financial times when women have work and men don't!

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Photo grabbed from the Internet.

Emotions and Your Internal Organs

2011-10-03T06:20:00.000+08:00

Specific emotions that weaken internal organs of the body:

ANGER weakens the liver.
GRIEF weakens the lungs.
ANXIETY weakens the heart and brain.
WORRY weakens the stomach.
FEAR fails the kidneys.

So stay happy. Look good, feel good and do good.

A Taste of Energy

2011-10-02T08:12:00.001+08:00

“So many things to do, but oh so little time...” The need to stretch one’s energy, productivity, alertness and to stay focus on a given task paved the way for the popularity of energy drinks. These drinks are particularly attractive to young people. In the US, approximately 65% of energy drink consumers are between the ages of 13 and 35 years old.

The use of energy drinks is to stay awake. Based on label declaration, energy drinks commonly contain sugar and lots of caffeine. However, its caffeine should not exceed 200 ppm (parts per million). A typical energy drink contains about 80 milligrams (mg) of caffeine similar to a cup of coffee, while an average soft drink only contains about 18-48 mg of caffeine.

Other common ingredients found in energy drinks include: ephedrine, taurine, guarana, B vitamins, ginseng, ginko biloba, L-carnitine, yerba mate, creatine and acai berry.

In the Philippines, a total of 67 energy drinks are currently registered with the Food and Drug Administration. Still, many local and foreign brands sold in the market are not yet are tested, validated, and registered by the agency.

Energy drinks are generally safe as long as they are taken in moderation and not mixed with any alcoholic substance. This is dangerous, since alcohol is a depressant and has a tranquilizing effect on the body. This mixture can be very fatal because energy drinks can mask the influence of alcohol and the drinker may misinterpret their actual level of intoxication.

Another word of caution is that energy drinks should not be consumed while exercising or indulging in a sport activity because caffeine is a diuretic (i.e., it causes one to urinate very often) which promotes dehydration. Energy drinks are different from, and should not be confused with, sports drinks that are formulated to keep people hydrated during intense physical activity.

Some of the reported adverse effects of excessive intake of energy drinks to the body are:

• Sleeping problems resulting insomnia due to high amounts of caffeine;

• Dehydration from loss of body fluid since caffeine is a diuretic;

• Dizziness, nausea, and irritability also from caffeine;

• Allergic reactions like hives, rashes, itching or oral swelling;

• Liver toxicity if vitamin B3 exceeds 3000 mg and skin lesions or burning sensation if vitamin B6 exceeds 100 mg;

• Gastrointestinal problems because energy drinks contain too much carbohydrate. This makes it hard for the body to absorb the nutrients from the intestines going to the bloodstream; and

• Diarrhea because most energy drinks contain large quantities of inositol.

The rule of moderation should always be considered when consuming energy drinks. Instead of energy drinks, try natural energy-giving foods like cereal, pasta, rice, bread, starchy food like potato and corn, and B complex vitamins which are necessary for the body’s production of energy, coupled with a balanced diet and the right amount of sleep and exercise.

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Based on a DOH HealthBeat article (July-August 2011) written by Donato Dennis B. Magat. Photo by Joerem P. Ceria.

"Pahiyas" (Jewel)

2011-09-27T12:13:00.000+08:00

"Pahiyas" is a Cebuano (a local dialect in the Philippines) term that means jewel, decoration, ornament, décor. Well, in this photo, THE JEWEL IS A NUT. Hahaha.

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Got this photo from an email.

Bashing the Smoker's Body

2011-09-25T07:59:00.002+08:00

This one goes to the health promotion books.

In August, just about the time when Mideo Cruz’s mural consisting a mixed match posters of Jesus Christ, crucifixes, phallic symbols and condoms at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines was receiving vicious and defamatory statements from various religious groups and influential leaders, the Municipality of Panitan in Capiz, through its Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 57, series of 2011, condemns the Department of Health “to the highest degree” for “deliberately allowing the public display of malicious, indecent, and immoral posters and stickers of The Smoker’s Body exhibiting the vital male sex organ.”

The said resolution, dated July 22, 2011, was presided by Vice Mayor Genroso D. Derramas and approved by Mayor Katherine Dequiña-Belo. Copies of the resolution were also sent to the different committees of the House of Representatives, aside from the DOH central and regional offices.

The Smoker’s Body, as the Resolution claimed, is an “invasion of men’s privacy that brought shame and dishonor to male smokers, hence degrading men’s social standing and status.” Moreover, it is “considerably a pornographic material that injects a strong prejudice and inculcates malice, indecency and immorality into the vulnerable mind of the child and youth who view it all the time, each day on their way to school and back home.”

The Smoker’s Body, developed by the World Health Organization, is originally a pin-up graphic poster showing some of smoking’s less publicized side effects from head to toe, including deformed sperm, reduced blood flow to the penis which can cause impotence, and infertility. It has been translated in several languages and can be seen around medical establishments and other educational institutions around the globe. The essential purpose of this poster is to inform the minds of people, especially the youth, and to discourage them from smoking. This anti-smoking poster has been proven very effective.

The Philippines adopted the Smoker’s Body and the DOH has it in posters and leaflets as well as in instructional presentations. Many organizations with tobacco control programs also followed suit.

Through the years, the Smoker’s Body has been the most requested health promotion material, although the DOH admits that it occasionally receives a few feedback from individuals airing their concerns on the exposure of the penis. Four years ago, the DOH placed a white brief on the genitals of the Smoker’s Body tarpaulins that were displayed in light railway train stations. Those who saw it, especially students, snickered at the modest change. And now, back on its original form, the Smoker’s Body received flak, but now from a higher level.

Oh well, no one cannot please everybody all the time. Not everyone has the same level of education, values and morality. What is blasphemous to one, maybe an art to the other. And what is pornographic to some, maybe life-saving information to many.

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"Malaswa" in the photo covering the genitals of the Smoker's Body means "vulgar."

Be Careful Where You Eat

2011-09-24T07:30:00.000+08:00

BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU EAT A CORNDOG. Campaigning outside Pittsburgh, GOP frontrunner Rick Perry attended a picnic at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Oil City where he enjoyed a footlong corndog while touring the fabulous reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

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Grabbed from a Facebook post.

The NCD Problem

2011-09-12T08:26:00.000+08:00

What’s the problem in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that they are not getting the appropriate attention from political leaders, policymakers and the public at large?

NCDs are diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. The four most common NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as emphysema and asthma) and diabetes. These four NCDs account for 80% of all deaths due to NCDs.

Maybe the problem lies in the name. NCDs lack the excitement that people are forced to take action. They are not transmitted from person-to-person like tuberculosis norfrom animals-to-person like malaria, rabies or bird flu. NCD cases do not crowd public hospital beds at any given time like dengue or food poisoning, and they seldominvolve a large group of children getting sick like measles. NCDs may not even be sexy like HIV/AIDS.

Maybe the problem is in the demographics. NCDs mostly affect middle-aged adults and the elderly – those who are past their prime. But of course, because of years of neglect on NCDs, a changing demographic is happening and cases of heart attack, stroke or cancer are occurring in the younger and more productive age group. In the Western Pacific region, where the Philippines belong, the World Health Organization reported that 26,500 people die daily due to NCDs.

And maybethe problem is in the causation. NCDs are brought about by tobacco use, excessive alcohol drinking, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. These are lifestyles that most people love to do and habits too that are hard to break.But measures to control these risk factors often need government action such as taxation, limiting salt, sugar and fat in mass-manufactured foods, restricting marketing of food to children; restricting the availability and promotion of tobacco and alcohol, and urban design that promotes physical activity. These are issues that bring world leaders and politicians into conflict with tobacco, food and alcohol industries.

On top of these problems, investments for the prevention and control of NCDs remain inadequate. NCDs and poverty are locked together in a vicious cycle. NCDs hinder economic development and worsen poverty. The poor are also more vulnerable, having more exposure to the risks and less access to health services.

The High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on September 19 and 20 in New York is a turning point in making a high-level commitment and mobilizing a broad ‘whole of the society’ approach to the prevention and control of NCDs. Just a few days to go, but it seems many of the affected industries are derailing the process and the rich nations like the United States, Canada and Europe are reported to not agree with the UN targets for fear that they will have to foot much of the bill for tackling an NCD epidemic in poorer nations.

Without the needed global investment for NCDs and stronger commitments and actions to be taken by countries, the world is bound to have a sick future ahead. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Remembering World Trade Center

2011-09-11T10:34:00.000+08:00

Remembering the World Trade Center through photos taken in November 1996 at the facade and observation deck (top) and in July 2011 amidst the construction of the Freedom Tower (bottom). May the 9/11 and other terrorism attacks would not happen anymore in any part of the globe. As the lyrics of the song say - LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH.

Wisdom in Mistakes

2011-09-04T13:15:00.002+08:00

Okay, you'll have to WAIT for the PAINT to dry before you could climb the stairway to success. But if you're in a hurry, you can always use the other "stair" or the "ramp".

Juggling Your Life

2011-08-28T16:48:00.000+08:00

Sharing to you the 30-second speech of Bryan Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola, on work and life…

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other fall balls – Family, Health, Friends and Spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffled, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the required time to your family, friends and have proper rest.

Value has a value only if its value is valued."

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Photo from the Internet

Challenging MMDA's Smokefree Policy

2011-08-27T09:21:00.001+08:00

Tobacco Industry’s Same Old Tactic

One tactic the tobacco industry uses to perpetuate their business despite the obvious hazards their products bring to both smokers and non-smokers is to undermine the efforts of health advocates and regulatory agencies pushing for stronger No Smoking or smokefree policies. This is a standard operating procedure worldwide and lately, for the nth time, this is what the tobacco industry has been doing in the country. The focus of their attention now is the No Smoking in Public Places Policy of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The term “tobacco industry” includes the tobacco companies and those representing the interests of the tobacco industry (e.g. retailers groups, law firms, public relations/advertising agencies, and other front groups).

On July 1, after a month-long information dissemination drive, MMDA strictly implemented the smoking ban in all public areas in Metro Manila, which means smokers caught violating the new policy will be apprehended and fined.

The MMDA is not on its own in implementing this policy, they are strongly supported by the 17 Metro Manila local government units (LGUs), Department of Health, Department of Justice, Civil Service Commission, University of the Philippines-College of Law, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines, and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The MMDA is responsible for major thoroughfares (loading bays, footbridges, stairwells of train stations), and in public utility vehicles and land transportation terminals in coordination with LTFRB; the LGUs are responsible for city roads and establishments in their jurisdiction; and the Civil Service Commission is responsible for government vehicles and offices.

Deputized “environmental enforcers” are deployed to monitor the areas within the MMDA's jurisdiction. These enforcers wear mint green polo-shirt uniform with MMDA logo and carry with them identification cards which are clearly visible and displayed. They are in charge of issuing Environmental Violation Receipts (EVRs) to persons caught violating the No Smoking Policy.

The penalty ranges from P500 up to P1,000 for the first offense, or 8-hour community service. LGUs, as well as other government agencies may impose different penalties in amount or in kind.

Pros and Cons

On May 29, when the MMDA announced to the media its smoking ban in public places, the TV Patrol text poll on ABS-CBN showed 91% of the viewing public agreeing with the new MMDA policy. This is evident of a silent majority of the population who are against tobacco use, especially in public places.

Several public health advocates also threw their support behind MMDA. Dr. Oscar Tinio, president of the Philippine Medical Association said, “It is an irrefutable fact that cigarettes cause health deterioration and more devastatingly, death in one of every two of its users. MMDA’s smokefree campaign, which we greatly support and are encouraged by, is one of the crucial measures needed to fight tobacco and save the lives of our loved ones. As doctors and guardians of health, PMA and other sectors of society are here to campaign for truly smokefree Philippines.”

Emer Rojas, the Global Cancer Ambassador for the Philippines and president of New Vois Association of the Philippines - a tobacco control advocacy group composed mainly of cancer victims that attribute their cancer to smoking, said, “A smokefree environment discourages smoking and helps in reducing the risks of cancers brought about by second hand smoke. Cancer is the number three killer in the world. It is one of the most dreadful among non-communicable diseases. MMDA’s initiative saves lives."

Speaking for the DOH, Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said, “We hope that one day, there will be no need for apprehension of smokers, that the entire Philippines will be voluntarily and completely smoke-free.”

But all is not well with the MMDA policy. There is the tobacco industry to contend with. As MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino revealed, “From the beginning, we knew that this policy would not be met with the favor of cigarette companies. However, there is this irrefutably miserable statistic that begs to be addressed: a Filipino dies a tobacco-related death every 6 minutes. As public servants, we are determined to push policies that protect our people.”

These threats are not the only attempts of the tobacco industry to interfere in MMDA’s initiatives to promote public health. During the first quarter of the project, a representative of the tobacco industry visited the offices of MMDA in search of documents on the marketing strategies of the smokefree campaign.

Local government units are also feeling the pressure. Officials from Quezon City, Marikina, and Las Piñas have relayed the increased number of visits from representatives of tobacco firms since the beginning of MMDA’s smokefree policy. According to the health officials, they are being offered assistance in their health projects and being intimidated on the pending cases of business establishments not complying with the policies on tobacco advertisements and promotions.

A Joint Memorandum Circular between Civil Service Commission and DOH No. 2010-01, however, states that government officials shall not accept any offer for assistance from the tobacco industry. Also, it prohibits unnecessary interactions with their representatives. This is to protect the bureaucracy from potential impediment of tobacco control measures by those who work to further the interests of the tobacco industry.

Trade groups have also attempted to impose burden on MMDA’s campaign. In June, the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) wrote a letter to Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa inquiring about the jurisdiction of MMDA to enforce provisions of RA 9211 and other smokefree policies. The website of FPI shows that Philip Morris is a valued sponsor and Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation’s (PMFTC) Managing Director Chris Nelson sits on their Board of Directors.

The Philippines is a party to World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In compliance with Article 5.3 of this treaty, the country needs to be alert and firm in protecting its tobacco control policies from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry.

The Legal Battle

Barely a week after the MMDA fully implemented its smoking ban policy, Chris Nelson said in a Malaya news report on July 7, the PMFTC is prepared to take action against the MMDA on the regularity of the issuance. He was even quoted as saying, "It may not even be us, it could be a smoker who may take action."

And it happened. Two smokers have taken the MMDA to court after they were fined for smoking in public. On July 26, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported, Antony Clemente and Vrianne Lamsen, in their petition, asked the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court to stop the MMDA from implementing a ban on smoking in public places in Metro Manila. The two were said to have been apprehended by an MMDA enforcer after they were caught smoking on the sidewalk on EDSA, near Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City, on July 6.

Lawyer Luis de la Paz told the Inquirer that the area where the two complainants were caught smoking was not covered by Republic Act (RA) 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003. He was further quoted as saying, “We also contest the authority of the MMDA to collect fees and impose punishment on supposed violators.”

On August 2, a group of lawyers supportive of the MMDA ban has questioned De la Paz’s motives for going to court in a bid to halt the agency’s efforts. HealthJustice, a non-profit public health law think-tank that has helped gain popularity for various tobacco control measures, issued a press release that claimed that one of the clients of De la Paz’s law firm (Gonzales Batiller David Leabres & Reyes) is Philip Morris Manufacturing Inc., as listed on the company’s website. (Eventually, ABS CBN news report showed that Philip Morris was already removed from the list of clients.)

In several interviews, De la Paz was also quoted to exclaim that the smoking ban of MMDA is unconstitutional.

“Where is it written that you have the right to smoke in sidewalks, side streets, and thoroughfares? What is the grave and irreparable injury to smokers when they cannot smoke in those areas?” argued University of the Philippines College of Law professor Teddy Te. “On the other hand, what is constitutional is the government’s obligation to uphold the right to health of its citizens.”

Atty. Ipat Luna of HealthJustice reiterated, “The national predicament stands: hundreds of Filipinos die every single day because of both cigarette addiction and second-hand smoke. Let us not forget that public safety is the backbone of this smokefree policy.”

Turn of Events: Hotter by the Day

On August 15, Monday, Judge Carlos Valenzuela of Branch 213 of the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court issued the temporary restraining order (TRO) for 20 days ruling in favor of the two complainants. They were required to post the P100,000 bond, which would cover the claims of damages if the court’s final decision went in MMDA’s favor.

On Tuesday, one of the complainants of the smoking ban, identified as Antony Clemente, claimed in an interview with ABS-CBN News that he did not pay for the required bond to file the case. He said, “Hindi ko naman siya kayang bayaran kasi minimum wage lang naman ako. Bale nagkakaugnayan lang d’yan, attorney lang ho. ‘Yung Philip Morris ang naaapektuhan kasi. Dahil sa pinapatupad na paghuhuli na ‘yan, syempre ‘yung negosyo, naaapektuhan.” (I have no means to pay the bond because I earn minimum wage only. This is just coordinated by the attorney. Philip Morris is the one affected. Because of the apprehensions of violators, for sure, its business is affected.)

The supposed admission sparked an outrage among tobacco control advocates. Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former health secretary, expressed his dismay in a press statement, “The admission of the complainant that the case was fabricated should appall Filipinos to no end. The tobacco industry is obviously pulling out all stops to block laudable public health measures like the MMDA’s enforcement campaign.” Tan further said, “Cases like these show how the tobacco industry belittles the competence of medical authorities in guarding the health of our citizens. In planting a witness against MMDA, they undermine the authority of the government to take care of its people.”

The following days, PMFTC issued a statement denying the allegations that the company was behind the complaint. Meanwhile, the petitioners’ lawyer dismissed the news report as “unreliable,” claiming his client was misquoted.

On Friday, August 19, tobacco farmers from La Union were reported to have helped pay for the P100,000 bond required by the court. This signalled the start of a 20-day TRO on the enforcement of the no-smoking policy on sidewalks and public thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

Also on Friday, MMDA filed a motion for reconsideration before the court to lift the TRO based on Clemente’s disclosure Tuesday night. MMDA Chairman Tolentino said, “The complainants were planted and their arrest by our environmental enforcers was planned that’s why we can say that some businessmen were interested in this case.”

Despite this temporary setback, the MMDA together with the local government units would still pursue the enforcement of its smoking ban in areas covered by RA 9211. Meanwhile, the DOH issued a press statement that said it supports MMDA’s decision. The statement concluded, “In its pursuit of Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (Universal Health Care), the DOH stresses that the right of a smoker ceases when he or she violates the rights of others to protect their own health.”

The case still progresses, but everyone should be reminded of the 2006 landmark US government lawsuit against the major tobacco companies where District Court Judge Gladys Kessler found they have violated civil racketeering laws, defrauded the public, lied for decades about targeting of children and health risks of smoking.

Kessler said, “The tobacco industry is an industry… that survives, and profits from selling a highly addictive product which causes diseases that lead to a staggering number of deaths per year, an immeasurable amount of human suffering and economic loss...”

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Also published in Department of Health's HealthBeat Magazine, July-August 2011 issue

Photo from Metro Manila Development Authority

What's This?

2011-06-25T18:00:00.000+08:00

WARNING:

Splitting may be dangerous to your reproductive health. Hahaha.

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Photo grabbed from a Facebook post.

Rizal: National Hero, Health Worker

2011-06-19T00:06:00.001+08:00

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Alonso Realonda or better known as Jose Rizal was described as a “polymath” with his ability to master various skills and subjects. His German friend, Dr. Adolf Meyer, described him as “stupendous.” He was a historian, educator, linguist, playwright, journalist, sculptor and a farmer. He had varying degree of expertise in architecture, cartography, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, economics, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting. He was also a Freemason.

And lest we forget, the country’s national hero, who is celebrating his 150th birth anniversary this year, was a doctor – an ophthalmologist. Dr. Jose Rizal was a health worker.

Health Worker

Rizal was born on a cold Wednesday night of June 19, 1861 in Calamba, Laguna, after a long and difficult labor of her mother, Dona Teodora Alonzo. At the age of 3, he learned the alphabet from his mother; at 5, while learning to read and write, he already showed inclinations to be an artist. He astounded his family and relatives by his pencil drawings and sketches and by his moldings of clay. At the age 8, he wrote a Tagalog poem, "Sa Aking Mga Kababata," the theme of which revolves on the love of one’s language. He started formal schooling at the age of 9 in Biñan where he learned Latin and Spanish. He had an extraordinary capacity for language and ultimately he spoke 22 languages and dialects.

In 1872, at the age of 11, he attended secondary education at the Ateneo Municipalidad de Manila where he stayed for five years and was a star pupil. Later he moved to the University of Santo Tomas and from 1879 to 1882, he studied agriculture, surveying, philosophy and letters. Upon learning that his mother was going blind, he decided to study medicine specializing in ophthalmology. But he did not complete his medical studies, claiming discrimination by the Spanish Dominican friars against the native students.

In 1882, at the age of 21, Rizal went to Spain to pursue his medical studies. Here, he became a Master Mason in Acacia Lodge No. 9 in 1884. He later moved to France where he became a specialist in diseases of the eye. He also found time to join a French Masonic Lodge during his sojourn in France. In 1884, Rizal completed licentiates in medicine and philosophy and letters at the Central University of Madrid. The licentiate is an undergraduate degree similar to the American bachelor's degree but with a more vocational focus. Further medical education was not required to call oneself a physician or to practice medicine at that time. However, one could obtain a doctoral degree, similar to a contemporary American doctoral degree, after passing examinations and writing an approved thesis.

In 1885, Rizal went to Germany to study ophthalmology. Although Rizal completed a thesis for his doctorate in medicine, he did not technically receive this degree, since he did not appear to read his thesis aloud as required by the Central University of Madrid. Reading his thesis in Madrid would have required an additional trip to Spain, which Rizal could not afford. Instead, he mailed his thesis to the university and hoped for its acceptance in this manner.

In 1887, Rizal completed his eye specialization under the renowned professor, Otto Becker. There he used the newly invented ophthalmoscope (invented by Hermann von Helmholtz) to fulfill his lifelong dream of caring for his mother's eyesight.

According to a paper by Dr. Tracy B. Ravin published in the “Archives of Ophthalmology” in March 2001, Rizal practiced ophthalmology, mainly in Calamba (August 1887-February 1888), Hong Kong (November 1891-June 1892), and while in exile in the town of Dapitan (July 1892-July 1896). His specialized skills brought him fame, and patients often traveled long distances to seek his care.

Rizal was in Calamba from August 1887 – February 1888 and may have began a series of operations on his mother there, possibly performing an iridectomy as a preliminary to cataract extraction. In Hong Kong in 1892, he successfully removed the cataract from his mother's left eye. Several months later, he sent her glasses with instructions to cover the right lens until he could operate on that eye. Two years later, at Dapitan, he extracted the right cataract. He was dismayed by her postoperative course, however, as she disobeyed his instructions and removed the bandages prematurely. He learned a lesson on the difficulty of taking care of family members.

Ravin, in her paper, quoted documents that Rizal may have wrote, “I have operated on mother with much success and she could see with much clearness immediately after. The post-operative course went well for three days, but encouraged by this, she did not follow my instructions and she got up and lay down alone, removed and put back the eyepad, always telling me that nothing was going to happen until her eyes became so inflamed (she suspected that during the night she received a blow... The operative wound gaped, the iris prolapsed and now there is violent inflammation. Nothing can quiet her and she reads and goes to bright lights and rubs her eyes... Now I can understand why it is prohibited for one to treat members of his family.”

Experiences like this one may have formed the basis for the modern standard that surgeons should not operate on their immediate family. It has been said, however, that Rizal really only had two patients – his mother and his country – and his dedication to both was clearly remarkable, Ravin concluded in her paper.

National Hero

During his studies in Europe, Rizal was also working on his first highly celebrated novel, "Noli Me Tangere" in Spanish. The title is Latin for "Touch Me Not."

In this novel, Rizal exposed conditions so sensitive in the Philippines, that they could not be touched by anybody. He unfolded a shocking tapestry of the Philippines that made his story the most influential political novel of that country in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Noli received heavy criticisms from the friars and was described as “heretic, impious, scandalous, unpatriotic and subversive to public order”

Rizal returned to the Philippines shortly after his book was published but he was warned by his relatives and the Spanish governor-general to leave the Philippines, because he was under continuous close surveillance. So he returned to Spain. He then wrote “El Filibusterismo” (The Subversive) in 1891,” a sequel to the Noli, which pictured a society on the brink of revolution.

In 1892, amidst the risk on his life, Rizal returned to the Philippines and founded "La Liga Filipina" (The Philippine League) – an organization designed to bring about reforms in the government. Two weeks after his return, he was arrested against charges of rebellion and treason. He was put into exile in Dapitan, in the province of Zamboanga, a peninsula of Mindanao. Here, he built a water supply system, a school, and a hospital.

The four years of his exile coincided with the development of the Philippine Revolution from inception and to its final breakout, which, from the viewpoint of the court which was to try him, suggested his complicity in it. He condemned the uprising, although all the members of the Katipunan had made him their honorary president and had used his name as a cry for war, unity, and liberty.

Near the end of his exile he met and courted the stepdaughter of a patient, an Irishwoman named Josephine Bracken. He was unable to obtain an ecclesiastical marriage because he would not return to Catholicism and was not known to be clearly against revolution. He nonetheless considered Josephine to be his wife and the only person mentioned in the poem, “Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, my joy...”

Rizal eventually managed to get out of Dapitan to serve as a military doctor for the Spanish troops in Cuba during the Spanish American War. On his way to Barcelona, he was arrested on charges of founding an illegal organization that induced rebellion.

In Manila, he was summoned to military court where evidences of his guilt were mere testimonies from hostile witnesses, his participation to Masonic lodge, his meeting with Pio Del Pilar in Dapitan and his appointment as honorary president of the Katipunan.

Rizal and his counsel smoothly laid out their arguments supporting the latter’s innocence and dismantled the prosecutions’ vindications but substance did not take an effect on the biased members of the court.

After going through the ordeal of a sham trial of fraudulent charges, he was executed in the prime of his life by a squad of the 10th Spanish Infantry Regiment by being shot in the back at 7:00 a.m. on December 30, 1896 at the Campo de Bagumbayan located directly behind the Luneta in Manila. His execution was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. but it was secretly advanced one hour by the Spanish authorities to avoid any demonstration or possibly an uprising by the Filipinos.

Jatropha Poisoning

2011-06-18T09:11:00.000+08:00

Here is the health advisory released by the Philippines Department of Health regarding the potential hazard of jatropha seeds/nuts consumption:

1. The DOH is warning the general public NOT to eat jatropha (also known as tuba-tuba, kasla, tagumbao tubang bakod, tangan-tangan) seeds/nuts due to its potential hazard. The fruit or nut is small, green and fleshly wen immature, becoming dark brown when ripe. The meat of the seeds is white and oily in texture with pleasant/agreeable taste.

2. The major toxins in jatropha are: (1) curcin which is toxalbumin (phylotoxin) found mainly in the seeds (2) purgative oil from the seeds with a yield of 40% curcanoleic acid (irritant) (3) hydrocyanic acid (4) resin - producing dermatitis (5) alkaloid glycoside which can produce cardiovascular and respiratory depression; and atropine-like effects.

3. Acute systemic poisoning in humans has resulted mostly from ingestion of the plant materials, usually the seeds. In adults and children, 1 to 3 chewed seeds eaten can cause symptoms of poisoning. Reports from the National Poison Management and Control Center in 2007 showed 39 cases of acute jatropha seed ingestion among children (ranked 7th of ten top poisons).

4. The most prominent symptoms of jatropha intoxication are nausea and vomiting followed by watery diarrhea after a delay of 30 minutes to 2 hours from the time of ingestion. There is also acute abdominal pain and burning feeling in the throat. In severe poisoning these symptoms progress to hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and marked dehydration. Children are more susceptible either to the direct effect of the toxins or secondary to the dehydration and electrolyte loss. In serious cases of poisoning, liver damage may occur together with oliguria secondary to hypotension.

5. Victims of jatropha poisoning should be brought to the nearest health facility at the soonest possible tome so that gastrointestinal decontamination and fluid and electrolyte replacement can be initiated.

6. The general population should be educated regarding the toxicity of the jatropha plant especially the seeds. Parents should warn their children never to eat the seeds of jatropha or even play with them since primary skin irritation may occur. School authorities should not cultivate the plant within the school premises. In the plantations where the jatropha oil is to be used as biodiesel there should be adequate warnings signs posted within the plantation areas.

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Photo from the Internet.

DOH Red Orchid Awards 2011 - Complete List of Winners & Finalists

2011-05-31T20:14:00.002+08:00

The Department of Health celebrated World No Tobacco Day (May 31) by conferring the DOH Red Orchid Awards to government offices, government hospitals and local government units based on the strength their comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% Tobacco-Free Environment following the World Health Organization MPOWER initiative.

MPOWER is an acronym that denotes the six proven tobacco control policies, namely: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit tobacco use; Warn against the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco advertising; and Raise taxes on tobacco.

Out of 89 nominees, 34 were declared winners. The nominees were categorized in color codes where Red Orchid awardees garnered high scores and considered as winners; Pink Orchid and White Orchid are first and second runners-up, respectively. Meanwhile, finalists that got below 60 percentage points were given Certificates of Participation.

The Awards ceremony was held at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila in Ortigas, Pasig City.

Here is the complete list:

RED ORCHID AWARDEES

Provincial Health Office
1. Nueva Vizcaya

Municipal Government
1. AMLAN, Negros Oriental
2. CALATRAYA, Romblon
3. PINTUYAN, Southern Leyte
4. ALAMADA, North Cotabato
5. TALISAYAN, Misamis Oriental
6. TANTANGAN, South Cotabato
7. NAVAL, Biliran
8. DUPAX DEL NORTE, Nueva Vizcaya
9. DUPAX DEL SUR, Nueva Vizcaya
10. BUENAVISTA, Guimaras
11. VERUELA, Agusan del Sur
12. SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya
13. CALAUAG, Quezon

City Government
1. Maasin City – Region 8
2. Davao City – Region 11
3. Roxas City – Region 6
4. Balanga City – Region 3
5. Legaspi City – Region 5

Government Hospital
1. Cotabato Regional and Medical Center – Region 12
2. Ospital ng Palawan –Region 4-B
3. Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital – Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
4. Tagaytay Treatment & Rehabilitation Center - Region 4-A
5. Quirino Memorial Medical Center – Metro Manila
6. Western Visayas Sanitarium – Region 6
7. Mariano Marcos Memorial Medical Center – Region 1
8. Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Hospital – Region 6

Center for Health Development (CHD or DOH Regional Office)
1. CHD- SOCCSKSARGEN or Region 12
2. CHD-Cagayan Valley or Region 2
3. CHD-Eastern Visayas or Region 8
4. CHD-MIMAROPA or Region 4-B
5. CHD-Cordillera Administrative Region
6. CHD-Bicol or Region 5
7. CHD-Metro Manila

SPECIAL RED ORCHID AWARDS

Government Office
1. Metro Manila Development Authority
2. Department of Education in Region 1
3. Land Transportation Office in Region 10
4. Civil Service Commission in Region 1
5. Commission on Population in CAR
6. Department of Trade and Industry in CAR

DOH Regional Tobacco Control Team
1. CHD-Cagayan Valley
Dr. Tita Callueng, director;
Ms. Emma Tamaliuab, program coordinator
Mr. Floro Orata, health education and promotion officer (HEPO)

2. CHD-MIMAROPA
Dr. Gloria Balboa, director
Ms. Ethyll Blanco, program coordinator/HEPO.

3. CHD-Eastern Visayas
Dr. Edgardo Gonzaga, director
Ms. Elvira Lanza, program coordinator,
Ms. Arlyn Perdalo, HEPO

4. CHD- SOCCSKSARGEN
Dr. Abdullah Dumama, Jr., director;
Ma. Estela Ilagan, coordinator
Jennelyn Ellie Ventura, HEPO

PINK ORCHID AWARDEES

Municipal Government
1. ANILAO, Iloilo
2. DUMINGAG, Zamboanga del Sur
3. SAN JUAN, La Union
4. PANAY, Capiz

City Government
1. Pasig City – Metro Manila
2. Santiago City – Region 2
3. Makati City – Metro Manila
4. Navotas City – Metro Manila
5. Muntinlupa City – Metro Manila
6. Marikina City – Metro Manila
7. Dipolog City – Region 9

Government Hospital
1. Region 1 Medical Center – Region 1
2. CARAGA Regional Hospital – CARAGA
3. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center – Region 3
4. Bicol Medical Center – Region 5
5. Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center – Region 1
6. Zamboanga Medical Center – Region 9
7. Bicol Sanitarium – Region 5
8. Talisay District Hospital – Region 7
9. Northern Mindanao Medical Center – Region 10
10. Camiguin General Hospital – Region 10
11. National Children Hospital – Metro Manila
12. Bataan General Hospital – Region 3
13. Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center – CAR
14. St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital – Region 7
15. Southern Philippines Medical Center – Region 11

Center for Health Development
1. CHD-Western Visayas or Region 7
2. CHD-LUPang Ilocos or Region 1
3. CHD-Western Visayas or Region 6
4. DOH-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
5. CHD-CARAGA or Region 13

WHITE ORCHID AWARDEES

Municipal Government
1. ESPERANZA, Agusan del Sur
2. SABLAN, Benguet

City Government
1. Tuguegarao City – Region 2
2. City of San Fernando, Pampanga – Region 3
3. Surigao City - CARAGA

Center for Health Development
1. CHD-CALABARZON or Region 4A
2. CHD-Central Luzon or Region 3
3. CHD-Davao or Region 11

CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION

Municipal Government
1. TUBLAY, Benguet

City Government
1. San Fernando, La Union – Region 1
2. Ligao City – Region 5
3. Butuan City – CARAGA
4. Cabadbaran City – CARAGA
5. Bislig City – CARAGA
6. San Jose City – Region 3

Government Hospital
1. Margosatubig Regional Hospital – Region 9

Government Office
1. Civil Service Commission in CARAGA

Center for Health Development
1. CHD-Zamboanga Peninsula or Region 9
2. CHD-Northern Mindanao or Region 10

Attack of the "Crabs"

2011-05-21T17:52:00.000+08:00

Would you place a piece of meat on the genital area for crabs and their eggs to stick to it or shave your pubic hair to get rid of the lice? The former seems ridiculous than the latter, but these somewhat extreme measures happen in real life.

Pediculosis pubis or pubic lice and also called crab lice or crabs are parasitic insets found primarily in the pubic or genital area of humans. Pubic lice infestation is found worldwide and occurs in all races, ethnic groups, and levels of society. But mind you, animals do not get or spread pubic lice.

The signs and symptoms of pubic lice include: itching in the genital area and visible nits or crawling lice.

Pubic lice come in three forms: the egg which is also called a nit; the nymph, an immature louse the hatches from the nit; and the adult that resembles a miniature crab when viewed through a strong magnifying glass. The nymph and the adult must feed on blood to live. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within a day or two.

Lice found on the head are generally head lice and not pubic lice. Crabs are usually found in the genital area on pubic hair; but they may occasionally be found on other coarse body hair, such as hair on the legs, armpits, mustache, beard, eyebrows, or eyelashes.

Pubic lice usually are spread through sexual contact and are most common in adults. Pubic lice found on children may be a sign of sexual exposure or abuse. Occasionally, pubic lice may be spread by close personal contact or contact with articles such as clothing, bed linens, or towels that have been used by an infested person. A common misunderstanding is that pubic lice are spread easily by sitting on a toilet seat. This would be extremely rare because lice cannot live long away from a warm human body and they do not have feet designed to hold onto or walk on smooth surfaces such as toilet seats.

A lice-killing lotion containing 1% permethrin or a mousse containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide can be used to treat pubic lice. These products are available over-the-counter without a prescription at a local drug store or pharmacy. These medications are safe and effective when used exactly according to the instructions in the package or on the label. Also, be careful when using medications on eyebrows or eyelashes. Consult a health a health care provider.

As for shaving the pubic hair, it has its drawbacks. A pubic louse also can lay its eggs in the hair at your anus, buttocks, thighs and stomach, areas you could easily overlook while shaving. It only takes one remaining hair with one egg on it to start a re-infestation.

To kill lice or nits remaining on clothing, towels, or bedding, machine-wash and machine-dry those items that the infested person used during the 2-3 days before treatment. Use hot water. Items that cannot be laundered can be dry-cleaned or stored in a sealed plastic bag for 2 weeks. All sex partners from within the previous month should be informed that they are at risk for infestation and should be treated.

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Photo from the Internet

Bike for Health

2011-05-18T23:02:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday (May 15), Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III or “PNoy” chose cycling as his form of exercise to promote healthy lifestyle in the Department of Health’s “Ehersisyong Pangkalusugan Para Sa Lahat” (Healthy Exercise for All) special event held in Quezon City and attended by some 6,000 people. While the President pedalled his way to Quezon Memorial Circle, others walked, jogged, ran and did aerobics exercises.

Cyling is said to be one of the most effective exercises to shed off extra calories and get rid of flabby abs. According to physical fitness experts, even a small amount of cycling can prove to be good enough to boost one’s metabolism level and fastening weight loss program. It also helps improve overall balance and coordination.

One of the health benefits of cycling is that it minimizes the risk of coronary heart disease. As an aerobic exercise, cycling gives the heart, blood vessels and lungs a workout, thereby reducing the risk of heart problems. It is also found effective for treating people diagnosed with diabetes and cancer.

For people, who are on the heavier side, cycling can prove beneficial. It manages weight and helps in getting rid of increased waistline and bulging fat. A few miles of cycling per day assure trimmer and toned muscles. This is because the upper thigh muscles, backside and calf muscles all get to workout.

Cycling enhances the overall fitness level of a person. It makes a person breathe deeper and perspire more resulting to a feeling of enhanced body temperature. Pedal pushing also helps a great deal in building stamina. It enables you to carry out your day-to-day activities more effectively. Moreover, the pleasure and satisfaction attained while riding a bicycle alleviates all the stress, anxiety and depression of a person. And this might come as a surprise to many people, but cycling ensures a control in the level of blood pressure.

As with any exercise, it is important to warm up before cycling. Gently cycling for ten minutes will warm the body up and prepare your muscles for more intense exercise. As the body gets fitter, increase the speed and distance at a steady rate. As a guide, a beginner with a moderate level of fitness should aim to cover 5 kilometers in 20 minutes. Rest is also very important as it allows your body to recuperate. Cooling down after a ride is just as important as warming up beforehand. Ride at an easy pace for the last five minutes of the ride will enable the cyclist to finish refreshed and revitalised, rather than strained and tired.

Cycling is a great fun physical activity that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike, and even Presidents. Now, wouldn’t it be nice if Metro Manila’s roads, air quality, and traffic conditions could also be made bicycle-friendly?

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Photo by Paking Repelente

Philippine Spring Cleaning Day on May 11

2011-05-09T21:13:00.000+08:00

Is it still summer in the Philippines or is it already the rainy season? Two typhoons come in succession this week and the strong winds and heavy rains are here. Anyway, when it rains in the US and other western nations, it signals Spring. The current monsoon rains in the country may also be timely to observe the first-of-a-kind PHILIPPINE SPRING CLEANING DAY 2011 on May 11.

Yes, you read it right, the country will hold a Spring Cleaning Day, even if we only have two seasons – the dry and the wet. Anyway, for us Filipinos, we usually term it as “General Cleaning.”

Cleaning can save lives – it is a necessary public heath intervention for the country. One life every 20 seconds is lost because of poor sanitation. With cleaning, 20,000 Filipino lives and 1.5 million lives worldwide are saved. According to a study entitled “Economic Impacts of Sanitation in the Philippines”, poor sanitation leads to economic losses totaling US$ 1.4 billion or PhP 77.8 billion per year.

The first Philippine Spring Cleaning Day is an activity to raise awareness and improve the cleaning and sanitation practices of Filipinos. Armed with the battle cry: “I Clean, I Save.”, it is claimed to be the first public and private initiative for cleaning and sanitation.

This campaign is a joint effort of the Department of Health, University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health, Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) and Reckitt Benckiser - a a world leader in the global household, health and personal care.

Five local government units are also on-board as launch venues that will do actual spring cleaning, namely: Pasay City at Pasay City Sports Complex; Makati City at East Rembo Elementary School; Mandaluyong City at Mandaluyong City Gymnasium; Pasig City at Bagong Ilog Elementary School; and Quezon City at West Triangle Covered Court.

So, what are you waiting for. Join the Spring Cleaning Day and start cleaning at your own home.

7 Changes to Control Your Diabetes

2011-05-05T18:09:00.000+08:00

I am posting an article of Dr. Roberto C. Mirasol of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism shared the 7 changes to control your diabetes which was published in the March-April 2011 issue of HealthBeat, the official magazine of the Department of Health.

There are several ways to control diabetes. It is believed that knowledge alone is insufficient. The knowledge should be translated to behavior change to be able to achieve metabolic control. These seven behavior changes were developed by the American Association of Diabetes Educators called AADE7 . They will serve as guideposts to you and your healthcare professional in the control of your diabetes.

1. HEALTHY EATING. You should start making healthy food choices. Learn to eat low fat meals. Avoid sources of hidden fats. Sugars and sources of sugars should be limited. Eat vegetables. Understand portion sizes. You should control the amount of food you are eating. It is the amount eventually which will spell out the difference between being in control or not. You should eat small frequent feedings. Avoid binge and buffet eating. If you are overweight or obese, control your weight. Learn how to read labels to know and be aware of the food you are eating.

2. BE ACTIVE. You should have regular activity. Do this most days of the week, 30 minutes of moderate intensity. Exercise alone however is not sufficient. You should diet as well. Walk, walk, walk more. Use stairs not elevators or escalators. Dance and be active. Exercise with a partner. Clean your room. Wash your car. Walk the dog. Do gardening.

3. MONITOR YOUR BLOOD SUGARS. Daily self-monitoring of your blood glucose will provide you with feedback as to the effect of food, physical activity and medications on blood glucose levels. Learn how to use a blood glucose meter. Ask your doctor or nurse educator about frequency, target values and interpretation of results. If you get very high readings all the time then your diabetes is out of control and your doctor will institute changes to your regimen. If you have hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, take something sweet. Aside from blood sugar, you should also monitor your blood pressure, lipids and weight.

4. TAKE YOUR MEDICINES. There is no cure for diabetes and it is a progressive disease, hence the need for lifelong treatment. You should take your medications on time as prescribed by your doctor. Understand how your medicines work including action, side effects, efficacy, toxicity, prescribed dosage, appropriate timing and frequency of administration, effect of missed and delayed doses and instructions for storage, travel and safety. Effective drug therapy in combination with healthy lifestyle choices, can lower blood glucose levels and reduce the risk for diabetes complications.

5. PROBLEM SOLVING. You should develop good problem solving skills. High or low blood sugar should be addressed immediately. Know what to do when eating outside. When you get sick, you should be able to make decisions regarding food, activity and medications. Know what to do when travelling. These problem solving skills are continuously put to use because the disease is progressive and chronic complications emerge, life situations change and you are aging.

6. REDUCING YOUR RISK. Effective risk reduction behaviors such as regular eye, foot and dental examinations reduce diabetes complications and maximize health and quality of life. Foot inspection and care should be done almost every day. Eye exam every 6 months or every year. You should see your dentist on a regular basis. Smoking should stop. If you can’t on your own, seek professional help. Ask your doctor about the use of aspirin to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.

7. HEALTHY COPING. Your health care professional can help you cope with the many challenges your diabetes and its complications present to you. You should be motivated enough to change your behavior and sustain it. When you feel anxious, threatened or down, your health care professional is always there to help you out. You should set achievable goals and your health care professional will guide you through the attainment of these goals. Don’t despair you can do it even if the odds are great.

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Photo from Yahoo! Image Search

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-05-01T17:34:00.000+08:00

Oh well, that's her boy!

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Photo circulates in the Internet.

Holidays

2011-05-01T17:28:00.000+08:00

Q. What is the holiday for mothers?
A. Mother’s Day
Q. What is the holiday for fathers?
A. Father’s Day
Q. What is the holiday for pregnant women?
A. Labor Day
Q. What is the holiday for single men?
A. Palm Sunday

Photo from
www.johnharveyphoto.com

Diabetes in the Philippines 101

2011-04-25T07:57:00.002+08:00

Think for a few seconds about the people you know, how many of them are diabetics? None? One? Or more?

The number of diabetics in the Philippines is increasing, and it is increasing at an alarming rate. The Diabetes Atlas Fourth Edition (2009), published by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), puts the prevalence rate for diabetes in the Philippines at 6.7 per cent of the population which translates to 3.4 million out of 51 million adult population aged 20 – 79 years old.

In 2003, the national prevalence rate for diabetes was four percent, and that’s a big jump in the last five years, because that translates to over one million people who developed diabetes in a short period.

Meanwhile, the prevalence rate for impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is a higher 9.6 per cent which translates to 4.8 million people more at risk of developing diabetes. IGT is an intermediate condition in the transition between normality and diabetes. It occurs when the blood sugar level of a person is higher than normal but below the level of a person with diabetes.

In the next 20 years, it is estimated that more than half of the adult population worldwide will have diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. It is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant hunger, weight loss, vision changes and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes) is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop Type 2 diabetes at any age—even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. Symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once complications have already arisen. Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring in children.

The rising prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is associated with rapid cultural and social changes, ageing populations, increasing urbanization, dietary changes, reduced physical activity and other unhealthy lifestyle and behavioral patterns. Type 2 diabetes is also often, but not always, associated with obesity, which itself can cause insulin resistance and lead to elevated blood glucose levels.

Major Complications of Diabetes

Chronic elevation of blood glucose, even when no symptoms are present to alert the individual to the presence of diabetes, will eventually lead to tissue damage, with consequent, and often serious, disease.

IDF explained that while evidence of tissue damage can be found in many organ systems, it is the kidneys, eyes, peripheral nerves and vascular tree, which manifest the most significant, and sometimes fatal, diabetes complications.

Uncontrolled diabetes in children can result in stunted growth and adversely affect neurological development. Children are more sensitive to a lack of insulin than adults and are at a higher risk of a rapid and dramatic development of diabetic coma.

The IDF also said that the mechanism by which diabetes leads to complications is complex, and not yet fully understood, but involves the direct toxic effects of high glucose levels, along with the impact of elevated blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels and abnormalities of small blood vessels.

The following major chronic complications of diabetes:

Cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is the major cause of death in diabetes, accounting in most populations for 50 percent or more of all diabetes fatalities, and much disability. The kinds of CVD that accompany diabetes include angina, myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, peripheral artery disease, and congestive heart failure.

Nephropathy. Diabetes is an increasingly important cause of renal (kidney) failure, and indeed has now become the single most common cause of end stage renal disease, that will require either dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Neuropathy. When blood glucose and blood pressure are not controlled, diabetes can harm the nerves. Problems with digestion and urination, impotence, and many other functions can result, but the most commonly affected area is the feet and legs. Nerve damage in these areas is called peripheral neuropathy and could manifest in many ways including loss of feeling in the feet and toes. Loss of feeling is a particular risk because it can allow foot injuries to escape notice and treatment, leading to major infections and amputation.

Amputation. Through effects on peripheral nerves and arteries, diabetes can lead to foot ulceration, infection and the need for amputation. People with diabetes carry a risk of amputation that may be more than 25 times greater than that seen in those without diabetes.

Retinopathy. Diabetes can harm sight and cause blindness in several ways. The most common cause of blindness in diabetes is macular oedema, caused by fluid build-up behind the retina of the eye. A more common complication is background and proliferative retinopathy, which can cause blindness as a result of repeated haemorrhages at the back of the eye. Diabetes also increases the risk of cataracts and glaucoma.

In addition to the human suffering that diabetes-related complications cause, to those with diabetes but also to their carers, their economic costs are huge. Costs include those for healthcare, loss of earnings, and economic costs to the wider society in loss of productivity and associated lost opportunities for economic development.

Diabetes is a “double burden” for people in the lower income brackets. It is estimated that a Type 2 diabetic needs at least PhP 106 per day for maintenance drugs, assuming he/she buys the cheapest generic drugs. The patient also needs to spend about P1,000 more every two to three months for regular blood tests. And then there is the dialysis of at least twice a week, although the ideal is every other day, which ranges from PhP 2,000 to PhP 5,000 per session.

As the diabetic gets more complications, he/she will need more medicines. The daily minimum wage is not enough. And if only one member of the family is earning, that is easily a loss of at least P100 a day, he added.

No wonder, many families telling doctors that they would discontinue treatment or dialysis because they do not want to drain their resources anymore and that their patient would die anyway.

Type 2 diabetes usually develops among the middle-aged group, between 40 to 50 years old. Now, even high school students have Type 2 diabetes which was very rare before. Little physical activity among the youth, coupled with taking high-calorie diet from fastfood restaurants are to be blamed. Even among the poor, there is also malnutrition-related diabetes because of food they take that destroys the pancreas.

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Photo from
thenewschronicle.com

Bachelor 10

2011-04-24T09:58:00.000+08:00

Here’s my first “public service” in the realm of social networking that I am willing to oblige.

Eric, sent me an email to help advertise their recently launched website Bachelor10.com here on MENstream. He said that this soon-to-be premier online resource for guys’ travel and fun helps guys choose the best city, organize travel, find the best places to eat, hit the coolest bars and clubs, and throw the best party ever.

Bachelor10.com will benefit MENstream readers because it focuses on what a lot of guys out there enjoy – having fun through travel and entertainment as well as gadgets and soon fashion. Their brands and customers are cool, fun, hip ideas for males 20-40 who have money to spend on a good time. Eric also said that there are up to 20 million Americans looking for bachelor party advice each year.

I guess it would not hurt if I sort of introduce the Bachelor10.com in this blog. It is still your decision to visit the site and avail of their services.

Party on! But of course, here’s reminding you that too much of everything may have an effect on your health. Hehehe.

Relationship Sign Language

2011-04-23T09:41:00.000+08:00

Here's a guide to signal whatever relationship you are in.

Click the photo to enlarge.

Simple Message on Good Friday

2011-04-22T15:13:00.000+08:00

To those I may have wronged

I ask for forgiveness...

To those I may have helped,

I wish I did more...

To those I did not helped but should have,

I ask for understanding...

And to those who have helped me,

I sincerely thank you.

May the peace of Jesus Christ be upon us all.

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Photo by Godfrey Tacadena

Kiss Sabay Hug*

2011-04-17T10:24:00.000+08:00

(*This English-Tagalog phrase literally means “kiss and hug” but the pun intended means “kiss on the balls.”)

A hug is form of physical intimacy that generally involves closing or holding the arms around another person or group of persons. The hug is probably the most common human sign of love and affection, along with kissing. It is a sign of support and comfort in times of sadness or adversity, but it is also an exchange of warmth arising out of joy or happiness.

Hugging is practiced in almost all nations, countries and religions and can also be shared between members of the same gender quite normally. Children may hug their parents at bedtime. Many people hug on holidays, such as Christmas or Mother’s Day. A day has also been designated as “Hug A Friend Day” on April 26.

Hugging is not exclusive to human beings, as there are many species of animals that engage in similar exchanges of warmth.

A hug makes people feel better about themselves and the environment they live in Hugging makes a person feels good and improves mood. It spreads a lot of love among people and can open doors to other feelings.

The benefits of hugging do not only involved emotional and mental health but physical health as well. A study led by psychologist Dr. Karen Grewen, at the University of North Carolina, found that when persons involve themselves in a hug that lasts for at least 20 seconds, the body releases a “bonding” hormone called oxytocin. As this hormone increases in the blood, it has been shown to have the following positive health benefits for the body: lowering of blood pressure and heart rate as well as reducing the level of stress hormones such as cortisol which is produced by your adrenal glands when the body reacts to stress. The older you are, the more fragile you are physically, so contact becomes increasingly important for good health.

Meanwhile, some studies have indicated that hugging among friends might be helpful but it does not produce nearly as much physical stress relief as contact with a romantic partner.

Just a reminder, be careful when hugging a friend or a co-worker because such physical contact may not favor the legal climate. If you happen to touch or hug someone, you may run the risk of being sued for sexual harassment or something.

Other than that, you can always hug a loved one anytime.

APRIL 26 is HUG A FRIEND DAY!

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Cartoon circulates in the Internet.

Psoriasis: A Call for Recognition

2011-04-13T20:39:00.000+08:00

Psoriasis is NOT a skin disease. It is NOT leprosy or syphilis or HIV/AIDS. It is NOT communicable. And cure is NOT yet known. For what psoriasis is NOT, it is NOT getting the international and national recognition as a serious public health problem.

For the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) in which the Psoriasis Philippines (PsorPhil) is one of the active officers, psoriasis is a serious disease deserving global and local attention. Patients’ organizations alone do not have the scope to mobilize significant support and attention.

Psoriasis continues to be a public health problem not only because there is no known cure, but also because there is a severe lack of recognition and awareness, a lack of correct diagnosis, and a lack of understanding about the nature of the disease by the patient, the health provider and the public at large.

Psoriasis affects 125 million or nearly three percent of the world’s population. In the Philippines, it is estimated that about 1.8 million Filipinos are suffering silently with Psoriasis. The disease can develop in males and females of any race or age, across all socioeconomic groups. It often appears between the ages of 15 and 25, although it can strike at any age including infants and the elderly.

Psoriasis is a serious inflammatory, non-communicable autoimmune disease which carries severe physical, mental and socioeconomic burdens to people afflicted with the disease.

The Burden of Psoriasis

According to the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health, psoriasis is driven by the immune system, especially involving a type of white blood cell called a T cell.

Normally, T cells help protect the body against infection and disease. In the case of psoriasis, T cells are put into action by mistake and become so active that they trigger other immune responses, which lead to inflammation and to rapid turnover of skin cells.

Plaque psoriasis is the most common type where patches of skin called “lesions” or “plaques” become red and inflamed, and are covered by a white scale. Psoriasis can be limited to a few lesions or can involve moderate to large areas of the skin and scalp. The severity of psoriasis can vary form person to person, however, for most people, psoriasis tends to be mild.

The other forms of psoriasis include: Guttate psoriasis, which is characterized by red, small, dot-like lesions covered with silvery white scale; Pustular psoriasis which has blister-like lesions of fluid, which is not infectious, and intense scaling. It can appear anywhere on the body, but often it appears on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet; Inverse psoriasis which has very red lesions with little or no scales and appears in the skin folds, such as the arm pits, creases in the groin and under the breasts; and Erythrodermic which is a particularly inflammatory form of psoriasis that often affects most of the body surface, and characterized by periodic, widespread, fiery redness of the skin, and erythema (reddening) and exfoliation (shedding) of the skin are often accompanied by severe itching and pain.

Patients having an erythrodermic psoriasis flare must seek medical attention and be hospitalized immediately because protein and fluid loss can lead to severe illness. Infection, pneumonia and congestive heart failure brought on by erythrodermic psoriasis can be life threatening.

Physically, psoriasis is uncomfortable, itchy and painful, with inflammed, cracked and bleeding lesions.

Recent studies have shown that people with psoriasis are at an increased risk of other inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, lupus, and obesity, and can result in early death.

Psychologically, patients are embarrassed, humiliated, and tend to hide their skin from the critical public. The feelings of self-consciousness, frustration and shame may often lead to depression and alcoholism, and may cause severe mental trauma and thoughts of suicide.

Socio-economically, psoriasis limits employment opportunities and imposes a serious barrier in the job market. In a survey done by the Swedish Psoriasis Association, one in four people believe that it is harder to get work if you have psoriasis, and the same say they cannot choose the work they want, feeling discriminated against.

High rates of absence through psoriasis-related illness are also reported, and people with psoriatic arthritis often work part-time because of it. In the US alone, the economic impact is estimated that Americans with psoriasis lose approximately 56 million hours of work and spend $2 to $3 billion to treat the disease every year.

Developing countries with less resources and health care have an even greater economic burden due to misdiagnosis of the disease, stigmatization and discrimination, and little-to-no access to affective treatments. People with psoriasis are often ostracized and barred from positions in the job market where people can “see” them linking psoriasis with low income and poor quality of life. The humanitarian, social and economic costs are immense.

Mounting data show that it is critical that psoriasis, especially the inflammatory state, be managed and diagnosed early. Psoriasis has no known cure, but many different therapies can reduce, or nearly stop, their symptoms, although no single treatment works for everyone. Many psoriasis patients report using various treatments at the same time.

The treatment ranged from the use of topicals and moisturizers which is the most common, to sunlight and phototherapy or use of ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, and to systemic treatments such as Methotrexate and Clysosporine given in the form of a pill or injection for severe psoriasis.

Systemic treatments can have serious potential risks on other parts of the body including the liver and kidneys, and patients commonly report nausea, hairloss and flu-like symptoms. However, many patients worldwide on systemic drugs may have had a good life for many years.

Biologics are the newest class of treatments for moderate-to-severe psoriasis and are also used to treat psoriatic arthritis. Biologics, such as Enbel and Humira, are given by injection and Remicade is administered intravenously. These drugs, which are extremely expensive, inhibit the immune system from over-reacting and over-producing certain cells.

Why Psoriasis Continues

The IFPA, in its efforts to push psoriasis as a global and national public health concern, has laid out the following reasons why psoriasis continues.

• Psoriasis continues because there is no known cure.

• Psoriasis continues because of the lack of education, in both health care providers and psoriasis patients, on the nature of the disease. Psoriasis is still mistaken for numerous other diseases, including leprosy or as a cosmetic problem.

• Psoriasis contiues because of the lack of interest and of funding for genetic and clinical research into the cause of and the cure for psoriasis and other inflammatory noncommunicable diseases.

• Psoriasis continues because stigmatization, embarrassment and discrimination force psoriasis patients to hide their skin and isolate themselves from the general public, often resulting in severe psychological and poor socio-economic conditions.

• Psoriasis continues because, when diagnosed properly, it is under-treated and dismissed as a psoriasis health concern. New medications that significantly reduce psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases are often not available, are very expensive, and not covered by all health care plans. Often when coverage is provided, there are stipulations that a psoriasis patient must try and fail certain medications first, like topicals and systemics, and sometimes this can take over a year or more.

• Psoriasis continues because there are barriers to policies that could greatly change the impact of the disease. Politically, there is a general lack of attention to psoriasis because psoriasis, if it is recognized and properly diagnosed, is considered “cosmetic” or skin diseases, not a disease of the immune system that has serious implications and causes severe physical, mental and socio-economic disabilities. If psoriasis is continuously looked at as a cosmetic disease or is not even identified as a disease, how can policies be written in support of psoriasis patients?

Professor Joerg C. Prince, professor of Dermatology at the University of Munich, states that “due to the early onset of the disease psoriasis patients are exposed to lifelong suffering. He said that psoriasis is a disease, which according to the WHO definition of health, is associated with major social, physical and mental restrictions and thus fulfils the criteria for the absence of health much more than many other severe medical disorders. According to the definition of disease burden, psoriasis patients are facing many years of healthy life lost by virtue of being in states of poor health and disability and they lose a number of years of life due to premature death resulting from psoriasis and its co-morbidities.

Isn’t it about time to change our views and declare psoriasis as a serious disease deserving global and local attention?

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ABOUT THE PHOTO: Actor Robin Padilla hugging PsorPhil Moderator Liza dela Cruz during the Hug Me Campaign. Photo from PSORLiFE - the official publication of Psoriasis Philippines.

Your Role Model

2011-04-12T06:46:00.000+08:00

This is fun.

I promise you will laugh when you find your role model.
NO CHEATING.
I was really surprised to find out who my role model was.

FIND OUT WHO TRULY IS YOUR ROLE MODEL .

DON'T SCROLL DOWN YET.

FIRST, DO THE SIMPLE MATH BELOW TO FIND YOUR HERO.
It's CRAZY how accurate this is!

NO PEEKING!!!

1) PICK your favorite number between 1-9.
2) MULTIPLY by 3.
3) Then, ADD 3
4) Then again, MULTIPLY by 3
(I'll wait while you get the calculator...)
5) You'll GET a 2 or 3 digit number.
6) ADD the digits together

NOW SCROLL DOWN TILL AFTER THE PHOTO…
.
.

With that number, see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below:

1. Albert Einstein
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Scott Walker
4. Barrack Obama
5. Bill Gates
6. Mahatma Gandhi
7. Ronald Reagan
8. Babe Ruth
9. Tony Roda

I KNOW, I KNOW…

I just have that effect on people.
One day, you too can be like me.

P.S. Stop picking different numbers!!
I AM YOUR ROLE MODEL, DEAL WITH IT!!!

If You Dare Swallow

2011-04-11T17:56:00.000+08:00

Oh well, do what's best for your health. Hahaha.

A Doctor, A Mother and An Unborn Child

2011-04-10T14:59:00.000+08:00

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said: 'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.

So the doctor said: 'Ok and what do you want me to do?'

She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request. Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.

The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!

'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.'

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point. He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb.

The crime is the same!

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Got the text from an email
Photo from www.capetownlawyer.co.za

Prevent Motion Sickness

2011-03-29T20:51:00.000+08:00

It’s the start of summer vacation in schools in the Philippines. This means at least two months of fun for the young and the young at heart. Here’s some spoiler - the weather bureau says that it will be a wet summer this year. So what? That won’t meddle the fun because the sun always takes time to shine in this tropical country with more than 7,100 islands. But motion sickness during travel might.

Motion is sensed by the brain through three different pathways of the nervous system – 1) from the inner ear (sensing motion, acceleration, and gravity); 2) the eyes (vision), and; 3) the deeper tissues of muscles and joints. When the body is moved intentionally, for example, when walking, the input from all three pathways is coordinated by the brain.

However, when there is unintentional movement of the body, as occurs when you are on a boat, the inner ear senses motion, but the eyes cannot tell the movement. The brain is not coordinating the input and there is thought to be discoordination or conflict among the input from the three pathways. This conflict is responsible for motion sickness.

Motion sickness is a common problem in people traveling by car, train, airplanes and especially boats. It can also occur while moving on amusement park rides. Motion sickness can start suddenly with a queasy feeling and cold sweats until it progresses to nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Typically, the more a person travels, the more he can adjust to being in motion.

If a person is prone to motion sickness, he/she can stop it from happening by planning ahead of time. When traveling, reserve seats where motion is at the least:

• CAR – drive or sit in the front passenger seat;

• TRAIN – reserve a seat next to a window near the front. Always choose a seat that’s facing forward;

• SHIP – request a cabin in the middle or at the front of the ship. The upper deck is also a recommended area; and

• PLANE – reserve a seat in the front area and then direct the air conditioning at your face.

Tips on how to avoid motion sickness:

• Focus on the horizon or a distant stationary object instead of trying to read or look at something in the vehicle.

• Keep your head still while resting against a seat back.

• Avoid smoking or sitting near smokers.

• Avoid greasy food, spicy food, and alcohol.

• Take an over-the-counter antihistamine or a medicine that has dimenhydrinate at least 30 to 60 minutes before travelling. Expect drowsiness as a side effect.

• Eat crackers or drink carbonated beverage to settle your stomach.

• Consider using a prescription scopolamine patch. Apply this behind your ears to prevent motion sickness. Talk to your doctor before using this patch if you have health problems such as asthma, glaucoma or urine retention.

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Artwork from the Internet.

Loving Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya

2011-03-27T09:53:00.001+08:00

In one of my trips at work last week, I was mesmerized by the landlocked, mountainous, sleepy municipality of Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya located in the Cagayan Valley region on the northern part of the Philippines. It was my first time to see the place, and now I have dreams of retiring there.

Quite an unusual name for a town, “Dupax” comes from the Isinay word "dopaj" which means "to lie down in complete relaxation." According to folklores, the town proper of Dupax used to serve as a roaring camp for primitive hunters from surrounding tribal settlements. After hard days of hunting in the mountains, the hunters would repair the camp and they would feast on their catch of wild animals. When they were done with their merrymaking "they would lie down and relax completely" before getting up again to return to their respective homes. Later, the valley that served as their camping area became the town where the hunters settled with their families.

Aside from the colorful meaning of its name, Dupax del Sur is also home to the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer which was built during the establishment of the Dominican Order in the Philippines in 1773 under Rev. Fr. Manuel Corripio, OP. The structure was made of local materials such as bricks and river stones. The arch entrance door is decorated with clay insets representing symbols of the Dominican Order. Too bad, the original church structure was damaged by the July 1991 earthquake, but the centuries old belfry is still standing tall. It also features a baptistery and narthex pillars covered with finely carved stucco, which is currently being conserved and restored. St Vincent Ferrer Church was declared “National Cultural Treasure” by the National Museum of the Philippines. (By the way, Vincent is my third given name. Maybe another reason why I am so in love with the place. Hehehe.)

Remnants of old civilization are still seen in the town, like the bridge made of bricks and an Acacia tree in the church compound. However, several new and mansion-like houses are mushrooming around the town which would not give a hint that Dupax del Sur is still a third class municipality with an estimated population of 20,000 only.

If only I could own a place and retire in Dupax del Sur…

Guess the Guys

2011-03-26T08:59:00.001+08:00

There are 4 pairs below. Look closely left and right, and guess who’s the girl and who’s the guy? Ready, Set, Go…

Well that’s a trick question. All are guys and contestants of Miss Ladyboy Pageant in Thailand.

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Got this from an email.

Radiation Concerns

2011-03-25T18:24:00.000+08:00

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan brought forth a series of disasters like the tsunami and radiation leak from nuclear power plants.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has assured this week that the Pacific island countries that there is very little risk of their being affected by any international spread of radioactive material from the stricken nuclear power plants in Japan.

WHO said it was monitoring the situation carefully and at the moment, all evidence is that fall-out is limited to the area around the Fukushima Daiichi facility, and the distances involved meant it was unlikely that significant amounts of radiation would reach the Pacific island countries and territories, including those nearest to Japan. WHO says it does not recommend any special measures and advised citizens of those countries to continue with their normal lives.

I’m sharing to you some frequently asked questions on radiation concerns developed by the WHO.

What is ionizing radiation?

• When certain atoms disintegrate, either naturally or in man-made situations, they release a type of energy called Ionizing radiation (IR). This energy can travel as either electromagnetic waves (gamma or X-rays) or as particles (neutrons, beta or alpha).

• The atoms that emit radiation are called radionuclides.

• The time required for the energy released by a radionuclide to decrease by half (i.e., the "half-life") range from tiny fractions of a second to millions of years depending on the type of atoms.

Are people normally exposed to ionizing radiation?

• Human beings are exposed to natural radiation on a daily basis. The radiation comes from space (cosmic rays) as well as natural radioactive materials found in the soil, water and air. Radon gas is a naturally formed gas that is the main natural source of radiation.

• People can also be exposed to radiation from human-made sources. Today, the most common man-made source of ionizing radiation are certain medical devices such as X-ray machines.

• The radiation dose can be expressed in units of Sievert (Sv). On average, a person is exposed to approximately 3.0 mSv/year of which, 80% (2.4 mSv) is due to naturally-occurring sources (i.e., background radiation), 19.6 % (almost 0.6 mSv) is due to the medical use of radiation and the remaining 0.4% (around 0.01 mSv) is due to other sources of human-made radiation.

• In some parts of the world, levels of exposure to natural radiation differ due to differences in the local geology. People in some areas can be exposed to more than 200 times the global average.

How are people exposed to ionizing radiation?

• Ionizing radiation may result from sources outside or inside of the body (i.e. external irradiation or internal contamination).

• Internal contamination may result from breathing in or swallowing radioactive material or through contamination of wounds.

• External irradiation is produced when a person is exposed to external sources such as X-rays or when radioactive material (e.g. dust, liquid, aerosols) becomes attached to skin or clothes, resulting in external contamination.

• External contamination can often be washed off the body.

What type of radiation exposure could occur in a nuclear power plant accident?

• If a nuclear power plant does not function properly, radioactivity may be released into the surrounding area by a mixture of products generated inside the reactor ("nuclear fission products"). The main radionuclides representing health risk are radioactive caesium and radioactive iodine. Members of the public may be exposed directly to such radionuclides in the suspended air or if food and drink are contaminated by such materials.

• Rescuers, first responders and nuclear power plant (NPP) workers may be exposed to higher radiation doses due to their professional activities and direct exposure to radioactive materials inside the power plant.

What are the acute health effects of radiation exposure?

• If the dose of radiation exceeds a certain threshold level, then it can produce acute effects, such as skin redness, hair loss, radiation burns, and acute radiation syndrome (ARS ). ARS is a set of signs and symptoms that may develop after whole-body doses above 1 Sv (i.e. about 300 times the annual dose to background radiation). It is related to the damage of the bone marrow, where the blood cells are produced. At higher doses (>10 Sv) other organs may be affected (e.g. gastrointestinal, cardiovascular).

• In a nuclear power plant accident, the general population is not likely to be exposed to doses high enough to cause such effects.

• Rescuers, first responders and nuclear power plant workers are more likely to be exposed to doses of radiation high enough to cause acute effects.

What long-term effects can be expected from radiation exposure?

• Exposure to radiation can increase the risk of cancer. Among the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, the risk of leukaemia increased a few years after radiation exposure, whereas the risks of other cancers increased more than 10 years after the exposure.

• Radioactive iodine can be released during nuclear emergencies. If breathed in or swallowed, it will concentrate in the thyroid gland and increase the risk of thyroid cancer. Among persons exposed to radioactive iodine, the risk of thyroid cancer can be lowered by taking potassium iodide pills, which helps prevent the uptake of the radioactive iodine.

• The risk of thyroid cancer following radiation exposure is higher in children and young adults.

Which public health actions are most important to take?

• Health effects can only occur if someone is exposed to radiation, thus the main protective action someone can take is to prevent exposure. Those closest to the radiation are at greatest risk of exposure and the greater the distance away, the lower the risk. This is why when a nuclear accident occurs, the recommended public health actions involve evacuation and sheltering of those near the site.

• These necessary actions depend on the estimated exposure (i.e., the amount of radioactivity released in the atmosphere and the prevailing meteorological conditions such as wind and rain. The actions include steps such as evacuation of people within a certain distance of the plant, providing shelter to reduce exposure and providing iodine pills for people to take to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer).

• If warranted, steps such as restricting the consumption of vegetables and dairy products produced in the vicinity of the power plant can also reduce exposure.

• Only competent authorities who have conducted a careful analysis of the emergency situation are in a position to recommend which of these public health measures should be taken.

How can I protect myself?

• Keep you and your family informed by obtaining accurate and authoritative information (for example, information from authorities delivered by radio, TV or the Internet) and following your government's instructions.

• The decision to stockpile or take potassium iodide tablets should be based on information provided by national health authorities who will be in the best position to determine if there is enough evidence to warrant these steps.

If I have been exposed to high levels of radiation, what should I do?

• If you are coming indoors after radiation exposure, undress in the doorway to avoid further contamination in your home or shelter. Remove clothing and shoes and place them in a plastic bag. Seal the bag and place it in safe location, away from living areas, children, and pets.

• Shower or bathe with warm, not scalding hot, water and soap.

• Notify authorities that you may have contaminated clothing and personal belongings to be handled appropriately and disposed of according to accepted national procedures.

When people are advised to stay indoors, what does this mean?

• When a radiological or nuclear event occurs, public health authorities may order residents in the affected areas to stay indoors rather than to evacuate. You may be advised to take shelter at home, at work, or in public shelters. The recommendation is usually issued to protect people from exposure to radiation.

• If you are advised to stay indoors, you should find the safest room in your house or office building that has a minimum number of windows or doors. Ventilation systems, such as heating and cooling systems, should be shut down.

• In sub-zero temperatures, it is important to keep warm. If you have been instructed to shelter in your home, office, or other structure, it may not safe to burn fuels—such as gas, coal, or wood—to keep warm. Carbon monoxide poisoning may occur in rooms that are not properly ventilated and should not be used in this circumstance. If available, electrical forms of heating would be safer.

• Shelter can provide protection from both external and internal irradiation, as well as from inhalation of radioactive material.

• Taking shelter is a simple and protective action that can be implemented promptly during the early phase of an incident.

What are potassium iodide pills?

• Potassium iodide pills are a source of stable (i.e. non-radioactive) iodine. The thyroid gland requires iodine to produce thyroid hormones. The presence of stable iodine in the body in an appropriate amount blocks the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine (radioiodine), reducing the risk of thyroid cancer which may follow from exposure to radioiodine.

• Potassium iodide pills are not "radiation antidotes". They do not protect against external radiation, or against any other radioactive substances besides radioiodine. They may also cause medical complications for some individuals with poorly functioning kidneys. Potassium iodide should be taken only when there is a clear public health recommendation.

When and why should I take potassium iodide?

• You should only take potassium iodide when it is recommended by public health authorities. If you are at risk or have been exposed to radioiodine, potassium iodide pills may be given to protect the thyroid gland from uptake of radioiodine. This can reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in the long run, when given before or shortly after exposure.

Should I take iodized salt to protect myself from radiation?

• No, you should not take iodized salt to protect yourself from radiation. It is dangerous to take large amounts of iodized salt in order to increase the amount of stable iodine in the body.

• Increasing one's daily intake of iodized salt will cause more harm than good. The main ingredient of iodized salt is sodium chloride, which is linked with hypertension (high blood pressure) and other medical disorders. The iodine content in iodized salt is too low to prevent uptake of radioiodine.

• Sodium chloride is acutely toxic in large amounts: even tablespoon quantities of salt repeatedly taken over a short period of time could cause poisoning.

Can I take other forms of iodine?

• No, you should not take products that contain iodine, other than medicines recommended by public health authorities.

• Iodine is found in a number of different household and industrial products. For example, iodine may be found in some disinfectants, antiseptics, and water-sterilizing solutions. These products should not be taken as an alternative to potassium iodide pills, because such products contain other ingredients that can be harmful if swallowed.

Can pregnant women take potassium iodide pills?

• Yes, pregnant women can take potassium iodide pills, following the instructions of public health authorities. Potassium iodide will cross the placenta and protect the thyroid of the growing foetus, as well as the mother.

Can breastfeeding women take potassium iodide?

• Yes, breastfeeding women can take potassium iodide, following the instructions of public health authorities.

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Photo above found from Yahoo! Search

No Time to Blog in Palawan

2011-03-19T10:58:00.001+08:00

I’ve been busy with work this past week, but the grand consolation I have was that I was in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. So in between facilitating a workshop, I was able to squeeze time to do some sightseeing, shopping and a side trip to the world famous underground river.

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines that lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea.

Palawan's almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) of irregular coastline are dotted with roughly 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches. In fact, as the tour guide boasted, 20% of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines are found in this province.

And amidst of news of devastating earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, Palawan is said to be almost earthquake-free because it is not bordered by any major trench or fault line, and there is no active volcano here. It also harbors a vast stretch of virgin forests that carpet its chain of mountain ranges. Also, the animals in the province are not like those in the other Philippines major islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, but they are similar with the animals found in Malaysia. It is believed that Palawan was a part of Malaysia mega-centuries before it became part of the Philippines.

According to the tour guide, before becoming a prime tourist destination in the country, Palawan has been known only as a province endemic to malaria as well as a prison and lepers colony. But that’s all in the past, the natural wonders of Palawan are what matters now.

Palawan’s capital is Puerto Princesa City. This is where we stayed and had the chance to trek a portion of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas of the Philippines. It features a spectacular limestone or karst landscape that contains an 8.2 km long underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it flows directly into the sea, and the lower half portion of the river is brackish and subject to tidal influence.

The underground river is one of the official finalists to the Search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. You still have time to vote: Send your votes for Puerto Princesa Underground River by texting PPUR, PPUR7, and/or PPUR15 to 2861. Text votes will be charged.

Is Your Soul Healthy?

2011-03-09T17:59:00.000+08:00

“HEALTH is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease, that’s how the World Health Organization defines health.

Taking that in consideration, living a healthy lifestyle involves the: PHYSICAL YOU that requires good nutrition, appropriate weight, beneficial exercise, adequate rest and proper stress management; the EMOTIONAL YOU that needs self-supportive attitudes, positive thoughts and viewpoints and a positive self-image; and SPIRITUAL YOU that seeks inner calmness, openness to your creativity, and trust in your inner knowing, and for many it requires having a relationship with a higher power.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and for the predominantly Catholic Filipinos, it is the start of the season of Lent – a time to reflect and repent.

Is your soul healthy? You have 40 days to think and do something about it. Who knows, if you will be good during these days, it will become your daily habit.

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Photo above taken from TV5 Facebook Fan Page

Debates Over E-Cigarettes

2011-03-06T15:20:00.003+08:00

Ooops, wrong picture. This post is about electronic cigarette

and not about cigar and cigarette puffing electronic robot. Hehehe.

(Photo from the Internet)

E-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes are plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that the "smoker" inhales. A tiny light on the tip even glows like a real cigarette.

In February, an e-cigarette trader in the Philippines released an advertorial (paid advertisement that looked like a news report) that stated, “The answer to clean, safe and smoke-free environment has finally arrived in the country in full support of the Department of Health’s anti-lung cancer and healthy heart campaign.” It also claimed that the product is completely nicotine-free and has ingredients they call as “E-liquid” and “E-juice” that are said to be organic and found in many food products.

For the Department of Health (DOH), there is misrepresentation in the deceptive advertorial which dragged the name of agency and made it look like the DOH is endorsing the product. However, the stand of the DOH on e-cigarette which was issued through a Health Advisory signed by Sec. Enrique T. Ona in July 2010 stated that there is still insufficient evidence that e-cigarette is safe for human consumption and warned the public on using it.

The DOH also follows the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of not considering e-cigarette to be a form of “legitimate therapy for smokers trying to quit.” The WHO stressed that “there is no evidence to support marketing of these products for tobacco cessation as no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the e-cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy.”

The trader’s claim that its product has no nicotine in it has casted many doubts from tobacco control advocates. They said that if it contained no nicotine the smokers will not use it since they will not get their nicotine fix or kick. They said that some e-cigarettes claim to have no nicotine, but laboratory tests found that they actually do.

Nicotine is what makes smoking pleasurable. It is the addictive component of tobacco. It is absorbed into the blood and affects the brain within 10 seconds. It causes smokers to feel good because of the chemicals in the brain that it releases. It also causes a surge of heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline which also feels good. However, stimulation is then followed by depression and fatigue, leading the smoker to seek more nicotine and puffs another cigarette. Addiction to nicotine results in withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to stop smoking.

Tobacco control advocates also argued that if there is no nicotine in electronic cigarettes and they are really only fake smokes, then the more reason why government should not allow their sale and use because these products would only promote the concept of smoking and entice young people to try and possibly introduce them to actual cigarettes.

Another issue on e-cigarettes is on its use in public places. Some e-cigarette distributors have touted the convenience of their products because they can be "smoked" anywhere traditional cigarettes are not allowed. Tobacco control advocates, however, discourage e-cigarette users to “smoke” in non-smoking public places.

Associated Press reported in February that in the US, the Department of Transportation has prohibited the use of e-cigarettes on airplanes as it interprets smoking regulations to include e-cigarettes. This is in response to Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, who wrote the 1987 law that banned smoking on airplanes and asked transportation officials to clarify the rule.

"We still don't know the health effects of e-cigarettes, and we don't want to turn airline passengers into laboratory mice," Lautenberg was quoted as saying.

Although e-cigarettes do not emit the same odor and smoke produced by real cigarettes, there are preliminary scientific findings that the vapors these products emit have detectable levels of known carcinogen and toxic chemicals to which users could potentially be exposed. However, there is still no data on what chemicals are released into the air by these products. Meanwhile, there are unverified reports that some e-cigarettes may contain other substances like marijuana or other illegal drugs.

E-cigarette is reported to have been invented in 2004 by a Hong Kong-based firm, and now it easily available, widely advertised and used. It does not have any baseline product standard. Some countries like Israel, Australia and Canada have reportedly banned them over safety issues.

Other countries, like the Philippines, are still in the quandary on what to do with them. Aside from safety, there are issues on legalities – such as product registration, license to sell after proper consumer protection evaluation, warning labels or list of ingredients, prohibition of use in smoking restricted areas, etc. Now that the e-cigarette is here, government authorities should already craft and implement the necessary policies and procedures.

Why Boys Need Parents (4)

2011-03-06T15:08:00.000+08:00

You are what you eat.

(Got this from an email.)

Changing Proportions

2011-03-03T22:28:00.000+08:00

THINK ABOUT THIS.

Somewhere, somehow something went terribly wrong.

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Images of the Vitruvian man
grabbed from the Internet.

Prescription Condoms

2011-02-28T17:53:00.000+08:00

Condoms and other artificial family planning methods are now a prescription drug and health devices, at least in the posh community of Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City. This means people will need a prescription to buy a condom.

This is a result of a community (barangay) ordinance which took effect on February 24, 2011 that seeks, among others, to penalize the sale and purchase of "anti-conceptional substance or devices." The ordinance requires pharmacies within the territorial jurisdiction of Barangay Ayala Alabang to ask for a prescription before selling contraceptives like condoms and hormone pills. Only "safe, ethical, effective, legal and non-abortifacient medicines or drugs or machines, devices or methods of treatment that do not cause abortion intentionally or unintentionally” are allowed.

Violators of the ordinance's provisions will be fined an amount no less than P1,000 but not exceeding P5,000 for the first offense. A second offense will be fined not less than P5,000 and will merit imprisonment for not less than one month but not exceeding six months. Violators will also be held civilly liable to the offended party.

Well. I guess, pharmacies there would be selling a lot of calendars for the more unreliable “calendar method” for family planning. Hahaha. The people who crafted the ordinance have already declared the said drugs and devices as not safe, legal nor effective. Hmmm.

Sadly, the people living in that posh village are not all rich who can have as many children as they want. Many of those affected are low income residents who live outside the walls of the village. Their access to health services suddenly became much more limited. They have to get them from nearby communities.

In TV news interviews, the spokespersons of the village were saying that people who disagree with the ordinance can sue them in Court if they want to. Yeah right, you have all the money to spend in court cases. The affected rich people there would not care about the ordinance. They are not availing the services of the health centers there anyway. But the right to health of the low income residents has been curtailed.

According to news reports, the community council passed the ordinance because they wanted to be proactive in their pro-life stance. Their parish, St. James the Great Parish, was the one who became very active in fighting the passing into law of the Reproductive Health bill.

Oh well, is this a case of going back to early Philippine history when the rich and the church are conniving for the suppression of people’s rights? Just asking.

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Got the photo above from an email.

Belly Button

2011-02-24T20:11:00.000+08:00

Think About This:

If Adam and Eve were the first people on earth,

do they have belly buttons?

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Photos circulate in the Internet.

Earworm

2011-02-21T21:55:00.001+08:00

This afternoon I heard a proposed song for a health campaign that will be launched in March. Unfortunately, I didn’t get an “earworm” being stuck in my brain. Although the song’s proponents said that the lyrics and melody are catchy, and my colleagues seemed to like it, but I felt differently. I didn’t have that feeling when I first heard “I’ve Got a Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas or “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy. If my gut feeling is right, that health campaign song that will also be reduced to a jingle would not click. O well, I hope my hunch is wrong.

What is this “earworm,” you might ask. Well, I would ask you back, “What song got stuck in your brain today that won’t just go away no matter how hard you try?” Worse, you are humming or whistling the melody or even singing out loud the lyrics.

I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad

buy all of the things I never had

uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine

smiling next to Oprah and the Queen

The way the song remains stuck in your head is sickening and making you want to tear your ears out. But unfortunately, deafness cannot cure it because it is in there for good. People around you are ready to zip your mouth with duct tape if you don’t stop singing. It is also often contagious; the next thing you know, other people are singing your song too.

It is known as the “earworm,” or a portion of a song or other music that repeats compulsively within one’s mind, put colloquially as “music being stuck in one’s head.” The word’s origin is a translation of the German word “Ohrwurm.” The use of the English translation was popularized by James Kellaris and David Levitin to describle the “musical itch” of the brain.

Don’t worry, earworm does not occur in the ear nor this phenomenon has something to do with maggot like creatures crawling inside the ear and laying eggs in the brain. Earworm works more like a virus, attaching itself to a host and keeping itself alive by feeding off the host’s memory.

Earworm should also not be confused with endomusia or musical hallucinations, a serious affliction which a sufferer actually hears music that is not playing externally.

The Urban Dictionary website describes earworm as a song with an “addictive” element (hook, melody, lyric) that draws people into listening multiple times. A song does not have to be good or bad, popular or flop, it just needs to have that “addictive” element. Thus, an earworm may even be those cheesy commercial jingles that get stuck long after the television or radio has been shut off.

There is a new term that has been coined, probably by a Filipino, to substitute earworm and this is currently known as the “last song syndrome” or LSS.

Oh every time I close my eyes

I see my name in shining lights

A different city every night oh

I swear the world better prepare

for when I’m a billionaire

oh oooh oh oooh for when I’m a Billionaire

The Brain’s iPod

An article by Vadim Prokhorov published online at described how researchers at the Dartmouth College, New Hampshire may have discovered the “brain’s iPod” in the auditory cortex where earworms choose as the center of their activity. David Kraemer, a graduate student of cognitive science and the lead researcher on the study entitled, Musical Imagery: Sound of Silence Activates Auditory Cortex,” found that the auditory cortex that is active when a person is actually listening to a song is reactivated when he just imagines hearing the song.”

What triggers the retrieval of a particular song - making it come to mind and get stuck in the head - is not exactly known. It might be anything: a title, a thought or a reminder of past experience that somehow is connected to a melody. Or it could just be a few notes that prompt the brain to refresh the memory and find the missing parts of the song.

The article also quoted James Kellaris, PhD, a professor of Marketing at the University of Cincinnati who has coined and extensively studied why catchy tunes stick in your head, as saying that “earworms seem to be an interaction between properties of music (catchy songs are simple and repetitive), characteristics of individuals (levels of neuroticism) and properties of the context or situation (first thing in the morning, last thing at night or when people are under stress).”

According to Kellaris, earworms are generally just irritating but in extreme cases can rise to the level of a serious debilitating disorder, preventing sleep and disrupting work.

Earworms affect women more than men, musicians more than non-musicians and is commonly found in sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and depression. OCD behavior, depression and earworm occurence have been linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Moreover, earworms are more problematic for those inclined to worry, and women had higher neuroticism scores than men. Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait in the study of psychology; it is an enduring tendency to experience negative emotional states.

Effecting Earworms

Kellaris said that with a little more research musicians or even worse, advertisers, could design music to target a vulnerable earworm audience. He listed the musical factors that determine earworm effectiveness:

1. Song Duration. The brain apparently only stores 15 to 30 seconds of a song, so short that such as jingles and advertisements are particularly effective.

2. Repetition. Repeating lyrics, beats and musical patterns.

3. Unexpected musical elements. Irregular beats and unfamiliar or unexpected sounds.

4. Songs that don’t resolve. The brain seems to fixate on songs that don’t musically resolve.

Getting Rid of Earworm

Kellaris said that on the average, the episodes of earworm may last several hours and happen quite frequently in chronic sufferers. If a song is stuck because you can’t remember some of the words or how it ends, then listening to it or singing it in its entirety may help unstick it. If this does not work, replace it with another song in your head. Listening to classical music, unfamiliar tunes or music without lyrics usually helps too.

You can also pass earworms on to someone else – sharing it certainly lightens things up.

I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad
buy all of the things I never had
uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
smiling next to Oprah and the Queen

Oh every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shining lights
A different city every night oh
I swear the world better prepare
for when I’m a billionaire.

I wanna be a billionaire so frickin bad!

So, did you get the lingering earworm yet?

Art Source

Men's Urine Stream

2011-02-20T09:27:00.001+08:00

Here's looking at how guys pee.

No wonder we often are told to use the toilet properly.

Source

There's No Place Like A Smokefree Home

2011-02-19T20:53:00.004+08:00

Child health begins at home

If your child is frequently getting sick and experiencing headaches, difficulty in breathing, runny nose, cough and colds, ear infections or allergies, don’t look far, the problem may be right in your home and it may even emanate from parents and caregivers.

Is someone smoking inside your home? The main place infants and children breathe secondhand smoke is in their homes. More than 60% of Filipino children are exposed to secondhand smoke.

When a person smokes near you, you breathe secondhand smoke. It is the combination of smoke from the burning end of the cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers. When you breathe secondhand smoke, it is like you are smoking.

Secondhand smoke has more than 4,000 chemicals and many of them are toxic and known to cause cancer. You breathe in these chemicals when you are around someone who is smoking.

Secondhand smoke is particularly dangerous to the health and well-being of children. Because their bodies are developing, they can absorb higher amounts of the poisons in smoke than adults. Besides, the immune system of infants and young children is still delicate and unable to fight off infections and diseases.

But whether you are young or old, healthy or sick, secondhand smoke is dangerous.

Secondhand Smoke and Under-5 Children

Tobacco smoke harms babies before and after they are born.

Unborn babies are hurt when their mothers smoke or if others smoke around their mothers. Pregnant women who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have babies with lower birth weights. These babies can have more health problems because they breathe smoke. For example, they are more likely to have infections than babies who are not around secondhand smoke.

Studies show that babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant are more likely to have lungs that do not develop in a normal way. Babies who breathe secondhand smoke after birth also have weaker lungs. These problems continue as they grow older and even when they become adults.

The sudden, unexplained, unexpected death of an infant below one year old is known as SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. The exact way these deaths happen is still not known. Medical experts suspect that it may be caused by changes in the brain or lungs that affect how a baby breathes. During pregnancy, many of the compounds in secondhand smoke change the way a baby’s brain develops. Mother who smoke while pregnant are more likely to have their babies die of SIDS.

Babies who are around secondhand smoke – from their mother, father or anyone else at home – after they are born, are also more likely to die of SIDS than children who are not around secondhand smoke.

Toddlers and preschoolers are in danger too. Studies show that older children whose parents smoke get sick more often. Like babies, their lungs grow less than children who do not breathe secondhand smoke. They get more bronchitis and pneumonia. Wheezing and coughing are also more common in children who breathe secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke can trigger an asthma attack in a child. Children with asthma who are around secondhand smoke have worse asthma attacks more often. Many children who go to the emergency room for asthma live with smokers. A severe asthma attack can put a child’s life in danger.

Ear infections are painful. Children whose parents smoke around them get more ear infections. They also have fluid in their ears and more often have more operations to put in ear tubes for drainage. Otitis media, an infection and swelling of the ear, is the common cause of hearing loss in children. Moreover, meningococcal disease, which can sometimes cause death, mental disability, hearing loss or loss of a limb, is likely to develop in children who are exposed to tobacco smoke.

Long term exposure to other people’s cigarette smoke can cause heart disease in adults. The processes causing this disease can start in childhood. The more heavily you smoke around your child, the more likely your child will suffer health problems due to secondhand smoke.

Tobacco consumption negatively impacts child nutrition too. A recently published study conducted in Java, Indonesia found that children of living in households with a smoker are more malnourished than children of non-smokers. The association between tobacco and food expenditures has its impact on the nutritional outcomes of children under 5 years of age.

According to the study, poor households with at least one smoker spend almost 10% of their income on cigarettes. Smoking households spend more of their food budget on cheaper, less nutritious foods rather than micronutrient-rich foods. The reduced consumption of food and micronutrient-rich food among children in smoking households is associated with decreased child height — a measure of malnutrition in children.

Here in the country, the average Filipino household earning about PhP 5,100 monthly spends approximately 2.6% (or PhP 144) of household income on tobacco, which is more than they spend on education (1.6) and health.

Third-Hand Smoke and Children

Remember, you cannot eliminate smoke exposure in your home by opening a window, using air conditioning or a fan, or allowing smoking in some rooms but not in others. If you can smell tobacco smoke, even if you can’t see it, you are breathing in poisons.

In 2009, another alarm was sounded off by the medical community on third-hand smoke. It refers to the cigarette byproducts that cling to smokers’ hair and clothing as well as to floors, surfaces, carpets, furniture, appliances, fabrics and even children’s toys – even after secondhand smoke has cleared. The danger these invisible tobacco toxins pose to small children, who are especially susceptible because they breathe near, crawl on, play on, touch and mouth contaminated surfaces.

Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, a highly radioactive carcinogen.

Protect Your Children’s Health and Safety

Young children have less control over their surroundings than the rest of us. Babies can’t move to another room because the air is smoky, or the floor is contaminated with the toxic residue of cigarette smoke. Cigarettes and cigarette ash are poisonous. A child who eats a cigarette or even just a butt can be very sick. Keep ashtrays and cigarette packs away from your children. Moreover, many babies and children have suffered burns from cigarettes and cigarette ash. Lighted cigarettes can inflict serious injuries to children’s eyes. Matches and lighters, too, can cause serious accidents including house fires. Be sure to keep them away from children and out of their reach.

Children learn from adults and copy what they see. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to try cigarettes and to become regular smokers than children whose parents don’t smoke. Mothers and fathers both influence their children. If you don’t want them to smoke, set them an example. The best action parents can take is to quit.

Once you’ve decided you want to quit, make sure you are successful by planning before you stop. Throw away all cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays in your home and car. If your partner smokes, suggest that he or she stops, too, or only smokes outside the house. Your children suffer if anyone smokes in your home. Plan how to handle the places and events that you know make you want to smoke. Talk to your family and friends about how they can help and encourage you to quit.

Treat yourself with money you have saved. Your efforts deserve to be rewarded! Remember each craving only lasts a few minutes. Use the 4Ds – delay smoking, deep breathe, drink water, do something else. If you have a cigarette it’s not the end of your quit attempt. A slip-up is a setback, not a defeat

Declare your home a smokefree home!

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Art by Paul Ritz Magtrayo

Why Boys Need Parents (3)

2011-02-19T14:17:00.000+08:00

“The greater danger for most of us lies not

in setting our aim too high and falling short;

but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

- Michelangelo

(Got this from an email.)

Winning Universal Health Care Slogan/Logo

2011-02-18T12:53:00.001+08:00

LORNA B. BALLESTEROS of Parañaque City is the winner of the Philippines Department of Health's (DOH) Universal Health Care Slogan and Logo Contest. She is a 61-year old retired human resources practitioner of a private company who now works as a volunteer Court mediator in Parañaque. She won Php 30,000.

“Like an umbrella, Universal Health Care or KALUSUGAN PANGKALAHATAN offers caring and complete protection, safety and coverage to all Filipinos. Stylized figures are rendered in the colors of the Philippine flag to denote all Filipinos,” Ballesteros explained her winning entry.

The DOH received a total of 221 logos and 213 slogans from 114 participants from January 12 – February 4. The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 80 years old coming from different parts of the country, including overseas Filipino workers currently based in Saudi Arabia. Here is the breakdown of participants: 57 from Metro Manila; 31 from Luzon; 6 from Visayas; 15 from Mindanao; 3 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and 2 unknown or they put their email address only.

The shortlisting of finalists was made by a 7-member team of creative people from the Department of Health, PhilHealth and a private media production company. The finalists were then presented to the DOH Executive Committee, composed of the Secretary and his undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, who selected the grand winner.

The unveiling of the winning logo was held today (February 18) in Catarman, Northern Samar by Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona, DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano-Soliman, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, DBM Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, Northern Samar (1st District) Congressman Raul A. Daza and Northern Samar Governor Paul Daza.

Let’s Pause for Spiritual Health…

2011-02-15T18:47:00.001+08:00

I went to the Lord’s Clinic to have my routine check-up and I confirmed I was ill.

When the Lord took my blood pressure, He saw I was low in tenderness. When He read my temperature, the thermometer registered 400 of anxiety. He ran an electrocardiogram and found that I needed several “love bypasses” since my arteries were blocked with loneliness and could not provide for an empty heart.

I went to the orthopedics, because I could not walk by my brother’s side and I could not hug my friends, since I have fractured myself when tripping with envy. He also found I was short-sighted, since I could not see beyond the shortcomings of my brothers and sisters. When I complained about deafness, the diagnostic was that I had stopped listening to Jesus’ voice talking to me on a daily basis.

For all that, the Lord gave me a free consultation thanks to His mercifulness, so my pledge is, once I leave this clinic, to only take the natural remedies He prescribed to His words of truth:

• Every morning, take a full glass of gratitude.

• When getting to work, take a spoon of peace.

• Every hour take one pill of patience, one cup of brotherhood, and one glass of humility.

• When getting home, take one dose of love.

• When getting to bed, take two caplets of clear conscience.

• Do not give in to sadness or depression for what you are going through today.

God knows how you feel. He knows exactly and with perfection what is being allowed to happen to you in your life at this precise moment. His purpose for you is simply perfect. He wants to show you things that only you can understand by living what you are living, by being in the place you are now. May God give you...

For every storm, a rainbow...

For every tear, a smile...

For every care, a promise...

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends,

a faithful friend to share...

For every sigh, a sweet song...

And an answer for each prayer.

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Photo of Neil Coleta from the Nestea ads.
Content from an email.

Legends and Facts on Valentine’s Day

2011-02-13T10:19:00.000+08:00

It’s Valentine’s Day on February 14 – the time of year when people from all over the globe give each other flowers, chocolates, cookies, balloons and love letters. Here are some interesting Valentine facts gathered from the Net:

• Valentine’s Day traces its roots to an ancient pagan holiday called Lupercalia, in which men stripped naked, grabbed whips, and spanked young women in hopes of increasing their fertility.

• Valentine's Day originates from a celebration on February 14th in fifth-century Rome that paid tribute to a Catholic Bishop named St. Valentine. The holiday originally had nothing to do with lovers.

• Many people assume that there was only one St. Valentine, when there were in fact three, all of them martyrs. According to one legend, St. Valentine was a priest who was executed for performing marriages in secret for young couples. According to another legend, St. Valentine was killed by the Romans for helping Christian prisoners escape. Yet another legend tells that St. Valentine wrote a letter to his lover signed, "From Your Valentine," while he was in prison.

• Many stories say that Valentine was executed on February 14 about A.D. 269. A basilica was built in Saint Valentine’s honor in Rome in A.D. 350, and a catacomb containing his remains was found on this location. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D.

• The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin in a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle Ages, that on February 14, i.e. half way through the second month, the birds began to pair.

• Charles, the Duke of Orleans, France, sent the first "valentine" to his wife while he was imprisoned in London in 1415.

• Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone, an "Improvement in Telegraphy," on Valentine's Day 1876.

• Wearing red is symbolic on Valentine’s Day because many people associate red with heartfelt emotion.

• In the two week period leading up to Valentine’s Day, American sales of gold jewelry lead to 34 million metric tons of waste.

• The vast majority of roses sold for Valentine’s Day in the U.S. are imported from South America, wasting fossil fuels.

• Worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine's Day each year.

• Of all flowers purchased, men are responsible for buying approximately 3/4.

• Men also buy the most chocolate.

• Men are also more likely to purchase Valentine’s Day gifts at the last minute.

• Research suggests that 75 percent of suicide attempts are attributable to relationship problems.

• The improper celebration of Valentine’s Day has resulted in many unforeseen and irreversible consequences, an example is acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases.

• Last year, the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) distributed free condoms in a famous flower market in Manila to remind young adults to be safe on Valentine’s Day. This irked the sensitivities of the Catholic Church. This year, the DOH says there will be no condom distribution, but some HIV/AIDS advocates from non-government organizations are reported to pursue the campaign.

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Photo acquired through Google Image Search

Kiss of the Police

2011-02-13T01:28:00.000+08:00

A policeman complains to the doctor:

“I get home after work and kiss my wife. But her forehead always starts to bleed. What’s wrong with her?”

“Oh, that is a very common case,” the doctor says. “Many of your colleagues have seen me with the same problem. All you have to do is to take off your police cap before you kiss your wife.”

“That’s just nice, doctor! Next thing you might want me to take my whistle out of my mouth before kissing, too.”

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Photo found in Google Search

Male For Rent

2011-02-12T20:36:00.000+08:00

Nowadays, everything’s either for rent or for sale.

(Got this from an email.)

Heart Month Advisory: Prevent Hypertension

2011-02-12T13:22:00.001+08:00

It’s the Heart Month in the Philippines, and it is an opportune time to discuss hypertension or high blood pressure which has direct effect on heart health.

The latest National Nutrition and Health Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology revealed that one in every four Filipino adults (25.3%) has hypertension or a high blood pressure (BP).

In 2008, the prevalence of hypertension increased to 25.3% from 22.5% in 2003. Moreover, the survey revealed that 11 in every 100 Filipinos (10.8%) have pre-hypertension or a BP reading at the range of 130-139/85-89 millimeter mercury (mmHg). This becomes alarming as high BP increases with age starting from age 40-49 years.

Aside from hypertension, more Filipinos also have high fasting blood sugar, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These conditions are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other lifestyle-related diseases.

Lifestyle Changes

According to the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), treatment of high BP need not be too complicated. Although medicines are needed by most patients to control their BP, the mainstay in the treatment of hypertension and other risk factors is still strict compliance in practicing simple lifestyle changes.

High BP is diagnosed when the BP is consistently equal or higher than 140/90 mmHg. For most patients with uncomplicated hypertension, keeping the BP lower than 140/90 mmHg reduces their cardiovascular risks.

The PSH advised that the BP should be ideally less than 130/80 mmHg in high-risk patients with diabetes, previous heart attack or stroke, chronic kidney disease and multiple risk factors.

Lifestyle changes are especially important for people who have risk factors that cannot be changed. These are the so-called nonmodifiable risk factors which include family history, gender, race or age.

The following lifestyle changes can prevent hypertension:

• maintain a normal weight, with a body mass index of 18.5 to 23, computed by dividing weight in kilogram (kg) by height in meter (m) squared;

• reduce sodium in the diet to about 2.3 grams a day, which is about one teaspoon of salt (salt in cooking is allowed but not table sources of salt; salt substitutes like spices and herbs may be used);

• exercise that raises the heart rate for at least 30 minutes a day (such as brisk walking, jogging, dancing or aerobics);

• avoid alcoholic drinks;

• do not smoke and avoid people who smoke to prevent secondhand smoke;

• get 3,500 milligrams (mg) of potassium in the diet everyday which can be obtained by ample servings of fruits and vegetables;

• manage stress with enough sleep, recreation, meditation and relaxation techniques; and

• regular deep, slow breathing (having regular sessions of deep slow breaths consisting of deep inhalation and slow exhalation through pursed lips with rate of less than 10 breaths per minute can help lower BP).

DASH Diet

The PSH also advocates for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or DASH diet. It is an eating plan that may help lower the BP and other metabolic problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. This diet is low in fat but rich in low-fat dairy foods, fruits and vegetables.

In those borderline or pre-hypertension stage, the DASH diet together with other lifestyle changes may help prevent the development of definite hypertension. Likewise, cholesterol problems of either high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol, or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol can be sigificantly improved with the DASH diet.

In the DASH diet, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and dried beans (legumes) are recommended as part of a balanced diet. In implementing the DASH diet:

• Avoid processed foods such as snack items, luncheon meats, and canned soups, will reduce the amount of sodium in the diet.

• Eat a diet high in calcium, potassium and magnesium may also help lower BP. The rich sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables while low-fat diary products are high in calcium and magnesium. DASH recommends eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of low-fat dairy products each day.

• Cut down on both saturated fat and total fat. Fats are good sources of calories but only 30 percent of one’s total calories should be from fat, with only seven to 10 percent from saturated fats. Saturated fat is abundant in meat, cheese, butter, poultry, snack foods and other processed foods.

• In general, vegetarian diets which comply with all requirements of the DASH diet help reduce BP. The DASH diet could be a vegetarian diet with legumes substituting for meat as protein source. Vegetarian diets tend to be higher in potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as fiber and unsaturated fat than other diets.

• Together with regular exercise, weight can be better controlled with the DASH diet without the need of expensive and unsafe treatments.

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Photo from Google Image Search.

Why Boys Need Parents (2)

2011-02-12T13:13:00.001+08:00

With great power comes great responsibility.

(Got this photo from an email.)

Computer Eye Strain

2011-02-08T19:37:00.000+08:00

If your work requires you to stare at a computer monitor for long periods of time, watch out for eye strain. There are cases when an underlying problem, such as uncorrected vision or muscle imbalance, can worsen the condition.

Aside from using the computer monitor, there are other causes of eye strain. These include straining to see in dim light, exposure to bright lights, driving for long periods, and reading.

Eyestrain can be very annoying, but it usually goes away on its own once a person has rested his eye muscle. But remember, it is important to take note that reducing eyestrain is a requirement to maintain a healthy vision. It is essential to identify the symptoms of eye strain. Common symptoms to watch out for are burning or itching eyes, dry eyes, watery eyes, double vision, sore neck, headache, or increased eye sensitivity.

Computer eye strain causes additional problems because a person will suffer from difficulty in shifting his eye from the monitor to paper documents. In addition, there will be afterimages when you shift your gaze away from the monitor.

Blink your eyes. Nature has given human eyes their personal masseur, the eyelids. Consciously blinking the eyes instead of squinting will cleanse and give them the required massage.

Use glasses. If you have problems seeing but avoid using glasses due to vanity, you are bound to suffer from eyestrain. If your distance vision is good but cannot read up close then it is highly advisable for you to get a good pair of reading glasses to avoid eyestrain. If your distance vision is bad, use of glasses for relieving eye strain is highly recommended.

Preventing eye strain should also include changes in your working habits. Modify your work station by using proper lighting and minimizing glare and other distracting reflections. Adjust the brightness and contrast of your computer screen.

Position your monitor directly in front of you about 20 to 28 inches from your eyes. Many people find that putting the screen at arm’s length is about right. If you need to get close to read small type, consider increasing the font size. Keep the top of your screen at eye level or below so that you look down slightly at your work.

And if you wear bifocals, you may have a tendency to tilt your head backward so that you can see through the lower portion of your glasses. To adjust for this, consider lowering your monitor a few inches or buying glasses designed for computer work.

Keep your monitor clean. Wipe the dust from your computer screen regularly. Dust on the screen cuts down on contrast and may contribute to glare and reflection problems.

Position your keyboard properly. Place your keyboard directly in front of your monitor. If you place it at an angle or to the side, your eyes have to focus at different distances from the screen, a tiring activity.

Keep reference materials nearby. Place reading and reference material on a document holder beside your monitor and at the same level, angle and distance from your eyes as the monitor is from your eyes. This way your eyes are not constantly readjusting.

Eye experts suggest to take frequent breaks and do eye exercise regularly to help your eyes focus in different directions. Eye exercises also strengthen the eye muscles and stimulate the vision center of the brain.

Once every hour take some time away from your computer to rest your eyes. Roll them around, roll them left to right. Then shut them for five minutes and relax. Sometimes, relaxing your eyes is better than exercising your eyes, especially after a long day at a computer, or a long day reading or driving.

If rest and home remedies are unable to relieve the eyestrain, it might be necessary to see the doctor. This is especially true if there is a noticeable change in vision, double vision, and chronic eye discomfort. Eye exercises will no longer help patients who have certain eye conditions.

Men's Menu

2011-01-30T20:30:00.000+08:00

This is how to serve chicken for men 18 years old and above.

(Got this from an email.)

Slogan & Logo Contest on Universal Health Care

2011-01-26T18:22:00.000+08:00

Last Few Days! Win Php 30,000! Create a Slogan and Logo for Universal Health Care. (For Filipinos Only!)

OVERVIEW

President Benigno S. Aquino III, in his platform on health, defined Universal Health Care (UHC) as more than universal coverage through PhilHealth. UHC means the availability and accessibility of essential health services, basic necessities and appropriate quality health care for all Filipinos. This entails adequate resources, in terms of health human resources, health information, health care facilities, medicines and health financing.

The Department of Health needs a slogan and a logo that will represent the identity and brand of UHC.

MECHANICS

1. The contest is open to Filipinos, 15 years old and above, nationwide.

2. The entry should have a slogan and a corresponding logo design. The slogan should not be more than 10 words, written either in Pilipino, English or Taglish (Tagalog/English).

3. Digital entries are preferred. Entries must be in vector format or with a resolution of 300 ppi for raster format. The width and height must be at least 700 pixels. Layout may be in landscape or portrait. Use colors that work for both RGB and CMYK mode. Submitted entries may be in PDF, JPEG, PNG, EPS or AI format. Use your name for the filename (e.g. TonyRoda.jpeg).

4. Digital entries should be emailed to uhcpromotion@gmail.com with the subject “UHC slogan and logo contest.” Participants should write their complete name, address, contact details and explanation of their work in the body of their email.

5. Printed (hard) copies are also accepted. Please send entries to the National Center for Health Promotion, 2F Bldg. 18, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila.

6. Participants can send as many entries as they like.

7. By entering the competition, the participant declares that the slogan and logo submitted are his/her original work, have not been submitted to any other competition, and do not infringe on any third party’s existing copyrights. All entries automatically become the property of the DOH.

8. The DOH will have exclusive rights to the winning slogan and logo, publish them on its websites and in other media and collateral materials. The DOH reserves the right to make refinements, alterations and improvements on the final artwork of the winning entry.

9. Deadline for submission of entries is on February 4, 2011. Entries beyond this date will no longer be considered.

10. The winner will be announced at the DOH website www.doh.gov.ph and will be notified through email and phone call.

11. The decision of the judges is final, executory and non-appealable. The slogan and the logo will be judged as one. Judging will be based on the following criteria:

Overall concept to represent the purpose and spirit of UHC: 50%

Originality and uniqueness of the slogan and logo: 25%

Presentation (e.g. catchy, artistic, technical layout): 25%

12. The winner gets a cash prize of P30,000, a certificate, and a citation in the unveiling of the slogan and logo in a special event sometime in February 2011.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Call the DOH National Center for Health Promotion at (02) 743-8438 or (02) 743-8301 loc 2801 and look for Tony Roda or text 0916-4396555.

Participants are also advised to read the DOH Administrative Order No. 2010-0036 otherwise known as “The Aquino Health Agenda: Universal Health Care for All Filipinos” posted in the DOH Website - www.doh.gov.ph for guidance.

Goiter and Iodine Deficiency

2011-01-23T16:48:00.001+08:00

Illustration grabbed from the Internet

The fourth week of January is Goiter Awareness Week in the Philippines.

Goiter is the term used to describe the thyroid gland which has become enlarged. Large goiters can make it hard to breathe or swallow and can cause a cough and hoarseness. There are many conditions leading to its enlargement; namely, iodine deficiency, autoimmune disease, inflammation, new growth and other causes.

Goiter occurs much more frequently in women than in men. Worldwide, the most common cause of goiter is iodine deficiency which can be prevented by the appropriate intake of food rich in iodine (salt-water fish, crabs, shrimps, squid, seaweeds) and others; and by the regular use of iodized salt in daily diet.

Dr. Teofilo O.L. San Luis, Jr., chairman of the Philippine Thyroid Council, explains that salt is the best vehicle for adding iodine. Everyone needs salt, everyone eats it, usually in daily amounts, and the technology for iodization is straightforward. The Philippines has regulations calling for 20-40 mcg iodine/g of salt (20-40 ppm); thus if an individual eats 5 g of salt iodized at 30 ppm, he/she gets 150 mcg iodine from this source alone.

Another method for providing iodine to a community is through the administration of iodized vegetable oil. A single administration orally provides adequate iodine for about a year, and if given by intramuscular injection, is satisfactory for about three years. Iodized oil is most useful when the iodine deficiency is severe, when immediate correction is important, and when iodized salt is not available (or its iodine concentration is below recommended levels).

Drinking water is another occasional vehicle for iodine nutrition. Some systems slowly release iodine from a porous basket. Another approach adds an iodine solution to water in a well or flowing through a pipe. A simpler version merely adds a few drops of a concentrated solution manually to vessels containing drinking water in a school or home. If iodine (I2) is added, it can also sterilize the water; this property is useful because many regions with iodine deficiency also have contaminated food and water.

Occasionally, iodine is given as tablets of potassium iodide, from 100 to 300 mcg per day or about 1 mg per week. Some vitamin/mineral preparations for daily use contain 150 mcg iodine, the recommended amount. Other vehicles like sugar, bread, and tea have been occasionally used for iodine delivery. However, the many advantages of iodized salt make it the overwhelming favorite for most countries.

Dr. San Luis said that for goiters due to other causes, they can be treated medically (by anti-thyroid drugs or thyroid hormones as the case may be), surgically, or through radioactive iodine depending on the clinical situation. Goiters with lumps (or nodules) can be the beginnings of thyroid cancer which would require surgery followed by radioactive iodine ablation.

Analysis of the symptoms and a physical examination (usually centered on the neck) is done by a physician or a health worker. These should alert them that something is wrong with the iodine nutrition of the patient causing goiter. Some laboratory tests (called thyroid function tests: TSH, T4, T3, FT4, FT3, thyroid antibodies); or imaging procedures (thyroid scan, ultrasound) are requested to confirm the suspicion of a goiter. In certain instances, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is done to determine if there inflammatory thyroid disease or thyroid cancer.

Eye Self-Examination: See Bare Butt?

2011-01-16T09:35:00.000+08:00

Did you see the bare butt of the girl in the background?

If you did see that in the picture,

you need to have your eyes checked,

as that is the shoulder of the girl holding the camera…

My appointment is at 2 pm tomorrow.

- Got this from an email

Why Boys Need Parents (1)

2011-01-16T09:30:00.000+08:00

In the tradition of MENstream’s posts in

“OMG” and “Nothing is Impossible,"

here comes another photo series

gathered from the Internet. Enjoy!

EMO, Teen Depression & Suicide

2011-01-16T09:16:00.000+08:00

(Artwork by Paul Ritz O. Magtrayo)

EMO Pop Culture

The term “emo” may have started in the music industry as an insult by punkers in the 1980s to describe the followers of emotive hardcore rock music. However, the term has been bastardized to mean “emotional” and has been used to refer to male vocalists who sing like little girls about their failed relationships and to kids who cut their hair into side-swept bangs, tight pants, and complain about how nobody understands them.

Emo turned into sort of a pop culture among the youth who rampantly express depressing words such as “autumn,” “heart,” “knife,” “bleeding,” “leaves,” and “razorblade” through music, visual arts and the Internet. Emos hate themselves; emos want to kill themselves.

The emo pop culture may influence the occurrence of a growing number of depression and suicide in teens. And if this is the case, it is alarming to mental health practitioners.

Depression and Suicide

Depression and suicide are serious, inter-related public health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 154 million people worldwide are suffering from depression every year. By 2020, depression will be the most important single cause of disability in both the developed and developing world.

On the other hand, the WHO reported in 2008 that 1 million people die each year by suicide or that is equivalent to 3,000 deaths daily. For every person who completes suicide, 20 or more may attempt to end their lives. The WHO also said that 60 percent of suicides in the world occur in Asia.

The Philippines National Health Statistics (2004) recorded the vulnerable age group for suicide as those belonging to 20-24 years old with a rate of 4.3 per 100,000 population. Data also showed many cases occurring at the young age of 10-14 years old (0.3 per 100,000) and the 15-19 years old (3 per 100,000).

The majority of persons with depression and other mental disorders related to suicide do not receive treatment. In some instances appropriate modes of treatment are unavailable and/or primary care physicians and other professionals are not equipped to provide care. In other cases, a lack of public understanding of depression and suicide or the stigma associated with psychological problems prevents individuals from seeking appropriate care.

Teen Depression

Childhood and adolescence serve as critical periods in human development. It is during this stage that the sense of self, as well as the identity, is established. Unfortunately, teens are more vulnerable to depression. Hormones and sleep cycles, which both change dramatically in adolescence, can affect mood. It is also during this period, issues such as peer pressure and academic expectations can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens. For some teens, the lows are more than just temporary feelings — they’re a sign of depression.

The Mayo Clinic website describes teen depression as a serious condition that affects emotions, thought and behaviors. Also called major depression and major depressive disorder, teen depression is not a weakness or something that can be overcome with willpower. Teen depression is not medically different from depression in adults and this condition can have serious consequences.

It is not known exactly what causes depression. As with many mental illnesses, it appears a variety of factors may be involved, which include:

• Biological differences. People with depression appear to have physical differences in their brains from people who are not depressed.

• Neurotransmitters. These naturally occurring brain chemicals linked to mood are thought to play a direct role in depression.

• Hormones. Changes in the body’s balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression.

• Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose biological family members also have the condition.

• Life events. Events such as the death or loss of a loved one, parental separation or divorce, financial problems, and high stress can trigger depression in some people.

• Early childhood trauma. Traumatic events during childhood, such as having been a victim or a witness of physical or sexual abuse or having strict parents that are quick to blame or punish, may cause changes in the brain that make a person more susceptible to depression.

• Learned patterns of negative thinking. Teen depression may be linked to learning to feel helpless — rather than learning to feel capable of finding solutions for life’s challenges.

Other factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering teen depression include: having a chronic medical illness such as diabetes or asthma; abusing alcohol, nicotine or other drugs; being attracted to members of the same sex, which can cause depression linked to negative social pressures and internal emotional conflicts; and obesity, which can lead to judgment by others and to low self-esteem.

Each individual is different and not everyone who is experiencing depression will show the same signs or symptoms of depression. The symptoms of depression may include feelings of sadness that go on for a period of time; loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities; irritability, frustration or feelings of anger even over small matters; and agitation or restlessness like pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still.

Depression may cause either insomnia or excessive sleeping; either decrease in appetite and weight loss or increased cravings and weight gain. There may also be unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches. Crying spells may be frequent even for no apparent reason. In boys, disruptive behavioral problems may occur while in girls, a lot of anxiety, preoccupation with body image and concerns about performance happen.

A depressed person may have slowed thinking, speaking or body movements; fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy, and even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort; and feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixation on past failures or self-blame when things are not going right; trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things.Then, there are frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide.

Suicide

Depression may lead to suicide.

No suicide attempt should be dismissed or treated lightly! A suicide attempt is a clear indication that something is gravely wrong in a person’s life. Aside from depression, there are warning signs that someone may be considering suicide. Any one of these signs does not necessarily mean the person is considering suicide, but several of these symptoms may signal a need for help:

• Verbal suicide threats such as, “You’d be better off without me” or “Maybe I won’t be around;”

• Expressions of hopelessness and helplessness

• Previous suicide attempts

• Daring or risk-taking behavior

• Personality changes

• Giving away prized possessions

• Lack of interest in future plans

Eight out of 10 people considering suicide give some sign of their intentions. People who talk about suicide, threaten suicide, or call suicide crisis centers are 30 times more likely than average to kill themselves. Moreover, girls attempt suicide more often than boys, but boys are about four times more likely to succeed when they try to kill themselves because they tend to use more deadly methods like guns or hanging.

Depression is Manageable, Suicide is Preventable

In the Philippines and in most parts of the world, suicide and depression are often misunderstood and the severe social stigma attached to them prevents people from getting help.

The good news is depression is manageable and suicide is preventable. Numerous treatments are available. Medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) are very effective for most teens with depression.

In some cases, a primary care doctor can prescribe medications that relieve depression symptoms. However, many teens need to see a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions — a psychiatrist or psychologist. Some teens with depression also benefit from seeing other mental health counselors.

If a teen has severe depression or is in danger of hurting himself or herself, he or she may need a hospital stay or may need to participate in an outpatient treatment program until symptoms improve.

There is no sure way to prevent depression, but making sure teens take steps to control stress, to increase resilience and to boost low self-esteem can help. Friendship and social support, especially in times of crisis, can help teens cope. In addition, treatment at the earliest sign of a problem can help prevent depression from worsening.

Live well, stay happy!

WTF...

2011-01-13T19:28:00.001+08:00

So true... (Art by Paul Ritz Magtrayo)

"Always Emittated But Not Equal"

2011-01-09T17:53:00.005+08:00

The fireworks/firecrackers industry in Baliuag, Bulacan may be booming at a rate of USD 16 million, but it desperately needs some overhaul in grammar in some of its stores.

Aftermath of the New Year Celebrations

2011-01-09T17:47:00.003+08:00

Fireworks injuries never stop

in the Philippines New Year celebrations.

Celebrating New Year in the Philippines is not complete without setting off fireworks and blasting firecrackers and firing away some gunshots. For Filipinos, it is a means of driving away the evils of the past year and bringing in good luck for the coming year.

But bad luck cannot escape some people. Thousands are rushed to different hospitals nationwide year out and year in. Despite the call of the Department of Health (DOH) and other government agencies to stop using firecrackers, fireworks and guns, injuries still happen.

In a report released by the DOH, some 1,022 cases of fireworks-related injuries were recorded in the 50 sentinel hospital sites of the country at the end of its surveillance period from December 21, 2010 to January 5 this year. Although this is 1.4% lower than the 2009, the trending of cases was still the same.

Of the 1,022 cases, 972 were fireworks injuries, 39 were gunshot wounds, and 11 were firecracker ingestion. One death was reported.

More than half (581) of the injuries occurred in the Metro Manila followed by Region 1 (Ilocos) with 73, Region 3 (Central Luzon) and Region 4-A (MiMaRoPa) both with 66 cases. In Metro Manila, most (149) of the cases were in Quezon City (145 cases in 2009), Manila with 139 (237 cases in 2009), and Pasig with 51 (31 in 2009).

Of the 972 fireworks injuries, most (330) affected was the 1-10 year-old group which is lower than the 377 injuries recorded last 2009. Majority (773) were male. Of this number, 580 were active users and 768 resulted to blast or burns without amputation (as against 748 cases in 2009), 57 were blast or burns with amputation (82 in 2009), and 147 sustained eye injuries (160 in 2009).

A total of 488 cases were caused by illegal fireworks; 124 were under the influence of alcohol; and 642 injuries occurred in the street.

The top fireworks causing the most injuries were piccolo (265), kwitis (150), 5-star (68), pla-pla (55), and luces (51).

Of the gunshot wounds, 39 were reported which were further investigated by the Philippine National Police. Ages ranged from 6 to 79 years, 26 were male. The injuries occurred both at home and in the streets.

Of the fireworks ingestion, there were 11 cases reported where 4 cases were due to piccolo. Ages ranged from 6 months to 44 years old. One death was reported.

When Allergy Gets in the Way of Vanity

2011-01-01T15:01:00.004+08:00

My Skin Patch Test
(Photos by Weng Bunoan)

The Scare of My Life

My colleagues and closest friends know that I have a death wish at 50 years old. I always tell myself that I will not grow old despite my having the “ageing gene,” if there is such a thing. You see, majority of my relatives reached old age. Worse, I have a 50 percent chance of getting Alzheimer’s. That’s why I don’t want to get old, although I have the smoker’s skin and wrinkles, beer belly and balding hair. At 47, my friends – or should I call them such – say I’m already old. Huh?!?

I’m getting self-conscious with my age that’s why most of the time I think young to the point of being childish even. Hehehe. Adding to my sorrowful miseries is my graying thin hair.

Early last year, I began dyeing my hair black every other month. The first two dyeing experiences boosted my morale, vanity-wise. The third time I dyed my hair in June was a different story. My scalp began to swell and itch. As per advise of a doctor-friend through mobile phone short messaging or text, I took antihistamine twice daily for less than a week and that relieved my condition. But in August, when I went to my barber to dye my hair once more, the swelling and itching came back with full gravity and lasted for more than two weeks. The antihistamines I took were not working anymore.

And then the scare of my life happened! I felt a swollen and tender mass behind my ear down to the neck area which was very painful when touched. “My goodness, I have neck cancer,” I said to myself and I was blaming my years of smoking and nicotine addiction!
I thought it was the right moment to consult a doctor, but which doctor – an oncologist, an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist or a dermatologist? I chose the lesser degree of illness, skin disease, and turned to the dermatology department of the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC).

“It’s only an itch and not cancer,” I comforted myself. For someone who has a death wish at 50, I was not ready and was so afraid to die.

Aging, Vanity and Allergy

Finally I saw myself consulting with a doctor after almost a month of unsuccessful self-medication. I told the lady dermatologist of my situation, particularly the swelling behind my ear. She said that I am allergic to hair dyes and that the “mass” behind my ear was swollen lymph nodes.

I was both relieved and surprised. I was happy to find out that it was not neck cancer, but I was also surprised to know that there were lymph nodes behind the ears. I always thought that lymph nodes are only located in the underarms, inguinal area or in the groin, and under the chin. At my age and several years of working in the Department of Health, I’m still learning something!

And now the sad part. The dermatologist told me that I had contact dermatitis and advised me to refrain from using any kind of hair dyes. “Whaaaaat?!?,” I was screaming in silent protest. Then I reasoned that there are hypo-allergenic hair dyes or something. But the doctor who seemed to empathize with me, said that I cannot use all hair dyes, and politely added that gray hairs would still look nice on me, and pointing out to the wisdom that gray hairs symbolized.

“Yeah right, I would look more like a dirty old man than a wise man,” I thought. Then I dreaded people asking for my senior citizen’s card for discounts. Ouch!

The dermatologist was already filling up her prescription pad, when I said again, “Are you really, really sure that I could not use hair dyes anymore?” I saw a faint smile before she said yes. And to end my persistence, I suppose, she recommended a skin allergy patch test for me to find out for myself which substances that I am allergic to. Betting against all odds that her diagnosis was wrong, I readily agreed right then and there.

Skin Patch Testing

Skin testing for allergies is used to identify substances that are causing allergy symptoms. The three main types of skin tests are the scratch test, intradermal test, and the patch test.
In skin prick or scratch test, a small amount of substance is pricked or scratched on the skin with a sterile needle. If the area becomes red, itchy, or swells, the allergy skin test is positive. If there is no reaction, the test is negative. This test is usually used to test for allergies to pollen, mould, pet dander, dust mites, and foods.

In intradermal test, a small amount of substance is injected into the skin. The intradermal test may be done when the skin prick test is negative but the person is still thought to be allergic to that substance. This test is usually used to identify allergies to bee stings and other insect venom, or penicillin.

Then, there is the patch test that I underwent. The substance is placed on a patch and the patch is placed on the skin for up to two days. This test shows whether a person develops contact dermatitis (rash), which is an allergic reaction on the skin due to direct contact with an allergen such as latex, medications, or fragrances.

Before performing the actual test, I went through an extensive interview with a medical staff. I was asked about my work and my work environment. Then, and she made a run through of a list of substances and chemicals that may have caused me allergies in the past. I told her of few incidents where I got allergies: using metal frames in my eyeglasses, wearing locally-made leather strap on my watch, and spraying certain brands of cologne. Other than those items, I was just fine with her list of allergens. Then, she told me to stop taking antihistamines while on a patch test as this could interfere with the results.

The patch testing that was made on me involved a kit of 25 various test substances placed to my skin under adhesive tape. The purpose of the patch test is to help identify which substances may be causing my allergic reaction. It is intended to produce a local allergic reaction on a small area of the back where the diluted chemicals were planted. The chemicals included in the patch test kit are the offenders in approximately 85-90 percent of contact dermatitis, like chemicals present in metals (e.g. nickel), rubber, leather, hair dyes, formaldehyde, lanolin, fragrance, preservative and other additives.

The adhesive tape that was used had small metal cups in which the substances were contained, and this was attached on my back. The patch test remained on my skin for 48 hours, and during this time, I was not supposed to get the tape wet. Therefore, I only took a sponge bath on the upper portion of my body. I should not also get the tape wet by excessive sweating, and so I took a sick leave at work the following day.

After two days, the patch test was removed and an initial reading of the test was performed by the medical staff. A permanent marker was used to mark on my back where the tests were prior to removal, for an additional reading of the results at 72 hours (or on the third day) after the initial placement. This was another day without bathing for me. I was also told not to touch or scratch my back, and to have somebody mark my back again in case the ink was erased in time of my next consultation.

After three days, the final reading came and this was referred to my attending dermatologist. I was not DYING (yet), but the verdict was more of a death sentence to me because I was told that “I’m not DYEING (my hair) anymore!”

What’s My Itch?

There are two types of contact dermatitis: irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

Irritant contact dermatitis is more common and results from repeated contact with a substance, such as soap, cosmetics or skin products, including deodorant, that irritates the skin. The exposure produces red, dry itchy patches usually on the hands, fingers and face. Some substances, such as bleach or strong acids, can cause irritant contact dermatitis after just one exposure. These substances typically remove oil and the protective barriers from the skin.

On the other hand, allergic contact dermatitis is caused by a reaction to substances called allergens. The resulting reaction is your body’s response to the sensitive agent. It produces a red rash, bumps and sometimes blisters when severe. Common allergens include rubber, metals such as nickel, costume jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, hair dyes and weeds, including poison ivy. It may take several years for an allergy to develop. Once an allergy has developed to a specific substance, however, it remains for life. Exposure to even a small amount of the allergen will reliably result in skin eruption.

My final diagnosis is “chronic allergic contact dermatitis” and my allergens are paraphenylenediamine (PPD), Nickle, and Quinoline. What are those?

PPD is a chemical found in hair dye that is very frequently used in hair salons and at home. Dyed hair cannot cause an allergy but the dye may do during application. It is also found in skin paints and occasionally in fur and leather dyes. It is also found in printing inks and oils as well as in photocopying powders.

Nickle is found in jewelry, keys, coins, zippers and buckles, pacemakers, batteries and metal eyeglasses. It is released from metals such as alloys or electroplated items. About 10 percent of women and at least 1 percent of men are affected by nickel allergy, and I am one of them. Tough luck.

And quinoline is an oily colorless compound used as a food preservative and in the manufacture of antiseptics, creams, ointments, lotions, and you guessed it, hair dyes.

Aside from giving me the detailed information about sources of my allergen, the dermatologist also advised me to scrupulously avoid any further contact with the allergens. She also said to carefully read ingredients of new products, especially cosmetics.

Finally, I was also told with great conviction now, “NO HAIR DYES!” Yeah right, you want me to look very old,” I said to myself. And then she added, “Use baby soap.” Is that adding insult to injury already?

RPG Metanoia: Computer Gaming & Physical Activity

2011-01-01T14:51:00.006+08:00

The Official RPG Metanoia Poster
(Taken from the Internet)

Proudly Made in the Philippines

In the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival (December 25, 2010 – January 1, 2011) showcasing seven locally-produced films, “RPG Metanoia” stood out to be the best, although it won the third best picture only.

“RPG Metanoia” is the Philippines first 3D animated full-length movie which successfully proved that Filipino animators can be comparable with the best animators in the world. That’s not an exaggerated statement since many animators in Walt Disney and Pixar films are Filipinos. According to published reports, the production of the film took for about 4 years to complete and was rendered by 26 Filipino animators. It is produced by Ambient Media, Thaumatrope Animation and Star Cinema (ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc). It featured the the voices of local actors, like Aga Muhlach, Vhong Navarro, Eugene Domingo, Mika dela Cruz, and Zaijan Jaranilla.

The animation is superb, but the 3D effects leave much to be desired and can be relegated as a pure gimmick. It seems the film is not intended to be viewed in 3D, not like the effects seen in Avatar or Toy Story 3. Moreover, the sound could still be improved by making it in high definition surround sound formats. Almost always, the film’s music is more clear and audible than the spoken words.

Despite these technical shortcomings, “RPG Metanoia” is still highly recommended for kids of all ages. The visuals are mostly Filipino and the story is coherent.

Synopsis

RPG Metanoia revolves around an avid online gamer named Nico, an 11-year old boy who lives an ordinary child's life. He is seemingly a frail boy, but when he is playing the MMORPG (Massively Multi-players Online Role Playing Game) called Metanoia, he is an unpredictable vagabond armed with a magic yoyo and with uncanny speed and agility in his programmed set of skills.

Nico has low self-esteem and is only getting his guts from playing Metanoia. That is why when he and his friends were faced with an adversity from local bullies, their world would be shattered. But they found a saving grace from a new female friend, May, which inspired them to continue their online endeavor.

However, the Metanoia network was infected with a virus affecting the whole internet, most computers and the minds of gamers all over the world. It is up to Nico, his friends and the other remaining Metanoia players to stop the virus from taking control of the online and offline world. But to do that, Nico must muster his courage, and discover the true hero he really is.

Strong Message on Physical Activity

Computer and video games have become a threat to parents of little kids and teens, not only because children are saving their lunch money in order them to frequent internet cafés/shops and play their favorite games, but also because of the long time they spent being sedentary or inactive in front of the computer which may result to obesity and other chronic diseases.

In “RPG Metanoia,” the mother sends a strong message to Nico to go out and play physical games and sports under the sun because she noticed that her son is already looking pale and weak. Of course, Nico dreaded the idea because he knows for himself that he is not good in playing sports and could not even master riding his bicycle. But when the local bullies forbid Nico and his friends to play in their favorite internet café anymore, they are forced to play physical games. Knowing the Nico is not good at these games, Nico’s crush, May, cooked up a scheme with the rest Nico’s friends to let him win the games they play.

And so a series of traditional Filipino games that children of this generation have forgotten to play are shown and demonstrated in the movie – patintero, taguan (hide and seek), piko (hopscotch), siato, tumbang preso, sipa, agawan-base and habulan. And everytime Nico would come home dirty after the games, his mother would assist him in cleaning and putting band-aids in his scratches. But his mom would always be happy with her son.

It’s amazing how the movie intertwined physical activity messages with the plot on computer games. In the end, Nico and his friends became international heroes when found and solved the mysterious computer virus affecting gamers around the world. As for Nico, he found another world outside cyberspace, and he is seen now using his bicycle and dating May.

Here’s hoping that the kids who have seen the movie would get the right message on the importance of physical activity in their daily lives.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Filipino Kids

The National Nutrition Survey (2008) of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology revealed the following prevalence of overweight and obese Filipinos:

• In every 100 preschool (0-5 years old) children, 2 were overweight for their age and 3 were overweight for their height;

• In every 100 children aged 6 – 10 years old, two were overweight;

• In every 100 adolescents aged 11 – 19 years old, about 5 were overweight. The prevalence of overweight adolescent males were higher than their female counterparts; and

• In every 100 adults, 27 are affected with overweight and obesity.

Inappropriate eating habits and lack of physical activity and exercise are the biggest factors in the increase of overweight and obesity among Filipinos.

Early last year, the Department of Health released the Philippine National Guidelines on Physical Activity which prescribed for children, adolescents and young adults (5 – 20 years old) at least 60 minutes of daily physical activities consisting of any or a combination of active daily tasks (like walking, climbing stairs, or doing household or school chores); exercise, dance or sports; and high impact play like traditional Filipino games.

For older children (13 – 20 years old), muscle strengthening and flexible activities are necessary. This means at least 2 – 3 times a week of activities that build muscle and bone strength and flexibility such as weight bearing calisthenics and other load bearing exercises involving the major muscle groups.

How Tobacco Smoke Causes Diseases

2011-01-01T14:44:00.005+08:00

No Smoking Advocacy in December 2010's traditional

Oblation Run at the University of the Philippines
(Photo from an email)

Towards the end of 2010, the US Surgeon General issued its 30th tobacco-related report since 1964. It describes in detail the specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body. The scientific evidence supports the following conclusions:

There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Any exposure to tobacco smoke – even an occasional cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke – is harmful.

• You don’t have to be a heavy smoker or a long-time smoker to get a smoking-related disease or have a heart attack or asthma attack that is triggered by tobacco smoke.

• Low levels of smoke exposure, including exposures to secondhand tobacco smoke, lead to a rapid and sharp increase in dysfunction and inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which are implicated in heart attacks and stroke.

• Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Hundreds are toxic and more than 70 cause cancer. Tobacco smoke itself is a known human carcinogen.

• Chemicals in tobacco smoke interfere with the functioning of fallopian tubes, increasing risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes such as ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and low birth weight. They also damage the DNA in sperm which might reduce fertility and harm fetal development.

Damage from tobacco smoke is immediate.

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the toxicants to every organ in your body.

• The chemicals and toxicants in tobacco smoke damage DNA, which can lead to cancer. Nearly one-third of all cancer deaths every year are directly linked to smoking. Smoking causes about 85% of lung cancers in the U.S.

• Exposure to tobacco smoke quickly damages blood vessels throughout the body and makes blood more likely to clot. This damage can cause heart attacks, strokes, and even sudden death.

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke inflame the delicate lining of the lungs and can cause permanent damage that reduces the ability of the lungs to exchange air efficiently and leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking longer means more damage.

• Both the risk and the severity of many diseases caused by smoking are directly related to how long the smoker has smoked and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

• Chemicals in tobacco smoke cause inflammation and cell damage, and can weaken the immune system. The body makes white blood cells to respond to injuries, infections, and cancers. White blood cell counts stay high while smoking continues, meaning the body is constantly fighting against the damage caused by smoking which can lead to disease in almost any part of the body.

• Smoking can cause cancer and weaken your body’s ability to fight cancer. With any cancer – even those not related to tobacco use – smoking can decrease the benefits of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Exposure to tobacco smoke can help tumors grow.

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke complicate the regulation of blood sugar levels, exacerbating the health issues resulting from diabetes. Smokers with diabetes have a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, amputation, eye disease causing blindness, nerve damage and poor circulation.

Cigarettes are designed for addiction.

• The design and contents of tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Cigarettes today deliver nicotine more quickly from the lungs to the heart and brain.

• While nicotine is the key chemical compound that causes and sustains the powerful addicting effects of cigarettes, other ingredients and design features make them even more attractive and more addictive.

• The powerful addicting elements of tobacco products affect multiple types of nicotine receptors in the brain.

• Evidence suggests that psychosocial, biologic, and genetic factors may also play a role in nicotine addiction.

• Adolescents’ bodies are more sensitive to nicotine, and adolescents are more easily addicted than adults. This helps explain why about 1,000 teenagers become daily smokers every day.

There is no safe cigarette.

• The evidence indicates that changing cigarette designs over the last five decades, including filtered, low-tar, and “light” variations, have NOT reduced overall disease risk among smokers and may have hindered prevention and cessation efforts.

• The overall health of the public could be harmed if the introduction of novel tobacco products encourages tobacco use among people who would otherwise be unlikely to use a tobacco product or delays cessation among persons who would otherwise quit using tobacco altogether.

• The only proven strategy for reducing the risk of tobacco-related disease and death is to never smoke, and if you do smoke to quit.

• Quitting at any age and at any time is beneficial. It's never too late to quit, but the sooner the better.

• Quitting gives your body a chance to heal the damage caused by smoking.

• When smokers quit, the risk for a heart attack drops sharply after just 1 year; stroke risk can fall to about the same as a nonsmoker’s after 2-5 years; risks for cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half after 5 years; and the risk for dying of lung cancer drops by half after 10 years.

• Smokers often make several attempts before they are able to quit, but new strategies for cessation, including nicotine replacement and non-nicotine medications, can make it easier.

• Talk to your doctor and get started on a quit plan today.

20 Facts About Rabbits

2011-01-01T14:40:00.002+08:00

The photo above comes from Wikepedia, The Free Encyclopedia and the following trivia comes from www.squidoo.com:

1. Rabbits are not rodents, they are lagomorphs.
2. A male rabbit is a buck, a female rabbit is a doe and a baby rabbit is a kit.
3. Rabbits have 28 teeth that never stop growing.
4. Rabbits can be litter trained.
5. A pet rabbit can live as long as 10 years.
6. Adult bunnies can weigh between 2 lbs - 20 lbs depending on breed.
7. Rabbits can purr similar to a cat.
8. Domesticated rabbits are born without fur.
9. Rabbits groom themselves.
10. Rabbits cannot vomit but need hay to assist the digestive system and prevent fur balls in their stomach.
11. A group of rabbits is called a herd, and the herd lives in a warren.
12. Rabbit meat is all white meat and is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than chicken, pork and beef.
13. Rabbit droppings make an excellent garden fertilizer.
14. Rabbits can suffer heat stroke, and a 4-pound rabbit will drink as much water as a 20-pound dog.
15. Rabbits do not hibernate.
16. Rabbits can see behind them, but have blind spot in front of their face.
17. When rabbits are happy, they can jump 36" or higher and twist, this is called a "binky".
18. Predators can literally scare a rabbit to death.
19. The only place a rabbit sweats is through the pads on its feet.
20. Rabbits eat their own night droppings called cecotropes.

My Rabbit Year

2011-01-01T14:34:00.004+08:00

Photo from livingstonchineseculture.org

Sure, the Year of the Rabbit officially starts on February 3, but hey, it’s my birth sign, so forgive me if I am very excited to write about it this early.

Occupying the 4th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Rabbit symbolizes such character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity. Rabbits are friendly, outgoing and prefer the company of others. They also prefer to avoid conflict. In confrontational situations, Rabbits approach calmly and with consideration for the other party. Rabbits believe strongly in friends and family and lacking such bonds can lead to emotional issues.

It’s funny how signs can accurately describe one’s characteristics. Here are some descriptions of people who are born in the Year of the Rabbit which I found true to myself:

• Gentle, sensitive, modest, merciful and have a strong memory.
• Like to communicate with others in a humorous manner.
• Virtuous and reserved.
• Have excellent taste and style conscious with exquisite taste in the arts and dress.
• Admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky.
• Clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract.
• Cannot bear dull life, so they are good at creating romantic or interesting situations
• Fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind
• Would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. (However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise.)

On the negative side, people born in the Year of the Rabbit are said to be a bit secretive, self-centered, self-indulgent, self-righteous and snobbish.

Career-wise they are good communicators and make excellent diplomats and politicians. Some good career choices include writer, publisher, public relations consultant, teacher, therapist and doctor.

Those born under the fourth sign can anticipate a long life, as the Rabbit symbolizes longevity in Chinese mythology. (Hmmm, is this good for me or what?!?)

The Years of the Rabbit are 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 and 2011. Famous people born in the Year of the Rabbit include: Albert Einstein, Leon Trotsky, Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra, Pope Benedict XVI, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Tiger Woods, Whitney Houston and Drew Barrymore.

To Blog Again

2011-01-01T14:30:00.002+08:00

Me and my Mom
(Photo by Rhodey Domingo)

In 2011, I will blog again and will regularly update MENstream – my most successful blog. I guess that’s my New Year’s resolution.

Last year, I chose to Facebook over blogging. Then I realized that I could do wonders in cyberspace by blogging than doing shoutouts in Facebook or Twitter. There’s a bigger world out there than the limited friends I have on other social networking sites. I will then have to stick to blogging.

Last year, several bittersweet events happened in my life that I failed to blog, like finishing a health research in May, going to Bangkok, Thailand in June, and grieving for the illness and death of my dearest mother from September to November.

My 84-year old mother died on November 9. A learning I got from this event is that no matter how old you and your mother may be, it would still be very painful for you to see her go. For what it’s worth, I would like to say, “Mom, thank you for everything!”

I hope that this year will bring good luck and good memories in my life. I guess I can expect the best considering that it is the Year of the Rabbit, my birth sign.

Health Condition of a Drunk Driver

2011-01-01T14:24:00.002+08:00

Art by Antonio Totto, Jr
Content circulates in the Internet

A policeman pulls over a driver for swerving in and out of lanes on the highway. He tells the guy to blow a breath into a breathalyzer.

“I can't do that, officer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm an asthmatic. I could get an asthma attack if I blow into that tube.”

“Okay, we'll just get a urine sample down at the station.”

“Can't do that either, officer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm a diabetic. I could get low blood sugar if I pee in a cup.”

“Alright, we could get a blood sample.”

“Can't do that either, officer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm a hemophiliac. If I give blood I could die.”

“Fine then, just walk this white line.”

“Can't do that either, officer.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm drunk.”

Reopening on January 1

2010-12-29T17:13:00.004+08:00

Watch Out for MENstream 2011

Blogging Again on January 1

Love Your Heart

2010-02-01T19:50:00.003+08:00

February is “Heart Month,” please love your heart. Let me count the ways:

1. DON’T SMOKE AND AVOID SECONDHAND SMOKE

Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that do more harm than good. Conclusive scientific evidence confirms that smokers face significant elevated risks of death from numerous cancers (particularly lung cancer), respiratory and heart diseases, stroke, and many other fatal diseases.

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke impose exceptional health risks on pregnant women, infants and children. Smoking during pregnancy is dangerous to the health of expectant mothers, potentially lethal to the fetus and infant, and may lead to lifelong health and developmental disorders among exposed children.

Tobacco is an addictive carcinogen that directly kills half of its users, as well as nonsmoking bystanders. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Quitting and avoiding secondhand smoke exposure reduce health risks and produce immediate and long-term health benefits.

2. MAINTAIN IDEAL BODY WEIGHT

Excess body weight is clearly linked to heart disease. People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

A good measure to evaluate weight and body fat is the Body Mass Index or BMI. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (BMI = kg / m2). The BMI of 25 - 29.9 is overweight, while BMI of 30 and over is obese. Meanwhile, the BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal weight.

For those with excess body weight, even a small weight loss will help lower the risk of developing diseases.

3. MONITOR BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a major risk factor for kidney disease, stroke, heart disease and heart failure.

A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is considered high. This is called hypertension. A blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called pre-hypertension. This means that you do not have hypertension, but you are likely to develop it in the future unless you adopt lifestyle changes to keep your blood pressure under control. Blood pressure less than 120/80 is normal.

4. BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE

Lean and active people have the lowest risk of heart disease and obese and inactive people have the highest risk.

Physical activity need not be strenuous to be beneficial; people of all ages benefit from participating in regular, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week. These minutes may be accumulated during the day, for example, three 10-minute sessions of physical activity or two 15-minute sessions. However, one hour of continuous moderate physical activity or exercise most days of the week is ideal.

Experts advise people with chronic diseases, such as a heart condition, arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, to talk to their doctor about what types and amounts of activity are appropriate, before beginning a new physical activity program. Symptoms of particular importance to evaluate include chest pain (especially chest pain that is brought on by exertion), loss of balance (particularly if it leads to falls) dizziness and passing out (loss of consciousness).

5. MANAGE STRESS

Stressed out? Feeling out of control financially, emotionally or psychologically can affect not only your sleep but also your heart.

Medical researchers are not sure exactly how stress increases the risk of heart disease. Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse. For example, if you are under stress, your blood pressure goes up, you may overeat, you may exercise less and you may be more likely to smoke. Chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.

6. GET AT LEAST SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP

Not per week, but every night. And men require eight. Getting by on less can cause metabolic changes that increase your risk for obesity and diabetes. The fewer hours of sleep adults get each night, the more likely they are to have calcium deposits in their arteries. Researchers also suspect the lack of sleep increases stress hormones, raises blood pressure, and affects blood sugar levels. However, keep your overall sleeping time to no more than nine hours because this can have a slightly increased risk of heart disease.

7. EAT FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND GRAINS

Vegetables, fruits and rootcrops and whole grains are generally good sources of dietary fiber. They help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Moreover, fiber-containing food helps provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories and may help in weight management. High-fiber food also prevents and treats constipation and hemorrhoids.

8. EAT FISH TWICE OR THREE TIMES A WEEK

Have it grilled, sautéed, baked, roasted or stewed, just eat fish twice or three times a week. Studies have found that people who eat fish regularly were regular less likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease than those who ate fish only once a month. Moreover, regular fish consumption reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation -- rapid, irregular heartbeat -- a major cause of sudden death.

Omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, catfish, milkfish or tilapia has the ability to protect the heart.

9. LIMIT SALT

Consuming excess salt is one of the main causes of high blood pressure and other related heart diseases.

The first thing doctors advise a patient with heart disease is to limit salt intake. Salt contains elemental sodium and chloride. Excess salt intake will raise the level of sodium in the body, which is linked to increase water retention. This causes the heart to put in more effort in pumping blood and hence raises blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension is a causative factor in heart attacks and strokes. By this logic lowering salt intake would also lower heart disease risk.

10. AVOID TRANS FATS

There are three different kinds of dietary fat: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Saturated fats are those that stay hard at room temperature. Fatty parts of meat, whole milk dairy products, butter, palm and coconut oils are all highly saturated. On the other hand, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats remain liquid at room temperature and include vegetable oils.

Saturated fats are known to increase the body’s levels of blood cholesterol. Along with cholesterol, saturated fats can deposit on the inner walls of blood vessels; a condition known as atherosclerosis. When the heart’s arteries become clogged with cholesterol and fats, blood flow can be restricted or totally blocked, leading to severe chest pain and heart attack.

Meanwhile, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats actually have a cholesterol-lowering effect. By substituting polyunsaturated fats for the saturated fats in your diet, a person can actually help control cholesterol levels.

Then, there are the trans fats that are formed when liquid vegetable oils are converted into solids through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils are used to increase the shelf life of foods and to improve their texture. Trans fats are most often found in fried foods, vegetable shortenings, hard margarine, and processed cookies, crackers, baked goods and chips.

Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are not essential, and they do not promote good health. The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts.

11. DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL

The effect of alcohol on health and heart disease is complex. For some people, even mild alcohol use carries major risks. For others, moderate alcohol use may offer a degree of protection. At this point, doctors are not sure if moderate drinking is good for the heart.

However, findings in recent years suggest that moderate alcohol consumption (wine or beer) does offer some protection against heart disease for some people. The suspected heart-related benefits of alcohol include: raises HDL, or “good” cholesterol level; lowers blood pressure; inhibits the formation of blood clots. The latter, however, can be good or bad – it may prevent heart attacks but could also increase the risk of bleeding.

But, until medical science knows more about the pros and cons of alcohol consumption, doctors do not recommend drinking alcohol specifically for better heart health.

12. BRUSH AND FLOSS

While the connection is not yet proven beyond a doubt, plenty of evidence points to dental disorders such as periodontal disease (disease of the gums and bones that support the teeth) and gum disease (also called gingivitis) having something to do with heart disease. The bacteria present in gum diseases may trigger blood clots which can contribute to a heart attack or stroke.

It is most beneficial to brush and floss your teeth everyday and visit the dentist at least twice a year, if not for the heart, at least for the freshness of the kiss a person gives a loved one.

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Photo from the Internet

Priceless

2010-02-01T19:45:00.001+08:00

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I got this from an email.

HIV/AIDS Still Rises in the Philippines

2010-01-01T12:02:00.005+08:00

Although the number of new HIV infections has dropped by 17% globally since 2001, the number of new cases in the Philippines has increased by 334%.

The 2009 Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serological Surveillance (IHBSS) report revealed that the number of Filipinos afflicted with HIV/AIDS especially among high risk populations is steadily growing. The report disclosed that the overall prevalence of cases in the most at risk populations (MARPs) is 530 per 100,000 population. It also revealed the following figures: men having sex with men – 1,050/100,000; freelance female sex workers – 540/100,000; registered female sex workers – 230/100,000; and injecting drug users – 210/100,000.

These figures are far high compared to the numbers that the 2007 IHBSS has yielded.

The 2007 figures were: overall prevalence in MARPs– 99 per 100,000 population; men having sex with men – 280/100,000; freelance female sex workers – 44/100,000; registered female sex workers – 68/100,000; and injecting drug users – 130/100,000.

Although HIV and AIDS do not discriminate and anyone can get infected including unborn babies, there are groups that are more at risk than others because of behaviors that include unprotected vaginal and anal sex, multiple sex partners and re-use of needles and syringes while
injecting drugs.

“The threat is real. An individual is like a walking time bomb that may explode and spread the virus to others, cause deaths especially if he/she doesn’t know his/her HIV status while engaging in high risk behaviors.” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the DOH is determined to boost its information drive and strengthen its prevention program and services against HIV/AIDS. “But the efforts of DOH alone are not enough. The DOH will need the help of other sectors, other agencies of government, the LGUs, civic society and individuals and communities. All of us have a responsibility and role in stopping this disease,” Duque said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine HIV/AIDS Registry for October 2009 reported that 80 new HIV cases have been confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory. This was a 36% increase compared to the same period last year (59 in 2008). This brought the total of cases for 2009 to 626. Four (4) of these new cases were reported as AIDS. There was no death reported for the month of October.

The cumulative number of HIV cases from 1984 to October 2009 is 4,218, of which 828 have become AIDS. Of the 828 cases, 314 have already died. The most common mode of transmission was sexual contact (3,798 out of 4,218), while the least common was through mother-to-child transmission (49/4,218).

Get the facts. Know if you are at risk, how HIV is spread, and take action to protect yourself.

• Abstinence, followed by mutual monogamy with an uninfected partner, is the most effective way to protect yourself.

• For sexually active individuals, correct and consistent condom use can significantly decrease risk.

• If you inject drugs, don't share needles.

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Photo Credit: deBants from photobucket.com

State of the Penis

2010-01-01T11:52:00.002+08:00

Size

• Average length of penis when not erect: 3.5 inches

• Average length when erect: 5.1 inches

• Smallest natural penis recorded: 5/8 of an inch

• Largest natural penis recorded: 11 inches

• Largest penis in the animal kingdom: 11 feet

Erection

• Amount of time needed for a man to regain erection: from 2 minutes to 2 weeks

• Average # of erections per day for a man: 11

• Average # of erections during the night: 9

• Yes, the penis does shrink in the shower

• It is common for men to wake up with 'morning wood', a name for an A.M. erection

• Most arousing time of day/season for a man: early morning/fall or rainy season

• Best ways to improve sexual function: quit smoking, start exercising, lose weight

• Foods that improve sex life: oysters, lean meat, seafood, whole grains, wheat germ

Ejaculation

• Average number of times a man will ejaculate in his lifetime: 7,200

• Average number of times he will ejaculate from masturbation: 2,000

• Actual amount of semen per ejaculation: 1-2 teaspoons

• Average total amount of lifetime ejaculate: 14 gallons

• Average speed of ejaculation: 28 miles per hour

Masturbation

• Percent of men who say they masturbate: 60%

• Percent of men who say they masturbate at least once a day: 54%

• Percent of men who say they feel guilty masturbating that often: 41%

Sperm

• Distance sperm travels to fertilize an egg: 3-4 inches

• Time it takes the sperm: 2.5 seconds

• Sperm life: 2 1/2 months (from development to ejaculation)

• In general, the taste of a man's semen varies with his diet. Some say that the alkaline-based foods (fish and some meats) produce a buttery or fishy taste.

• Dairy products can create a foul taste; the taste of semen after eating asparagus is said to be the foulest.

• Acidic fruits and alcohol (except processed liquors) give it a pleasant and sugary taste.

• Odors that increase blood flow to the penis: lavender, licorice, chocolate, doughnuts, pumpkin pie.

• Average number of calories in a teaspoon of semen: 7

Condoms

• Cost of a year's supply of condoms: $100

• Thickness of the average condom: .07 mm

• Thickness of super-thin condoms: .05 mm

• Thickness of plastic wrap: .0127 mm

• Number of times condoms are thicker than plastic wrap: almost 6

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Facts from an email.
Photo from the Internet.

Your Fly is Open

2010-01-01T11:43:00.004+08:00

MR. SMITH got himself a new secretary. She was young, sweet and pretty.

One day, while taking dictation, she noticed his fly was open. When leaving the room she said, "Oh, Mr. Smith, did you know your barracks door is open?" He did not understand her remark, but later he happened to look down and saw his zipper was open.

He decided to have some fun with his new secretary. Calling her in he asked, "By the way Miss Jones, when you saw my barracks door open did you also see a soldier standing at attention?"

The secretary who was quite witty said, "Why no Mr. Smith.

All I saw was a little disabled veteran sitting on two duffle bags."

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Joke from www.funtime.net
Cartoons from the Internet

Just an Illusion

2010-01-01T11:15:00.002+08:00

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From an email.

Major Daily, Major BooBoos

2009-08-11T21:00:00.002+08:00

OMG! This was actually published in Manila Bulletin (one of the Philippines' major broadsheets) the day after the historic 9-hour funeral march for Former President Cory Aquino - known as the mother of democracy in the country. Note that the caption (red underline ours) read President Arroyo, referring to the current President of the Philippines. I wonder if the concerned editor has already lost his job. Hehehe.

Time for Dad and Mom

2009-08-08T12:47:00.003+08:00

An elderly man in Manila calls his son in New York and says, “I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a legal separation; 35 years of marriage... and that much misery is enough!”

“'Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screams.

“We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,” the old man says.

“We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Japan and tell her!”

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

“Like heck they're getting separated,” she shouts, “I'll take care of this.”

She calls Manila immediately, and screams at the old man, “You are not getting separated. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then , don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR?!?” and she hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. 'Okay', he says, 'It's all set. They're both coming for our anniversary and paying their own airfare!!'

MORAL:

No man / woman is busy in this world all 365 days. The sky is not going to fall down if you take few days LEAVE and meet your dear ones. OFFICE WORK AND IS NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE.

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I received this from an email.
Photo by EZRIDER831 from Photobucket

Too Busy to Blog

2009-08-08T12:41:00.002+08:00

Formal in Kobe

Fun in Palawan

Tobacco and illegal drugs have kept me busy past six weeks that’s why I did not have time to update my three blogs. Nope, I did not use those substances, on the contrary, I involved myself in a series of workshops to prevent and control tobacco and illegal drugs, which took me to Kobe, Japan and Puerto Princesa, Palawan, among other places.

In Kobe, I attended the Regional Workshop on Monitoring Secondhand Smoke Exposure conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In the next months, I will be a part of a cross-country study measuring secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in nine (9) East and Southeast Asia, namely: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The study will measure SHS in selected public places such as government offices, hospitals, secondary schools; restaurants and entertainment venues. Air nicotine and particulate matter (PM2.5) will be measured in key locations in each place. In conjunction with the collection and analysis of the data, a dissemination strategy will be implemented to distribute messages to media outlets and others to generate attention on the need for strong smoke-free legislation.

In Palawan, I facilitated the Health Promotion Implementation Review and Planning workshop for the Dangerous Drugs Prevention and Treatment Program of the Department of Health. This gauged where we are now and what we will do next in promoting drug abuse prevention.

Anyway, I’m not complaining with the additional workload that will keep me tremendously busy in the days and weeks ahead. I just hope I will not have to sacrifice doing my blogs.

Extreme Signage 3

2009-07-04T18:35:00.003+08:00

Oh, yeah. Got it! Do not make up room.

(This circulates in the Internet.)